Book 12 Chapter 9

The Child Who Weaves Hearts (4)

“Setsunen, how old is that child now?”

Celine asked.

It was sometime at noon on the day after the morning birds stopped chirping.

When the sound of fallen leaves being swept by the wind in the garden was heard, Rain came out of the bedroom, scratching his head.

“Eleven years old.”

“She’s the same age as our Nike. I wondered why you asked me to bring an eleven-year-old; are you trying to make her a friend?”

“I wish it could be so…”

Miria sighed.

“But it’s strange. Aki, when he was three, I think, was already that big when he returned to the continent. Now he’s a complete adult.”

“They say that for dragonkin, mental growth directly leads to physical growth.”

Miria wore a sad expression.

At some point, Nen’s mental growth stopped… Such a follow-up comment did not continue.

Rain, instead of Miria who was uncomfortable due to pregnancy, simply prepared breakfast and brought it to the table.

“It’s alright. Aki also had a moment when he grew rapidly. Nen’s is just a little late.”

“I wish that were true…”

“I’m telling you it will be.”

Celine let out a small laugh.

“You two, seeing you talk, you really seem like a wonderful couple.”

Then, with a bitter smile, she looked towards the other side of the garden, where the children were.

“By the way, you two must be going through a lot of emotional distress… Nike, I told you it’s not that way! Why do you always fail to fix that part! Aren’t you going to do it properly? You’ll get hit!”

A scolding like a whip flew in.

The young disciple, Nike, had been training the basic forms of the Cheonhwa Sect since morning.

Although the morning air was quite chilly, his body was soaked with sweat.

“Aren’t you teaching him too harshly?”

“Right. You, when you taught Aki, you were so affectionate.”

“I don’t act like that with everyone. I know it’s a bit harsh, but… I can’t help it.”

“Why?”

Then Celine glanced at her disciple far away, and then, hiding her expression and voice, she spoke.

“That kid is a rough gem. His growth is incredibly fast. They say twenty flames bloomed even on the sacred tree, you know? It means he has outstanding talent and an excellent mindset. If I’m to pass on my legacy, he’s the only one. All the other kids are mediocre. If they have skill, their mindset is poor, and vice versa…”

That expression, that voice…

It was so similar to her own expression when talking about Aki, Nen, or Mir, that she let out a surprised laugh.

Yes, it was due to special affection. Its expression was merely coming out as strictness.

“Now, a short break! If you’re going to drink water, drink it quickly! Don’t let your body cool down!”

Of course, that expression and voice were only momentary; when speaking to her disciple, they became strict again.

I don’t know if that’s a good thing… Is there a difference in method between scholars and martial artists?

Of course, if I had to choose one of the two, I would choose a gentle method like my master’s.

“Yes, I understand.”

Nike replied.

After replying, Nike, who had been catching his breath, turned his gaze.

Towards the girl of light who had been secretly watching him from behind a tree in the garden since earlier.

“Why?”

Setsunen was startled.

And soon, shaking her head from side to side, she hid behind the tree.

At that sight, which could be called innocent if spoken kindly, or foolish if spoken unkindly… she felt an unprovoked envy.

“You’re lucky. You can be loved just by being like that.”

It had been a long time since he encountered someone whose words and heart perfectly aligned. That stimulated Nen’s curiosity.

“Look, no matter how hard I try, I don’t get a single compliment. From the beginning, Master doesn’t even care about me. He always just praises Grand Senior Brother Aki.”

“…?”

“I’m not as pretty as you, and with this scary-looking face, there’s not a single thing I’m good at, so my parents probably abandoned me and ran away.”

At that moment, Nen clearly felt the tentacles of darkness, sprouting from the depths of that heart and coiling around the soul.

That darkness coiled around the heart, slowly tightening the breath… suffocating it to death.

Like a mirror, that darkness was reflected directly in Nen’s heart, and Nen’s breathing also began to quicken.

‘No, I can’t…’

She clenched both hands tightly and pressed down on her chest, on the gap where the darkness was trying to leak out.

If the darkness spreads again.

If the darkness spreads out again.

Dad will be troubled. Dad will be sad. Dad will be in pain. It’s suffocating. It’s painful.

“Nike, what are you doing! You need to train again! This time I’ll show you a demonstration, so don’t slack off and watch carefully.”

What instantly swept away that darkness was Celine’s single command.

Something in that heart… a light like hope bloomed, and the darkness disappeared.

Could it be like this just from being told to train? Nen found this change simply wondrous.

“Dad!”

Therefore, she ran to Rain.

Rain and Miria, who had been having a serious conversation, smiled brightly and welcomed Nen.

“Why are words and hearts different?”

Rain was greatly surprised by that question, which, in its purity, clearly pierced the essence of a person.

And he was also happy about Nen’s growth, as she had become interested in that difference.

Unable to control his joy, he grabbed her by the side, lifted her up, and held her in his arms. Miria asked.

“Nen, do you like cream bread?”

“I like it!”

“There are largely two types of cream bread, right? Ones with cream lavishly spread on top, and… ones where it’s simply hidden inside.”

“Nen likes the one that’s spread on top!”

“Why do you think that?”

“You can’t know the taste of something hidden inside without tasting it.”

Miria smiled gently.

“A person’s heart is just like cream bread. While some people can beautifully reveal their true feelings, others can’t reveal them and hide them. Rain was also such a person.”

“Why are you talking about me again?”

“What’s wrong with that? Hehe, you were quite cute back then.”

“Oh, that’s enough! Don’t talk about such boring things, and don’t even recall them.”

“But I find it interesting? It’s so, so interesting that I feel like dancing.”

Nen, who had been chewing over Miria’s story, tilted her head.

“You can know the taste of bread with hidden cream once you taste it.”

“Huh?”

“But how do you know a heart?”

Rain and Miria exchanged surprised glances.

Those words seemed less like a question and more like the first step on a journey of self-discovery.

It felt like an action of chasing the backs of her siblings who were already walking to the other side of the world.

“A heart is a little more difficult. One of the two needs to have courage. The courage to show that taste to the other person, or the courage to wait until the other person shows that taste.”

“Hmm… it’s difficult.”

“Yes. It’s difficult for us. But isn’t it easy for you, Nen? Connect those unreachable hearts.”

“How?”

“It’s not difficult. You just need to make them want to buy the cream bread. Then they’ll figure it out on their own.”

* * *

“Celine, are you leaving already?”

“Yes, I can’t leave the sect empty for too long, can I? And it would be rude to a newlywed couple to stay longer. I’ve already been indebted for two days.”

“That’s fine, though.”

On the third day, Celine let out a small laugh and shook Miria’s hand.

The fastest way to traverse the Bellisor Grand River was by boat.

Before boarding the small narrow boat docked at the harbor, Rain handed Celine some simply packaged bread.

“Nen kneaded the dough all night and just baked these for you to eat on your way back. She learned it from Miria.”

“Really? But that doesn’t make her cuter than Aki, so wasn’t that a futile effort?”

[So kind, what do I do, thank you, she’s like an angel, so impressive, I didn’t expect her to even bake bread, I want to kiss her all over her face.]

What horror!

Nen, who was hiding behind Miria’s legs, let out a terrified hiccup as she eavesdropped on that runaway mind!

Nike looked at such a Nen with envy once again, then followed Celine onto the boat.

“Since she baked it from early morning, let’s eat it now while it’s moderately warm.”

[I couldn’t say thank you, but she’ll be happy if I show her I’m eating it deliciously, right?]

“Yes, Master.”

The bread had care put into its dough, and its fermentation was rich, giving it a good texture; the cream inside was also soft and sweet.

That kid, she makes bread well…

Nike, who suddenly felt a fresh sense of misery, lowered his gaze to his feet.

It was then.

Like a lightning bolt, a thought that was not his own swept through his mind.

[Should I also try to be a little gentle, like those kids do…?]

It was Celine’s voice.

Startled, he raised his head, but Celine was chewing bread with her mouth full.

There was no way she could have made a sound… Perhaps feeling his gaze, Celine looked at Nike.

[No, I can’t. Who knows how long I can stay with him. There’s no guarantee that an incident like that time won’t happen again…]

What on earth was happening?

Was he so lonely, so starved for affection, that he was now even hearing hallucinations?

[I have to pass on everything I have… even if I have to be a little strict.]

There’s no way she would think such things.

She even said that he was the first useless disciple like this, and no one else would take him, so she took him on herself…

That self-deprecating delusion crumbled the moment he saw a faint smile that momentarily brushed Celine’s lips.

[Later, after I’ve raised him into a proper disciple, let’s have him meet Aki. I wonder what kind of reaction Aki will have. I also feel like he’ll guide him on this and that as a senior brother… Hehe. A meeting of beloved disciples, I’m looking forward to it.]

Nike’s vision blurred. He hurriedly turned his head and wiped away tears.

Is this magic… no, a miracle?

Did learning the Elder Sect Leader’s heart mean his desperate prayers were answered? No, it’s this bread. It’s since eating this bread. And the one who baked this was…

— I hope you know the taste of the cream in your heart.

That was Setsunen’s sincerity contained within.

While kneading the bread, while adding eggs and milk to the bread, while waiting for the bread to ferment, while putting it in the oven and watching each one.

With flour-covered hands, the heart carefully placed upon the bread.

— Because it hurts if the cream of one’s heart goes bad due to darkness.

That heart allowed Nike to momentarily lift the veil of his own heart and see Celine’s true feelings.

Consciousness Resonance (共鳴).

A fragment of the power that would later bestow upon Setsunen the epithet "Lightning Scent." On this day, with that power, Setsunen for the first time wove together the hearts of people.

“Hey…!”

Although the harbor had already begun to recede towards the far end of the horizon, Nike ran to the stern of the boat and shouted.

“…Thank you!”

He didn’t know what exactly had happened.

He didn’t know what kind of miracle this was, what power it was, or if it might have even shown him a pleasant hallucination.

Nike was saying that, and the echo of those words and his heart clearly reached Setsunen.

“Thank you. He says thank you to Nen.”

The mysterious magic contained in those words engraved a pulse, a sensation Setsunen felt for the first time, in her chest.

“Nen.”

Placing a hand on Nen’s head, Rain smiled gently.

With the same smile as when his old master gave him the name Rin (Rin; 봄바람).

With that name, the master had said this: Rin, you will be a child who announces a new spring to the world.

“How is it? Do you understand a little how many great and beautiful things you can accomplish with that power from now on?”

The moment those words touched her heart, like new buds sprouting after a long winter.

‘It’ grew.

Piercing through the flesh that had protruded like a swelling on her forehead, cautiously revealing its dainty form.

“Rain…?”

Miria’s lips trembled.

Staring intently at Setsunen’s forehead, which Rain couldn’t see because it was hidden by her straw hat.

He couldn’t understand that look, but as Miria lifted Nen’s straw hat, she simultaneously explained the reason.

“…Nen’s horn has emerged.”