episode_0219

LLXI.

“I’ll take care of the education and management of the new World Tree. Genus. Can you take care of this first?”

[Oh, yes. First of all, you are a candidate?]

“Ah? Oh, yes.”

Gray answered with a formal tone, unlike before. I don’t know why, but it felt like it had to be that way.

[You must be having a hard time.]

“Ah… . What.”

[I’m really sorry that this happened.]

“Ah, no, no! Wait a minute! Wait a minute.”

Gray sighed deeply, pressing his head hard, as if to tell me to listen.

“I don’t understand it right now. So how can you manipulate it and do that?”

[yes?]

“I don’t understand because I haven’t heard the whole story yet. First of all, you said I was the victim. Uhwadengseon (羽化登仙)? That’s what you call it. I’m asking if someone else could make that possible with their own power.”

[Ah… … How should I explain it? Do you know the word ‘Dancho (端初)’?]

“Yes. Are you talking about something like a clue?”

[Yes. The path of enlightenment usually varies depending on the starting point. However, this is not a problem to worry about. It is unlikely that someone who trained with a sword would get a starting point for magic.]

“That’s right.”

[But the feathered ascent to the immortal world is a little different. Insight into things. Contemplation on all things. This enlightenment that begins with these things touches on many fields. In fact, in the immortal world, there are those who are magicians, warriors, ordinary merchants, and even vicious murderers.]

“Hmm… … .”

[However, the incident where Gray-nim, who did not know about the immortal world itself, almost opened the gate to the immortal world with the Uhwadengseon started by providing a clue.]

Gray muttered, “Just a beginning… … .” as he recalled the incident.

In fact, everything that happened that day to Gray was a complete surprise. It was a day that began with a reflection on the cruel nature of a person who doesn’t even flinch when someone suddenly dies.

“Are you saying that you manipulated my thoughts?”

[It’s unconscious. It’s not something that can be done often, and not everyone can do it, but I don’t know if you’ve heard, but it’s possible if there’s an agreement between 〈cause and effect〉 and the number of dimensions.]

“So you touched that?”

[Yes. If given the chance, you would have realized it yourself. However, should I explain that the force that initially caused the still stone to move was the combination of 〈cause and effect〉 and the world tree, Wig?]

Hearing those calm words, Gray became genuinely angry. Even a normal person would be angry if they were manipulated against their will.

Moreover, Gray is a candidate and a semi-superhuman. Gray is a being with greater self-esteem than anyone else.

I clenched my fists, unable to control my trembling hands. If I didn’t, I felt like I would punch the face of the magic god.

It wasn’t the God of Magic’s fault, so why is he called the God of Magic?

You’re asking the obvious.

That’s because the god of magic is in this place.

Huh? What?

[Normally, entering the celestial realm would be an honor, and some would be happy about it, but for the candidate, Gray, entering the celestial realm, a place isolated from other dimensions… … .]

“That’s like feeding a piece of shit.”

[sorry.]

“Hoo… … .”

After hearing the third apology, Gray sighed deeply and relaxed his fist.

Meanwhile, he felt the comfort and good memories that had kept him happy and secure for nearly a month, slowly sinking down, like a sinking ship.

Now he realized that he had to go back to being a candidate, Gray, who had to face those fierce demons again. Gray was waking up from a sweet dream that he had been having for nearly a month.

“Hoo… … . Damn it! I can’t help it… … !”

“Wait a minute!”

Before Gray could finish his words of agreement, the watching God of Magic cut him off.

“You’re very angry right now, aren’t you?”

“… Yes?”

“Right?”

“Well, right?”

“That’s why I feel so deeply angry that I don’t think I can calm down easily. Right?”

“Yes?”

“That’s just how it is. It’s like once or twice a year, when you’re about to take a bite of the best ramen noodles, and then some guy like your boss comes and takes it away, saying it looks delicious! Is that how you feel right now?”

“… … ??”

“That’s right. Right?”

“It’s a bit too detailed, but that’s the gist of it.”

“That’s right! Genus.”

[Haha. Arun hasn’t changed at all. Whether in the past or now.]

“People don’t change easily, so how much more so must God. So, what are you going to do?”

[I’ll give you this first.]

As if the World Tree had disappeared, something fell from the air.

What at first looked like a dot began to fall rapidly, growing in size until it stopped on its own at Gray’s eye level as if someone had grabbed it.

“Bok…Peony?”

[It’s the fruit of the world tree.]

“What?!!”

Before Gray could ask what it was, Sylvia, who had fainted and regained consciousness during the process of the dying World Tree being replaced, screamed.

Does he have no learning ability?

As the God of Magic frowned again, Sylvia covered her mouth with both arms in surprise.

But during that process, the movements were so quick that it seemed as if the dying figure just a moment ago had been a joke.

“Okay. You gave me something very precious. Okay. Are you satisfied, Gray?”

“Huh? What the… … !”

“No? Yeah. I thought so. You thought so too, Genus, right? That’s why you said ‘first’, right? Right?”

[Haha. Stop it. Arun. Even if you don’t, I will take care of you a lot. The price will be paid by 〈Kan(因果)〉. More than anything, I hate them too. No, I hate them a lot. Because they are annoying to Dad.]

“Is that so? Haha.”

After Genus’s dissuasion, Arun, who had been asking Gray incomprehensible leading questions, smiled awkwardly and ran his hands through his hair.

[Now that I look at it, the bond of fate is becoming clearer, Gray.]

“The string of fate… right?”

[You’ll find out soon. Congratulations in advance. First of all, the last descendant of Walpurgis.]

“See the will of the World Tree.”

[Nice to meet you. This also has the meaning of an apology.]

What appeared in front of the witch, falling from the air, was a thick tree branch that she had to grab with both hands.

[It’s been a while, Fox Tribe Suin.]

“Hehe. Hello!”

May was staring at a part of the air as if she was seeing something, and she was even waving her hands vigorously.

[I hope you are happy. Sincerely.]

Just like Gray and the Witch, something appeared before May’s eyes. It was something reminiscent of the roots of a plant.

[You have a truly noble soul.]

Why is that?

Even though they could only hear the voice and not see the face, Gray and Arcana knew who the voice was referring to.

“Oh my? No.”

[I wish my children were like you. I’m so glad that you’re happy like that.]

Then something came down to Santa as well. It was a strange branch that was clearly a cut branch, but the leaves still hanging there seemed to have a fresh vitality.

[You’ve worked hard. Your spirit of sacrifice is truly admirable.]

“You are too kind.”

[I hope your wishes come true.]

What appeared in front of Hwang was also a tree branch.

The witch, Santa, and Hwang received three branches, but they were all different.

The witch’s was a well-dried, strong, large branch,

If Santa’s was a freshly cut branch with a fresh vitality,

Hwang’s was a twig with buds that announced the arrival of spring in the cold of winter.

[I have nothing to give you two. So I will give you this fruit. It is the same fruit I gave to Gray. It has various effects, so you can take it or use it however you want.]

“Thank you~!”

“Thank you, Cosmic Tree.”

After the Arcanas received something one by one,

[Candidate Gray.]

The voice, called the cosmic tree, called out to Gray again.

[You will need this for the person you will meet soon.]

“Huh? What the heck… … .”

[Is this enough? Arun?]

“Yeah! Okay!”

[Oh, that’s the last one. You’re called the Gardener of the World Tree, right? You?]

“Huh? Oh, yes!”

The voice of Genus towards Sylvia was no different from the voice towards Gray. It was clearly the same voice.

“Big.”

Strangely, everyone felt goosebumps rising on their arms. Even the magic god.

[Child. Couldn’t it have been a better life? Couldn’t it have been a brighter helper?]

It was clearly a reprimand, and a regretful remark, but Gray felt a chill. He realized what it meant to make his hair stand on end.

“Ah…! Aah!”

[I revoke the authority granted to you.]

“Ah, ahhhh!”

[Additionally.]

“Ah …

[Pay the price of sin.]

Sylvia’s skin is burning. Not actually on fire, but her pure white skin is turning black, as if a white person is turning black.

“Do you not understand this situation?”

“Of course.”

“Let’s see. Time… … . There’s about 10 minutes left. I’ll summarize it.”

“Three line summary?”

“Wasn’t it strange? Suddenly, out of the blue, without any warning, the invasion of the demon world began.”

“That’s right. Now that I look at it.”

“We were like that too. Why did the dimension suddenly become sick and all that? We couldn’t understand it. And you see? We have a dimensional tree for each dimension.”

“Huh?”

“Strange. How many times have you fought wars over dimensions only to realize it now? Dimensional number. The last bastion of the dimension is like this. The last purple that protects the dimension means that it is close to the source of the dimension, and it is natural that the dimension will shake if they shake.”

“So are you saying that all these problems are because of one World Tree?”

“Hmm. No. You can’t blame all the problems on the World Tree. But the shaking could be one reason. We didn’t know.”

The divine realm and the demonic realm.

The outcome of the war between God and the remnants was 50/50. That is, if you only look at the results.

But in the process, things that were incomprehensible to common sense often happened, and such things always happened when the divine realm was defeated.

Each time, the God of Magic turned the defeat of the divine world into victory by using trickery or force.

For example, it’s like telling Sloth’s Belphegor, “Sloth is moving too diligently! It’s foul!”

“Anyway, I was suspicious. I thought, “Could it be that?” But this time, you, the candidate, almost got forcibly returned to the heavenly world? At that point, I thought, “Huh? No way!” and my suspicions deepened. That’s why I came here.”

“Hmm? Just now… … .”

The God of Magic clearly told Gray so.

― A judge who will decide whether the agreement between the victim and the perpetrator is reasonable.

“Ah. Of course, that was also a half-hearted thing.”

“Are you a person who is both good and bad?”

“Yeah. But then I suddenly had this thought. The dimensional beings were definitely trained by Genus. Then why do the dimensional beings change like that?”

“Are you an elf?”

“Yeah. Isn’t that funny? In fact, that blight-like bitch of a dimension is called ‘Gardener’. Her mother’s mother’s mothers have held the World Tree sacred for generations.”

Is that a bad thing?

When Gray tilted his head,

“God is not a being that anyone can become. The World Tree is not a being that should be looked up to.”

“Ah… …! What, is that it? Blasphemy? Something like that?”

“You could say they’re similar. Anyway, that’s why it’s being discussed right now, at this moment.”

“Huh? What… … ?”

“On whether it is good or bad for the world tree to have free will.”

So, seeing the magical god casually saying something that contained the implication that a single living being could take away the ‘free will’ of a rational race, Gray felt ‘scared’ for the first time upon meeting him.

“Are you satisfied with the compensation for the agreement?”

When the God of Magic, with his playful face back, asked, Gray finally recognized the objects in his hands.

“What is this… … .”

“What is it? What do you need? And why are you asking me?”

“Yes? Then to whom… … .”

“The power you have. Just look with those special eyes.”

“Ah!”

Gray, who had been mumbling that he had been forgetting his “divine eye” lately, developed his “divine eye” while looking at an apple-shaped fruit that resembled a peach.

“… Huh?”