Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Moon Temple (3)
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Clunk!!!!
The lock sprang open, and the door swung wide. What the hell! I shoved the pews inside and dashed to the door. The sun had already set, and darkness was closing in—if those things made it into the temple, who knew what would happen...!
“Gasp...!”
The sight through the wide-open door was nothing short of breathtaking.
Shwaaa...!
Moonflowers filled the garden, soaking up the moonlight piercing the darkness and glowing with a radiant silver light. And that wasn't all. The round pond, brimming with water, reflected the moonlight perfectly, shining brilliantly. It was as if the moon had risen right on the ground.
I stood there, entranced by the scene. A gentle breeze rustled the moonflowers, making the silver light ripple like waves. It was beautiful.
“...Wow.”
The encroaching darkness that had prowled like a beast was gone. Pure moonlight bathed the garden, and the whisper of the wind flowed like melody. The pews I'd herded into the temple bounded out into the garden and began rolling gleefully across the ground, just like little kids.
“What is this...?”
I stared blankly up at the sky. An impossibly large full moon illuminated the garden, as if it had been desperately awaiting this moment to reclaim its domain.
[You have reclaimed the Moon Temple.]
[Goddess Nemea is pleased.]
[Goddess Linshaka is pleased.]
[The two goddesses bestow their blessings.]
[Through the two goddesses' blessings, the skill 'Moon Light' becomes even more powerful.]
[Through the two goddesses' blessings, you can now cultivate special 'Moonflowers.']
[You have obtained the Key to the Moon Temple.]
[You have acquired a new title.]
[Moon Gardener]
[You can now visit the Moon Temple at any time.]
[You can now summon special gardeners.]
[The darkness recedes...]
Messages appeared and vanished in a flurry. 'Moon Light' upgrade, special moonflower cultivation unlocked, Moon Gardener title, summon special gardeners... These were some solid rewards. Amazed, I slowly stepped out into the garden. With each of my steps, the moonflowers swayed like they were dancing. Peering closer, I spotted tiny fairies giggling inside the blooms.
'Incredible...'
I turned to survey the temple. The once shabby structure now gleamed silver in the moonlight, revealing its stunning elegance. Above, the moon; below, the moonflowers and pond made it shine even brighter.
“Now I get why it's called the 'Moon Temple.'”
I murmured to myself, then let out a chuckle as I gazed up at the sky.
The next day, with my mana fully restored, I densely planted purification trees around the garden's perimeter and scattered giant pitcher plants and trap plants here and there to fend off monster incursions. That should hold for a while, right?
With the 'visit the Moon Temple at any time' perk, I could just pop in whenever I had free time to tend it.
Or maybe teach the pews to fight... Nah, probably too much for these marshmallow fluffballs.
“Anyway, take care, little ones.”
I patted each of the huddled pews on the head, then dangled the Key to the Moon Temple from around my neck. Just like my first time here, a brilliant portal opened.
“Stay good till big bro comes back.”
I waved to the pews and stepped through the portal.
* * *
“If you're gonna be gone a whole week...”
“I left a note, didn't I?”
“...”
Lloyd must've been worried about my absence. The quiet guy grumbled two or three times. I promised Lloyd and El that I'd never do it again before finally escaping their nagging.
'Looks like my business in Lüset is wrapped up.'
Perfect timing with the oracle quest success. Time to start preparing to leave.
That's when Darion showed up. I figured it'd be a quick farewell, but he exceeded all expectations. His praise—worse, his outright worship—left me embarrassed to the point of cringe.
“Sir Theodore's feats will be talked about for ages!”
“Yeah, yeah, got it—so tone it down a bit.”
I barely, just barely calmed him down, then quenched my thirst with some cold tea. Darion, who'd been yapping nonstop, finally took a sip from his cup too. Looked like he was thirsty. Time for an actual conversation.
“By the way, Darion...”
“Yes?”
“Been wondering since earlier—what's with the outfit?”
“Oh, this?”
Darion beamed like he'd been waiting for that question and pointed to his clothes.
“Yeah, those clothes...”
They look way too much like what I've been wearing, don't they? I swallowed my words and quietly waited for his explanation. No way druid getup was trending among Lüset's elf nobles. And this guy always dressed flashy before—why the sudden change?
“Partly 'cause I want to emulate you, Sir Theodore, and...”
“...Huh?”
“Well, I'm heading out on an adventure soon, and I figured this'd be helpful.”
“An adventure?”
“Yes, an adventure.”
Wait, what? A rich kid like you going on an adventure, not just some trip?
As I gawked at him, Darion scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
“Thanks to you, Sir Theodore, I've had a lot of realizations.”
“What kind of realizations...? We didn't even spend that much time together.”
“Time doesn't matter. What I've learned from you does.”
Oh, brother.
But while I was dumbfounded, Darion was dead serious.
“I'm going on a 'real' adventure, just like you, Sir Theodore.”
“A 'real' adventure...?”
“Yes. A 'real' one, without relying on my status, rank, or privileges.”
No way—you're nothing without those, Darion. I summoned superhuman restraint to hold back the brutal facts and just listened.
“I'll roam this vast world on a real adventure, gain tons of experiences. Just like you, Sir Theodore...”
No, no, no. I haven't roamed the vast world or piled up experiences or anything. Again, I clamped my mouth shut with superhuman effort and kept listening.
“And when I return to Lüset, I'll devote myself to its prosperity.”
“...I see.”
“I want to free the dark elves enslaved everywhere, too.”
Oh, now that's impressive. Attaboy, you've grown up. I looked at him with genuine admiration.
“...That's a noble resolve, Darion.”
“Hahaha! You think so?”
“I'll root for you.”
“Whenever, wherever, I'll push on knowing you're watching, Sir Theodore.”
“Uh, yeah, don't overthink it...”
I shared some basic adventure tips with Darion and chatted about this and that.
As we parted,
Darion held something out to me.
“...What's this?”
It was a small flute. I rolled it around in my hand, then looked back at Darion.
“The Flute of the Silver Forest. A heirloom of my family.”
“H-Heirloom? Why give something like that to me...”
Flustered, I tried handing the flute back. But Darion wouldn't take it.
“I'm not worthy of the Flute of the Silver Forest.”
“What're you talking about? It's the Sylvannus family heirloom, right?”
“...The Dark Forest was once the 'Silver Forest.' They say it got that name because every night, under moonlight, all the trees would glow silver.”
Such a legend? I racked my brain. Oh, right—since I didn't pick elf race, my memories are fuzzy...
“The Sylvannus family guarded the Silver Forest for generations. The Flute of the Silver Forest was a treasure bestowed upon us by the first queen. But the Silver Forest became the Dark Forest... and our ancestors had to abandon it.”
“...”
“After the Sylvannus family left the Silver Forest, the flute was sealed away for centuries. No one touched it. We were too ashamed.”
“...”
“But now the time has come. You've driven out the darkness of the Dark Forest...”
“No, no, not all of it...”
“Sir Theodore, because you appeared.”
This guy's straight-up ignoring me...?
“Sir Theodore, thanks to you, the Dark Forest is ready to become the Silver Forest again. Elves and dark elves have united to banish its darkness. The silver trees will return soon enough.”
Darion clutched my hand holding the flute, eyes shining with desperation.
“So please, accept the Flute of the Silver Forest.”
“...”
Is it really okay to just take a family heirloom like this? I averted my eyes from Darion's burdensome gaze and cleared my throat awkwardly.
“...What if you ask for it back later?”
“As if.”
Darion smiled warmly and bowed his head. I tucked the Flute of the Silver Forest into my pocket. Not like I'm coveting some 'item from the first elf queen' or anything. Refusing a gift over and over is just rude, right?
“So, what does this... er, Flute of the Silver Forest do?”
“...Do?”
Oops, slip-up. To him, it's not an 'item.'
“Uh, I mean, any legends about it?”
“Ah, legends! Right!”
He nodded eagerly and launched into an explanation.
“Legend says that when you play the Flute of the Silver Forest, the plants sing along and bear beautiful fruits.”
Ah, so like playing classical music to cherry tomatoes for better growth.
'I'll have to try it myself to know the real effects.'
If it's just plant growth booster, not that useful...
“And there's a legend that one of my ancestors played the silver flute and subdued dozens of shadow wolves.”
“Ooh...”
Now that's handy. A 'sleep' effect strong enough to knock out a whole pack of shadow wolves! Could be super useful if played right.
“Thanks, Darion. I'll treasure it.”
“Glad I could give it to you.”
Darion spoke with a newfound maturity, far from his old spoiled-kid vibe.