The last night in The Capital. I lay in bed, but sleep wouldn’t come.
To be fair, sleep rarely came easily. Even when my body was exhausted, my mind remained full, and unless I was truly tired, I had no memory of sleeping properly.
Spending this time tossing and turning in bed was just a waste. The events that had happened so far wouldn’t leave my mind. Yurinel had problems, and the elves had problems too.
Lady Rowena’s living image was still vivid in my eyes. I had never felt this suffocated in my life. Problems that didn’t arise from just one or two places were piling up, tormenting me.
-When the times change greatly, there comes a period when things that must perish struggle fiercely one last time. All the dangers you imagine may seem to flourish momentarily, but in truth, they are just half a step away from ruin.
But there’s no other way. As the Angel’s teachings say, I can only believe that all this chaos will eventually subside and take one step at a time.
If you just believe, the Lord will never answer that prayer.
Oh God. Is the end truly approaching? How can this fragile body endure the end? Lord, have mercy.
Praying like this isn’t what He desires. Instead of praying in your room, talking about the end, taking even one more action is closer to the Lord’s will.
It’s not yet time to utter such weak words. Problems are erupting from all sides, but in life, you’ll face such things at any time.
At least, I didn’t think everything had reached an irreversible point.
The Arctic. What exactly awaits me in the Arctic? The answer to the question? The secret of the world? Or the solution to the problem? What’s there isn’t just the true meaning of the cycle.
When I first decided to go to the Arctic, it was to uncover the secret of the cycle from the Demon King. But my journey had more meaning than just getting answers from the Demon King.
Perhaps the Angel wanted me to go there because there’s a way to resolve the current chaos?
‘No matter how much I ponder, I won’t know until I go.’
The Eastern Plains, a place I must visit on the way to the Arctic.
If things go according to plan, it’s just a passing place. Once Lady Kisea’s kin are freed from petrification, there’s nothing more to see. But I’m not sure if things will go as planned. I’ll have to go there first to decide the next step.
Sigh, it’s no use. In the end, I got out of bed, lit the lamp, and headed to the desk. Roka, Lady Kisea, and even the Princess are all busy doing something without rest.
I couldn’t just sit still either. I didn’t know what to do, but I felt like I had to do something.
“Hey, not sleeping yet?”
Knock knock. The sound of knocking on the door echoed. The village elders’ saying that the wolf comes when you think of it proved true once again today. Just as I was thinking of doing something, Lady Kisea came to find me.
“Can we talk for a bit? There’s something I want to say, and you’re the only one I can think of.”
What kind of talk at this hour? Could it be about discussing future plans?
I thought so, but no.
“I… lost.”
Lady Kisea’s attire had indeed changed. She had shed the eccentric clothes that even adventurers would wear and was now dressed in a splendid noble’s attire.
“I lost. And decisively.”
It seems she made a significant contribution to drug enforcement, as the Imperial Nobility bestowed this outfit upon her. Now she’s officially a baroness. It might not mean much to her personally, but it will surely help her lead her clan and establish a place in the Empire.
Anyway, having the title of Imperial nobility means something. Even if it seems like nothing, once you have this backing, many problems become lighter.
Of course, that’s for later. Right now, Baroness Kisea was sniffling. In her hand was a large wine bottle, from who knows where.
“Lost? To whom?”
“To Roka…”
“You sparred with Roka?”
I stared at Lady Kisea. In her scabbard was the famous sword Ascalon, crafted by Sir Urban. In contrast, Roka’s weapon was a mass-produced sword, not even close to a famous blade.
“Did you both use the weapons from the training ground?”
“No, I used this.”
Even if it was a real sword spar, with her superior weapon and experience, how could she lose to Roka? After a moment of thought, I asked.
“Then, did you limit yourself to using only one arm or something…”
“What nonsense. Nothing like that. I was completely crushed.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Roka just became a Master.”
I couldn’t tell if our kid had become that amazing or if Lady Kisea was just too weak. When had I ever seen Lady Kisea fight seriously?
“Maybe you got scared and declared defeat after a slight disadvantage…”
“If that were the case, I’d be better off. And do I look like a coward to you? I’m so embarrassed, I don’t know how to live! I was utterly humiliated in front of everyone.”
I didn’t think that was something to come crying to me about, but considering her role as a Priest, my personal thoughts didn’t matter. She came to me seeking comfort.
In life, even small comforts can be a big help. I couldn’t pat her head like Roka, so I just patted her shoulder.
“It was just a friendly spar, right? Winning or losing isn’t the issue. Both the winner and the loser gain something.”
“This makes no sense. How can a kid who hasn’t even developed her own Power Techniques be that strong? Is it you? Did you do something? Do you have a secret to getting stronger?”
There is the Phylogenetic Seedling…
But that’s a miracle the Angel warned against overusing. I’m starting to understand why. A miracle that brings the future to the present. The process disappears, and only the result remains.
Everything that should be gained from the process is lost. It might seem like nothing now, but when accumulated, problems arise when you aim for something higher.
Since your level is achieved not by your own merit but by the Seedling’s, it’s not truly your own. Advancing to a higher level becomes harder than for those who don’t use the Seedling.
You can gain great power easily and quickly. But if you rely too much on the Seedling, you’ll surely never reach the ultimate.
Of course, even without the Seedling, most wouldn’t reach it anyway, so it’s not a huge drawback. Especially in times like these.
‘I can endure that much.’
Before leaving, I should ask those going to subjugate the Death God if they want to use the Seedling. That’s the best favor I can do for them.
-Those already corrupted cannot return to their original state, but with you, it’s different. Being temporarily corrupted isn’t always bad. If you can return, it can even be a survival strategy.
Everything in the world has two sides. The Angel surely said that the coming of the Corruption God isn’t just an ominous sign; it might even work favorably in the coming times.
His vision encompasses more than mine, so His judgment is closer to the truth than ours. Logically, I shouldn’t have helped in the subjugation of the Death God.
But that path is the Angel’s will, not the Lord’s.
Perhaps the best future the Angel envisions is everyone giving up resistance and willingly becoming corrupted. After all, the corrupted can be restored.
But who can tell people to give up resistance and just accept it?
Me? Or the Lord? The Lord I know doesn’t force such choices. He always leaves the choice to us. In other words, He always gives humans the chance to choose.
Even if the Death God devouring the continent is the best future, even if that future promises the least sacrifice, I didn’t want to persuade people that way.
I couldn’t tell them to lay down their weapons and choose to be corrupted. People chose to resist of their own free will. So what could I say?
I just do my best to help before leaving to do my own work.
Even if my body is breaking, I can endure using the Phylogenetic Seedling a few times. There’s still work to be done.
“Give me your hand for a moment.”
“Huh? Why my hand? Are you planning something weird?”
Seeing Lady Kisea hesitating to offer her hand, I nodded. Yes, something weird. Perhaps the weirdest thing in the world.
Between my hands, the Seedling bloomed. A strange tree sprouted, bringing the result without the cause. Let’s see how Lady Kisea’s branch turns out.
“Is this the secret to getting stronger…? I was just saying, but there really is such a thing?”
Hesitating, Lady Kisea lightly placed her hand on the Seedling and shivered.
