Ch 220
“That, that’s-…”
Having reached the end of the flower path, Lisir’s party was plagued by a terrible sense of unreality at the sight that unfolded before their eyes.
Because of the garden, which was as colorful and ideally arranged as a beautiful watercolor painting?
Because of the mysterious atmosphere of the woman standing in that garden?
No.
“That, that’s Forest Night…?”
It was because of the woman’s identity.
Centuries ago, in an era of chaos where countless heroes and villains proliferated.
Even in that era of chaos, Forest Night reigned as one of the seven worst.
Today, many legendary names have faded from the flow of history.
However, Forest Night’s reputation remained intact.
She left behind countless legacies that still exerted their presence on the continent.
For good or for ill.
Such a historical figure was welcoming them before them.
Lisir’s party was dominated by such a terrible sense of unreality that they could not act rashly.
However-
Should one call her the Bearer of the Star’s Name?
Meanwhile, Carozen was not overwhelmed by Forest Night’s reputation, but rather gauged her caliber with the clearest possible mind.
Thus, borrowing the disciple’s body to gauge the caliber of the night, the conclusion.
‘Terrible.’
Carozen realized that this entire vast forest existed centered around her.
‘A lost ancient magic… the power called Nature Magic.’
Nature Magic.
Modern wizards often questioned the lost branches of that ancient magic.
According to the records, Nature Magic was an extremely gentle and peaceful magic-
Yet, such Nature Magic was treated as taboo and its lineage forcibly severed.
‘Looking at it this way, I think I understand why it was tabooed.’
But now. Carozen thought.
That he now understood the reason.
No matter how much a wizard exerts exceptional influence in their field-
Her forest was far beyond the right path.
The power to imbue purely and independently existing life with one’s own energy.
The result of honing that power to its limits.
That was unfolding before the Archmage’s eyes.
It was truly a power that could color a part of the world with its own hue.
‘For someone like Forest Night to be holed up in this base, exerting her influence…’
Carozen suddenly felt boundless respect for his ancestors.
At the thought of having subjugated such a monster.
“…!”
At that moment.
Carozen abruptly awoke from his reverie.
He felt the gaze of the Dark Elf.
It was like a crescent moon rising in the night sky.
Mysterious silver eyes drew a crescent moon with a languid smile, encompassing Carozen within.
“I feel it again. You are quite extraordinary. Lisir as well. Are all the current wizards as outstanding as you?”
At first glance, it was a word of recognition-
But Carozen felt considerable humiliation.
Carozen, as someone who stood at the top, knew well.
That superiors use such a tone when praising their inferiors.
Adventurers and wizards who received the same impression looked at Carozen anxiously.
The current situation was too humiliating for the Bearer of the Star’s Name to endure.
Even Forest Night was looking meaningfully at Carozen, who was gritting his teeth and enduring the humiliation.
As if.
Begging him to lose his composure and give her a reason to treat him as an intruder.
It was like prey placed before a predator.
Thus.
It was at that moment when the intruders were completely crushed by the presence of the night.
“Huff!”
The Yellow Mages gasped.
The air in the area suddenly lightened as it pressed down on them.
“Ah, now that I think about it━”
The trigger was Lisir’s statement.
The moment Lisir opened his mouth, Forest Night withdrew all her attention from the intruders and focused entirely on him.
Her languid expression was not much different from when she looked at the intruders-
But honey was clearly dripping from her eyes.
“Yes, I’m listening, so speak up.”
Moreover, she urged him, saying that even a short break was difficult to wait for.
Encouraged by her enthusiasm, Lisir replied.
“Due to the urgency, I haven’t yet formally introduced myself. I apologize for the disrespect.”
“No, it’s as you said, it was due to the urgency, wasn’t it? Don’t worry about it.”
Oh.
She raised her finger, saying that something had come to mind at that moment.
“Now that I think about it━ I also forgot something like a child? Before I hear the child’s greeting, I need to tell you this first.”
“You forgot something?”
“It’s about your master, Pamon.”
“Ah━”
“Before I speak. Child. Shall we guess? What is the relationship between your master Pamon and me.”
“…”
Lisir looked at her intently and cautiously said.
“Perhaps… is she your master, Grandmaster, of our master Pamon?”
A slight smile.
Her languid expression effortlessly created a smile.
“How astute. You recognized it right away? It seems you haven’t heard my story from Pamon?”
“I subtly got that feeling. If our master Pamon has a master, it would be someone like you.”
Hahaha.
She covered her mouth with her hand and let out a tinkling laugh.
“Does that mean that I resemble her? I’m happy, but on the other hand, it feels strange?”
Lisir, who fully understood the meaning, smiled wryly.
“I too. I’m secretly preparing myself for the day I hear such words.”
“Such words?”
“That I resemble my master.”
Sara-ra-ra-rak.
Now her tinkling laughter echoed throughout the forest.
Soon.
After politely folding her hands, she looked at Lisir.
“So━ how about it, child? Shall you formally greet me?”
Lisir immediately straightened his posture.
“Lisir, disciple of Pamon. I greet Grandmaster.”
He paid his respects to her with a neat action without the slightest flaw.
By now.
The oppressive atmosphere emanating from the night had disappeared without a trace.
What remained was simply-
A woman who was so happy she could hardly bear it.
Creak.
The door of the hut behind them opened.
“Come in. You must be hungry, let’s have a meal first.”
“Ah, um…!”
“Hm?”
“I haven’t yet heard Grandmaster’s name…”
“Oh my. Look at my mind. I got ahead of myself.”
Labella.
She hummed the name like a humming tune.
“Pamon used to call me Bella.”
“Then… may I call you Grandmaster Bella?”
“That’s too long. And rather stiff. So, just call me Bella.”
“Understood. Bella.”
She smiled brightly and was about to head back to the hut.
“Ah, Bella! And one more thing…!”
Lisir pointed to his comrades.
“May my comrades also enter Bella’s home as guests?”
“…”
Labella hesitated-
But her hesitation didn’t last long.
“What can I do? They are my child’s friends.”
She sighed, saying she couldn’t help it, and gestured to them.
“I formally invite you to my forest, and to the meal we will now have.”
Leaving those words, Labella entered the hut.
Racheta, watching her back, chuckled.
“I just… got invited to a meal by Forest Night?”
Now.
The sense of unreality they felt was more intense than ever before, reaching its peak.
“How… is this possible…?”
Master Melthas answered her soliloquy.
“How is it possible? It’s because our Lisir is her lovely descendant.”
Melthas and Didoa, speaking of Lisir, had similar expressions to Labella just now.
“…How is that possible?”
“…I don’t know either.”
Forest Night.
They had invaded the ancient worst territory, yet they survived.
Because there was someone among their comrades who ‘knew’ her.
Is this even a plausible sentence?
They looked at Lisir with bewildered expressions.
He gestured to them from the entrance of the hut.
“Come on in. Haven’t we been starving for two days?”
✦✦✦
Food was already piled up like a mountain on the table.
The moment they entered the hut, the meal began immediately.
How long had it been?
“Everyone. Aren’t you eating?”
Lisir subtly asked his comrades.
“Ah, look at my mind! I was lost in thought for a moment. With such a wonderful dish before my eyes. Aren’t you all the same?”
As Melthas hastily regained his composure and spoke, everyone else nodded vigorously in agreement.
“Come on, come on! Everyone! Eat up!”
Their meal resumed.
But not long after-
They stopped eating and stared blankly at Lisir.
Lisir and Labella were sitting opposite each other at a small table separated from the others.
It was the perfect place for the two of them to spend some time alone, wasn’t it?
Melthas’ party didn’t mind it much.
No, they were more than happy about it.
If they ate at the same table as Forest Night, they would likely regurgitate everything they had eaten after the meal.
Also.
The dishes served to them were clearly different from those served to Lisir.
Melthas’ party didn’t mind this either.
They didn’t expect to be treated the same as Lisir in the first place.
Therefore.
The reason they were quietly watching Lisir now was not to complain about the discrimination.
Their minds wandered, and their mouths opened again.
They were purely shocked by Lisir’s ‘meal’.
“M-Master━ am I seeing correctly?”
The Golden Divinity muttered in a daze.
To which, the Golden Star replied in a similar tone.
“…Yes. Unless my eyes are deceiving me.”
Their gazes focused on one point.
“Child. How is it? Does the food suit your taste?”
“Oh my, is it just the taste? While I’m eating, I feel like━ my body is overflowing with energy?”
“Huhuhu. Is that so? Is it because you’re young, you’re full of energy? Here. Try this too. Ah~ say ah.”
“Ah, thank you.”
It was the food that Labella put into Lisir’s mouth.
“I didn’t know, but you can cook flowers like this?”
“That’s right.”
“Yes?”
“Hm?”
“By the way, what did you say the name of this flower was?”
“It’s called Dalbaekryeong flower. Chew it thoroughly, just in case.”
Chew it thoroughly, she says!
They shouted inwardly.
Dalbaekryeong.
It was an ancient plant that is no longer available today-
It was a herb with such strong energy that it could be used as an ingredient for top-grade elixirs.
How many of this herb, whose single root alone would have astronomical value, had gone into Lisir’s mouth by now?
And in a ridiculously cooked （?） state!
Their minds were so muddled that they stopped counting halfway through.
“Oh my, child. What’s wrong?”
“I’m slowly getting full.”
“Oh my. Really? Then try this.”
“Oh, a drink━ I was just thirsty, thank you. Is it tea?”
“Yes. It’s tea made from Cheonghwacho herb, how is it?”
“Well, I don’t know much about tea. But one thing’s for sure, it’s a taste that makes me feel good. It feels like my insides are clean.”
“Ch-Cheonghwacho tea!?”
Master Didoa and the Yellow Tower alchemist’s eyes widened.
Cheonghwacho.
Unlike Dalbaekryeong, it still grows today, but it’s still a difficult plant to obtain-
It was a herb with the amazing ability to control and aid the absorption of the elixir’s energy.
After the elixir stir-fry, an elixir tea!
“Next, try this. I grilled an Earth Dragon’s tail━”
“Next━”
“This time━”
Those who had been watching Labella’s wondrous table nearby soon came to one conclusion.
Labella’s luxurious spread prepared for Lisir.
The fact that it was a single elixir meticulously combined.
An extremely inefficient and extravagant elixir, with the efficiency of rare herbs completely disregarded and simply thrown in haphazardly!
“Bella, I’m slowly getting full━ no, is it right to say I’m full? I feel something strange about my body━ hot and cold…”
“Oh my, you’re full? Then, shall we try this?”
“I’m full, but I’m eating more?”
“Yes. My child. You have a very healthy constitution. You keep eating and eating. I wonder how nice it would have been if Pamon had been this healthy.”
“Am I eating everything my master should have eaten?”
“That’s right.”
“Ugh… ugh━ I, I’m slowly reaching my limit…!”
“Limit? Then this time━”
Labella’s exciting banquet continued until Lisir lost consciousness.
The people at the second table wondered whether they should envy or pity Lisir-
But that hesitation didn’t last long.
Labella put her hand on Lisir’s body and began to aid his digestion （?）.
The change that occurred at that moment.
“…Is this right?”
The Golden Star muttered involuntarily upon witnessing the change.
✦✦✦
The next morning.
Thanks to Labella’s generous hospitality, Lisir, who had enjoyed more than just rest, was able to wake up relatively quickly compared to his comrades.
“Oh my, you’re already awake?”
As Lisir went out to the garden to get some fresh air, Labella, who was already there admiring the flowerbeds, greeted him.
“Bella?”
Lisir was surprised by his encounter with her.
That meaningful atmosphere.
As if she had foreseen his visit and was waiting for him.
Labella turned around and looked at Lisir with her characteristic silver eyes.
At that moment.
Lisir felt as if he were contained within those eyes.
Tap tap.
Labella sat on the bench in front of the garden and patted the seat next to her.
“Now the atmosphere is right for a conversation. Come and sit. Ask anything you’re curious about without hesitation.”
Sitting next to Labella, Lisir began to ponder.
What story should he start with?
What story should he tell to make this transcendent being happy?
“Bella━”
“Yes?”
“What are you doing here?”
Labella turned to look at Lisir.
“You’re getting quite deep right from the start.”
“Was it too sudden?”
“It was a little bit. I want to hear the reason right away, but that would spoil the fun. I kind of understand the reason for that question.”
Labella’s kind gaze seemed to caress Lisir’s cheek.
“Pamon. It’s a question you’re asking while thinking of that child. Isn’t it?
“…”
“Huhuhu. Even in this situation, the first thing you do is think of your master. Pamon. I didn’t know that child had this much good fortune.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she made a mischievous smile.
“I’m researching how to kill demons. Not how to seal them, but how to completely annihilate them.”
“…!”
“How was it? That was pretty sudden too, wasn’t it? It was my own counterattack.”
Labella got up and carefully stroked the flowerbed.
Her half-open eyes created a meaningful color.
“Where should I start this story.”
After organizing her thoughts while looking into the distance, she slowly opened her mouth.
“Child. Do you know of the existence of Verbandes?”
It was not Lisir who answered the question.
“No!”
“?”
Labella’s head went down.
“!!!”
The Sand Girl Spirit was looking up at Labella with her characteristic energetic expression.
“I am Verbande…”
Kkheung!
The Sand Spirit gathered all its strength and energy, and with a vigorous action of raising both hands, released it.
“Tsuya!”
“…”
Forest Night, who had been observing her surroundings from a higher place.
Her composed expression was now depicting ordinary and pure bewilderment.
An awkward silence flowed through the garden where the dawn twilight had settled.
✦✦✦
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