## Chapter 97 – Black Root (3)
“…He gave everything to me…”
“…If he heals a human or gives them a part of his power, his presence remains in that human. But I’ve never seen his presence like this in you… except maybe Iria. So, if we only consider the power within you now, you could be called the Root King himself.”
“Why would he give me this power?”
“Well, that’s not something I can know. Only you and he know what happened between you two.”
The woman’s voice and a man’s voice that I had heard from time to time. Now I seemed to know who the owners of those voices were. The Root King himself, and Iria, his woman.
“…If he gave me all his power like this, what happens to him?”
“…I’ve never seen anything like that, but if he gave you all his power, that means…”
She paused, holding her breath to suppress a voice that sounded somewhat sad, then spoke again, her voice still wet with tears.
“…He gave everything he had, so he probably disappeared. He went to Iria’s side, just like he wanted, that foolish guy…”
“…”
Leaving Lapius, who was turning her head away and quietly shedding tears so I wouldn’t see, I felt the energy flowing through my hand. A soft yet strong energy. Perhaps it was because I recognized that his power was flowing within me, but I felt a mysterious and tremendous power that I had never felt before.
“…Are you okay?”
“…Yeah… No, actually, I’m not really okay. Can you leave me alone for a bit…?”
Lapius, who couldn’t hold back her tears and asked to be left alone, reminded me of someone when I looked at her, and I couldn’t bring myself to leave. For some reason, I saw Chaeyun in her, quietly wiping away tears while trying to hold back her emotions. Was that why? I approached Lapius, who was wiping away tears with her hand.
“…Why? I’m really okay now…”
I hugged her, who was smiling brightly to hide her reddened eyes when she saw me.
“You liked him, didn’t you?”
“…Yeah.”
Every time she brought up the Root King, she seemed somehow happy, and she was saddened when explaining the tragedy that had befallen him. In those moments, I saw Chaeyun telling her story, and it wasn’t difficult to figure out the emotions Lapius was hiding.
She trembled slightly in my arms, then hugged me back and shed the tears she had been holding in.
“…I liked him, honestly, I didn’t want him to leave on that journey. No, I wanted to follow him…! I didn’t want to part, but why…”
Why did he take all the responsibility? I could understand, at least a little, the words she couldn’t bring herself to say.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry… Honestly, I was waiting to meet you. When you absorbed the power of the fruit from this woman’s body, I could have rested like Bill inside you, but I didn’t. I thought that faint, familiar warmth might be him, so I thought I might be able to meet him again.”
“…”
“…Hahaha… I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
She pushed me away and moved away from me in Iran’s body. Her eyes, which had been shining beautifully with green light, gradually began to lose their light.
“…But I’m glad I could feel him one more time. It’s all thanks to you. …Man who has earned the right to use that power, according to the will of our king. I hope you make a choice without regrets at the crossroads that will come before you, and I pray with Bill in rest that you do not repeat the same mistakes as us… Ouch?!”
“…Why are you talking so dramatically?”
————————————-
She was giving her last farewell and warning him about the difficult path he would walk, when he suddenly came up to me and flicked me on the forehead. He really hit me hard.
“…”
As I rubbed my sore forehead and stared blankly, he scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed, and quietly began to speak.
“So, the reason the Root King gave me this power is because you guys hurt us with your personal squabbles, right? Since his power made humans do things they didn’t want to do, he’s giving power to humans so they can develop with that power, or something like that?”
“…Yes, we were arrogant. We unknowingly mistook humans for ‘weak beings who need to be cared for.’ That’s why we created flower petals, and we took away the possibility of humans developing on their own. And to make matters worse, we even used humans to start wars, I really have nothing to say even if I had ten mouths.”
I couldn’t bring myself to meet his eyes, so I lowered my head and apologized to him.
“Seriously, how selfish can you be?”
“…Huh?”
As I lowered my head to apologize to him and the humans, I was surprised by his sudden voice and raised my head, meeting his eyes. Many thoughts flashed through my mind. What kind of eyes would he have? Would he resent us? That would be natural, we had committed a wrong and couldn’t even make eye contact properly. The wounds they had suffered were beyond what we could fathom, and in a way, entrusting all the power to him was an evasion of the sin we had committed. A selfish hypocrisy to pass all the burden onto him.
How on earth can I repay this sin? No, I can’t repay it. All I can do now is…
To look him straight in the eye and apologize.
…That’s all I can do.
“…You’re giving me this power because you wronged humans?
And what? You hope I don’t repeat the same mistakes as you? Doesn’t that sound ridiculous to you?”
But why can he look at me with those eyes? Eyes that seem to understand everything, as if he doesn’t care at all about our sins…
“And why do you think I won’t make the same mistakes as you? Especially something that happened a long time ago, before I was even born? …Listen carefully. I don’t think I’m a great guy, and until recently, I didn’t admit it. I’m a flawed human, and I’ve been doing trashy things like playing with women as I please. Oh, of course, I don’t plan to stop that now… Anyway, whatever you guys did…”
“…”
“…It’s none of my business.”
What? How can he say that?
“…None of your business? We interfered in the history of your ancestors, so…! We took many lives and used you…?!”
Neither I, nor probably Bill, could forgive our own sins. But why can you, the person directly involved, say that? Beyond being surprised, I shouted at him out of frustration. But he didn’t even blink an eye and replied.
“…Right, you used our ancestors, our ancestors who were living well? I don’t know if it’s because I’m uneducated, but don’t you think it’s too long ago to really feel that sin?”
“…Huh?”
“Do you know about the Imjin War? The Japanese colonial period? Song probably had that in her head. There’s no way she wouldn’t know what I know.”
I nodded slightly, feeling dazed.
“Even if I’m trash, I know that. No, it’s history that shouldn’t be forgotten. Bullying another country, my ancestors, doing terrible things to people, those damn bastards. And the Korean War, do you know about that too? How many people were hurt, killed, and separated because of that war? Unless it’s something that happened to my great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents, or grandparents, what you’re apologizing to me for now is too far removed from me, isn’t it?”
“…That’s…”
“Before our history even began, or maybe the people you sinned against weren’t even our ancestors? What I’m saying is, I don’t feel any better receiving an apology for something that’s not even recorded in history, and what am I supposed to do with an apology that’s not even meant for me in the first place?”
Im Chanwoo grabbed my shoulders with both hands and pulled me down to sit on the bed.
“…Still, you feel sorry for the humans?”
“…Of course! But if I don’t do this, I can’t face him…”
“Then stay here.”
I was startled and raised my head.
“Stay and teach me so I don’t make the wrong choices, right?”
“…!”
He wasn’t like him.
That irresponsible and thoughtless appearance was nothing like him.
But why did I see his appearance overlapping? Because of the power inside him?
Even I, who was once praised as the wisest, didn’t know.
“…Are you sure it’s okay?”
“Ah, just in case, I’m telling you that I don’t plan to stop what I’m doing now.
…And you live the way you want to live too. Don’t follow the words left by the Root King.”
“…Ahahaha…”
Tears flowed.
The last words and will left by the man I truly loved.
It was like a shackle to me.
…In fact, when Pereres was attacked by his comrades, I had a terrible thought.
‘Instead of causing conflict among ourselves, we could just sacrifice a small number of humans.’
I also thought that humans were inferior to us, that we had to take care of them.
But he opposed that opinion, and I followed him. Because I loved him.
When the war broke out at the end of it, I thought something was wrong, but
I didn’t think it was his fault.
Because I followed him.
If I had carried out the plan without bending my thoughts, sacrificing a small number of human women?
Wouldn’t this have not happened? Wouldn’t Iria have not been lost?
…Then I wouldn’t have had to see him sad.
I regretted it all along.
What if I had executed the plan without bending my thoughts, even if he hated me?
At least he would have lived happily.
I regretted and cursed my choice.
Those curse-like words, thoughts, shackles.
They disappeared at the words of a human I thought was inferior.
This man who could not be predicted at all.
I reached out and wrapped my arms around his neck, gently kissing him.
“…Hehehe… Are you sure I can do whatever I want?”
“…Of course? Do you think I’m going to stop you now, saying ‘You can’t do bad things!’?
Solve the things you couldn’t do and regretted by my side.”
“Really, you’re different…?”
I smiled gently and kissed him again.
He doesn’t look like a king.
But I have no intention of missing this second chance given to me.
This time, no matter what I do, I will make him a king before my eyes.
This is my atonement to myself, and the oath I send to the king I loved and could not protect.
