Chapter 125
Chapter 125
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: Past (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A remote mountain range where Peach Garden had taken root.
The Heavenly Demon's abode—a place unknown to the general public but fully recognized by those in the know.
A servant knocked on the door to the Little Heavenly Demon's chambers, carrying pickled peaches, red elixir pills, and water.
"It is time for your elixir."
The servant knelt, clasped his hands politely, and bowed his head deeply.
A jet-black dragon carving glared at him with its long, slit eyes beside the door.
'Please, let everything go smoothly.'
This room belonged to the one who would inherit the Heavenly Demon's legacy.
Neither name nor gender was known.
But the servants who had glimpsed him before said his aura was ferociously tiger-like and his temper fierce. It was obvious that incurring his wrath wouldn't end with mere banishment from Peach Garden.
'...He eats these expensive elixirs every day?'
In truth, even the servant was a martial artist who had reached a certain level of proficiency.
He had earned some trust within Peach Garden, and if he could just catch the successor's eye this time, his path ahead would open wide.
'A hard-won opportunity. I can't let it slip.'
-Thud.
A short, dull sound came from inside the room.
The servant tensed his neck and bowed his head deeply, awaiting a response.
"Come in."
"Hup!"
The weight in that voice nearly snapped his spirit in two.
It felt like a straw had been jabbed into his head, sucking out his strength. Somehow, the servant managed to open the door and offer up what he had brought.
The rule in this room was to never raise one's head.
He stole a quick glance upward, but the figure was wrapped in blankets, barely visible.
"You may go now."
"Yes, have a good night."
Silken blankets enveloped the body tightly.
The bulk protruding above them could easily accommodate two people. Just as the rumors described—an extraordinary individual. It matched perfectly the image evoked by that voice.
The servant backed out of the room with his head still lowered.
He had completely forgotten his original intent to showcase his talents.
'Only someone of that caliber could hope to follow in his footsteps.'
Even that brief audience had left his hands trembling.
An astonishing person.
Swallowing those words, the servant left the corridor with a bitter taste.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "He's gone."
As Cheon-do spoke, I hurriedly crawled out from under the blankets.
"Ugh, I thought I was gonna melt."
"I'm sorry. Father insisted I keep your body warm at all times... The water is here if you need it."
Even though it wasn't her fault, Cheon-do apologized lightly.
Her words made me feel awkwardly sheepish.
I scratched the back of my head and asked her.
"But why'd you hide me?"
"Meeting an extraordinary person calls for the proper etiquette. Besides, you didn't seem malicious."
I had been startled when, the moment the knock came, Cheon-do urgently gestured for me to crawl under the blankets.
"...Does that mean you'd cover for just any random nobody? Anyway, thanks."
"It was a first for me too, so I was pretty startled."
The young Cheon-do chuckled and offered me a cup of water.
Her damp hair was bothering me, so as I took the cup, I casually invoked a simple spell.
-Whirr!
A magic that partially evaporated the moisture from her hair.
The mana gathered at my fingertip brushed past Cheon-do like a breeze.
"...What was that?"
"Magic."
"Oh, so magic like this exists these days."
An era where magic hadn't yet become commonplace?
As I sipped the water and observed Cheon-do, she fondled her now-fluffy hair in wonder.
She looked just like a kid seeing a helium balloon for the first time.
Cheon-do fiddled with her hair for a few minutes like that, then blushed upon noticing my gaze.
"Ahem... So, who are you? How did you learn my name with some bizarre spell?"
Cheon-do finally voiced her question.
I answered nonchalantly.
"Can't say due to circumstances."
"...Circumstances? But this isn't a simple matter."
"You told me."
A future Cheon-do, but whatever. It shouldn't matter.
The young Cheon-do's face grew increasingly perplexed.
"I told you?"
"Yeah."
"I've never met you before, so how is that possible?"
Her confident tone brimmed with self-assurance.
She smiled innocently like a child, but her eyes still betrayed her wariness.
Cheon-do was on guard against me.
Whether she saw me as a villain or not, her most guarded secret had been exposed—a major issue.
"It won't be a big problem. I won't harm you. I have no affiliation or status anyway."
Was giving that much of a hint okay?
Understanding my intent, Cheon-do let out a sigh.
"Your words ring true. Or rather, if I believe them, then they must be."
"Bold one."
"Naturally."
"Is it because you're the Heavenly Demon's daughter?"
"You know everything. Only Father and I know that."
I hadn't been dropping hints to provoke her.
Much less to brand me as suspicious.
"If only you and your father know, what about your sisters?"
"Even that..."
Cheon-do's face lost even its smile, looking utterly incredulous.
"Haha. Hahaha... This must be the fateful encounter Master spoke of. Revealing secrets unknown to the world as casually as cracking open a pumpkin seed."
"Fateful encounter, huh. Nice. I'd appreciate it if you saw it that way."
"I was going to anyway, even without you saying it. How did you get in here?"
"Had business."
Cheon-do gave my face a quick once-over.
"Looks like you don't have a place to sleep. Stay here tonight."
"...Thanks. What if someone else comes?"
"Then, like this. 'Get out now!'"
A bandit-like growl burst from her mouth. I'd heard it earlier.
I blinked in surprise, and Cheon-do giggled mischievously.
"I'm good at voice impressions."
"Impressive. Your sisters would love it."
"You think? Feels like a weird talent."
"It'd work on them."
Hwang-do laughed a lot anyway, and Baek-do was only cold to me—otherwise pure-hearted.
Come to think of it, were Hwang-do and Baek-do here too? Might be nice to see them if the chance arose.
"From the way you talk, I'd think you'd lived with us for years."
Cheon-do stared at my face and spoke meaningfully.
"You're making me more and more curious about who you are. May I ask your name?"
"Lee Si-heon."
"...Pardon? What? I didn't hear. Once more—"
"Lee Si-heon."
Cheon-do frowned, staring at my mouth.
"Say it."
"Why."
"It's weird... You're not just flapping your lips? What's your name?"
"Lee Si-heon."
Could she not hear my name?
Seeming to realize it too, Cheon-do pursed her lips with a grave expression.
"Better if you tell me your name later."
"Yeah."
"I can tell you're not exactly normal. That face—no one's around here has features like that."
"That stings a bit."
"If you tell me everything you know, I'll consider rethinking my opinion. Hard."
She stuck out her tongue playfully and giggled, then flipped the blanket over herself and lay down.
Her childish mischief made me smile wryly.
'Cheon-do used to be like this, but now she's almost emotionless. Even her recent pranks... The only one was kicking my side when I got cheeky.'
Seeing her prank first was novel to me.
"Aren't you gonna take your medicine?"
"Oh right, the medicine... Hand it over."
I passed her the elixir wrapped in fine paper, and she swallowed it without fuss.
A mana absorption process I'd done a few times myself.
Forcibly infusing mana to expand the energy core.
"Urk."
Cutely sticking out her tongue, Cheon-do popped a pickled peach into her mouth.
The sweetness neutralized the bitterness briefly, but perhaps feeling guilty eating alone, she skewered one with a toothpick and offered it.
"Want some?"
"You eat plenty. Gotta grow tall."
"What does peach have to do with height... You're shorter than our master too."
"I'm pretty tall."
"A man needs to be at least two meters."
That might be too much.
Considering the build, the Heavenly Demon probably was around that height.
It was the first time I'd been teased about my height since fixing my appearance, so I widened my eyes, and Cheon-do giggled.
"Never thought I'd chat so openly with a stranger."
"You can spill everything to someone you meet on the road with no connection. The closer they are, the more you hold back."
"Sounds plausible. Here, you're always supposed to be demure and dignified."
"Must be tough."
"Well... You know all my secrets, so I can speak freely. If Master heard this, I'd be dealt with before the moon dips."
That sounded scary.
Cheon-do alone was matchless; what about her master?
Cheon-do, fixated on the stewed peaches, side-eyed me.
"...So, what will you do after tonight?"
"Dunno. See tomorrow."
"Leaving right away?"
"Can't stay forever, but I'll visit occasionally."
I'd memorized the coordinates, so I could enter Cheon-do's room anytime I wanted.
Tomorrow, I'd check outside and decide.
Truth be told, just watching young Cheon-do made time fly.
"Still won't tell me why you're here."
"To see you. I've only appeared before you twice."
"Ridiculous. Risking your life?"
"Worth it."
Cheon-do laughed disbelievingly like a child and popped another peach in her mouth.
"I'll trust you this once."
After devouring the peaches, she slipped under the blankets.
"Brush your teeth before sleep, or they'll rot."
"Don't treat me like a kid."
Today, a light nap sitting up.
The World Tree of Time hadn't contacted me yet.
Maybe from heavy mana use; it was later than before.
'Still, lucky. Cheon-do's soft nature saved me... Otherwise, alarms would've blared by now.'
Might've even fought.
The martial artists delivering medicine seemed manageable, but if the Heavenly Demon appeared, I'd be dead.
Thank goodness Cheon-do was unexpectedly favorable.
For whatever reason.
'Time to sleep.'
I waited 30 minutes for the World Tree of Time, just in case, but nothing happened.
Cheon-do fell asleep quickly, true to her childhood habits, and soon I nodded off and collapsed into slumber.