Did I hear Ella shouting?
“Bunnyyyy!”
Iarin, who was having her meal, dashed over and wrapped her arms around Ella. Then, feeling uncomfortable with her sister sitting on top of her, she carefully set her self-proclaimed sister down on the bed and hugged only Ella again.
“No, wait! Let go! Let me go! I’m— I’m currently—!”
“Bunny! Do you remember me?! Huh? Huh? You’re okay, right?! Nothing weird, right?! Thank goodness!”
“No! Nooooo! Let me go! I’m not wearing anything right now! I said let go!”
Ella squirmed in Iarin’s embrace, thinking that maybe it was a little too intimate for comfort. Iarin was hugging her, and it made her feel both anxious and embarrassed.
She tried to set aside all the things she needed to clarify and did her best to break free from Iarin.
But a witch can’t easily overpower a warrior.
She was helplessly caught like a puppet by Iarin.
“Whew.”
Iserin, who had come in late, sighed as she looked at the child lying on one side of the bed.
“Um, I’m not sure what to call you, but… Let’s get you dressed first…”
Iserin dressed the child lying on the bed in the T-shirt and pants she had brought over, then turned to Ella. Without hesitation, she smacked Iarin on the head.
Thwack!
“Ow!”
“Stop clinging! You’re acting like a fool!”
She forcibly pried Iarin away from Ella. Once Iarin was dressed in the T-shirt and shorts she had brought, Iserin lifted her up and sat her on the bed. Once seated, Iarin leaned back against the headboard, and the child she had dressed earlier shuffled closer, resting her head on Ella’s legs.
“So comfy~”
Ella was about to open her mouth in annoyance as she glared at the child resting on her legs when the sound of footsteps heralded Jinseong’s arrival. He appeared, wearing a friendly smile, walking slowly toward the bed. Strangely, instead of feeling reassured or friendly, his presence gave off a vibe that made her want to run away.
He arrived at the foot of the bed, smiled at the child, and gently placed his hand on her head.
It felt like a soft, blessing touch bestowed upon a baby.
Feeling that touch, the child smiled brightly and exclaimed.
“Der Gevatter Tod!”
Upon hearing those words, Jinseong’s expression stiffened.
“Hm.”
Der Gevatter Tod.
It was the German title of the story “Godfather Death.”
Jinseong narrowed his eyes and looked at the child.
“That’s strange.”
It wasn’t inherently odd to know that. The Brothers Grimm, the authors of “Godfather Death,” were German, and Ella had lived in Germany, so it was impossible for her to be unaware of the story. It made sense that Danbi, who got information from Ella, would also know it.
However.
To say that now was odd.
It wasn’t a word of gratitude or a question like “Who are you?” or anything.
Was it normal to blurt that out upon meeting someone for the first time?
Especially considering that Danbi’s personality, as he knew it, wouldn’t utter such words to a stranger.
Jinseong had questions swirling in his mind.
“Why did you suddenly say that?”
Danbi beamed and replied.
“A grandfather I met in my dream told me to say this when I meet my benefactor~”
“Grandfather?”
“Yes! He told me it was a clever trick!”
A grandfather? Met in a dream?
Jinseong could picture someone in his mind.
“Was he tall and controlled flames?”
“Yes~ That’s right!”
“He was also really skinny?”
“Yes~”
A tall figure, a skinny body, a shaman who manages flames and explores deep consciousness.
Ashutosh Singh.
A shaman revered in India as the sage of flames, famous worldwide for his efforts to save powerless children during the Third World War. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to meet Jinseong, and there was some regret over that fact…
Now, Ashutosh’s figure flowed from Danbi’s mouth.
Jinseong locked eyes with her and asked.
“Did you only say ‘Der Gevatter Tod’?”
“Yes~ He said that’s all I needed to say~”
Jinseong remained silent, staring at Danbi.
“Godfather Death, huh…”
Once upon a time, there was a father.
In a poor household, the father was raising twelve children when he had a thirteenth child. Realizing that he could starve them all if he continued, he set out to find a godfather for the child.
As he wandered for a long time looking for someone to become a godfather, he came across a being that offered to be one.
“I will become your child’s godfather.”
“Who are you?”
“I am the sunlight shining down from the sky, the being that makes grains ripen. I am the light that gives comfort swirling through the heavens and the great earth where everything grows. I am the raindrops that fall from the sky, the flowing river, and the vast sea. From tiny fleas to towering predators, nothing escapes my reach, for I have no form, yet you worship me. I am a god, your idol.”
The man rejected the deity’s offer.
“I refuse. You may extend kindness to the wealthy, but you leave the poor starving. You are gracious to the strong but can be endlessly cruel to the weak like me. The ripe fruits and grains go only to the rich, while you won’t give even a grain to the poor. Great predators feast on us, poor souls, rather than protecting us from the wealthy. You are cruel to us. I cannot make you the godfather of my child.”
With that, the man continued on his way.
He encountered another being, who looked truly bizarre.
“I will become your child’s godfather. I will remove anything that poses a threat to your child and grant them wealth and honor in the future.”
“Who are you?”
“I am the entity you fear, the one you call an evil spirit. If your child serves and honors me, I will bestow them with riches and infinite honor.”
Once again, the man refused.
“You deceive and harm people, committing terrible acts. If you become my child’s godfather, they too will become corrupted.”
And thus, the man traveled on until he finally encountered Death.
“Death, please become the godfather of my child. You treat the rich and the poor with fairness, delivering a just end regardless of good or evil. You are the one truly fit to be my child’s godfather.”
Death graciously accepted the man’s request.
Thus, Death became the godfather and supported the child wholeheartedly.
When the child came of age, Death offered to make the child a famous doctor as a gift.
He instructed the child to brew a potion from the herbs he shared whenever he was beside his patients and calmly deliver the word of death when standing at their feet.
As the child followed Death’s instructions, it wasn’t long before he became a renowned doctor, gaining wealth and fame, leading a blissful life.
Then one day, the king summoned the child to the palace due to his illness. However, his godfather was standing at the king’s feet, and the child was torn between the incredible reward offered by the king and the promise made to Death.
Eventually, the child broke his promise to Death, brewing the potion and giving it to the king. Despite being fated to die, the king recovered.
Death was furious.
“Child! How dare you violate our promise and save a person destined to die! I would like to take your head right now but will let it slide this time. Having watched your growth as my godson, I will forgive you just this once. If you truly regard me as your godfather, you must never engage in such acts again! If you break that promise, I will no longer see you as my godson and will take you as you are!”
Trembling in fear of Death’s anger, the child promised over and over again.
Yet, how long had it been since they made that promise?
“My daughter has fallen ill. If you can heal her, I will give you anything you desire. If you save the princess, I will make you my son-in-law and bestow the throne upon you!”
When the princess became gravely ill and bedridden, the king sought the child, begging him for help.
Entering the princess’s bedroom to check on her condition, the child fell in love at first sight.
The princess’s beauty struck him like fate, a dream awaited for someone who had yet to find their partner.
But sadly, his godfather stood not by the princess’s side but at her feet.
This meant the princess was fated to die.
The child was torn.
Should he save the princess or not?
His internal struggle was short-lived.
Blinded by love, he dismissed the weight of Death’s previous warning, thinking he would be forgiven again. He brewed the potion for the princess just as he did for the king and, though warned, broke his promise to Death once more.
In the end, Death took the child away.
Only then did he realize the gravity of his actions and pleaded with Death.
“Please, just this once more— don’t take me! It’s you, my godfather!”
Then Death dragged him to a hut filled with candles.
“Look. This is a person’s lifespan. The longer the candle, the more time they have left, and the brighter the flame, the stronger the life force.”
“Which one is mine?”
“This one.”
Death pointed to a candle that was unimpressive.
Its length was short, reflecting the little time he had left, and the flame was faint, about to extinguish.
“Oh, godfather! Please, I beg you!”
“How could I?”
“Move this flame to another candle!”
Death placed the candle in the child’s hand.
The child thought Death had granted his wish, feeling joy, but soon he realized something was wrong as the ferocious flame rapidly melted the remaining wax, extinguishing it completely.
What this story reveals is that a “godfather” has a significant impact on a child’s life.
The father actively rejected the first two offers promptly seeking out a godfather for his child, and Death, having become the godfather, guided the child into the path of a doctor, favoring the child with what he had emphasized as “fairness,” leading him to meet his end.
In this story, the “Godfather” influenced the child’s entire life.
“Influence,” indeed.
And this ties back to the theme that Jinseong was trying to navigate.
Jinseong intended to impose a name upon Danbi, binding her so she could not carelessly throw her life away, exerting influence over her.
This would serve as an intangible collar, a formless shackle of fate binding Danbi, but in exchange, it would provide her safety and a happy future.
Ashutosh Singh sensed Jinseong’s intentions and threw a thought-provoking line through Danbi.
