Chapter 194: A Man Without a Conscience

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Like an island floating on a lake, the White Forest stood isolated atop distorted space.

At the cliff’s edge, Sugar hurled stones.

Each time, they vanished into the hollow void beyond. By now, she could’ve built a tower with all the rocks she’d thrown since arriving—proof of how much frustration she’d bottled up.

She had only just calmed down after her friends stopped her from rampaging with her staff. Now, she was here, venting her anger.

“That perverted horse… Who the hell says something like that to a person…?”

Marriage? Having lots of children? What kind of nonsense was that to say to someone he’d just met? Who spouts such things to a young woman so carelessly?

She’d never eaten horse meat before—maybe now was the time to try. She was confident in her butchering skills, after all.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She grabbed a handful of pebbles with her left hand and launched them with her right. Sugar Catapult—or rather, a Sugar-pult.

“Don’t make me laugh! Marriage?! Me?! And with—!”

Mid-rant, she froze.

Her anger fizzled out.

“…And with…”

She dropped the remaining pebbles, letting them clatter to the ground.

Thud. Thunk. One by one, they fell with dull echoes.

Sugar, too, slumped down as if collapsing.

“This is so stupid…”

For nearly half her life, she’d considered him family. A friend-like younger brother. A brother-like friend. Family-like, friend-like—

‘Was he out of his mind? Sure, she treasured Riley—but like that? No, he must’ve misunderstood!’

Marry her childhood friend?

Riley?

Ha.

Riley?

Hah.

Wake up in the same bed? Share meals at the same table?

Kiss each other goodbye, go about their separate lives, then come home to cook dinner together?

Chat about their day, all cozy and affectionate?

And then at night—at night—

“So, when you two marry, have many children… Especially girls…”

“Agh! Aaah! Ugh! Gaaah!!”

Wordless screams burst out. She wanted to bang her head against something, but the cliff offered no trees.

Instead, she lunged at the nearby white fluffballs, scooping up several in her arms. Mirror Rabbits. For some reason, they’d been gathered at the cliff’s edge in a huddle.

They were small, warm, and soft. And well-behaved.

She hugged them tightly and flopped onto the grass, curling up with the tiny creatures. Kicking off her shoes added to the sense of freedom.

Her pounding heart slowly steadied. Her flushed cheeks cooled. The translucent rabbits squirmed gently in her arms—adorable, soothing. Petting them helped.

So this is animal therapy. Works like a charm.

Sugar giggled and closed her eyes. Faintly, she heard the whispers of magic—a perk of her unique constitution. Lulu—lalala— Like a lullaby, it lulled her mind into a daze.

It was peaceful.

Like…

Dissolving into nature.

The breeze tickled her skin, carrying the scent of grass and song. Warm fluffballs nestled in her arms. A soft bed of white grass.

Sugar, as a being, melted into the scenery.

Just like her pure magic—absorbing and embracing the outside world. Just like her peculiar constitution.

Mixing, permeating, becoming one—

Flash—

Her eyes snapped open.

“Ugh. Almost dozed off.”

Falling asleep here would be disastrous. What if she rolled off the cliff?

Shaking her head, Sugar sat up and looked down at the rabbits. Now that she thought about it—why were they huddled at the cliff’s edge, staring into the hole? Was it a Mirror Rabbit habit?

“Why are you all in such a dangerous spot?”

She plopped one onto her lap, scratching its head and chin.

“Our youngest fell over the cliff…”

“Eek.”

A voice answered. Her hair stood on end.

Probably not the rabbit. The voice was familiar.

She glanced back. A white horse with a broken golden horn stood there, bandages wrapped around its body.

“Pervy Horse. What do you mean?”

“Exactly that… Months ago, the youngest of this Mirror Rabbit group fell into the hollow… They gather here every day, hoping it’ll return…”

Sugar’s face twisted with sorrow.

“Can’t you find it?”

“If we could, we would’ve… The barrier and stepping stones were built by the Saint, and we maintain them, but… the hole below is untouchable… There’s no way…”

Spatial entanglement. Twisted space. No one knew what lay beyond—or if it was even intact.

Sugar hugged the rabbit tightly.

Now that she understood, her heart ached. These quiet creatures had waited patiently for their family’s return—even as she recklessly hurled stones beside them.

“So… they lost family. A sibling…”

For some reason, Sugar projected someone else onto the rabbits. It made her inexplicably sad.

“It can’t be helped… If there’s no way to fix it, all they can do is accept it…”

“…So. Did you just come here to say that?”

“No…”

Harnielle continued without pause.

“The others are cleaning up the mess you made. I came to tell you to help.”

“Ah.”

Sugar scrambled to her feet, suddenly sweating with embarrassment.

“Um… sorry for the violence.”

Beating up a unicorn of the White Forest—truly fitting for a saint of the Evil God. Sheepishly, she approached Harnielle and bowed.

“But thanks to that, I realized something pitiable about you…”

“Suddenly? What’s pitiable?”

“Lots of things… You take such roundabout paths…”

“What do you mean?”

The unicorn clopped away silently, having reverted to its original form to heal its wounds.

Sugar stared at the white horse, then spoke again.

“By the way… can I get some mane hair or bodily fluids? There’s something I’m working on…”

“You truly have no conscience…”

.
.
.

The overturned forest was cleaned up. It looked like a typhoon had passed through, but with four mages working together, it wasn’t impossible.

Of course, the moment they returned, Riley stormed over and thumped her on the head.

“Think before you act. Think, you idiot.”

“Hah, but that horse was spouting nonsense— Ow!”

Trying to defend herself earned her another smack, but peace was restored.

She also got fluids from Harnielle. Tears. A rare prize.

“In all my long years, I’ve never met a human so shameless…”

“How old are you?”

“Very old… If we’re counting my soul, I’ve lived since before the Saint descended…”

“Over two thousand years?”

“If we’re counting my soul…”

As they talked, Harnielle guided them through the White Forest. At first, the unicorn had disliked the impure aura radiating from Sugar and Riley, urging them to leave after their business was done. But maybe it had grown fond of them—now, it seemed to suggest they look around while they were here.

They encountered other unicorns (all of whom screamed in horror) and rare creatures like the Mirror Rabbits.

And then, the forest’s greatest attraction.

“This is the Elder White Tree.”

They arrived before a massive tree towering at the forest’s heart—the same one whose majesty had been visible even from the cliffs outside. The tree that had provided the branch used as the foundation for the Saint’s Staff.

Ian’s eyes sparkled as she approached.

“Can I… greet it?”

“You can, but don’t expect a response…”

“Huh? Why not?”

“It’s lived too long… It existed long before the Saint descended…”

“But… it’s a divine tree spirit.”

Before the Saint’s arrival, this mystical tree had protected the forest.

Harnielle shook its head.

“All things that live long must wither… No one—nothing, not even divine beings—can resist the flow of time… The Saint of old said so themself…”

“It looks fine, though…”

The four stared up at the tree. A grand, white figure, showing no visible signs of decay.

“Its soul has dried up… It hasn’t responded in centuries…”

A soul withering.

The invisible essence losing its vitality.

“I didn’t know. The Holy City never mentioned it…”

“There’s no special interaction… Nothing worth reporting to Her Holiness…”

Harnielle tactfully avoided commenting on Ian’s gender.

Then Leon cut in.

“I have a question. What happens to the Saint’s Staff? I heard it was made from this tree’s oldest branch.”

“No need to worry… It was reborn in the Saint’s hands… At the very least, it will function for as long as you live…”

“Reborn?”

“Yes… We unicorns are similar… After a time, we cease breathing and are reborn from the cradle… The continuity of body and memory breaks, but the soul is restored… It lets us endure longer… The principle is the same…”

Leon nodded in understanding.

Sugar, who had been listening quietly, rubbed her chin. A sudden curiosity struck her.

“Can humans do that too?”

“Huh?”

“Live for ages without their souls drying up.”

The odd question drew everyone’s attention.

“Well… This world holds mysteries even I don’t understand, so I can’t say it’s impossible… But… wouldn’t the body be the bigger issue? Humans don’t even live two centuries before their flesh fails…”

“…”

“A human who overcame all that… wouldn’t be human anymore.”

Sugar nodded silently.

This was about the traveler residing in Sugar’s mind.

A woman who had cast aside her physical form and existed as a spiritual entity. Just how long had she lived? How far had her journey stretched?

“I am a traveler of the starry skies. I passed through countless dreams… to reach this place.”

“When that time comes, I won’t see or hear by my own will. I swear it on the long years I’ve lived.”

‘What’s her goal with me…?’

There were too many suspicious points to question. Swallowing her curiosity, Sugar simply stared quietly at the withered soul of the Elder White Tree.

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

Before returning to the carriage, they headed back to the cliff.

She wanted to see the Mirror Rabbits one last time.

The group that had lost their youngest. Harnielle had said, “If it’s still alive, it’ll manage somehow. They mimic others, true to their name—” Sugar didn’t fully understand, but she hoped the little one would return to its family soon.

“I’ll pray for you. Not to that black-robed weirdo, but to the Saint, so don’t worry.”

She hugged each white fluffball goodbye.

When she turned around, her childhood friend was waiting on the side path.

She’d known he was there. Though her detection skills were abysmal due to her sensitivity to magical voices, Riley’s mana signature was unmistakable.

Sugar trotted over and stood beside him.

“I’m done. Let’s go.”

The two walked side by side through the White Forest.

The rare scenery left her feeling unsettled.

They’d already gathered two ingredients for the Saint’s Water. The last one could be found in the Holy City.

The gradual progress eased her mind slightly.

“Now we just need to get the Fragment of the Stars and— Ow!”

The moment she thought that, disaster struck.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“My foot! My foot! Damn it!”

Hopping on one leg, she yelped until Riley lifted her up.

“A thorn! Pain! Hell!”

“Why were you walking barefoot?”

“My stockings were wet anyway, so I figured I’d try the White Forest barefoot experience…”

As she rambled nonsense, Riley plucked the thorn out.

“Bleeding?”

“Yeah.”

“Waaah—Ian! Leon! Heal me!”

The same girl who’d once shrugged off a torn shoulder now whined over a tiny prick.

“What are you… just get on my back.”

Riley set her down, then crouched with his back to her.

Sugar immediately latched onto him.

“Sugar-cicada, reporting for duty.”

“You’re a rabbit.”

“Rabbit-cicada, reporting for duty.”

“Why is she like this today?”

Suppressing a laugh, he carried her through the forest.

With her face buried in the nape of his neck, Sugar murmured:

“Riley.”

“What.”

“You can’t disappear into some weird place alone.”

“What’s this about now?”

“Don’t leave me behind.”

“Depends on the time, place, and situation. If it’s for your sake—”

“Can’t you just say ‘okay’?”

“I won’t make promises I can’t keep.”

“Ugh.”

Annoyed, Sugar bit his neck. Actions over words.

Then she abruptly stopped.

The fantasy from earlier resurfaced. Being this close made it inevitable.

Married life. A home for two. A life for two.

An absurd, impossible scenario.

“…”

Thankfully, she was on his back and not in his arms.

She didn’t even know what expression she was making.

She didn’t know what expression she should be making.

Truly, the world was full of things she didn’t understand.

‘…This is so stupid.’