"Then why go at all?"
Thorne stopped at the bridge's head. Turned. Complex emotions ravaged his face. "Teacher, my mind has been in turmoil lately."
Hazy gray fog choked the moonlight. Most of the Haligtree Army was at the celebration. The rest, stationed on the periphery. Desolate. Deserted. Thorne paced the bridge deck. "Reason tells me I should stay away from this whirlpool. Facing it, I can do nothing but risk my life, but —" Thorne pointed to his heart, struggling, "To save my own skin, my heart is uneasy."
"I can see that. You've been distracted lately." Sellen walked over, stopping half a meter from Thorne. "I won't bother asking what kind of whirlpool this is, but think about it yourself: when you decided to escape Raya Lucaria Academy, was it reason or impulse?"
Thorne opened his mouth, then fell into deep thought. Not just leaving Raya Lucaria Academy. Even sneaking into Caria had not been entirely rational.
More than one path existed. Getting stronger didn't necessarily require taking risks. When he defected, he could have pretended to see nothing and snuck away. Even in Ashina, with the Dragons Heritage, all swordsmanship learned, he could have taken the Divine Heir and left. From a purely rational perspective, why stay trapped in a lonely city, facing nine deaths for one life? Acting, wit, even joining the Interior Ministry would be safer. But the evil he saw must be cut, and the debts he owed must be repaid!
Because he chose this, he could stand calmly under the full moon. "It's a mix of both, but if I really count, it's more impulse." Thorne laughed, as if clouds had parted, inner turmoil fading. "Then follow your impulse. You're a lunatic anyway, you'd dare to do anything."
"That doesn't sound like something you would say."
"Hmph, why do you think I study Primeval Sorcery?" Sellen leaned against the railing, looking up at the dark sky. "With my talent, I didn't need to take any risks or give up anything; I could have become a sorcery professor by following the rules. But I just want to explore Primeval Sorcery, to pursue the truth, even if it costs me everything!"
Because I want to? Thorne was stunned, suddenly remembering an old saying: research is rigorous and rational, but the core is willful romance.
"So, if you're unwilling to give up, go and try. Regardless, I will always support you." Looking at those clear blue eyes, Thorne's heart calmed completely. He had intended to go on, and with Sellen's support, he felt more at ease.
"That's right, I was going to try anyway.
That meaningless ending... except for the Greater Will, not even a dog would want it."
Hundreds of thousands of lives, two renowned demigods, one mad and one asleep, all exchanged just to prove one thing to 'God':
Sacrifices — that was all demigods were good for. This went beyond Ranni. Thorne, caught in the crossfire, and the overbearing Greater Will were already enemies. The debts, the grudges, the people I'd seen — they weren't mere resources in a god's eyes. If I didn't dare face this, I might as well return to raising pigs.
If I met a truly formidable foe, I'd simply kneel.
"Are we leaving now?" Sellen stood, a tautness to her, like a sharpened blade.
"No rush." I pointed to the bridge, a grin spreading. "Before I go, I want to see what that thing is, exactly."
Thorne was a swordsman, skilled in the art of killing, an expert in dealing with people. This giant before me, though, felt like something that demanded a ship-slicing blade. Violent, insane, no elegant moves. This thing would tear a phalanx to shreds on a battlefield. My sword was a toothpick in comparison. "If I were alone," I murmured, "I wouldn't dare come down here and die. Better to wait for those Minor Erdtree to fully bloom." It wasn't terror, but I paused, then jumped back again.
The spot I'd occupied seconds before shattered. The Tree Spirit wasted no time. It braced its hands, its ventral feet pushing off the ground, and it surged forward like a charging serpent. It moved like a rabid dog, snapping at me. Its maw was immense, easily capable of swallowing me whole. But it only snapped at air. Bloodhound's Step! I leaped several meters to the side, gripped my sword, and delivered a horizontal slash as the Tree Spirit rushed past.
Crack—
A dull thud, like felled timber. Branches, thick as thighs, flew through the air. Sluggishness crept into my hand. Seeing the Tree Spirit's abdomen scrape the ground, I rolled forward.
Bang!
The Tree Spirit had already turned its head, smashing a crater into the ground, showering gravel everywhere. It felt no pain, no disorientation. It yanked its head free, 'looking' around, but didn't find its attacker. It showed no confusion.
It instinctively raised its head and saw the person jump several meters into the air, throwing a few black things.