Chapter 253

“Alright then… It seems there’s much to teach the two of you, so please regard me as your master.”

“Master, is it…?”

“Me, me too?”

Arthur and Vivian looked at me with a hint of unease in their eyes.

Hmm. Well, it’s not exactly strange for them to feel this way.

After all, trusting some guy wrapped in tattered cloth who claims to be a sage would naturally make anyone uneasy.

In that case… I have no choice but to show them something.

“Follow me.”

I led the two outside the old stone hut.

First things first, these two will need a place to stay.

And they’ll also need food to eat and clothes to wear.

While this sage’s body, made of stone, requires nothing, these two are living human bodies. Shelter, food, and clothing are basic necessities for any living being.

So…

I lightly tapped the ground with the hand of a sage.

Simultaneously, a small sprout emerged from the earth.

It was a tiny sapling.

“What is this…?”

The two youngsters looked down at the sprout poking out of the ground with curious eyes.

RUMBLE!!!

A thunderous roar shook the ground as the little sprout suddenly grew into a massive tree.

Arthur and Vivian stumbled backward, startled by the sight of the towering tree.

“This… What is this?!”

“A tree just appeared out of nowhere…”

“It’s merely a minor trick.”

By absorbing the mana I sprinkled, the tree rapidly grew into the shape I desired.

First, it grew tall, then its trunk hollowed out inside. A large opening connected the interior to the outside, gradually widening enough to serve as doors and windows.

Hmm. Let’s add a second floor while we’re at it. I made the tree grow taller, expanded the height of the empty space inside, and divided it into two floors with walls and ceilings.

For the door, I’ll have to attach one separately later. Cutting down another tree and hanging hinges should do the trick.

Thus, a roughly livable wooden house was formed, lacking only a door and furniture.

This wasn’t a house built using wood as material but rather a house grown directly from the tree itself.

“This… Is this magic?”

“No, big brother. There aren’t any mages capable of doing this. It feels closer to spirit magic, if anything.”

Arthur and Vivian couldn’t hide their amazement as they watched the rapidly growing tree take the shape of a house.

Of course. Seeing something like this is probably only possible in the Great Forest where the elves reside.

Well, elves don’t instantaneously grow trees like this method. They plant seeds, nurture the sprouts, and use tree spirits to help them grow into the desired shapes over time.

From the tree’s perspective, it gains safety and nutrients through the elves, while the elves gain valuable living spaces. This mutual benefit is how elves and trees coexist.

The only drawback is the time it takes… But since elves have plenty of time—lifespans lasting a thousand years—it works for them.

Of course, not all elves build homes this way. Some construct houses from stone, and a few eccentric elves even carve caves out of rock to live in.

Perhaps the only thing elves don’t use as building material is lumber cut from trees.

Let’s move past the architectural styles of the elves for now.

“This is an adaptation of how elves create their homes. Elves regard trees as family, so they can’t cut them down to build houses. Instead, they grow trees into desired shapes and use them as homes.”

“Elves… I’ve heard they get extremely upset if even a single branch is broken improperly.”

That’s right. These days, they don’t mind leaves or fruit falling naturally, but breaking branches is still unacceptable to them.

Honestly, leaves are like hair—if they fall out, it’s no big deal! Baldness isn’t the end of the world.

“I’m not an elf, so cutting down trees to build houses wouldn’t bother me… But I wanted to show you two what kind of being I am capable of being.”

People tend to believe most strongly in what they see and experience firsthand.

No matter how many times someone else tells you something, the impact of personally experiencing it once is far greater.

That’s why I demonstrated this directly—to show what a sage of the deep forest is capable of.

“I can do many things beyond this. Among those who walk on two legs upon the land, I might be one of the most talented beings you could count on one hand.”

I wasn’t lying. Not at all.

Since the number of fingers on one hand is countable…

“Therefore, please don’t doubt my abilities based on appearances.”

“Yes, sir.”

Good. Shall we begin?

Princess Maker… No, our ultimate goal is Emperor, so Emperor Maker might be more appropriate.

—

Before that.

“Vivian, become the Dragon Priestess.”

As I spoke, I gently eased Vivian’s pain as she clutched her chest in discomfort.

“The Dragon Priestess… Do you mean the one from the legend of the hero?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t the Dragon Priestess the unnamed hero’s companion and the representative of the Goddess of Life who executes her will?”

“The term ‘Dragon Priestess’ doesn’t refer to any specific individual. Those who can directly hear the words of the Goddess of Life are called Dragon Priestesses.”

Because the most famous Dragon Priestess was the one accompanying the hero, people mistakenly equate Dragon Priestess with the hero’s partner.

“Can anyone become a Dragon Priestess simply by wanting to?”

I shook my head slightly. Of course not.

Let’s skip over her mixed bloodline for now—it’s not crucial anyway. Even selecting humans descended from heroes would yield tens of thousands.

What matters most is mana—the immense mana sealed within her body. Without that, it’s impossible.

“Since Vivian has the potential, I’m making this offer. If she becomes the Dragon Priestess, her frail body weakened by poison and illness will be restructured and restored.”

“Restructured…?”

“In the process, her appearance might change a bit. Don’t worry though; it’ll just be horns growing, that’s all.”

“Horns?”

Vivian mimicked the shape of horns by placing her index fingers beside her head, and I nodded slightly.

Precisely—I’ll be adding them myself.

A hornless Dragon Priestess isn’t a true Dragon Priestess!

“Is becoming one absolutely necessary?”

“Hmm. If Vivian wishes otherwise, it’s fine… but she won’t survive until adulthood, will she?”

“Eh?”

At my words, Vivian’s face stiffened.

What? Did she think she was prepared to die after consuming poisoned food, yet she’s still just a child at heart?

“Can’t your power as a sage heal her?”

“Reviving from death would be faster. Of course, that would inevitably make her a Dragon Priestess.”

Dying would break the seal within her body, transforming her physically and automatically making her a Dragon Priestess.

“Is there no other way?”

Replacing her body piece by piece with new parts is technically possible…

But compared to the hassle, it’s simpler to reset everything and let her be reborn as a Dragon Priestess.

“Do you dislike the idea of becoming a Dragon Priestess?”

“Well, I… The thought of losing myself is unsettling.”

“Losing yourself…”

Not entirely wrong.

Her appearance will change, her body will transform anew, and with the horns I’ll add… She might feel like a completely different person.

“Though the exterior may change, the soul remains the same.”

The soul stays unchanged. No matter how the body transforms, the soul remains constant.

“And as a Dragon Priestess, you’ll gain great power. That power could greatly assist Arthur.”

“Assist… Brother Arthur?”

“Yes. You’d also be able to use resurrection magic to bring back those who haven’t been dead for long.”

Technically, it’s not magic. It’s just asking the Grim Reapers in my name.

“Resurrection magic… to bring back the dead!”

“The path Arthur will walk will undoubtedly be fraught with peril. Having someone at his side with the power to undo one death… You understand the importance without further explanation, don’t you?”

The ability to reverse death means retrieving lost opportunities, erasing failures. Such significance shouldn’t escape someone as clever as Vivian.

“I… I’ll do it. I’ll become the Dragon Priestess.”

“Good decision, Vivian.”

“Please call me Viv. Just Viv, Master.”

Ah. Being addressed as “Master” feels oddly refreshing.

“Alright then. Since you’ve decided, let’s proceed. Viv, it might hurt and feel uncomfortable, but you’ll have to endure. There’s nothing else to do but bear it.”

“Wha?!”

With that, I released the seal within Vivian’s body.

—

That day, the Church of Life received a divine message:

“An child who can hear my voice has appeared.

Regard this child as my embodiment and honor them accordingly.

Welcome the new Dragon Priestess.”

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