"Master?"
Was this a dream or reality?
"Yes?"
The girl tilted her head to the right, puzzled.
"Master?"
Rubbing my eyes and looking again, it was Cheondo. The distinct facial features and eyes, as if drawn by a brush, were exactly as I knew Cheondo to be. Despite her young age, the dignity in her posture was not far from that of the Cheondo I knew.
She looked like she could be a primary school student, but considering her height, maybe a second-year middle school student.
"I don't quite understand what you're saying."
The doll in front of me spoke, blinking her round eyes filled with curiosity and bewilderment several times. I lowered my gaze to reduce the distance between the girl and myself. As I assessed the girl's magic power up close, I could tell that a substantial amount of magic power was settled deeply within her danjeon.
I wondered if she might be related to Cheondo, but that wasn't the case. Having checked this far, I was certain.
"Cheondo."
"...!"
As I uttered the girl's name, Cheondo's face visibly stiffened.
"How do you know my name? I haven't even told the external relatives…"
Because I came from the future.
The thought crossed my mind just as I felt a sharp pain in my heart.
-Thump!
-Talking about the future is forbidden.
It felt like a terrible pain was telling me, revealing the truth could endanger my life.
I had no intention of mentioning it, but a warning?
Now I understood why the World Tree of Time said we can't mention the future.
"Phew…"
I took a deep breath to calm my mind and body, organizing my thoughts. It seemed like I got too excited about seeing young Cheondo.
Anyway, I had to find my purpose. Since I appeared in front of Cheondo, there must be a reason the World Tree of Time sent me to the past related to her.
I looked down at Cheondo again. Her eyes, which I thought would never show any disturbance even if a thatched house were to burn down, were trembling violently in front of me, and no one else.
For some reason, I felt a perverse sense of elation.
-Thump thump.
At that moment, someone tapped on my shoulder with a menacing hand, embedding a threat.
"…You're a face I haven't seen before. How did you get in here?"
Turning my head, I saw two adult men dressed in black martial uniforms frowning at me.
This place was the private property of Dowon.
"Ah."
"What nonsense. State your name. What business do you have here? Or… you didn't enter without permission, did you?"
Coming from the future, how could that not work? Such an excuse won't hold.
Judging by my complexion, the warriors seemed to have made their assessment, lowering their voices and reaching for their weapons at their waists. Despite having come across time, in this place, I was clearly an unauthorized intruder. Given that Cheondo, a disciple of Cheonma, was here, this place, Dowon, must be very strictly managed.
"…Hmm."
I glanced at Cheondo once and then at the warriors.
I was in trouble. Reluctantly, I gathered magic throughout my body.
Fast enough to be undetectable.
I concentrated magic on the soles of my feet and jumped upwards with all my might.
"What…?!"
I soared like a bird, activating levitation magic.
-Whoosh!
Eating acorns and riding on the energy of the wind magic, a whirlwind lifted me up. My field of view contracted then expanded. From the air, I looked down at the wide Dowon where I had just been standing.
Dowon was made up of a residence encompassing an entire mountain range, with ancient buildings lined up without exception from the foot to the summit of the mountain.
'…It's too vast to set a coordinate.'
Falling from the sky to the ground, I searched for a place to use spatial magic but couldn't find a suitable location. I might really get caught if I was not careful. I didn't want to be hostile since this was the family home of my master.
'Should I even ask for permission?'
While slowing down my fall with the wind as much as possible, I adjusted my direction and landed on the roof of a building.
[Ah, can you hear me?]
Then, the voice of the World Tree echoed in my mind.
'The World Tree of Time?'
[I'm sorry. I lack the magic power… If you wish, I will summon you to the present whenever you want.]
'Now's not the issue. What should I be doing here?'
[I'm sorry. I do not know.]
…Crazy woman.
Though I already knew this, given the situation, I was on the verge of cursing.
'Call me back then.'
[Understood.]
Thunder struck, and -
"Take that!"
"How dare you step into Dowon without permission? If you get caught, you'll really-"
The warriors who climbed onto the roof to chase me disappeared from my sight in an instant.
My body was back in the place where I was with the original World Tree.
The wasteland I had seen before. The place where only one tree starkly stood alone.
I collapsed to the ground, sighing deeply.
My body was shocked by the sudden consumption of magic power.
The World Tree, noticing my quite bad mood, spoke as if making excuses.
[My only role was to send you to the past.]
"I know. I just called you to think for a bit. Can I go back to the past?"
[Until the moment my life ends, it's always possible. For about 5 days.]
Less than a week.
Exactly during the period of the training camp.
[Of course, that also requires a certain amount of magic power supply.]
"Magic power supply?"
[You need to share a bit of your magic power with me. Currently, I have no means to recover my magic power.]
"Well, I can do that much."
Since we've agreed to cooperate…
I reached out my hand and injected magic power into a rotten root protruding from the ground.
After transferring about 50% of my magic power, the World Tree fluttered its leaves in gratitude.
The leaves looked more vibrant than before.
[Thank you, Lee Shiheon.]
"It's creepy, just speak informally."
[No, I cannot.]
Now it was using honorifics.
To such a World Tree, I asked something I had always been curious about.
"…Why is a tree killed by the Tree King helping me?"
[As I've said before, those who inherit the power of the Tree King can always become an absolute being. Not straying from the beginning is the best method. It wasn't so in the past… but this time, we must change from the root. And it will be beneficial for you too.]
"No. I mean, do you have any personal grudge or something?"
[….]
A leaf fell from the sky.
[For the greater good, some sacrifices are unavoidable.]
"…Of all the World Trees I've met, you're the most World Tree-like. Not sure what that means by my standards."
It would be nice if other World Trees were like this.
They seemed to only care about threatening my life.
The others were pretty much all testing my limits, except for the World Tree of Purity.
The World Tree of Healing… That one was as stubborn as me.
The World Tree of Time was a fairy.
"…Ah, speaking of World Trees, do you know who the World Tree of Purity is?"
[I do not know.]
As expected.
I clicked my tongue and stood up.
I wondered if Lee Seyeong had met Jin Dallae by now. I decided to put that thought aside for now.
Can't mess up big things because of current relationships.
Given the potential this situation had to influence my life,
The face of young Cheondo was still vivid in my mind. Having experienced it, it was obvious that it was related to my master. How should I approach this?
"Is the place the same?"
[No, the time and place change every time. Where it moves to… I'm not sure either.]
"It's your ability, yet there's so much you don't know."
[I'm sorry.]
I supposed I would have to accept it as fate.
Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any being trying to harm me forcibly like before.
"If the future is so messed up that even the World Trees are stepping in…"
[…I cannot answer that now.]
"Just talking to myself."
I sat quietly and meditated for a few minutes.
What should I do in the past?
My actions could potentially alter the present.
[No. The present will not change.]
A point made by the World Tree, cutting through my thoughts.
[It's a complicated issue to explain… It would be good for you to know that.]
The World Tree, which emerged to change the future, asserted that it could not change the present. Despite the contradiction, this was a relief for me. It meant there was no need to restrain my actions. Before long, I reached a conclusion.
If there's no objective, then I would do as I pleased.
If there's something I want to say to young Cheondo or anyone else, I'll tell them everything before I leave. It would be good to extract all the information I can get from that place. Maybe I can learn something about the Flower. And since it had come to this, I thought about meeting the person known as Cheonma once.
"Send me back to the past."
[…Understood.]
The World Tree's magic enveloped my body again.
The changing view. How many times has it been?
The repeated spatial movements were enough to give me a headache.
-Thud!
I landed in a cozily dark place.
Where was this, and when?
Touching the floor, I felt the warmth of an ondol heating up. With a click, a lamp turned on. An old lamp on a bedside table lit up, brightening the room warmly.
"…?"
It was just a moment.
Just then, my eyes met Cheondo's.
The time was dawn, the location, a bedroom.
Cheondo, having just bathed, wrapped her hair with a towel as big as her body. A white towel draped below her neck made her look like a rabbit. Though she was dressed lightly, it was fortunate that I wasn't dead for being an unknown intruder who brazenly entered the bedroom of the great Cheonma.
"…"
"…"
Cheondo blinked, unable to accept the situation, and continued to dry her hair in the same posture.
"…You."
Why was the timing always like this?
I called out to the World Tree of Time, but no answer came back.
It seems I'm really in trouble.
Inside a luxury suite of a hotel.
-Zzzzzz.
Seyeong smiled gently as she skillfully served flower tea to Dallae. The table was piled high with sweet snacks.
"You don't dislike sweets, do you?"
"Yes."
Instead of the snacks, Dallae swallowed her bitter saliva, observing Seyeong's complexion.
Dallae's hands, clasped politely, trembled like a reed in the wind.
Today, they had gathered here to talk about a relationship with a man. Given the subject matter, Dallae couldn't shake off her nervousness no matter how hard she tried.
"You must have read the message."
"…"
"What do you think?"
Seyeong was the first to break the silence.
The man in question was Lee Shiheon, who was not present. The content of Seyeong's messages was all shocking to Dallae, who had confessed her love to him the night before.
She had heard about Lee Shiheon's complicated relationships with women, including his relationship with Seyeong. They were all heart-wrenching stories that were hard to hear with a clear mind. That's why Dallae had trouble managing her expression since she entered the room.
"Professor Seyeong."
"You're speaking so formally. We were once close as student and professor. Speak freely."
Freely, honestly.
Dallae finally spoke, her words filled with sincerity, without any flattery.
"…Honestly, I'm not sure what you're trying to say."
"What part?"
Lee Shiheon's relationships with women, even from Dallae's smitten perspective, were not exactly wholesome. Anyone else would have condemned him for toying with women.
Of course, Dallae had long known the reasons for his behavior from Seyeong.
"The husband of the World Tree… I don't know why he didn't tell me, but I understand."
Due to unfortunate circumstances, he was targeted by the World Tree, leading him to embrace other women as part of a quest. Dallae understood that his relationships continued to grow because he naturally formed deep connections and struggled to sever them, causing problems.
Polygamy… Honestly, she didn't mind.
Because of love. She couldn't imagine him favoring just one person.
From Dallae's point of view, it was a good story.
An attractive proposition. Any woman who liked him would be tempted.
Personally, Dallae wished to have him all to herself, but that was just a minor regret. This discussion was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become closer to him.
But human emotions weren't so straightforward.
Because she liked him, she could consider his position and try to empathize… Putting herself in his shoes, regardless of her own feelings.
-Thump.
The more Dallae thought about his position, the colder her heart felt.
It was painful to admit, but Lee Shiheon liked Seyeong. He had even confessed his feelings.
Confessing must have taken a lot of thought and courage.
However, Seyeong coldly rejected him.
"Why did you reject his confession, Professor?"
Dallae was curious about Seyeong's decision.
Why reject it?
For what reason?
Guaranteeing one person's love for a lifetime.
Even as societal attitudes changed, the story of a man and woman's eternal love, one-on-one, was what everyone dreamt of.
Dallae had told him she would commit her life to him, and her sincerity contained no deceit. Only those who have confessed can understand such feelings.
-I don't know.
That one sentence she heard was unbearably painful.
It's difficult to express.
It feels like being prodded with a knife, legs trembling, unexpected tears springing forth. Yet, not wanting to lose the other person, even if it seems like facing a cliff, one ends up rambling. The words that come out can't be normal, but you do it anyway. Because you like them.
If someone can cleverly get over being rejected in a confession.
That person was either not sincere in love or possessed extraordinary mental strength.
That's why Dallae was angry at Seyeong for rejecting his confession.
"…It's not like you're playing with him."
Emotion leaked into her voice.
"What is it, exactly?"
To Dallae, their relationship seemed like that.
"Rejecting the confession but giving vague hopes for the future, continuing to meet while leaving possibilities open."
Her hands trembled violently.
"Yet encouraging him to see other women…"
The frustration she felt throughout the message reading was there.
"If you like him that much, just accept his confession and stay with him for life. Do you even like him?"
Seyeong didn't sip her tea but quietly listened to Dallae's words, as if hearing something profound.
"Think about him… If it were me."
"If it were you?"
"…I wouldn't have let him be so stressed."
Accepting the confession from the start was the solution.
In such cases, breaking one's love was secondary.
To Dallae, Seyeong's stubbornness seemed selfish.
Like everyone, Dallae was also selfish, but…
Even being aware of it, everything went haywire when it came to Lee Shiheon. And she hated herself for not realizing it until now.
Dallae's obsession was rightly directed at Lee Shiheon.
"So, that's what you were curious about, Dallae."
Seyeong murmured bittersweetly, smiling softly at the agitated Dallae.
"There are excuses. Not that I'm right, but excuses. Whether Shiheon will accept them…"
It was trivial.
"Keep it a secret. If he finds out, it'll be chaos."
"…"
Seyeong chuckled, forcing a laugh as she continued the conversation.