Chapter 437: Possession(1)
Chapter 437: Possession(1)
Musk’s ingenious idea for a sponsorship was tempting, but I ultimately decided to turn it down.
Not only could it lead to unnecessary trouble, but more importantly, a better plot point had occurred to me.
If cigars made from World Tree leaves were that expensive, wouldn't it be more impactful for the character to save one until the very, very end and smoke it as his final act?
World Tree leaf cigars were such an absurdly expensive luxury that even most nobles couldn't dream of touching them.
Since this direction captured both the romance and the practicality of the situation, I went with it. Musk seemed a bit disappointed, but he respected my choice.
‘I don’t want to go down in history as the man who contributed to a rise in lung cancer patients. I should avoid that.’
Currently, the harmful effects of tobacco weren't accurately understood in this world. On the contrary, products like World Tree leaf cigars were widely believed to be beneficial.
But that was only true for the World Tree variety; regular tobacco was a luxury item notorious for being "harmful in a hundred ways without a single benefit."
Since science hadn't advanced enough yet, people didn't know exactly what substances were in it, but they would find out eventually as time passed.
‘I need to be careful with every word I say about this.’
It was an undeniable fact that smoking was harmful. If I told the press that tobacco was dangerous, everyone would probably believe me.
However, without clear evidence, I might face a backlash. People might not attack me immediately because of my reputation, but I wanted to avoid making potential enemies if possible.
Besides, would the smoking rate actually drop just because I said it was harmful? Not a chance.
Tobacco is a drug that people can't quit even when they know it's killing them. There are countless cases of lung cancer patients who still can't put down the cigarette.
Anyway, after settling everything regarding the side story, I moved on to the next topic. Naturally, that was my next work: World War II.
"A world without mana, magic, or even gods... that sounds quite fascinating. You're saying they wage war using only science and machinery?"
"Yes, that's right."
"It's hard to imagine... but it certainly sounds interesting."
I had revealed the full truth about my origins to the women in my life, including my family, but I kept things vague with Musk.
He was certainly loyal and trustworthy, but our relationship wasn't one of absolute, total confidence.
Of course, I didn't think Musk would ever betray me. What would he even gain from it? It would only result in a loss for him.
It was simply that since we weren't as close as I was with my family or the girls, I only told him about half the truth. Even so, Musk was sharp enough to have picked up on the subtext.
"Ho ho ho. A world where those with great wealth become the powerful. What an intriguing world."
"On the flip side, there's also a world where all property is owned in common."
"What kind of trashy world is that?"
If Marx had heard that, he would have felt a sharp sting. If nothing else, Musk currently possessed wealth that rivaled or exceeded political power, so Communism would be a literal nightmare for him.
He went on a long rant about how precious money is and the long, proud history it boasts.
He already had a personality that was incredibly sensitive to money, so explaining Communism seemed to have pushed his "trigger button."
Fortunately, I managed to calm him down, but Musk shook his head as if the mere thought of it was horrifying.
"...Anyway, I will take full responsibility for the books you release, Sir Isaac. Ah, of course, a copyright contract is essential. When shall we sign it?"
"I haven't decided on a title yet, so we can take it slow. I still need to organize the content as well."
"Understood. I shall be waiting, then."
My conversation with Musk ended there. We chatted about various trivial things afterward, but it was just small talk.
Eventually, I saw him off—his expression much brighter than when he arrived—and checked the time.
It was about 11:30 AM. Leona said she would come to the mansion after finishing lunch, so I just had to wait quietly.
But before that...
"Are you guys still at it? What's the score?"
"It's 2 to 2 right now. This is the final match... Ah!"
"Fufu. How is it? Try and see if you can escape this..."
I should go watch the Baduk match first.
"You're completely blocked."
"Urgh..."
"Take your time and think it over. I shall wait patiently."
I hope they don't spend the entire winter break just playing Baduk.
*
It was just as I finished lunch while watching Cecile and Arwen’s match.
"Hey!"
"You're here?"
As promised yesterday, Leona visited our mansion. As always, she was wearing short shorts that showed off her legs and a white tank top.
I gave her a gentle smile as she greeted me brightly. The title "Wild Girl" really suited her perfectly.
"Did you finish unpacking?"
"Yeah. I got everything settled. The residents are really kind. And the prices are surprisingly cheap."
"The territory is in the middle of a development boom. Plus, with the Imperial Family's support, a lot of goods are coming in. Oh, by the way, did you get a chance to look around?"
"I already saw everything! I even found a great restaurant."
A restaurant hand-picked by Leona, huh? That place is about to see a massive spike in sales.
She might not look it, but as a beastkin, her appetite was far greater than a normal person's.
I wasn't sure if all that food went to her chest or her hips, but it was likely a trait of her race.
If Elves and Demons were races of beautiful men and women, Beastkin were the race that symbolized superior "physique."
The men were mostly packed with muscle, and the women... well, let's just say they were superior in every department. That was the only way to put it.
Looking at Leona’s backside as she walked ahead of me, one could easily understand what I meant.
A body boasting elegant curves, a healthy, wide lower body, and finally, a swaying tail.
It had been hidden by her school uniform until now, but her physique truly inherited all the best traits of a beastkin.
‘Though it gets overshadowed because of the other women around me...’
Well, they all had their distinct strengths, so I’d leave it at that. Besides, now wasn't the time to admire Leona’s figure.
The reason I called Leona at this hour was to talk, but the most important reason was Clark.
Clark had said he would only maintain his true form until this winter break and intended to have his funeral afterward.
Until then, he planned to take things slow, catching up with the family and making plans for the future.
To do that, we needed Leona’s sorcery. I could have called another shaman, but explaining everything would have taken too much time.
"Is Mr. Clark still doing okay?"
Leona turned back to ask me as we headed toward the room we had agreed upon.
At that question, I briefly recalled Clark’s condition. Just a moment ago, he had been puffing away on a cigar while being entertained by Ariel’s antics.
He should be waiting in the designated room now—specifically, my bedroom—but as far as I knew, there were no issues.
"Yeah. He's been fine so far. Is there something bothering you?"
"Well, yeah. The fact that a skeleton can retain its memories from when it was alive and maintain its reason is strange in itself."
"Really? What's supposed to happen normally?"
"Usually, they either lose their past memories and become confused, or they lose their reason and go on a rampage."
That was a terrifying thought. Even in his current state, Clark had a track record of easily suppressing Kate.
Of course, my father could handle it if he stepped in, but would he really be able to use his full strength against his own father? I could guarantee he wouldn't.
"Maybe it really is thanks to that kid's leaves. Besides, you didn't just use one; you sacrificed several as an offering, right? It's hard to find a tribute of that caliber."
"Do you need more?"
"I might. It depends on what Mr. Clark decides. I'll explain the details once we get there."
Leona said with a wink. I chuckled at her characteristic confidence.
Soon, we reached the door to my bedroom. I cleared my throat to announce my presence and gave the door a light knock.
I opened the door immediately after. As soon as it swung open, a thick, heavy scent of peppermint rushed into my nose.
The profound fragrance that only World Tree leaf cigars could produce. The problem was that it was completely filling my room.
"Cough, cough. Grandfather?"
[Hm? You're here?]
Sure enough, I saw Clark sitting in a chair, puffing away on a cigar. For some reason, Ariel was clinging to the top of his head.
Judging by the book in his hands, it looked like he had been teaching Ariel how to read. But the cigar in his mouth was the issue.
As if to prove he had been a heavy smoker in life, he had one in his mouth every chance he got. It was a good thing these cigars were harmless, or I would have had to give him a stern talking-to.
"No matter how much you like smoking, you should open a window. Even if it's a World Tree cigar, ventilation is a must."
[Hahaha. My apologies. Ariel seemed fine, so I thought it was okay.]
"Still, you can't. And Ariel, you, get down from Grandfather's head."
"I don't wanna..."
"Ahem."
When I scolded her firmly, Ariel puffed out her cheeks in protest. I couldn't let that become a habit.
When I gave her another stern look, she finally came down quietly...
Flap, flap—
"...Huh?"
"Heave-ho."
She landed on the floor, but what did I just see? I was momentarily stunned by the scene that had flashed before my eyes.
Regardless, Ariel walked over to me with a pitter-patter after landing.
Then, she looked up at me with her characteristic, sparkling golden eyes, spread her arms wide, and said adorably:
"Hug me!"
"...Ariel?"
"Hug me! Then I won't grumble!"
"No, before that..."
Didn't you just flap your wings and fly? Before I could finish the thought, Ariel tilted her head.
It looked like she was reading my mind, but I didn't care if she did at a moment like this.
I was so dumbfounded that the words wouldn't come out. Fortunately, Ariel answered my internal question.
"Up we go."
Ariel, who had been holding her arms out, looked around, ran toward the bed, and hopped up onto it with a light jump.
Then, as if telling me to watch, she flailed her arms a bit and jumped vigorously. And then...
Flap, flap—
She flapped the wings that had sprouted from her back and landed slowly. Thanks to that, I realized.
I hadn't seen wrong. Ariel had definitely flapped her wings like a bird.
When? Since when could she do that? Weren't those just for decoration?
"I could do it since yesterday. Ariel's growing!"
As if she had read my mind, she put her hands on her hips and answered proudly.
Now that I looked closer, the sprout on top of her head seemed to have grown a bit, and more importantly, she seemed a little taller.
I had been so busy lately that I hadn't been able to pay much attention to her, and it felt like she had grown up quite a bit in the meantime.
‘...I feel kind of bad.’
No matter how busy I was, I should have shown her more interest. I felt proud of her, but at the same time, a wave of guilt washed over me.
So, I picked up Ariel, who was standing with her hands on her hips as if asking for praise.
She giggled like a child her age. Just hearing her laughter made my heart feel warm.
"Our Ariel. It feels like you've gotten heavier while Daddy was busy. Did you gain weight?"
"Nuh-uh. Mommy gained weight."
She shook her head and revealed a startling fact. Since she could read minds, she probably knew.
I was curious, though. I let out a dry laugh and asked in a gentle voice.
"Who? Which mommy?"
"Mommy Mari."
As soon as I heard that answer, I nodded in understanding. To be precise, she hadn't "gained weight"; her chest had just gotten bigger.
Unlike the others, Mari was still in the middle of her growth spurt, just like me. Still, women are sensitive about their weight, so I planned to avoid mentioning it.
"I see. But don't say that to Mommy, okay?"
"Okay."
"Grandfather Clark, I think it's about time you put out that cigar."
[I understand. But is that girl okay?]
"Pardon?"
Who was he talking about? While I blinked, Clark pointed toward a spot.
And there...
[She's been like that since the moment she entered the room.]
"Hnyaaa..."
Leona was rolling around on the floor with a blissful, dazed expression, as if she were high on drugs.
...Wait, is she high on the peppermint?