Chapter 14
"Just how powerful can those kids be…" the male knight muttered under his breath, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword. His gaze locked on Nekubuki, who stood calmly in the middle of the battlefield, fifty slimes oozing around him.
"Come forth, my dear brothers…" Nekubuki's voice echoed, deep and unwavering.
From the smoke, twelve wolves materialized,each one towering, each glowing with a different color of flame. Their eyes burned with hunger.
"Destroy them. Leave no trace," Nekubuki commanded.
The wolves vanished. No sound, no movement,only silence. Then, one by one, the slimes were erased from existence, their gelatinous bodies collapsing without even a cry.
Lucien gasped, his young face pressed against the barrier. "Where… where did they go?"
Jessica clutched his sleeve, speechless.
The knights had no answer. They could only watch in disbelief as the battlefield cleared in mere breaths. Nekubuki dusted his hands and turned, a grin stretching across his face. "You were right, Ethan. I like this name."
Ethan only smiled, his small eight-year-old frame glowing faintly with power. He lifted a finger toward the last slime, which was charging up a spell.
The female knight's eyes widened. "That's my spell! Move away!"
But Nekubuki was faster. Raising two fingers, he slid them downward. A violent gust of wind erupted, tearing the slime apart in an instant.
The knights and royalty fell into stunned silence. Power like that shouldn't exist in children.
Nekubuki strolled back casually, his wolves reappearing behind him like shadows returning to their master.
Ethan lowered the barrier, tilting his head at the knights with a mischievous grin. "Not bad, right?"
"Not half as bad," said Jake, the third-born son, crossing his arms.
"Not half as bad?" Nekubuki barked a laugh. "That was greatness itself!"
Before the bickering could continue, the female knight stepped forward. "Allow us to introduce ourselves properly. I am Seraphine, the Fourth of the Master Knights." She bowed with discipline despite her fatigue.
"And I," the male knight added, sliding his sword into its sheath, "am Kael, the Third of the Master Knights."
The wolves exchanged glances. Lucas gave a low whistle. "So the king sent his best dogs after all."
Seraphine ignored the jab, turning toward the children. "That young boy is Prince Lucien," she said softly.
Lucien bowed his head. "Thank you… for saving our lives."
"And the girl beside him," Seraphine continued, "is Princess Jessica."
Jessica curtsied. "Our sincerest thanks."
Ethan stepped closer, his scarlet eyes narrowing as he looked up at the knights towering above him. "What are weaklings like you doing in this forest?" His voice was calm but sharp, like a blade against their throats.
Seraphine opened her mouth, but Ethan cut her off. "No games. Tell me the truth."
The air grew heavy. Even Kael flinched, his body trembling under the weight of Ethan's presence. Sweat rolled down his temple.
Seraphine drew a shaky breath. "We were sent by the king… He ordered his children to train, to gain strength he himself never reached."
Jessica's voice broke the silence. "But Mother—Lady Ledia tried to stop him."
The name froze Ethan in place. Ledia…
He turned slowly, his tone sharper than before. "How old are the two of you?"
"I'm six," Jessica whispered. "And my brother is seven."
Ethan looked away, staring at the setting sun as if it mocked him. "None of you can return tonight. Stay with us." He turned, leading them deeper into the forest.
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Forty minutes later, they arrived at the wolves' den—a vast cave hidden beneath twisted roots.
"Here. Your meal." Theresa, mother of the wolves, placed heaps of raw meat wrapped in broad leaves before the knights and royalty.
The guests stared at the bloody offering in disbelief.
Lucien frowned. "Are we supposed to pretend this is normal? They're naked… and eating raw meat like savages!"
Kael grimaced. "And they live here? In the Forest of Banishment? Impossible…"
Seraphine shook her head, unease in her eyes.
As they whispered, Jessica broke away and approached Ethan, who sat hunched over his share of raw meat, devouring it without hesitation.
"Excuse me," she said softly.
Ethan didn't look up. "Speak."
"Your eyes… they match Father's. And your hair, it's—"
"Enough." Ethan's voice cut like a blade. "I don't know who you're talking about. Rest. You return tomorrow."
"We refuse!" Lucien shouted, his young face flushed with determination. "What I saw today… it was beyond anything I could imagine! I want to train under them!" He pointed at Solvian, his voice shaking.
Ethan slammed his hand against the stone floor, his glare silencing the room. "No! Letting you stay the night is trouble enough."
Jessica stepped forward, her tone desperate but calm. "If you agree… we'll pay. Clothes. Supplies. Resources."
Lucas placed a hand on her shoulder, his voice gentle. "Sleep. It's past bedtime."
Defeated, the royal siblings curled up on the stone floor. The knights reluctantly followed.
Ethan lay among his wolves, his red eyes half-closed. Only Theresa, Lucas, remained awake—each with thoughts they dared not voice.
To be continued…
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