In the distant past.
A young girl gazed up at the face of the man who sprinted across the land with her held tight in his arms.
She worried about what she would do if he noticed her staring, yet she couldn't help but be conscious of him—the one who had finally led her out into the wide world.
Suddenly, he spoke.
"Let’s take a rest soon."
"Yes. All right."
As the hem of her dress fluttered and touched the ground, the girl stood on her own two feet.
"Thank you. Um... was I heavy?"
"Not in the slightest."
The man’s warmth, which had been enveloping her entire body, began to fade.
Already, she missed it.
...How strange.
The girl—the one once called the Eroding Princess—smiled at herself for feeling such regret over something so small.
A cool breeze stroked their skin as they rested.
A forest stretched out as far as the eye could see. He told her it was what remained of the mountains. No matter how far she reached out her arms, there were no walls to meet them; there was only the vastness of nature, teaching her just how small an existence she truly was. To her, plants were things that could never be seen up close.
Whenever vegetation was near, it was immediately consumed by her power, withering in an instant. She had never seen so many trees in her entire life. Having been imprisoned since she was a small child, her only experience with the color of life had been the occasional glimpse of green grass.
Witnessing this landscape of beautiful, sprawling greenery made her feel as though she had been reborn into a new world.
"Is this what they call a forest?"
The Eroding Princess addressed the man standing a few paces away.
He nodded immediately and turned to look at her.
"This area is known as the Sea of Forests. Once we pass through here and travel a bit further, the Elfen Sea will come into view."
"The sea... I’ve read about it in books. It’s a puddle so vast that even if you linked every bath together, it wouldn't be enough, right?"
"Something like that."
The man who had rescued her couldn't help but smile at her charming description.
He looked deeper into the Sea of Forests, his thoughts already moving ahead, and spoke to the girl while she was still lost in wonder at the thought of the ocean.
"We need to start thinking about what we'll do after this."
"What do you mean by 'after this'? I'll be by your side, but you mean something else?"
"How we’re going to live, for instance. Do you have any preferences? To be honest, I carried you out of there without thinking much further ahead."
"I... I see."
The Eroding Princess replied with a slightly weak voice at his bluntness.
She gave a wry smile, realizing she didn't actually mind this sort of exchange between them.
"And how did you plan to escape those pursuing me? What were you actually thinking?"
"Like I said, I wasn't thinking. If I had to pick something, I was only thinking about getting you out of there."
"...Only about me?"
"Yes. Until the other day, my mind was occupied with nothing but collecting the Three Treasures and commissioning Mirim Altia to craft the magic tools and medicine."
Feeling as though she had caught a glimpse of his true feelings, the Eroding Princess turned her back so he wouldn't see her flushed cheeks.
She feigned composure, pretending to watch the distant trees.
The hem of her dress swayed in the pleasant wind.
"Where would you like to live from now on?" the man asked, returning to the topic.
"A bright, quiet place... maybe. I’ve had quite enough of the dark."
She was still a little afraid of dark places, and the desire for quiet was simply her preference.
The man nodded deeply in agreement and walked up to her side.
She turned her face away again so he couldn't even see her profile. However, she was quickly reminded that her resistance was futile.
"I think you’re trying to hide it, but I can tell you’re blushing."
"Wh—!?"
The Eroding Princess whirled around to face him.
With her face still beet-red, she glared at him with an expression of panicked, bashful frustration.
"Even if you noticed, it’s polite to keep it to yourself!"
"My apologies. I was just so happy, it slipped out."
The man laughed and scooped the Eroding Princess up into his arms.
"Kyaa!" the girl cried out at the sudden movement, looking up at him in surprise.
"What is it now?"
She pouted slightly, still trying to hide her embarrassment. However, she had given up on avoiding him and didn't try to look away this time.
"I’ve had my fill of camping in the woods. Let’s get moving."
"Then, are we going to live in the place we’re heading to now?"
"No, that's just for supplies. Our next destination is a fairly large city, so it won't be very quiet."
It would also be a nuisance if pursuers caught up to them. He intended to stay there for a few days at most.
The man kicked off a large boulder and surged forward. The Eroding Princess didn't fear the sudden acceleration; she simply leaned her body into his.
The roar of the wind made it hard to hear, so they spoke in raised voices.
"I don't have any money, you know!?" she shouted, voicing her small concern.
"I have plenty, so don't worry about it!"
"...Is that really all right?"
"I'm the one who took you away, so of course it is! Also, I should tell you now—I'm planning to meet an old friend there!"
"Understood! So, where are we going?"
The man called back to the girl as he tore through the wind.
"To a massive, beautiful port city!"
This was a story from a time when the Demon King still lived.
An era when the Seven Heroes still wandered the world.