"Alright everyone, settle down, or I'm not sharing anything," the red-haired man gave a stern look to the children sitting around him, fidgeting in their seats. They stopped moving around at the threat of a story-less visit from the wandering Kratos.

Kratos looked around to make sure they were all seated and comfortable. He nodded in satisfaction.

"Alright, I've decided to tell you all a story… that only you children will probably ever believe. But first, I'd like you all to try and guess my age." He smiled, a rare, amused smile. The children were already giddy again.

A little blonde, pigtailed girl shot her hand in the air. "30!"

Kratos chuckled slightly. "Flattering, but no."

This time it was a preteen boy. "80!"

"No…" Kratos mused.

"400!" a little boy shouted, then laughed at the unlikely-ness of his proposal.

"Closest so far." Kratos leaned back against the tree his rock rested in front of. He couldn't help but smile at their bewildered surprise. "Add one more zero to the end of that."

The younger children weren't sure what that number was, but they knew it was BIG. The preteen boy spoke up first.

"Your 4,000?!"

"4,040, to be precise," Kratos corrected. The audience gaped.

He continued. "It's totally true, in case you're wondering. Just ask anyone who knows me. Now, which one of you can tell me the story of what happened over 4,000 years ago?"

The pigtailed girl spoke up. "Oh! We learned about that in school today!"

"Alright, can you tell me then?"

"4,000 years ago is when the Kharlan War took place! Right?"

"Correct. Now, who can tell me the story of the Hero, Mithos?"

"This is more of a history lesson then a story!" a young boy complained.

"Be patient or it will be."

The boy backed down.

"Anyways, back to what I was saying earlier…" Kratos looked around. He pointed at a quiet black-haired girl in the back, hugging her knees to her chest. "Can you tell me?"

She looked up, startled, to find everyone looking at her expectantly. "Um… well, Mithos, as you said earlier… w-was the Hero who gave up his life to restore the giant Kharlan Tree… which was the tree's old name... after the war's consumption of mana caused it to die…"

"And? What of the Goddess?"

"Oh, right…" she fidgeted, then continued in a voice so quiet, only the Angel of Cruxis could hear her perfectly. "The Goddess… Martel… was grieving the loss, and r-rose to the heavens… she told the angels that if they didn't awake her, then the world would die. That's how the Chosen system came to be, as well as the World Regeneration Journey." She blushed, and buried her face in her arms.

"Very good," Kratos was amazed at how well she'd been able to recite that.

The pigtailed girl cocked her head to the side like a confused puppy. "But what does that have to do with your story, Mr. Kratos?"

Kratos looked at the small child and smiled, a wickedly serious. "Everything."