Chapter: 189
And so, Asterios, the monster trapped in the maze, stepped out of the maze.
“Is it really okay to wander around like this?”
“Of course, it is.”
Due to his massive size, Asterios found it difficult to pass through doors, constantly glancing around, monitoring the reactions of others.
“I’ve put a spell on us, so no one can see you or me. So don’t worry.”
“But….”
Despite being as big as a mountain, he acted timidly, pressed against the wall as if afraid of bumping into someone. It was quite a comical sight.
However, considering he had endured several years in that underground maze, it’s almost a relief that he’s only grown this timid instead of becoming completely warped.
With Asterios’ hesitance, I made my way to the room where the Queen awaited.
“This place….”
“Come on. Your mother must be waiting, so let’s go in.”
“The Queen…?”
Watching the giant who couldn’t even refer to his own mother as “mother,” I let out a small sigh.
“It was the Queen who asked me to bring you. Why are you hesitating?”
“But….”
Asterios continued his frustrating stalling. Sighing again, I conjured a magic rope and wrapped it around Asterios.
“If you’re just going to hesitate, I’ll have to drag you whether you like it or not.”
“Wait a minute! I’ll walk on my own, just give me a moment to prepare myself mentally!!”
“No. It’s obvious you’re just going to keep stalling, so why even pretend?”
And with that, I pulled Asterios into the Queen’s room.
I may have tugged a bit too roughly, causing Asterios’ head to bump against the top of the door frame, but he seemed fine, so it shouldn’t be an issue.
The cow skull mask he wore shattered into pieces. What was he even doing wearing such a mask? It wasn’t just any mask—it was a skull mask that would scare anyone who saw it.
“Ah! The skull!”
“What? Was it not a mask but a real skull?”
Seriously, it was a real skull? Well, that’s a bit much.
Now that the skull covered part of Asterios’ face was gone, the boy’s appearance looked surprisingly youthful for someone so large.
With his immense size, he could barely fit through the door if he didn’t hunch over, yet his face looked so cute—it was truly strange.
“But the King said not to show my face and to keep wearing it….”
“You don’t need that! Forget about that idiot! Now, let’s go!”
After some back and forth, I finally managed to pull Asterios into the room.
Inside the room,
“Phew… Is it really okay…?”
The Queen sighed, staring out the window with a face full of concern.
“As we talked, it seemed plausible, so I allowed it, but… was it really alright to send such a small child into that underground maze…?”
Amid this turmoil, the Queen seemed to worry for me. Hmm… Worry is indeed part of her role.
Near the Queen, I dispelled the magic that was hiding both Asterios and me and said, “I’m back.”
“Yikes! Y-You scared me….”
The startled Queen struggled to find her words, looking between me and Asterios, who stood awkwardly behind.
“I heard the rumors, but… he really has grown.”
Asterios had nothing to say in response to her words.
Well, rather, he didn’t know what to say.
“This child has been through a lot. Now, let’s just let the two of you, having not seen each other for years, have a calm chat.”
“Wait, Tia!”
Seeing Asterios speak anxiously, I gave him a small smile, then used magic to move outside the room.
After setting up a barrier so no one else could notice the two inside, I headed toward my next destination.
The next stop, of course, was the King’s room.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“Is this a dream…?”
“You see a person’s face and already think it’s a dream?”
“Well, but….”
“Whether you think it’s a dream or not doesn’t matter much. I’m just here to grant your request.”
At my words, the King’s eyes widened.
“You mean… reconciling with the Queen?!”
“Exactly.”
The King looked at me with skepticism, as if to say that I were lying.
“How on earth…?”
“It’s not a big deal. We only need to resolve the reason for the fight.”
I pulled out three strands of hair from my pocket.
The King’s, the Queen’s, and Asterios’ hair.
Laying them out together, I noticed they all shared similar hues.
“What are those…?”
“These are the hairs of you, your wife, and your son.”
“He’s not my son!”
The King shouted in response to my statement.
“No, that boy is your blood.”
“That’s a lie! How can a beastman be born from me and the Queen?! Those horns on his head can’t be fake!”
“No matter how desperately you deny it, the truth doesn’t change.”
What appeared like faint shapes of the genes read from the hair of the King and Queen lingered before him, along with the genetic shape extracted from Asterios’ hair.
I sliced the gene shape of the King and Queen in half, swapping the pieces to meld them into a complete shape before slowly overlapping them with Asterios’ genetic shape.
These two overlapped shapes perfectly matched.
“The life information you and the Queen passed on is nearly identical to what the boy possesses. If he weren’t your biological child, this wouldn’t be possible.”
“That’s a lie! Just because those strange images overlapped doesn’t mean that monster is my son! And how can I trust you?! You could be lying!”
Hmm. Well, they don’t know much about genetics in this era. It’s a bit hard to understand.
Explaining it is a hassle; huh… Ugh.
Forget it, this is all too annoying.
“If that’s the case, would you believe me if I declare it in the name of the Goddess of Life?”
“What?”
I addressed the increasingly bewildered King.
“As a delegate of the Goddess of Life, I hereby declare that Asterios is your son, born between you and your wife.”
“What did you just say…?”
In that instant, the palace ceiling shattered, and light poured in from above.
Within the dazzling beams, a solemn voice emerged.
“I declare, in the name of Shamash, the God of Light, Justice, and Law. All of Her words and intentions are true. Do not deny this.”
Hmm. Shamash? I appreciate the help, but making such a sudden appearance has thrown me for a loop too!
And how did they know my exact location? It’s truly troublesome.
Although, the only places where light doesn’t reach in this world are beneath the earth. I suppose Shamash would find me just by me wandering around.
“What was that just now…?”
“Well, it’s just a declaration that what I’m saying must be true, so don’t mind it. If you don’t want to incur the wrath of both the Goddess of Life and Shamash, it’d be wise to believe what I say.”
That was about an eighty to ninety percent threat.
No matter how wealthy a king of a city-state might be, he would ultimately not go against the will of the gods.
“So… does that mean… that monster truly is my son?”
Realizing that the deity’s name backed my statement, the King’s tone became slightly more respectful.
“Yes, Asterios is your biological son.”
“But how?! Both the Queen and I are human! How can a beastman be born?”
“Well, you have beastman blood running through your veins.”
I tapped the King’s forehead lightly, and from that spot, light emanated, drawing a family tree.
Information about the royal bloodline that couldn’t be discerned from simple hair strands began to flow.
The depicted data included the King’s parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents, among whom an unusual figure was mixed.
Most were human, but the King’s grandmother was a beastman.
“Your grandmother was a beastman.”
“What?! But I heard my grandmother died when my mother was young!”
Didn’t the King’s mother tell him stories about her mother?
Well, that’s not unlikely. Especially if a parent dies when you’re young… It’s a tough topic to bring up. You probably wouldn’t have many clear memories of them anyway.
“Your mother was mixed race, so she might not have had horns. And similarly, you might not have either… The beastman blood that had been dormant manifested in your child through generations.”
“Is that… really true?”
“Are you saying that you can’t believe the words of one backed by the Goddess of Light, Justice, and Law?”
“No, but….”
The King appeared to be in a state of confusion.
Well, that’s his problem. As for me, I just need to finish what I came for.
“Anyway, it was your foolish act to suspect the Queen regarding Asterios’ lineage, so keep your mouth shut and formally apologize to her.”
“What?! Didn’t you say you would help me reconcile with the Queen?!”
“I said I’d help resolve the issues caused by Asterios being born of a beastman; I didn’t say I’d help you reconcile!”
“Isn’t that the same?!”
“Absolutely not.”
I grinned widely.
“Resolving the issues regarding the birth of a beastman, meaning I will clarify the secrets of your lineage. What happens afterward is not my concern.”
“That’s… nonsensical!! You promised to help reconcile…!”
As the King seemed ready to say more, I clicked my tongue briefly.
“If I were you, I would have taken action myself without relying on someone who was unaware of their identity. You, not knowing that you have beastman blood flowing through your veins, continued to suspect your innocent wife and threw your child into that dark maze.”
“That… that’s….”
With no retort, the King fell silent.
“Then… what should I do?”
“That’s obvious.”
I spoke in a calm tone.
“Apologize. To your wife and your son. Sincerely apologize. That might ease their hearts, but it’s still better than not doing it at all.”
When you’ve done wrong, you must seek forgiveness. The perpetrator doesn’t get a choice.
Sure, he might have felt justified for doubting at times when he was unaware of the cause, but still, the wounds of the victims who were constantly doubted and mistreated would not just vanish.
Until you’re forgiven, you just have to keep asking for it.
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