Chapter 22
TL-Mechatronic
Gillard’s eyes gleamed like rubies, and he spoke as if asking Luciel.
“Luciel, I have a place to go before that. I just felt your magic power was very strong. There are trees that respond to magic. Can you go there with me?”
“Yes. I’m curious too.”
When Luciel’s permission fell, he reached out his hand.
“Hold my hand tightly.”
Even before she could shake her head, Gillard and Luciel moved in a blink of an eye. She felt dizzy for a moment as her body floated in the air and seemed to stand still.
When she opened her eyes, she was moved to an unfamiliar garden. In the center of the garden was a huge tree with long silver leaves hanging on it’s branches.
“Wow.”
Luciel, who fell in love with the splendor of spatial magic, chatted.
“Grandpa. What did you just do? Is it magic? It’s so cool! I also want to learn it.”
“It is thanks to this ring that contains my spatial magic. Of course, you can use mana to move directly, but this is more convenient for a short distance, because there is no consumption of mana.”
Gilead showed Luciel the ring on her index finger. A blue stone was pinned.
“It’s so exciting. But I also want to see the magic.”
Luciel’s eyes twinkled.
“On the way back, I’ll use my own teleport magic.”
“Yes! I’m excited.”
Gillard, who stroked Luciel’s head with joy, pointed his hand at the silver tree.
“First, let’s go to the Moonlight Dew Tree.”
“It’s as pretty as its name.”
Silver leaves fluttered in the wind whenever it blew past the branches. It was sparkling like silver snow.
Come to think of it, it was a dark evening here. A little while ago, when I was in Duke’s Castle, it was obviously broad daylight. But here, pink, purple, and sky blue were mixed and it was a beautiful sky as if paint had been released on a canvas.
Even the air adhering to her skin was sweet and cozy,
“Grandpa.”
“Yes.”
“Where are we? I don’t think we just moved places.”
“… That’s right. This is a garden in another dimension, To be precise, there is an area in which two dimensions partly intersect in the territory of Bellstein.”
It was still a difficult story for Luciel, but she tried to understand it as much as possible.
“Then, does that lakeside meadow belong to that
area?”
“Yes.”
“Then what dimension is this?…Are there demons? So it’s not a dangerous place, is it?”
The rumor that Bellstein communicates with the Demon Realm may be true.’
Luciel looked around in panic and surprise. But in the calm and quiet garden, no evil spirits were felt at all.
“There was a time when it belonged to the demon realm, and before that, there were fairies….But as you can see it’s fine now. Because of the pure power of the tree, demons cannot approach this place.”
“Ah…”
“First of all, I’m here today to check out your magic, so let’s go to the tree.”
The soft grass was covered with pale yellow plump grass. I wondered if I could step on it, but there was no other way. Luciel took the lead and ran with her little legs.
Beep beep beep.
Beepnii.
“What?”
Luciel looked down in surprise. It sounded like it was coming from her feet. She looked into the soles of her shoes, but there was nothing.
The moment Luciel stepped on the grass again, a beep beep sound was heard once more.
“Luciel, what’s wrong?”
“There was a beeping sound. I don’t think I should step on the grass.”
Luciel said with a face that she was in a lot of trouble. However, Gillad tilted his head and approached Luciel.
Thanks to this, an incredibly loud noise poured from the grass.
“Ung….”
Luciel frowned and covered his ears slightly.
“I can’t hear anything at all… This weeping weed.”
‘There was a story that plants here communicate with fairies…
Gillard swallowed his doubts, and walked all the way to the moonshine dew tree, and Luciel ran, covering her ears.
The moonlight dew tree seen right in front of me looked even bigger. The silver leaves swayed and shook on the long stretching branches.
For some reason, my heart was pounding.
“Luciel, hold onto a branch. Then the tree will tell you the answer.”
For Luciel, who was short, Gillard hugged her directly and raised it up to the point where she could touch a stem.
Luciel closed her eyes and grabbed a branch that reached her hand.
Shririri.
An unknown echo came through the branches. At the same time, the tree lit up more brightly and silvery. Soon the light was transferred to all the leaves hanging from the branches. Its appearance was indescribably beautiful. It was spectacular.
Gillard now casts doubts. This child in front of him, Luciel, truly possessed magical powers akin to a miracle.
“Luciel, this tree responds to moonlight, dew, and mana. Your magic has made every leaf of the tree shine. It’s the first time seeing this, I don’t know what this means, but you are a very special child.”
“Maybe it’s because I’m of fairy blood.’
Luciel couldn’t say anything and Gillard pointed to the tree and spoke again.
“This is a really great thing. Luciel, look. So beautiful.”
“Yes, she is really pretty. I can’t believe I made it this
way.”
Luciel stared intently at the moonlight dew tree shining with ecstatic eyes.
‘Does this tree know that I have fairy blood?’
I mumbled in my heart, but the branch I was holding rang again. This time it was a bigger vibration. At the same time, Luciel’s eyes widened, and her heartbeat increased.
Ding-!
It was a mysterious and beautiful sound. It was a splashing note as if it would fly when you touched an instrument.
“Oh.”
“What’s wrong, Luciel?”
Luciel was curious and tried to hold onto another branch.
Ding-Dirling!
“Grandpa, did you hear me? There was a sound from the tree. It’s like a bell, it’s a pretty sound.”
“I don’t know.”
With her ears pricked up, she put her ear to the branch.
Would a heavenly instrument play this kind of tone?
Gillard put his ears like Luciel did, but there was no sound he could hear.
“I can’t hear anything, and my hearing is still good enough.”
“Can’t you hear this?”
Luciel pulled at the stretched branches. Then a tingling and bouncing high-pitched sound was heard. For some reason, the tree seemed nervous, so Luciel stopped.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
I pulled so hard, I didn’t even think it might hurt.
“Luciel, are you talking to the tree?”
“No, it’s not. I think I misheard the wind.”
At his strange gaze, Luciel looked up at the tree with a shy expression on her face.
‘It’s really strange to hear noises coming from a tree.’
“Luciel, I’ve decided to teach you magic, but I guess I’ll have to talk to Louivid too. Shall we go talk together with this Grandpa?”
“Yes.”
As Gillard reached out, Luciel grabbed his warm hand. Her heart pounded with anticipation.
I’ll finally learn magic.’
The news went straight to the Duke.
“…Is that true?” After hearing from Gillard that Luciel’s magical powers made the entirety of the tree glow with silver, Louivid kicked off his desk and got up.
His thin red eyes were very large.
He knew very well what that meant. Because it means that Luciel had stronger magical powers than Gillard and himself, who are descended from Bellstein born with strong magical powers, and maybe even his son, Kizef, who was born a genius.
The Duke looked into Luciel’s clear and transparent jewel-eyes again.
She was physically weaker than her peers, but her brain was far superior and her magical powers were almost miraculous.
There seemed to be something secretly hiding in her pretty eyes that shone as if they were embedded in a starry sky. That must be the reason Count Orbia is so obsessed with Luciel.
‘What the hell is this child?’
Luciel widened her eyes and looked up at the Duke.
“I want to do magic just like the Duke and Grandpa.”
The Duke, who heard Luciel’s remarks, responded jokingly.
“If you want to learn magic, there are conditions.”
At his words, Luciel was perplexed that he wanted to make another deal, but she decided to listen.
“Please, tell me.”
“Gain weight. Because if you use mana like this, you’ll faint, no matter what magic it is.”
“…What?”
When Luciel asked back at an unexpected remark, Gillard also laughed and sympathized with his son,
“That’s what I feel, too, Luciel. It takes quite a bit of stamina to learn magic. You can gain a little more weight. You are cute now, but will be even cuter then.”
Gillard shook his head while imagining a plump Luciel.
“It’s not difficult, but…”
“And one more.”
The Duke’s lips moved. Luciel, who had been listening to him with great tension, was stunned.
“Call me by a name other than the Duke.”
“…What should I call you?”
Luciel blinked her eyes as if she didn’t really know what to call him.
“What do you think would be good?”
“Uhn……Sire?”
“…The Duke would be better.”
“If not that, how about Master?”
Gillard began to laugh at the Duke’s face turning ashen.
“……Isn’t there a more family and friendly one?”
“…..I do not know.”
Gillard, who couldn’t see it anymore, gave a hint while pointing at his son.
“Can’t you just call him like you were calling me?”
“Father-in-law……?”
At Luciel’s words, Louivid’s mouth finally warmed up and he tried to raise his stakes.
“That’s fine but, Father-in-Law? It’s a bit awkward, so you can call me Daddy.”
With a satisfied smile, the Duke turned his body and held his back. Luciel continued to stare at him to make sure he wasn’t joking. But the Duke turned to her again and was waiting. Hoping that Luciel would call him Daddy.
Grandpa was kind and she could do it quickly, but the Duke was different. How can I call him Daddy when I see his cold face with his sharp red eyes…?
“Should I close my eyes and try one more time?’
Luciel shook her head, but the word didn’t pop out of her throat.
‘It takes courage. A lot of it.’
Looking towards the Duke who was waiting for her with crossed arms, Luciel barely opened her mouth.
Let’s chose the better option than the latter.
“Fa-father-in-law!”
“Pooh, fuhahaha!”
Gillard couldn’t hold back his laughter any longer and burst out. Louivid sighed and then nodded his head as if satisfied with it.
“It’s much better than the Duke.”