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Chapter 241: Descent of the God (1)
A garden filled with pure white flowers.
A man with black hair, wearing a white mask, was humming a tune while watering the flower beds.
“…You really seem to like those flowers.”
Behind him, a man with white hair and a golden monocle let out a deep sigh as he watched the masked man.
“Well? It’s not like I grow them because I particularly like them.”
Not because he likes them, huh?
phisto glanced at the white flowers filling the garden.
Inside the greenhouse, which was larger than a sports field, only that single type of flower blood in abundance.
“For soone who claims that, you seem to be growing only these white flowers.”
“Haha.”
“What’s the na of this flower?”
“It’s called a chrysanthemum… Do you know it?”
“I know that the people from the old Republic brought it over from another world.”
“That’s right.”
The masked man slowly walked deeper into the greenhouse filled with chrysanthemums.
White flowers in full bloom.
As he walked among them, he looked like a lone figure strolling through a snow-covered plain.
“What do you think? Beautiful, isn’t it?”
“They are beautiful, but… I think it would be nicer with other flowers as well.”
“Hmm, that won’t do.”
“Do you have a reason?”
“I have no need for anything other than chrysanthemums.”
“……”
phisto swallowed a hollow laugh as he looked at the masked man.
To begin with, chrysanthemums neither contained mana like Seven Star Grass nor had any dicinal value.
Saying that he ‘needed’ to grow them didn’t make any sense.
“Let’s put the flower talk aside. You said you had sothing to show ?”
“Yes.”
With a light snap of phisto’s fingers, a translucent screen appeared in the air.
A video played on the screen.
A young man with dark gray hair was fiercely battling an Apostles of Destruction.
“This is…?”
“His na is Dale Han. He was the one who defeated the Apostles of Destruction and extinguished the ‘Ember.’”
“……”
“His official status is listed as a Hero Academy candidate, but it’s likely a cover identity.”
“…Ha.”
In that mont—
A laugh slipped from the masked man's lips.
“Ha, haha! Hahahahaha!”
Holding his stomach, the masked man burst into a fit of laughter.
“…What’s so funny?”
phisto frowned at the bizarre reaction.
“Ah, my apologies.”
The masked man fixed his gaze on the image of Dale, twisting his lips into a sharp grin.
“At last… At long last, the ‘seed’ has sprouted.”
Like soone discovering an oasis in a barren desert.
Like soone finding a single ray of light in endless darkness.
The ‘God of Eternity’ opened his arms wide toward Dale.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Dale Han.
* * *
A worn-out research lab within Hero Academy.
Despite the academy’s prestigious status as the continent’s sole institution for hero training, the wooden building looked shabby—more fitting for raising livestock than for conducting research.
Knock, knock.
“Ah, co in.”
Creak.
As I stepped inside, I saw Professor Jade.
“It’s been a while, Professor.”
“Tsk—You brat. Now that your luck’s turned for the better, you don’t even show your face around the lab anymore… Ungrateful punk.”
“Haha. But you haven’t been lonely with Senior Sophia around, have you?”
At the ntion of Senior Sophia, a smile spread across Professor Jade’s lips.
“Heh, that’s true. Ah, did you hear the news?”
“You an that Senior Sophia beca your assistant?”
“Yes! Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d be taking on a disciple at my age! And not just any disciple, but soone as brilliant as Sophia!”
From the pure excitent in his voice, it was clear he was thrilled to have her as his assistant.
“Congratulations.”
“Ahem. That said, I still have one more assistant position open. Once you graduate…”
“Ah, Berald’s taking that spot instead of .”
“What?”
Professor Jade’s face turned pale.
“B-Berald… You an Berald Ryu, the candidate…?”
“Do you know any other Beralds?”
“A-Ah, no…! Not that brute…!”
Professor Jade shook his head frantically, horrified.
“But if you don’t accept Berald as your assistant, Senior Sophia will probably quit too.”
“Aah! How… How could this happen…?! What on earth does she see in that musclehead to follow him around like that?!”
“Well, love doesn’t need a reason.”
“If that brute cos into my lab, it’ll turn into a disaster zone every single day!”
Holding his head as though he could already picture the chaos, Professor Jade groaned.
“There’s still so ti before Berald graduates, so don’t worry too much.”
“Ugh…”
“Anyway, is the thing I requested ready?”
“Sigh. It took longer than expected, but it’s finished.”
Professor Jade let out a deep sigh and opened a drawer.
From within, he pulled out a white necklace adorned with seven stars—the symbol of the Seven Star Church.
“This is an artifact crafted from the relic you gave . I must say, even though I made it myself, it turned out to be a masterpiece worthy of boasting about.”
“You shouldn’t boast about it.”
If word got out that I had stolen a relic from the Holy Kingdom—especially the relic of ‘Grace, the Light of Life’—even Principal Lional wouldn’t be able to cover for .
“Hah, hah. Don’t worry, I know.”
Professor Jade handed the pristine white necklace.
“As for the paynt…”
“Oh, co now. Must we talk about paynt between us?”
“Still, accepting such a fine artifact for free doesn’t sit right with .”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
Stroking his gray beard, Professor Jade pondered for a mont.
“That necklace—you’re planning to give it to Candidate Iris, aren’t you?”
“Ah, yes. That’s the plan.”
“Haah. Youth, youth.”
Letting out a soft sigh, Professor Jade spoke with a bitter smile.
“Then let’s do this. Rather than paynt… would you be willing to listen to a story of mine?”
“Huh?”
“You see, when I was young… Oh? I used to be quite popular, you know…”
And so began Professor Jade’s long-winded reminiscence of his youth.
“At that ti! I just couldn’t bring myself to confess my feelings to her!”
“……”
No, seriously.
I’d rather just pay the damn money, old man.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
* * *
Thus ended my nearly four-hour-long flashback on life.
Finally freed, I dragged my exhausted body toward the party house.
‘I’ll give her the necklace tomorrow.’
Originally, I had planned to et with Iris today and hand it over right away, but after being completely drained by Professor Jade, that thought had vanished.
As I climbed up to the party house lounge to catch my breath—
“I heard Lanez beca Dale’s personal maid?”
“U-uh! I wake Dale up every morning now!”
“…Are you living together?”
“No… I-I wanted to, but… Dale said no to that… So for now, I’m staying in a room Professor Elisha prepared.”
From beyond the lounge door, I could hear their casual chatter.
“Co to think of it, even Lanez has worn a maid outfit now… That ans everyone except Professor Elisha has worn one at least once, right?”
“Hm. Maybe I should get one too?”
“No. We’ve seen too many maid outfits already… Is there anything else?”
“Well… I asked Juliet before, and he ntioned another outfit. What was it called again…? Ah, a bunny girl. He called it a bunny girl outfit.”
“I-isn’t that too risqué?”
“Hm. I feel like Dale would like it.”
…What the hell are they talking about in there?
I let out a small chuckle and opened the lounge door.
“Eek!”
“D-Dale?”
“Oh… Weren’t you supposed to be at Professor Jade’s lab?”
“Ahem!”
Gathered closely around the lounge table, Iris, Yurina, Professor Elisha, and Lanez all flinched and turned to look at .
“…What are you all doing here?”
As I narrowed my eyes at the four won, they each looked away, feigning innocence.
“I-it’s nothing. Just a strategy eting… I an, no! A, um, a bonding session! We’re just having a bonding session!”
“Y-yeah! We’re all Dale’s lovers, right? S-so… uh…”
“We were discussing ways to pin Dale dow—Mmph, mmph!”
A web suddenly sealed Lanez’s mouth shut.
Professor Elisha, on the other hand, remained composed, leisurely crossing her legs and sipping her coffee.
“We simply gather from ti to ti to strengthen our bonds as won and share our recent experiences. Nothing for you to worry about, Dale.”
“……”
Nothing to worry about, huh?
“Haa.”
As I let out a short sigh—
“…Oh?”
Iris’s gaze locked onto my uniform pocket.
“Dale… What’s in your pocket?”
Did she sense the artifact’s energy?
Iris stood up from her seat and approached .
“Hm…”
I had planned to give it to her tomorrow, but since she had already noticed, there was no reason to wait.
“Iris, rember when I told you about eting Grace’s lingering spirit during our school trip?”
“Ah, yes.”
“At that ti, when Grace’s spirit vanished, she left behind a sacred relic.”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a pristine white necklace, handing it to Iris.
“This is an artifact made from that relic.”
“…From Lady Grace’s relic?”
“Yeah. I asked Professor Jade to refine it into an artifact. Using it as it was would have made it too easy for the Holy Kingdom to detect.”
“Ah…”
With trembling hands, Iris accepted the necklace.
The mont she put on the pendant engraved with seven stars—
Vwooooooom!
A dazzling rainbow-colored light burst forth, enveloping her entire body.
“What’s this…?”
As I squinted at the sudden brilliance—
The rainbow light gathered in the air, gradually forming the translucent figure of a young girl.
[…Ah.]
Grace, the Light of Life.
One of the five great heroes who sealed the Demon God and saved humanity 500 years ago, slowly opened her eyes.
“You are…”
Iris stared at the girl with trembling eyes.
Her appearance was quite different from how Grace was depicted in the Holy Nation’s records.
But sohow, Iris knew.
She instinctively understood that this girl was, without a doubt, Grace.
[…My child.]
“C-child?”
[Hehe. Yes. Though we may not be connected by blood, we are bound by a bond far deeper than that.]
Grace gazed into Iris’s rainbow-hued eyes and smiled warmly.
[You are my daughter.]
“……”
Iris’s eyes trembled violently.
Daughter.
For soone who had grown up an orphan, that word was utterly unfamiliar.
“Ah…”
Why?
Why did that unfamiliar word feel so warm?
Iris bit her lip, struggling to hold back the tears threatening to spill.
[I never thought I’d get to see you again.]
Grace’s gaze shifted toward .
[Hmm. Co to think of it, you ntioned being my daughter’s lover before, didn’t you? What do they call a daughter’s husband again…? Ah, right. Son-in-law. That’s the word.]
Grace let out a playful chuckle and waved at .
[It’s good to see you again, son-in-law.]
“……”
Through Grace’s translucent form, I could see Yurina, Lanez, and Professor Elisha all staring at in shock, as if they had no idea what was going on.
“Uh… um. N-nice to et you, mother-in-law.”
A cold sweat ran down my back.
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