Chapter 116
“That incident will happen in five years.”
“Yes, it will happen in five years, but for Noe Rustine to enter the Emperor’s dream, she had to work in the Eastern Empire’s palace first. To reach the Emperor’s bedroom, she would need a fairly high position, so she probably tried to get close to the palace early on.”
I carefully organized the timeline in my head. I had to find the version of events that was most similar to the original story’s timeline.
Then I wondered — where would Noe Rustine most likely be at this point in time?
“…She’s probably with the gypsy tribe in the Balt Plains or at an orphanage near the Eastern Empire’s border.”
After running away from home, Noe Rustine often wandered around. Many times, a kind orphanage head near the border would practically drag her there to take care of her.
If not that, she might be living with the wandering gypsy tribe in the Balt Plains.
Either way, she would likely encounter child kidnappers later, which would make her learn about the crimes of both the Eastern and Southern Empires.
“I’ve already sent someone to check. We’ll hear back soon.”
“Thank you. In the meantime… we should think about the holy relic.”
“Noe Rustine definitely doesn’t have it at her family’s home. I checked everything. I also searched the ruins of her old home in the hunter’s village before she moved, but found nothing.”
We were back to square one.
The relic. What exactly was Noe Rustine’s relic?
Winter must have searched the whole continent countless times during all his reincarnations. I completely trusted his claim that it still hadn’t been found.
Then… could it be that it simply doesn’t exist?
“What if it doesn’t exist?”
I blurted out what came to mind. Winter frowned slightly.
“You mean the relic doesn’t exist?”
“To be exact, I mean it doesn’t exist in the real world.”
I knew how hard Winter had searched for [Ampelos]’s relic. I doubted I could do better.
A moment later, Winter’s eyes lit up with understanding.
“You’re saying… Noe Rustine might have taken it into her dream world without even realizing it?”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
Noe Rustine had lost control of her powers several times. The biggest incident so far was when she left her real mother, Mila Rustine, inside her dream.
It was also possible that during other smaller incidents, she might have lost the relic in the dream world.
Winter slowly shook his head.
“It’s not an impossible idea. But if you’re right, then it would be almost impossible to find the relic. Noe Rustine has never once recovered any item she accidentally took into her dreams — not once, in all the timelines I’ve lived through.”
He was right.
If the relic was lost in a power outburst, the chance of finding it was almost zero.
That meant the relic would be useless. This is why Winter always assumes it must exist in the real world.
Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t here in reality.
I knew how desperately Winter had searched for it in the original story, and I doubted I could be more thorough.
“Mila Rustine gets caught in a power outburst in every timeline, right?”
“…Yes.”
Winter had never been able to prevent Noe Rustine’s greatest tragedy.
It happened when Noe Rustine was very young. According to Winter, some huge, irresistible force — perhaps fate itself — seemed to bind that poor woman tightly.
“…When Noe Rustine took her mother into the dream and then slept for a whole year, neither you nor Noe Rustine knows what happened during that time. Only one person would know.”
Winter had already considered all the usual possibilities. I believed that completely.
“I need to meet Noe Rustine’s father, Hozen Rustine. In that missing time — which neither you nor she could know — there might be a clue.”
I spoke as if I had a hunch, but honestly, I was just desperate to try anything. Still, winter didn’t stop me.
He just nodded quietly and helped Shuran get dressed.
“Hozen Rustine should be in the forest north of the Balt Plains. That’s closer to the Northern Empire than the Western Empire. Going there will take at least two days.”
At least two days away.
That was a problem — the Emperor never forgot to visit me every day, even if he forgot to eat.
But I couldn’t keep delaying the trip to the Balt Plains. It was urgent.
I needed an excuse to be away for two days.
Soon, I got my chance.
***
“Today I’m giving you a task.”
While Winter was away visiting the Northern Empire’s envoys, the Emperor came to see me. He said he was too busy to have dinner together today, so he came in the middle of the day instead.
Right after arriving, he handed me a pouch.
I opened it and found small, round, black things in my palm.
The Emperor smiled.
“They’re seeds. Tomato seeds, strawberry seeds, and some flower seeds too.”
Of course, I could tell they were seeds — I just didn’t know why he was giving them to me.
“You already take care of a living creature, so you’ve learned the value of life.”
He glanced at Shuran suspiciously.
The Emperor still didn’t trust Shuran. If I left Shuran alone, I was sure the Emperor would bring a mage to identify exactly what he was, so either Winter or I had to stay with him at all times.
“If you grow plants, you’ll understand the hard work of farmers. Then maybe you’ll enjoy tomatoes and peppers more.”
It was such a textbook parenting idea — I wondered if he had read a childcare book.
I nodded and politely thanked him.
Even though I knew this kind of method rarely worked on ten-year-olds, I didn’t want to ruin his proud smile. I appreciated his effort.
“The small palace garden is bare because it hasn’t been cared for in a long time. If you plant these now, flowers will bloom in spring, and fruit will grow in summer.”
This place was originally meant for the crown prince, but the Emperor had no wife or children, and he preferred to spend money on the people instead of decorating, so the garden was a bit barren — just wildflowers and weeds.
‘I’ll just make a small flower bed in one corner.’
The garden was too big for me to take care of alone.
And since the Emperor told me to grow them myself, I couldn’t ask Loti or Rena to do it. I didn’t want to give anyone a reason to criticize me.
I wandered around the garden to choose a spot and decided I should start by pulling weeds.
I knew I should use gloves, but I was distracted by my thoughts and started pulling with my bare hands.
Then someone approached me.
“Oscar?”
“…Hi, Izana.”
It was Oscar, looking awkward, holding a wooden practice sword and avoiding my eyes.
It was the first time we’d met since that tense meeting in Joseph’s room.
I brushed the dirt from my hands.
“Hi.”
“Yeah… hi.”
“What brings you here?”
Oscar fiddled with his wooden sword.
“The indoor training hall is closed right now. Also… I came to give you this.”
He handed me a sheet of silver-embossed stationery.
“My mother wants to invite you.”
I realized it was a tea party invitation.
‘This could be my excuse to be away for two days!’
I smiled brightly at the perfect opportunity.
“I’ll definitely come! Thanks!”
Oscar rubbed his nose and smiled back.
“So why are you pulling weeds?”
“Oh, I have to plant seeds and make a flower bed.”
I showed him the pouch, and he nodded, looking around the garden.
“You might not realize it because the seeds are small, but to plant all these, you’d have to dig up half the garden.”
“What? Why?”
“You need space between seeds, and you have to plant each type separately.”
He frowned.
“And I’ve never seen such a random mix — flowers and food plants together, in the palace garden…”
“The Emperor gave them to me.”
“Well, the Emperor sure has a creative touch.”
I squinted around the garden. Half the garden?
“Let’s at least pull all the weeds first…”
“Want me to help?”
“Really? That would be amazing.”
The garden was too big for me to manage alone, so I gladly accepted.
Oscar and I sat side by side and started pulling weeds with our bare hands.
