The Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health Chapter 346

What troubled Pession wasn’t just that.

In fact, this was more annoying than dealing with domestic and international affairs or the mountain of paperwork piled up on his desk.

“Elves went to see a play again?”

It was a stage production starring actors from that drama called <Anamsum> or whatever it was.

“When they said it was cultural exchange, I thought it was just an excuse. But at this point, I guess they were serious.”

The elves—who he’d expected to be a headache—were surprisingly quiet.

“Yesterday, Lady Chloe spent time with the young lord of Count Mintaka, Count Alnilam, and Baron Denebola. All three seem to have become devoted followers of Lady Chloe.”

This, on the other hand, was the real problem.

Pession rested his chin on one hand while tapping the desk with the other.

Over the past three days, Chloe had attended every party and gathering imaginable without rest. This was the result.

“How many is it now? If you include the proposal letter Marquis Mirach sent this morning, aren’t there already over twenty proposals?”

Even after Empress Ageni subtly warned Chloe to restrain herself, things were still like this.

Was she trying to seduce every man in the world?

What was even more ridiculous was that the people Chloe was most actively pursuing were Pession himself, the Spherom twins, and Harun.

“How did Shugra even raise a kid like that?”

She hadn’t been like this when she was younger.

Honestly, if it weren’t for the fact that Chloe was tangled up with the delegation and had to be personally managed, Pession wouldn’t have cared what she did at all.

The absurd situation—where Chloe was both an imperial citizen and a foreign state guest—was what forced Pession to pay attention to her.

‘I want to drop everything and go see Arellin.’

Pession ran a hand through his hair.

‘Arellin… where are you, and what are you doing right now?’

 

 

****

 

 

 

“?”

I felt like someone had just called my name.

Maybe it was just my imagination.

Either way, I refocused on the memories the World Tree was showing me.

[The World Tree explains that this memory is from before the world was sentenced to destruction.]

Sure enough, I saw a world brighter and more vibrant than the present, filled with lush forests and life.

And there was the World Tree—still just a “small tree.”

“So small….”

Was this what the World Tree looked like before it became an immortal being by obtaining a fragment of divinity?

Knowing the World Tree as it is now, the past version—only about as tall as a sixty-story building—felt more cute than divine.

[The World Tree shows you the time when the ‘First Star’ was still mortal.]

A scene from when Shugra was still land belonging only to ancient elves.

In scenery that didn’t seem much different from the present, I saw my master—much younger than now.

‘What… kind of cute.’

So my master had a childhood too.

Unlike his worn and exhausted present self, his eyes sparkled with sharp intelligence.

One day, as the young master communed with the World Tree and devoured the knowledge recorded within it—

A new figure appeared in this peaceful, almost frozen scene.

A wanderer wrapped in a tattered robe.

“…!”

For a moment, our eyes met.

It was only an instant, but I was overwhelmed by those red eyes that somehow reminded me of Pession.

I felt like I’d seen them somewhere before, but I couldn’t remember where.

Who was he?

[The World Tree explains that he was a ‘mad human hero.’]

A mad human hero?

[The World Tree shakes its head, saying that anyone who dared to challenge deicide with a mortal body could only be called insane—yet since he succeeded, he must also be called a hero.]

It was the first time I’d seen the World Tree speak at such length.

Was he someone important?

[The World Tree mentions that he is the most important existence in this world.]

[The World Tree bitterly praises him, saying: “His choice saved us, yet also created another calamity. A savior forgotten by the world he saved, cursed by the god he slew. We call him the Calamity That Saves.”]

This “mad human hero” had come to obtain materials needed for god-slaying from the World Tree.

He left quickly, but the ripples left by his presence were immense.

Despite the brief encounter, my master left the World Tree’s side not long afterward—perhaps influenced by something from that meeting.

And after a long time passed—

Countless fragments of divinity shattered and poured down.

So many fragments.

Falling like a meteor shower.

I didn’t know what kind of feelings that sight stirred in my master, but it clearly granted enlightenment to the ancient elf who wielded primordial magic.

And then, one more thing.

A single wish my master held while gazing at the falling stars.

I want to know the truth.

I want to witness the true face of this world—the real form of this world that no one else knows.

That longing led my master to ascension.

This was the myth of the birth of the First Star.

The World Tree’s memories ended there.

Once my master became an existence equal to the World Tree, the connection was severed.

-Immortals are beings fixed to one corner of an era and a world, unable to change.

-We are anchors that pin down doomed worlds—marionettes bound to worlds fated for destruction, and in the end, beasts of the apocalypse that long for the end itself.

The World Tree’s calm recollection only made me sadder.

“I never got that impression at all.”

Especially not from the World Tree itself.

Was it my imagination, or did the World Tree laugh at my words?

-If I had been completely corrupted by the abyss my roots touch, I too would have become a tool of the apocalypse.

“That’s….”

-My wish was to take deep root in this world and become one with it. But now, it is enough that my children are happy.

The World Tree guided me forward.

-Child, now it is your turn.

-At this moment, you should be able to purify the First Star with your divinity.

-I will support you.

Before I knew it, I was no longer inside the memories.

The World Tree’s will enveloped me.

“How do I even use divinity?”

-It depends on what kind of divinity you possess. But since it is a power influenced by faith, I can say this much—it is tied to your unshakable beliefs.

“My unshakable belief.”

Now I finally understood why the ability everyone called “purification” only manifested when I played music.

I had no religion, no god I worshiped.

But even I had one belief that never wavered.

That music heals the human heart.

There was something I wanted to tell my master.

‘Don’t give up.’

Even without Ethere, this was a mental world.

Creating a violin through imagination alone wasn’t difficult.

Ziiing—.

The first gentle note spread through this mental world filled with sorrowful sound.

Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27, 3rd movement—Adagio.

The third movement, which felt like overcoming the dark, mad despair of the first and second movements, was my message of encouragement to my master.

Crack—.

‘The World Tree….’

I felt the World Tree take damage as divinity resonated with my music and was released, sharing in my power.

-Keep going.

The vibrato at my fingertips trembled slowly.

Words were hard to convey.

But with the power of this melody—

As the music spread, the scenery of the mental world began to change.

Endure it, Master.

Just like Rachmaninoff, who overcame despair and rose again to write this symphony.

The layered notes, crying out in desperation, suddenly burst with intensity.

And at the same moment—

Crack—!

Clang—!

The violent divinity released with the melody tore through my master’s mental world in an instant.

Now I understood why they said I couldn’t handle it.

The divinity itself carried a power that felt like it could drag me under at any moment.

“Ghk!”

Even though it came from me, I couldn’t control it, and it hurt.

Just as I felt the danger of being devoured by my own power, a warm and gentle force washed over me from somewhere, calming the raging divinity.

“Hah….”

What just happened?

Was my master okay now?

And when I came to my senses, I was already out of the mental world.

Ding!

At the same time, the status window informed me of the result of my actions.

Very directly.

[You have succeeded in ‘Save Your Master!’]

[Protagonist share increases!]

[Current share: 4■.■%]

[Thanks to your miraculous performance, the Archmage Mercedes has regained memories she had forgotten.

Though long buried, they are an essential part of the Archmage’s identity. Having reclaimed her identity, Archmage Mercedes will no longer be swayed by erosion.

After sufficient rest, Archmage Mercedes will awaken and regain consciousness. Well done.]