Gardenia's Heart-Chapter 158: Glow

That girl could not say exactly when she had begun to understand what surrounded her.

If she looked back, she might describe the sensation she felt at the time as being wrapped in a warm, humid embrace—deeply comforting.

The space, no larger than a small box, was certainly not much. Being confined in such a tiny place only becomes claustrophobic if the notion of something greater exists. Even so, after coming to know a little of the vastness of the world, the girl would not say that the nine months she spent there had been lonely.

After all, she had never been alone.

From the moment she possessed the faintest awareness of things, she found herself surrounded by glimmers.

They wavered like smoke, like the small flame of a candle. Though the girl herself was almost motionless, she could see them moving, coiling gently around her body.

The bluish glow was kind. That soft, calm light enveloped her with love. A gentle aura that truly wished for her well was something she cherished from the depths of her being.

The purple glow, without a doubt, was joyful. Energetic and warm, its light checked on her constantly, as if making sure she was safe.

Those two glimmers held more love than anything else. Lights so beautiful—loving one another and loving her—made every one of her days feel wonderful.

However, those were not the only colors that composed the girl’s world.

There was also the red glow.

Unlike the other two, that light seemed a little smaller—so discreet that it took her a long time to finally notice it.

It only circled her from time to time, as though observing her with curiosity. The girl could not understand much about it, yet its presence did not trouble her.

Still, as she observed all the glimmers, something strange caught her attention.

Even though the blue and purple lights showed immense love for one another, they never interacted with the red light. The girl wondered why that was.

She liked all the glimmers, and therefore did not want any of them to feel lonely. So one day, she tried to call out to that carmine light.

The girl did not understand what frustration was, and so, even after failing many times, she continued to spend her time calling out to that light in many different ways.

It was, without a doubt, the greatest effort she had made in her entire tiny existence.

With no real sense of time, she simply kept trying.

And then, after much effort, she finally managed to call it.

---

(I know we’re in a hurry, Rose, but… could you eat a little more slowly?)

Floating in the air with an expression that did not hide her discomfort, Sylvan watched her granddaughter finish taking a huge bite out of a spined ivory arm.

Tearing off a large chunk with her teeth and chewing in an exaggerated manner until she finally swallowed, Rose puffed out her cheeks before looking at the red-haired woman.

“I can’t melt things as fast as Mama Nia using just one tentacle. I’m in a hurry, so this is the fastest way.”

With a naturalness that bordered on the absurd, the little girl continued to devour the massive body of her defeated prey.

Since she was small, her mothers had fed her the prey they hunted so she could eat and grow strong. Ice Foxes, Horned Bears, Emerald Spiders—Rose had devoured and fed on at least one of these over the course of her life. However, having never gone out to hunt on her own before, it was fair to say that the Forest Devourer was the first prey she had claimed through her own strength.

Rising to her feet and brushing the excess dirt from her clothes, Rose formed a blue tentacle from her back. The gelatinous limb, about as thick as her arm, wrapped around her body a few times until several jelly-like spines emerged along its surface.

(So, just like with the grey octopuses, your body managed to adapt their innate ability to your metamorphic nature.) Sylvan remarked, studying the spines with curiosity, nearly whistling. (Forest Devourers can form these barbs from their own bodies to immobilize prey and move through rough terrain.)

Drawing the tentacle back into her body, Rose lifted one foot. An instant later, countless small spikes sprouted from the sole of her boot, glowing faintly in the darkness of the forest.

With a single leap, Rose latched onto the side of a rocky outcrop using her feet. As if she were simply walking along the wall, she climbed effortlessly until she could jump to a higher tree, anchoring herself with her dagger.

“I think I can handle almost any terrain now.”

Thanks to the spikes gripping rocky surfaces and her daggers securing her wherever the spikes couldn’t pierce, the silver-haired girl could now move at full speed across nearly any surface.

Landing at the very top of one of the trees, Rose took a deep breath of the cold, misty air, clearing her mind of excess thoughts.

The fog made it difficult to see even a few steps ahead, but seeing what others saw was never her goal. Narrowing her eyes until a faint yellowish smoke appeared deep within the forest, the silver-haired girl opened them wide and pointed in a specific direction.

“Cherry is that way,” she whispered, tightening her grip on her daggers.

(How many souls do you see besides hers?) Sylvan asked, watching her granddaughter with interest.

“Two to the east, and four to the south. All hostile.”

Like small lights in the dark forest, Rose could see the flickering smokes glowing like candle flames amid the dense vegetation.

Tree trunks or undergrowth, mist or darkness—none of it mattered to her. If it was within her field of vision and she focused hard enough, she could see them.

(It would be good if we could find my daughter too, but the terrain here is vast. Even you wouldn’t be able to scan that far. If they’re searching from the air, and we can’t narrow down an area, you won’t be able to locate them.)

Letting out a sigh, Sylvan prepared to comfort the girl, but instead of a troubled expression, Rose was gathering mana throughout her body.

“That doesn’t matter right now.” Spinning her daggers and bending her knees, Rose leapt toward the thorny forest. “Cherry is the priority.”

Cherry’s soul and the souls of her enemies were perfectly distinct to her. Charging toward the nearest monster, Rose focused on channeling mana into her blades.

(What are you doing?) Sylvan asked anxiously, watching the girl break into a run.

“The blood I used on Cherry won’t mask her scent for long. The more of them I draw in or kill, the less likely they are to find her before I do.”

Without wasting a single second, the girl plunged deeper into the jungle.

Daggers as pale as shards of moonlight danced through the dark forest. There was barely enough light in the fog to see a few steps ahead, yet without a hint of hesitation, bursts of purple blood splattered across the surroundings as she advanced.

Fixing her gaze on the point where each soul burned strongest, Rose delivered exactly one precise strike to every foe. Like an absolute damage hit, each monster fell instantly as the polished dragon fang was driven deep into its body.

It wasn’t a performance or a rehearsed spectacle, yet Sylvan couldn’t take her eyes off the silver-haired girl.

(You truly are their daughter.)

Murmuring so softly that her words vanished into the mist, Sylvan continued to watch the girl’s battle against the monsters.

Beyond the Forest Devourers, other types of creatures rose to block her path. With no time to spare, however, the girl couldn’t afford to feed on every hunt.

With her mana-location guiding her movement across the terrain and Cherry’s glow clearly visible in her field of vision, it didn’t take long for Rose to reach the crash site.

Just like before, two craters scarred the forest floor. The impact, buried deep within the dense woods, had torn away much of the surrounding canopy, leaving small gaps through which a faint, pitiful light now filtered down.

Dropping to one knee and swiftly pulling aside a thorny bush, Rose reflexively bit her lip at the sight before her.

Still lying with her back against the hollow trunk of a tree, a girl in a honey-colored dress was breathing heavily, completely unconscious. Despite the excessive sweat and skin a little paler than before, it didn’t seem like her condition had deteriorated too severely.

Letting out a long sigh of relief that the worst hadn’t happened, Rose gently placed a hand on the girl’s cold cheek.

(If we had found any of the bags Thelira prepared for the journey, this would be much easier. But thanks to the floating rivers, everything was thrown far away and scattered. Finding them now will be nearly impossible.) Covering her face with one hand, Sylvan shook her head a few times, accepting that they would have to resolve the situation with whatever they had on hand.

“But it’s still possible with what we have, right?” Rubbing her eyes with her forearm and turning toward the floating red-haired woman, Rose asked with determination.

(A proper field lesson on potion brewing would be ideal, but since this is an emergency, we sadly don’t have the time.) Lifting the brim of her wide hat with her index finger, Sylvan placed both hands on her hips and spoke confidently. (I’ll help you through every step. Do exactly what I say, and ask whenever you don’t understand something.)

“Yes!”

For the preparation of inferior healing potions, subspecies of mana herbs formed the base of the mixture. Intermediate potions required true mana herbs to achieve the desired effect. Advanced potions, on the other hand, demanded both specialized preparation and the mandatory use of sap from the World Tree.

Taking out the mana herbs and plants she had gathered, Rose carefully assessed what she now had. Without the indispensable ingredient needed for an advanced potion, the best she could manage was an intermediate one.

Though its effect wasn’t powerful enough to deal with nearly all fatal wounds, it could still save Cherry—provided the damage to her organs wasn’t irreversible.

Following Sylvan’s instructions, Rose calmly cut and ground the herbs she had collected. Each mana herb required a different form of preparation, and the lack of proper tools made the process slower and more exhausting.

Carving pieces from a nearby tree with her dagger and shaping them into an improvised tray, the silver-haired girl carefully gathered the processed ingredients before delicately mixing them together.

After considerable effort, a small amount of greenish powder glowed softly inside the wooden container.

Upon obtaining the intended mixture, however, Rose finally realized something.

“Wait, I forgot to find a solvent so we can heat it!” She gave a small hop in place, almost dropping the container in her hands, and frantically scanned her surroundings.

So focused on gathering the necessary herbs, Rose had forgotten that she needed something to dissolve the medicine she had produced.

Just as the girl was about to stand and begin her search, a voice stopped her movements.

(It’s all right. Even without heating it, this will still work. The innate ability of golden bees is to produce a variety of substances within their bodies and release them through their mouths. Even at her age, Cherry’s tongue and throat should contain a solution neutral enough to act as a diluent.)

Though Sylvan spoke with confidence, she couldn’t help noticing her granddaughter’s lingering hesitation.

Much like a castaway risking everything by testing a fragile raft against violent ocean waves, this was Rose’s best—and perhaps only—chance to save the elf.

If the potion failed, Cherry might not last until any other kind of help arrived. That realization hammered into her mind over and over, freezing her in place.

(Don’t worry. It will work. The greatest mage in the world guarantees it.)

Reassured once more by Sylvan’s gentle smile, Rose steadied her trembling hands and brought the container to Cherry’s lips.

Taking great care not to spill anything, she gently parted the elf’s lips and poured the mixture down her throat. Just as Sylvan had said, the instant the green powder touched the unconscious girl’s tongue, it dissolved into a greenish liquid that slid down effortlessly.

When everything had finally been swallowed, Rose leaned back slightly, watching intently as cold sweat ran down her face.

Clenching her fists and closing her eyes, she waited for the result.

She had followed every step carefully, but she had never done this before. Even with Sylvan’s guidance and the potion-making lessons she had received from Elarielle, there was always a chance she had made a mistake.

The fear she had tried to suppress now struck harder than ever.

If this didn’t work, she didn’t know what she would do.

If the potion failed, she could lose Cherry forever.

As more and more dark thoughts gathered, Rose suddenly felt something touch her cheek, forcing her to look up.

Like two tear-brimmed emeralds, green eyes slowly opened, calm and unhurried. As if carefully taking in the world around them, crescent-moon pupils settled on the figure before her.

Pale, chilled skin gradually regained a rosy hue, the former coldness yielding to the warmth now surrounding Rose’s hand.

“Cherry! Cherry! Are you alright? I’m so happy, I’m so happ—!?”

She immediately began calling out to the elf, but before she could finish, something cut her off.

“Mmnh!?”

A confused grunt was all Rose managed, as her mouth was suddenly sealed shut.

“Nn… mm…”

Claiming her lips in a kiss, the girl—whose wounds were already closing beneath a faint green light—pulled Rose closer, drawing her into that warmth.

There was no rational thought left, only a powerful, uncontrollable urge to keep their lips together.

(My…)

Sylvan’s velvety voice escaped as she covered her mouth with her palm, surprise spreading across her face.

Unaware of the floating woman’s existence, Cherry continued to pull Rose closer, moving her lips with intense, unrestrained fervor.

Slowly, the once icy temperature of her body returned to normal. Unable to resist the lips pressing against hers and fully giving in, Rose could only watch as the girl kissed her desperately, her breathing growing more and more ragged.

At last, pulling away from that comforting warmth when her lungs reached their limit, Cherry released her grip on the back of Rose’s neck and wiped the thin strand of saliva trailing from her lips with the back of her fist.

Like someone parched who had just discovered an oasis, an expression of pure satisfaction settled over her face. Her unfocused eyes gradually began to clear, and she rubbed them a few times, trying to take in her surroundings.

A thorny forest, utterly unwelcoming in appearance, stretched out no matter where she looked. Rubbing her eyes again, the girl with bee-like antennae began to wonder what kind of strange dream this was.

“Cherry… um… are you feeling better? Uh… does anything still hurt?”

When the girl in front of her called her name, Cherry couldn’t help but look confused. Noticing the saliva on Rose’s face and her now-mussed silver hair, she instinctively brought a hand to her own face and tugged at her cheek a few times.

“…”

The shock in her eyes seemed to grow with every fresh twinge of pain in her cheek. Tugging at it and having it immediately healed by the lingering effects of a potion she didn’t even know she’d taken, the elf felt her stomach drop.

“Cherry!? Are you okay? You’re going to hurt yourself like that!”

Grabbing Cherry’s hand to stop her, Rose immediately leaned in to check her face for injuries, a soft, genuine sigh of relief escaping her lips when she found none.

“Th-This isn’t… a dream…”

The elf’s first words were accompanied by her face turning so red it looked like it was on fire.

From her pointed ears to her cheeks, her entire face was engulfed in a vivid blush.

“R-Rose… I-I kissed Rose… I… kissed… Rose…”

As if her mind had short-circuited, her body began to tremble uncontrollably. Her small wings—no larger than the palm of a hand—vibrated intensely, her antennae swaying above her golden hair.

“Is there something wrong with that?”

Despite Cherry’s broken, flustered speech, Rose only tilted her head, confused by the elf’s agitation.

“I-I once saw my moms doing that… it looks like only people who love each other can kiss.”

“But I love Cherry.”

The instant, completely unfiltered response nearly made the golden-haired elf fall backward.

“T-That’s not what I mean…! That kind of thing… you can only do it with one person! Y-Yeah, the one you’re going to spend your whole life with!”

Waving her hand several times in front of her flushed face, Cherry tried to create an invisible wall to separate herself from the girl standing before her. But breaking that wall with a simple step forward, Rose grabbed both of Cherry’s hands and looked deeply into her emerald eyes.

“But why can’t I spend my whole life with Cherry?”

Person and soul.

It had taken Rose a long time to understand how to distinguish between the two—or rather, to even try.

She saw everyone’s souls as their true existence. She looked straight at the core of who they were, the part they never showed to others. To Rose, that inner light was more beautiful than any outward appearance. After all, it was the truest part of a person.

Makeup, clothes, status, wealth—none of those things influenced one’s shine. Why should she care about such superficial matters, things that could be changed by even more fleeting interests?

That didn’t mean she was completely indifferent to them. It simply meant she couldn’t understand why others placed so much importance on them.

Cherry’s soul was recovering, and the moment their lips had touched, its golden glow had grown brighter still. Rose had only ever seen such a reaction in her mothers, and after experiencing it herself, she knew just how meaningful it was.

Stepping closer, Rose gently pressed her lips to Cherry’s once more. Just as she expected, the yellow-gold light flared even brighter, and the elf’s trembling body grew warmer.

“See? If we stay together, you can touch my lips whenever you want. That makes everything okay, doesn’t it?”

Aside from her family, the elf’s glow was the only one she truly adored. That was why she didn’t mind keeping Cherry by her side forever.

Yet instead of answering, Cherry’s emerald eyes rolled back as her beet-red face seemed almost to steam from the heat.

Though Rose tilted her head once again at the girl’s reaction, she knew they couldn’t just stay there. She had to move.

Carefully wrapping Cherry in a bluish tentacle, Rose lifted her onto her back, taking great care to make sure she was comfortable.

As she stood up and began planning where they should go next, Rose noticed her grandmother staring at her with an exasperated expression.

Floating in the air with one hand covering her flushed face, Sylvan shook her head repeatedly, letting out a long sigh.

(You truly are the daughter of those two.)