IBACM Chapter 40

Chapter 40

I hadn’t lost my consciousness for long, but Dedrick had already cried so much that his eyes were red and swollen.

I thought I was the only one desperate for him, but…

It wasn’t just me.

Realizing that made me happy, and before I knew it, the corners of my lips twitched into a smile.

Dedrick pressed down on my lips with his finger.

“…Why are you smiling?”

“Because it turns out I’m not the only one who likes you, Didi!”

He opened his mouth slightly in surprise, then his face crumpled as if he was wronged.

“What are you talking about? I… I really like you a lot. You’re not the only one who feels that way…”

Looking at his upset expression, I couldn’t hold back my laughter anymore.

Seeing me laugh, Dedrick also smiled back.

“You look pretty when you smile.”

That was something I had once said to him.

Finally, we both sat down. After organizing my thoughts, I started speaking.

“I was abandoned in a forest during a war. I don’t know the details, but as a newborn, I could apparently absorb things around me through my horns. I think that’s why I was abandoned—because I absorbed blood.”

“But a battlefield is full of blood! You didn’t do anything wrong!”

“It’s okay. Being abandoned doesn’t really bother me.”

Seeing Dedrick getting more upset than me, I hugged him tightly before continuing.

“I almost died, but someone saved me.”

“Who?”

“I don’t remember! Their faces were blurry. But there was a woman who tried really hard to save me. The man next to her didn’t seem happy about it, but she kept begging him, so in the end, he agreed to help.”

And judging by what the woman said, that man was likely a Divine Emissary.

Even without her words, I could tell he wasn’t an ordinary person.

I could feel the sacred energy flowing from him.

The sensations, the emotions, everything from that memory felt so real.

More than anything, the last thing the woman said to me…

I knew it wasn’t something she said when she first saved me.

Which meant I must have stayed with her for a while after she rescued me.

Even if I couldn’t remember it.

Then why did I end up here?

And why could Dedrick see me when no one else could?

Why did the Duke know about me but pretend he didn’t?

Why wasn’t anyone telling me anything?

And most importantly, why can only the Duke and Dedrick see me?

Wait… Could the Duke be the Divine Emissary?

Then maybe the person who brought me here was…

I turned to look at Dedrick, a sudden realization hitting me.

Didi’s mother?!

Gasp!

I quickly closed my mouth before I could blurt it out.

I wanted to ask about Dedrick’s mother right away, but I hesitated.

What if I brought up something painful for him?

After hesitating, I finally spoke cautiously.

“Didi, do you know how the Duke met your mother?”

Dedrick flinched, then nodded.

“I do… but I don’t know the details. Sorry.”

“Ah, I wasn’t blaming you… I’m just… sorry.”

I felt bad.

Seeing him grow quiet, I decided to drop the subject.

It would be better to ask when I was more certain.

And if even Dedrick didn’t know much, the Duke definitely wouldn’t tell me anything either.

Not that I could even find him!

He had disappeared again, completely out of contact.

What should I do…?

As I was lost in thought, Dedrick changed the topic, as if trying to lighten the mood.

“Do you think you’ll keep remembering things like that?”

Wanting to lift his spirits, I responded in a brighter tone. I felt bad for bringing up his mother.

“Ah! I don’t think it was random. Actually, when I heard the word World Tree, something felt strange. Maybe the World Tree is the key to recovering my memories.”

That woman had said that only a Divine Emissary could enter the sanctuary.

“Didi, the World Tree is in the sanctuary, right? Where is the sanctuary?”

“The end of the world… or the beginning… or the center of the world.”

“…What?”

I blinked in confusion. Dedrick chuckled at my reaction and scratched his cheek.

“The World Tree is in the sanctuary, but no one knows where the sanctuary actually is. No one knows where the end, beginning, or center of the world is either.”

So it was really a place only a Divine Emissary could enter.

The novel never mentioned anything about the sanctuary, so I had no information on it.

“Then what about the Divine Emissary? If they’re an emissary, they should be in the human realm, right? Maybe in a temple?”

Dedrick shook his head.

“The Divine Emissary and temple priests are different. The god speaks directly to the Emissary, and the Emissary translates the message so that humans can understand it.”

“So can temple priests see the Divine Emissary?”

“I’m not sure since not much is known about the temple, but I don’t think so. I heard the Emissary only delivers their voice through divine messages.”

“…So the temple is shrouded in mystery?”

“Yeah. The temple is independent. It’s on the sacred island of Bjorne, which was given by the god. Normal people aren’t allowed to enter.”

That was unexpected information.

After sorting my thoughts, I asked again.

“Then how do people meet the priests?”

“They usually don’t. But if someone really wants to, they have to wait for them to leave the island.”

“When does that happen?”

“Mostly when they need to judge a criminal, when demons appear, or when a disaster strikes a nation. Other than that, they come out once a year for the founding festival or the god’s birthday.”

“So the Divine Emissary isn’t human?”

“No. The Emissary may seem like a representative, but they hold power equivalent to a god.”

Then why would a Divine Emissary be in the human realm, staying with a human woman?

That woman had said she couldn’t enter the sanctuary, so she was definitely human. Or maybe another species like me?

Come to think of it… I still didn’t know what I was.

Was there a species called Closet Monster?

That sounded ridiculous.

I chuckled at the thought, making Dedrick look nervous.

“Did I explain something wrong…?”

“Huh? No, I just thought of something funny. Like… what if Closet Monster is actually a real species?”

“Ah…”

“Then it makes sense why I don’t have a name! I was abandoned before I could even get one!”

I said it with a bright smile, but Dedrick didn’t laugh.

Guess self-deprecating jokes weren’t his thing.

To change the mood, I quickly spoke again.

“Anyway, I think I need to learn more about the World Tree. Didi, do you know anything about it?”

I expected an immediate yes, but Dedrick hesitated.

“Do you not want to help?”

Had I been annoying him too much lately?

“If you don’t want to, that’s okay—”

“If we find it… will you have to leave?”

His eyes wavered with fear.

Ah… he was afraid I’d leave.

I smiled and shook my head.

“Even if I find my memories, it won’t erase the fact that I was abandoned. And even without that… I like being with you the most, Didi. I’m not going anywhere.”

That was the truth.

It was pure luck that I survived. If I hadn’t met those two people, I would have died for sure.

So why would I want to find the family that abandoned me to die?

“Really?”

“Really! But I can’t just live without my memories forever. I want to know exactly who I am.”

“I’ll help you find out.”

“Didi, you’re the best!”

I jumped up excitedly.

---

For the next few days, we locked ourselves in the library, searching for information about the World Tree.

But the library was so huge that finding even a single book about it was nearly impossible.

We thought about asking the librarian, but we knew that news of it would reach Delani in no time.

If Delani found out that Dedrick was looking for something unrelated to his studies, he’d get suspicious.

Of course, he wouldn’t immediately figure out that I existed, but it was better to be careful.

‘Ugh. Seriously, I can’t trust a single person in this place! Not the librarian, not the servants, no one!’

“I’m going to burn this whole place down. Except for Didi.”

“……”

Even after hearing my ruthless words, Dedrick just blushed and looked happy.

It seemed like Dedrick had a thing for heartless monsters.

Like me.