Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Change in Perception (1)
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The last day of the holiday after the tournament ended.
"Come here, my daughter. Want to try fitting these?"
"Peep?"
"Fill this up with the ones here."
I called Shiba over and showed her the toy I'd bought last time, and she started fitting the puzzle blocks with her fern-like little hands.
A simple puzzle where you match the shapes of the blocks to form a square.
"Peep? Peep?"
That's right, fill the square first.
Soon, Shiba chirped brightly at the completed puzzle.
"Paa!"
"Good job!"
Shiba completed the puzzle in just three tries. Maybe because she's a tree, but the kid is incredibly smart. Not just fatherly pride—objectively speaking. A kid who can't even talk yet has already mastered every toy out there. Who wouldn't call her a genius?
Even objectively, Shiba was a genius.
"Pwaa~ Peeheehee."
Shiba rubbed her cheeks against me in my arms. It felt like she wanted more praise, so I ruffled her cheeks and head even more.
"You did great! My daughter is the best~ She's going to Harvard~!"
Our dorm's little angel was clear skies today as well.
-Creak.
The sound of the door opening echoed. Baek Do, who had walked in from beyond, shot a glance this way.
Grumpy Baek Do always wore a pouty expression whenever she showed her face after that night.
"What's with the racket from morning?"
Her speech had gotten rougher too. I thought things had smoothed over somehow, but apparently not.
"Educating my kid."
"What education... You're just being scatterbrained."
Pout. Baek Do stuck out her lip and flopped onto the bed, closing her eyes.
I didn't bother retorting. Things were awkwardly strained between us right now. But it'd sort itself out eventually.
I already knew from long experience that Baek Do was the type to brush past things like I did.
The problem was Hwang Do.
Since that night when Baek Do and I shared drinks, Hwang Do strangely hadn't shown herself.
The Hwang Do who would wake up in the morning with hearts in her eyes and hug Shiba—she hadn't shown her face once.
'No idea.'
Was she shocked that Baek Do found out the truth? Or had she actually been awake and seen everything that night?
Either way made sense... With her hiding inside my body, I couldn't just bluntly talk it out, which was frustrating.
-Rustle.
At that moment, Baek Do, who had been sleeping, suddenly sat up.
Her hair had turned crimson. Her consciousness must have switched. Cheon Do rubbed her eyes and looked at me holding Shiba.
Then she gave a faint smile.
"You two look close."
"We're always close. Teacher, want to hold Shiba?"
"......"
-Nod.
I handed Shiba over to Cheon Do, who quietly extended both hands.
Shiba reached for me with some dissatisfied look, but from past experience, she seemed to have adapted to this and reluctantly allowed herself to be held by Cheon Do.
Poof—Shiba nestled into the large bosom. Cheon Do buried her face in Shiba's head and closed her eyes.
"So warm."
Shiba with her duck-bill lips pouted, hugged by the beautiful woman. If this were a photoshoot, it'd sell tens of thousands of copies easy.
It was a heartwarming scene like that.
A while later.
Cheon Do set Shiba down with a fake cough.
"Ahem, anyway... I have something to say."
"Right after waking up? Eat first."
"No need. Delivering this comes first."
Shiba toddled over and clung to me again.
What she meant was surely about the tournament results.
"You'll hear about the Forest Keeper Selection soon. Some cadets are already confirmed... But in your case, you'll be picked in the additional selection. So you'll have to wait longer. You know why, right?"
"Yes."
I nodded. Cheon Do crossed her arms under her chest.
"You acted against expectations. But that's in the past, so I won't say if it was right or wrong."
"Anyway. Right now, you're a rising star in various guilds. Or... at least in the academy, there's no bigger story than you."
It was true.
Even as I sat here, guild love calls were probably piling up in my inbox.
They rated my potential highly. They wouldn't mistreat me, so please contract with our guild—nothing surprising.
Among them was even the Association, one of the world's pillars.
The Association oddly reached out through Star, someone connected to me. I turned it down for now.
Of course, it wasn't just guilds approaching me.
[Hi. I'm XX. Want to grab a meal sometime?]
[The one you helped before. Can I at least show my gratitude?]
[That last match was so exciting! Can we meet personally?]
Lately, contacts from cadets I'd barely spoken to had exploded.
'So weird.'
Guys who ignored me before were now reaching out.
It gave me this itchy, hard-to-describe feeling.
Some were even ones who'd badmouthed me. Guess they didn't know I heard.
'And if you got help, you should've come thank me that day or the next... Why now, after so long?'
Don't they have any shame? That thought crossed my mind.
Still, it hit me that a guy struggling to survive now had the leisure to feel this.
They say when you succeed, even strangers call you.
I didn't know about anything else, but the feeling wasn't bad.
"It's fine."
"Yeah, it is. For now."
Cheon Do trailed off meaningfully and opened a new topic.
"Now we need to train you for the Forest Keeper Selection."
Work's done, time to work hard again?
Cheon Do grinned slyly at me. She'd been smiling more lately.
"Time for real combat now."
"What does that mean?"
"Clearing normal dungeons, not places like Purgatory. Don't think they're easy ones, though."
"......When do we start?"
"After the training camp ends."
About two weeks from now.
"After that training, we'll be apart for a while."
I was gauging the dates when Cheon Do suddenly declared it.
"Suddenly?"
"Yeah. I've got a backlog of work."
Fair enough.
Expecting her to always look after her disciple was asking too much.
Accepting that, I could honestly share my feelings.
"I'll miss it. When will we meet again?"
"Probably after the Forest Keeper Selection. Maybe even later."
'After the Forest Keeper Selection.'
The Forest Keeper Selection was a massive project that took nearly the whole first semester, so it meant we'd be apart for quite a while.
"Ooh~ Finally free from cohabitation?"
"Something like that."
Cheon Do replied to my straightforward words with a distrustful look.
Whatever happened, now Shiba and I would have our own nest.
Still, the sudden separation felt a bit bitter.
Cohabitation was awkward at first, but now it was indispensable. In this world, Cheon Do, Hwang Do, and Baek Do were like family.
Things were off with Baek Do right now. Maybe I should force a talk.
"What backlog, though?"
"Peach Blossom Haven stuff. I'll call Bap, Rossi... and Simpi to handle the backlog. Why? Want to learn? If you can do assassination without hesitation, I'll teach you."
"......I'll pass."
Cheon Do uncrossed her arms, as if she expected that.
"And there are too many annoying flies around for us to stay together still."
"Pardon?"
"There's one buzzing around you too. Not quite a fly, but some kid like that."
Kid... fly.
Before I could ponder, Cheon Do lifted her hips off the bed.
"So wrap up anything you need to do by then. Women or whatever."
"Things to do. Oh right, Teacher."
"What."
"Want to go see Precure then?"
Cheon Do's face stiffened.
"You joke without timing."
She snapped back, but I knew.
This woman liked those kids' cartoons.
"Never mind if not."
"......"
She brushed it off vaguely and tried to head to the living room with eyes closed.
For some reason, she looked cold. I chuckled and added,
"Nah, we have to go. Shiba likes Precure too.... Let's just go."
-Halt.
Cheon Do, as if waiting for that, pinched her brow and pretended to sigh deeply.
"......Sigh. Can't be helped."
"Plain clothes today? Let's stop by the department store on the way. I'll recommend some nice outfits."
"Do as you like."
On that sweet holiday.
I left my ringing phone behind and made the most of the remaining days.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Inside the cafe.
A red-haired woman sat at the table, handing a letter to the man with a smile.
"Cadet Jeong Si-woo. Congratulations."
Isabella.
The woman who had been granted partial decision-making for the Forest Keeper Selection, the first female bishop of the World Tree of Prosperity, one of the four great World Trees.
At the same time, the next saintess greatly supported by the Wood Person Church.
The green emblem on her chest signified her nobility.
"Last time you came, your name wasn't that, I think."
"Hahaha. What's in a name? What matters is I rose to this position and received my name."
With some familiarity, Jeong Si-woo could chat casually with her.
We met when she was a nun, but when did she grow so much?
Sometimes she seemed less noble and more ambitious to climb higher.
"Anyway..."
Isabella gave a benevolent smile.
"Congratulations on being the 'very first' candidate selected for the Forest Keeper Selection. Oh, did I say 'very first'? Yes, 'very first.' Listen well. I saw you as a kid, and you've grown so much, haven't you?"
"Haha..."
Jeong Si-woo took the letter on the table.
Forest Keeper Selection.
The ultimate opportunity to be mentored by S-rank hunters, called the strongest of the current era.
In the past, he'd have charged at it like a madman.
Jeong Si-woo silently fiddled with the seal on the letter, hesitating to open it.
"What are you doing? Open it."
Isabella prodded, unable to wait, but he still hesitated.
After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"Sister. Asking because of our connection. Besides me, how many have been selected so far?"
"Hmm~ That's top secret."
"......"
"Well, I'll tell you as one future favor."
"Deal."
"Selected~"
Isabella propped her chin, thinking, then slowly named them one by one.
"There's a tribe in Africa. A ridiculously strong woman... and that World Tree husband candidate side. The last one's the top student from Manhattan Academy with the perpetually narrowed eyes. The first ones that come to mind are those three."
Africa continent, wild like untamed land with fallen governments and collapsed nations. A tribe fighting monsters there.
Manhattan Academy rivaled El Academy, so no need to explain.
"And the rest... Oh right, a few princes and princesses."
Like Japan's cherry blossom or whatever...
Mid-conversation, Jeong Si-woo interjected.
"So no other El Academy cadets besides me yet?"
"Pretty much. But we've got tons more to pick...... Why do you ask?"
"No, there's someone I want to recommend... I probably can't participate in the Forest Keeper Selection."
Out of nowhere.
"Huh?"
Isabella blinked in shock.
"What...? You can't go?"
"That's how it turned out."
"Do you know what that means?"
Isabella blinked, dumbfounded.
Refusing the Forest Keeper Selection was unthinkable normally.
"Did you hit your head hard?"
A guy dreaming of becoming the top martial artist turning down a millennium ginseng opportunity? Who'd do that?
Jeong Si-woo just did.
The Forest Keeper Selection was a stage even top active hunters couldn't easily enter.
Being in the growth phase and needing world-class skill was a huge filter.
"Got things to do."
"......Your sister?"
-Nod.
Isabella sighed. She knew his backstory roughly, so it was an understanding sigh.
"I get it, but becoming a Forest Keeper candidate... is essentially the World Tree's will. You know what denying it means?"
It bends the World Tree's will.
His choice would be respected, but the old fogeys up top wouldn't react well.
"Husband candidate gives some leeway.... Anyway, got it. We'll skip that topic. Who's this recommendation?"
If it was some punk, she'd tear him limb from limb.
Harboring such absurd thoughts inwardly, Isabella asked Si-woo.
Jeong Si-woo scratched his cheek and cautiously named the three.
"......Do you know Lee Si-heon?"
"Pardon? Oh, yeah, I know him well. He's a strong candidate... Why?"
Then Jeong Si-woo's tone changed.
"Whoa, you know him."
"???"
"I crossed swords with him, but he's seriously strong."
Jeong Si-woo usually praised others habitually, but today it felt conscious, so it didn't come out smoothly.
"Really tough opponent. Beating a sword with fists isn't easy to say, right?"
"Yes. Yesyes.... But was he that type?"
Ignoring Isabella's flustered question, Jeong Si-woo added finally.
"And. Probably. Stronger than me."
That one phrase was sincere.
Not thinking of repaying a debt, a genuine recommendation. Because he believed this talent absolutely needed to enter the selection, after much deliberation.
It was the word of Jeong Si-woo, one of the top talents.
"You mean that sincerely?"
In the end, Isabella had no choice but to seriously consider this Lee Si-heon.