Chapter 65: Act 1 – The Burning City
The country of the World Tree and the land of the elves, Beriton.
Naturally, the botanical garden of Beriton boasts the largest scale in the world.
Located behind the World Tree, the botanical garden spans an area of 2 square kilometers.
The ‘Beriton National Botanical Garden’ was originally established 500 years ago to protect rare plants that were endangered, but gradually, as facilities were expanded, it now houses an extensive collection of over 4000 species of plants and is said to be equipped with the best plant research facilities.
Excluding the research facility, the remaining space of 1.33 square kilometers is open to the public, and it is not just open; it provides beautiful walking paths and stunning glasshouses, giving an overwhelming impression that feels grand in itself.
The central giant plant research complex stood tall like a castle amidst the urban environment, resembling a kingdom where flowers and trees were akin to its subjects.
This sight was enough to make both first-time viewers and those familiar with it gasp in admiration, and indeed, most emitted exclamations of awe.
Except for one person.
Luke, despite having witnessed the spectacle, showed no significant change in expression and gazed down at his feet, lost in thought.
He had a question that had been on his mind since last night.
“Hmm…”
‘Luck.’
Luck is something that appears in uncertain and unpredictable moments and is the ‘probability’ that determines the outcome of any event.
However, probability has no direction.
Throwing a coin dozens or hundreds of times and having heads come up continuously is also probability, but that doesn’t necessarily mean one is lucky.
In fact, if that rare event did not lead to any outcome, then?
Yes. It was simply luck at work.
So what does it mean to say that one is ‘lucky’?
It becomes quite complex.
For example, if you trip over a stone while walking, can that be considered ‘good luck’?
Generally, of course, it would not be.
But what if, in this situation, there were fortuitously a 10,000-gild coin hidden where you fell?
Had you not tripped, you would never have found it by ‘luck,’ so could you say you were ‘lucky’ for gaining 10,000 gild?
Hmm, do you really think that’s lucky?
Then here’s another example.
You had long prepared for a competition.
You were cheered on by those around you, putting in great effort to ensure you would win, eagerly awaiting that day, but then one day, you suffered an unexpected injury.
In that situation, where you could not participate in the competition, you would undoubtedly think, “I am not lucky.”
But what if, ironically, on the day of the competition, the facility collapsed, killing many people?
You survived thanks to the unfortunate accident.
Now, is that ‘good luck’?
As seen in these hypothetical situations, what one thinks of as a moment of misfortune could shift to become luck upon grasping the overall context.
This means that luck should not solely apply to parts but should be perceived as working within the context of the situation.
Life cannot simply be defined as being lucky or unlucky. It is that complex.
However, when examining all causal relationships, your ‘luck’ unavoidably results from someone else’s ‘misfortune.’
As previously illustrated, you felt lucky because someone lost 10,000 gild, and you felt it was lucky you survived because many others lost their lives, right?
Thus, being ‘lucky’ is, in truth, relative.
When someone profits in a card game, there are inevitably those who will lose.
But here a variable is added.
What if there is someone who manipulates randomness, a being that alters ‘possibility’?
In card games, there is a dealer.
‘God.’
In this world, luck is a tool of that god.
Like a con artist, the dealer steals chances and opportunities from someone to deal good hands to those they wish to favor.
Luck is merely a tool that the existence of ‘God’ uses to give what has been taken from others.
At first glance, it seems fair, but more than anything, luck is the most unfair thing.
Isn’t it a deception? Isn’t it disgusting?
Considering the actions of those who were ‘chosen by luck’ as heroes only amplifies that feeling.
Therefore, Luke dislikes the phrase ‘lucky.’
He knows that he is a being born with immense luck, at least to some extent.
To have even one quality is miraculous, having two eyes possessing the ability to see into the future, being born into a well-off family with considerable wealth and power, outstanding intellect, talent, and decent looks…
Objectively, his existence is a blessing, or at the very least akin to luck, isn’t it?
This is why Luke hopes he won’t become someone’s misfortune.
For those who possess nothing, simply being oneself can be a terrifying misfortune.
Therefore, he worked harder than anyone else.
So that others would not see him and have their will to strive diminished.
His own ‘actions’ should not become the misfortune of others.
He believed that would contribute significantly to the advancement of the world.
But, the fact that a talented person works so hard could perhaps be viewed unfavorably by someone…
“…”
He wasn’t foolish enough to think he should consider that level of feeling for others.
Even that ‘god’ cannot influence the very birth of life itself.
Thus, there was no helping the fact that he was born as he was.
If god could manipulate even that, then all humans in this world would have been born with perfectly tremendous talents.
But the world isn’t that way, is it?
It was originally designed that way.
Whether it was made so by the god when creating this continent, or if it was simply a law of the universe.
In any case, this continent, shining brilliantly with incredible diversity, is inhabited by imperfect beings, thus intertwining countless causal relationships in every matter.
If a deer escapes with its life, a wolf goes hungry.
Conversely, if a wolf succeeds in a hunt, the deer will lose its life.
If someone gains, someone must lose.
Thus, the element of ‘luck’ remains one of the fundamental concepts that constitute the world.
Even now, when the god has vanished, that law could not have disappeared.
But…
At that moment, Luke was clearly ‘lucky.’
So unnatural to the point of…
If it truly is a world where ‘God’ has hidden away, then such occurrences should never have happened…
Does this mean there is still a being rolling manipulated dice?
‘Is it a mere coincidence, or is it the machinations of god?’
Unfortunately, the truth of this question can only be revealed with proof of the existence of ‘God.’
Thus, the question rapidly transformed in Luke’s mind into another form.
‘In the current situation where temples and priests are absent, how can the existence of God be confirmed?’
This was the question that has filled Luke’s mind up to now.
Is it a matter that can be clarified magically, rather than through theology?
Luke, who was ruminating on questions that still hadn’t been resolved after thinking all day, was so deep in his thoughts that he did not even notice the two children’s gazes upon him.
————
“Um… Luke doesn’t seem to be in a good mood today. Is something wrong?”
Shirud asked Mary in a low voice.
“Well, the truth is… we played a game of catching thieves yesterday, and Luke kept winning, so I got mad and told him not to use tricks…”
Mary scratched her cheek and avoided Shirud’s gaze.
‘I did make a mistake, getting mad and all…’
Luke had just thought of it as him acting cutely by pretending to be angry, but in fact, it was Mary’s genuine expression of anger.
So Mary felt a sense of guilt for having gotten mad.
Wasn’t she the one who proposed to play in the first place?
When they returned to their room after playing without Luke, it seemed so shocking to have told Luke not to use tricks that he was alone, flipping a coin.
Was he truly that lucky, or was he just testing his own luck?
Watching Luke flip the coin with vacant eyes all day long made her feel that guilt… that this wasn’t just a game.
At that time, Luke kept flipping the coin regardless of whether it was heads or tails, over and over again.
“So I told him to stop…… but he kept saying he couldn’t with a more serious expression…”
“…”
Shirud glanced at Luke, thinking.
“Surely he was really upset about that.”
Honestly, he didn’t think Luke would have really used tricks.
Even if he played fair, he probably would have won, but if Luke had truly been intent on winning to the point of resorting to trickery, would he have been so ‘obvious’ about it?
That would definitely not be the case.
Having said that, Mary suddenly gasped in realization, covering her mouth while pouting.
She hadn’t realized he could be that upset…
“I don’t know how to make it up to him…”
“Hmm.”
If Luke was indeed upset, to be honest, he had no methods either.
He still didn’t know what Luke particularly liked.
Luke typically just laughed it off regardless of what the other kids did…
Still, if he really liked something, it must be about magic.
Whether it was an airplane, a phone like a magical device, any object imbued with magic would certainly pique Luke’s interest.
But unfortunately, Luke was no longer interested in his phone, and airplanes were not likely to be around here.
So what could possibly please Luke in this context?
Shirud thought hard.
Ah, moonlight stone? Yes. That would definitely catch Luke’s interest.
It was certainly infused with magic.
But there was no way to find it in such a place.
And it would be too costly just to give it as a gesture to cheer him up.
“Oh.”
As Shirud was pondering about objects infused with magic, he caught sight of a shop.
‘Souvenir shop’
———
– Ere, Ere…
The desolate voice of the spirit calling for Ere did not reach Luke.
If it wished to call for him, it should have called his name ‘Luke,’ but now the title had changed and was still calling him ‘Ere.’
Py must now call him ‘Luke’ from now on.
He was not ‘Ere.’
He did not feel pleasant being called ‘Ere.’
Moreover, he had too many thoughts to think about right now.
Is it true that there is no god in this world, or do just all the other people simply think there’s no god?
But if a god still exists, then it would mean that the survival of ‘Renie’ could also be a relevant issue.
Naturally, he found himself deep in thought.
“Luke, Luke!”
And it was the shaking hand of a child in front of him that interrupted his deep thoughts.
“…Ah, Shirud. What’s up? If it’s nothing important, we can talk later…”
“Here, take this.”
Luke looked at the object suddenly thrust before him.
It was a brooch made of flowers.
Not just any flower; this brooch, woven from magic herbs, featured two neatly arranged flowers of a pale yellow hue.
Upon closer inspection, they were not mere models, but real flowers.
“This is… Dinequis? Where did you get this?”
“Of course, I bought it.”
Shirud pointed at the souvenir shop with his finger.
“Aha.”
Luke shifted his gaze back to the brooch that Shirud had handed him.
Dinequis was a flower particularly skilled at repelling insects.
‘That makes sense, there are likely many bugs here.’
If there are plants, then of course, there will be insects as well.
If there are insects, then they will certainly bite.
Thus, creating products from such magic herbs and selling them seems to be quite a good business strategy.
‘Speaking of which, Renie liked such yellow flowers very much.’
In fact, Renie was never just an imposing figure as a queen.
She was too free-spirited to fit in her position.
Perhaps she put more effort into sneaking out in disguise to run a flower shop than in running the kingdom while seated on the throne.
During those times, she would laugh and say, “It’s fine, I have excellent ministers who can manage everything even if I’m not here! And Luke, don’t you think we should spend some time together for a more enjoyable time?”
At that, he inevitably helped her adjust the clumsily used magic to not get caught.
“…Hmph.”
Recalling that sudden burst of past memories, a natural smile began to form on Luke’s lips.
“Thank you. This reminds me of a pleasant memory.”
With that, Luke’s stiff expression softened, revealing a more joyful and natural smile than usual.
Shirud felt a tingle of heat at the back of his neck as he thought it was thanks to his present that Luke’s expression had changed.
“Well, I didn’t know you liked flowers that much.”
“Is it particularly strange to like flowers?”
“That’s true, but…”
Shirud continued to scratch the back of his neck and lowered his hand, asking.
“Wait, but how did you know the name of the flower right away?”
“Well, I’m not boasting, but I know the names of most flowers.”
Shirud thought, ‘That seems worth bragging about.’
“…Why do you like flowers so much?”
“Um, well…”
‘Luke, it’s a secret that I ran a flower shop here! Got it? You must never answer if someone asks!’
‘Okay, I understand. I, Luke Irush, will never speak of anything related to flowers from now on. Is that alright?’
‘Hehe, that’s great! Didn’t a mage say that they can’t lie?’
Luke smiled brightly once more and said.
“It’s a secret.”
