novelraw Chapter 52 : The Tree’s Child
Chapter 52 : The Tree’s Child
The night still smelled of smoke, though the beasts were gone. Father carried Mama inside, her steps weak, while I lingered by the glowing tree.
That’s when the bark split.
I froze as a soft crack echoed from the trunk. A glow pulsed through its veins, brighter and brighter, until the air shimmered.
With a sound like a sigh, the light spilled outward—
and a small figure tumbled onto the grass.
“Uwaaah! Ouch, ouch, ouch!”
I blinked. It was… a girl? No, more like a child. Barely my height, with hair like leaves, skin glowing faintly blue-green, and eyes too big for her face. She brushed herself off and puffed her cheeks.
“Fuuhhh, that was scary! That big flame almost fried me into roasted goddess!”
My mouth dropped open. “...What?”
She spun toward me, hands on her hips. “Hey! Who told you humans could use fire like that?! I thought it was just elves and crazy war-mages!”
I stammered. “T-that was my mom.”
Her eyes went round. “Your mom?!”
I nodded.
The girl groaned, flopping onto the grass dramatically. “Ughhh. I reincarnate for one minute and already almost get baked. Worst return ever.”
The HUD blinked:
[Entity Identified: Lesser Manifestation – Goddess of the Tree]
[Status: Reincarnated Vessel]
She suddenly sat up, squinting at me. “…Wait a second. You’re not an elf.”
I blinked. “Of course I’m not an elf.”
She gasped, covering her mouth. “Then… my fairy messed up! They were supposed to find me a caretaker, not some random human baby!”
At her words, tiny glowing fairies zipped from the branches, circling her in panic. They bowed their heads, wings trembling.
“See?! Look at them! They totally messed up!” she scolded, pointing an accusing finger. “I was supposed to be raised by elves in a forest, not… on a farm with some pretty boy human!”
“P-pretty—!” My face turned red. “I’m not pretty!”
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The goddess tilted her head, then poked my cheek with one glowing finger. “You’re pretty.”
The fairies all bobbed in agreement.
I groaned, pulling at my hair. “Why does everyone say that?!”
She just giggled, rolling on the grass like a child. “Fufufu, this is fun! Okay, pretty boy, from now on—you’re my caretaker!”
“Caretaker?!”
She nodded furiously, leaf-hair bouncing. “Yup! You watered me, fed me mana, gave me a home, and now I’m alive again! That makes you responsible! So take care of me forever, okay?”
The HUD blinked once more:
[Bond Formed: Goddess of the Tree – Child Vessel]
[Effect: Shared Growth Established]
I stared at her in horror. “…Forever?!”
Her grin only widened. “Yup! Forever!”
The fairies swirled around her like a crown. And just like that, my family had a new, very loud, very clingy tree goddess.
The little chibi goddess clung to my sleeve as I dragged her into the house. She was humming, completely carefree, while the fairies darted nervously around her.
“Fufufu, caretaker~ caretaker~ pretty boy caretaker~” she sang.
“Stop calling me that!” I hissed.
The moment we stepped inside, everyone froze.
Mama was seated at the table, pale from exhaustion, Father leaned beside her, and Lyra was wiping soot from the floor. All three stared at the glowing child dangling from my sleeve.
“…Rooga,” Mama said carefully, “why… is there a little glowing girl in my kitchen?”
The goddess puffed up proudly, spreading her arms. “Because I’m your tenant now! Tadaa~! The one and only reincarnated Goddess of the Tree!”
Silence.
Father blinked. “…What?”
Lyra dropped the rag. “…Goddess…?”
The goddess nodded furiously, her leaf-like hair bouncing. “Yup! I’ve been reborn thanks to my caretaker here—this pretty boy human who fed me mana and planted my seed!”
My face went red. “Stop saying it like that!!”
Mama pinched the bridge of her nose. “Rooga… where exactly did this… child… come from?”
I swallowed hard. “From the tree. She popped out. And… she says I’m her caretaker now.”
Father muttered, “First a miracle flame, now a goddess in the kitchen…” He dragged a hand down his face. “What did we do to deserve this?”
Lyra’s eyes narrowed at the glowing girl, her tone sharp. “…If she really is divine, then the Empire will—”
“—Nope!” the goddess cut her off, sticking out her tongue. “The Empire doesn’t get to decide anything! This farm is mine now too, and I won’t leave it!”
Mama rubbed her temples. “Gods above, one miracle was hard enough to hide…”
The fairies circled the goddess protectively, glowing brighter as if to warn anyone who challenged her.
I scratched my head nervously. “S-so… can we keep her?”
The goddess giggled. “Keep me?! Hah! You think you get a choice? I’m already yours forever, caretaker~”
Father groaned. Mama sighed. Lyra muttered under her breath.
And just like that… my family had accepted a goddess.
That night, I lay awake, staring at the ceiling. The house was quiet, but my mind wasn’t.
I’d already hidden the tree’s truth from them until now. And it had turned into this—another burden Mama had to carry.
My gaze flicked to the faint HUD glowing at the corner of my vision. The skills, the evolutions, the truths only I could see.
Should I tell them?
But then I remembered Mama’s trembling voice, how she looked at me like she was afraid of losing me. I remembered Father’s anger at her fear.
No.
Not this secret.
I clenched my fists. The HUD stays mine. If they knew, it would only make their burdens heavier.
The HUD shimmered, almost as if answering:
[Secret Maintained: Burden Reduced – Family Stress -5%]
I exhaled slowly, shutting my eyes.
Some truths… weren’t ready to be shared.