Chapter 879

Suddenly, the atmosphere sank heavily, like in water. Enon, with an unreadable expression, broke the silence.

"Luma was quite interested in the existence of souls and their relationship to the physical body. Looking back, what emerged from that research was, in fact, me."

"...What?"

Caught off guard, Yuder's mind came to a halt. Witnessing his rare display of astonishment, Enon sighed.

"It's a bit problematic if this gets out, but it's not that big of a deal."

Yuder surrounded them with a wall of wind. As the calm space was stirred and their hair fluttered, Enon chuckled.

"What's this for? There's no need to go to such lengths here. You worry needlessly."

Despite the chiding tone, there was no hint of annoyance in his eyes.

"..."

"Anyway, you know that long ago, this land was inhabited by various other species and mystical creatures besides humans, right?"

"I've heard of dragons and fairies."

Traces of these ancient species and mystical beings, from a time long past on this continent, could occasionally be found in unearthed fossils, undecayed remnants, and legends. People often used parts of these ancient creatures to forge exceptionally durable weapons and magic artifacts. The Red Stone medium created by Thais Yulman contained fragments of an ancient dragon's heart and fairy dust. Similarly, it was recently discovered that the southern merchants, who had collectively chosen death, disrupting the balance in the south, had used dragon bones imbued with power.

These were the relics of beings long gone, alive only in old legends.

To Yuder, these ancient life forms existed mainly in his perception at that level.

"So, here's a question. Did these beings possess souls when they were alive?"

This was a question Yuder had never considered, and it took him a while to respond.

"...Honestly, I'm not sure, but if they were alive, perhaps they did."

The beings of legend, though different from humans, were thought to have had the capacity for thought and emotion. Even if different from humans, such beings might have possessed souls.

Hearing Yuder's response, Enon smiled, tilting one corner of his mouth, and nodded slowly.

"Correct. The answer is 'they did.'"

"..."

"Do you remember what I told you about how I was created?"

Yuder nodded slightly. Enon had confessed he was not human; he was a being created with a purpose, given life through a contract. And more...

"You said you’re a being whose will and body were combined and connected through magic.”

"Yes. That will I mentioned is the essence of a being. So, a soul. I was created by combining the soul of a spirit belonging to a fairy and a human body through magic. I heard the spirit that provided me a soul was the last remaining on this land."

Before Yuder could ponder the feasibility of such a creation, a story he had recently heard from Kishiar crossed his mind.

It was one of the most famous poems in the empire, about a mage and the spirit who loved him. Kishiar had said that it was actually related to the apple tree on the Hill of Abundance in the capital. The tree was believed to have been planted by the great mage Luma, and magic researchers had confirmed that the apple tree itself contained a strange magic power. He had once planned to ask Enon whether this was true.

In the midst of a whirlwind of activities, Yuder had nearly forgotten, but he never expected to recall it here, in this moment.

Feeling as if a legend had suddenly become reality, Yuder slowly spoke.

"...Not long ago, the Commander mentioned that Luma's apple tree on the Hill of Abundance is related to a famous legend. The story of the mage and the golden apple tree spirit. I had meant to ask you about it..."

"Really? Then this will be quick. That story is about me."

What? Yuder's expression shifted oddly. So, was Enon the spirit who had professed an awkward love to the great mage Luma? As he recalled the pitiful lines of the spirit, dramatically recited by Kishiar, a chill was about to run down his spine when Enon, frowning slightly, continued.

"I can guess what you're thinking, but legends aren't entirely true. They start as rumors and tend to get exaggerated and distorted. Anyway, it's true that the spirit who provided my soul was the spirit of the apple tree. And yes, it did willingly give itself to Luma."

According to Enon's explanation, the truth behind the legend was as follows.

"I was created when Luma started building the seven walls of the capital. Luma wanted to find a way to ensure the magic sustaining the walls lasted as long as possible and concluded that creating a self-aware guardian was the best solution. But even for Luma, it wasn't easy. Understandably so."

The great mage Luma, after several failed attempts at creating a 'Guardian,' was plunged into despair. What he desired was a guardian with a self, but even his magic found this a challenging feat.

During this time, he encountered a spirit, nearly extinct. Enon shrugged, indicating they seemed to have known each other already.

"Unlike the legend, Luma didn't meet the spirit to take some treasure. The spirit was already dying, maybe he wanted to say a final goodbye."

Unexpectedly, it was the spirit that proposed to Luma to give up its soul and fruit.

"Why?"

"Who knows. Maybe it didn't want to quietly go extinct? Or perhaps it found Luma's insane endeavors quite interesting."

Enon murmured nonchalantly.

Luma accepted the offer. He returned to the capital with the last fruit from the dying spirit's tree. That seed, contained within the fruit, was later planted on what would become known as the Hill of Abundance, growing into a tree that became part of the wall protecting the capital. The 'soul' became the material for the last Guardian that the great mage would create.

"So... the fruit was essentially the spirit's soul?"

"Well, a human soul resides in the body, doesn't it? It might not be so strange for the soul of an apple tree to be in its apples."

Enon spoke as if it were someone else's story.

"Anyway, Luma succeeded in binding that soul to a body to create me. Remember I said my body could be restored even after death? That's because the soul I possess is partly connected to that apple tree on the hill. As long as the tree exists, part of my soul does too, allowing magical reabsorption and regeneration of this body."

Enon explained that as long as the seven walls remained, the apple tree, being a component of the walls, would continue to exist in its current state.

"So, essentially... your existence, Enon, is linked to the seven walls protecting the capital, and that's why you can serve as some sort of Guardian?"

"Judging by your expression, you seem to understand correctly. That's why it's not good for me to leave the capital. Even though I'm only a part, if an element of the wall strays too far, what do you think will happen?"

"...A gap would form."

"Exactly. It would be no different than a hole appearing."

Despite his words, Enon no longer appeared anxious. It seemed he had decided that there were definite reasons for him to be here now, as he had mentioned before.

Yuder, listening to Enon, fell into deep thought.

'Learning about Enon's secret origins is a bit shocking, but if this story is true... it implies that souls, in some sense, can be moved.'

Whether the spirit's soul was originally capable of such movement or not was now impossible to determine. When asked, Enon himself had said he didn't know.

"All I know is how I was born. I don't have any memories like those of the spirit whose soul became part of me. When I gained my current form and self-awareness, everything was like a blank slate. Maybe the spirit, or Luma, deliberately erased the memories."

"..."

"I don't particularly feel bad about it. In fact, I think it's thanks to that I was able to develop a self and live as I am now. I'm sorry that it makes it hard to give you a definite answer to what you're curious about, though."

"No, that's already more than enough."

"Luma, after creating me, didn't pursue further research into souls. He started focusing on studies about reversing time. There might still be records of his previous research at the Hill of Abundance, but that's about all I can recall right now."