An attack?

As she said that, there was an uncanny silence for a few moments. With only the sounds of the nearby crickets audible.

Oh no, did I do something wrong? I probably did.

"N-no, it's not like that" I replied frantically, "I seem to have forgotten... everything."

Am I supposed to just say it like that?

Hearing that, she simply smiled at me with the warmth she had a while ago.

"Well then, I shall answer your questions with honesty, My Lord."

Phew, well that was a good save.

"Then I should ask, what is the name of the man with a yellow kimono and three horns on the back of his head?"

"His name is Maxim, your strongest follower, My Lord"

Oh! I should ask about the status display.

"Ren, do you know what a status display is? Why do I have it?"

She looked at me for a while, rather questioningly.

"Well status displays, My Lord are only granted to a specific few", she turned her back on me then placed her hand on her chin, as if thinking, "But My Lord, I do not remember you having the ability to see status displays, you usually have it appraised by another loyal subject, My Lord."

"Who is this loyal subject?"

"Well she-" Ren looked down, "she was captured when Demon Lord Graslis attacked us a few weeks ago."

Demon Lord? There's another one?

"And who is this, Demon Lord Graslis?"

Right after I said that, Ren suddenly looked up and faced me with a startled face.

"My Lord, even that, you don't remember?!" She exclaimed.

"But familial ties are etched to the soul" She mumbled to herself "How could My Lord have forgotten about Graslis?"

"Hm?"

"Do you really not know, My Lord?"

"I'm afraid I do not." then I asked, "Is it not why I am asking you about it?"

"Forgive me for the disrespect My Lord but-" She frowned even deeper. "But Demon Lord Graslis is your brother, how could you have forgotten him?"

After asking, she looked at me, waiting for my answer.

Oh, no.

Am I supposed to not forget it?

Did I dig myself a hole?

Well, this sucks.

If I answer wrong, I might lose her trust. But, will I? I mean she considers me as her 'Lord'. Does that mean she will believe anything I say?

"Sadly, I do not. Am I supposed to remember it?" I said.

Just as I answered, her face was displaying extreme astonishment. Her eyes are wide, her mouth agape, she keeps raising her glasses and gulping saliva.

Bothered by that, I asked, "Why are you surprised?"

Then as I spoke, a voice came out from the red lighting on the sides of the hallways.

"Because familial ties are etched to the soul. No matter how deep in the underworld, no matter how high you are in the stars. Even if your Lordship have ascended as a God and had your memories swept by the passage of time, you will never forget those who gave life to you and those who were given life after or before you, it is but one of the rules of the world, My Lord." The voice spoke, then out came a figure wearing a yellow kimono, "It seems the soul transfer did deeper damage to you than we initially thought, My Lord."

So I should never forget my family members huh.

As the sound of his sandals fills the hallway while he walks towards me, I am starting to realize just how big of a hole I put myself in.

Aghh why didn't the memories come with the soul?! That damned God.

Cool! I dug myself a deeper hole.

"Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, coo—"

Then, a very resounding "Hm??" with a considerably high note came out from Ren and the man wearing a yellow kimono, oh right! his name is Maxim.

Just then, I realized that I was panicking out loud.

AGH, Why did that happen?

I'm panicking.

What do I do.

"Can you repeat what you said, My Lord?" Maxim asked

"Nothing, don't mind that." I sighed, "Tell me about this 'soul transfer' you are talking about."

"My Lord, but we must first talk about your familia—", Maxim interrupted Ren with a raise of his hand.

Then he spoke, "The soul transfer we were talking about is when we took Your Lordship's glorious soul and transferred it to the heart of the Forest that we are residing in now, My Lord"

Hmmm, so I could assume that their lord's body died, and they tried to save it?

But what is this, Heart of the Forest

"Can you tell me about the Heart of the Forest?"

"It is a tree that drives a Forest and gives it life, My Lord."

Can't they stop calling me my lord though? But if I ask, I might just keep shooting myself in the foo—

An ear-piercing crash interrupted my thoughts. It came from the far end of the bleak hallway.

The three of us then looked at the source of this interruption and saw a big hunk of armor rushing towards us, which then kneeled as he got closer.

"My Lord, the undead army of Demon Lord Graslis has just entered the premises of the forest." He exclaimed.

"I apologize, but I shall ask you, my trusted followers to handle this for now." I excused myself, "I'm afraid I am still recovering my memories and my strength, and I will be but a burden."

"You are never a burden, My Lord." I wanted to believe him, but his soulless eyes say otherwise. "We, your followers, shall not let you down." Maxim declared as he did a 90-degree bow in front of me before turning to leave.

As they walked in the hallways filled with red light, leaves and roots, I have come to realize that I should make myself worthy of this title. As a botanist and as a Lord.

*Maxim*

"His Lordship has entrusted us with this task, we shall not fail this time." Maxim said while walking outside the huge and glorious tree that sheltered Abiel's (Satoshi) soul.

"Indeed" Ren replied, "But is it also the work of the Gods that His Lordship can't remember his familial ties?"

Hearing this, Maxim pondered for a bit and looked to the sky. "It most likely is, Ren." He looked back at the tree of Abiel then said, "We shall achieve revenge for this as long as we are under the wise judgement of His Lordship."

"Glut, how many of them are there?" Ren asked as she pulls out a scroll which then burned and turned into an ethereal map of the forest and faces the map to Glut." Mark their locations on the map." She added.

Afterwards, Glut draw his finger close to the map and drew a line from the east side of the forest down to the south side. "There" Glut grumbled with a thick voice.

"Which specie's domain is that, Ren?" Maxim asked.

"The mandrake's domain" Ren replied, her smile slowly forming from ear to ear.

"Oh..." Maxim let out with a knowing smirk. "Hahaha! Poor creatures. I will leave it to you then. I shall create an illusion barrier around His Majesty to avoid detection."

"As you wish, Maxim. Glut, come with me", Ren replied as she and Glut (the big hunk of armor) got devoured by a tree they were standing next to.

Afterwards, Ren is standing on top of a very tall tree barely overlooking the whole forest. She can see Her Lord's Huge tree that is higher than anything in the forest as it disappears into thin air caused by Maxim's illusory barrier.

"Glut, summon the mandrake queen."