Episode 382 < The Gardener of Rotten Flowers. (4) >
8.
Please take charge of the management of this flower garden.
The first person to react to my words was neither the director nor Mr. Kim Yul. Esther, who hit Sylvia’s hammer with an edge, shouted in surprise.
“Matriarch, it’s impossible!”
I looked at Esther. My family’s advisor immediately gave advice.
“First of all, Gayoung has a task ahead of her. Didn’t the head of the library in the corner want Gayoung to work as a librarian? Gayoung is often absent these days, and the library director in the corner is dissatisfied. In such a situation, completely moving Gayoung’s residence may send the wrong signal to the library director in the corner.”
And Sylvia was surprised by these words.
“What is it? Why are you suddenly sounding like an advisor?”
“That’s right, I’m an advisor. “You are the chamberlain, so you clean, cook, and make tea.”
“If cleaning up the family is the job of the Chamberlain, then cleaning you seems like the first thing I should do… .”
“The first thing you should do is purify yourself. Would you like me to swallow it?”
I spoke quickly before the two started measuring each other’s kill angle again.
“The advisor’s words are worth thinking about. Someone I know well also said that when a constellation is poisonous, all sorts of strange things happen.”
Bae Hu-ryeong snorted with his arms crossed behind him. Esther, who could not see that, sighed while resting her chin on her chin.
“Yes, strictly speaking, the Corner Librarian is no longer a constellation… .”
“He is one of those who still needs attention and consideration. Even if it is not for the purpose of preventing such risks, I am also a person who must take responsibility. “That is correct.”
I nodded.
“Let’s deal with that right now. “What’s next?”
“… … “I don’t know about Gayoung, but wouldn’t the burden be a bit heavy for the head of the family?”
It was a cautious tone.
The director, who was listening silently, also agreed.
“Can I do it?”
The director spoke in a voice that showed pressure marks.
“Confucius. I am weak. I can’t use any martial arts techniques, such as auras or strong skills, and I can’t use magic. “The only knives I know how to use are kitchen knives.”
“Actually, you didn’t even handle that properly.”
I said.
The director smiled slightly and continued speaking in a slightly lighter voice.
“that’s right. Blades have always been difficult for me to handle. “The side of the spoon was the limit I could handle without any problem.”
“The mixed rice and the chewed apples were both delicious.”
“Thank you. … … “But isn’t that the skill you need to protect your home?”
The director’s voice quieted down again.
It was not difficult to recognize that the pressing stone was a heavy feeling of helplessness.
‘Because you have seen how violence works.’
The first flower planted in this world was also a friend that he could not protect.
Also, I, the owner of this world, was once a child that the director had to protect. There were many enemies targeting me. Even without counting the constellations, pillars, and hunters from other worlds, many of the media outlets on the first floor of the tower were holding hands and patting me.
As I once talked to Anastasia, it is necessary. If there was one thing I agreed with what Topju said, it was that there were many people in the world who needed someone they could point their finger at.
The owner of the tower became an object of criticism because he wanted to and because he needed to.
But the princess and the pillars must be heartbroken to see the owner of the tower like that.
Something similar is probably happening to the director. No matter how much you believe that you should take responsibility for your life, how could it be possible for a parent who has to read critical articles about me every morning to feel so completely broken?
I decided to say what I had to say first.
“Director. I’m OK.”
The director’s expression softened slightly.
I continued.
“And it’s okay if you can’t use the sword. “What I want from the director is not violence.”
Rather the opposite.
I hope the director will always keep his distance from that.
“I will make sure that the director will never have to hold the sword.”
I put those words into practice.
First, I looked at Kim Yul.
“Mr. Kim Yul.”
Kim Yul was also looking at me. Since he cut himself, the image of the world reflected in his eyes has become much clearer.
I spoke to the world reflected in his eyes.
“Can you protect the director and this garden?”
“Do your best.”
Kim Yul spoke immediately.
Looking down at the lily of the valley that was himself, Kim Yul declared to his friend standing beyond the lily of the valley.
“I will protect what I must protect.”
“yes.”
I accepted that… I picked up the holy sword.
‘Sparkle.’
I took the Goddess’ Holy Sword, which I had held in my hand ever since I got it from the Aegim Empire, and plunged it into the middle of the flower garden.
Light exploded.
[The guardian goddess appears!]
The guardian goddess, Hwiya, has appeared.
Wings made of light unfolded. The rusty sunsets flickered as if blown by the wind, coloring the entire flower garden white.
“Hwiya.”
Even if the flower was rotten, it was still a flower. Even though red light dominated, there was no shortage of color from end to end in this world where flowers were in full bloom to begin with.
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However, the brightness was poor. All the petals were faded, drained, or floating pale. Light enters that place. The petals coated in pure white brilliance became clearer one by one. Flowers existed in this world not as twinkles but as flickers.
“Yes, warrior.”
“I would like to entrust you with the management of this flower garden. “It would be nice if I could help Mr. Kim Yul.”
I continued, pointing to the person she had once summoned and who had grabbed and swung her around.
“Are you going to be okay?”
The guardian goddess Hwiya looked at her former partner who had torn her into five pieces and sealed her. There was no resentment in her gaze, as she had already done when her first mention of Le Fanta Ai Kim was made.
“yes.”
However, there were worries and concerns.
The gaze that contained both of them swept over Kim Yul and then turned to me.
“Are you okay?”
I laughed bitterly.
“It will be a shame.”
“Yes, you will need to get a new sword. The sword you had in mind… .”
“there is. “But it’s not just about the sword.”
I lowered my head.
“Thank you for being with me for this long time.”
Hwiya laughed. That smile was bright and white.
“What kind of grand words are you saying? “It’s not like we’re breaking up forever.”
“Yes, but.”
“Then it’s okay. “After all, I am the protector.”
The guardian goddess spoke with her wings spread like a true goddess.
“I will guard the warrior’s house.”
Hwiya slowly turned towards Kim Yul. The light from the wings, which gradually fell asleep, no longer illuminated the entire world, but instead only appeared on Kim Yul.
“It may be new to you, but please be kind to me. “Old warrior.”
Like a first-time actor in the spotlight, Kim Yul hesitated. Her complex expression spread across her face like ripples and then subsided.
“I am.”
Kim Yul and Hwiya were going to have a long talk just as much as the director and Kim Yul. Hwiya and the director will also be able to have a long talk.
But that is possible even if it is not at this moment.
I looked back at Esther.
“Advisor. “I also want to entrust you with the security here.”
Esther, who was looking at the appeared Hwiya with a face as complex as Kim Yul, stopped and looked at me.
“… I am.”
“why? Didn’t you want to be a gardener? “In the garden he protects, he is stronger than me—”
“Now that I think about it again, I think that was a rather shameful idea.”
In this way, the number of light novel readers in the world decreased by one. Esthel hesitated, shaking her head to shake off the poisonous snake from her body, like a Pomeranian shaking off moisture from its fur.
“I am… “In many ways, I am different from these two.”
“That’s why.”
“Of course it is. From the head of the household. But please consider my position as well.”
The former Demon King, who had defeated the empire founded by Lefanta Aegim and destroyed the world protected by the Guardian Goddess, was desperate. A cat that refuses to get into the bathtub won’t get any more upset than this.
“Please.”
“……eww.”
Esther hesitated. He sighed. Shrugged his shoulders. Eventually, his arms hung down.
“… … “I would feel more at ease if you gave me an order.”
“Please.”
“All right… yes. gardener. Thinking about it again, it doesn’t seem like such a shameful idea… I will take a lot of vacation time as I have a village to look after, but, well, there needs to be an advisor at the family headquarters… Well, whatever.”
Esther took a deep breath. He then bowed his head towards Hwiya and Kim Yul.
“I will leave it up to you.”
“Welcome.”
Hwiya waved her wings and expressed her welcome. She is truly a sparkling goddess.
The reason why Lefanta Aegim did not kill Hwiya when he started walking the path of the Heavenly Killer was definitely not because of old grace. Perhaps that was why Kim Yul also nodded once to welcome Esther.
It seems that the welcome of the two made Esther even more anxious. Esther, who was writhing around like a snake on the snow, caught sight of her prey.
“You come too.”
Sylvia, who was looking at Esther with a smile like that of a villainess, was surprised.
“Eh. me too? this… “I don’t know what it is, but you want to stay in a place where your SAN value will be reduced in real time in proportion to the time you live?”
“Then where are you telling me that the Chamberlain is not guarding the family mansion?”
“uh… I have an important mission to run a car for the Duke of the Silver Lily… .”
“Shall I ask your opinion? Brewing tea for yourself. Cleaning this flower garden. Which of the two would the Duke of the Silver Lily desire more? To put it more simply, which of the two makes you feel more screwed?”
“Holy shit… .”
Sylvia sighed.
Esther raised her chin with her greatsword on her shoulder.
“Still, she was a daughter named after a flower, right? “Then wouldn’t it be appropriate to be in a flower garden?”
Sylvia hissed. Then he spit it out like he was chewing.
“… … “It’s an old story.”
“It’s even rotted, so there’s no place more suitable than this. Please come.”
“shit…….”
Sylvia eventually surrendered. As she trudged to stand next to Esther, she truly looked like one of the flowers that had sprouted in this world.
okay.
Only then did I look back at the director again.
“As you can see, others will carry the sword.”
“…….”
“Everyone here needs help.”
It wasn’t just referring to flowers.
Except for Hwiya, Kim Yul, Esther, Sylvia, and everyone else from the Four Kings who would come here were in need of help. The shadow grows deeper as the depth of the wound, and only those who have been injured in the world can deeply engrave the doctrine of the shadow within themselves.
“I wish you could help me.”
I spoke as the leader of Macheon.
“Because that’s something the director can do well.”
The director’s silence did not last long.
The answer, like his friend, was also not long.
“I’ll do my best.”
So everything was ready.
[ Deputies are appointed to your world. ]
Silently, the sentence rang out.
[The 89th floor is cleared! ]
This place,
A place where a rusty sunset falls over the red sea.
The flower petals are tired of attracting bees
Blades of grass that didn’t have that talent in the first place
A place to sleep with the leaves hanging down.
A land protected by the Guardian Goddess and the Demon King of Autumn Rain.
A garden tended by my teacher and his friend.
A sanctuary where my family will reside.
[The Garden of Rotten Flowers is now a sanctuary in the sky where screams are gathered. ]
[May good luck be with you. ]
And, the path to the 90th floor appeared in my world.
9.
As always, there is an afterthought to this story.
“No no no no! “Isn’t that too much?”
The librarian in the corner of the room flapped his sleeves like a butterfly’s wings.
“I am against this! I firmly oppose it! If Kim Yul goes away, who will take care of the books? I will go to this place too! “You must go!”
“oh my god! “The director is fluttering!”
“Move! “This time, I’ll take the picture from the front!”
In the corner of the room, next to the library director, the library director’s stalkers, including an assistant writer who had come down from the 50th floor, were causing a stir. This is shit.
As if adding a Shiba Inu to the mess, the Medicine King, who was in charge of the planetarium store manager, screamed.
“Oh, if you’re going to make a fuss, go out and do it! “It’s not enough to interfere with business!”
“I’m sorry… .”
“Anyway, young people shouldn’t be like this. Eh. How can you cut me off so much from when I was young? .”
“But I’ve said this several times. There isn’t a single person here younger than you? “How about slowly inputting that information into your head?”
Just like that, the Library Director’s stalkers began to growl while facing the Medicine King. This also happens every day here.
The librarian in the corner of the room pushed the stalkers away and looked at me. It was a sad look.
“Look. Look at this miserable face. “I want you to take a look at what kind of shape you’ve made this place into.”
“Strictly speaking, you brought this on yourself.”
Hamustra was one of the few people who could hear me speaking informally. I don’t think it would be pleasant for me to be treated in the same way as Yoo Su-ha, but Hamustra seemed to have already relaxed a bit, avoiding eye contact and grumbling.
“Hmm. Well, that’s true. But even so, wouldn’t it be too much to take away Kim Yul? .”
“don’t worry.”
I said, stirring Hamustra’s Frappuccino and handing it to him.
“Strictly speaking, you don’t want to use Kim Yul as a librarian. “I want to be with Kim Yul.”
“That’s right… hmm… Hmmmm? Ah, indeed. I am also one of the gardeners at that garden—”
“No, that doesn’t work.”
I am afraid that the flowers will be turned into showpieces, so I will not even bring Raviel in. I will never allow this voyeur into my sanctuary.
“then… ?”
“I plan to build a path to my sanctuary through this library.”
I simply conveyed the composition I had in mind. As it was a relatively tall constellation, the library director, who had played around with the levels in the tower, understood right away.
“in other words… Are you saying you plan to use this place as a kind of cafeteria?”
“To be exact, the lounge.”
In short, it was similar to putting a building together.
Within that architectural drawing, my sanctuary becomes a flower garden set up on the rooftop. The 20th floor, where I was originally the owner, the paradise where Esther lived, and the 22nd floor where Master’s tomb is located, are the floors on the way to the rooftop.
A tower within a tower.
Thus, this planetarium, where the library director resides in the corner of the room, functions as a lounge where gardeners and visitors can rest their minds and bodies.
“Umm… Well, if that’s the case. “I guess I can see your face once a day.”
“huh. “Not bad, right?”
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t dissatisfied… “I understand.”
The librarian in the corner looked at the fox around my neck with somewhat jealous eyes and sighed.
Hamustra, who had been silent while nibbling on the Frappuccino I handed him through a straw, suddenly asked a question with that feeling in mind.
“Why on earth do you climb the tower?”
It was a sudden question.
“Honestly, it’s something I’ve been curious about ever since I heard that you climbed to the 80th floor.”
“…….”
“Gongja Kim. You’ve proven everything you wanted to prove. “I was reborn as a complete constellation and corrected almost all the irregularities in your tower to suit your eyes.”
The librarian in the corner of the room rested his chin on both palms and looked at me blankly.
“Do you know what a constellation in that position usually does?”
“No more challenges?”
“exactly. From this point on, the focus will be on safely gathering followers, increasing holy power, and collecting items as safely as possible. In the meantime, if I see another world that looks easy, I go looting it.”
The librarian in the corner stirred the Frappuccino with a straw.
“Then, only those who feel that there is no more content to play or that they no longer want to live in a rented room are going to buy their own home. “We are creating a sanctuary by going from the 81st to the 90th floor.”
“indeed.”
“exactly. The difference between a five-star constellation and an ordinary constellation is exactly that. It’s just that. … “But you don’t have to have your own home to live there, do you?”
The sounds of the Medicine King arguing with the believers in the corner of the room continued to be heard. Hamustra glanced at them and then back at me.
“Even if I spent 20 million years wearing sweats, eating french fries dipped in a shake, and then sucking my fingers, no one would have said anything. But why dare you take on the challenge? I heard you almost died because of that, no, you almost ended up in a situation worse than death? Is it worth taking that risk?”
Perhaps that was a natural question.
The corner librarian asked while looking deep into my eyes.
“To become a pillar?”
“Who else did I hear that from… ?”
“I still have a lot of strings left, so I hear about the world’s goings-on. It’s a nuisance… Anyway, so what? or not.”
The question of whether it was for the sake of the owner of the tower was indeed hidden in the mouth of the library director in the corner of the room.
I said.
“In your opinion, wouldn’t I be like myself if I didn’t climb the tower?”
“Well, from the standpoint of selling the character, it’s better for you to climb the tower. But fan sentiment and reality are two different things.”
After speaking calmly, the librarian in the corner of the room said, “Ah,” and placed both hands on his cheeks.
“Hmmmm. Of course, here you are, [just for you…] To make you, my fan, happy, I decided to climb the tower… !] If you say that, I will be so happy that I will burst out laughing—”
“I made a promise to someone.”
The librarian in the corner of the room paused.
I said to him.
“I decided to climb the tower.”
“…….”
“If you’ve read my book carefully, you probably know who the promise was made to.”
I stood up.
The librarian in the corner of the room looked at me blankly and for a moment his eyes widened. Those eyes were directed at a man who could never be seen by him, but who clearly existed by my side.
“indeed.”
Hamustra repeated as if sighing.
“Indeed, it was like that.”
Yes.
“ruler.”
I turned around.
The belt that was missing the waist was empty, with only the dagger I had from the beginning tied to it, and I felt that much lighter.
“Shall we go?”
-okay.
The man who had been teaching me how to use a sword since I only had a dagger wrapped in duct tape received my words.
-let’s go.
The next place you will step is the 90th floor.
It’s 10 floors to the top.
And, there were 9 floors left to reach the area where Geomje was frustrated.
etc,
