Chapter 293 - Frozen Divine Garden (1/2)
”FATHER, welcome back.”
Wixx blinked several times while looking at the young man before him.
Of course, he knew that it was Solaris– his one and only son. His Mana and the aura that he got from him couldn't be faked by anyone. He was just a little surprised to see his child all grown-up. The last time he saw him personally, he was only in his early teens. ”You're all grown-up now, Solaris.”
Solaris looked confused, then he nodded. ”Of course, Father. I'm a father myself now.”
Still, he couldn't believe that his son was a man now.
Anyway, he just arrived at Solarium with the Keepers. It was late at night when they arrived, so the whole island was still asleep. But the guards were still up, of course. They silently greeted them and he asked them to not make a fuss.
After that, he personally met up with Solaris in his private office.
The Keepers went to their quarters to rest. Or to sulk. After all, he had to drag the kids back to the floating island.
They're too attached to my little sister.
”I met your daughter,” he told his son. ”She's quite a feisty one, isn't she?”
His son suddenly looked worried. ”I hope Solenn wasn't rude to you, Father.”
”Oh, she was,” he said with a soft laugh that made Solaris close his eyes in embarrassment. ”Don't worry about that, Solaris. We can't do anything about how hot-headed the women in our family are.”
”I apologize for my daughter's rudeness, Father,” his son said, then he bowed to him before he opened his eyes and raised his head to face him properly. ”May I know why Solenn and Lady Nystrom didn't return with you? The Keepers also look upset.”
”Tilly and her family went to the Great Fire Tree,” he explained. ”Solenn, on the other hand, eloped with Julian– the ”second” son from the past.”
Solaris's eyes almost popped out of the socket.
To say that his son looked shocked would be an understatement.
”It was just a joke,” he said before Solaris fainted on him. ”But Solenn and Julian are together with Asher Forrester. They plan to go to the Plane.”
Once again, his son looked shocked. ”But only people who have died could enter the Plane…”
”It seems like they found a way to enter the Plane without having to die,” he said. ”Trust them, Solaris. They may look like children. But we know that they literally have old souls. Moreover, Asher Forrester is with them.”
”I understand, Father,” the Fire Archmage said. ”I know that Solenn has a duty to fulfill as a Roseheart.”
”I'm glad to hear that,” he said. ”We have our own duty to fulfill, Solaris.”
”I am at your service, Father.”
He just realized that Solaris felt more like a follower than a son with how formal he was.
To be honest, he didn't mind it before. After all, he only left an heir in the world to fulfill his duty as a god and the previous leader of the Rosenberg clan. He also didn't have the time or chance to bond with his only son.
He didn't care about that before but after seeing how close-knitted the Nystroms were, he suddenly felt envious of their family.
But it's not the time to think about that.
”Solaris, it's time for another divine war.”
His son didn't look surprised by his declaration. It seemed like he had been waiting for it actually. ”The Fire Mage clan has been prepared for war all this time, Father. Solenn already sent me a message. According to her, Aku Moonchester already found out that Solarium is a floating island.”
”That's true,” he confirmed while nodding. ”But you are not going to fight up here.”
Solaris looked confused by his words. ”What do you mean by that, Father?”
”You and our clan need to descend back to the empire,” Wixx said seriously. ”I will wait for Aku Moonchester here and make Solarium his grave.”
***
”DID we get to the wrong place?” Tilly asked in a confused voice when they arrived at the land that drinks blood. But all she could see was a garden literally frozen with ice. Even the Great Fire Tree was frozen with ice and its supposedly flaming red leaves. ”This looks like exactly the land that drinks blood but why is it frozen?”
She was sure that the Great Fire Tree drank the blood that they offered.
The tree accepted it because after they poured the blood on the ground, they were engulfed by a golden flame that came from the Spirit of the Great Fire Tree. That golden flame was one of the most powerful teleportation spells in the world.
After all, the land that drinks blood was actually located in a place that only spirits could enter. The soul of gods and goddesses were also considered as spirits. That was why she, Kiho, Winter, and Nia were able to enter the Divine Garden (the haven that protected the Great Fire Tree) without a problem.
”This is the place where I was born so I'm pretty sure that this is the real Divine Garden,” Nia said, then she turned to Kiho with a suspicious look on her face. ”The ice that covers the whole garden has traces of your Mana, Kiho.”
Oh, that was true.
”It seems like it's really my ice,” Kiho, who was carrying Winter in his arms, said in a confused voice. Then, she turned to him. ”But Tilly, I don't remember coming here and freezing the entire garden in my past life.”
”If you went on a rampage here and the Spirit of the Great Fire Tree punished you, it's possible that he might have erased your memory,” she said to her husband. ”Just like what he did to me.”
”Oh, that makes sense.”
”But Dad, is the Great Fire Tree still alive after it got frozen for at least a century?” Winter asked his father, then he turned to her. ”Mom, can you melt the ice?”
”I think so,” she said, then she turned to Nia. ”I need your assistance, Nia. My Black Flame might be too much for the Great Fire Tree. Since you're the daughter of the Spirit, I need you to wake him up. If he wakes up, he can help me melt the ice from the inside of his trunk.”
”You don't have to tell me that,” Nia said, then she started to walk towards the tree. ”Let's go.”
”Gosh, what a diva,” she said under her breath, then she turned to Kiho and Winter. ”Wait here, my cinnamon rolls.”