Chapter 163 — The New Gardener
1
While Manus was busy searching the tower, Chesthip arrived at a strange place.
A garden.
It was so vast that it made him question whether such a space even existed inside the academy.
A small mansion came into view.
A house within a house, it felt out of place yet exuded an oddly cozy atmosphere.
How had he come this far? How could such a space exist inside the academy?
Answers would come later, he supposed.
Or maybe, as he focused on other things, the answers would reveal themselves naturally.
“A world of the dead, huh…”
He muttered to himself, passing by large, grotesque flowers as he entered the mansion.
A faint rose fragrance teased his nose.
The interior of the mansion had a very distinct concept.
Aside from a few well-maintained paths, the floors were covered with flowers of various sizes.
Even the structure of the house, supported by wood, seemed alive—still breathing, not made from dead timber.
It felt like magic had been used to shape the living materials into a building.
“Come in, little one. The one who will protect my garden.”
“And you must be…?”
“Yes, I am the one who called you here.”
A pink mask.
Beneath it, her chin and lips revealed that the voice belonged to a woman—and a strikingly beautiful one at that.
Her dress, woven from plant stems, was beautiful at a glance, giving off an air of mystery.
A gentle smile spread across the woman’s lips as she gazed at Chesthip.
For a moment, he found himself thinking, Beautiful.
Her glossy lips, accentuated by lip gloss, and her curvaceous figure stood out.
Wait, what am I thinking…?
“Hoo… So, why did you call me here?”
“Do you have a poor memory? I summoned you to become my gardener.”
Ah, yes. That was it.
In exchange, he was promised unparalleled power.
But wait… had she mentioned something about an intruder?
Hadn’t she said Manus could come here too?
Suddenly curious, Chesthip asked the woman.
“You said Manus would come here. Has he also consumed what you gave me?”
“All who come to this place do the same. They pluck my precious flowers and greedily take the power for themselves.”
“I see…”
So, there was a secret behind it all.
That haughty expression, that arrogant face—it was all hiding this secret.
Ha!
Alright, I’ve decided.
The way to atone for my sins is right here, isn’t it?
Excited, Chesthip spoke to the woman.
There was no need to face Manus here.
He could completely destroy Manus’s honor somewhere else, without even using force.
“If you let me out now, I can ensure the complete downfall of Manus Caesar. Hiding this secret… even the academy won’t let that slide.”
“Oh dear, what are you talking about? I made it clear, didn’t I? You are to be my gardener, and I promised to grant you limitless power.”
“There’s a better way. In the place where I—what the hell? Let me go!”
Srrrk—.
As the woman extended her hand, thick vines wrapped around him.
Chesthip instinctively summoned his mana.
Even as a mage, drawing on the power of mana would allow him to exert superhuman strength temporarily.
The backlash would be severe, but still—
The vines didn’t break.
Instead, his muscles tore as excruciating pain wracked his body.
“Guhhh! Let me go!”
“You’re such a disobedient gardener. But we made a contract. So… it must be fulfilled, don’t you agree?”
Kwaaarrrr-!
Thin vines wriggled into his ears, his mouth, and his nose.
The deathly vines, injecting foreign mana into his body.
The pain was unbearable, but there was nothing he could do.
In this world, there’s no such thing as a favor without a price.
Those who serve the apostles of death always pay a steep price.
From the moment Chesthip accepted the magic stone, he had essentially declared himself a slave once again.
“The last gardener lasted 21 years. I wonder how long this one will endure?”
“Mmmmph! Mmmmmmph!”
Unable to resist, he was swallowed by the plants, encased like a massive cocoon.
The masked woman looked at the transformation and laughed.
“Hahaha, I hope this new gardener tends to the flowers well.”
Srrrk—.
As she sat in midair, tree branches twisted and formed a massive throne beneath her.
The blue glow in her eyes, visible through the mask, calmly settled as if waiting for someone.
Her beloved gardener was dead, so now she had to create a new one to tend the garden.
She propped her chin on her hand and opened her mouth.
“If I send down one of the sentinels, it should be able to fend off the intruders.”
She had flowers to tend to, after all. She had no time to worry about the entrance.
Hum-hum~♪♬
An unknown melody flowed from the woman’s lips.
It was a requiem for the dead.
2
“Phew, let’s call it a day.”
“But tomorrow’s the weekend. Can’t we stay a bit longer?”
“Ugh, I’m so done.”
Break time.
The three of them had been farming the Panzer artifact for six hours.
They managed to all acquire Panzer gear and had made it to the rest area.
Nia, being physically the weakest, had completely collapsed.
[Dux] continued to guide them upward, its light ever pointing toward the higher floors.
Ahead of them, a sentinel was stationed as a guard.
It seemed Kael’s party hadn’t arrived yet.
The garden had expanded, both in time and map size, making it significantly larger.
“Ugh… we’re only on the 7th floor?”
“Looks like Chesthip went up ahead.”
“Let’s sleep before moving on, alright?”
At Nia’s suggestion, Manus nodded.
Just then, the door to the rest area creaked open, and a disheveled first-year along with Alano entered.
Their clothes were torn in several places, a sign of the battles they had faced.
Their usually neat hair was a mess, and it was clear they had exhausted a lot of mana.
When they noticed Manus and his group, their faces lit up.
“You got here first, huh?”
“Is anyone hurt?”
“No. Kael’s items worked wonders.”
Anais flashed a peace sign with her fingers.
Her face looked bright, as if she had finally let go of her burdens.
She had always been the type to keep things light and cheerful, and now that side of her seemed fully realized.
Manus led the weary group into the rest area.
The sleeping quarters.
The space was enchanted to restore mana, allowing them all to rest comfortably.
For mages, mana was the most important thing.
This space had appeared just when they needed it most.
“Did you find the instructor?”
“No, he’s further up.”
“Could he have escaped outside?”
Suddenly, Pearson butted into the conversation with his own theory.
“I don’t think so. My impeccable instincts tell me the instructor is definitely! Still in here.”
“And how do you know that?”
“I said it’s my instinct, didn’t I?”
Pearson’s instincts were among the best in this world.
While the others remained skeptical, Manus thought there was a real possibility.
After all, the light from [Dux] was also pointing toward the top of the tower.
Pearson was slowly finding his own character niche.
With his incredible luck, buffs, debuffs, and his role as a guide, Manus was determined to help him solidify that direction.
“I’ll trust your instincts.”
“Oh… really? Wow, Senior, you’re something else. Anais never believes me.”
“Well, maybe you should say something worth believing. Senior, do you really trust him?”
“He has good instincts.”
Anais looked at Manus and Pearson in disbelief.
Still, if Senior Manus said so, then maybe there was some truth to it.
With a shrug, she found a spot to settle down.
A good nap would restore both her mana and her stamina.
As everyone else laid down, Manus spoke up.
He asked for their opinions—whether they should return and regroup, or stay one more day and continue exploring.
If they were just characters, they would have continued the investigation without hesitation.
“Can you handle it?”
“Yeah, it’s not that bad…”
“I’d like your input. Since the investigation isn’t over yet, should we stay here all weekend or head back to regroup?”
At Manus’s question, everyone started to think.
There were many things to consider—whether they had enough stamina, mental energy, and mana recovery items.
Seeing everyone actively weighing their options, Manus looked up at the ceiling.
Chesthip aside, Siren… why had she become so antagonistic toward him?
How far had the wrongs of his past spread?
In his thirties, he had spent countless hours thinking about human relationships, listening to stories, and watching others.
All that had shaped his understanding of people.
How awful must I have been for things to turn out like this…
“Senior! We’ve decided to stay.”
“Young folks sure have energy to spare… I was hoping to head back.”
“We’ll take care of the sentinel, then regroup at the lobby.”
Cutting off Manus’s thoughts, Kael spoke with a confident tone.
Nia groaned in protest, while Manus responded.
She lazily raised her hand in agreement, unable to resist the inevitable.
She had to get stronger, after all.
In her drowsy state, Nia repeated it to herself.
The reason she had come here.
Even when they said no, she had insisted on being here out of sheer desperation.
Don’t let yourself become weak, Nia Abrel.
All she needed was a bit of rest.
To banish these negative thoughts, sufficient sleep and rest were key.
Nia’s consciousness faded as she started to snore softly.
The others followed suit.
The only ones still awake were Manus and Kael.
Manus was lost in thoughts of his forgotten past, while Kael was considering what she should do next.
Then, suddenly curious, Kael looked over at Manus.
“Senior, aren’t you tired?”
“Not really.”
“Ughh… If I had the talent, I’d want to study magic theory too. I’m really not cut out for physical work…”
“There are plenty who could teach you.”
Manus gestured towards Guillermo, who was dozing lightly.
Kael chuckled softly as she looked over at him.
So many people had gathered now.
Strong seniors and reliable comrades.
Yes, they would surely help cover her weaknesses.
Manus had said so.
That there weren’t many people he could trust.
But maybe, just maybe, she could trust the people here.
“I’ll ask him sometime.”
“Good idea. Now, get some rest.”
“You should rest too, Senior. Honestly, it’s a bit scary.”
Of course.
It was only natural to feel afraid.
Even Manus would have been terrified if not for his steadfast resolve and the knowledge from his past experiences in the game.
His blue eyes glowed softly as he said to Kael,
“Everyone feels fear. I’m no exception.”
“…”
Kael’s soft blue eyes also reflected the moonlight, glowing faintly.
To her, Manus had always been a guiding light, showing her the right path.
This time would be no different. He would keep her from wandering astray.
“Believe in what you’ve built, in what we have built, up until now.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve made it this far doing just that.”
Was he speaking to her, or to someone else?
Manus’s gaze was fixed on something Kael couldn’t see, somewhere far beyond.
Kael didn’t follow his line of sight.
Instead, she simply looked at the shadow cast over Manus’s face.
It was the night before a great battle.
–TL Notes–
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