Chapter 305 – The Brown Bear with a Band-Aid

‘What is the difference between an ordinary person and a terrorist?’

The white chess piece advances, filling the black space.

‘Where lies the boundary of a perpetrator?’

The white pawn, having kicked the knight, reaches the end. This mere chess piece, a lowly soldier, can transform into any form save the king once it reaches its destination.

‘What is it that alters the human ego upon encountering it?’

In other words, even a pawn cannot become a king.

Fortuitous luck and astounding coincidence. It seems implausible that there would be a separate seed for the queen’s position, yet one can be found if sought.

A character guided by fate itself.

– Thump!

The black king falls to the floor. Rolling and tumbling dozens of times, it strikes the wall between dusty corners.

The hand of the fair child grasps the king.

“The Tree King.”

Sephirot gripped the king tightly, but accidentally lost her hold and dropped him. The king rolled on the floor, seeking freedom.

“Even Sephirot,” the sage remarked.

He held Sephirot and gazed intently at her. Reflected in their eyes was the figure of a man.

The way they tortured trees was laughable, but it allowed them to recognize the qualities within. Human thoughts tend to change little by little, depending on the situation and environment. Once their minds had hardened, they didn’t change easily; however, they were creatures that adapted to stimuli.

“King Mokryeong,” the sage said, looking into her eyes.

“I thought you were chosen without reason, but it seems that was not the case.”

Lee Si-heon was worthy of being chosen. Though he was an alter ego, he clearly identified himself with the young child.

‘If he had been a good person, he might have revealed a weakness in this situation.’

Jung Si-woo, the seed of a hero, would not have been able to stab Sistus in the current circumstances. He might have even been struck by a series of counterattacks.

“It wasn’t like this when I first saw Lee Si-heon.”

At that time, calling Lee Si-heon virtuous would have been dubious. Considering he had wagered his own convictions as an obscene demon and a squad leader, perhaps the outcome was only natural.

‘With the temperament of the worst sex offender being a grade F lascivious demon…’

It was visible that he was gradually changing.

‘Almost like the previous King Mokryeong.’

Being wise doesn’t mean being capable of judging everything. Because they know to question anything, they can produce slightly safer outcomes than others.

It was true that I had observed Lee Si-heon up until now. By understanding his personality, I could predict his actions.

At the moment, he was the most unpredictable being in the world.

“Mama!”

Sephirot tugged at the sage’s hem. The dress she was wearing stretched under Sephirot’s force.

-Ting!

A white undergarment strap peeked over her shoulder.

“What? Why, Sephirot?”

“Teddy bear!”

Sephirot, with sparkling eyes, peered under the skirt to investigate. The sage pursed his lips and smiled awkwardly.

“That’s right, it’s a teddy bear.”

“Cute!”

The contract with Sephirot stipulated that she should not involve herself in any worldly events without his permission.

There were many loopholes in the agreement, and the sage could attempt to change the world if he so wished.

“Sage, do you like teddy bears?”

“I do. More than anything in the world. My mother made the first teddy bear for me.”

Someone who knows should save them. It hasn’t always been this way in his heart.

-Gulp.

The corner of the sage’s eye slightly crinkled as he caressed Sephirot’s head.

‘…A bystander of knowledge.’

It had been 300 years since he inherited the title of sage from the previous generation. Throughout that long period, the sage had witnessed many catastrophes from a distance.

‘Nations rise and fall. People die. Wars erupt. Die, die, and die again.’

She had found friends who shared her sentiments, but at the end of the century, she was the only one who remained.

The unfamiliar emptiness and dreadful loneliness could break a person.
Even as a sage, she could not evade those emotions.

Countless eons had passed as she witnessed the deaths of children while safeguarding Eden.
Even in the face of King Mokryeong and Heavenly Demon’s catastrophes, she had been like a cold machine—until she changed her way of thinking.
That was less than 20 years ago.

‘How on earth did Mother bear this all along?’

Becoming indifferent to death,
Wearied by her extraordinarily long life.

At times, the unchanging pocket watch seemed frozen in place.
Her mother, who had fulfilled her duty until the end, now seemed so remarkable.

And yet, she found herself considering breaking the contract.

*Snap!*

Sephirot fully unfurled the sage’s skirt.

Transparent thighs and white underwear. The crevice between them was exposed within the room.

“Sage Ong!”
“…Sephirot! Don’t! I told you not to say that!”

Reproaching Sephirot, the sage wiped his sweat-drenched forehead.
A sigh escaped his lips.

“Really, Sephirot…”

Regardless, her current task was crystal clear.

Assign each of these three their respective duties.
These were the three keys to change the future.

-Thunk.

At that moment, the door opened.

“Ah.”

The sage’s feeble voice briefly filled the room.
Lee Si-heon, who had returned from his morning routine a little later than usual, caught sight of the sage’s appearance.

“…”
“…”

A brown teddy bear with a bandage affixed to it.
Indeed, this was quite the uncommon scene.

“Feeling good today, are you?”
“Quiet, will you?”

The subsequent course of action had already been determined.

* * * * * * * *

“Why do your cheeks look like that?”

Marronnier, who was gathering the evening bread, blinked her eyes.

“Indeed.”

Could this be a disaster beyond one’s control? I thought someone had unfolded a lace parasol in the room.

I assumed it must be a wise person because there was a bear ornament in the center.
Poke.
Sansuyu’s fingers jabbed at my cheeks.

“Sihyeon’s cheeks, all puffed up.”
“Didn’t I tell you not to say that?”
“Ugh… Forgive me.”
“Where did you even learn that odd manner of speaking? Tree Inside? Are you going there again?”

As I pinched her cheek and stretched it, Sansuyu’s nasal sound escaped.
A soft, warm sensation enveloped my hand.

“So, what exactly happened?”
“…Something like that occurred.”

The infuriated sage displayed emotions one wouldn’t typically see.
I thought it would end with a slap on the cheek.

Si-heon tugged at his cheek with his hand, as if unable to strike it out of conscience.

The force was notably strong, causing the cheek to burn with heat. At this point, Si-heon believed he could confidently win against Cornus’s cheek.

‘Due to Cornus, I can’t even use the power of healing.’

-…Forget it.
-What?
-Just forget it.

Belatedly, he released his cheek and apologized. There was no hindrance in using magic, so it was alright. It was time to move past the incident. From a common-sense perspective, it didn’t make sense to react this way after seeing a bear.

-Munch.

Marronnier sliced a piece of hand-grilled steak and placed it in her mouth. Si-heon’s cheek throbbed with pain.

‘I received a potion. Its effect is so potent that I should take it after a meal.’

A red potion was stored in a snake-like vessel next to the desk. Si-heon had heard from Goroshi that high-grade potions were made from such liquids. The sage had apologized and given it to him, but Si-heon was still agonizing over whether or not he should consume it.

“…Si-heon.”

As I emotionlessly chewed the meat, Marronnier in the seat ahead of me inquired discreetly.

“How’s the meat?”
“Delicious.”

Hair standing on end.

“Is, is it really…?”

It has a heartwarming taste, as my friend took great care in grilling the meat he’d purchased himself. Lately, I’ve grown accustomed to expensive food, so this isn’t too bad.

“My mother used to cook it this way often, so I wasn’t sure if it would suit Korean palates. I’m, I’m relieved. If you want more, just let me know…”
“How much difference can there be in the cooking methods? Meat is always delightful. Don’t you agree?”

As I glanced at Cornus, the person who had been blandly chewing on the meat looked at Marronnier. After a brief silence, they nodded.

“Yes.”
“…”

It’s an awkward atmosphere. For the past few days, there’s been an inexplicable coldness between us.

The same goes for mealtimes. We’re stuck with each other for at least another week.

“And then at night, the two of us get tangled up in my bed and sleep together.”

It seems it’s time to ask again.
As I put a piece of tender meat into my mouth, Sansuyu tapped my shoulder from beside me.

“Sieon.”
“Hmm?”

Sansuyu, who called out to me, gently looked my way and fiddled with her hands.
Her chest moved as she softly swayed her body from side to side. It’s especially swollen today, that’s for certain.

It seems it’s time for her to be milked.

“…At night. I’m in pain.”
“Night?”

Marronnier reacted like a wildcat.
Marronnier, who stares at me because she knows what happened last time.

“Alright.”

I don’t have any power over it.
I’ll do what she asks me to do.

“…Then later.”

Sansuyu, who got up first from her seat, tidied the tableware and immersed it in water.
I’m in charge of washing dishes today.
Sansuyu left first, seemingly because she still had many books to read. Soon, there were only two of us remaining in the kitchen.

– Gulp.

The sound of swallowing was heard.

“Lee Si-heon.”
“Mm.”

Marronnier, who set down the knife, rolled her blue eyes. Tap-tap. One after another, long nails struck the table.

It took about a minute to cautiously glance at me before asking.

“…So, I have one too.”
“Uh-huh.”

She hesitated and ultimately couldn’t finish her sentence, turning her head away instead.

“Oh, no. Don’t you have to do the dishes?”
“Is there something you want to say?”
“……”

Pouting. Sweating.
Blanche pulled her pigtails forward, holding them in front of her face to hide her expression.

When would this restraint finally be lifted?
With that question in mind, I rested my chin on my hands, elbows on the table.

“Come to think of it, you and Suyu don’t seem to be on good terms lately.”
“Right.”

Sansuyu hadn’t said a word.
She said it was her fault.

I consistently maintained that attitude, insisting I didn’t need to know.

Marronnier shared some similarities with Sansuyu, which meant she wouldn’t speak much either. This one, however, was far more virtuous than others, making it difficult for her to lie.

“Um, well. That is…”
“Blanche.”
“Don’t call me by that name…”

Wouldn’t she tell the truth if I pressed her? As I had intended, Marronnier couldn’t bring herself to lie.

“…I’m sorry… I got caught…”
“What?”

As I asked again, Marronnier swallowed her saliva. She placed her hands between her thighs and tightly pressed her lips together.

“Kissing.”

I tilted my head at the absurd statement.

“What?”
“Well, I mean. I was caught kissing.”
“Did you ever kiss in front of Sansuyu?”

That was something we only did in the bathroom. And that too, after Marronnier had insisted and locked the door thoroughly.

At that time, Sansuyu was asleep. From her perspective, there was no way of knowing.

However, Marronnier had confessed to me in a hushed, crawling voice.

“In the morning, in the morning! I did it.”

Her face stiffened.

“…without you knowing.”

Her face flushed. She covered it with both hands.

“Oh, so on the day you slept with me?”

– She nodded.

“What were you thinking?”

“…Siheon, you brainwashed me. I couldn’t resist.”

“So, Sansuyu found out, and that’s why she’s so upset? What about the evening when you slept in my bed?”

“We fought over the blankets and pillows. Exhausted, we stopped…”

Oh, my head.

“Do you all think you have some sort of ownership over me?”

“…No.”

I understood the situation.
Sansuyu had once again created an unforeseen complication.
Was there ever an incident that would make Sansuyu jealous of my relationship with Marronnier?

No matter how close they were, they remained friends, and it seemed as though Sansuyu was entirely oblivious to matters of affection.

Lately, there had been issues with their physical closeness, touching and mingling as they discussed breasts and the like. However, was there really any reason for these feelings to escalate into a cold war with someone so inexperienced?

In my opinion, there wasn’t.

“But I do,” I said.

“You know, you can. It’s my fault, after all.”

“Is it your fault?”

“Yes, yes.”

As she agreed and stacked the finished tableware, Marronnier revealed her flushed face once more. She stared intently at me.

“…So, should we do it again today?”

Marronnier was now asserting herself. My hands grew stiff as I tried to move the plate.

“If I keep doing it just because you want me to, will my powers be released?”

I calmly tried to persuade Marronnier.

“Well, you don’t have to do it for the last time…”

“I don’t know all the details.”

“Then…you won’t?”

As if a rat could even comprehend.

She gave that distinct abandoned-cat expression again.
I firmly pressed my lips together.

“I went to see Cornus too. Tonight… you’re going to do it with her.”
“I won’t do what you’re imagining.”
“You touch her breasts.”

Marronnier crawls beneath the table.
The sensation of hands wrapping around my thighs.

As I shiver and nearly fall, she uses magic to hold me still.
A cat’s wide-open eyes gazed up from between my legs.

Today’s cat climbed onto the roof even faster than yesterday.

I felt the tickling touch of a tongue on my lower abdomen.