PLOM Part 2 Chapter 39

Part 2 – Episode 39

The door closed.

Alright, time to talk to the rock.

I gently took out the stonified Rue and Ash, from my bag.

[The Sword Party is one of the most overwhelmingly supported factions in the Republic of Contaninos.]

But no matter how much I tapped the rock, it showed no reaction, so I decided to take a soak in warm water and rest.

…If I had the choice, I’d rather rest in my own body.

This transformation magic, even if it was Rue’s spell, couldn’t I break it with my own power?

I closed my eyes and slowly channeled energy from my core through my body.

Let’s visualize my true body.

Not the shell that Rue had crafted, but the body that housed my soul.

As I connected with my soul and body, I felt my blood flow shifting.

Ah, yes. This was the essence of Daisy, not Andert Fager.

Now…

I must push forward with grit.

Hm?

When I opened my eyes, not only did everything feel refreshingly clear, but my mind also seemed to have cleared up.

The face that appeared when I stood before the mirror……

“Rue! Did you see? I broke your spell!”

Wow. To undo the advanced magic of Calepa, the god and archmage of the Northern Continent?

As expected, the universal law of “grit trumps all” still stood.

[Oh, I did see. That surprised expression you just made was so adorable. Ah. Astounding, Daisy. To dismantle my magic through such… brute force—you’re the first. Impressive. In every way.]

I scrambled towards the stone.

But when I turned back to the bed, the stone had vanished. In its place sat Rue. My grumpy magician, Rue.

“…Why did you ignore my voice when you were awake?”

Rue, leaning comfortably against the bedpost, replied:

“There’s a lot to see when Daisy is on her own.”

“So you’re saying you did it on purpose.”

“It’ll be like that often in the future. I look forward to your kind cooperation, Daisy.”

How shameless.

Well, whatever. If someone over 200 years old had found a new fun hobby, I should be understanding. Besides, that wasn’t what was important right now.

With a solemn expression, I asked him:

“Did you turn into a stone because of your old age?”

“Are you bullying me by saying I look my age now?”

Rue pushed a teacup toward me and burst into a chuckle.

“Let me share a not-so-surprising fact: Gods don’t age, Daisy.”

“Then how else could you turn into such a pathetic stone? Not even a beetle or a fly, but an inanimate object? You were practically dead asleep!”

“I woke up a lot of times, I just didn’t show it. I even felt you patting me. It felt nice.”

Rue’s lips, which had been curved in a carefree smile, now twisted deliberately.

“But watching you flirt with another woman was exceptionally unpleasant.”

Flirt? With whom?

‘…Is it that Trevia?’

Do gods these days consider putting daggers to one’s throat to be a flirting technique? A deity’s mind is truly unknowable. Ah, but I’m a god now too—let’s just settle on ‘old gods’ minds are beyond comprehension.’

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions… but let’s get you some sleep first, Daisy. You look like you need it far more than I do. I promise I’ll answer everything when we wake up.”

“I don’t need rest. I was just pretending to be tired to meet you—”

“Do you remember the last time you slept?”

The last time?

I tried to recall through my memories.

“Come here.”

Without another word, I dove into the spot beside Rue.

He tenderly pulled the blanket up to my chest, then he began to pat me slowly.

Perhaps it was because of that familiar sense of peace. I fell asleep without resistance.

***

When I opened my eyes abruptly, the world was bright.

How long had I slept?

This unnervingly crisp clarity… Judging by past experiences, it felt like waking from at least four years of sleep.

I quietly stared at the ceiling for a moment before unfolding the neatly folded newspaper by the bedside.

[<The Hero’s Grand Return>, , >Andert Fager Currently Recuperating>, <How Did the Hero Of The Times Return Alive?>, <The Emperor’s Sword Returns as Brishure’s Savior>.]

At first glance, it seemed only two or three days had passed. Pinpointing the exact duration was difficult because I hadn’t counted the dates since I’d woken up from my long sleep.

That’s when it happened.

[“Grey hawks are generally smarter the larger they are. Rare ones even manifest the blood of their ancient ancestors, the Black Phoenix. In such cases, they can grow up to four or five times the size of ordinary specimens. Not to mention their intelligence — It’s comparable to that of a 7 year old child.”]

What was this? A documentary about Ash?

Sitting up, I spotted Ash perched primly at the table.

On the video screen in front of him, a familiar-faced young man was lecturing fervently.

It was undoubtedly Dian Cecht.

“Ash, did you play this?”

[The Blade Demon is hailed as a rising star in the Contaninos Republic, expected to surpass even Duke Berkeley Grayton’s legendary reputation.]*¹this is Ash talking, not Dian Cecht

Sometimes I wondered if Ash was actually a genius bird but just pretended to be clueless around me?

‘So this is Dian Cecht’s vlog, huh?’

I leaned closer to study Dian’s face on the screen.

He’d grown up so well. It made me proud.

“Strangely, Grey Hawks, despite their potential for massive growth, have extremely slow early development. Many perish during this vulnerable phase as hatchlings…”

Relief washed over me.

‘So Ash was one of those rare mutations.’

That’s why he was so tiny as a fledgling.

Damn… If I’d seen this video sooner, I would’ve had less to worry about. But thanks to someone selling one of the device’s cores, it had to be repaired.

…Repair. Right.

“Next time, we’ll cover how to imprint a pervert-blocking system on Grey Hawks, designate allies and enemies, and teach attack-defense protocols. See you tomorrow then”

“I wonder if that boy’s still alive, Ash.”

Chirp.

“You know—the scrawny kid we met back when you were still making those baby noises. We into him a few times near the dump. Remember?”

Ash tilted his head. Maybe it was too young for him to remember.

‘Should I visit the garbage hill again?’

I’d planned to stop by the Banahel Kingdom before fully pursuing Rein.

Perhaps that land was the very place that’d help me maintain my balance.

‘Back then, not just my heart, but my entire body was almost broken. I survived by pushing the power of Blooming to its limits.’

Yet here I remained, I remained anchored to this land instead of leaving for the cosmos.

Would it have been the same if this had happened in the Northern Continent? Maybe….

‘Perhaps the restoration of balance is only permitted in lands where I bloomed.’

Even Rein, who wasn’t from there, spoke the Southern Empire’s language, the Imperial tongue, with such natural ease that it felt uncannily familiar to a native of Queen Island like me. The reason he insisted on calling himself the Southern Continent’s god—though I refuse to acknowledge it—might be because even he can only restore balance near those lands.

Alright, then.

“Rue! Where are you, Rue?”

Was it because I shouted pretty loudly? Rue returned to the bedroom.

Wearing the appearance of some woman I did not recognize.

Where and what had he been doing while I was asleep? I wasn’t even curious anymore. It was probably something bizarre.

“What’s the problem, Daisy? It’s not mealtime yet, so hold on. I’ll take you for a walk later, so just wait.”

Am I a dog?

“Let’s stop by the Weatherwoods Estate briefly, then head to the Banahel Kingdom. I have something important to do.”

“Such a busy schedule. You haven’t forgotten anything, have you?”

“Forgot? What?”

When I stared at him with a puzzled face, Rue’s smile deepened. But he just shrugged, as if it were nothing.

Something’s off…

I gathered Ash and the video device, then leaped out the window. It was time to head straight for the Weatherwoods Mansion.

And the moment I landed on the ground, I came face-to-face with Raphael.

……Like I’d been caught in the middle of running away.

—

I’m sure you all know about the closure of the site by now. It’s truly hard to see Moonlight having to close, this was my first translation site, but I will still continue translating this novel and my others as long as I can. This novel will be shifted to the new site, though I’m not sure how permanent that’ll be. As for my other novels, I haven’t decided anything yet, but I will continue translating them as well.