The wind quietly swept across the empty field.
Gray clouds covered the sky, and even the grass felt unnaturally still.
At the very center of the field—
a boy lay there.
He looked around sixteen years old.
Black hair.
Pale skin.
Slowly, his eyes opened.
The boy stared blankly at the sky.
He... understood nothing.
What was this place?
Who was he?
Why was he here?
He knew nothing.
His mind was empty.
Like a newborn child.
The boy slowly raised his hand.
His fingers trembled slightly.
It was the first time he had ever moved.
Then—
the sound of bells echoed from afar.
Jingle…
Jingle…
The boy turned his head.
A man wearing colorful clothes walked across the field towards him.
A smiling face.
Light footsteps.
He looked exactly like an ordinary jester.
"Hmm?"
The man stopped in front of the boy and crouched down.
"A kid lying in the middle of nowhere... now that's interesting."
His voice sounded playful.
The boy stared at him.
"…You?"
His first word.
The man looked slightly surprised, but his smile remained.
"Oh? So you can talk."
He rested his chin on one hand dramatically.
"My name is Silas."
"Si… las…"
The boy slowly repeated the word.
As if he were learning language for the very first time.
Silas' eyes narrowed slightly.
'His learning speed is abnormal.'
But outwardly, he continued smiling.
"What about your name?"
The boy went silent.
Name.
He did not understand that concept.
His expression slowly emptied again.
Silas observed him quietly before sighing inwardly.
'He really knows nothing.'
At first, Silas thought the boy was simply mentally damaged or had lost his memory.
But—
the closer he got
the stranger felt it.
Too quiet.
Too empty.
And…
there was an indescribable pressure surrounding him.
Silas hid it perfectly behind his smile.
"Well then, nameless boy."
He extended his hand.
"You can't stay alone in a place like this forever, right?"
The boy stared at the offered hand.
Several seconds passed.
Then slowly—
he grabbed it.
The moment their hands touched—
the wind stopped.
The grass froze motionless.
For a brief second,
the world itself felt silent.
Silas' smile stiffened slightly.
But in the next moment, he burst into laughter again.
"Hahaha! Alright then, let's go."
He turned around as if nothing had happened.
But deep inside, only one thought remained.
'...What exactly are you?'
Silas walked across the empty field while the boy quietly followed behind him.
His bare feet stepped softly against the grass.
Those dark eyes constantly wandered, observing everything around him.
The sky.
The wind.
The sound of footsteps.
As if he were seeing the world for the very first time.
Silas glanced back and smiled slightly.
"You really don't know anything, huh?"
The boy tilted his head a little.
"…Anything?"
"Yeah. Anything."
The boy fell silent again.
His eyes looked empty.
But not because he was stupid—
he simply had no understanding of this world.
Like an existence that had only just been created.
Silas sighed inwardly.
'Creepy.'
Yet outwardly, his casual smile remained unchanged.
"Well, traveling with someone who doesn't even have a name is troublesome."
The boy immediately looked at him.
"…Name?"
"Mmm."
Silas pointed at himself.
"Silas. That's my name."
Then he pointed at the boy.
"And now, you need one too."
The boy waited quietly.
After a few seconds, Silas smiled.
"How about... Ermis?"
"…Ermis."
The boy softly repeated the name.
At that moment—
something inside him seemed to settle into place.
For the first time...
he felt like he was someone.
Silas observed him for a moment before turning around again.
"Well then, Ermis."
"I'm choosing you as a candidate for the throne."
Ermis stopped walking.
"…King?"
"There are five nations in this world."
Silas continued casually.
"Long ago, they were united under a single ruler."
"But over time, the races separated and formed their own kingdoms."
He raised his fingers one by one.
"Elves."
"Dwarves."
"Demons."
"Humans."
Then he smiled slightly.
"And the Beast Nation."
Ermis listened silently.
"But the Beast Nation isn't inhabited by beasts alone."
"Centaurs."
"Minotaurs."
"Trolls."
"Ogres."
"Dragon-born."
"Even members of other races live there."
Silas' smile deepened slightly.
"And now..."
He glanced sideways at Ermis.
"Someone is needed to unite the five nations once again."