The heat was still rising from the blackened soil as Martha and Jason hurried down the dirt path. Even at fifty, the two of them moved with the practiced grace of seasoned mages, though their tongues were as sharp as ever.
"I'm just saying, Jason, you should have pushed for more jewels," Martha huffed, adjusting the traveling pack on her shoulder. "Risking our necks to clear those mountain trolls wasn't exactly a walk in the park."
Jason rolled his eyes, his hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his hip. "The King's coffers are dry, Martha. There's a war on. Dragons are turning cities to ash, and you're worried about a few extra coins? Besides, we're mages. If things get that tight, we can just find a plot of land, use some growth magic, and start farming. It's honest work."
Martha let out a long, dramatic sigh. "Farming. Fine. You're right, as usual. We do need something to pass the time besides bickering, I suppose."
Suddenly, both of them stopped dead. Feeling change in the are current
"Did you feel that?" Jason whispered, his playful tone vanishing.
"An enormous amount of Ethernano," Martha confirmed, her face pale. "It's coming from the next village over. It's… dense. Too dense for a human."
A second later, a massive BOOM echoed through the valley. A pillar of black smoke shot into the sky, blotting out the setting sun.
"Damn it," Jason cursed, already breaking into a run. "Looks like a dragon attack. They must have found another settlement."
Martha kept pace beside him, her hands glowing with a faint magical light. "We have to hurry! There might be survivors!"
Fifteen minutes later, they crossed the final hill and skidded to a halt. The village was gone. In its place was a graveyard of smoldering timber and scorched earth. The smell of sulfur was thick enough to choke on.
"Fire Dragon," Jason noted, looking at the way the stone had literally melted. "Nothing could have survived this—"
"WHAT THE FU—!"A voice was heard stopping jason mid sentence.
I was a high-pitched, childish scream ripped through the silence, coming from the center of the ruins.
"A survivor!" Martha cried.
They scrambled over the rubble, following the sound. Standing in a small clearing of unburnt grass was a child. He looked no older than four, but he was unlike any child they had ever seen. He had a face that looked like it was carved by angels and long, shimmering white hair that caught the light of the fires.
But it was the magic that stopped them in their tracks. The boy was practically leaking Ethernano. It radiated off him in waves.
In the center of the clearing, the protagonist—now Merlin—was panicking. His brain felt like it was being overclocked.
[Notice: Two high-level magical signatures detected approaching from the 12 o'clock position.]
The Great Sage's voice echoed in his head, calm and cold.
[Analysis: Based on Ethernano levels, targets are 'Mages.' Suggestion: Under current environmental conditions, the probability of survival alone is 0.02%. Recommended Course of Action: Mimic the 'Amnesia' trope common in Earth literature to garner sympathy. Attempt to secure adoption.]
''Adopted? Like a cliché Isekai protagonist?" Merlin thought, his heart hammering against his tiny ribs. "Fine. Better than being dragon snack"
Martha approached slowly, kneeling in the ash to get on his level. Her eyes were full of pity. "Oh, you poor thing... are you okay, little one?"
Merlin did his best to look like a kicked puppy. He widened his eyes the Eyes of now purple swirling with etherno with the use of "Great Sage" and gave a slow, shaky nod.
"Do you know what happened here?" Martha asked gently, reaching out a hand.
Merlin clutched his head, screwed his eyes shut, and let out a soft groan. "I... I don't know. Everything was loud... and hot... and then I was just here." He looked up at her, projecting pure confusion. "Where am I? Who are you? I don't remember... I don't remember anything!" "damn good job great sage ,controlling my facial expression"
[ : No problem master ]
Martha's heart shattered. she looked back at Jason, who had softened his expression significantly.
It's alright, you're safe now," Martha whispered, pulling him into a warm hug. "It's okay. Do you at least remember your name?"
The boy hesitated for a second, then whispered the name he had chosen in the void.
"Merlin."
Well, Merlin," Jason said, stepping forward and placing a heavy, comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "It looks like you're coming with us."