STM 14

“Yeah, I know. He sure knows it damn well. But don’t worry. I don’t keep the best mercenary unit on the continent as my guards for nothing. Those bastards grind their teeth when they hear the name Adeye, but so what, huh? Let’s see if they can even touch the tip of my toe!”

“Doctor Kim, it’d be better if you stop stepping on Kun from now on.”

“There’s nothing to be scared of. The world’s about to fall apart because of Kun, so we should step on them even harder. So, what’s the reason for failure that came out in the message I sent?”

“…Only one family can close the Eye of Hell.”

“Which one? Don’t tell me it’s a family I didn’t sponsor. No, I made sure to reach even the ones without divine beast power, just in case. Say it. Which family is it?”

“…I already said it.”

“When?”

Just now. I muttered and added in a lower voice.

“I said Kun.”

“…Where?”

“Kun.”

“K-kun?”

“The Kun family.”

“…”

“Doctor Kim?”

I called her anxiously and got ready to bring someone if needed. Because Doctor Kim wasn’t breathing at all.

“It’s fi…”

“Huup!”

She suddenly inhaled hard, then drank another potion bottle. Bang! The bottle hit the table as her eyes flew wide open.

“That’s impossible! Kun’s divine beast was destroyed!”

“But the scroll says otherwise. It says only the awakened Kun’s divine beast could close the Eye of Hell.”

“…You’re saying the divine beast was hiding?”

She asked about the sacred being like it was some neighborhood pet. I nodded, and she checked again with shaking eyes.

“So, the one who can save our world is only Kun? That bastard with divine beast power is the only savior?”

“…Yes.”

She closed her eyes. Then she reached out and rang the bell herself. In less than a second, the door opened, and a crowd of healers and her chief aide rushed in.

At that moment, Doctor Kim fainted gracefully in front of everyone. Right after that, the chief aide started yelling at me.

“What did you say this time?! Do you really want our matriarch to die?!”

I was innocent, but I had nothing to say. Because I hadn’t even told her the part that’d shock her most yet. Damn it.

***

The next day.

I slept by Doctor Kim’s side all night and came in the morning to check on another patient.

“She wakes up sometimes and falls asleep again. The time she stays conscious is getting longer, but we still haven’t found the cause of the illness. Do you have any information at all about the patient?”

The woman in a healer’s robe asked for Petal’s details. But all I knew was that a spirit stayed right beside her like a guardian. I glanced up at the floating spirit just in case.

[Humans are so dumb~ They can’t even wake our Petal up~~ They’re feeding her baby poop water~~ Ew gross~~]

…Feeding what? I turned my eyes in shock.

“What’s wrong?”

“Can I see what they’re feeding the patient?”

The healer showed me a bowl of beige thin porridge.

“It’s a liquid meal we give while she’s awake. It’s made of milk, grains, honey, and several herbs.”

Ah. It’s good for the body. How’s that baby poop water. I looked at the spirit in disbelief. The spirit instantly noticed my stare and argued back.

[Our Petal’s all grown up~~ But they’re giving her milk that’s for babies~~ And it’s all pale and watery like baby poop~~ Humans make no sense~]

I ignored it and thanked the healer.

“It looks really nutritious. Thanks.”

“It’s too early to thank me. Like I said, none of the medicine’s helping much. I wanted to check her past medical history, but you don’t even know her name…”

The healer trailed off awkwardly. I barely held myself from bowing in apology.

Mo said Lu never thanked or apologized, so I had to be careful. I already got in trouble before just for saying thank you.

“So you’re looking down on me because I don’t know?”

My tone should’ve been harsh, but it sounded timid instead. But the healer reacted just as I wanted.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I just wanted to know if there’s anyone else who could tell us about her.”

“…There’s no one.”

There’s the spirit. But it’s no help at all. I asked for the patient’s real name, and it only said Petal is Petal. That idiot looks down on humans so much too.

[Humans are dumb, dumb, dumb~ What’s good for our Petal is a wide field~~ Under the dawn sky~~ With deep pink pretty leaves blooming~~ Pink, pink~~ Pink pink~ Pink pink~ Pink pink~ Pink pink~ Pink pink~]

‘Mo, can you cut the repeats down?’

I grumbled, and Mo answered right away.

[I already cut a lot.]

‘So you can’t do more?’

[Yes, I can. But I might crash if processing power runs out.]

Really, cutting words takes that much? …Damn spirit. How much pink do you need to say? I sighed and asked the healer.

“Do you know any plant that grows in a wide field and its leaves turn deep pink under the dawn sky?”

Flinch. The healer stepped back in clear surprise.

“Why… why are you asking that?”

What’s with that reaction?

“I just wanted to check if you knew.”

“Of course I know. It’s a deadly poison that can kill with just a touch.”

…What? I turned my head up toward the air in shock. You bastard, you weren’t guarding her, you were trying to assassinate her?!

“Lord Lu, what’s over there?”

“Uh, an evil spirit… No, nothing.”

The healer gave me a strange look but asked seriously.

“Then why did you suddenly bring up that leaf?”

“Oh, just because you’re a healer. I wanted to test your skills a little. But you really know your stuff! You’re very skilled.”

I patted her shoulder and pulled my hand away in 0.1 seconds, then walked out of the clinic. I meant to scold the spirit, but Petal must have stuck right next to her, because there was no trace of it.

Instead, I saw a bunch of other beings. Big and small strange creatures floated in the air.

They looked like the ones I saw at the resort lake. But all of them stayed far away and only watched me. None of them came close. None of them spoke.

It felt like they were scared of me… or maybe they were scared of something else.

I glanced back toward the clinic where the spirit was. Well, I’d figure that one out later. The important thing now was Doctor Kim.

Would she wake up a little faster this time? I wondered, and just then, one of Doctor Kim’s close maids came rushing from afar.

“Lord Lu, here you are. The matriarch has awakened.”

***

“I’ve been thinking.”

Doctor Kim spoke from the bed, half sitting up. I thought she’d stay unconscious for a few more days, but she woke up miraculously fast. Probably because she got so mad.

“I’ve thought it over for a long time.”

You woke up less than ten minutes ago, I wanted to say, but I kept quiet because she was still a patient.

“If what the scroll says is true, then fine, it can’t be helped. That damn Kun, I’ll… I’ll bring him to my side.”

Even ten minutes of reflection wasn’t enough to accept an enemy of ten years.

“Are you really okay with that?”

“You said Kun’s the only one, right?”

Well, that’s what the scroll said. I nodded, and she frowned.

“Then I have no choice. If saving our world means I have to kiss a demon, I’ll do it.”

“A kiss with a demon isn’t that big a deal…”

“Do you want me to make you my enemy?”

“I’m sorry.”

“No.” She waved her hand and sighed.

“You must be exhausted, suddenly ending up in another world. You must be disappointed that the only informant of Tubain keeps collapsing like this.”

“I’ve never been disappointed. And you’re not the only informant.”

Her eyes lit up like she’d been waiting for that answer.

“That’s what I wanted to ask. I’m not the only one who settled here, right?”

“Yes.”

“How many? If they had the coordinates through my scroll, the chance of successful transfer would be higher, right?”

“In theory.”

I started there, then after glancing at her, I added.

“But only one succeeded in reality.”

Her eyelashes fluttered briefly.