Chapter 175
Chapter 175
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 175
Chapter Title: Heavenly Fire, One Dragon
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"Before we decide on this, there's a place we have to go. A place I want to go, too. If it's okay with you, will you take me there?"
It was the morning of the next day.
Celine emerged onto the cabin terrace, leaning against the wall to steady her unsteady body, and said this out of the blue.
"I'll pass on guiding you down the mountain path."
"That's not it."
From her calm, composed voice—unlike yesterday—you could tell she'd made some important decision.
"Where do you want to go?"
"My hometown."
"Hometown, hometown, hometown."
Amid the midnight hush of the mountains where stars chattered around the moonlit barrier, we arrived at Huayeon Peak of the Crimson Mountains.
As if hinting at the two fierce battles that had taken place here, the Cheonhwa Sect's dojo lay in ruins.
The interior of the dojo had been obliterated almost without a trace, and the outer structures had melted, burned, or been blown away, making it impossible to discern their original shapes.
Celine, who had been carried up here by Valendis's telekinesis, now began walking on her own power, leaning on her staff.
"This used to be the training grounds."
The witches who had cleaned up the aftermath had erected countless grave mounds on the site of the old training grounds.
Nameless tombstones. Celine's eyes, gazing down at those wrongful, fleeting deaths, gleamed poignantly in the moonlight.
Perhaps because I didn't know what words of comfort to offer—or if I did, felt I had no right to say them—I could only clasp my hands and pray.
'Please forgive this unworthy disciple in my stead...'
If Fride had been here instead of me, she would have soothed those spirits who couldn't reach heaven in their resentment with her prayers.
Ha...
A short sigh mingled with deep regret escaped me, and immediately beside me, a cute voice mimicked that sigh—not mournfully, but adorably.
When I opened my eyes, there was Aki, eyes closed, hands clasped in prayer, mirroring my exact pose.
"You don't have to copy that."
"Abuu."
I ruffled her hair with a faint smile, and Aki purred happily.
Seeing that, did Celine glimpse a lost connection of her own? She smiled wistfully and led us to the next spot.
"I'll stay here."
Valendis remained before those graves.
I couldn't know what was in his heart as he knelt politely, quietly examining each tombstone with his serene eyes.
Curiously, Pippi had landed on his head and stayed there before the graves, too.
"When you perform the initiation rite at the dojo—when you're accepted as a disciple—you have to show your face to this one."
"This one?"
At the northern end of the dojo, in the area least damaged by the fires of war, a massive tree rose majestically.
I couldn't help letting out an exclamation at the sight of its grandeur, its fresh shoots swaying in the breeze.
"Crimson Cherished Tree...?"
The Crimson Cherished Tree is the sacred tree of the Crimson Mountains, said to absorb and purify impure energies.
Its trunk was even larger than the cabin we'd stayed in outside Aurelinople—a miracle worthy of the gods.
It dwarfed any Crimson Cherished Tree I'd seen in the Crimson Cherished Grove with Miria.
"I've never seen one this big in my life."
Even the Abyss's rampage, centered on this dojo, had been fully absorbed, leaving no trace of rot in the trunk where moonlight filtered through.
"Martial arts were born from the conviction of forging body and mind to become dragon-like beings—the aspiration toward ascension."
Celine placed her hand on the trunk and spoke as she gazed at the quietly rustling leaves.
"Great and noble... But since martial arts allow anyone who trains diligently to wield immense power, depending on who wields it, it could become a tool for harming the innocent."
"..."
"That's why our sect always carefully selected those we taught—our disciples. This sacred tree made that decision."
Was she recalling the day her master had brought her here? A sad smile briefly touched Celine's lips.
"This tree can peer into a person's heart. See how pure their soul is."
"But even if it knows that, how does the tree make the choice? It can't speak."
"I asked the same question. The tree will answer. See for yourself. Seeing is believing. Aki... was it?"
"Akirea."
"Right. Have that child place her hand on the trunk."
Had she sensed something from the tree? Aki, who had been sucking her thumb and staring at it, toddled over without a word from me and placed her hand on the trunk.
For a moment, nothing happened.
In the night's silence, with no wind blowing, the leaves suddenly began to rustle... and then something unbelievable occurred.
Whoosh...
...Whoosh, whoosh...
.........................Whoosh...
Suddenly, every leaf on the sacred tree turned into flames, burning beautifully.
Miraculously, the leaves didn't burn away at all; they simply glowed warmly like lanterns, illuminating the world.
As I stared in awe at the mystery, a dazed mutter reached my ears.
"I've never seen all the leaves turn to flames before. Never even heard of such a thing..."
Was it because dragons have no inner malice? Or was it revering the mountain lord's return after three hundred years?
There was no time to ponder the answer—the scene before us was too breathtakingly beautiful.
I later learned that even a single flaming leaf meant acceptance as a disciple, and twenty or more warranted personal guidance from the sect leader or elders.
"When this sacred tree selects a disciple with over thirty flames, and they possess skill, character, and renown besides, they are called the Heavenly Fire One Dragon."
Celine knelt on one knee, placed her hand on Aki's head, and said,
"Since the great tree has chosen you, there's no defying it now. Perhaps it's urging me not to give up."
"Up—?"
"Very well. I, Celine, once the greatest disciple and Heavenly Fire One Dragon of the Cheonhwa Sect, accept you, Akirea, as a disciple of the Cheonhwa Sect. Great tree, bear witness to this day and guide Akirea along the path of ascension."
Ascension... For one born already ascended in body, training the spirit seemed fitting enough.
At her blessing, the tree's flames burned even more elegantly and beautifully.
But the moment Celine grasped Aki's shoulders, Aki bolted and hid behind my legs.
"She's still young and shy around strangers. But I'm sure you'll get close soon enough."
Not quite like with Miria, then.
With Miria, they'd bonded instantly—while I, her protector, was asleep. And Miria had been even younger, just a spirit then.
Still... After witnessing the initiation rite, I found myself trusting this ronin Celine a great deal.
'Not just skilled, but her heart toward martial arts is upright and admirable. Even without the apology, I could entrust her to her.'
Celine glanced between me and Aki, then let out a self-deprecating scoff.
"I thought she sensed I'd drag her into a sect without a dojo now that it's been wiped out, and ran off."
* * *
Aki inhaled the river breeze crossing the water with all her might, then beamed and pointed to the horizon with her tiny finger.
"A—baat, ove—r the—re, whe—re the wa—ter mee—ts the sky—y."
The boat rode low in the water, so spray from the bow splashed onto the deck in droplets, making Aki giggle each time.
She'd cling tightly to my legs in fright when fish leaped or herons landed on the water...
Moments like this made the journey ahead feel so long... But who cares—this kid of mine is cute enough to die for.
"Yeah, the water really meets the sky."
"Sky, sky, sky, nngh, sky-sky-sky."
"You stay still, now."
Pippi, who'd been teasing Aki, fled to the stern to escape my grasp.
It was a boat with no oars, just sails.
Three ferrymen maneuvered it with poles and sails—not headed to the sea, but to the next riverside village dock.
Two days by cargo ship, half a day by sailboat.
By evening, we'd leave the Aurelinople region entirely, entering the violet city.
"Listen up, Aki."
"Aki, lis—ten—ing."
Huh, tears?
Lately, her rapid growth—picking up human speech so fluently—filled me with emotion like a tidal wave.
Sit, lie down... Feels like yesterday I was teaching her that.
"This person from now on is your master."
I pointed to Celine, sitting cross-legged on the deck, meditating and circulating her energy.
Perhaps glimpsing hope for life in Aki, Celine had resumed eating and meditating five days ago, her complexion slowly improving.
Focused on her own recovery first, she hadn't had a chance to bond, so Aki still seemed awkward around her.
Peeking out from behind my legs, Aki asked,
"Ma—ster?"
"Master."
"Ma—ster—nim."
"Yeah, yeah. There's a saying: one with the master, one with the parent. So from now on, you treat her like you treat me."
Aki looked back and forth between Celine and me, then shook her head vigorously.
"Aki, hate."
"Aki, no."
"Aki, hate—s it."
"Good, good."
I stroked her head, and Aki rubbed against it more, purring for more.
"You gotta act cute like that with your master, too. Same as with me. Got it?"
"Aki ha—te, ha—te a—bu—ni—yo."
Everything's perfect, but why does she say her name first like Pippi? Eh, she's cute, who cares.
What would Alakishi say if she were here? Probably "One more Aki charm attack~!"
Deep in my heart, that pounding thrill in my soul made it feel like Alakishi was happy, too.
"Can't be helped. Not 'treat like daddy,' but act similar."
"Si—mi—lar?"
"Yeah. Similar. Now, greet her. Belly-button bow~ Hello~ I taught you yesterday, right? Go on, 'Hello, Master~!'"
Aki stepped out from behind my legs, clasped her hands demurely at her navel, and bowed deeply.
"Aki, he—llo~"
I wasn't the only one whose lips curved into a heavenly smile.
Everyone watching... Even the ferrymen at the rails, poling or adjusting the billowing sails, closed their eyes and swayed, savoring that voice.
Even Celine's listless eyes, still weary despite her recovering energy, lit up for a moment—no need to explain just how adorable it was.
"Wanna greet the ferry uncles, too? Go on, 'Hello~!'"
"Fe—rry un—cles, he—llo~, he—llo~, he—llo~."
Aki bowed politely to each of the three ferrymen, who responded with exclamations of delight and applause.
"Oh man~ What a cutie. If my wife gave me a sturdy girl like that, I couldn't even complain if she ran off now."
Not my daughter... And more importantly, I don't even have a wife.
I gave up on correcting the laughing ferrymen. No point explaining—it'd just complicate things.
Greetings done, Aki hid behind my legs again. Probably recharging her abaat gauge.
I turned to Celine.
"She's still shy, so how about starting in earnest after the next village dock?"
Celine, staring at Aki with a dazed expression—meditation forgotten—nodded immediately.
Only after that little cuteness storm settled did Valendis approach from the stern, where he'd been watching for pursuers or attackers.
Having grown close during our last joint op, Pippi dozed on his head, and Valendis moved carefully not to wake her.
"You're really planning to stop at every riverside village on the way to Terbenople?"
"Only the ones not under the two great cities' domains. Help if there's need. With the red witches' numbers so depleted, problems must be cropping up everywhere."
It was true Tureina had spread the Republic's final revival with her schemes.
But it was also true she'd sown disasters across the world with unspeakable atrocities behind it all.
Mistakes by my lacking disciple—it's my duty as master to bear them. Like when the dean aunt bowed her head for me back then.
Might not help much, but I wanted to clean up her messes, however imperfectly.
"Planning to atone, then?"
Valendis pierced my intent sharply—his tone far from friendly.
Come to think of it, unlike Yuliana, he'd been hostile to Tureina from start to finish. Didn't even come to her funeral.
I didn't ask why, and he didn't pry into how deep my ties with Tureina ran.
That was our distance.
"No."
No intention of overstepping with atonement. Couldn't visit every city or village anyway, and doubtful they'd welcome it.
"Just self-satisfaction."
Only then might this sad, stifled heart ease a bit.
Only then might that pitiful soul starting anew in the Mirngardia body find some peace.
Unbeknownst to myself, I must have worn a truly sad smile then.
"I thought you were in a hurry."
Valendis glanced at Aki as he spoke.
"No big rush."
"Who said?"
"Someone."
"Hmm."
"And anyway, you planned to teach martial arts in Terbenople. Better to travel like this, breathing fresh air, than hole up there for months."
"Heh."
"What, not to your liking?"
"No."
Valendis closed his eyes with a smile more translucent than usual—like at the school festival I alone enjoyed, first and last.
In the river wind whipping his light brown hair, he murmured softly,
"I think... it doesn't sound bad."