Chapter 302 – Heavenly Demon Casts Magic (11)

“Marronnier.”

The moment when Lee Si-heon stepped away for his morning tasks.

Marronnier entered the laboratory earlier than usual, leaving behind Cornus, who was gradually tormented in her deep slumber.

“Yes?”

The sage, who had arrived at the laboratory beforehand, asked her.

“Is the research going well?”
“Of, of course! It’s Eden… My lifelong dream was to set foot in Eden at least once.”
“If Blanche-sama is happy, then I’m happy as well.”
“Heh, you too, sage.”

Marronnier lowered her head bashfully.
The sage found such Marronnier endearing.

“Si-heon seems to be quite good at coming up with nicknames.”
“Y-yes?”
“‘Bamnyang’ (Night cat).”
“Ack.”
“Ah, should I teach you a spell to transform into a cat? Si-heon might just fall in love with you.”
“No need for that!”

Marronnier’s face flushed red. Unlike Siheon, she couldn’t find a retort.

“…And I’m not involved with him in that way.”
“Oh, was I mistaken?”
“…It’s not that kind of feeling. It’s not even real.”
“Then, transforming into a cat?”
“That…please tell me later.”

To Marronnier, the sage was an idol. She couldn’t bring herself to express her disappointment. The sage turned his head and observed the results of Marronnier’s research thus far.

A talent deemed most crucial for a wizard. The research materials left by the genius Marronnier were quite remarkable even in the eyes of the sage. A national treasure with the profession of a wizard. Among France’s 65 million people, he was the most exceptional mage.

“So,”

The sage asked her once more.

“Have you thought about what I said last time?”
“……”

Marronnier sealed her lips.

Silence descended upon the laboratory, where a faint scent of potions lingered. Chilled air, subdued for the storage of mana stones.

Marronnier, who was fiddling with the thermal switch on his research suit, carefully asked.

“Am I to succeed you as the sage?”

“Yes.”

“Why give me such an opportunity?”

“There must be many reasons. What happens in the future, the possibility of betrayal, and whether you can abide by Sephirot’s contract. Considering all these possibilities, I thought Marronnier was the best fit.”

Marronnier would become a direct disciple of the sage. Not immediately, but at least a few years later, he would be the one to assist Sephirot and protect Eden.

“…I’m still contemplating.”

“May I hear why?”

There are, of course, consequences. Studying magic for life in Eden is nothing short of a dream and hope for wizards. However, Marronnier’s dream is not quite the same.

“Well, achieving as a wizard would certainly be fulfilling, but… For me, the position of national tree is actually a lot of pressure.”

“I see. So, you mean that you’d like to live a peaceful life?”

Marronnier nodded.
All she ever wanted was the same.

An ordinary life. An ordinary job. Ordinary love. An ordinary marriage.
A harmonious family filled with love, a husband, and a child who slightly resembled both of them.
She couldn’t give up on that idyllic life.

“I may be a sage, but I don’t specifically prevent that kind of life.”
“But, isn’t it our duty to protect Eden?”
“It’s not that I can’t get married. I just haven’t found my soulmate yet.”

Marronnier thought that perhaps there was no man in this world worthy of a sage.
A being with such honor was a sage, after all.
She had saved millions of children and civilians.

There was even a time when she saved an entire nation by preventing a series of catastrophic gate events.
She was a sage who received boundless gratitude from the government.

And, to be honest, the weight of carrying on such a legacy was too much of a burden for Marronnier.

“Well, why don’t you simply learn magic from me?”
“…Isn’t that too advantageous for me?”
“If it appeals to you, become the next sage. I’ll give you about five years to spare.”

It was a tumultuous moment.
No matter how wise one may be, sustaining life for centuries is impossible.

For the future, creating a successor is a prudent decision.
The sage intended to be fully prepared before the outbreak of war.

There was a clear reason for choosing Marronnier, who had a deep connection with Lee Si-heon, as the successor.
Marronnier’s talents were indeed coveted.
The sage’s knowledge encompassed the entire world and all its events. Their thoughts were virtually indistinguishable from prophecies in this realm.

Even the sage had no choice but to question whether they always made the right decisions.

There was a purpose for gathering Sansuyu, Lee Si-heon, and Marronnier in one place.

“…I won’t refuse to learn.”

Marronnier pondered deeply, finally nodding her head with difficulty.
Her gaze shifted to the magic circle on the desk.

This was the spell she was currently working on.
With the guidance and assistance of the sage, it was to become the crowning achievement of her life.

* * * * * * * *

A tree?

‘A sentient tree.’

It seemed reasonable to consider this tree’s situation similar to Mary’s, as it hadn’t yet become a World Tree. The reason why the flowers were with the tree remained unclear. Perhaps the tree was being exploited, much like the World Tree of Healing.

‘Can you send me the coordinates?’

<…Hold on a moment. If I do well, I might be able to steal the artifact. Ah, never mind. Shall we head there right away?>

“No, just stop for now.”

After stopping Lucy, I hid in an alley between nearby buildings, leaning against the wall and assuming a comfortable sitting position. Gradually, I raised my magical power and shared my vision with Woodpecker Lucy.

One of the advantages of being an elementalist: it’s possible to share sensations.

My talent as an elementalist was lacking, so it was inevitable to rely on the power of the wooden woodpecker. With the help of a superior spirit, this much was a piece of cake.

– Creak.

The wooden woodpecker climbed onto my shoulder and infused magic into it, engraving blue patterns on my eyeballs. Before long, a voice reached my ear.

“I’m all set.”
[With this much, even Sistus will be satisfied. Well done.]
“As many children as possible… Will ten be enough?”
[That’s enough.]

Adults in robes conversed with trees.
The surroundings resembled an ancient church.
Not only those garbed in robes but also numerous individuals clad in religious attire stood guard by the tree’s side.
Messily hanging from the ceiling, what looked to be tree roots dangled down.

Cistus.
Upon hearing the name, my brow furrowed.

‘It’s definitely a Flower. But why are there trees among the Flowers?’

Strangling of the trees. Could there be any advantage in incorporating trees into the Flowers striving for a superior human race?
It seems plausible that at least one tree would oppose the theocratic regime of the World Tree.

The world is filled with diverse people.
Equally, there are peculiar individuals. There must be people of color somewhere seeking membership in a white supremacist organization.

“…Huh.”

In the periphery of my vision, I spotted children who had been forcibly brought.
Ten in total, it appeared they had abducted children from other regions as well.

Among them was Tina. She tried to untie the rope with her slender arms, but it wouldn’t budge.

Some children even cried out in fear.

“If Lady Canna were to find out about this… our lives would be as good as over.”
[Even though the ‘district’ is under Lady Canna’s jurisdiction, she won’t likely notice.]

‘Canna. Was she the second leaf?’

Rumor has it that they have differing opinions and even fight amongst themselves. I listened to the story a bit more, and then decided that there was no more information to glean.

[Rest well, everyone. I will meet with Lord Sistus tomorrow. Be sure to cleanse your bodies for that occasion.]

“Send them away.”

I immediately recalled the woodpecker. As Lucy entered my grasp, she activated the artifact she was holding with her feet.

When I pressed down on the hat of the robe and the space magic activated, my body floated and was instantly transported inside the church.

– Oooh!

The magic circle beneath my feet vibrated as I arrived inside the church. Naturally, the gazes of the surrounding adults were drawn to me.

“Brother?”

A man cautiously asked as soon as he saw me. The color of our robes was slightly different, but the shape was similar enough that we might have been considered the same kind of being.

I promptly tucked the artifact into my pocket. I wasn’t sure if I would ever return to this place.

“…”

In silence, I surveyed the area. My eyes scanned the nearby men and women wearing robes. The two birds perched on my shoulder puffed out their chests and looked around, just like me.

No one immediately comprehends and accepts sudden events.

However, bit by bit, a man who noticed the unusual change put his hand into his pocket. The instant a blade emerged from within, my hand moved.

“Ack! An ambush…”

His words trailed off.

The moment my hand gripped the man’s face, it contorted grotesquely.

With all his might, he hurled it towards the area where other members of the organization were located.

– *Kwadang!*

In the blink of an eye, the man who was shoved away couldn’t even catch himself, and succumbed to his fate. Lucy’s subsequent magic tore the enemies to shreds.

“Wh-Who are you?!”
“It’s an ambush!”

A booming voice rang out from the church on the opposite side. As soon as the commotion was confirmed, armed priests swarmed in from both directions.

Each one of them was slightly more powerful than those they had faced before. They could be considered superior to the priests of Lee Seong-Han who had ambushed the academy in the past.

The tree was still not visible. It was likely located in the innermost part.

[Wh-What’s all the commotion?]

Hearing the tree’s voice from afar, I raised my hand and directed Lucy.

Dozens of yellow swords, bursting forth from the air, viciously stabbed into the ground, obstructing the advancing priests.

Roughly fifty or sixty in number. Not a small-scale force.

I tapped the bracelet, creating a staff in my hand.
Simultaneously, I awakened my magical power and enveloped my entire body with it.
The feathers of Lucy and Eleanor on my shoulders darkened as well.

[Master, what should we do now?]

Eleanor, who has little experience in combat, continued with a worried tone.

[Your Highness, stay calm. Harness your magic.]
[Lucy…]

Merging with a spirit doesn’t stop at just sharing senses.
It means I can manipulate the spirit’s magic, and the spirit can manipulate mine.
Naturally, my sensitivity to magical power also increases.

At this moment, I can see the flow of magical energy, like a dust-laden wind.
Who is attempting to cast a spell?
How much magical power does someone possess? I can see it all.

From that point on, it was easier.
I swung my hand.

*Crack!*

The bright yellow sword, which had only halted movement before, tore through a person for the first time.

Only then did the priests belatedly draw their swords and start rushing towards us.

Their movements were slow enough to make one yawn. I unleashed my magic to sweep them away.

– Hsssss.

A surge of black magic emanated from the Wind Lotus. As it gathered the power of the wind into the form of an arrow, the surrounding space distorted.

The magical energy, fluttering like dark leaves, took the shape of a floating lotus. This was the reason I named this spell Wind Lotus.

“……”

It was as if they were facing death. Their rebellious sword strikes intensified. I lowered my hands before their blades could pierce me.

The Wind Lotus penetrated between the priests. All the magical energy within the church was swallowed into the space like a black hole.

– Kwooooom!

A single explosion. Light flashed first, followed by a belated echoing sound.

The shattered corpses of the priests were reduced to bone fragments and blood, scattering nearby.

It plummeted onto the robe like hail.

[…Uh, uh.]

Although she claimed responsibility, the startled Eleonor was left speechless, as if shocked.

“You’ll experience a lot.”

[…Master. I, I.]

“You must adapt.”

No longer able to maintain the corpse’s form, she stepped on the twisted flesh and advanced forward. The priests who had miraculously evaded the magic trembled and made way.

No, they fled.

“Ah, aaah!”

Did Flower still have a shred of reason left? It was an unusual sight compared to those I had faced before, who had shown no fear of death.

As expected, the magic was unleashed without fail.

– Kwajik!

The sound of flesh being crushed resounded from behind. There was guilt, but not enough to be concerned about.

Killing people always leaves a terrible feeling.

Lining up to judge who’s good and who’s bad. Calculating one by one, save this one, kill that one.
Such actions shouldn’t be done, and there’s no right to do so.

As I walked along the red carpet, slightly stained with blood, I opened and entered several doors, eventually finding children inside.
And a single tree standing before the children.

‘Seora Tree.’

The name immediately surfaced in my mind.

[Who on earth are you, to wield such power recklessly?]

I halted my steps at the sound of a woman’s voice echoing in my head.

“Hunter.”
[Why do this to us?]
“Because you’re Flowers.”

It’s a clear-cut answer.

First, I used a thin layer of magic to untie the ropes binding the children.
Amidst their confusion, the children slowly ran towards me, seemingly discerning that I was an ally.

-Whoosh!

The roots followed the children but were, of course, weak.
After all, even a being that’s not a World Tree can hardly hold its ground against magic.

[…Ah…]

The tree emits a low groan as if something had gone awry.

[Such a damned fool interfering.]

I appreciate the lack of excuses.

“Why is the tree within the Flower?”
[No need for you to know. You’ll die here anyway.]

At the aggressive tone, the wooden creature on my shoulder retorts sharply.

[What? This wretched thing, dressed like a harlot. How dare you address your master!]
[…A spirit? You were a spirit mage. Foolish indeed.]
[Eeek!]

The tree’s speech grows longer.

The branches blanketing the church’s ceiling and the roots sprouting from the floor begin to slowly converge toward me, as if each possessed its own consciousness.

Being a tree and having nowhere to escape, the only option is to fight me.

[…Die immediately!]

-Wheee-aa-aa-ack!

Branches charge toward me.

Each one is entwined with magical power, making them formidable.

Should I rupture the entire tree trunk?
As I ponder this,

“What’s all the commotion?”

A girl’s voice emanated from the small door nearby. In that instant, the tree’s movement ceased. Simultaneously, my arm, which had been attempting to cast a spell, halted as well.

Pristine white hair. Child-like physique. A circular red pattern spreading widely across the girl’s skin, centered around her nose.

[Si, Sistus-sama.]

Sistus. The third leaf. A high-ranking member of the Flower.

“…I instructed you to protect this place, yet you cause trouble so quickly.”

She gazed at me while muttering in an emotionless voice. Eyes devoid of consciousness—a clone body. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.