Floor 41, Sword Master Ryun (2)

In a way, Ryun's dilemma had been a simple one.

When the World Tree died, it would go to Noebu's garden — but Ryun himself could never go there.

And the solution was just as simple.

All I had to do was make it possible for Ryun to enter Noebu's garden.

I couldn't speak for other Sinjwa, but…

Since Noebu of the Lightning Department was my sponsoring deity, it was a thought I was actually entitled to have.

Two options lay before me. Either conquer the Tower and then ask Noebu for the favor, or trade away my sponsorship stake as collateral.

Hmm, considering no sponsorship message had appeared…

Only one path remained to me: conquering the Tower and then appealing to my patron deity directly.

Sending a single Ent to his own garden couldn't possibly be that difficult for a Sinjwa.

"Ryun, I'll take you to Noebu's garden myself."

"What… did you… just say…?"

"Exactly what I said. Give me the World Tree's essence, and I'll make it so you can go to Noebu's garden."

Ryun's small eyes widened to an almost unbelievable degree, and his rough wooden lips parted and closed again and again.

After a long moment, he finally spoke in a trembling voice. He was asking whether such a thing was even possible, and I nodded.

"The truth is, I'm not really a warrior sent by Noebu."

I explained my situation to him.

I was a little nervous — I'd never told any of the beings I'd met in the Tower about the nature of the Tower of Trials — but nothing went wrong by the time I finished.

Whatever else was true, Ryun was intrigued by the fact that I could bring him to Noebu's garden.

He was surprised and puzzled that someone weaker than him could become a Sinjwa, but still…

Ryun gazed up at the blue sky and spoke.

"Why… was… such a… chance… never… given… to me…?"

If it had been, he could have protected Sorien.

His voice was thick with regret and wistfulness as his words trailed away.

Well, I didn't know the fine details of that part either.

Still, I wanted to ease his curiosity as best I could with what I did know.

"In Ryun's world, it may have already happened."

"Already…?"

"In the past. Your world has gods, doesn't it?"

"Ah…"

Ryun gave a small nod.

Noebu, a High 1st-Class Sinjwa, surely didn't govern this world alone — but judging from everything I'd seen so far, the Tower of Trials must ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have opened ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in Ryun's world too.

And a moment later, Ryun nodded once more, deeper this time.

"Good… do… as you… wish…… In return… you must… send me… to Noebu's… garden… without… fail."

"I promise."

"Good…"

It was done. I wanted to shout for joy inside.

Truthfully, I had no idea whether saving Ryun was a hidden mission or not, but…

Things had worked out far better than I'd imagined.

Sword Master Ryun.

I had cleared a trial that pitted me against an opponent I couldn't beat head-on, without any real trouble.

And now I didn't have to steal the World Tree's essence from a good Ent like Ryun, of all people.

"Then head back to the shelter."

"No…"

Just as I was raising my magic to open a portal to the shelter, Ryun shook his head with a resolute expression.

Huh? Why all of a sudden? Did he change his mind?

I turned back to Ryun in surprise. He was looking at me with unwavering eyes.

"I… will not… go… to the… shelter…"

"What? Why? We already settled everything. That was the deal."

That was definitely what we'd agreed on when we talked earlier.

While I was still floundering, Ryun raised his hand and pointed at me.

"I… will move… together… with… you…"

"Ryun, like I said before, moving together with me is impossible."

Dobby was a helper acknowledged by the Tower — Ryun was not.

And I couldn't exactly have Ryun living in my Waiting Room either.

Setting aside whether the Tower would even allow it, that space belonged to me and Dobby.

"I… heard… your… explanation… and I… know… But… it will… be… possible…"

Ryun abruptly stretched out his long arm and grabbed my axe.

Before I could do anything, branches shot out from his arm and wrapped around the weapon.

The very next instant, Ryun's body began to glow red from the feet up.

As if he were burning.

…Burning?

"Ryun!"

I called out to him in a panic, but he didn't answer.

The heat that had started at his feet had already reached the axe.

Despite my fire resistance, the axe grew so hot that my hand let go before I knew it.

Of course, the axe didn't fall — Ryun was still holding it.

In its place, Ryun had somehow become a crimson Ent.

A cool breeze drifted in from afar — the same wind that had blown when Ryun played his arm-flute.

"Ry-un!"

And then Ryun was extinguished from the feet up. Riding the wind, his body scattered into the empty air like gray ash.

His upper half — Ryun, just before the last of him burned away — was gazing down at me.

Amid the calm, there was a questioning look in those eyes.

I wanted to ask him. What did he think he was doing? Why kill himself out of nowhere?

And then, at last, Ryun faded away entirely, and my axe fell to the ground.

Still glowing a dull red.

The wind went on blowing.

As if mourning Ryun's death.

I stared at the World Tree with a hollow expression.

I couldn't fathom what had just happened before my eyes.

And then, from somewhere near my feet, Ryun's voice rang out.

"Hey… what… are… you… doing…"

"Huh?"

I was so startled I stumbled backward without thinking. I nearly toppled over.

What? Why Ryun?

I hurriedly looked down to see the overheated axe already returned to its original color.

But something was off.

The haft of my double-bladed axe, Yagmour's Wrath, had always been iron. Now, in its place, there was a wooden haft.

And between the two axe blades, an eye had appeared. A familiar eye.

"Ryun?"

"Hurry… pick me… up…"

You have got to be kidding me.

I hastily picked up the axe and examined it closely.

Ryun's eye was set between the left and right blades, and a mouth had formed on the haft itself.

"Wh-wh-what on earth happened?"

"It's… exactly… as you… see…… I've merely… become… part of… your… weapon…"

"You're the one who told me to take you to Noebu's garden!"

If you've become my weapon, how am I supposed to take you anywhere?

And it wasn't as if I'd planned on using Yagmour's Wrath all the way to the 100th floor.

At my outburst, Ryun snickered.

"Kuk… kuk… Don't… worry…… I can… return… to my… old… self… again… someday…"

"Really? Because you've changed rather dramatically for something that's supposedly temporary."

"Well… it will be… difficult… for a… while…… Given… time… I should… be able… to… return…"

"…Well, if Ryun says so, I suppose that's how it is."

I held the axe with a sense of vague unease, and something about the whole situation felt strange.

Didn't this mean I was currently touching Ryun's body?

Ent or not, thinking of it that way was somehow… a little uncomfortable.

Ryun spoke with a laugh in his voice.

"Besides… you… will need… me…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You haven't… yet… attained… enlightenment… have you? I'll… help you… from… your… side…"

Huh? Now that I thought about it, that didn't sound bad at all.

My original plan had been to visit Ryun at the shelter or summon him to the training room through a portal for sparring sessions…

But honestly, having him advise me right beside me was far better.

And Ryun was a Sword Master, after all.

He might even point out my bad habits for me.

While I was mulling this over, Dobby came sprinting across the plain.

Apparently he'd seen Ryun vanish.

"Suyeok! Are you alright!"

"Huh? I'm fine."

"Amazing, Suyeok! How did you do it? The Ent suddenly burst into flame and died!"

"Is… something… talking…?"

"Huek!"

Dobby shrieked and toppled over backward.

It was a rather adorable sight. Ryun chuckled at the display.

The moment laughter echoed out of the axe, Dobby scrambled backward while still on the ground.

"A m-monster!"

"No, Dobby. This is Ryun."

I gave Dobby a rough explanation of the situation — that Ryun would be traveling with us from now on.

Maybe ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he was glad to have gained a comrade, because Dobby nodded with a smile.

"Nice to meet you! Ryun! Dobby is Dobby!"

"Kuk… kuk… What a… cute… little… friend…"

"Isn't he?"

Well, we'd only exchanged quick greetings — the rest could wait until we reached the Waiting Room.

First things first: obtaining the World Tree's essence.

Things had gone strangely off-course, but I'd already settled things with Ryun either way.

Nothing stood in my path anymore.

The faster I cleared a trial, the more achievement points I earned, even if only by a single point — so it was better to wrap this up quickly.

"By the way, Ryun, how do I find the World Tree's essence?"

"When you… come… close… it will… open…"

"Come close?"

I asked again, but Ryun didn't answer.

Nothing special had happened when I'd approached earlier, though…

No idea. Well, I'd find out if I did as Ryun said.

So I walked toward the World Tree, just as he'd instructed. The wind was still blowing.

Yet even after I reached the base of the World Tree, nothing happened.

"Ryun, how does this work?"

"Place… your… hand… upon… Sorien's… body…"

"What? Oh — yes."

He meant for me to lay my hand on the trunk of the World Tree.

But the way Ryun phrased it — placing my hand on Sorien's body — caught me slightly off guard.

That wistful undertone on top of it made it feel almost like touching someone else's lover.

It did feel a bit awkward, but there was nothing to be done about it.

The trial had to be finished.

I brought my hand to the base of the World Tree. The instant I did, the massive tree swayed gently.

Shaaaaa— Riding the wind, tens of thousands of leaves stirred from side to side.

Then something swelled up onto my palm where it rested against the bark, and I found myself holding a hard, round object.

When I drew my hand back, it was a fist-sized, luminous seed.

"That… is… Sorien's… essence…"

"…So Sorien dies now?"

"Before… long… she will… return… to… nature…… And… bloom… once more… in Noebu's… garden…"

I nodded and turned away.

It was time to go meet the other Ents.

An hour and a half had already passed since I arrived at the Waiting Room.

And I, Dobby, and Ryun were in the training dojo.

I roughly spat out the breath that had backed up all the way to my throat.

Damn it! The curse slipped out on its own.

To be fair, it had started out well.

Right up until we'd stepped into the training room together the moment we entered the Waiting Room, tossing everything else aside.

— My physical nature forces me to move honestly and stiffly, but you are different. Do not strain to imitate me.

— Your strength comes from instinct. Learning by watching others is fine, but do not let yourself be bound to a standardized path.

Ryun's advice had hit me like a blow to the back of the head.

Learning from opponents with codified weapon arts was all well and good — I just hadn't realized it was crumbling my own greatest strength.

It lined up exactly with the insight I'd gained from my duel with Ryun.

By overthinking, I had been undermining my own advantage.

But as time went on, I came to realize that Ryun talked far more than I'd bargained for.

"Not… like… that…… There… soften it… a little…… Hm… that… reminds me… of… my… childhood…"

Even during the review session after combat training, where I replayed my own movements, Ryun kept chiming in.

And in an incredibly slow drawl, no less. Utterly maddening.

He was interfering far too much, even in the parts I was supposed to work through on my own.

Mind you, if it were just the occasional piece of advice, I'd have let it slide without a word.

Ryun was, in a word, a too-much talker.

It got to the point where I half understood how he'd ended up falling in love with the World Tree among all the Ents.

The World Tree always listened to every word he said, after all.

Hmm… no. Let's not think too badly of him.

"Just now… you put… too much… force… into… your… left… hand…… When I… first… trained… there… was… a river… flowing… nearby…"

"Ryun. Please! Stop!"

"You… were… the one… who… asked… for… my… advice… first…"

"Haah…"

A sigh escaped me all on its own.