## Chapter 204 – Clear Skies (3)
“…’Flower garden’? What are you talking about…?”
Iria’s body, unrotted even after so much time, and the flower garden that had bloomed around it.
Our gazes turn to Iria at Teresa’s unfamiliar words.
Even Ran-noona, who had been comforting the quietly weeping Iria, seemed to be hearing this for the first time.
Iria, tears streaming down her reddened eyes, repeats Teresa’s words.
“Noona, I think it’d be better if Iria didn’t hear any more.”
“…Ah, okay…”
‘Iria’s body,’ mentioned by one of the four who had shattered Iria’s happiness.
No matter how positively I try to spin the story in my head, it still comes across as a cruel reality for Iria.
Thinking she shouldn’t hear any more, I send a look to Ran-noona,
intending to ask her to take Iria into the room, but Iria quietly speaks.
“…No, I need to hear it too.”
“Iria, but this…”
“Sorry, I’m sorry… But, please let me hear it… I’m begging you.”
Iria forces down her tears and pain, asking me with an awkward smile.
She knows it too. That she’s the one who will be hurt the most by hearing this story right now.
I can’t bring myself to refuse her request, barely made while she’s holding on.
“Okay. Teresa, continue.”
“Yes, yes…! Kine initially found Iria’s unrotting body strange, but
he soon devised a plan to lure Heer using Iria’s body and embraced it…
But at that moment, the flowers blooming around Iria withered instantly,
and Kine, startled by the sight, returned Iria to her original position, and the flowers bloomed again.
I initially thought Heer had used some trick, but that wasn’t it…”
“…If it wasn’t Heer, then who on earth did such a thing?”
Iria, hesitating slightly, asked as if she had made up her mind, leaning forward.
“…It was you, Iria. You were the one who created that flower garden. ‘Your power as a Creator.'”
“…Me?”
“Wait, hold on, something’s off. Iria hadn’t awakened her powers as a Creator.
Besides, Iria was… dead back then… Even for us, death is the end.”
Ran-noona points out the contradiction in Teresa’s story, looking slightly angry.
It’s definitely a strange story. Teresa herself said Iria was dead,
and even told the story of her comrades finding Iria’s body, so how could it be Iria’s power?
Ran-noona glares at her, about to question her about the inconsistent story, but…
“…I don’t think she’s lying, Noona.”
I stop Noona from getting up from the sofa, grabbing her wrist.
My danger sense, which can detect even the smallest lies, is silent.
That means everything Teresa is saying right now is the truth.
“Just continue the story. Iria’s power, what happened?”
“Yes! Kine sensed Heer’s power flowing through Iria’s body and thought it was his doing, but
the Heer’s power felt within Iria was somewhat different.
It was Heer’s power, but several times stronger and able to freely change its form…
A power that can’t do anything on its own but absorbs external power and amplifies it several times.
A power that changes the very essence of anything it absorbs.
Kine realized that was Iria’s ability and devised a plan to use Iria’s body.”
“….Ugh…!”
Iria groans unpleasantly, squeezing her eyes shut.
I deliberately change the subject to divert her attention.
“…Wait, aside from that. Iria was dead, so how could she use that power?
It doesn’t make sense from the start. If you don’t explain properly, there won’t be any rewards…”
“No, Iria wasn’t dead.”
“…What?”
“…Huh…?”
“What did you say?”
The living room falls silent for a moment at Teresa’s words,
and everyone’s gaze focuses on Teresa once again.
“Kine said that although her heart wasn’t beating, Iria’s body was definitely alive.
It was thanks to Heer, who poured all his power into saving her as Iria was dying,
that her body contained such a powerful force that could be used in their plan.”
Ran-noona asks Teresa with wide eyes.
“So, trapping Iria’s soul in that mountain was…”
“Kine put a barrier on the body to prevent Iria’s soul from returning, which affected her soul.”
This time, Iria, with an incredulous expression, sheds a tear as she asks.
“The reason I could follow Heer before being trapped in that mountain was…?”
“That’s probably because Heer’s power canceled out Kine’s barrier.”
Everything is explained. Heer tried to save Iria, who was dying after being stabbed by dozens of spears.
He tried to save Iria by pouring all his power into her, but he failed.
At that time, Iria’s soul left her body, but Heer’s power remaining inside revived her body,
and the reason Iria was trapped in that mountain was because Heer, who had been constantly negating the barrier, died there.
This time, I ask.
“Then, if we return Iria’s soul to that body…?”
“If you return her soul to a body filled with Heer’s power…
I can’t guarantee it, but Iria might be revived.
That’s why Kine cast a barrier that lasts for centuries to prevent it.”
“….Iria…!”
“….Ugh…..!”
Ran-noona calls Iria with a choked voice as Teresa finishes speaking, embracing her.
And Iria, in her arms, cries her heart out, saying, ‘Thank you, thank you… Heer…’
I quietly watch the scene, smiling silently, and decide to give them some time alone.
While waiting for the two to calm down, I make eye contact with Teresa, who is still sitting with her legs spread in an unseemly manner.
“…Master? Is there something you want to say…”
“No, it’s nothing much… I was just thinking I made the right decision to make you mine.
Honestly, until just now, I was wondering if I should break your personality again and make you a stress-relief doll.”
“…Ahaha♡ It’s an honor beyond my worth…♡”
Teresa, even at these crazy, threatening words, blushes and increases her moans.
As I lean back on the sofa, watching her unsightly appearance, a pair of slender arms gently embrace me.
I lower my head towards my left arm, wrapped in a warm body temperature, and see beautiful silver hair.
It was Iria, burying her face in my chest and making a voice mixed with joyful tears.
“…Thank you, thank you so much… For taking me out, for saving me… Thank you….”
“…It’s good that it worked out.”
I slowly feel my chest gradually warming with her breath,
and I gently stroke her head with a soft motion so she can feel at ease.
The warm sensation of soft, fragrant silver hair tangling in my fingers.
My heart unknowingly feels at ease, a warm feeling.
Is this an emotion I’m feeling, or an emotion Heer’s power inside me is feeling?
I don’t know, but I want this moment to last forever. But…
“Iria, wait a moment… Just wait a moment. There’s still something I need to find out.”
I gently grab her shoulders and push her away from me, entrusting Iria to Ran-noona.
Iria, sniffling, smiles brightly at me, as if saying she ‘trusts’ me.
I respond to that smile with a small eye smile, and look at Teresa.
“…Now that’s settled, what was the plan Kine had with Iria’s body?
And where is Iria’s body now? Continue the story you were telling earlier.”
“Yes! The plan Kine had was to put the memories of the flowers we created into Iria’s body,
bloom countless flowers, and use them to bring all the humans in the world under our control.
But as Kine was about to put all the memories of the ‘human-eating flowers’ into Iria’s body,
and send the bloomed flowers flying, Heer, who had sealed us, found Kine.
The two fought, but Kine was naturally defeated by Heer and sealed away.”
“…Then what about Iria’s body? What happened after that?”
“The body was naturally retrieved by Heer as Kine was defeated.
Of course, Heer, who couldn’t have known about Iria’s power, buried Iria’s body somewhere,
and Kine, who was sealed before that, had no way of knowing the location.
But thanks to the foolish humans of this era, Kine was resurrected, and he resurrected me.
And after that, we decided to hide in the group that resurrected us and use them.”
“….So you’re saying you’ve been constantly looking for the place where Iria’s body is buried…”
“No? Kine doesn’t know, but I know where Iria’s body is.”
“….What the fuck?”
The gazes focus on Teresa again. I unknowingly blurt out a curse.
“Of course, I found out about it by chance, and it hasn’t been long since I knew.
The day I first met Master, the human doctor there showed me a picture.”
If it was the day I first met Teresa, does that mean the day I went to the Seoul branch research lab?
And if it’s the human doctor who was there that day… There’s no one else but Jung Ah-un.
“What kind of picture was it?”
“There is a shining tree at the main research facility that sealed us.
It was a picture of the form of a human woman under the roots of that tree.”
“…But why didn’t you tell your comrades about that?”
“…To control the petals bloomed through Iria’s body at once,
it is necessary to take Iria as a partner. The moment Kine gets Iria,
it was obvious that I would be disposed of, so I tried to use Master to gain that power, but…
I received something more precious from you than such foolish and insignificant power…♡”
In the end, it’s an ironic situation where I benefited from Teresa’s petty pride and ambition.
But this is enough. If it’s the main research facility, the USB Jung Ah-un gave me contains the way to get there.
And the enemy doesn’t know this important fact. In other words, now is the optimal situation.
“…That’s enough.”
I slowly get up from the sofa and stretch.
I’ll find Iria’s body before that man named Kine does.
And while I’m at it, I’ll crush that damn research facility too.
“Enough, what suddenly?”
“Now it’s decided what I have to do, right? I’m the type to get rid of annoying things quickly.”
