Leaving the child, who could read even my innermost thoughts, behind, I quickly grabbed my clothes and rushed to the temple.
For now, I entrusted the child to Arwen.
This might take a while, but figuring out the child’s identity was the priority.
The fact that the child resembled both Arwen and me was troubling, but the wings on their back were the most pressing issue.
If this were revealed to people unprepared, the impact would be catastrophic.
Unlike demons, angels were only known to exist through records and were now considered an extinct race.
It’s a widely known myth that their descendants are elves.
But suddenly, an existence with angelic wings appears? And it’s a child who resembles both me and Arwen?
The very presence of such a being would cause upheaval, and combined with everything else, it could be a disaster.
Even setting aside the fact that Marie might half-kill me, we needed to clearly understand what the child was.
[If we’re talking about their race, they are indeed an angel.]
When I asked Luminous, the answer was clear: an angel.
Hearing this, I let out a hollow laugh, overwhelmed by the implications.
Honestly, the moment I saw the translucent wings on their back, I had a hunch they were an angel. But then, what was the sprout on their head?
As cute as it was, calling it a mere decoration didn’t feel right. It wasn’t some half-animal, half-plant hybrid either.
[This will require some explanation. Do you know how angels are born?]
“Um… no.”
Even I, someone who reads a lot, only vaguely understood the origins of angels.
Some say they are directly created by gods, while others claim they are born naturally.
Because so little is known about angels compared to demons, various theories exist.
[Angels are beings born from immense divinity. Since they must assist us gods, they are born with strong divine power from the start.]
“I find it hard to understand. Are they just born, unlike humans?”
[To explain further, divinity serves as a kind of seed. Angels are born from that seed.]
I nodded at this explanation, but my doubts only deepened.
If angels are beings born from the divinity of gods, why are there no angels now?
The idea that angels broke their own wings and descended to become elves is categorized as a “myth,” meaning it happened eons ago.
Moreover, during the Demon War, there wasn’t even a trace of angels, let alone their help.
We barely managed to defeat the demons by borrowing the power of the World Tree.
Looking at all this, the conclusion is clear: the current gods lack the power to create angels.
Why? Why can’t the gods create angels anymore?
Was it to honor the angels who broke their wings to atone for their sins? That lacks plausibility.
No matter the reason, the gods would have prepared some form of insurance when the Demon War erupted.
According to records, each angel was immensely powerful.
Then…
[That child, therefore, was born through a kind of shortcut. Over 3,000 years, the divinity concentrated within the World Tree was transformed into a seed with the help of your mother.
That’s why the sprout atop their head exists. It’s more accurate to call the child a ‘divine being’ than an angel.]
As my thoughts spiraled, Luminous spoke urgently, breaking through my musings.
This brought my focus back to the child’s circumstances.
‘So, are they an angel or not?’
[It’s like they’re not a pureblood, if we’re comparing to humanity. But since they were born from divinity, they are undeniably a transcendent being. Strictly speaking, it’s more accurate to call them a child of the World Tree.]
‘They look just like me, though?’
[Do you know what’s needed for a seed to sprout?]
‘…..’
Of course. Water, soil, and plenty of nutrients.
[Because you were blessed by your mother, nutrients and soil were unnecessary. Just being near you provided the nutrients needed.]
“Then what about water?”
[Water comes from your body and the child’s.]
Oh, my goodness.
Hearing this, I felt faint.
Even if water was necessary, replenishing it like that makes me feel incredibly sorry for the child.
Hygiene aside, it’s just… apologetic.
But at the same time, it makes sense.
There’s no liquid more effective for embedding definitive genetic information than something like that.
Perhaps that’s why they look so much like me. Otherwise, it wouldn’t add up.
‘Is this similar to Aphrodite…?’
Everyone knows the story of Aphrodite’s birth from Greek and Roman mythology.
At Gaia’s command, Cronus severed Uranus’s genitals, and the blood fell into the sea.
Foam arose in the blood-splattered sea, and from that foam emerged Aphrodite.
With similar myths existing elsewhere, it’s not entirely incomprehensible—just a bit unsettling when I think of the child.
‘…What if I had planted the seed in the ground instead?’
[It would’ve grown into an ordinary sacred tree like the World Tree.]
‘If that’s all, why didn’t you tell me beforehand?’
[Whether a sacred tree grows in your domain or an angel is born as now, both would split the world’s trajectory in two.]
‘Ah.’
I understood immediately.
The difference between the two outcomes was so vast I couldn’t even begin to imagine it.
So, this is what they meant by divine secrets.
As I nodded in agreement, I asked Luminous another question.
Now that the mystery of the heavens was solved, the issue was how to treat the child.
One thing is clear: their teeth are strong enough to chew through a seed of the World Tree.
Plus, their strength is immense, despite being a newborn.
Just thinking about it is daunting.
Suddenly finding myself raising a child at this level, what can I do?
But this is a gift from Hirt, so I must embrace it with love. Even if Marie ends up killing me for it.
As I laughed wryly, imagining the tidal wave of troubles ahead, a thought struck me.
‘So, does this mean Jin can’t reincarnate as a transcendent?’
The World Tree from The Chronicles of Zenon exploded gloriously thanks to the elves’ heroic sacrifices, so Jin’s reincarnation as a transcendent seems impossible.
Of course, if Jin reincarnates as a mortal, it doesn’t matter.
By the way, Kair will return like that and reunite with Elisha.
That might need slight adjustments, too.
Also, since divine power extends lifespans, including Lily in this seems reasonable.
‘To wait decades for a lover to be reborn…!’
It’s not bad. But as I mentioned before, this is a kind of insurance.
First, I plan to go with the storyline where the great demon’s soul merges and has no choice but to perish.
I thought this to myself and returned to the main topic.
The main topic being, of course, the treatment of the child.
‘Is there anything I should be careful about?’
[Not particularly… but as you know, the child is inherently very strong, so you’ll need to be cautious.]
‘I already figured as much. What about anything else?’
[It’s fine to raise the child as a normal one.]
I asked because I didn’t know.
Suddenly having a child when I wasn’t even prepared for it is awkward in many ways.
If I leave this to my parents, it would be the ultimate burden. What’s worse, the child sees me and Arwen as their parents.
At first, I considered leaving the child with my parents, but I quickly discarded the idea when I realized I wasn’t ready for such a responsibility.
It’s a ridiculous situation, but since this is a gift from the goddess of nature, there’s no way to argue. I’ll just accept it quietly.
[From now on, give the child lots of love and care. It will definitely be a great help to you and those you love.]
‘Of course, I will. By the way, I think the child has telepathy. Is that something all transcendent beings have?’
[You’ll understand if you see how we can read others’ minds. The child also has various abilities, but they likely have a ‘power’ similar to yours. They can gain affection from animals and even make plants grow rapidly.]
I nodded as I listened to the child’s potential. Even if they’re a hybrid and not pure-blooded, it seems they are born with the power.
The immediate concern is whether to announce the child’s existence or hide it until the end. Once the identity is revealed, all sorts of troubles will come.
But if I leave it to Arwen, my conscience won’t allow it, and I’m bound to feel troubled.
‘Let’s return to the dorm first. And then… I need to prepare for getting beaten up by Mari.’ I sighed deeply, overwhelmed by the situation.
She’s the one who would lose her mind the most in this situation. After all, I had made the sacrifice of sending my beloved man away, only to return with a child?
It would be hard to avoid a declaration of divorce, even if she did lose her mind. This is, at best, the worst scenario, but it’s not completely impossible.
[Sorry, your mother must have given you the gift with the intention of loving you…]
‘It’s okay. Mari will understand.’
She’ll probably understand with her mind. But her heart will be a different story.
As I was planning the future little by little, I was about to cut off communication with Luminous when a thought suddenly popped into my head.
Since the topic of angels came up, I wondered about something.
‘Luminous. You and Mora are both the biological children of Hirt, right?’
[Hmm? Y-yes.]
‘And angels are not biological children but beings born through faith.’
[…That’s right.]
‘Then, you two are…!’
I tried to ask but stopped halfway, narrowing my brow.
What was I about to ask again?
Everyone has had moments where they forget what they were about to say. This tends to happen especially when I search the internet in my past life.
That’s exactly how I felt now. There was definitely something I was going to ask, but I couldn’t remember.
It felt like my entire memory of it had disappeared. It even gave me a sense of déjà vu.
[Hey?]
‘…Never mind. I’ll ask later. Sorry.’
[Do you have any other questions?] Okay.
‘Yes.’
The communication with Luminous ended there. I pressed the uncomfortable feeling deep down in my heart and returned to my chamber.
And when I returned to my room, what I saw was…
“Whoooosh~!”
“Kyaaahahaha!”
Arwen had the child floating in the air with magic, and the child was flapping their wings, flying joyfully.
Both of them had bright smiles on their faces, clearly having a great time.
“Oh, you’re back?”
Arwen greeted me warmly as I entered. I smiled at her, who looked so happy.
Honestly, I knew I’d be dragged around by the child, but the outcome was completely the opposite.
She then canceled the magic and gently set the child on the soft bed.
The child, noticing me, blinked their golden eyes cutely before smiling brightly.
“Appa!”
The child called out and, with determination, climbed off the bed. I told her to be careful and slowly approached.
The cute child had already completely recognized me as their father.
Although I had unexpectedly taken on this role, as Luminous had said, raising them with love would be the way to go.
Moreover, Luminous had prophesied that this child would be a great help to me and those around me, so they wouldn’t be a burden.
The child was running toward me with a transparent pair of wings flapping behind them, clearly fond of me.
I bent my waist slightly and opened my arms. I couldn’t resist the child’s cuteness.
But at that moment, I had no idea how strong the child’s transcendent powers were.
It was foolish to hope that a newly born child would be able to control their strength.
Jump!
The child lightly jumped and shot toward me like an arrow.
Boom!
“…Huh?”
A pain that I couldn’t describe began to rise from below, and that’s when I realized what had happened.
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