Chapter 473: 90. Macarons
The towering stone tower in the center of the Ideal Nation seemed to be the only building that existed since the beginning of construction. It looked extremely grand from the outside, but there wasn’t much decoration inside, giving it a rather cold feeling.
The overall tower had four hollow layers, but in the middle, a straight stone pillar rose to the top. Fisher didn’t know what it was for; he just felt that upon entering, his body temperature dropped a little, as if some existence around him became more active.
Margaret smiled and walked ahead, following Duke Chuan as they ascended the spiral staircase adjacent to the tower while casually speaking,
“In fact, I noticed you when you entered the Tree Continent and met Chuan, but I didn’t rashly reveal myself because it could bring disaster to Chuan. If it weren’t for the Duke of Peach intending to butcher you, I wouldn’t have had to use the Loom to delay her with the truth.”
Fisher looked at her back and asked,
“So, you are the one who obscured fate.”
“Hmm, the Duke of Peach, though powerful in the past, had a fatal flaw because the granted past is both a blessing and a bondage, which blinded her with a single leaf, making it easy for her to lose her way. As long as she doesn’t know how I stole the Loom, she won’t know the extent of my control over it and will therefore not dare to act rashly.”
Margaret and the others soon arrived at the top of the tower, which was hollowed out, allowing airflow from all sides, providing a clear view of the Ideal Nation below and the undulating mountains outside.
It was here that the straight stone pillar in the center of the tower reached its end; it turned out to be an extremely deep water pool. Fisher cast his gaze into it but only saw a pitch-black void, as if the pool were bottomless, akin to an abyss.
The furnishings beside the water pool were also extremely simple—a large bed, a big table, and several chairs made from Chuan wood, with the number of chairs exactly corresponding to the number of people present, indicating that Margaret had long anticipated the number of guests.
On the table were several stacks of exquisitely crafted pastries and some unknown leaves brewed into tea from another world. Margaret smiled at Fisher and the others as she introduced it,
“These are the macarons and chestnut cakes I made using local ingredients. Please enjoy them while we chat.”
Fisher and the others sat down. Tang Zeming Asuka initially wanted to sit closest to Fisher, but Hela had already smilingly taken that spot. With no room left on Fisher’s other side, the only vacant spot left was beside Margaret across the table.
As she stood still and glanced at the position across, Margaret smiled and waved to her, saying,
“Asuka, if you don’t mind, come sit beside me?”
“Eh?”
Tang Zeming Asuka was slightly taken aback, and Margaret looked at her, thinking her address might have been wrong,
“Hmm? I heard that Japanese people have the surname first and the given name last, is my address incorrect?”
“Ah, no, not at all.”
Tang Zeming Asuka waved her hand with a smile and then glanced at Fisher before carefully sitting beside Margaret, causing everyone to form a circle around the table.
Margaret smiled as she watched Tang Zeming Asuka pull out a chair and sit down, her gaze lingering on her until Tang Zeming Asuka had her legs drawn together completely.
“Lady Margaret, is there something wrong with me?”
“No, how could there be?” Margaret replied, slightly surprised, then smiled, taking a sip of her tea and saying, “I just think you are very young yet not childish; it’s the most wonderful time. I once had a daughter who, if she were still alive, would be about your age. I wonder if she is taller than you.”
“I heard you mention this in the Duke of Peach’s barrier.”
“Haha, because half a year ago, I was also myself. I think about my child every moment, and this moment is no exception.”
Margaret’s eyes momentarily went blank as she quietly gazed into the distance at the stillness of the water pool. Tang Zeming Asuka looked at her profile until she took back her gaze a second or two later and then spoke,
“Alright, back to the main topic. I have a rough idea of your purpose for visiting the Tree Continent and now the Ideal Nation—it is the tears of the World Tree, right?”
Fisher nodded and replied to Margaret,
“That’s correct. If I’m not mistaken, the tears of the World Tree are merely a bonus of the Loom, which is why we have come here without hesitation. We have prepared a reward for it, and if you have any needs, you can mention them. We only want the tears of the World Tree.”
The negotiation process proceeded quickly. At such times, Tang Zeming Asuka would carefully fall silent, listening attentively beside them, as she had rarely experienced anything like this before, beginning only after arriving in another world.
Her only negotiation experience was with classmates trading math homework answers for the last fried noodle bread at the shop during lunch.
Just as Margaret was about to respond, her peripheral vision caught the sight of Tang Zeming Asuka looking adorably tense and proper. She smiled slightly, placing the uneaten pastries in front of Tang Zeming Asuka and softly said,
“Don’t be nervous, we’re not enemies. Eating some sweets will lift your spirits and won’t undermine my preparations.”
“Ah, thank you, Lady Margaret.”
Tang Zeming Asuka quickly reached out to take the macaron she offered, then slowly put it into her mouth, and in an instant, a sweet berry flavor burst in her mouth, causing her eyes to involuntarily squint.
Oishii! (Delicious!)
Margaret smiled as she looked at the puffed-cheeked Tang Zeming Asuka, then reached out and pointed at her lips, indicating that there were crumbs left.
Tang Zeming Asuka, reminded, immediately blushed and quickly covered her mouth with her hands, then blinked and stealthily swallowed the remnants of food hidden by her hands.
“Regarding the tears of the World Tree…”
Margaret turned her head to continue the negotiation, but saw that the handsome gentleman, apparently the leader beside her, was poked by a golden-haired “man,” who looked somewhat delicate and soft, gently saying,
“I want to eat that too.”
Margaret raised her eyebrows, seemingly taken aback by this unexpected turn, even making the words she was about to say tremble slightly.
Fisher, urged by Hela, glanced sideways at her with a speechless expression, then helplessly reached out to take another macaron and stuffed it into her mouth. Hela wiggled contentedly, making Margaret’s brows involuntarily twitch, as if even for the romantic French, the current version was too progressive for her.
Next to them, Mikhail and Gouwen were stifling laughter, seemingly remembering something amusing, while Neceria gazed out of the window, still in a daze.
“Ahem, Lady Margaret, what were you saying just now?”
“Ah, it’s about the tears of the World Tree.”
Margaret gathered her thoughts, lightly clapped her hands to shake off the crumbs from earlier when she fed Tang Zeming Asuka the macaron, then looked towards the water pool behind Fisher,
“You should have already learned about our current situation while in the Holy Realm. I was forced to use the Loom to determine the position of [Death]. As you can see, the sleeping place of the goddess of death, Heya, lies at the depths connected to this water pool behind you.”
At this, Fisher turned to look at the water pool located at the center of the tower; the dark surface, resembling a passage to the earth’s core, was faintly shimmering with a hint of golden light.
“The Loom possesses an extremely sensitive nature, which seems to originate from the same source as the Destiny Power that the elves possess. The World Tree, defying the orders of the True God, privately granted it to G, to escape death, which in turn allowed it to sense the aura of death, showing me the source of that power. Following its guidance, I traversed mountains and rivers to come here, using its power to carve a path to death.
“However, the threat only works on the elves; it poses no threat to their mother, the World Tree. The reason why she hasn’t taken action during this half-year is solely because of the Elf King; her power temporarily replaced the Loom to maintain his life, which is like a candle flickering in the wind. But since you killed the Elf King, her only concern has been alleviated. In half a month, with the help of the World Tree, the Elf King will begin a four-year reincarnation process, after which I must face the wrath of the World Tree and her descendants.”
Margaret took a sip of tea, adding more details about this matter.
Fisher understood why Margaret, as a human, could roam freely outside for half a year without the World Tree seeking to settle accounts with her. Logically, with the World Tree’s twenty mythical ranks, it’s unlikely she could be constrained by such means. The true reason for her restraint was simpler than Fisher imagined—that was the Elf King G.
Fisher just didn’t understand why, since the elves could reincarnate and had never faced true death, the World Tree would go to such lengths to prevent his death. After all, the Duke of Peach had also died once and reincarnated; the World Tree had never taken such action previously.
Was it merely favoritism?
For some reason, Fisher suddenly recalled the words the Elf King said before his death.
He wasn’t afraid of the Duke of Peach seizing power, nor was he worried that the rituals he constructed would fall into ruin. What he truly feared was an impending chaos, which seemed related to their youngest sister, Ch, who had long since disappeared.
So the question returned to the beginning: what objective did Ch have, and what role did she play in this matter?
“The situation is roughly as described, but I believe you have prepared rewards to exchange for the tears of the World Tree before coming here. May I hear what rewards you have to offer?”
Margaret’s words abruptly paused, then shifted direction to inquire about something else.
Fisher was just about to speak when Tang Zeming Asuka excitedly chimed in first, addressing Margaret,
“Lady Margaret, it’s a way to go home. The angel Pandora in the Holy Realm can take us back to our original world; she only wants the tears of the World Tree.”
Upon hearing this, Duke Chuan, who had been quietly listening nearby, suddenly looked at her, and the pressure of the mythical rank gradually spread out, making Tang Zeming Asuka shiver and involuntarily glance at him.
Of course, those around knew the reason, but Tang Zeming Asuka was too young, and her way of thinking was rather simplistic, so it was easy for her to make mistakes.
The problem was that while Margaret could accept a reward and leave this world, what about Chuan?
He originally belonged to this world and had helped Margaret, or rather for other reasons, to steal the Loom. If Margaret left, all pressure from the elves and the World Tree would fall on him. Moreover, from his expression, he seemed to be unable to manipulate the Loom like Margaret.
“Ah, thank you for your kindness, Asuka. But I currently do not desire to leave here. I have no ties to my homeland anymore, and there are people here who need me. If I were to leave, Chuan and the subjects he brought, along with other beings from the Dragon Continent who came to the Ideal Nation, would face catastrophic disasters. I cannot do that.”
Tang Zeming Asuka immediately seemed to realize something. She turned to Fisher, thinking she had stirred up trouble again, but Fisher did not reproach her in silence since he had initially intended to say what she just did.
It’s not that he couldn’t read the atmosphere, but since arriving at the Ideal Nation, he had a premonition.
Since Margaret could accurately predict their arrival, she likely knew the rewards they mentioned. Since she let Chuan listen in, it indicated she did not intend to accept their reward at all.
Conversely, since she still wanted to meet them, especially after revealing their current situation earlier, it meant that Margaret sought something else, something they could provide. Therefore, proposing a futile offer was not a big issue.
Thus, although Tang Zeming Asuka was still on the first layer, she was actually aligned with the fifth layer’s approach, inadvertently hitting the mark.
“Well then, Lady Margaret, aside from this reward, what else do you desire? We will do our best to fulfill it, trading solely for the tears of the World Tree.”
Margaret first glanced at the now-cowering Asuka, as if to comfort her, and said,
“Don’t be nervous. As you mentioned earlier, the tears of the World Tree are merely a bonus to me. It wouldn’t hurt to give them to you. However, since I have not fully mastered the Loom yet, it is currently immobilized by my interference with the rules of death and cannot be moved, of course, making it impossible to extract the tears of the World Tree linked to it.
“In fact, items belonging to the True Gods cannot be used by just anyone; even Chuan, the offspring of the World Tree, cannot control it. The reason I can use it is that I am the Trans, carrying a strong chaotic aura, which is why I was imprisoned by G to draw blood. Yet with just my strength alone, I still cannot fully control it. So what I truly desire as a reward is Asuka.”
Upon hearing her name, Tang Zeming Asuka immediately lifted her head, meeting Margaret’s gentle gaze, and with some disbelief pointed to herself, asking,
“Eh? Me?”
“Exactly, but no need to be so nervous; I just want you to help me control the Loom during this period. With your help, I am confident I can fully gain control of the Loom within half a month. This way, even if the World Tree and the elves want to settle accounts with me, I can rely on death and the Loom, possessing the strength to resist. At the same time, when the time comes, you can take the tears of the World Tree and leave here, then our paths will no longer be intertwined. What do you think?”
All the surrounding gazes turned toward Asuka, and Fisher also fell silent, relinquishing the power to make the decision to her, yet this made her feel particularly uncomfortable.
She swallowed hard, waited a long time, and finally whispered,
“Of course, if I can help you, but I have no idea how to do it.”
“It’s alright, Asuka. I will teach you.”
Margaret handed her another macaron, gently saying this.
Tang Zeming Asuka pressed her lips together, looked at Margaret beside her, then nodded emphatically, reaching out to accept the macaron she offered.
She did not eat the macaron right away, just held onto it. However, even just holding it, the sweet taste seemed to take root and sprout in her hand, spreading downwards.
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(End of this chapter)
