The Connection of Silk and Chord

After Scholar Heide finished examining Mick, he set his broken bones, applied medicine, and told him to rest properly and avoid moving around for the next few days.

"Thank you, teacher." Mick lay in bed, feeling at a loss and ashamed.

"It's all right. That's enough for now. You should rest." Scholar Heide stood up and motioned for the others to come out with him.

"You all did well. In the future, you can continue helping one another whenever something comes up." Scholar Heide looked at them with satisfaction.

"Hehe." The students present couldn't help feeling happy at their teacher's praise.

"Tia." Scholar Heide suddenly called her name.

"What is it?"

"Could you tutor Mick in his studies when you have time?" he asked.

"Sure, but when?"

"You don't need to set aside any extra time. Just during the breaks in your usual afternoon training."

"I understand, teacher." She nodded slightly.

"I'm sorry to impose on you." Scholar Heide's aged hand gently patted Sylutia on the shoulder.

"In a couple of days, I'll bring you one of my treasured books as a gift."

After saying that, the two left the house and walked side by side through the fields, gazing toward the village's broad golden wheat fields, which stretched all the way to the horizon.

"You're probably curious why I'm taking such good care of Mick and asking you to tutor him," Scholar Heide began.

"A little," the girl replied.

"Given your status and looks, you'd deserve treatment equal to Iona's. Asking you to tutor that child, whose basics are so poor, really is imposing on you."

"But I know you're not the sort of child who's vain or status-conscious. You're also easy to get along with, so I felt I could ask you."

"Tia, I wonder how you see this world." The two stood before the seemingly endless wheat fields, gazing toward the horizon.

"Most people's first concern is themselves: whether they've grown, made money, or gotten what they wanted, and so on. Few ever turn their eyes toward anything beyond that."

"I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that. I just find it a little regrettable."

"In truth, many things that happen in this world are closely connected to us."

"A flood in Valley City could ruin the harvest, leaving countless poor people who can't afford expensive food to starve. When the consequences reach you and me, it might amount to nothing more than having fewer dishes on the table."

"People often overlook tiny differences, but countless tiny differences can eventually affect and change the entire world."

"Do you remember what I once taught you about the origins of Aspect Power?"

"The Aspect Powers we see today haven't always been the same. The Blazing Sun split apart, the Phantom Moon crumbled, and the other Aspects went through long periods of evolution too."

"The 'Emerald Nectar' you're currently learning is actually a legacy of the ancient, primordial Aspect, 'Mycelial Thread.'" Scholar Heide stopped walking.

"Aspect Power (Mycelial Thread): The Connection of Silk and Chord, the Mother of Life of Ages Past"

"In the earliest era, this world was like a vast, dull boulder that never changed. Then Mycelial Thread slowly broke it down, and space came into being."

"Perhaps only a few rare mushrooms and fungi still retain a faint trace of Mycelial Thread's power."

"Through tiny, gradual acts of erosion, Mycelial Thread spent nearly a hundred million years breaking down the chaotic boulder, forming the vast world we inhabit."

"Our ability to walk safely through the fields today also depends on the help of many people. Some tend the land, some maintain order, some drive away wild beasts, and others provide medical care."

"Transcendents are far stronger than ordinary people, but that strength also depends on the basic support provided by the framework of society as a whole."

"Longing for an unrestrained life is a wonderful thing. But if you were swimming through an ocean of filthy mud, you'd probably find it hard to be happy."

"I was born a commoner too. When I was young, pursuing my studies was extraordinarily difficult. I had no money to buy books, and no one would lend them to me. Sometimes I'd go and beg people, only to be mocked and beaten. Even now, remembering those scenes makes me feel a little sad." Scholar Heide sighed and stopped walking.

"I understand why Mick went up the mountain alone today, so I don't want to blame him."

"Everyone has their own circumstances. It's just that some people get so used to their own that they forget to be considerate of others."

"I'm eighty-seven years old, but even now I wouldn't dare say this world is filled with kindness. I've also seen some of my former classmates and friends become twisted and unrecognizable in their pursuit of power."

"When they see me, they laugh and say I'm just too weak, which is why I've been unable to break through the threshold of the third rank."

"I've seen too many people chase after certain things and end up going astray, losing themselves."

"Mick has decent talent, but it's nowhere near enough to make him stand out among his classmates. His foundation of knowledge is too weak, and if he focuses solely on making money and becoming stronger without thinking about the consequences of his actions and choices, he'll end up going down the wrong path."

"Given his current circumstances, I can't tell him not to rush, to slow down and deal with things patiently."

"He probably has family he cares about and an urgent desire to prove himself. You can tell from how he trains until he's the last one to leave every day."

"Yes, I've already settled into a comfortable, prosperous retirement, but Mick's life is just beginning. I can't use my own state of mind and perspective to counsel him."

"But I still think that if this child doesn't go astray, he'll probably have a good future."

"I've had regrets I could never let go of, so I especially don't want to see something similar happen again."

"So, Tia, do you understand why I asked you to help him?"

"You have great talent, and one day you'll go very far. But even the most remarkable people always have plenty of trivial matters and needs to take care of."

"Having one more friend and someone you can trust is always a good thing. Even when you're old, you'll have someone to reminisce with and keep you company. Hehehe."

"Knowing your personality, if I hadn't insisted, you probably wouldn't have gone out of your way to interact with those boys. I know you're not interested in romance, but you don't need to keep such a low profile. I'd appreciate it even more if you occasionally showed the liveliness and charm of a young girl."

"Not just Mick. You could also try helping the others, like Ray and a few of your other classmates, sort through their questions and find answers."

"That's how relationships between people work. When you have lots of friends, even if you aren't very strong in combat yourself, the people around you won't bully you so easily." Scholar Heide was probably worried that Sylutia wasn't very good at socializing and might have too few friends to support her along the road ahead.

After listening to the old man's long explanation, Sylutia understood his intentions.

Friends? Or perhaps companions with whom she could share the harvest and her joy. Thinking back on her previous life, she really hadn't had many friends; she'd always been used to keeping to herself. She hadn't expected this old man to see through her nature so quickly.

The connection of Silk and Chord, countless tiny things accumulating to change the world—the Mother of Life. Was she destined to walk the same path?