Chapter 5
THE NIGHTTIME CELEBRATION hosted by Sentopoli was truly glorious. The planners had rented out the party hall and courtyard of the biggest inn in the city, and first-rate cuisine made from first-rate ingredients by first-rate chefs lined the tables. The attendees numbered more than two hundred, and half were influential figures of Sentopoli.
Government officials who knew nothing about their country’s dealings with Chimera, the guild masters Gates and Deborah, as well as Sentopoli’s merchant, marine, and medical guild leaders all attended. There were big-shot financial leaders, the boss of a shipbuilding company, famous guild leaders who hadn’t participated in the assault, and more.
Amid all of these famous folk, there was the father of one of Chimera Clausen’s top executives: the blacksmith Gregor. While the rest of the venue danced on the grave of evil Chimera Clausen, Gregor himself looked unwell.
Mira approached him as he drank expressionlessly in the corner. “Excuse me. Can we talk?”
Gregor looked at the girl in irritation, or perhaps only sadness. “You’re that girl, huh?” He gulped down another glass. “Think I’ll head out.”
It almost seemed like he was sulking. Seeing him about to leave, Mira reflexively grabbed his arm and dragged him away before he could protest. They ended up in the courtyard adjacent to the party hall, in a quiet corner. Gregor watched the party going on beneath the night sky with a sad smile.
“What? You wanna seduce an old man like me?”
“Hmph. You still have enough nerve to make jokes. Then you’ll be just fine,” Mira said. Without another word, she summoned Pegasus. She climbed onto its back and urged Gregor to do the same. Gregor looked at her dubiously. Mira met his eyes and quietly said, “You can’t say goodbye if you don’t see him, you know.”
Pegasus was beginning to draw attention. After a time, Gregor finally resolved himself and said, “Take me to him.” Pegasus looked a little displeased when he finally climbed on, but Mira promised to spend lots of time playing with the beast after this errand. Rejoicing, it spread its wings.
Just as they started to ascend, Emella spotted them and ran over. She was a little flushed, probably from the booze.
“Mira! And…Gregor? What’s going on?”
“Just arranging a little meeting,” Mira replied, looking off into the distance.
Emella seemed to understand. She nodded and smiled. “Good luck!”
Pegasus flapped its wings, climbing into the night sky. People in the venue began to exclaim as they noticed the departure, but Mira and Gregor had already gone. They were soon on their way to the Isuzu Alliance branch office.
***
“Father…”
“Idiot son of mine…”
In the underground prison, father and son were reunited after decades apart. They didn’t say much; both of them looked down guiltily.
Thanks to Isuzu’s restraints, the other two Chimera elites couldn’t move or use their abilities. But they were still allowed to speak for the sake of giving testimony; now, they suddenly clamored and demanded to be freed.
“Ooh, I see, so this is your father. Then I’m certain he can get us out of here. Persuade the man to release me!”
“Hey, don’t be selfish. Get me outta here too!”
This looks like it may take some time.
A gulf of recriminations and ill feeling had formed between Gregor and Gregorius over the years. Mira knew it would take time for them to cross it. She silenced the other elites using her Paralyzing Demon’s Gaze.
Seeing this, Isaac and Jamal promptly huddled up in the corner of their own volition, swearing not to disturb the family reunion. Mira spared them for the time being, then had Matti help her move the silenced duo into the other corner. Matti suppressed a shiver of fear as the small girl used her Immortal Arts to carelessly throw the pair into a heap.
With the scene set, father and son faced each other. Silence ruled for a moment, but finally, Gregor spoke first.
Rather than ask his son why he would hurt spirits or side with evildoers, Gregor told him how his work was going these days, how Gregorius’s childhood friends were doing, and about their relatives—as if speaking to a son who’d come back home.
Chimera Clausen’s sins were innumerable. He knew they might never meet again.
Mira and Matti sat by the door together, watching over them. Though Matti had been surprised by Mira’s sudden visit, she seemed to understand the situation now. Without saying a word, she pulled a volume of some manga from her pocket and began flipping through the pages.
Only one person’s voice echoed in the underground room. Gregorius listened in silence to Gregor’s words. He didn’t beg for his life, argue, or try to justify his own actions.
When that long, one-way conversation was complete, Gregor turned his back on Gregorius. “Goodbye, idiot son of mine.”
Mira stood up and asked Gregor, “Are you sure you want to end it there?”
“Yeah, that’ll do,” Gregor replied, a slight smile coming to his stern face. He didn’t exactly look cheerful, but with this settled, his paternal nature had returned to join his sadness.
***
“Live a long life, old man.”
Once they’d left and the door had closed once more, a single voice rumbled and melted into the silent room. It was a quiet, faltering voice, but there was a hint of pleading in it.
The bond between father and son was mysterious, Isaac and Jamal realized. They thought back upon their own childhoods.
No longer in the mood to return to the party, Mira and Gregor relaxed in the living space of the Isuzu Alliance’s Sentopoli branch office.
One was a warrior who’d stood by Isuzu’s leader and felled the Chimera Clausen headquarters. One was a master blacksmith known by all in this city. Matti deeply regretted not having bought any classy tea leaves for guests in advance. “It’s just what I had lying around, but…” she said apologetically as she placed two mismatched cups on the table.
Matti felt a second tinge of regret: she hadn’t prepared matching cups for visitors in advance.
“Apologies for the imposition,” Mira said.
“Ooh, thanks, miss. I talked so much, my throat was getting dry,” Gregor added.
“Gregor… Apologies for meddling,” Mira said. “Maybe it’s none of my business, but my mind wouldn’t rest until things were settled.”
“Well, he’s still my son… I’ve got nothing but gratitude, Mira.”
To Matti’s relief, her guests didn’t complain about the tea; they just gulped it down and chatted.
Mira’s desire to reunite this father and son pair was wholly her own. When she saw Gregor’s face at the party, she knew she had to arrange a meeting; it might be their last chance. Until the day Mira had come to visit, Gregor had presumed his son was dead. That same day, he learned that he was alive…but working with the evil Chimera Clausen. His feelings must have been inexpressibly complex.
Gregor seemed to be struggling with words. Finally, he said, “Also, sorry for all the trouble my son put you through. And thanks for stopping him.”
Mira replied only with a silent nod. She sipped at her tea with a small smile.
***
With the heavy conversation out of the way, Gregor looked around the very lived-in little room. “By the way,” he said, “I’ve noticed you have a lot of potted plants. Rare ones, too. Mind if I take a look?” He was right; there were flowerpots placed here and there all over the place.
“Go right ahead! Look all you like.” Matti rushed to stand up and began bringing pots to the table. “Do you like plants, Mr. Gregor?” she asked with a big smile. Before she’d become the branch manager, Matti worked as a botanist. Her research had been focused on turning the wasteland into a forest. She was clearly excited to have found a fellow plant-lover, and gleefully brought one potted plant after another.
“Uhh… Well, I wouldn’t say I’m any kind of enthusiast. The ashes used in forging swords have different qualities depending on the original plants. When I was researching combinations, I ended up learning a lot about ’em.” His interest in botany was purely professional, Gregor explained.
“Ashes… Oh.” Matti’s glee turned to sadness all at once. Ashes were a material used by blacksmiths, obtained by burning plants. In his pursuit of perfecting his own trade, Gregor made ashes himself. He’d burned through many, many plants.
“Uh, well, yeah. Plants are a pretty involved field, right? Like there are some that grow using mana,” Gregor stammered, as if trying to make amends, and looked at the plants on the table. These particular plants were all ones whose growth could be affected by mana.
“That’s right! Spiritaceae are all such mysterious plants. It’s a very rewarding field of study!”
His efforts bore fruit, bringing a smile to Matti’s face again. However, this led to the conversation spiraling into deep debate over botany. Listening in, Mira learned about the plants called spiritaceae. She thought back to the botanist, Gilbert, who she’d met on her way to the Celestial Ruins. She also realized she would be here for a while.
“I think spiritaceae are our best bet to transform these wastes into a bountiful land!” After about an hour of nonstop talking, Matti finally wrapped up her lecture. She wanted to use spiritaceae to cover the wastes in greenery. Their roots would pierce into the dried earth and allow water to permeate deeply into the soil. With time, these plants would give rise to an environment where normal plants could grow too. That was the foundation of Matti’s plan.
Mira was forced to sit through the whole lecture, clearly a little bored. But Gregor’s interest seemed to have been piqued. He murmured, “The western half of the continent overflowing with life, huh?”
Matti paid his response no mind and continued, “Unfortunately, the small spiritaceae plants I’ve tried so far aren’t strong enough to reform the soil… I need something bigger and stronger. For example, if I had seeds that could grow whole spiritaceae trees, I might finally be able to see dramatic progress in my research.” It seemed like her efforts had been stalling lately; she was obviously frustrated.
“Tree seeds… Hrmm.” Her casual remark jogged Mira’s memory: she’d received fruit from the spirit residing in the Elder Tree, the Illustrious Elder of Wood and Shade. “Matti, I received fruit from the spirits residing in the Elder Tree. Would that be useful for your research?” Mira pulled the fruit from a forgotten corner of her Item Box and placed it on the table.
Matti’s eyes were glued to the fruit as she screamed, “The Elder Tree?!” She gripped Mira excitedly. “Elder Trees are the greatest of spiritaceae! An Elder Tree, a tree that lived for ages and slowly mutated into spiritaceae over time, would be absolutely ideal for my research! Which Elder Tree did this come from?!”
“Ah, er, the Forest of the Devout—”
“You met the Illustrious Elder of Wood and Shade?! Legend has it he was once a cherry blossom tree. That’s perfect! Elder Trees that have mutated into spiritaceae can transform nutrients into mana and vice versa! And on top of improving the soil, they even become the master of the plants that sprout after them, which means that in the distant future, we’ll have a perfectly ordered forest! I’m certain of it! I’ll make sure it happens!” Matti was surprisingly emotional as she shared her grand dreams. “It would also be an optimal place for spirits to live.”
I don’t understand what she means by “ordered,” but I’m amazed the Elder Tree has such power. I certainly hadn’t heard of it, Mira thought to herself, surprised by the potential of the fruit she’d so readily handed over. At the same time, she knew it would help Matti much more than it would her.
“Well, if that is true, it’s all yours. I don’t have any use for it.”
Matti’s eyes sparkled with both excitement and tears as she exclaimed, “Do you really mean it?! These fruits don’t go for less than five billion ducats!” She knelt down as if in prayer to some divine being and asked Mira one last time, “Are you really willing to just give it to me?!”
The summoner was at a loss for words; she felt like she was being treated as a savior for this small act.
Five billion ducats. That was an enormous sum, more than Mira had ever owned in-game. How luxurious would Mira’s life be with so much money? She could stay in fancy hotels all the time, eat whatever she wanted, and splurge on whatever adventuring goods she desired.
“…S-sure. All yours. As long as you promise to put it to good use.”
Tears streamed from Matti’s eyes, but her reply was firm. “Absolutely! I promise! I swear, I’ll fill this wasteland with life!” She gingerly accepted the fruit and bowed deeply.
Though Mira had been momentarily bewitched by the prospect of money, her pride as a Wise Man kept her from demanding the valuable fruit back. But she didn’t regret her decision. Mira watched Matti’s loving treatment of the fruit with joy. “Goodness,” she observed, “what a pretty smile she has.”
After being seen off by the overjoyed Matti, Mira and Gregor left the branch office. As they walked, Gregor said, voice full of respect, “You’re as generous as they come, Mira.”
Mira grinned helplessly and replied, “Please. I just know there are some things more important than money.”
She summoned Pegasus and mounted it once more. Yet when she indicated Gregor should climb up too, he paused and told her to go on ahead.
“Think I’ll take a stroll around town. Expect me back at the party in, say, an hour,” he said, before lumbering toward the city center. His figure in the distance looked lonely, but before he left, he bore a bigger smile than Mira had ever seen on him. It didn’t seem upset at all; rather, he seemed like he just needed some time with his feelings.
He must want to be alone. So Mira simply replied, “Very well,” and returned to the party alone.
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