Chapter 314 – Mistake of Dawn (1)

“I’ve heard that enjoyable moments pass by in the blink of an eye. That seems to be true.”
“Really?”

The wise man spoke to the three as they prepared to leave.

“It was refreshing to experience the feeling of people living after such a long time. I spend every day in Eden. Apart from Sephirot, I rarely have the chance to see other people.”
“Don’t you go out often, wise man?”
“Surprisingly, I feel quite lonely.”

Marronnier opened his mouth in astonishment.
The wise man, someone who has become detached from common sense emotions, was expressing regret over parting ways.

To outsiders, the wise man is often perceived as a personification of reason, never swayed by emotions.
To a certain extent, that was true.
However, even a wise man cannot completely lose the emotions associated with parting.

“Why do you all look like that?”

The wise man blinked at the gaze of the three.

“Should I shed tears for you to believe me?”
“No, no need.”
“Heh, please consider it as a sign of my deep affection for you all.”
“You claim to care so much, yet you send someone to face death. Is that right?”

After Marronnier’s rejection, Lee Si-heon let out a muffled scoff. He was silently packing his belongings.

“It’s because I trust you.”

The sage dismissed the concern with a smile, his lips tightly pressed together in a bittersweet expression.

They were ready to depart. The bedrooms designated for the outsiders, now devoid of their belongings, quickly became barren.

Clothes, items, and in Lee Si-heon’s case, masks and attire including a mistletoe. The trio no longer had any purpose within Eden. Having listened to the sage’s plan over several days, they now had to return to the cradle of their journey.

The sage conjured magic in his hands, right where he stood, without heading to the front door. Sephirot, who had been silently clutching the hem of the sage’s garment, finally found her voice.

“Branches! Tree King!”

Sephirot chastised Marronnier and Lee Si-heon in turn.

His fingertips soon pointed toward Sansuyu.

“Breast tease!”
“…?”
“Sephirot! Thud!”

Sephirot lowered her head sullenly at the sage’s words. Sansuyu wore a puzzled expression, and Lee Si-heon stifled his laughter. Marronnier glanced at Sansuyu’s chest with a defeated look in his eyes.

The three of them had received education in Eden this time. Their emotional bonds had deepened, but as much as they had deepened, they remained imperfect. They treated each other casually now, but there was no telling when another rift might form. After the day they had shared drinks, Marronnier had let his emotions from that time fade away, making him feel even more unsettled.

However, as is always the case with human relationships and conflicts between peers, eventually, they would be able to laugh it off as if it never happened. In the end, all three of them were good people, or they wouldn’t have been able to set foot in Eden.

Sephirot’s eyes surveyed the three.

Her enigmatic eyes, imbued with all the wisdom and knowledge of the world, pierced through their very essence.

“It’s going to be fine!”

Sephirot exclaimed with the garbled pronunciation characteristic of young children. A smile graced the lips of the four individuals watching her.

“Alright. I’ll contact you again later. Rest well today. We have to get back to work tomorrow.”

-Flash!

In an instant, magic was activated in the hands of the sage. Although they would be leaving Eden, these four would continue to encounter one another in order to thwart the assault on the cradle.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the three vanished. In the now empty room, the sage tenderly stroked Sephirot’s head, maintaining a resolute smile.

“Sephirot, have you eaten?”
“No.”
“What would you like to eat today?”
“Sweet!”
“Alright. I’ll prepare a delicious breakfast, so get ready first.”
“Puka Puka?”
“Yes, Puka Puka.”

Washing and brushing teeth, Sephirot dashed to the bathroom like a chick chasing its mother hen.
Before leaving the room, the sage turned her head and cast a glance at the three neatly arranged beds.

Unexpectedly, she felt loneliness quite often.
Why did she say that when there was no need to? Questions flitted through her mind.

Eden is a nest for two people.
It has been so for over a hundred years.

Inviting people into Eden is an extraordinary event. Instances like Lee Si-heon, Marronnier, and Sansuyu staying for several weeks are quite rare.
It’s the first time for a sage of this generation.
The sage contemplated why she had uttered such words.

Being astute, she quickly understood the reason.

Because it was true.
She often felt lonely and enjoyed the company of others.
The sage was honest with herself.

However, as a sage, it’s necessary to maintain her dignity. She doesn’t readily reveal these emotions to others.
The reason she expressed her longing this time, perhaps, was just as expected.

…Actually, I don’t want to do this either.

It must be because of what happened that night.

The sage cupped her face in her hands.

“I don’t know why.”

Her face flushed with shame from the mistake she had made.

* * * * * * *

The two flushed faces repeatedly sipped their drinks.

Lee Si-heon’s face appeared intensely relaxed, as if he had surpassed his alcohol tolerance. She herself was in an agreeably tipsy state, flushed and feeling good.

Until now, there had been an inexplicable barrier between the two of them.

A sage with a reputable honor, worthy of admiration. Lee Si-heon had been overly cautious around her.

Her intentions were unknown. Everyone who witnessed the sage’s actions said as much. However, when considering the outcomes alone, the sage’s objective had long been achieved.

They toy with fate. Hearing such words, they inspired awe and fear in everyone.

Naturally, it was expected that King Mokryeong, Lee Si-heon, would be unable to trust the sage. Even without showing it, an insurmountable wall inevitably formed between the two of them.

Two individuals who could never become entwined in each other’s personal lives. The destiny bestowed upon each of them forbade such a connection. Both the sage and Lee Si-heon were aware of this fact.

*Snap!*

However, a single glass of wine granted permission.

Alcohol clouded their minds, and Lee Si-heon allowed the approach.

‘If it’s done well.’

Even in her hazy state of mind, the sage made a decision. She, too, needed to evaluate Lee Si-heon’s character.

‘I might be able to discern his true intentions.’

But the sage had forgotten one thing.

*Wobble.*

Her vision blurred, and her head swayed.

She, herself, had become intoxicated as well.

And all the thoughts I have now will vanish entirely by the following morning.

Nevertheless, the sage pressed on with the inquiry.

“Si-heon.”
“Yes.”

Lee Si-heon responded in a somewhat dazed voice. His inebriated face was serious, but his tone had transformed entirely.

If he’s that intoxicated, it should be fine to ask.

“Is there nothing troubling you?”
“Troubling? Hardships. Yeah, hardships. Oh, so suddenly?”
“I thought there might be many.”
“No… I have one more concern because of you. If that’s a hardship, then it’s a hardship.”

He fluctuated between formal and informal speech. However, the slumped, languid voice and foggy expression were enough to evoke the sentiment that he was endearing.

Maternal love. To the point where one could feel something akin to it.

“Because of me?”
“…I still don’t know what you’re thinking. It doesn’t seem like you’re on the side of the World Tree, nor on the side of the Flower.”
“That’s true.”

“What on earth did you summon us for?”
“You ought to know.”

The goal is to satisfy Sephirot’s thirst for knowledge.

Lee Si-heon furrowed his brow.

“No, that’s not it.”
“…”
“You have many hidden ambitions. Concealed within the World Tree.”

In his drunken state, he quickly crossed the line, exposing what each of them had been hiding. The sage’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Do you have a reason for thinking that?”
“It’s my intuition.”

Intuition. If true, it’s a fearsome ability.

Experience, power, knowledge – even surpassing eloquence, Lee Si-heon had seen through the sage. His exceptional insight deserved acknowledgement. He possessed the qualities needed to someday achieve great success in the world.

However, Si-heon did not inquire further. Intoxicated and rambling, he quickly moved on to the next subject.

“Also, there are so many struggles.”
“…Which kind?”

The sage asked Si-heon, as he thumped his chest.

It was likely due to the nerves, having momentarily pierced through her inner thoughts.

A person known as a sage.
For the first time as a sage.

Lee Si-heon, who unintentionally struck a chord in the sage’s heart, clicked his tongue as if to say he didn’t know any better.

“No matter how much I think about it, all the hardships lately are because of you.”
“No, it’s not like that.”

The sage’s lips trembled.
Lee Si-heon’s attitude of blatantly blaming her wasn’t something she couldn’t understand.
It was an emotion that had persisted since they first met.

However, in their drunken state with hearts pounding, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of sadness she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

“Si-heon, do you not trust me?”

She asked with the courage of alcohol.

“…Is that even a question? Of course, I don’t trust you.”

He responded, equally emboldened by the drink.
The sage took a sip of alcohol and hung her head low.

As Si-heon observed her disheartened expression, he took another swig and murmured.

“Still.”

They say alcohol reveals one’s true feelings.
Whether that’s true or not remains to be seen.

It’s not that there are no instances where one’s repressed thoughts come to the surface, but when alcohol clouds the mind, unthought-of words tend to slip out.

“…Mm. I wish you were a good person. I really want to believe that.”

So, she couldn’t tell if that was Lee Si-heon’s genuine sentiment.

“…”

“As a sage, how many people could one save?”

Si-heon murmured as if in a soliloquy.

“I always think about it. Honor and power. Knowledge. Wealth. How many poor people could be rescued, and saved from the ravages of floods?”

For Lee Si-heon, who had become everyone’s enemy, it was an all too enviable concept.
Especially since he once dreamed of becoming a politician.
Emotions he could embrace, and a sincerity he was unaware of.

He let his feelings pour out over a sip of alcohol.

“I’m truly envious of you on a personal level.”
“Really?”
“Ah, my head…”

Si-heon closed his eyes.
After dozing off for a moment, he looked at the sage who had risen once again.

A subtle smile emerges in the eyes.

The sage mulled over Si-heon’s words time and again.
Envy.
Not a petty jealousy, but envy for being able to help many others.
Had he ever heard something similar about himself?

There were, indeed, people of that kind.
There had been many beings like saints, who existed solely for the sake of others, loving people and becoming the sun for them.

Yet King Mokryeong was different. Born amidst prejudice, he had received undeserved hatred.
Lee Si-heon’s existence was extraordinary.

That was why he couldn’t help but be astounded by the words uttered by such a unique being.

‘…’

Thus, he harbored a human fondness.

For her emotions, which had grown cold over a century.
They connected, albeit cheaply, through the power of alcohol.

Neither the sage nor Lee Si-heon had intended for it. It was almost miraculous.
Curiosity.
He was intrigued by this person.

King Mokryeong, an individual from another world. A candidate to be the husband of the World Tree. A disciple of the current generation’s Heavenly Demon, and a man possessing the most exceptional potential among individuals of his era.

Instead of focusing on the words describing that man, the curiosity lies solely with Lee Si-heon.

“…Isn’t it uncomfortable with the table being a bit far? Would it be alright if I sit next to you?”

Before becoming a sage, she was a person too. There were a few more questions she wanted to ask.

A genuine inquiry, untainted by hidden motives. Leaning on alcohol, the sage voiced words she wouldn’t typically say, and Lee Si-heon answered without any reservations. With the barrier between them dismantled, it didn’t take long for their distance to close.

A quiet room, just the two of them. Yet, having consumed beyond their limits, they soon found themselves at a loss for words.

Conversing about each other’s hobbies and preferences, their favorite drinks, the food they enjoyed, and how they passed their everyday lives.

Even while inebriated and stumbling over words, they continued their conversation.

Under normal circumstances, the two of them could sit quietly and come up with several topics for casual conversation. However, in their inebriated state, their minds were not functioning well. The silence between them created a subtly charged atmosphere.

“…”

Lee Si-heon clung to his consciousness, barely holding on as if he were about to lose his grip on reality. He appeared on the verge of falling asleep.

Even the sage herself was now aware that her spoken sentences were not connecting properly.

It was time to sleep. That realization, however, was fleeting.

Before long, she made an unintended error.