SSS-Class Suicide Hunter

6.

A garden is different from a forest, and a flower garden is not the same as a field.

Within the buds of withered flowers, no seeds grow, and there are no bees to transfer pollen, so all the flowers that exist in this flower garden were planted by my hands, one by one.

“Everything is completely in place now.”

The Wand of Ages sat cross-legged atop a hill, sucking on his staff.

“If this were building a house, you’d have cleared the land, erected the building, and completely applied the wallpaper and lining. Plus, you’ve finished installing built-in furniture, lighting, and even air conditioning.”

“Do wizards also use air conditioning?”

“In a world where magic exists, why wouldn’t there be air conditioning? Why do you think wizards are so eccentric? It’s all because they don’t have air conditioning.”

“So there must be a constellation that governs air conditioning.”

“Want me to introduce you?”

I can’t tell where the joke ends and where the truth begins. That’s one thing that’s truly wizard-like about him.

“So, when are you going to have the housewarming party?”

“Housewarming party?”

“Yes. Or a revival meeting? Which do you prefer?”

Once again, the wizard made such wizard-like remarks.

For someone like me, who only knows about swords and martial arts, I could only stare at the wizard with eyes asking for an explanation.

The Wand of Ages sighed and removed his staff from his lips.

“The constellations that have reached this stage are usually divided into two groups.”

“It must be hard to survive.”

“First, the Constellations who show their sanctuaries to their loved ones and plan a happy future. Second, those who gather their followers and spout grandiose plans about the future.”

“Even Constellations are no different in their actions…”

The first is like a husband who bought a house, and the second is like a company president who built a headquarters building.

The Wand of Ages silently stared at me. Hmm. His gaze seemed to say, ‘You’re a Constellation too, and yet you’re spouting such corny jokes.’

The Wand of Ages spoke with that look in his eyes.

“You would be the former, I guess.”

“Do I look like that?”

“Yes. Wouldn’t you call over your spouse and brag? [This is our home, Raviel. A resting place for us to live together. This sea was created by the adviser, and this high mountain range is a trace of our son wreaking havoc in the household…] Something like that.”

Indeed.

“Oh, why do you say that? You should know well that I can’t be like that.”

“Oh, really? Why not?”

“Well, then naturally, it would lead to something like, [Speaking of this flower, imagine. In a place that is not here, in a time that is not now, there was a group of boat people who fell into misery when the ice age came…] Something roughly like that.”

The Wand of Ages shrugged his shoulders with his staff in his mouth.

Feigning ignorance. As expected, he brought it up knowing everything. I saw through his ploy but still flicked my wrist, shaking the head of Hishmith Kritz hanging there.

“I told this serpent once when I was shedding its skin.”

– Humans are not dolls to be displayed in your glass garden.

– No one lives to be displayed by another, and no one has the right to display another.

“Surely, I who said such things cannot do the same.”

Hishmith Kritz cringed, making a squeaking sound.

I drew back my wrist and concluded my words.

“I did not plant these children to be displayed to someone.”

The Wand of Ages removed his staff from his lips again.

“Even if that person is Raviel?”

“Even if it’s Raviel.”

No.

“Especially because it is Raviel.”

Certainly, I think it will be enjoyable.

Holding Raviel’s hand and explaining this world I created. Talking about what plans I had and the thoughts I pondered while making this place.

I will explain to Raviel once again what kind of person I am, and that Raviel will acknowledge it once again. To be recognized deep within my heart that I am such a person would surely feel as sweet as my heart melting.

Would she be amazed? ‘Indeed, you are my wife.’ Would she empathize? ‘I am truly happy to have a virtuous person as my companion.’ Would she join me? ‘Yes, you wounded flowers. I too, along with Gong-ja, will take care of you.’

How happy would that be?

That’s why I won’t do it.

“I will not invite Raviel to my sanctuary.”

It’s something that shouldn’t be done.

“Ever.”

The wizard sucked on his staff once more.

“Isn’t that a bit too much? Screaming Sky, you even broke me, a pillar. Why not have a little more faith in yourself? It might not be as scary as you think.”

“It’s because I am scared.”

I continued speaking both firmly and honestly.

“Of course, I am strong. To be clear, there are only a handful of people stronger than me in the entire tower.”

“But, Raviel is my [exception].”

No matter how much I resolve not to, how long can I last?

If I invite Raviel here, if I walk this place with Raviel, I might unconsciously treat these planted flowers as rare exhibits.

That is really, really scary.

“Isn’t enduring such temptations close at hand precisely your duty? There’s a saying that true faith manifests in the midst of trials.”

“If it were something possible, it would indeed be a trial. To act that way in an impossible situation is foolish.”

“Hmm.”

The Wand of Ages clicked his tongue.

I looked at him with a dumbfounded expression, which could be interpreted as [It’s not working].

“Wizard. You really are a true wizard.”

“Oh? Are you complimenting me out of the blue?”

“Mutia said that there should be no exceptions in a god’s life. The Tower Master said that if you become a Constellation, you must endure eternity, so think carefully before locking your skill set.”

I scratched the back of my head as I continued.

“Then this inference becomes possible. I’m still inexperienced, but perhaps there are more Constellations who fall from grace not because they are overpowered, but because they fail to keep their word. And here you are, trying to set a trap of downfall with clever temptations. Truly, you are a true wizard.”

“Yes, that is indeed a compliment.”

“It wasn’t even a particularly clever temptation. It was too blatant. What are you trying to do?”

I stared straight at the Wand of Ages.

“You said that if I give up climbing the tower or fail along the way, I would have to return the pillar position. Is that why? Do you want a comeback match that badly?”

The Wand of Ages also looked straight at me.

“What if I do?”

“Then, Wizard, having been a pillar yourself and yet unable to escape from your desires, you would be a petty person. And knowing that such a petty person was a pillar up to now, it says a lot about the other pillars and the level of the tower they support. But you wouldn’t want that, would you?”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because you were a pillar of the tower.”

I said.

“Because you must have that much dignity.”

The Wand of Ages rubbed his staff on his sleeve and smiled slightly.

“In the end, it is a compliment. It’s not bad to hear that from the person responsible for pushing me out of the pillar position.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“I wish for you to reach the 100th floor.”

The Wand of Ages said.

“I hope that the Sword Emperor’s wish is fulfilled, I want you to formally become a pillar, and I want the other pillars not to stop it.”

“Then why…”

“Because for that to happen, you cannot be a fool who trips over a pebble.”

It was a statement loaded with implications.

The Wand of Ages fluttered his sleeve as he continued speaking.

“Especially such an obvious pebble, no matter how much it shines like gold, you must avoid it.”

It seemed like I could almost hear the words, “Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to reach the 100th floor in the first place.”

I remained silent for a while. In this place where there were highs and lows of the land, the rippling of the waves, and the temperature difference of the air, the only things that were still were the flowers. I quietly listened to the sound of the blowing wind caressing the red water surface and soaking the flower petals with its scent.

I asked.

“Why do you wish for me to reach the 100th floor?”

“There are three reasons for that.”

The Wand of Ages held the broken staff in his mouth on both ends, munching on it like a snapped Pocky stick.

“The first is an easy reason. If the guy who defeated me doesn’t even reach the 100th floor and loses, hmm. Wouldn’t that be somewhat embarrassing? Imagine how much gossip would spread among the pillars and Constellations. Returning to work in such a situation, hmm. Wouldn’t it feel like being the outcasted branch manager of a Magic Tower every day?”

“I’m wondering if I should ask if there’s gossip even between the pillars, or if there’s something like ostracism even in the magic tower…”

“It was you who said that Constellations are all the same. What difference does it make whether it’s a pillar or a wizard?”

The Wand of Ages removed one of the staffs from his lips.

The wet, glistening tip of the staff pointed at the flowers I had planted.

“The second is for these children.”

“…….”

“Having you as a pillar would be better for these children. And thus, better for everyone.”

There was, again, always a wizard-like air in the actions of the Wand of Ages.

Deception. Secrets. Unsaid words.

Even in the casually thrown words, there was bone, or at least some fishbones embedded.

However, the words just now were pure. They were like the flesh of a fish carefully deboned for a newly teething child, safe to swallow without chewing.

And when I did not know what to say, I just blurted out the truth.

“You have made some effort, at least.”

“Is that supposed to be a consolation? I’m getting the urge to brew a new pot of barley tea and pour it right into your nostrils.”

“Right. Hmm. …And the third reason?”

“For the Tower Master.”

Those words were also incredibly gentle.

With a gentle face and soft voice, the wizard said,

“It was impossible for me. It would probably be impossible for the current pillars too.”

The same reason the princess had hinted at to me.

The wizard kindly stated the reason he had been eyeing me from the beginning.

“Therefore, someone else has to do it.”

“Whether it’s you, the Sword Emperor, or someone else entirely. Someone who is not a pillar. But preferably, you.”

The wizard’s lips closed and then opened.

“I hope you—”

Make it easier for the Tower Master, he wished.

The voice of the Wand of Ages landed lightly, like a leaf, in the garden of these withered flowers.

7.

We had a housewarming party.

I called my vassals. I did not call Raviel.

There’s nothing more to say about the latter. The conversation I had with the Wand of Ages says it all. This garden is a place where the flowers are the masters, a flower garden that does not receive visitors.

“In the future, we may be able to accept [mourning visitors].”

I said.

“Among these children, there might be those who have families or loved ones. If these children wish to reunite with them, then I must allow it.”

“Indeed. So they are mourning visitors.”

Estelle, who had raised the water level of the sea by crying once more, wiped her eyes with a handkerchief handed by Sylvia and continued.

“It’s kind of like a communal cemetery… No. A rehabilitation hospital might be more fitting. It’s more correct to call them visiting guests rather than mourning guests.”

“Ah, certainly.”

“But for a rehabilitation hospital to accept visitors, it needs doctors, nurses, and public service workers.”

Estelle continued while blowing her nose into Sylvia’s handkerchief.

“I will naturally take on the role of the head nurse… That is, the [gardener] here. As I mentioned earlier, gardeners exhibit absolute strength surpassing the head of the family in the flower garden they protect…”

“Sylvia. Just so you know, she’s blaming you for how she ended up like this.”

“No way!”

Using only her thumb and index finger, Sylvia received the handkerchief and made a truly disgusted expression.

“No, no, no, no. That’s absolutely nonsense! The Advisor has always been! Something was! A bit strange about her!”

“Grand Chamberlain. Do you want to get hit?”

“This is exactly what I mean! Resorting to violence! Adviser, as someone called an adviser, do you only know physical solutions to political problems?”

“All wars are originally a continuation of political solutions. And everything that happens in this world is physical. So… do you understand what I mean?”

“That you’re asking to get hit!”

“Mass and velocity are consistent. It’s just the direction that’s been misguided.”

For a moment, Sylvia swung a hammer and and Estelle swung a greatsword, each aiming for the other’s head.

Uburka’s voice came through as he munched on salt-vanilla popcorn as white as his own skin.

“Ugor. Daddy, do I not need to stop them?”

“Son, before asking me, shouldn’t you be thinking about acting like an adult without being told?”

“Father, what do you think I’ve been doing all this time while you were away? Ugor. Now it’s time for Father to experience the hardships I’ve endured while our house was unattended.”

“The housewarming hasn’t even started, and my family is already falling apart.”

I sighed deeply.

Ah. I just sighed and didn’t actually stop Sylvia and Estelle. Kids are supposed to grow up fighting each other.

After letting them be, I looked around at the other people present.

“Director. Kim Yul-ssi.”

I said.

“Would you take care of managing this flower garden?”

*****