novelraw Chapter 62 : The Guest Who Bowed
Chapter 62 : The Guest Who Bowed
The next day, Mama returned earlier than usual. But she wasn’t alone.
A young woman followed her, clutching a staff to her chest, her eyes wide as she took in the sight before her. Iris.
Her gaze darted from the fields to the towering tree, its leaves shimmering blue and green, to the tiny wisps drifting lazily in the air. Her jaw fell open.
“This… this is the borderlands?” she whispered. “I thought it was supposed to be dead land.”
Papa stepped out from the porch, his eyes narrowing as he sized her up. “And who is this?”
Mama’s voice was calm, sharp. “Her name is Iris. My student. She is the reason I’ve been coming home late.”
Papa’s expression flickered, something bitter flashing across his face. Mama’s glare cut through it before he could speak.
“She is proof, Darius. Proof that I haven’t been sneaking away to some other man.”
The air went still.
Iris shifted nervously, bowing her head. “I-I… I didn’t mean to cause any trouble. Lady Selene has only been teaching me magic during quests. That’s all.”
Papa looked at her, then at Mama, then finally let out a long breath. His shoulders sagged, the tension draining away. “…I see.”
Mama folded her arms, her expression unreadable. “Do you still doubt me?”
He shook his head slowly. “No. Not anymore.”
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
Iris, still overwhelmed, turned her eyes back to the land. “I… I’ve never seen crops so strong. Or grass that color. And that tree—by the gods, is it alive?”
Mama didn’t answer. Papa didn’t either. Their silence was its own reply.
I tugged on Iris’s sleeve, grinning a little despite the heavy mood. “Welcome to Valemont land. It’s not like anywhere else.”
She gave me a shaky smile, still staring at the wisps dancing in the air. “…No. It really isn’t.”
Mama and Papa didn’t look impressed when I tried to show them the wisps again. Or the way the soil hummed when I pushed mana through it. They just gave their usual soft smiles, like it was only natural I’d do something new.
But Iris wasn’t like them.
“C’mon!” I grabbed her hand, tugging her toward the fields. “You’ve got to see this!”
She stumbled, clutching her staff awkwardly as I dragged her past the rows of sprouting barkwheat. “W-wait, slow down!”
“Look here.” I crouched beside a stalk, showing her how the wisps hovered over the leaves, sinking inside like dew. “See? That’s why they’re growing so fast.”
Her eyes widened. “…That’s… impossible.”
I grinned. Finally, someone reacted properly.
“And here’s the tree!” I puffed up my chest as we stepped into its shade. Maori lounged on a low branch, humming to herself, kicking her feet back and forth.
The moment Iris’s eyes fell on her, she froze. The color drained from her face.
Then she dropped to her knees.
“…Goddess.”
I blinked. “Huh?”
Maori sat upright, startled. “Eh? What’s this?”
Iris pulled her hat lower, as if to hide something. But as she bowed her head, I caught a glimpse—an ear, pointed, just enough to betray the blood she tried to hide.
“You… you’re the Goddess of Tree,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I-I was taught to pray to you since I could speak. To see you with my own eyes—”
Maori scratched her cheek, flustered for once. “W-whoa, hold on! Don’t go bowing like that, it feels weird! I’m just… me.”
I tilted my head, watching Iris shiver. “…Half-elf?” I asked quietly.
She stiffened but didn’t deny it.
Maori hopped down, hands on her hips. “Half or whole, doesn’t matter. You recognized me, so I’ll forgive your stiff bow.”
Iris looked up at her, eyes still wide, still shining with something I’d never seen before—devotion.
I rubbed the back of my neck, glancing between them. Mama and Papa might not react… but Iris sure did.