Chapter 15
MIRA WHIPPED the nameless fruit out of her Item Box to show it off. “The Queen of Hearts is the result of the blood, sweat, and tears of a farmer who made it their life’s duty to selectively breed this fruit!”
She held up the Queen of Heart’s ancestor. While the Queen of Hearts was delicious, this nameless fruit was nigh inedible. The sheer difference between them made Mira certain that Martel simply fiddling with the flavor would not be enough to make up for it.
When she saw the fruit, Martel was surprised. “My, my. That someone must have toiled greatly to improve this.” It seemed she admired the farmer’s efforts. Despite having had nothing to do with it, Mira grinned smugly.
However, the Spirit King seemed bemused. “Martel made that for a punishment game a long, long time ago. I still remember the horror of its taste. It was awful! Just awful. There must be some strange folk among you if they bothered to use that.” Remembering the too sweet, too sour taste of it, he pursed his lips and grimaced. So, he had eaten the nameless fruit on a dare, of all things.
“Oh, don’t be rude. The spirits of dawn love it; they say it’s the perfect wake-up call in the morning.” Martel smiled proudly at the Spirit King, who only muttered that it was “awful.” No doubt she was happy as long as she could help someone, anyone, in whatever way possible.
Mira was horrified. She had learned a most unexpected truth in the most unexpected of situations: the fruit that had been developed into the Queen of Hearts, one of the Four Major Fruits, had been created as a prank. And yet it had become one of the Four Major Fruits. History had deemed it a success. This was a difficult pill to swallow. Mira put this concerning truth in a deep corner of her mind and imagined the taste of the Queen of Hearts.
Just then, a single vine stretched out before her.
“Would it be…like this?” Martel said, prompting a single red fruit to grow at the end of the vine before falling onto the table. When Mira picked it up, Martel smiled as if challenging her. It didn’t look different, but she seemed to think she’d improved it.
“I’ll be the judge of that.” There wasn’t any point in thinking about it. Ready to see just how much she’d improved that awful taste, Mira brought the fruit to her lips. Then, after taking just a single bite, her expression softened, exactly as Martel had expected. “Ooh… What a sweet flavor!”
The fruit’s flesh melted as she took a bite, allowing juice to flood her mouth. A moderately sour taste first treated her palate, followed by mind-melting sweetness. It had a balanced flavor second to no other fruit Mira had eaten thus far. It was sweet enough to put all of what humanity called the Four Great Fruits to shame. The pinnacle of all fruit’s potential lay in her hands. Mira was grateful that she was here to bear witness to its flavor, and quietly savored each and every bite.
“So, it seems you like it?” Martel smiled happily at her, and the Spirit King watched with just a hint of envy. He was clearly interested in just how much that awful fruit had been improved.
***
After devouring it, Mira finally said, “I admit defeat.”
Such was the power of a progenitor spirit; even countless generations of selective breeding could be matched as naturally as breathing. And no doubt the flavor of it was even better than any farmer could muster, even after hundreds of years of labor. She hadn’t eaten a real Queen of Hearts yet, but Mira was certain that it could not compare to this. That was just how striking the red fruit’s flavor was.
Mira laughed at how they’d succeeded in amazing her, before taking her half-consumed all-season au lait in hand.
Just then, the Spirit King spoke up, “And to think, that was only a taste.”
“Come again?” Mira believed that Martel had shown off her awe-inspiring power in full.
That was only a taste? What was her true power, then? What could come after the perfect pinnacle of fruit, the ultimate flavor?
As Mira racked her brain, Martel turned her focus to the summoner’s hand. Mira held an all-season au lait, a blend of four fruits, representing the seasons, mixed with milk and honey for flavor. She had said nothing about it, yet Martel managed to list all the fruits used in it, just by leaning in to smell it.
“That drink has four fruits mixed with milk, right? And…flower nectar?”
Incredible. Even when they’re mixed to this extent, she’s able to discern the plants involved, just by scent. I’ve heard world-class chefs can do the same, though, so this fails to fully amaze me.
Mira had accepted defeat, but only once. The Spirit King’s claims began a second round, and she was ready to win this time.
“Are you still hungry?” Martel asked the stubborn Mira.
“Of course. I can fit plenty more!” Mira left their contest aside and replied promptly, obeying her appetite. Every fruit that Martel made was sublime, but Mira put up a stubborn resistance, hoping to surprise them with her stamina.
Another vine stretched out and left one fruit for Mira: a white, oval-shaped fruit.
“Give it a try.” Martel smiled sweetly.
Taking this as a new challenge, Mira bit into the fruit nonchalantly. “How can this be?! This is…!”
The tastes of all four seasons filled Mira’s mouth. There was a gentle sweetness, as well as a refreshing tartness. A powerful scent stood out, too, yet it somehow served to harmonize it all. This white fruit tasted like strawberry, cherry, plum, and apple—all four flavors used in the all-season au lait. But it didn’t end there; it even replicated the richness of milk and sweetness of honey. In short, this white fruit was all-season au lait.
“Someone looks amazed. This is Martel’s true power.”
“Does it please your palate?”
The Spirit King and Martel looked proud. The flavor itself wasn’t especially shocking—Mira was quite used to the taste of all-season au lait—but the fact that Martel could so easily produce fruit that matched the flavor was mind-boggling.
“I had no idea. But, well, I suppose that is what makes you the progenitor.”
Understanding Martel’s true power, Mira shuddered at the possibilities that lay within. It wasn’t as if there was a fruit out there that tasted the same as all-season au lait; this white fruit was a new breed that Martel had created here and now. That was what mattered. However, she was only using her power to amaze Mira.
Now that the young summoner was amply amazed, the Spirit King—master of even the progenitor spirits—began to answer Mira’s questions in more detail.
There was Martel, the progenitor spirit of flora, and the primordial spirits beneath her. Primordial spirits of flora were able to freely create any and all kinds of plants, but only those that already existed in the world. The sublime, snow-white peach that Martel had created used the power of evolution, while the red fruit she’d made utilized the power of change. Both were only adjustments to existing fruits—such was the power given to primordial spirits.
Martel also had the power of creation, however. She alone could create new breeds. This was the most important distinction of all, the Spirit King explained.
“The creation of new breeds… That is an incredible power.”
What would happen if she used this power to create a plant with high fertility and survivability, which spewed poison that could easily kill people? If Martel wished, she could destroy the world with ease. The progenitor spirit’s power was akin to that of a god’s. However, Martel was peaceful; she’d never think of doing such a thing.
“Ha ha ha. Amazing, isn’t it?” she giggled, looking quite proud of herself.
“Indeed. I never expected to experience something so amazing down here,” Mira answered honestly, gazing at Martel’s sunny smile. At the same time, a question crossed her mind: “Why is such an amazing spirit locked down here, anyhow?”
While she couldn’t imagine it, based on how the woman currently acted, maybe she had been too much of a prankster back in the old days. Perhaps she’d offended the wrong god and had gotten herself locked up or something.
Surprisingly, the Spirit King had the same question. “I’ve been wondering that myself. I’ve been behind in world affairs since I got stuck in my Spirit Palace, and I can’t imagine how you ended up here.”
Long ago, the Spirit King’s power became unstable—probably due to the taboo violated during the oni war, long ago—leaving him trapped in the Spirit Palace. While it was called a “palace,” the Spirit Palace was essentially just a fancy jail that even progenitor spirits could not reach. As such, the Spirit King knew nothing about what had happened to his kin after his imprisonment. He could see the world through Mira and the spirits she contracted with now, though, and he used these connections to gather information. Unfortunately, he’d yet to hear anything about Martel.
The last time they’d met was when humanity fought the king of monsters, during Forsetia’s time. Humankind had mustered its wisdom to develop a device that would wield the Spirit King’s unstable power. During the decisive battle, he had appeared on the planet’s surface, blessed Forsetia, and led the charge. Martel had used her power to the fullest in order to save humanity.
The battle had ended with humanity’s victory. At the same time, the device controlling the Spirit King’s power had reached its limit and went out of control. Forsetia was able to suppress it because she’d happened to be nearby at the time, but the device was left useless. This meant the Spirit King was unable to say goodbye to his kin, who’d worked so hard for this victory, and became stuck in the Spirit Palace once more.
“Forsetia told us what happened to you. We were all so sad that we couldn’t see you again, Sym. Me included, of course.” Martel turned away theatrically and pouted.
The Spirit King was clearly a pillar of support to all spirits. Just when they’d thought they would receive words of congratulation and gratitude for their victory, it had been ripped away. Needless to say, they were dejected.
“It was all too sudden. Forgive me,” the Spirit King replied.
Martel smiled in response and said, “Forgiven.” Then she added, “Anyway, hmm… First, let me correct the record on one thing. I’m not trapped here.” The passage leading here had been sealed many times over, using divine mineral, but Martel said that it wasn’t meant to keep her from leaving—it was meant to protect her from the outside.
“Really? You seemed lonely, so I misunderstood,” Mira replied. When she’d sensed Martel’s presence from afar, she’d seemed miserable, making Mira think she was trapped. However, it seemed she was here of her own volition.
“I’m sorry for being misleading. Maybe I felt that way because I sensed traces of Sym.”
However, being here of her own will and being lonely weren’t mutually exclusive. Martel’s happy smile made Mira glad that she’d bothered to come all this way.
“So, Martel. Why are you here?” the Spirit King urged, as if trying to hide his own feelings.
“You never change, do you?” Martel smiled. “Maybe I have something to protect.”
An item protected by a progenitor spirit, of all people? I sense untold treasures! Mira quickly let her imagination run wild. That was only to be expected—a room hidden by gods, deep in a dungeon that was home to a progenitor spirit… What could they possibly be protecting? Surely, anyone would expect something incredible, especially those who loved fantasy.
The Spirit King looked around. “Something to protect? I’m afraid I can’t see anything that fits the part,” he said.
They were in a single house in a large clearing, covered by layers of vines and flowers. This would be the ideal candidate for a hiding place, but…for what?
“Hee hee. Did you think you’d find it so easily?” Martel puffed out her chest and added that the flowers and trees around this house were able to deceive all powers of exploration and scouting. She was confident that she’d hidden the item in a way that would make it impossible to tell just by looking.
“You’re quite thorough. That will only make finding it all the more worthwhile!” Excited by the prospect of a treasure hidden with the full power of the progenitor spirit, Mira began searching all around the room. The Spirit King, too, began poking around, if only to spite Martel’s smugness.
Martel watched the two run around with equal parts entertainment and joy. “Warmer? Colder? I dunnooo…” she said, decidedly provoking them.
***
After searching for over ten minutes and finding not so much as a clue, the Spirit King decided to commit an outrageous offense, while Mira was off searching in another room. He looked directly at Martel and asked, “So…what is it that you’re protecting, exactly?”
“Aw. Don’t you want to keep looking?” Martel asked, triumphant. Asking for the solution was essentially admitting defeat; it would mean that the Spirit King had surrendered.
“In this state, I don’t stand a chance against your power,” the Spirit King replied, sullen. “In this state” meaning “manifested through Mira’s blessing.” The Spirit King’s perception was based on Mira’s, and even Mira could not match a progenitor spirit’s full power.
“Aw. Sore loser, Sym?”
“For now. But Mira will continue to grow—enough to surpass Forsetia. I know this. It’s only a matter of time until she will be able to see through your tricks,” the Spirit King said confidently to the grinning spirit. Though Mira did not know this, he held her in high regard.
“Really, Sym? She must be quite promising, then.”
“She is. And above all, my kin connected to her have told me just how much she loves us.”
Only fate bonded Mira and the Spirit King more steadfastly than love. Even while she searched for hidden treasure in the other room, he felt their connection and smiled in her direction, despite not being able to see her. The Spirit King hadn’t been able to leave the Spirit Palace until now. His world had broadened thanks to Mira.
Remembering how he used to be, the corners of Martel’s eyes crinkled in a relieved smile. “Well, that’s lovely.”
Mira peeked into the room. “Did someone call for me?”
They weren’t speaking loud enough for her to hear, but it seemed she’d sensed something going on. Was this a result of their bond too? The Spirit King and Martel had to laugh at the poor girl, for she was covered from head to toe in flowers.
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