Chapter 510 – Encountering the Proprietor

“Ah…sister.”

Was Dallae always this endearing? Mother Azalea was formidable, but the female Azalea was delicate as a blossom. Si-heon, tears and snot streaming down his face, begged to see her and clung to her. Only now did she begin to show her true age. Se-Young consoled Dallae as if soothing a child.

“It’s okay. Everything will be okay. Stop your tears. Our Dallae should be happy now. Right?”

“When, when can we see Si-heon?”

“I’m not sure myself. And remember, you can’t tell anyone about this. Not until Si-heon reveals himself. It must be our secret, just between the two of us.”

“Even to Shiba?”

“Yes, even to Shiba. And to Byul too.”

Azalea nodded. She thought there must be a valid reason for this.

“For now, I’m just preserving myself. Once everything is over… things will return to how they were.”

“Back to how they were?”

She could return to a time when she led a worry-free life. Azalea, after wiping her nose, buried her face in Se-Young’s embrace.

“Yes. That’s what I’ll do.”

“You’ve had a hard time.”

“No, sister, you’ve had it harder.”

Se-Young wiped away her own tears. She had a mountain of tasks waiting, yet, surprisingly, she felt content. She didn’t know what had become of the monster, which resembled him, that she had encountered in the tower. If it were to invade this city, dreadful consequences might await. But as her worries multiplied, so did the glimmers of hope.

“May I ask what happened?”

Se-Young pondered for a moment before responding.

“I’ll explain it all gradually.”

【 She’s planning to talk. 】

It seemed like they had ignored each other too much while caring too much for one another. After calming her racing heart, Se-Young disclosed the truth.

Some covert operations would be necessary, and the consent of Lee Si-heon would be required, but… there was still a clear need to draw closer again.

* * * * * * * * * *

“What about the power of the king?”

“I couldn’t find it. I thought the upper floor had opened, but that turned out to not be the case.”

After parting ways with Cheondo for a bit, she had a discussion with Alba. Not just a casual chat, but a conversation of considerable gravity.

“You lost the crown? Isn’t that a bit incompetent?”

“Sister, I’m serious.”

“Why is it ‘sister’ only during times like this? Do you see the sage as nothing more than a mere errand runner?”

“You’re not even a sage now.”

“Humph.”

Humph. Alba, snorting through her nose, pouted her lips out.

“It would have taken years to adapt to the power of that crown.”

“But thanks to that, my body has been honed. The infinite vessel has merely become a finite one.”

Her body, which had been unstable due to alternating between the power of the King and the power of the Heavenly Demon, had reached a significant point of stabilization following this incident.

“This is more comfortable. And without me, the crown can’t harness its own power.”

Just as I had grown through the power of King Mokryeong, he too had grown through me. Even if the king’s power were to vanish, the physical prowess nurtured within this vessel would not diminish. Despite myriad complications, it is bearable.

“…If anything, the crown is more parasitic on my body than the other way around.”

I can function without the crown, but the crown cannot evolve on its own. The potency of the crown he utilizes is so inefficient that, in reality, it withers within three minutes.

“But with its current strength, it wouldn’t be able to defeat you.”
“True. That’s the issue.”
“Isn’t it dangerous for your lovers?”
“Well, from that perspective… it seems as if they’ve reached an utter state of enlightenment.”

Given that I’m the opponent, it would be natural to feel anxious, bordering on insanity, but that isn’t the case.

“Are you certain of this?”
“He was utterly broken. That wretch.”

His body and spirit were completely misaligned. Despite beholding Se-Young, Cornus, and even the stars, he felt no inspiration. Even though Lee Se-Young could have been killed at any moment, her life was spared.

“Broken, you say?”
“Not just his spirit, but his body wasn’t human either.”

In response to Alba’s question, I gently stroked my chin. The alternate version of myself that I had encountered in that other world was undoubtedly not human. Explaining this would require a more complex explication.

“When you merge with the crown to harness its power, your form becomes akin to an Ent, doesn’t it?”

When I had died. That is, just before I gained control of the king’s power, I had turned into a tree spirit, losing my sanity and attacking my surroundings.

The version of me from the parallel world bore striking similarities to that state. It was the body of a monster, largely composed of arboreal elements.

“The Danjeon was shattered, and life force, or Neigong, was nowhere to be felt.”
“Can I interpret that as being hollow inside?”
“Yes. A broken half of the crown seemed to be substituting the role of the Danjeon.”

It was a state nearly dominated by the crown.

“It appears that there was a purpose that had to be achieved to such an extent.”
“Could it not have been to save someone, given it’s you?”
“Do I give off such an impression?”
“Quite possibly? Oh, would you like some fruit?”

Alba extended a basket of fruit towards me. Seeing the fruit of the mulberry tree, I hesitated and withdrew my extended hand.

“…This.”
“That’s not it. You eat everything that comes off my head, why hesitate now? Do you wish to die?”
“No, it’s just, one can pause for a moment, right?”
“I don’t know.”
“What’s with you today?”

Both my teacher and this person have been particularly blunt recently. Even though I’m the one who has died and returned to life. I suddenly empathized with the feelings of a husband, nagged at while watching TV in his living room over the weekend.

“Indeed, why do I feel so uneasy today?”
“Did I, did I make a mistake?”
“Indeed~ All we do is talk about work~”

Upon closer observation, this sage harbors a surprising amount of jealousy.
Could it be that Wiki’s envious genes were actually an inheritance from the sage herself?
I had no choice but to pop several berries into my mouth. Their taste wasn’t displeasing. As I swallowed, I felt a surge of mana within me.

“Humph.”

Despite the berries, Alba wore a sullen expression.
Seeing her, usually so noble, now sulking, a subtle contrast was felt.

“The situation is rather serious at the moment.”
“No worries. I am logging all the conflicts and occurrences around the globe.”
“Do you know what that bastard is up to now?”
“He has concealed himself within another dimension. At least for now, he has no intention of emerging. He’s probably conserving energy, don’t you think? So, you have some respite for the moment, don’t you?”

She fired off words rapidly, yet by focusing on the critical points, she was easy to understand.
In essence, there was no way for me to encounter him currently.

What then could be the cause of the sage’s disgruntlement?

“…”

Cautiously observing, I noticed Alba subtly spread her arms.

-Thump thump.

With her gloved hand, adorned with lace, she softly patted her knee. A realization dawned on me.
She was signaling for me to become her plaything.

“…This is coercion.”
“Seems like you’re not even moving eastward now that you lack a crown. Should I find one and force it upon you?”
“Uh, well, this isn’t what families do.”
“Sit.”
“Yes.”

-Woosh!

In an instant, high-ranking magic circles unfolded.
The sage, who had secured the noise barrier and locked the door, firmly seized my body.

A shiver ran down my spine.
Sitting next to Alba, I was completely ensnared by the sage.

She discarded her airy pajamas, revealing her black lingerie.
The bra and panties were connected by strings.
It appeared our noble lady had fully lost her sanity.

“We are short on time, so quickly… You understand, right?”

More intense, even more intense, until the brink of collapse, and then a definite breakdown.
This was the menu that Alba, lying on the bed, ordered every time.

“But the real-time…”
“If you don’t want a second one, then penetrate.”
“Yes.”

It was a somber moment.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Daddy! When did you arrive?”

Bam! A smile spread across everyone’s faces as Wiki rushed into my arms.

“Why didn’t you tell me…”
“Wiki, what about your homework?”
“I’ve finished it.”

Wiki, who responded confidently, examined my face and then tilted her head.

“Daddy, your tongue is blue.”
“Uh. It’s because I ate a lot of fruit.”

There are certain types of fruits, especially ones that tend to stain heavily.
Yes, predominantly the Oddi fruit.
If you consume a handful at once, your tongue quickly turns blue.

“Daddy, it’s red here.”
“Yes.”

That’s a lipstick mark.

As I patted Wiki’s derrière and pivoted, my gaze met with that of Cheondo and Ebony. The countenances of my master and apprentice, looking at me, were a chilling sight.

“Master.”

“…Why, what’s happening?”

“What are you contemplating right now?”

“I wasn’t giving it much thought.”

A falsehood.

“….”

“Ebony.”

“Master…my betrothed.”

“Hush.”

The situation was brewing into a crisis. From the looks on their faces, it was evident they were painting a picture in their minds. They likely thought I was so uncontrollably lustful that I tormented the sage. Alba, from an external perspective, is incredibly elegant, decorous, and pure, seemingly ignorant of carnal desires. The noble lady’s nocturnal proclivities were known only to me in this world.

“Father?”

“Wiki. Let’s go have some banana milk.”

“Really? Father, I love you!”

Wiki beamed brightly. Alba, who usually restrained Wiki’s indulgence in snacks, shot a stealthy glare, but I responded by cheekily sticking out my tongue. This was the most outrageous act that a father could perform.

“Let’s also have Pada Coconut Snacks! Ebony, let’s go!”

“Hurray!”

“Oh, where to?”

Alba seemed to feel a tinge of guilt. She didn’t stop my actions, innocently stroking her lower abdomen. Wiki’s snack acquisition mission proceeded without a hitch.

That is, if Cheondo hadn’t turned a shade of blue upon witnessing Alba’s timid pat on her lower abdomen.

“Lee Si-heon.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s chat for a moment.”

“???”

In the end, leaving Wiki and Ebony behind, I was once again whisked away to the room with my master.

“I suppose I made my point too light-heartedly.”

“Uh, Master?”

“When it comes to having children, it’s about careful planning.”

“What? Why bring this up all of a sudden?”

“You already have plenty of women, don’t you? And there should be a turn!”

Whatever she saw led to some misunderstanding. It was only after enduring several minutes of sermon about the discipline a man with many women should maintain, and the plans for having children, that I managed to extricate myself from their embrace.

“Did you understand!”

“…Yes, Master.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The site of a solemn conference. The forces of the eighth leaf, from which Lee Si-heon had escaped, were bustling as usual today.

“Camellia, how about you?”

“Almost done.”

“Gu-seul.”

“I did as you told. Oddly enough, the World Tree doesn’t seem responsive. Something appears to be happening. I believe we need to investigate.”

Tae-yang, skimming through the amassed information, furrowed his brows. The actions of the World Tree seemed to have drastically slowed down. It was as if the Flower was suddenly drawing back.

‘I was aware that something had transpired in King Mokryeong’s tower this time, but….’

Hundreds of high-ranking hunters had perished, and the tower, which had exported many magic stones, had ceased to function.

Beyond a direct blow to the economy, this was nothing short of a death sentence for inflation impacting the international community.

“We’re screwed. All of us.”

At this point, it was more comforting to think about mitigating losses than dreaming of profits. Still, it was bearable. Tae-yang shrugged his shoulders and exhaled. It was a sigh of relief.

“I thought you had lost your mind when you attacked the cradle, Brother. But it was a move of divine providence.”

The latent power of the World Trees could save humanity several times over. They merely refrained from bestowing their gifts, intoxicated by their own power and authority.

The World Tree of Healing and the World Tree of Growth had more influence on the food supply of the factions than anyone else. In this vicinity, there were even religions venerating the shadow trees.

“I wonder how you managed to sway the World Trees with such power. Brother, you’re truly remarkable.”

In a field of around 2 pyeong, they say thousands were fed. These were the words collectively uttered by many townsfolk who had seen the Holy Mother, the World Tree of Growth.

When her delicate hand touched them, all pain vanished as if washed away and fresh flesh sprouted from the deepest wounds. They say she restores sight to the blind and even brings the dead back to life. These were the praises sung by the ailing towards the holy maiden, the World Tree of Healing.

“We’ll get through this.”

The World Trees were less aggressive than expected. In the absence of Lee Si-heon, a period of near devastation was brilliantly survived. Tae-yang clapped his hands, signaling the end of a prolonged crisis.

-Thud.

And almost simultaneously, a man returned.

Si-heon, who entered the meeting room, looked extremely weary.

“…”

Everyone’s gazes turn to behold their king. His face was drained of vitality, a tired visage of Lee Si-heon that none, except Tae-yang and Aori, had ever seen before. Si-heon, with a furrowed brow, glanced around at everyone in the meeting room, then turned to Tae-yang.

“Why are you here?”