The Mother Tree, Everleaf Forest.

A gigantic lion slept within the Mother Tree. His ancestors had built this palace and he was grateful to inherit their legacy.

Unlike normal beasts, most of the beasts living near the Mother Tree had gained sentience. However, unlike human beings, they built their society on different values.

While the lion slept, it dreamt of the one promise that made their world a reality. Even if he forgot everything else, he could never allow himself to forget that promise.

An old wheel was located ahead of the lion. Covered in dust, it looked like it hadn’t been touched for centuries.

Whooo!

A sudden whistle awakened the lion. Its brown eyes gleamed as it stared at the ancient wheel.

A black hole emerged from the center of the wheel. It expanded and a purple ethereal fox emerged from it.

“Are you the present beast emperor?” The fox’s silvery voice resounded across the room.

“Yes. Who arre you?” The lion asked.

“My identity isn’t important. I’ve come for the promise. It’s time for your kind to display your gratitude.”

The lion waited while another being exited the black hole. This time, it was a human boy.

“Take care of this pup. I’ll collect him after 5 years.”

Before the lion could ask anything, the fox disappeared into the black hole. Almost instantly, the black hole disappeared into the wheel.

The lion frowned. His gaze landed on the human child. The boy looked to be around 10 years in age. He had distinct blue hair, uncommon to humans. However, the lion was ignorant of this fact.

The lion growled. His brown eyes went into deep thought. An almost invisible wave of energy exited his body and surrounded the human child.

It bound the child and lifted him as the lion exited his abode.

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The first floor of the Mother Tree resembled a meeting place. It contained a giant open circle surrounded by tiny mats throughout the circle’s circumference. A few beasts and other creatures sat on these mats.

Amongst the group, one could see a few demi-humans, creatures that possessed characteristics of both humans and beasts.

They had gathered to discuss the daily issues of their empire. Despite taking a different route from humans, these beasts resembled politicians, trying to convince and debate with each other.

“We have been peaceful forr too long. I shall clearr the demonic beasts.” A lion declared. He proudly showcased the ‘X’-shaped scar on his forehead.

“That’s a waste of military. We can eliminate them during the next beast tide.” A black-armored werewolf replied.

While the group discussed, a few mats remained unoccupied. However, amongst these mats, there was one special mat. This mat, large enough to seat 3 or 4 adult elephants, rested in front of a large wooden door. However, as the whole place was made of wood, the wooden door was barely noticeable.

“That will not worrk! Our militarry needs rregular combat! I will lead them if you arre terrified!” The lion growled.

Just as it seemed that the two beings would enter a fight, the wooden door opened. A large lion, standing at a height of nearly 4 meters exited the darkness. An unconscious boy floated behind him, surprising the beasts, especially those who recognized the species of the child.

““Divine Emperor!””

Upon the lion’s entry, the group dropped their discussions and greeted their emperor with one voice. They prostrated in a show of respect.

“RRise!” The lion commanded, his majestic voice ringing throughout the chamber.

The beasts rose. Their eyes shifted to the human child besides their emperor, but no one dared to speak.

“The Spirrit of the Ancient Wheel has spoken! It rrequirres ourr grratitude. We must take carre of this human child forr the next Five Yearrs.”

The beasts held their breath. Although they knew nothing of the boy, his origin alone had earned their curiosity.

“I bestow my Divine Medallion on this boy. Frrom today, he will be elevated to the status of Honorred Guest. No one can harrm him without my permission!”

The beasts bowed in acknowledgment.

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The blue-haired boy woke up with a jarring headache.

“Ugh… Where am I?” Scanning his surroundings, he noticed that he was within a wooden house. Many weird drawings decorated the walls and corners of the room. Other than these weird drawings, a pair of daggers was attached to the wall.

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Leaving his bed, he decided to investigate. Just as he took a few steps, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps.

Creak!

The door opened and a young girl hurried into the cottage.

“You’re awake? Please sit down.” The girl urged him to sit and hurried to a place that looked like the kitchen.

“You’ve been sleeping for a long time. You must be hungry. I’ll prepare something. It’s too late for breakfast… Hmm… I guess we’ll have lunch a little earlier today.”

She placed a pot on a table. Like the rest of the cottage, it was filled with weird drawings. She pointed her finger at the table and the drawings glowed. They caught fire and the flames danced around the pot, creating a mesmerizing scene.

“…Where am I?” The boy asked.

“You’re in Kana’s cottage, within Evergreen city, the Holy Land of the Righteous Domain of Everleaf Forest. I’m Lena, one of the owners of this cottage.” She hastily spoke while constantly stirring the contents of the pot. Maybe it was due to the magic spell but the contents of the pot heated up almost instantly.

‘Kana’s cottage? Holy Land? Everleaf Forest?’ The sudden slew of information overwhelmed the young boy, who failed to recognize any of these terms. He searched his memory, but his headache worsened.

“Ah! I forgot to ask. What’s your name?” Lena asked while extinguishing the flames.

The boy instinctively opened his mouth. However, his mind went blank. His eyebrows creased as he struggled to remember anything. Soon, a word sprung into his mind.

“Ren…?” he blankly uttered. Instantly, his face turned pale.

“Ren? That’s a nice name! …What happened? Is there any problem?” Lena removed the pot from the ‘stove’ and brought it to the dining table when she caught a glimpse at Ren. Even at a distance, her sharp eyes caught on to the sickly complexion on his face.

“Nothing… I just want some fresh air.” The nauseous Ren exited the cottage in a hurry.

“Wait!” Lena panicked and nearly dropped the pot in the process. Placing the steaming pot aside, she chased after Ren.

Upon exiting the cottage, Ren took a deep breath. However, his mind was filled with innumerable questions.

‘Who am I? Is Ren even my name? What am I doing here? Why don’t I remember anything?’ Gazing at the streets, he frowned.

He saw many creatures walking through the streets. Beasts and demi-humans mingled with each other. Although Ren possessed no memories, he felt weirded out by this scene.

“Ah, Ren! Please don’t leave like that! My sister strictly forbade me from allowing you to wander off the cottage. Please wait inside until she arrives.”

Ren glanced at the panicking girl. Only now did he get a clear look at her features.

She looked to be about 14 or 15 years old. Two cat-like ears stood out prominently on her black hair and a tail extended from her back. Her tail fidgeted a lot, just like her fluctuating emotions.

“Human?! Look! Is that the human kid?” A shout attracted the pedestrians. Many eyes, belonging to various races fell upon Ren at once.

“A human? That means… he’s the Honored Guest?”

“This weak human kid became an Honored Guest!? NO! I refuse to accept this! Kill him before anyone arrives!” A minotaur shouted. His eyes turned red as he rushed towards the cottage

A few like-minded demi-humans followed the crazed minotaur.

Lena panicked. She had failed her sister’s orders! Nevertheless, in a moment of courage, she grabbed Ren and rushed into the cottage, sealing the door.

Lena did not stop, as she knew that the cottage door would do nothing to stop the angry mob. She grabbed a set of clothes and threw them at Ren. She pointed at the ground and chanted. A gust of wind exited her finger and scattered the thick layer of dust on the wooden floor. It revealed a large complex circle with innumerable inscriptions.

Thump! Thump! The minotaur banged on the door, trying to break in.

With each moment, Lena's anxiety grew. She could barely distinguish the sound of the door banging and her heart throbbing. Nevertheless, she held Ren and stood on the formation. Casting a spell, she waited and prayed.

Just as the mob broke in, the formation activated and the duo disappeared. The crowd stared at the empty formation with hatred and disappointment.

Soon, a couple of elderly shamans arrived. They wore hoods and masks that prevented one from seeing their faces. The shamans brought a platoon of large monsters with bat wings. They sealed the street, capturing every living being in the vicinity.

Within seconds, the street had become isolated.

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A waterfall, far away from Evergreen city.

A bright light flashed on a peculiar circle next to the waterfall, revealing two people, a catgirl and a young boy. The young boy carried a set of clothes in his hands.

The cat-girl snatched the robe in the boy’s hand and hastily put it on him. Lastly, she arranged the hood of the robe, covering the young boy’s head.

Her actions were swift and in a mere couple of seconds, Ren’s disguise was complete. Without hesitation, she dragged him towards a corner.

“Phew!” Lena collapsed onto the ground.

“Ren! Dear Ren! Please do not arbitrarily go out like that! Ask me before you do anything!” She complained.

Ren looked around the waterfall. He saw children belonging to different races of demi-humans and beasts. Even after seeing the demi-humans from before, he couldn’t get accustomed to this sight.

Confused, he watched the interaction between a lion cub and a cat.

“Did you brring them?” The young lion asked. It had a body about twice the size of a housecat.

“Nehehe, of course! These are the weapons that humans use. The Honored Guest might know how to use them.” The cat replied, dropping the sack on its neck. While speaking, it transformed into a monkey, surprising Ren.

Opening the sack, the monkey grabbed a few knives.

“Knives? Borring!” The lion cub lost interest.

“You thought they were knives? Nohoho… You’re wrong! Humans call it 'bow and arrow'. It is a long-ranged weapon.” The monkey smugly proclaimed, showing off its ‘knowledge’.

“Do they just thrrow it? Weak! But it fits humans.”

“Nehehe, I don’t know. Why don’t we try it out?” The monkey grabbed a few knives and hurled them at the lion cub.

With a low growl, the lion entered combat. A wave of energy surrounded its body. It used its claws to defend against the projectiles while avoiding those that its paws couldn’t reach.

Ting! Ting! Ting!

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“Ren, please wait here silently! I need to search for my sister. I beg you! Please don't wander. If anyone comes up to you, tell them that you’re waiting for Sis Lena. Don’t say or do anything else. Is that understood?” After a while of contemplation, this was Lena’s best plan.

Bringing Ren along would expose him to more demi-humans and beasts. Some of them could notice his abnormality. As of now, she couldn’t afford to create another mess in this place.

Fortunately, not many people frequented the waterfall, especially during noon. And they were a little distance away from the teleportation circle. As long as Ren stayed put, no one would disturb him… or at least that was what she hoped for.

Ren nodded, and Lena left in a hurry. She swiftly climbed up the cliff and began her search.

Watching her nimble actions, Ren grew astounded. The steep cliff almost seemed like a set of stairs to the cat-girl.

“Watch out!”

Shiing!

Mere moments after Lena departed, Ren heard a panicked shout. Turning to the side, he saw a loose dagger, flying straight towards him. However, by the time he noticed, it was too late to dodge the rogue projectile.