The Lord Forgotten

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the light filtering through the trees turned orange, casting long shadows over the forest path. A trio moved in unison along the winding trail that led toward a ruined village ahead.

At the front walked a tall, wild-haired blonde woman. Her black cloak was open, revealing a sleeveless dark red tunic reinforced with leather plating and snug black trousers tucked into knee-high boots scuffed by travel. Her piercing gaze scanned the forest like a hunter watching for prey.

Beside her was a taller man with even wilder blonde hair, untamed like a lion's mane. He wore a long, sleeveless coat over a gray armored vest, with thick leather gauntlets and faded brown trousers. His heavy metal boots struck the ground with confidence, matching his swaggering posture.

Bringing up the rear was a shorter, handsome man with neatly tied blue hair. A silver-trimmed navy coat hung open over a high-collared shirt and tight black slacks. A curved sword rested at his side, its hilt etched with runes that shimmered faintly.

"Oh man, thank the Golden King Miss Lilith was found," the blue-haired man said, stretching his arms behind his head.

"Finally, the resources of the Gilded Knight Order won't be wasted any further," muttered Rico, arms folded tightly across his chest.

"Come on, Rico, you have to admit—this has been a pretty relaxing week. "

"Ha! For Rico, relaxation might as well be a waste of time."

"Pffft."

"And what's wrong with tha—"

They all stopped mid-step.

Something shifted between the trees to their side.

A figure emerged from the woods, stepping slowly onto the path. The fading light caught on fragments of crumbling gray armor, glinting like shattered glass. Yet as the pieces broke off, they vanished before they hit the ground, revealing a black jersey, snug and faintly torn, paired with dark blue jeans and white shoes with three black stripes on their sides, now dirt-streaked and worn.

His posture was slouched, as though his body was carrying something far too heavy. His brown eyes looked hollow, too old for his face, as if they'd stared into something no man should ever see.

But it wasn't just the battered armor or his exhausted appearance that unsettled them—it was the feeling. A cold sense of wrongness. His presence twisted the air like a man who should not exist.

"Identify yourself!" Rico barked, his teeth elongating into sharp fangs. Vance drew his blade in a flash, and Kaelin shifted into a battle stance.

The man raised a hand in peace, his voice calm but hoarse. "Name's Andreas. Do any of you know where Lilith is?"

"Sorry, buddy," Vance said, narrowing his eyes. "We can't say anything until we know you're safe. Step closer—and don't try anything weird."

Andreas hesitated, breathing heavily, then took a few pained steps forward.

What the hell…? Vance's eyes narrowed even further. He's not even awakened. Just dormant. Feels like a normal guy. Then why… Why did I feel like a monster was staring at me just now?

Vance slowly sheathed his blade. "Okay. He's clear."

"You sure?" Kaelin asked, still tense.

"If Vance says he's safe, he's probably not much of a threat," she added, relaxing her shoulders.

"Ouch," Andreas said dryly. "Your words cut deep, miss."

"Nice to meet you, Andreas," Kaelin said, stepping forward with a faint smirk. "I'm Kaelin Tanaka. The hothead here is Rico Tanaka. And that's Vance… something-something…"

"ALVARES!" Vance snapped, visibly offended. "I'd appreciate it if you stopped pretending not to know my family!"

Kaelin waved him off. "So, Andreas, could the Lilith you're looking for be Leicester Lilith?"

"…Yes. That sounds right."

The group resumed walking, Andreas now among them, the ruined village coming into a clearer view ahead as the last rays of daylight faded.

"Then tell me," Rico said with suspicion, "what's an ordinary human want with Miss Lilith?"

"I just want to make sure that the golden-haired freak doesn't try anything weird with her."

Vance chuckled. "Huh. That's the first time I've heard of Lord Sabeth being called a freak."

Kaelin's face darkened. "You'd better watch your mouth. Don't ever insult Lord Sabeth in front of us again. Got it?"

"…Loud and clear," Andreas muttered.

SMACK!

Andreas stumbled forward, clutching the back of his head.

"Hey—what the hell—!?"

Rico lowered his hand, unrepentant. "That's what you get for ..."

"RICO! What is wrong with you!?" Kaelin snapped.

"But Kaelin, he—"

"Yeah, that was unnecessary and stupid, even for your dull head." Vance turned back to Andreas. "Sorry about that. He's always like this."

"…It's all good," Andreas replied, rubbing his head.

"Well, you two listen here, he's...he was… Ah, forget it," Rico grumbled.

***

The ruined village flickered with firelight and bonfires crackled beside broken walls, lanterns swaying gently from makeshift posts. Despite the destruction, people moved through the space like survivors rebuilding a shrine of memory.

Andreas felt out of place. His clothes were a drastic contrast to the armor of the soldiers around him. Ignoring his embarrassment, his eyes swept across the crowd, searching for that one familiar glimmer of gold.

Not seeing what he was looking for, he continued to follow the trio. As he passed the soldiers, he heard murmurs of his name.

Do they know something about me?

Kaelin spoke quietly to Rico, saying, "Seems like we worried for nothing."

"As if. He might have done something to the soldiers. Trust me, Kaelin, there's something strange about this guy—I can smell it."

"Wait, really?... Well, that makes things complicated."

After walking for a few minutes, they reached an opening near a crumbled stone well.

Lilith stood near the well, her long golden hair catching the firelight like strands of sunlight woven from the sky. She was dressed in a white robe layered with ceremonial stitching, regal yet practical, untouched by dirt or soot. Her posture was calm—too calm for someone who had nearly died.

Beside her stood a tall man cloaked in an unnaturally white suit. His golden hair flowed like silk behind him, framing a face that looked perfect and serene. His presence pressed down like gravity—one that made even hardened soldiers instinctively lower their eyes.

Vance, Rico, and Kaelin knelt in front of Sabeth, leaving Andreas as the only one standing. Then Vance said:

"Lord Sabeth. We have brought... the soldier Andreas. He requested to know of Miss Lilith's wellbeing."

"That's him," Andreas muttered, voice laced with quiet contempt.

"Don't," Kaelin warned Rico under her breath.

Sabeth looked at Andreas and then took out a gold pocket watch from his pocket. His hand disappeared into the suit, and the color of the sleeve melded with the color of the pocket, leaving no trace of the pocket ever existing.

Andreas squinted, his eyes struggling to see the pockets on the white suit.

What… pockets? That suit lacks way too many details. How is a suit like that even made? Was it made by magic?

"Two hours have passed since I left you. You are certainly fast. Tell me, how did you arrive so quickly?"

"I ran."

Sabeth tilted his head. His expression was unreadable, like a mask worn by something trying to be human. His gaze slid across the trio before settling on Andreas—piercing, calculating, but not aggressive.

"Hm... very well. That is certainly a believable answer. I will accept it, even though you are a dormant human."

Andreas felt a flicker of something inside—heat, then a cold, calming sensation spread throughout his entire body, like his veins were filled with chilled water.

"Okay!... Anyways, you're okay, Lilith."

Andreas turned to look at Lilith, and their eyes met. Her blue eyes were shaky, as if searching for something hidden around Andreas.

"She is," Sabeth said before Lilith could speak. "For now, that is."

"What do you mean by that?"

Man, this guy couldn't get more suspicious.

"We live in a world of hunters and prey, soldier... and you and Miss Lilith over here have caught the attention of a very dangerous hunter."

"Hmm... that's... concerning."

"..."

"Now, Vance, and you two, keep watch over Miss Lilith and this soldier. I will return after I handle this hunter near Ruthwood."

Sabeth extended his gaze toward Andreas before leaving in his loud manner.

Kaelin sat on one of the three logs around the bonfire.

"Come on, take a seat, Andreas, and let's get to know each other more."

"Hey, Rico, it seems your sister might be changing family names soon."

Vance moved his head to dodge a punch from Rico.

Then Rico sat beside his sister and pointed to a log on the other side of the bonfire.

"Soldier, sit over there."

Andreas reluctantly obeyed and took a seat on the log. Lilith and Vance followed soon after, sitting next to him.