Chapter 8: [SIDE] Leohart
Leohart was a member of the royal family of the Dean Empire, a human nation neighboring the Elven Kingdom.
When he was six years old, his mother, a king’s concubine, died of illness, and shunned by the queens, he was driven to an old mansion deep within a vast forest at the edge of the country.
There were no servants, and the only food he received was a meal brought from outside once a week.
He endured this life for about a year, but eventually fell into despair.
Believing there was no meaning in his own life, he wandered the forest until he collapsed before a gigantic tree.
As his consciousness faded and he thought this was where he would die, something suddenly began hopping on his back.
“Ouch.”
When he sat up, he saw a small cup and a bottle of medicine placed at the base of the giant tree.
As he approached, a gentle woman’s voice came from deep within the tree.
“Um, please drink that. It’s medicine.”
At first he was wary, but unable to endure his thirst, he gulped down the water from the cup.
He grimaced at the bitterness of the medicine, but managed to drink it all.
Then, as he ate the apple offered by the unseen speaker, tears overflowed from his eyes.
It had been far too long since he had felt someone’s kindness like this.
From that day on, he began visiting the giant tree.
The owner of the voice was named Lydia, and she welcomed him every time he came.
She read books to him, sang songs for him, baked bread when he said he liked it, and taught him how to write letters when he said he was bad at writing.
Her kindness and affection seeped deep into Leohart’s heart, which had been starved of love.
He stopped wanting to die, and even when he returned to the dark mansion, he no longer felt afraid.
While spending such gentle days, a question began to form in his mind.
‘Why does Lydia stay inside the giant tree all the time?’
When he asked her why, an unexpected answer came back.
“Actually, I can’t get out.”
There was no door, and even if she tried to break the walls, it seemed impossible with her power.
What was supposed to be a brief period of hiding had turned into being trapped indefinitely, with no one ever coming to retrieve her.
“Aren’t you lonely, being all alone?”
“I’m fine. I have the animals.”
Watching her try to speak cheerfully while hiding her loneliness so as not to worry him, he made a firm decision.
He would become strong enough to fell this tree and free her.
He took action immediately.
He wrote a letter to his father, the King, requesting to become a knight who would serve the country.
After exchanging a promise with Lydia that he would definitely come back to save her, he returned to the royal capital and joined the knight order.
Life in the knight order was harsh and painful.
He was given no free time at all, and there were countless moments when he wanted to complain or felt things were unfair, but he endured it all by rereading the gentle letters Lydia had given him again and again.
Before sleeping each night, he thought of her and turned those thoughts into strength for the next day.
To him, nothing else mattered besides Lydia.
And then, ten years after parting from Lydia.
News arrived that a dragon had appeared in the mountain region.
Whoever defeated the dragon would be granted any reward they desired.
‘This is my chance.’
Already famed as the greatest knight in the country, he headed out to subjugate the dragon together with the mage who partnered with him.
They fought with reckless abandon and succeeded in defeating it.
When asked what reward he wished for, he answered like this.
“Money, and freedom for the rest of my life.”
That wish was granted, and at last, he was able to go and retrieve Lydia.
Normally, after ten years, one would assume she was gone, but for some reason, he was certain Lydia was still inside the giant tree.
On the road to the forest along the border with the Elven Kingdom, he felt nervous.
To be honest, he had never actually seen Lydia.
Even when he peered through the hole, it had been too dark to make her out.
‘But it doesn’t matter what she looks like.’
She was his light, and the meaning of his life.
No matter what she looked like, all he would do was devote himself to her.
When he arrived before the giant tree, he smoothly drew his sword.
After confirming that Lydia was not nearby, he unleashed a powerful slash.
Boom!
With a resounding crash, the wooden wall was obliterated.
Peering through the smoke, he saw a beautiful elven maiden standing there.
Silver hair, blue eyes, gentle features, and a slender, delicate figure.
Just as he had imagined, she looked kind, and Leohart’s chest filled with emotion.
“Sorry it took so long. I came to get you, just like I promised.”
Taking her small hand as she stared at him in shock, he smiled while savoring the happiness of finally meeting her.
“Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Feeling the softness and warmth of Lydia’s small hand, he thought from the bottom of his heart.
As long as she was with him, he needed nothing else.
For her happiness, he would do anything.