novelraw Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Episode 8
What does the Shalias have to do with the second running away?
At that time, she had found a small pouch of seeds in the forest, and regardless of who dropped it, Flora diligently held onto it when she was rescued.
Later, when Mrs. Finny discovered the seeds, she said that growing plants would help with the children's emotional development and made a garden for everyone.
The children were very happy at the prospect of growing their own plants and raised them with love and affection.
Then, something slightly unexpected happened.
Contrary to their expectation that a small flower would bloom, a tree began to grow there.
Moreover, as if under a spell, it grew at an unbelievable speed.
When the tree grew as tall as the children, white flower buds bloomed, but instead of bearing fruit, seeds burst forth from inside.
Repeating the process of planting those seeds, the growth rate was so astonishing that it grew enough to cover the surroundings of the orphanage.
Just as they were considering whether to cut the trees down, Rosaria, who visited the orphanage as usual, solved the problem.
〈Why are there Shalias here?〉
Shalias.
A precious ornamental tree said to bring luck if you possess it, and whose fruit has miraculous healing properties for wounds.
Its seeds are not common, and it's very difficult to grow, so it sells for a high price.
Mrs. Finny, who was already troubled by the sudden increase in Shalias, made a contract with the Hermannus direct merchant guild through Rosaria.
Thanks to the many nobles seeking Shalias, the orphanage found itself sitting on a gold mine.
And while an ordinary person might have swallowed that money whole, Mrs. Finny never touched it privately, saying it was money the children earned.
They tore down the old house, built a large mansion, expanded the garden, and created individual savings accounts for each child's future.
Of course, the Shalias kept increasing during this time, and to block people who, hearing the rumors, trespassed to target the Shalias, they even installed the expensive temple protective barrier device.
A large, beautiful mansion like a noble's villa.
And the extremely expensive ornamental Shalias surrounding it.
The well-dressed appearance of the orphanage children receiving sufficient education, nutritious food, and the love of their guardians.
Even the excellent employees who came four days a week to manage the mansion.
Who would see this place as an orphanage?
'It would be really nice if it bore fruit.'
She found out later that the precious fruit of the Shalias never grows if touched by human hands, so it was a shame they couldn't sell it.
"Ah, Flora! Let's play hide and see... Gasp, good day, Duke."
The children, who were happy to see Flora, greeted Athanas the moment they saw him and quickly disappeared.
'Useless unnis and oppas like these.'
Flora watched the retreating children with a face dripping with regret, but they didn't look back.
"You get along so well with the children."
Athanas, who had been quietly watching the scene, spoke.
"My unnis and oppas really like me."
"They treat you well?"
"Yep. They treat me better than anyone, so I don't even want to imagine a place without my unnis and oppas."
So, I'm not going with you.
Athanas tactfully closed his mouth.
It was the first month of meeting Athanas, and Flora seemed to have learned a little about how to handle this naive man.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · · · · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
〈I can no longer stand to watch the humans defile the world.〉
The Great Demon Mors was a lifeform born from the hands of the Chief God Beshart.
〈My beloved child, you are the ruler who will govern the world, the savior who will save the world, and you were born with the destiny to become the master of all things.〉
Looking at Mors, fashioned with affection, love, and powerful power, Beshart whispered tenderly.
〈Such a corrupted world does not suit you. You must become the master of a new, beautiful, and pure world.〉
Beshart was Mors's parent and the only world.
〈It might be amusing for the destroyer of the world to become its savior. My child, destroy the world defiled by the ugly humans and create your own world.〉
However, Mors was not Beshart's only child.
〈But it wouldn't be bad to give them one last chance. They are also my children.〉
With those final words, Mors opened her eyes.
Leaving Beshart's warm embrace, she arrived at a vast, cold land, and a barren earth where nothing lived greeted her.
〈First, I need a place to live.〉
As Mors's hand moved, a huge black castle was erected there.
〈I am strong, but I don't want to personally deal with capturing humans.〉
Then, four demons who followed her were born around her.
〈They will need a place to stay too.〉
At Mors's words, the castle expanded.
〈I should make it so humans cannot easily approach the castle.〉
A forest appeared.
The suddenly appeared huge black castle, and the threatening demons and monsters surrounding it.
〈Beshart told me to bring about this world's destruction.〉
And then those beings began to attack the humans.
Terrified by the appearance of the calamity, people all lived in fear and soon called the master of the castle the Great Demon.
Though trembling with fear, people resisted the Great Demon, and representing those humans, five heroes stepped forward.
〈Good heavens, you are the Great Demon?〉
〈...How did a human get here?〉
〈A child like this is the Great Demon? What kind of nonsense is that!〉
〈Shut up, human.〉
She didn't know how he broke through the demons' guard, but that's how the first meeting between Etar Lucifer and the Great Demon began.
The first lifeform she met, aside from the demons who blindly followed her.
Mors bickered with Etar, but with his passion, they quickly became friends.
Later, she met the other heroes too, and watching them, Mors read a new possibility.
Contrary to Beshart's words, the humans were neither ugly nor disgusting.
They had vitality and hope for life.
So, for the first time, Mors decided to betray Beshart's will.
Not knowing that they would later betray Mors and kill her themselves.
〈You said we were friends.〉
The five heroes killed their friend Mors with cold expressions.
No, they killed the Great Demon Mors.
From the beginning, Mors was an enemy to them, not a friend.
Reading the contempt, hostility, and all sorts of negative emotions in their eyes, Mors, just before dying, squeezed out her last bit of strength and cursed them.
〈You will live unhappily for the rest of your lives in terrible hallucinations and pain! You, and all who inherit your blood, will live bearing a dreadful fate! You will struggle in a fate where you cannot easily die and perish miserably!〉
Yes, that's how it was.
Flora woke up from her sleep with an unpleasant look in her eyes.
Being in Beshart's embrace.
Meeting Etar Lucifer for the first time.
And dying miserably and alone due to the betrayal of the five heroes. Dreaming of these in succession put her in a very bad mood.
'Will he come today too?'
She didn't want to see Athanas in this unpleasant mood.
Flora cleaned her sweaty body and, as always, slipped out of the orphanage, avoiding everyone's eyes.
'The Demon Forest must have been thoroughly blocked off by Hermannus since the last time I ran away.'
If she went to the town, she'd be spotted quickly.
Today was a day she wanted to be alone, so it seemed there was only one place to go.
Walking a bit past the hill leading to the town, in the opposite direction of the Demon Forest, the starting point of a high mountain appears.
Flora looked down at her small feet and let out a deep sigh.
"Endure just a little, my feet."
This mountain behind the town was higher and rougher than it looked, an inappropriate place for a young child to frequent.
That's also why it was a very suitable place to be alone.
Instead of humming as usual, Flora firmly closed her mouth and began climbing the well-maintained hiking trail at the entrance.
Anyway, with a young child's weak stamina, she couldn't reach the summit, nor did she intend to.
She just needed to find a place where she could spend time alone, away from everyone's eyes.
Thinking that made her footsteps feel a little lighter.
Climbing the mountain, Flora watched the squirrels playing nearby, observed unfamiliar fruits on the trees, and quietly ascended the mountain.
'Whew.'
When she thought she had climbed high enough, she took out the handkerchief she brought, placed it on the ground, and plopped down on it.
"It's hard."
What kind of ordeal is this, just to avoid one head of the Lucifer house.
"That's why, why did it have to be Lucifer who's my father!"
The name Lucifer couldn't help but feel heavier to Flora than the other ducal houses.
Because he was the one who first gave her affection and ultimately betrayed that trust, showing her the ugly side of humanity.
"And why are you, of all people, being called the Betrayer of Humanity?"
She couldn't understand it.
Did he lead the charge in killing her so brazenly, only to regret it later?
If his descendants had been living luxuriously, she would have purged the Lucifer family first without a second thought.
"An eternity has passed. So there must be things I don't know."
Anyway, since she had no intention of following Athanas, it was a problem she didn't need to think about more deeply.