Chapter 382 – The Cornus Tree (1)

In a barren, dark studio apartment, Cornus awoke.

The relentless tropical nights of summer persisted. Breathing in the stifling air, Cornus let out a dry cough.

“Cough, cough.”

A life devoid of wind, emotion, or resolve. She was unable to properly process the external stimuli of the world that surrounded her.

Her damaged body had unresponsive nerves. Her mind was petrified, rendering her unable to speak.

No matter how hard she tried to say something, only a hollow “ah” sound would escape her cracked lips. No one would consider her state as being in her right mind. It wasn’t strange for her to be compared to a distraught, speechless infant.

All virtues come full circle. The words her mother left behind might not have been true for Cornus alone. Her loved ones were dead, and her family had fallen into ruin. Branded as a heretic, she became unwelcome wherever she went.

*Swoosh.*

A subtle warmth grazed Sansuyu’s face.

“…Ah.”
“Are you awake?”

A gentle voice. His outstretched arms wrapped around her.
The scent of fabric softener lingered after cleaning.
A spotless mat beneath them.

Sansuyu, unresponsive to most stimuli, made an exception in this case. Whenever she felt this warmth, she would move her arms of her own accord.

“How was your day? Are you feeling okay?”

Sansuyu embraced the source of warmth before her.
The man, who had been stroking the back of her head, pressed his face to Sansuyu’s cheek.

*Hmmph!*

A hot, coarse green energy began to seep into Sansuyu.
Her grip on Lee Si-heon’s arms tightened. This resolute act seemed to convey a refusal to let go, either for the sake of survival or simply to avoid separation.

*Ugh.*

As bones and organs found their place, a small moan escaped from the corner of Sansuyu’s mouth.

“Uh…ah.”

Pain, the only sensation she had known for a long time. Her hands and feet trembled at the agony of the treatment. Sweat streamed down her forehead and collarbones.

Yet, instead of resisting, she sought to endure this pain by embracing her partner even tighter.

“It’s okay. Stay still.”

Shivering—

Her convulsions gradually subsided. A soft, soothing voice accompanied by a gentle hand stroking Sansuyu. He paid no mind to her breasts, clearly visible through her sweat-soaked clothes, as she wore no undergarments.

Simply holding her tightly, they became compressed like doughy buns under the pressure.

Sansuyu’s cold skin felt warmer than before.

“Now, let’s lie down.”

Despite Lee Si-heon’s words, Sansuyu did not release her grip on his arm. She held onto him with her own hand and wouldn’t let go unless he slowly reassured her.

Like a lost child in an amusement park, unable to see what lay ahead.

Lee Si-heon tenderly laid Sansuyu down, his fingers brushing against her wrinkled shirt.

“Arm.”

He took Sansuyu’s arm and inserted a needle into it.

“…”

He attached a nutrient drip and adjusted the flow. The nutrients, coursing through her veins, entered Sansuyu’s body. It wasn’t difficult to learn the process on his own, as it was quite simple to see the blood vessels if one had magical power.

“I’ve prepared some porridge. Let’s eat when you regain consciousness.”

He continued the conversation despite the lack of response, maintaining a quiet and composed demeanor, as if it were only natural.

Selecting the appropriate seasoning from the kitchen, he sprinkled it onto the cooked porridge and took a bite.

Lee Si-heon’s eyes were calm and serene. His usual playful countenance and occasionally fiery emotions were nowhere to be found. His wandering gaze, reflecting on various aspects of the past and present, was also absent. Sansuyu’s eyes remained fixated on the ceiling.

“Suyu.”

The words were close yet seemed to come from a distance.

“It’s not a big deal. Just listen.”

Lee Si-heon turned his back and took another spoonful of porridge, consoling himself.

“It seems I may not have much time left.”

There was no worry in his calm voice. He took another bite, the porridge entering his mouth. Si-heon moved his jaw mechanically, swallowing once before speaking to Cornus.

“So I’ve been thinking.”

Though he had scooped up much of the porridge, Lee Si-heon returned the remaining portion to the bowl, continuing his meal.

“Is there a way to save only you?”

The thick porridge stuck in his throat, but he managed to swallow it down. His dish now empty.

Gazing at his face reflected in the transparent bowl, Lee Si-heon brought his hands together as if in prayer.

“With your family’s troubles and the heresy you face, it seems the world dislikes you as much as it does me.”

“…”

Sansuyu’s head turned slowly.
Lee Si-heon’s retreating figure entered her empty gaze. His shoulders drooped, and his body bore injuries bordering on severe. Though Sansuyu was unable to make any judgment, she instinctively scanned him with her eyes.

“Don’t worry too much.”

Lee Si-heon’s eyes were focused on one place. On the gray, crumpled newspaper, numerous sentences were formed from disordered words. Yet, only three words were reflected in his pupils.

‘El Academy’, ‘Lee Si-heon’, ‘Cult’

It was evident that his name, boldly printed, had already spread to someone he knew.

“There’s a lot I’m sorry about. To you. To others.”

– Clatter.

After washing the dishes, Lee Si-heon wiped his hands on a towel and sat down next to Sansuyu. Her head followed Si-heon’s movement.

A smile formed on Lee Si-heon’s face as he wiped away the sweat trickling down over his unfocused eyes.

Sansuyu’s arm went up. As if requesting an embrace, her arms extended wide. Without a word, Lee Si-heon complied, wrapping his arms around her. Sansuyu’s head tilted, her chin coming to rest on his shoulder.

Her parted lips made contact with his neck.

– Kwak.

She held him tightly, as if he might shatter in her grip. Her eyelids began to flutter closed, drowsiness taking hold. A faint warmth pulsed within her heart.

* * * * * * * *

China.
A small town in a remote corner.

“The opponent is a man on the brink of death.”

Lee Si-heon, clad only in flimsy rags and without a mask, concealed himself in an alley.

The users of spatial magic were the Sages and Zodiac, along with Marronnier. No more than four or five existed in the entire world. Lee Si-heon’s magical prowess remained unknown, making this city their sole focus.

Numerous hunters surrounded him.

The distinction from the Cornus family was that it was an individual, not the family, who had been marked as a heretic. Subjugation squads like before were not formed. Mugung returned to his homeland, and White Peach vanished. Naturally, there were far more pursuers than anticipated, making capture a challenge.

– Drurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

As the fire-spewing firearms halted the hunters’ advance, they activated their magic.

Lee Si-heon, his leg seemingly strained, leaned against the wall and raised his weapon. Other hunters, plummeting from the high-rise building, unsheathed their swords in an attempt to subdue him.

“Caught–”

The exclamation was rendered meaningless as the bodies of the pursuers were crushed and burst apart.

“The enemy is an injured child who can’t even use their magic properly! Press on– grk!”

– Swoosh!

The throat of the screaming tracker captain was severed.

As numerous pursuers were caught off guard and tried to flee weaponless, Lee Si-heon emerged from the alley and pursued them, taking them down one by one.

“…Huff. Huff.”

Heaving a rough breath, he threw the sword he had picked up from the ground. It pierced straight through the chest of the fleeing individual. Mana seeped from his body, as though it was desperately trying to leave a mark on this place.

“Ah, ahh! Wait!”

A man, gripped by terror, collapsed to the ground and cried out. With everyone else dead, Lee Si-heon paused his arm just before raising a fist.

“P-Please, spare me.”

“What?”

His voice was laced with confusion.

“I… I only came for the reward. I didn’t intend to kill! Life’s been too hard… I just wanted to feed my daughter.”

His plea could hardly be called coherent. Anyone who heard it would know that it defied logic. Yet, as Lee Si-heon’s hand stopped, the man prayed to him with an even more desperate tone.

“What will become of my daughter if I die? Please… save me. I won’t tell anyone that I ran away.”

“…Get lost.”

“T-Thank you!”

Lee Si-heon lowered his fist in futility and turned his head.
A heavy boulder resting on his tired shoulders.

The hunter, who had been lying on the floor, struggled to get up, limping as he picked up his sword.

“Ugh, argh!”

The sword aimed to pierce Lee Si-heon’s back.

– Clang!

The blade shattered, and the hunter’s face was once again marked with despair. As their eyes met, the hunter’s lips quivered.

“You said you wanted to live.”
“Ugh, heh…”
“If you have a mouth, speak up. What do you want me to do?”

– Crunch!

The hunter’s body, held in Lee Si-heon’s grasp, was crushed down to the bone. The hunter, frothing at the mouth and showing the whites of his eyes, collapsed powerlessly.

Standing sickly in the distance, he knelt on the spot. His body was covered in wounds, and without using his powers, the healing process was slow. He searched the hunter’s belongings with his cracked fingernails. Upon opening the wallet and taking out the cash, he saw a picture of a family – a young child still in their midst.

“Ha…”

A small sigh escaped from his lips.

* * * * * * * *

L Academy’s Lee Si-heon. Collusion with Sansuyu, the eldest daughter of the Cornus family.
Currently located in China, on the run.

The tersely written articles once again stirred up the world.
Accusatory arrows from all corners of the globe spread across the internet.
A myriad of violent acts spurred by collective frenzy took flight.

Everyone connected to Lee Si-heon could not escape the information about it.

“That’s what happened.”
“……”

Marronnier’s hands were trembling.

“Who… did it?”

Blue eyes, deep as the ocean, trembled like a whirlwind.

Tears streamed down Marronnier’s eyes as he clutched his heart and lowered his head, seemingly unable to breathe properly.

Tae-yang held onto the chair’s armrests as if they would break, trying to control himself.

“Don’t worry too much.”

“…Worry, don’t I look like I should?”

“Because you’re my brother’s lover. I simply conveyed what he said.”

“Why? Si, what did Si-heon do?”

“Well, what use is there in determining good or evil in this process now?”

Where Tae-yang’s gaze fell, Aori, wearing her prosthetic body, lay asleep. She likely had a body that would never be able to stand, let alone fight, for the rest of her life.

“Arguing about that is already too late. My brother is always someone who cannot help but be pushed out due to political factors.”

“How can that be? I, I…”

Marronnier had been oblivious. In a dreamlike time and passionate love, he now remembered something he had forgotten.

Marronnier too knew the truth about the Cornus family.

Even though I tried to contact them directly, there was no response. Every action she took as the national leader aligned with the will of the state; thus, further actions were not tolerated.

Tae-yang slowly lowered his fiercely open eyes.

“Don’t do anything.”

“…Huh?”

“My brother asked for it. There’s no place for you, the national leader of France, to intervene. Even if you do, there will only be one more issue for my brother to resolve.”

“If the national leader is the problem… I’ll step back from here. Then, I can help—”

“Sister.”

Right now, there is no one who can completely reverse this situation. Even if individuals get involved, Lee Si-heon’s burden only increases.

Tae-yang bowed his head.

“Please.”

“…If you die, what will you do?”

Even Tae-yang couldn’t think of many ways to survive. Nevertheless, he couldn’t voice any negative thoughts. Tae-yang lowered his head even further.

“Uh, huh. Huh.”

She was someone who seemed truly carefree.
That’s why she could convey her love with ease.
But when such a person encountered adversity, and the world began to turn against her,
Marronnier couldn’t help but cover her face with her hands and break down in tears.

Now was the time to step aside.

“Sister, I apologize.”

Tae-yang promptly left the room.
Marronnier’s voice, sobbing and wailing, could be heard from behind the closed door.

Regrettably, this was something that could have happened at any moment.
Even if Cornus hadn’t been saved, she would have faced this ordeal eventually.
Some say it’s better to confront hardships quickly, but… well, is that truly the case?

-Kkikik, kkikikk.

Aori, who had followed Tae-yang by pulling her wheelchair with her hand, questioned him.

“Tae-yang.”
“Yes.”
“Will the King survive?”
“I don’t know.”
“You said earlier that he wouldn’t die.”

She could only hope so.
Seeing the deep shadow on Tae-yang’s face, Aori came up with an idea and tugged at the hem of his clothes.

“Tae-yang, Tae-yang.”
“…I’m not in the mood.”
“Look at this.”
“What?”

Aori, whose arms were barely revived by the artifact, raced through the hallway at an astonishing speed, propelling the wheels of her wheelchair.

“Hey… this crazy—”

-Kiririririk!

An incredible drift displayed in that state!

“Inertia Aori Drift!”

However, her body’s condition hadn’t improved yet.

-Kwadang tadang tang!

“Aaaaaahhhhh!!!”

Aori’s limbs disintegrated and tumbled through the air as the slippery wheelchair toppled over.

“No, you crazy woman!”