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“Did I really just get out of that maze?”

Asterios, the monster trapped in the maze, finally broke free.

“Is it really okay to just wander around like this?”

“Of course it is.”

Asterios, now too big to fit through any door, was constantly watching others for their reactions.

“The magic I cast makes it so no one can see you or me. So, don’t you worry about it.”

“B-but…”

With a size like that of a mountain, Asterios was stuck awkwardly pressed against the wall, afraid of bumping into passersby, looking quite ridiculous.

Still, considering he had survived for years in that underground maze, it was somewhat fortunate he had only grown this timid.

With Asterios hesitating, I made my way to the queen’s chamber first.

“Is this…?”

“Come on. Your mother is waiting, so let’s hurry in.”

“Queen…?”

I sighed quietly at the sight of this giant boy who couldn’t even call his own mother “Mother.”

“The queen requested you be brought here. So why the hesitation?”

“But…”

Asterios continued to hesitate. I sighed again, conjured a rope with my magic, and wrapped it around him.

“If you keep hesitating, I’ll just have to drag you along.”

“W-wait! I can walk on my own; just give me a moment to prepare myself mentally!”

“Nope. It’s obvious you’re just going to keep stalling, so why not just come along?”

With that, I pulled Asterios inside the queen’s room.

I pulled a bit too hard, and his head collided with the top of the doorframe. But it shouldn’t have caused any real damage.

Even if the skull-shaped mask he was wearing shattered into pieces.

Seriously, why was he wearing something like that? It’s not just a mask, but a skull! Anyone would find that terrifying.

“Ah! The skull!”

“Wait, was that a real skull?!”

Was it really a genuine skull? Oh man, that’s a bit much.

Beneath that skull, Asterios’ face wasn’t scary at all—it looked quite youthful for his massive size.

This giant who could hardly fit through the door had a cute face? Talk about a strange combination.

“B-but the king said not to show my face from now on…”

“Forget that! Let’s just go inside!”

After a bit of back-and-forth, I finally managed to pull Asterios into the room.

Inside was the queen, gazing out the window with a look full of worry.

“Ugh… I wonder if it’s alright…?”

Though she had reluctantly agreed after hearing my story, was it truly okay to send such a small child into the underground maze…?

In all of this, the queen seemed to be worried about me. Hmmm… she’s too caring for her own good.

As I dispelled the magic concealing Asterios and me, I said, “We’re back.”

“Gah! Y-you scared me…”

The queen, visibly startled, struggled to find her words upon seeing Asterios standing behind me.

“I heard rumors, but… you’ve really grown.”

Asterios couldn’t respond to her. Well, he just didn’t know what to say in that moment.

“This child has been through a lot. Let’s sit down and have a calm talk, the two of you.”

“Wait, Tia!”

Seeing Asterios getting panicked, I smiled softly and used magic to step outside the room.

Then, after creating a barrier to keep the two inside from being noticed, I made my way toward my next destination.

Of course, that destination was the king’s room.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

“Was it just a dream…?”

“Do you think I’m just a figment of your imagination upon seeing a human face?”

“But…”

“Whether you think it’s a dream or not doesn’t matter much. I’m just here to fulfill your request.”

The king’s eyes widened at my words.

“Request? You mean… to reconcile with the queen?!”

“Exactly.”

The king looked at me with skepticism, like he thought I was lying.

“How exactly?”

“Oh, it was nothing special. Just needed to clear up 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, I noticed they all had a similar hair color.

“What’s that…?”

“Your hair, the queen’s hair, and your son’s hair.”

“He’s not my son!”

The king nearly shouted in protest.

“Oh no, that child is indeed a son who bears your blood.”

“Lies! How could a cow beastman be born from me and the queen? Those horns aren’t fake!”

“No matter how desperately you deny it, the truth won’t change.”

The gene patterns I read from the king and queen’s hair flickered vividly in front of us, and so did those from Asterios’ strand.

I split the shared genetic shape from the king and queen in half, switched their parts, combined them to create a complete shape, and then slowly overlapped them with Asterios’.

The combined figures perfectly matched each other.

“The genetic information derived from you and the queen is almost identical to what that child possesses. It’s impossible for him to be anyone else’s child if he doesn’t share your blood.”

“Lies! Just because those weird shapes overlapped, doesn’t prove that monster is my son! And how can I trust your words?! You could be lying!”

Hmmm. Well, it’s an era when they wouldn’t know anything about genes. Right. Definitely not easy for them to grasp.

Explaining it seemed tiresome. Ugh, what a bother.

“Well then, would you believe it if I declared this under the name of the Goddess of Life?”

“What?”

I looked at the king, whose expression was blank.

“As a representative of the Goddess of Life, I hereby declare that Asterios is your and your wife’s child.”

“Y-you just… what…?”

In an instant, the palace ceiling cracked open and light streamed down from the sky.

From that blinding light came a solemn voice.

“In the name of Shamash, the God of Light and Justice. My words and intentions are all true. Do not deny them.”

Oh wow. Shamash? I appreciate the help, but showing up like that caught me off guard!

And how did he know exactly where I was? That’s just awkward for me.

Still, the only places in this world that remain untouched by light are the depths of the earth. So, as long as I’m moving around, Shamash would find me easily.

“What was that just now…?”

“Nothing much, just a declaration that whatever I say is true. So if you’d rather not incur the wrath of the Goddess of Life and the God of Light… you’d be wise to believe me.”

A semi-threat. More like a 95% threat.

Even a wealthy king of a city-state couldn’t go against the will of the gods.

“T-then… is it true that that monster is really my son? Is that even true?”

Having recognized that I wasn’t an ordinary person thanks to the declaration made in the name of the gods, the king’s tone shifted to one of respect.

“Indeed. Asterios is your biological son.”

“But how?! Both my wife and I are human! How could a cow beastman be born?!”

“Because there’s beastman blood running in your veins.”

I flicked the king’s forehead lightly, causing light to emanate from that spot, forming a family tree.

This family tree showed the bloodline of the king that couldn’t be traced with just a strand of hair. A flow of blood information connecting it all.

Within that scattered information were images of different figures mixed into the king’s lineage.

Most of them were human, but his grandmother was a cow beastman.

“Your grandmother was a cow beastman.”

“What?! But I heard my grandmother died when my mother was young!”

Had the king never discussed his mother’s mother?

Well, that’s understandable. Especially since childhood stories about parents who passed away tend to be… hard to bring up. If they died early, one probably wouldn’t remember much.

“Your mother was a hybrid, so she may not have had horns. The same goes for you… That latent beastman lineage manifested in your child due to generations being skipped.”

“Y-you’re saying that’s… truly the case?”

“Are you saying you don’t trust someone backed by the God of Light and Justice?”

“N-no, but that…!”

The king appeared to be lost in chaos.

Well, whatever he feels doesn’t concern me. I just need to wrap up the matter at hand.

“So anyway, suspecting the queen’s infidelity over Asterios’ lineage is just plain foolishness on your part. Keep your mouth shut and ask for her forgiveness.”

“B-but you said you’d help me reconcile with her?!”

“I said I’d help you resolve the issues that arose from a beastman being born. I never promised a reconciliation!”

“That’s the same thing, isn’t it?!”

“Absolutely not.”

I grinned widely.

“The issues that arose due to the birth of a beastman: that involves me revealing the truth about your lineage, if you will. After that, whatever new conflicts arise, they’re on you.”

“Th-that’s pure sophistry!! You definitely promised reconciliation…!”

Seeing the king about to say something more, I clicked my tongue.

“If I were you, I’d rely on the understanding of those who don’t know your true identity instead of resorting to this. You, who didn’t even realize beastman blood flowed through your veins, kept suspecting your innocent wife and threw your child into that dark maze.”

“Th-that’s….”

“A father who suspects his wife and abandons his child? That’s the kind of person who can even be a husband and father? Don’t you think?”

The king fell silent.

“So, what should I do now?”

“Well, that’s obvious.”

I spoke in a calm voice.

“Apologize. To your wife and your son. Thoroughly. While it might ease their hearts a little, it’s better than doing nothing.”

When you’ve made a mistake, you ought to ask for forgiveness. There’s no choice for the perpetrator.

Sure, it’s understandable to be suspicious since he didn’t know the reason. But that doesn’t erase the wounds of those who have been wronged.

Until he receives forgiveness, he has no choice but to keep asking for it.

 

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