Chapter: 253
“Well then… I think I have a lot to teach you both, so please take me as your master.”
“Master…?”
“Me too?”
Arthur and Vivian looked at me with a hint of unease.
Well, that’s not weird.
It’s only natural to feel uneasy about making someone who looks like a so-called sage wrapped in an old rag into your master.
In that case… I have no choice but to show you.
“Follow me.”
I led the two of them out of the old stone house.
First of all, those two will need a place to live.
And they’ll need food to eat and clothes to wear.
While this sage’s body was made of stone and needed nothing… those two are living human beings. Shelter, food, and clothing are essential for any living creature.
So.
I lightly tapped the ground with my sage’s hand.
At that moment, a small sprout shot up from the earth.
It was the sprout of a tiny tree.
“What is this…?”
The two boys and girls stared down at the sprout peeking out of the ground with puzzled expressions.
Gurrrrrr!!
With a thunderous noise that shook the ground, the little sprout suddenly grew into a giant tree.
Arthur and Vivian took a surprised step back at the sight of the towering tree.
“What on earth is this…?”
“A tree just sprang up…”
“Oh, it’s just a minor trick.”
The tree that rapidly grew by soaking up the magic I scattered began to take on the shape I desired.
First, it grew into a large tree, then a spacious hollow formed inside its trunk, a hole opened to connect the inside with the outside, and that hole got big enough for doors and windows.
Well, since we’re at it, let’s throw in a second floor. After making the tree grow taller, I increased the height of the hollow space to make it suitable for a second floor, then raised walls and ceilings to divide the interior.
The door needs to be made separately and attached later… but I can just cut a suitable piece of wood and attach hinges to make a door later.
And just like that, a simple wooden house suitable for living was created, lacking only furniture and doors.
It wasn’t a house built from wood; it was a house that grew up on its own from a tree.
“This is… magic…?”
“No, brother. No wizard could do something like this. It’s more akin to spirit magic, I think.”
Arthur and Vivian couldn’t hide their awe as they watched the tree quickly take the form of a house.
Of course! You can only see this in the vast forests where elves dwell.
Well, elves don’t grow trees overnight like this. They plant seeds, nurture them, coax them to sprout, and then use tree spirits to help them grow into the houses they desire.
From the tree’s point of view, the elf ensures its safety while providing ample nutrition. From the elf’s standpoint, they gain precious living space. It’s a win-win situation for both elves and trees.
The only downside? It takes a long time… but elves have time to spare anyway. After all, unspent time is what they have after living for a thousand years.
Ah, of course, not all elves build their homes this way. Some prefer to build out of stone, and some special breeds even dig caves to live in.
Probably the only materials they don’t use for building are the lumber made from cut trees.
Let’s gloss over the architectural styles of those elves for now.
“It’s a slight adaptation of how elves build their homes. Elves regard trees as family, so they can’t cut them down to construct their abodes. Instead, they grow trees of the desired shape to use as homes.”
“Elves… I’ve heard that they get really angry if you break even a single branch.”
At present, they don’t concern themselves with leaves or fruits that fall naturally, but they still can’t tolerate broken tree branches.
Honestly, something like leaves falling off is no different from hair shedding! What’s the difference between that and hair loss?
“I’m not an elf, so it’s fine for me to chop down trees to make a house… but I wanted to show you both that I can do such things.”
People prioritize believing what they see, hear, and experience firsthand.
Even if someone else repeatedly tells you something dozens or hundreds of times, the way you accept it isn’t the same as experiencing it yourself just once.
That’s why I decided to show you this directly.
What a wise man of the deep forest is capable of.
“I am a being that can do much more than just this. I’m probably one of the most capable beings among those who walk on two legs and live upon the ground.”
I didn’t lie. Not even once.
The first one is a countable number, after all.
“So, don’t doubt what I look like.”
“Oh, yes.”
Good! Then shall we begin?
Princess Maker… no, since the ultimate goal is the emperor, it might be more correct to call it Emperor Maker.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Before that.
“Vivian. Please become the Dragon Priestess.”
I spoke to Vivian, who was clutching her chest with some difficulty, aiming to ease her pain.
“Dragon Priestess…? Are you talking about the one from the Hero’s legend?”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t the Dragon Priestess the companion of the nameless hero, acting as an agent for the Goddess of Life?”
“The title of Dragon Priestess doesn’t refer to a specific individual. The Dragon Priestess is someone who can hear the will of the Goddess of Life directly.”
Since the best-known dragon priestess is the one who accompanied the hero, people mistakenly equate Dragon Priestess with the hero’s partner.
“Was becoming a Dragon Priestess something that could happen just by wishing for it?”
I softly shook my head. There’s no way you can become one just by wanting it, right?
Let’s overlook that girl’s lineage since it’s so tangled up; it’s not that significant. If we were to select just the humans who carry the hero’s blood, we’d easily surpass hundreds of thousands.
The most crucial factor? Magic power. The immense magical energy sealed within the body. Without it, it’s impossible.
“I’m saying this because Vivian has the talent. If she becomes the Dragon Priestess, her body, weakened by poison and disease, will be reconstructed and restored.”
“Reconstructed…”
“Your appearance will change a bit during that process. But, well, it’s just your horns that will grow.”
“Horns?”
Vivian placed her index fingers beside her head, mimicking the shape of horns, and I nodded slightly.
To be precise, I’m the one giving them to her.
A dragon priestess without horns isn’t a true dragon priestess!
“Is that… absolutely necessary?”
“Well, if it’s your wish, it’s fine not to go through with it… But then you might die before you become an adult, right?”
“Yes?”
Vivian’s face hardened upon hearing my words.
What’s up with that? I figured she’d be prepared to die after eating that poisoned food, but she’s still just a kid?
“Isn’t it possible to treat this with your, sage’s, power?”
“It would actually be quicker to die and come back to life. Of course, if that happens, you’d have no choice but to become the Dragon Priestess.”
Dying would release the seal within her body, transforming her, and she’d automatically become the Dragon Priestess.
“Isn’t there another way?”
If we meticulously transform her body into something new, it might be possible.
Rather than taking on such a bothersome task, simply making her a Dragon Priestess right away seems easier.
“Don’t you want to become a Dragon Priestess?”
“Oh, well… if I accept that offer… I feel like I wouldn’t be me anymore. That thought scares me.”
“Not being you anymore…”
It’s not entirely wrong.
Her appearance will change, her body will transform, and if you factor in the horns I’m attaching… it’ll probably feel like she’s a completely different being.
“Though your outer appearance may change, your soul will remain unchanged.”
That’s because the soul stays the same. No matter how her body might change, the profound essence of her being remains.
“And if you become the Dragon Priestess, you’ll gain immense power. With that power, you’ll be a tremendous help to Arthur.”
“Brother’s… help?”
“Yes. You’ll be able to use resurrection magic, capable of bringing someone back to life shortly after they’ve died.”
To be precise, it’s not magic at all. It’s just me asking the gods to do me a favor in my name.
“A magic that resurrects… the dead?!”
“Arthur’s path ahead is going to be arduous. If someone at his side has the strength to reverse death… well, I don’t think I need to explain more.”
To reverse death means to reclaim lost chances. Making failures vanish as though they never happened.
Such importance would be grasped instantly by the clever Vivian.
“I will, I will… I will become the Dragon Priestess!”
“Good decision, Vivian.”
“Please, just call me Vivi. I like it better. Master.”
Hmm. Master. It feels refreshingly different to be addressed this way.
“Alright then. Since you’ve made up your mind, let’s do this. Vivi. It might hurt a little and get a bit uncomfortable… but just hold on. There’s nothing else to do but endure anyway.”
“Yes?!”
With that, I unleashed the seal within Vivi’s body.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
That day, a revelation was delivered to the Church of Life.
“A child who can hear my voice has appeared.
Let that child be treated as my incarnation and revered.
Welcome the new Dragon Priestess.”
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