Chapter 161
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 161
Chapter Title: Lesson 33. Jade Star - 1
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Lucelle said the star's name was Jeda.
It meant "jade" in her tribe's language.
"I get why they call it jade."
"I wonder if there's another star quite this bold in its hue."
As they crossed the dimensional barrier and drew closer to the star, Ban Yu-won and Dokgo Yeon wore expressions mixed half with wry smiles and half with awe at the sight unfolding before them.
The entire star was blanketed in green.
"Lucelle, does this planet have no oceans?"
"There are plenty of rivers. But the towering trees make them hard to spot."
Lucelle, who had been nestled in Ban Yu-won's arms ever since sipping her hot chocolate, replied in a subdued voice.
They pierced the atmosphere and descended below, revealing a landscape utterly filled with trees rising skyward with ferocious height.
Gazing at trees that grew kilometers tall, he keenly felt just how otherworldly this place was.
"Let's see... We're following the coordinates Professor gave us for now. Think we'll run into your father if we head this way?"
"Yes. The beastkin mark their territory with decorations hung on the trees..."
Lucelle took Ban Yu-won's hand and tapped the screen.
A section of the surface expanded, bringing into view the treetop branches of trees soaring several kilometers—perhaps even dozens—high.
A round bracelet-like ornament, woven from pink and black fur intertwined with sharp beast fangs, dangled there.
Ban Yu-won instinctively glanced at Lucelle's hair.
"It's not my hair!"
Realizing what he meant, Lucelle—uncharacteristically—raised her voice at him and covered her face.
"It's from Mother... Mother and Father's hair, woven together..."
"So that's how they mark territory. That tree looks at least ten kilometers tall. Hanging it up there must've been a chore. Can you see it from the ground?"
"It emits a unique scent infused with magic power, so it's easy to sense."
"I see..."
Ban Yu-won imagined Lucelle's parents as he stared at the sticky intertwining of pink and black fur, proof of their bond as husband and wife.
Come to think of it, he'd heard stories about her father before, but nothing about her mother.
The pink fur must've come from her mother, right?
She probably looked a lot like her too—physically speaking, of course...
Ban Yu-won closed his eyes, picturing Lucelle all grown up and mature.
"Nope, can't go there."
It was already veering into R-rated territory, so he shut it down immediately.
Meeting her like that would be terrifying...!
"...Yu-won? You're not imagining anything weird, are you?"
"Weird? What weird?"
He could never admit who he'd been thinking of, not even on his deathbed.
Ban Yu-won averted his eyes from Lucelle's piercing gaze and played dumb.
"Whoa?"
As they descended toward the surface, skimming past the towering trees, the branches atop the destination trees suddenly shivered.
Then they parted to either side, clearing a path.
"Ah, looks like they're opening the barrier for us."
"Barrier? Ha!"
"Wow..."
In an instant, their view opened up, revealing the ground kilometers below. Ban Yu-won and Dokgo Yeon let out low exclamations of admiration.
He'd been fretting over how to land the spaceship amid all the trees, but this was the last thing he expected.
Once the tree barrier parted, exposing the open ground, a single beastkin stood there in a bizarre pose.
Even from afar, they could see branches wrapped around her body.
"Wood Mastery?!"
"It's the authority to control trees."
It was Wood Mastery!
"Among beastkin, only the Lazy Monkey tribe possesses this innate authority. They can cast spells over vast swaths of trees to block outsiders and sound alarms, making it impossible for any tribal nation on this star to stand without them."
"So, nobility status, then."
"Yes. There are only a handful left—they live long but are incredibly lazy, so they don't have many descendants. Father's been worried about that..."
"Breeding's instinctual, but if even that's too much hassle... Hang on a sec...?"
Lazy Monkey.
Slothful ape...
Sloth!
"Living in the trees all the time must've let her master controlling them..."
"How'd you know?!"
As Ban Yu-won mused that these innate authorities might not be so grand after all, the spaceship lowered its altitude and entered the sea of trees.
It closed the kilometers-long distance in a flash and landed softly on the ground.
As Ban Yu-won's group emerged, the ship shrank to the size of a palm and slipped into his inventory on its own.
—Ah!
"School equipment—don't eat it?"
—Sulky...
He sternly warned Lilith, who had lately taken to devouring any machinery that entered his inventory like it was hers, then looked up.
The Wood Mastery user—the Lazy Monkey beastkin—was approaching them.
...Very, very slowly.
Watching her draw near, Lucelle whispered to Ban Yu-won.
"She's the only Lazy Monkey in our tribe: Sloti."
"Lives up to her name, alright."
The one thing that exceeded Ban Yu-won's expectations was how stunningly beautiful she was, even from a distance.
Everything else fit the sloth image to a T.
Her golden hair hung in wild tangles to the ground, untouched by scissors since birth.
Her lithe frame was barely covered by haphazardly manipulated branches and leaves—too lazy for proper clothes, perhaps.
Her large, round brown eyes were half-lidded in perpetual drowsiness, the smoky shading around them lending a sharp edge that her sleepy expression utterly undermined.
"What is this, the birth of Venus...?"
"Does that girl have some leg problem?"
"She's just slow...!"
Hearing their whispers—or perhaps fed up with her own pace—she finally spoke as she trudged forward with effort.
"Weeelcooome..."
Even her words dragged.
"Hello, Sloti. Could you call my father?"
"Whaa...? Luceeell...?"
Only then did Sloti seem to recognize her, opening her eyes wide.
She looked shocked, but even that was so sluggish it felt like theater.
"Can I beat her?"
"Hold back, Dokgo Yeon! She's probably not doing it on purpose!"
"Luceel, whyyy...?"
"The Chancellor must've sent us here since it's my home dimension. Don't be too shocked."
Unlike Lucelle's wry smile and casual reply, Sloti looked downright glum.
"Sooorry..."
"Did you call Father?"
"Yeeah, prooobably by noow..."
As Sloti began to elaborate with a drawn-out "gooot,"
A thunderous boom! echoed, and a massive beastkin male landed nearby, shaking the ground.
"You've come, Lucelle."
"Daddy!"
She called him "Father" in front of others.
As Ban Yu-won chuckled inwardly at the thought, Lucelle bounded over and threw herself into the man's arms.
"I'm sorry. It's my weakness that forced even my daughter to step in."
"Daddy...!"
Her slender frame looked tiny against his enormous bulk—five of her might barely match it—and his height topped 2.3 meters, easy.
His wild pink hair and eyes were striking... Wait, what?!
Her father was the one with pink hair?!
"The tribal wars keep me busy enough, but now dimensional pirates are eyeing this star's resources. Even I couldn't handle it. To think they'd send you... Those damned Union bastards..."
"It's okay, Daddy. I brought my master with me. You won't have to worry about the 'Hegemon of the Forest' anymore!"
"What?! You've found a master, you?!"
"Yes♥"
The man's startled shout shook the forest.
Detaching from him, Lucelle hurried back and tugged Ban Yu-won's arm.
"No, wait, hold up, Lucelle, timeout."
"Come here, Yu-won. No, Master...♥ This is my father."
"Hooo..."
"Ah."
Ban Yu-won felt his stomach churn under the man's gaze.
He had to greet this hulking brute—who could snap his spine like a twig—with "Hello, I'm the master of your daughter"?!
Leaping off a cliff sounded safer...!
"Hah. No wonder that bastard's been in a foul mood lately..."
In the suffocating tension, unsure when his spine might snap,
The man stared down at Ban Yu-won for a long moment, then let out a sigh with an incredulous look.
"Does this make sense? This kid's soul rank surpasses everything I've built in my lifetime? It's not just high—it's on par with our ancestors."
"Hee, this is my master. Picked a good one, right?"
Lucelle, who had been moping the whole trip here,
Now beamed with genuine pride as she clung to his arm, happier than ever.
Fine, if Lucelle's happy, a snapped spine or two is worth it.
With that, Ban Yu-won decided to just smile.
"You... I worried when Union dragged you off out of nowhere, but to bring back such an outstanding man. Well done, Lucelle."
"Ehehe."
"I'm Kanid, Lucelle's father. I lead the Wolf Fang, the largest beastkin tribe on this star. Pleased to meet you, daughter's master."
Kanid, chieftain of the Wolf Fang, thrust out a hand.
"Ah, yes. Ban Yu-won. Call me whatever."
Ban Yu-won shook it, flustered but firm—bracing with the concept of Solidity in case it crushed his hand instead.
It didn't.
"Few beastkin find a master worthy of lifelong service. Especially my daughter, who had it hardest... For a talented young man her age to take her in—I'm truly grateful. Take good care of her, Yu-won."
"Likewise."
As they shook, Ban Yu-won tilted his head.
The vibe was softer than he'd imagined.
His daughter drags home her "master"—not even a husband—and it's all heartwarming?!
Stunned by the unforeseen turn, but the reason was simple.
Beastkin placed immense value on soul rank.
Ban Yu-won, with a soul strong enough for innate powerhouse Lucelle to serve as master, was the ultimate catch for any beastkin.
And her father, knowing her suffering from the constellation, could only welcome him.
"Hmm... Indeed."
Finishing the handshake, Kanid turned to his daughter, nodding as if convinced.
"No wonder your wild nature surged. Your heart-road was cleared."
"Yes. And Master even restored my wildness..."
"You're turning our beastkin foundations upside down."
"But it's true."
Seizing the moment, Lucelle eagerly touted Ban Yu-won's prowess.
She looked just like a bride-to-be listing her fiancé's virtues to win over parents.
Watching from behind, Dokgo Yeon snorted.
Sloti took laziness further: she'd resealed the barrier with the trees and was now dozing against a protruding branch.
"So, have you mated yet?"
"Pfft!"
"Embarrassingly, not yet..."
Ban Yu-won coughed at the bluntness while Lucelle shook her head indignantly.
"Hm, you're still students, so unavoidable—but don't dawdle too long. I'll tell your mother; get some pre-marital training while you're here."
"Yes!"
Ban Yu-won sensed someone's aura spiking behind him and swore never to look.
Noticing it too, Kanid glanced their way—spotting someone behind Ban Yu-won—and whispered.
"...Your master must be quite popular, huh?"
"Yes, insanely."
Maybe don't say that with him right here.
But they both looked dead serious.
"So, who's first wife?"
"That's me."
"Good girl!"
Kanid boomed with laughter, ruffling Lucelle's hair roughly, then looked up.
"Can't send my long-lost daughter straight to the battlefield just because she brought her master. Feast tonight! Sloti, spread the word to the tribe!"
"Huuuuh..."
Ignoring everyone, Sloti sluggishly lifted her head at her name and snapped her fingers—equally slowly.
The entire forest shook like trees stretching awake in her stead.
The signal for a tribal gathering.