The Eldest Daughter Walks Down The Flower Path - Chapter 82
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Eldest Daughter Walks the Path of Flowers Episode 82
Radis thought of Brantz Rodrick, who had bought that sword for 1.1 billion rupen.
Though she didn’t particularly like him, she couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for him when she thought about the enormous loss he had suffered.
Robert spoke after seeing the expression that appeared on Radis’s face.
“Don’t worry. That sword ended up with Heron, and seeing how much he likes it, it seems to be worth about 1.1 billion rupen. He cherishes it and talks to it every day, so with that level of devotion, something might eventually dwell in it and the sword will answer him back.”
Radis laughed at Robert’s joke-like blunt sarcasm.
She dusted herself off and stood up.
“That was an interesting story. But this probably isn’t such an amazing sword. If it were such an amazing sword that could choose its own master, it wouldn’t have come to me, would it?”
Robert gazed at her intently.
“Is that really so?”
“…?”
“Radis, you have no idea how amazing a person you are.”
An expression of disbelief appeared on Radis’s face at Robert’s praise-like words.
“Captain…”
“…”
“Did you just say I’m amazing?”
At her words, the area around Robert’s cheekbones turned reddish.
Radis covered her mouth as she watched him hurriedly walk forward to hide his flushed face.
‘Our captain has changed…!’
Radis forgot about the burning pain in her palm and quickly followed Robert, chattering excitedly.
“Captain, you’re a bit different from before. You make joke-like comments and give praise-like compliments.”
“…I won’t do it again.”
Radis quickly stepped in front of Robert and turned to look at him with a bright smile.
“I like it though.”
“…”
Robert turned his head away with his lips pressed tightly together, almost crumpled.
With his head turned away, he muttered.
“…No matter how much I’ve changed, it’s probably less than you have.”
At his muttering, Radis, who had been walking ahead, turned around.
“Captain, what did you say?”
“…”
Radis shrugged her shoulders, thinking she might have misheard, then looked around again.
“Captain, looking closely, there seem to be golems buried here and there. I don’t think we should go near the roots.”
“…”
“Let’s walk on top of the roots to get to the center.”
They walked on the elastic roots of the Makai Tree and approached the massive trunk.
The closer they got to the center of the forbidden zone, the more golems crouched in the muddy ground beneath the roots.
Most were lower-tier mud golems, but higher-tier stone golems were also beginning to appear.
Since she didn’t want to face higher-tier golems in this situation where she couldn’t properly use her sword, Radis walked while suppressing her presence as much as possible.
However, when they reached the front of the trunk, Radis instinctively realized she couldn’t proceed any further.
Seeing her stop, Robert also halted his steps.
He grabbed Radis’s shoulder and said.
“Radis, try drawing up your mana.”
Radis did as he said.
Then she could feel something like a wall made of magic surrounding the trunk of the Makai Tree.
Robert looked at the wall and said.
“It’s a barrier. We could force our way in if we pushed ourselves… but it would be better not to.”
With her mana drawn up, Radis looked at the barrier.
It felt familiar.
It felt similar to the technique of the stone gate she had seen earlier…
“If we can’t enter inside this, then coming all this way was pointless.”
“No, this alone is enough. I don’t know the reason or how it happened, but it seems the master of the forest has changed.”
“Could it be because the Arachne died?”
“The Arachne probably wasn’t the master of the forest.”
Lost in thought, Robert said.
“I used to think the Arachne was the master of the forest. But after seeing that dragon, I started thinking it wasn’t. The difference in power was too obvious. The Arachne was probably a guardian.”
Robert continued while staring intently at the center of the barrier.
“Perhaps this barrier is a birthing chamber where the master of the forest is being born.”
Radis unconsciously took a step back from the barrier.
“Then shouldn’t we destroy it?”
Robert looked at the light green leaves of the Makai Tree that seemed to be just beginning to revive, then spoke again.
“Perhaps that would be right. But… at least not right now.”
Radis, who was about to ask why, closed her mouth.
It was because of the changed appearance of the forest.
Radis hesitated before speaking.
“…Whatever monster is in there, it probably isn’t a dragon. Right?”
“I think so too.”
Radis looked at the Makai Tree beyond the barrier, which was beginning to show green foliage, and thought of the Arachne.
Even as that monster was dying in a terrible state, it had struggled to bring that shining egg to the center of the Makai Tree.
In her previous life, Radis had thought monsters wouldn’t have anything like reason.
However, after seeing the Arachne’s actions, that belief of hers was being shaken to its roots.
A monster she had thought would have no purpose other than craving human blood had protected something, disregarding even life and death.
Then she realized that they had some kind of will, not just evil impulses.
Radis muttered while recalling the story of the merchant Lagot.
“Possibility…”
She raised her head to look above.
She could see light green buds sprouting between the pure white branches and sunlight filtering through them.
It was a sight that could only be called beautiful.
On the way back to the stone gate, Radis brought up an issue she hadn’t been able to ask about.
“Captain… where are you staying now?”
Just as Radis hadn’t wanted to stay at the Tilrod Estate, Robert probably wouldn’t want to stay at the Rodrick Family either.
But there was something Radis hadn’t thought of.
“For now, I’m staying in the lodgings for the Rodrick Family knights.”
Unlike the Tilrod Estate where the only hiding place was a wardrobe, the prestigious Rodrick Family had many places to stay.
“But I’ll have to leave there soon too. Heron doesn’t want me building friendships with the knights.”
“Are you… thinking of going to the Extermination Corps?”
At her words, Robert shook his head.
“The current Extermination Corps won’t need me.”
“Then you haven’t decided on your future plans.”
Radis took a deep breath and then grabbed Robert’s hand.
And she looked up at Robert with earnest eyes.
“Captain! I’ve been thinking about something, would you like to try it together?”
Robert, whose hand was grabbed by Radis, froze like a rock.
In that state, Robert nodded and said.
“Yes.”
“Captain… I haven’t even told you what it is yet?”
“Yes.”
“Please listen to what I have to say first.”
“Yes.”
“At this point, there probably aren’t many people who know the Monster Forest as thoroughly as we do. We may be younger in age, but our experience remains the same.”
Radis’s black eyes sparkled like a starry night sky, filled with dreams and twinkling with light.
“Captain, I went to the North. It was truly a beautiful place. Don’t you think it would be wonderful if we could connect the South and North that have been divided by the Monster Forest?”
“…Yeah.”
“I’ve been thinking about various things, and I think we should start by gathering people first. It would be great if you could help me, Captain!”
“Yeah… sure.”
“Then you’ll do it with me?”
“Yeah…”
Radis was truly happy.
She was so happy she felt like she might cry.
In the past, she had placed the meaning of her life in her family.
Because of that, she could find happiness nowhere else except in running fiercely to see her family’s joy.
When she gained her second life, she gave up living for her family and decided to live for herself.
However, even after making that resolution, she didn’t know what living for herself meant.
Life at Lord Russel’s Estate, enjoying good things, was pleasant but it wasn’t what she wanted.
Abundance not earned by her own strength was inevitably uncomfortable, like wearing clothes that didn’t fit.
And now she finally realized it.
What living for herself meant.
‘I was someone who could dream other dreams too. I can find meaning in life as much as I want.’
Her heart swelled with that realization.
Something fluffy and warm rose up inside her.
That warm, soft something seemed to push away other painful memories.
The pain of torn skin and broken bones, the guilt of deceiving everyone, even the emptiness of not being loved to the end despite giving everything.
“Ah…”
Radis lowered her head to hide her overwhelming emotions and discovered something at her feet.
Very small, tender sprouts were growing through the black soil.
Radis bent down and brushed away the soil covering the sprouts with her hands.
Round leaves, small flower buds that wouldn’t be noticeable even when fully bloomed.
It was the most common weed that could be found anywhere, but she thought she would never see it in this desolate land.
Radis pointed to it and said.
“Captain, it’s a flower.”
Robert looked at her and the small flower with a faint smile.
“Yeah.”
Radis smiled brightly to hide the tears that were about to well up and said.
“Captain, do you know the name of this flower?”
Seeing him shake his head, Radis said.
“It’s really reckless, isn’t it? The warm spring hasn’t even begun yet, and even though some sunlight has started to shine, this is a dangerous Forbidden Zone. But Captain, in such a barren place, the first to arrive and the last to remain even when darkness closes in will probably be small hopes like this.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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