Chapter 284
Chapter 284
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 284
Chapter Title: Eden (3)
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“So, what’s the deal? With the lunatic who got stabbed by a tree and dragged here.”
If they know that much, then my life’s no different from some fucking blockbuster movie.
Just that one embarrassing incident that might as well be my origin story.
The Sage merely lifted the corner of his mouth faintly, showing no particular reaction.
“Pardon?”
Does he know, or doesn’t he?
The way he calmly accepted that unprecedented fiasco of getting impaled by a tree made it seem like he knew everything about me, but it was too vague to say for sure.
In this world, getting stabbed by a tree passes for normal sexual frustration, after all.
As I tried to read the Sage’s expression and sank into thought...
Sephirot came crawling over clumsily and grabbed my knee.
“Tree? King!”
She clutched my pant leg with both hands and tugged hard.
“Eeeee! Tree? Siheon!”
After watching her struggle like that for a while, I turned to the Sage and asked with my eyes.
What do I do with this kid?
“How about giving her a hug?”
“Hmm. Should I?”
I lowered both hands, and Sephirot hopped right up into my arms like she was made for it.
She settled onto my arm and gripped my collar to keep from falling backward.
The little one’s eyes locked onto mine once more, gazing deeply.
“Shall we sit for now? Talking while standing feels a bit off.”
Luckily, there were plenty of desks and chairs, so I straddled a nearby one while holding Sephirot.
The Sage brought over a cup of coffee and some refreshments.
I took them and set them on the desk.
“So, what did you want to talk about?”
-Crunch!
The moment I asked, a crunching sound came from the snack in my arms.
-Crunch.
I looked down at Sephirot in my hold, and there she was, having snatched a chocolate chip cookie the size of her face from the nearby plate and munching away happily.
Her teeth were so tiny, yet she chewed it right up.
The Sage watched Sephirot with eyes practically dripping honey before slowly beginning his tale.
“Participant Lee Si-heon.”
“Call me whatever’s comfortable. You’re my mentor, and there’s the age gap.”
“Shall I?”
“Yeah. Anyway, I’m still clueless about stuff around here, so first things first—what’s your name?”
“That’s... not something you need to know.”
“...”
“In exchange, I can tell you about the Sage. Given who you are, I have to afford you that much respect.”
About the Sage, huh.
I wouldn’t hear it from anyone else, so I nodded.
“Guardian of the World Tree of Knowledge. That’s all I’ve got. Never dreamed a World Tree would be a kid like this.”
I’d never been too interested in the hunter ecosystem.
My own work kept me swamped, so unless it crossed paths with business, I rarely dug into it myself.
But lately, having realized I needed to step a bit further into the world...
I’d been flipping through articles and books on various hunters.
For instance, the Champeonamu and Eleta.
I’d even looked into Jeong Ho-moon, who’d been treated like an S-rank back in the day—he’d gone missing during a dungeon raid now.
Shocking, but whatever.
Not important right now.
I’d done my own digging, but pretty much all records on the Sage had been wiped.
“Guardian. Yes, exactly. Know that, and you know it all.”
“All of it?”
“Well, you see. Sephirot-nim?”
At the Sage’s call, Sephirot gulped down her chocolate chip cookie.
“Yeah.”
The World Tree of Knowledge.
She looked no different from any kid.
But those eyes of hers, glowing golden ever since earlier, held an eerie depth that seemed ready to peel back everything about me.
“Sage. My contractor. Mama!”
Mama?
“The World Tree of Knowledge doesn’t interfere in the world at all, except to fulfill its thirst for knowledge!”
Peep peep. Sephirot chirped out her shout.
“That’s why Mama can’t interfere directly either!”
“Got it?”
Sephirot suddenly unleashed a torrent of words like a burst dam. Once she finished, she popped another cookie into her mouth, and her voice alone confirmed she really was a World Tree.
“Doesn’t interfere in the world at all—what’s that mean?”
To my question, Sephirot answered like a chick.
“Know...ledge’s room—Observer!”
What the hell was that?
“A nickname pinned on Sephirot-nim a thousand years ago. Literally, we just record history and knowledge—nothing but the power to protect it.”
“...”
A thousand years.
At that suddenly vast span of time, I clamped my mouth shut.
That alone made her potentially older than even the Five Great World Trees.
Naturally, the power to safeguard that much knowledge over such ages would be beyond imagination.
But... for that, wasn’t Sephirot way too young-looking right now?
As if reading my mind, the Sage curved his lips into a smile and explained further.
“The World Tree of Knowledge is a being of infinite curiosity. Her body simply changed to match that urge.”
“Is that it?”
“She might change again if she ever feels the need, but... records say she hasn’t shifted once in three thousand years.”
“Three thou...”
I looked down at Sephirot.
“You’re one badass kid, huh?”
“I’m the baddest!”
She threw both arms up high and yelled like she was shouting “Sephirot’s super strong!”
I patted her head, and she beamed.
She really was just a total kid.
Did living that long reverse your mental age or something? Was that too rude a thought?
“Sephirot-nim likes anyone who satisfies her curiosities.”
“Tree King!”
Ah, so that’s why me?
Lots of questions about the Wood Spirit King’s name and powers, huh.
Then it made sense why the Sage had suddenly dragged me here.
She seemed totally subservient to the World Tree of Knowledge, and with her power, she could pull off anything.
“You brought me here to meet Sephirot-nim?”
“Pardon? No, not at all.”
The Sage waved it off, took a breath, and sipped his coffee.
My throat was parched too, so I took a sip of mine.
The aroma and flavor were better than I’d imagined.
“Mr. Lee Si-heon, you’re a figure right in the eye of the storm. The World Tree-nim moves solely to sate her curiosity. Figuring out how to resolve the most curiosities—that’s her only concern.”
“So, the World Tree-nim’s curious about me? That the gist?”
The Sage shook his head side to side.
“You came here solely for the third trial. To gain greater skill and sharper eyes. Eden exists for that purpose alone.”
I rested my chin in my hand and kept stroking Sephirot’s head.
Seemed like he’d called me after learning about me, sure enough.
This World Tree of Knowledge taking an interest in me lined up with my guesses, more or less.
‘Solely here for the third trial?’
The Sage’s words flipped my thinking for a moment.
The Sage, so subservient to Sephirot.
If there was a reason for her actions, it was probably tied to Sephirot too.
She’d said she’d teach me how the world worked.
Teach me magic, hone my power and insight.
I held my breath for a second.
“Is that the World Tree-nim’s will?”
The air stilled, then flowed again.
“Heh heh.”
The Sage chuckled softly in response.
‘She follows the World Tree’s will... meaning even she might not know the reason.’
Sephirot wanted to help me.
Of course, being hailed as wise, the Sage probably had her guesses, but maybe she saw no need to spell them out to me.
I smiled wryly.
‘Whether it’s this one or that one... can’t read their damn minds.’
I had to scrutinize them obsessively just to feel satisfied.
They were worth it, after all.
Wasn’t this setup way too skewed in my favor?
If that thought crept in, something was off.
In a case like this, either I was hopelessly outclassed and dumb, or they were the weak ones. One or the other.
‘Said there’s no malice.’
This opponent had a brain that could stand among the best of seven billion.
What good would empty threats do, bragging about picking up some political tricks under a Korean congressman? I’d just end up used.
The Sage’s age wasn’t Sephirot-level, but still plenty of years under her belt—mind games would be second nature.
In that scenario, what could I do?
-Pfft.
Familiar feeling.
Just like with Lee Se-young. With the Heavenly Demon. Back in Peach Garden.
Shelve the ego, take the lumps right beside them, and learn.
The foes ahead weren’t your average Joes.
Only when they weren’t enemies—when they approached me on friendly terms—could I seize the chance to plunder the Sage’s knowledge.
That’s how I’d climb higher.
“Ah~ Got it!”
I clapped my hands.
Grinned wide and bright, and the Sage’s eyes went wide.
Unexpected reaction, maybe? Still holding Sephirot, I extended my hand.
“Still, tell me your name sometime. Looking forward to the trials ahead, Sage-nim.”
“Ah, sure. Heh heh heh. But I don’t have a name.”
“No name?”
“Sage. That moniker’s enough.”
I glanced at Sephirot.
Seemed like the truth.
“Still feels weird with no name. Plenty of good ones out there, though.”
“You gonna give me one?”
Plenty, yeah.
I was damn good at naming.
Hell, hadn’t I named that famous World Tree of Time?
With a sunny, upbeat grin straight out of a shonen manga, I tossed it out as a joke.
“How about Wiki? Fits the World Tree of Knowledge...”
Laughter erupted right from below.
“Pfft!”
Sephirot spat out her saliva and clapped a hand over her mouth, face twisted in barely contained giggles.
“Wiki! Wiki!”
She kept repeating it—clearly loved it.
I chuckled too and looked ahead.
“...”
The Sage stared me down with a stone-cold expression.
“Ah. Wait, is... is the name no good? Haha.”
“...Siheon-nim.”
Siheon-ssi to Siheon-nim now.
Her low, icy tone sent an involuntary shiver down my spine.
“That name’s a no-go.”
“...Sorry.”
Decided to quit while ahead.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “So, how’d it go?”
“How what?”
“...You met with Sage-nim alone.”
Evening.
Too awkward to spill what we’d talked about, just the two of us.
I’d suggested the name, she hadn’t liked it, and the conversation just died.
She’d apologized midway for getting too serious, but the chilled vibe was beyond saving.
The talk was doomed.
If Sephirot hadn’t kept piping up from my arms to bridge us, I might’ve choked on the tension and passed out.
“Nothing big.”
“Sage-nim’s face looked pretty off, though.”
What’s wrong with Wiki...
It was just a joke, but I felt deflated.
Marronie, changed into the pajamas prepped in the changing room, stared at me for ages before gulping hard.
“That famously kind-hearted Sage-nim... what the hell did you do? You didn’t pull some weird stunt, did you?”
Weird stunt?
So damn wronged.
I loosened my tie and slung it haphazardly over the nightstand. Clock read 8 p.m.
Could head to the library for research or study if I wanted. Or grab dinner.
Cornus was still buried in that swordsmanship tome and hadn’t come back.
“...”
Marronie had been eyeing me like I was a bug since earlier.
She’d gotten the wrong idea bad. From her reaction, you’d think I’d groped the Sage’s tits or something.
I knew my limits. Why the hell would I hit on the Sage?
“You’re saying you didn’t do that to anyone else?”
Lee Se-young was a no-go—too hot-tempered.
I sighed and rummaged through the closet for clothes.
White tee and... shorts should be fine.
Room was cozy warm—light layers would do.
“N-not me... you didn’t do it to anyone else?”
Then I felt her gaze boring into my back again.
Another misunderstanding? I turned, and her face was beet red.
“What’s with you now?”
Did subjugation trigger? Was there anything in what I said for her to latch onto?
Marronie glared at me, then abruptly hung her head.
“...Dunno. Pervert.”
It was enough to drive me insane.