Chapter 299 – Heavenly Demon Casts Magic (8)

Shiba’s morning starts early.

“Bleep.”

She wakes up from the child-sized bed, rubbing her eyes. There’s no need for childish antics now that her father is gone.

With summer approaching, the sun begins to rise even at dawn. There’s nothing better for a growing tree that undergoes photosynthesis.

– Drrrrrr.

She draws the curtains, letting sunlight in. The room brightens with the slanted rays of the red sun.

A shadow forms naturally from Shiba. Her mouth is parched, causing her face to scrunch up.

– Smoldering.

Enormous tree branches grow on the floor in place of Shiba’s shadow. It’s a surreal phenomenon occasionally seen by the first-generation wooden beings. Despite their humanoid form, the shape of the tree appears as a shadow. Young Shiba couldn’t have noticed that.

It’s frightening.

The once-small sapling continues to grow.

The cotyledons on her head vanished, and branches sprouted between her strands of hair. Upon touching them, a rigid layer had grown over her scalp. Other children claimed they could control it, but peculiarly, Shiba couldn’t. Raising her hand, she fiddled with her own branches.

“Beep.”

A sound devoid of rhythm. Perhaps her throat was parched.

Shiba turned and headed toward the bed. With her fern-like hand, she toyed with her phone, and her father’s face emerged from the screen.

“Hehe…”

A frivolous laughter escaped her. However, the lingering discomfort that burrowed into her waist soon caused her smile to stiffen.

Cradling her phone in one arm and holding a chick-shaped doll named ‘Sva’ in the other hand, Shiba dashed into Azalea’s bedroom.

“Mom.”

“…Hmm?”

At Shiba’s words, Azalea awoke. Despite her drowsiness, she reached out before anyone else, tenderly stroking Shiba’s head.

When Shiba climbed onto the bed, she stretched out her arms and tenderly embraced him.

“Shiba, I miss Dad…”

He murmured within her warm embrace.

Shiba had thrived even in the absence of Lee Si-heon. Once a four-year-old child, she now possessed the body of a seven-year-old.

Now, she spoke fluently and expressed her thoughts clearly.

Perhaps taking after her father, she felt loneliness intensely, yet she rarely spoke of it, knowing her father was busy.

Her ability to express opinions and her self-expression differed. Although she longed to see her father immediately, she assured her mother that everything was fine. Shiba had already learned to lie.

However, today she felt compelled to whine, a rare occurrence.

“Do you miss Dad?”
“…Yes.”

It had only been a little over a month, but as Shiba had always grown up in her father’s arms, his absence loomed even larger.

Is it too much to ask for myself?
Now is much cozier than before.
Compared to when Dad was at school and I was all alone, planted in a flower pot.
Now, Mom is always by my side, and there’s a teacher too.
So the time spent with others has indeed grown longer.

…And yet.

Shiba tenderly caressed her chest.

“Mom, it’s so dark here…”

Only two hours out of twenty-four.
Excluding sleep, it was the time baby Shiba could be with Lee Si-heon when he was in school.
Those two hours seemed happier than they are now.

Azalea suddenly woke up with a start.
While patting Shiba’s back, she bestowed all the affection she could muster.
Still, it’s the nature of things to remain unfulfilled.

“Dad will be home soon.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Dad loves Shiba more than anyone else.”
“But why isn’t he coming to see me?”
“He’s preparing to become an even better father.”
“I miss him now.”

“If he were more impressive, would you change your mind then?”
“…….”
“He’s a dad who’s twice as amazing.”
“Twice as amazing dad… I like that.”
“Right? So let’s wait a bit, our Shiba.”

– Swoosh.

She presses her lips to Shiba’s cheek.

As Azalea raises Shiba, she becomes like a mother to her before she realizes it. Shiba wipes her tears on Azalea’s chest with a slightly calmer face.

– Thump, thump.

Shiba doesn’t know how to express this feeling. It feels as if her dad is going to leave for a faraway place. Not right now.

But soon enough, she gets the sense that she won’t see him for a very long time. This feeling is intensified by the dream she had last night.

– Bang!

In the dream, a single gunshot shattered the mask her father always wore.

* * * * * * *

[Shiba is very lonely.]

Azalea’s voice echoed through the phone. I couldn’t respond for a while, but eventually found my voice.

“…Really?”

The fact that Shiba hasn’t forgotten me is both heartwarming and bittersweet. I know that our father-daughter relationship has become more distant than before.

Even though I was always away due to work, we’ve rarely been apart for such a long time. It’s been nearly two months since the forest keeper selection began. In terms of Shiba’s life, we haven’t seen each other for a third of it.

[She doesn’t usually sulk… but today, even more so.]

What should I do about my foolish self? It’s not that I don’t want to see her.

More than anyone else, I long to see her. My love for Shiba is unparalleled. If it were possible, I would abandon the selection process and the flower trials to live in an ordinary home with Shiba, just like in my dreams.

I never realized I had the disposition of a doting parent. Once you experience the joy of raising a child, it’s hard not to become completely devoted to them.

Especially with Shiba, who seems to grow taller and stronger each day, being a tree as she is. The happiness of watching her thrive is immense.

And so, here I am on the phone with Azalea, just like this.

Exchanging photos of Shiba is also part of our routine.

“[…Is it difficult?]”
“I think it is.”

I replied to Azalea’s inquiry.

The situation is far from ideal. For the time being, I’ve entered the preliminary competition at the request of the Star and the Master, but there’s no telling when or where I might be targeted. There’s a strong chance I won’t be able to see Shiba.

In addition to Azalea, there’s also a nanny. I’m sorry to Shiba, but there’s a reason I assisted in arranging her environment.

“Please comfort her a bit. You’re her mother, after all.”
“[…Mother? Heh. Are you admitting it?]”
“I admit it. It’s Shiba who has accepted it.”

After exchanging a few more words, we ended the call.

Dawn was approaching, just before morning. Maroni, too, succumbed to sleep, unable to resist the drowsiness brought on by the lengthy vigil. I remained alone in the training ground for a considerable time, working to improve my magical abilities.

Having asked the still-awake sage for assistance, I stepped outside to make a phone call. Upon returning, I placed my cellphone on the desk and turned my gaze back to the sage.

“Do you enjoy eavesdropping on my conversations?” I asked.

“…Somewhat? I appreciate the more human side of you, Si-heon. Please never let that go.”

“Ah, yes. If you, Sage, were to share the information you possess, little by little, people might find you more agreeable.”

*Chirp, chitter.*

While conversing with the sage, I gently stroked the tree spaniel and woodpecker that had fallen asleep on my lap. Creating magical formulas was beyond my capabilities, so I relied heavily on the aid of spirits.

Typically, spirits wouldn’t offer assistance in these matters, but I was grateful to these two peculiar beings for indulging my requests from both a practical and emotional standpoint. Their generosity with magical energy made it all worthwhile.

Displayed on my cellphone screen was the image of Shiba’s sleeping face, which had been sent to me earlier that day.

“Is this your daughter?”
“She’s so adorable.”

A faint smile forms at the corner of her mouth in response to the casual expression.

“The smiles of children are beautiful, aren’t they? The world may be ever-changing, but there have always been things of beauty that persist.”
“Do you really need to phrase it so intricately?”
“It’s a habit.”

The sage raised her hand and gently caressed the photo on the screen. As her fingers made contact with the screen surface, the gray lock screen seemed to dissolve away. With a few effortless swipes of her fingers, the lock was undone.

“Did you know? Traces of magical power can remain even in such simple places.”

My growth has been so rapid that, unless I consciously suppress it, mana constantly flows out of my body. I have learned to conceal my power from the Heavenly Demon, yet I haven’t been using that skill here.

I shrugged my shoulders once.
Noticing the traces of magical power and unlocking the phone’s lock screen is not an easy feat for anyone other than a sage.

“Forget it. Take a look at this.”

I organized the magic I had been working on until now onto paper and handed it over. The sage received the paper from me and read it, his gaze resembling that of someone observing a young foal taking its first steps.

The process of infusing magic with magical energy had been quite time-consuming, but it was worth the effort.

As the paper rustled several times, the wise man pursed his lips. He opened his eyes slightly wider than before and nodded.

“Not bad.”
“Really?”
“Of course, would I say it if it weren’t true?”

A sense of relief washed over me, and my shoulders relaxed. Leaning back in my seat, I sighed, a mixture of exhaustion and amazement.

“Phew…”
“Have you thought about your questions?”

He had mentioned that he would answer three questions.

“Ah, questions…”

Momentarily lost in the satisfaction of having successfully created the magic, I turned back to the sage and asked lightheartedly:

“Are you wearing teddy bear panties again today?”

The words came out as a playful joke.

“…You.”
“It’s a joke. Just a joke.”

Would you inquire about the shape of undergarments from a sage renowned for their wisdom and knowledge? I’m not curious, as I have already seen them once. The entrance is quite visible from the location of the desk at the training ground, and the stairs are rather high, so it’s easy to sneak a peek at the underwear, and I’m already well-informed about the sage’s preferences. Today, it’s a teddy bear adorned with a ribbon on its head.

“This is to Sephirot’s taste. If I don’t wear it, Sephirot will shed tears…”
“Alright, alright.”
“Don’t just let it pass by.”
“Yes, understood.”
“……”

I adjusted my posture, thinking I might get struck if I said more.

There are more than just one or two things I want to ask. First, I roused the two spirits who had drifted off to the dreamland and sent them back to the spirit realm.

The first thing to ask:

Considering the situation I currently find myself in, I’ve narrowed down three questions under the assumption that I can trust the sage. I slowly opened my mouth.

“Heavenly Demon.”

Three masters:
Zodiac and White Peach. And Heaven.

To me, it is an incomparable connection.

“I am aware that the person is under the World Tree’s curse.”
“…And?”
“They say the curse can only be lifted upon the death of the one who cast it. Are you familiar with this?”
“It is information known only to a select few.”

It is impossible that a sage, who serves under the World Tree of Knowledge, wouldn’t know.

According to what I’ve heard from Champi, Cheondo is assisting the World Tree.
As an underling tasked with eliminating flowers. Even though she should despise the World Tree more than anyone, she is helping her family’s nemesis.
I had some questions about that as well.

“It’s true. What are you curious about?”

The sage responded coolly.

“Cheonma’s intention to help the World Tree, and the World Tree that cursed that person.”
“Two questions?”
“Let’s combine them and count it as one.”
“…An unstoppable person, aren’t you? Well, it seems Siheon doesn’t trust me, so if I want to gain even a little favor, I have to.”

It would have been nice if he hadn’t added that last part.
I was about to be moved.

Chuckling incredulously, I waited for the continuation of the story.

“The World Tree of Justice. You might understand it better if I say it’s the tree that established the El Academy.”
“You mean one of the Five Great World Trees?”
“Yes. It’s a tree that cannot tolerate injustice. Of course, that’s from the perspective of the World Tree itself.”

It’s the World Tree that oversees the concept of justice.
Its representative is Angelica.

“I don’t know the exact conversation that took place between the World Tree and Heaven, but I have some idea.”
“So, you know a little bit?”

The sage nodded and continued speaking.
Perhaps that’s why she’s counting this as one question, although there are two. I can’t provide a definitive answer, so it feels like a freebie.

Champi offered various reasons for assisting Heaven’s World Tree, such as rebuilding Do-won or cleansing the disgrace of the Peach Tree family, among others. However, these are merely speculations.
I waited, and soon she spoke.

“…At that time, it meant returning something most precious to the Heavenly Demon.”
“Excuse me?”

What could that be?

“I don’t know what the most precious thing is.”

Return it.
Something precious.

These two words revolved in my head, unable to connect with each other, and then broke apart. There were more than one or two things important to Heaven. Perhaps Champi’s speculation was accurate. It could be about her father, the Heavenly Demon of the previous generation. I wanted to ask how Do-won had fallen, but I refrained from asking that far.

“Did you get an answer?”
“…Not everything is resolved, but more or less.”
“Then, I have a morning routine to attend to. Please ask your next question promptly.”

The second and third questions.

I had already thought about them as well. One was regarding Cornus’s illness. I have been administering the power of healing each time, but is a complete cure possible?

The other question was about when the raid following the selection of the forest keeper was scheduled. I asked the last question in a sly manner, as there’s a possibility that even a sage might not know the answer.

The sage provided an unhesitant answer,
As if to prove that there was truly nothing unknown to him.

“14 days.”

Flower’s plan spilled from her lips.

“Many trees will perish.”

Along with it came the somewhat pleasant news that the trees, adversaries of Cheolcheon, would be set ablaze.