Safira and Jun continued their conversation while their son slept on his mother's lap.
"It's rare for you to take time to come to the garden," Safira said, stroking Dry's hair.
"I needed some rest. The elders have decided that the children of this generation will go out into the world as soon as they turn ten, and will only return at eighteen," Jun replied, looking away.
Safira stopped playing with her son's hair and gazed at him sleeping. Dry wore a blue outfit with the clan emblem on the back, and his black hair was scattered across his mother's lap.
"Take Dry to his room. Be careful not to wake him," Safira whispered, her tone calm and emotionless.
"Right away, madam," replied a young woman who appeared from nowhere. She wore a dark-blue dress with an orange apron, took Dry from Safira's arms, and vanished as suddenly as she appeared.
Safira turned to Jun. The wind blew, swaying her hair to the sides.
"Jun… look at me," she said softly.
A chill ran down Jun's spine. He looked into Safira's eyes: blue, clear, and beautiful, with the characteristic yellow gleam of the Johns—a family known for protecting their descendants with almost insane rigor, which made them feared and poorly regarded across Orion.
Jun remembered a case: a member of the Johns had been imprisoned for just ten minutes in a city for being seen with a noblewoman's wife; he was released immediately. The next day, the entire family vanished from the map.
"The elders believe the AHIA clan has been off the universe's map for far too long. Ever since Uncle Lano collected Fen and Sun's bodies, the AHIA stopped caring about the outside. So they suggested sending this generation out," Jun explained.
Unlike in those times, the clan added the restriction that only members of the same generation can target the children. Hearing this, Safira felt slightly relieved.
She rested her head on Jun's shoulder, and he caressed her face with a smile.
"You worry too much. The elders won't let anything bad happen to this generation. Of all the previous ones, it's in this one that they see a chance to go further," Jun murmured, unsure if he was speaking to Safira or to himself.
The two of them stayed in the royal garden, bathed in the glow of the flowers.
The next day, Dry woke in his bed. He got ready to go to the castle kitchen, hoping to grab something before starting the day.
"Hey, Merda… what can you tell me about the AHIA Tree?" he thought to himself.
The unit responded:
[Scanning space-time… retrieving information about the AHIA Tree]
[Information found ✓]
AHIA Tree
A common tree, unique to Arfon, specifically Cabon. Currently, there are only three such trees in the entire universe. In space-time and the multiverse, there are no records of any others.
Also called the Tree of Supremacy because of its unique trait: it chooses a location and controls everything within it.
It can control energy, laws, and any elements within the reach of its roots. It doesn't matter if it's above, below, ahead, or behind; everything within its territory—called the domain—is under its absolute control.
"What kind of damn tree does all that and they still call it common?" Dry asked the unit.
[It is considered common because it has no known practical use] — the unit replied.
"-_- Seriously… what a useless tree!" Dry thought, dumbfounded.