Chapter 69 : Chapter 69

Chapter 69 - Dying and Coming Back to Life

As soon as I opened my eyes, there were three things I saw.

First, the sunlight.

Having slept at night and woken up during the day for the first time in a while, the sun above the trees tormented my eyes.

Well, I could erase this with sunglasses, so pass.

Second was Cailin.

“Grrrreung....”

She had her mouth half-open, drool pooling on her lips.

Because of the curse, she had never eaten or slept well in her life, so it felt like she was enjoying it all at once.

I stepped away from her side for a moment.

It was so hot in there that sweat was beading on my forehead.

And the last, the third thing.

[A Hidden Quest occurs.]

“...What is this.”

Something unexpected happened.

The appearance of a hidden quest.

It was right to call this an appearance, as it was something even the Youngest Son was seeing for the first time.

─「Magitech Domain Eclipse」─

[Description]

: A magitech engineer has become the helmsman for the domain's construction. This is an opportunity. Complete as many magitech structures as possible during construction.

For every odd number of completed magitech structures, the reward will be ‘upgraded’.

Want to build many buildings? You need money!

Money! Money! Money!

Invest your money!

[Basic Reward]

: Special Title (Magitech Lord)

: Fame

────────────────

“A strange thing has popped up.”

To think there was still more to see in this game.

“This is why I can't quit.”

Though it was because I couldn't quit that I ended up in this state.

Still, the smile on my lips did not fade.

For this person in this state, a hidden quest was a chance for prolonged life and survival.

But there was also something to think about.

“There's no way the Land General Manager and the Construction General Manager would just hand over their command.”

Josephine was a talented person and a genius, but they would not entrust their work to others.

Especially not if it was related to a direct blood relative of the family.

“The construction must go on, so something must have come up that required them to be away.”

That matter was probably caused by Mystics.

“Did they set their own house on fire or something.”

I chuckled and looked at the system window repeatedly.

The system said.

Invest money to increase the range of choices and build many buildings.

“As much as you want.”

Funds were steadily coming in from the clinic, and I had naturally accumulated a lot of money.

Besides, Josephine would pour her own money into Eclipse, which was like a dream site for her.

Additionally, there was the method of borrowing money from the family's treasury.

Isn't a loan an indispensable part of buying a house, originally?

“I wasn't planning on borrowing money, but if the situation turns out like this, it's a must.”

I will show you a high point above the high point.

The Youngest Son picked up the puppet the witch had left behind last night.

The witch was saying.

To come and find her with this.

It would be impossible for anyone else, but for her son, it was possible.

“Cailin.”

“Uh, huh...?”

The wolf girl stretched, rubbing her eyes.

She had slept on just grass, but her body was flexible, not stiff at all.

“Are we leaving now?”

“Yes. We'll meet up with the other two and go meet that witch from yesterday.”

***

The four of them joined up once again.

Kio was quiet as usual, and Halsin glared at the Youngest Son.

Still, he didn't blame him or curse him.

It was because of what the Youngest Son had said as soon as they met again.

“A way to find the Forest Witch has appeared.”

The wooden doll he handed over with those words.

Along with a robe heavily imbued with the Forest Witch's scent and energy.

This scent was a trace, and it became the basis for tracking.

Cailin, of the race whose life was the hunt and whose existence was the track.

She stood next to Kio with suspicious eyes.

“Are we going the right way?”

“Yes.”

“But you've been changing paths and turning many times. It's not like there were any obstacles.”

Just then, Kio's foot turned once again.

The party was walking through the forest as if through a maze.

Because Kio, with the Forest Witch's wooden doll tucked under his arm, was leading the way like that.

From the perspective of a hunter who should prioritize efficiency, it was a frustrating matter.

“There were. Obstacles.”

After his short answer, he walked a few steps and reached out his hand.

It was sucked in as if put into a swamp.

Halsin identified its true nature without difficulty.

“It's the Forest Witch's barrier. The reason most travelers get lost.”

“If you enter this barrier, you'll find yourself in a completely different place from where you were walking. We were using this.”

“Using...?”

“If you know where you'll be transported to, it effectively reduces the travel time, doesn't it? Simply put, that's it.”

But the process was not simple.

“How do you know where you'll be transported to?”

He held up the wooden doll.

“By assimilating my magic with this, I've become able to see the Forest Witch's power. So the barrier, and what's beyond it, became clearly visible.”

“...So you know the geography of this forest? Just because you can see it doesn't mean you know if it's a path, right?”

“Because I was born and raised in this forest. Follow me. Once we cross this barrier, we should be almost there.”

We crossed the barrier.

Even though I knew we were crossing, I didn't even feel it.

Even though the three of us were second to none when it came to sensitive spiritual senses.

[This is an unpleasant place.]

Even the Magic Sword Enad hadn't noticed and was just feeling hurt pride.

But the Magic Sword belonged to its master.

So it could also feel its master's inner thoughts now.

[What are you so excited about. You're more unpleasant than this place.]

‘It means a being with this kind of power will be helping me from now on. How can I not be excited.’

[Anyone who heard that would think you've already gotten a definite answer. You, who were just getting diced like meat for a cauldron last night.]

‘Just wait. The beehive isn't going anywhere.’

Take enough time to calm the ferocious bees, then take the sweet honey.

Because the beehive doesn't run away.

[Have you even thought of a way to calm the queen bee in that beehive?]

‘Would I have spread the blanket without even looking where to lie down?’

[...I don't know what you're saying.]

I smiled faintly.

After crossing the curtain that Kio had called the final barrier.

The atmosphere of the forest changed with every step.

Now, with each step, the surroundings changed repeatedly, as if crossing a different barrier.

In a place so dense with trees it was called the Great Forest.

The number of trees slowly began to decrease.

And now, only short grass was visible, and a small meadow was revealed.

The home and hometown of the child born from a cauldron.

“Hexa. The Forest Witch's hermitage.”

Kio's muttering face was complicated.

He looked angry, and he looked sad.

In between, the Youngest Son could read the faint trace of gladness.

“To think it was a place that could be reached in such a normal way.”

Halsin stood next to his son and looked around Hexa.

The first and last time he came here, his appearance was no different from a madman's.

It was only natural, as he had run around the Great Forest for a month to find the Forest Witch.

“Let's keep going.”

The Youngest Son once again stood at the front and walked.

And then a log cabin appeared.

Used as it was, with its roots planted, without cutting the trees of the forest.

A house made by controlling the trees, bending, breaking, and weaving them flexibly.

The strange thing was, there was no door.

Nevertheless, the party walked on without stopping.

Only Cailin was puzzled.

But why the three of them weren't looking for a door was soon revealed.

DEUDEUDEUDEUK─

It was a house made of living trees.

The outer wall, made of numerous intertwined branches, naturally formed an arched opening.

“Woah....”

At the sight of the trees seemingly making a door, the wolf-outsider's jaw dropped.

The Youngest Son naturally entered.

“I don't know who the son is. Have you been here before?”

“Not a chance. Just a hunch.”

I entered Hexa.

The interior was like that of a normal family home.

Strangely, it wasn't dark inside.

My eyes went to the broomstick placed on the outer wall.

There was dust on its tip.

It had been used recently.

It seemed she had done a big cleaning, happy that her son was coming after a long time.

SEUREUREUREUK─

The entrance closed.

Halsin raised his head with it.

“I hear a presence from above.”

“It's a family gathering, I suppose. Cailin and I are the invited guests.”

“Hmph....”

Halsin snorted, but he seemed to have a lot on his mind.

I climbed the stairs leading to the second floor.

The more I did, the more a delicious smell gently enveloped my nose.

A mother showing off her skills for the first time in a long time.

She had laid out the tableware, unused for a long time, according to the number of people.

“Sit. Everyone.”

The Forest Witch was not witch-like.

So Cailin was surprised.

She whispered to the Youngest Son next to her.

“I heard she was an old woman with a hooked nose and a face full of liver spots and sores...? That wasn't it?”

“So you're disappointed.”

The same voice that had been carried on the wind.

But a chill much deeper than that wind ran down my spine.

“Y-you can hear me. Ha, hahat.”

“This is my house. It is my body, my soul, and myself. How could I not hear you when you're whispering right into my ear.”

After the enigmatic words, the Forest Witch showed them to their seats.

“Kio. Halsin. Would you sit here, close by?”

“...Alright.”

“Okay.”

The Forest Witch sat at the head of the table, and on her left and right sat the father and son.

The end was the outsiders' seat.

Everyone sat down.

The Forest Witch first picked up a spoon carved from wood.

The meat stew was simmered richly with potatoes and carrots.

The bread and butter piled in front would be filling if dipped in the soup or spread on the bread.

Everyone began their early dinner.

“......”

“......”

There were no words.

The family, reunited after a long time, ate in silence without saying a single word to each other.

It was not the Youngest Son who had to open the conversation.

The Forest Witch, sitting at the head of the table, was eating half-heartedly, meaninglessly stirring her soup, before.

She opened her pink lips.

“Why did you come back.”

Her eyes were still on the soup.

Her son's eyes were also fixed on the soup.

“At first, it was a favor for a benefactor. But now, it's not like that.”

Kio continued to speak while eating his soup.

“A foolish man who thoughtlessly handed over his hair to a witch. I was trying to find that man called my father and kill him.”

“......”

The foolish man in front of him flinched.

“After meeting good people and laughing, there were a few times I thought I was glad to be born. And thanks to what you taught me, mother, I was able to protect those good people.”

“...That's a relief, indeed.”

The spoon that had been stirring the soup anxiously became a little more stable.

“I'm confused by the sudden appearance of my father, but we see each other as an opportunity. A chance to leave regret and revenge in the past and move on to a better future.”

The Forest Witch, who had been listening quietly, raised her head for the first time.

“Am I in that chance, too...?”

Kio's eyes went up.

They were eyes raised in surprise.

Was the Forest Witch someone who could say such things?

The mother in his memory was a scary, cold, and frigid person.

Every day, she pushed him to his limits, and the painful days continued until he was on the verge of death.

So he ran away.

But when he came back, his mother had changed.

She seemed to have not a single bit of falsehood, as if she had always been like that.

Was it because of that?

His mouth moved without permission.

“...Yes.”

The answer came out.

The Forest Witch put down her utensils at the same time.

Her eyes moved to the side.

“Fifth Son.”

“Are you willing to listen now.”

“How do you plan to get me out of the forest's curse.”

Curse of the Forest?

Everyone's head turned to him.

Before answering, the Forest Witch spoke.

“The Curse of the Forest connects me to the forest. As long as you don't burn down this entire Great Forest, you cannot kill me, and even if you kill me now, I will be born again.”

“I know.”

“As long as this curse exists, I will not die or grow old, but at the same time, I cannot leave the forest. It's a curse established on such a restriction.”

A curse cast on her soul, thinking she would never leave the forest in her lifetime.

But now the situation had changed.

Her son wanted her.

She had made him leave on his own, wanting him to see the wider world, in case the curse transferred to him through his blood if they stayed together.

Now, she wanted to leave with him.

The Youngest Son knew how.

“How do you plan to break this.”

“A change in perspective.”

I put a spoonful of the soup she had made into my mouth.

“If you can leave the forest by dying, then isn't that enough.”

“...What did you say?”

The Youngest Son grinned.

From the perspective of those watching, it was an incredibly unsettling smile.

Tip: Tap/click the left or right side of the screen to go to previous/next chapter.