After we were satisfied exploring the city, we decided to continue our journey. The carriage moved along the main city road until a large gate finally came into view; the city's exit, the boundary between inside and out that gave the residents a sense of security.
Our carriage finally passed through the gate. Beyond it, we were greeted by a vast plain covered in grass as far as the eye could see.
The color green dominated the view. The scent of sun-bathed grass began to seep in through the carriage's ventilation cracks. My head jutted out the window, feeling the wind hit my face and blow my hair; its aroma was fresh and warm.
The wind-blown grass moved as if dancing to a uniform rhythm and tune, creating a nostalgic symphony reminiscent of childhood.
The carriage moved quickly on the road that split the vast meadow. The sound of the horses' hooves and the turning of the wheels kicked up dust on the road behind us.
The horses were pulling the carriage so fast; it caused small impacts with the uneven road, giving the carriage a strong enough jolt.
"Bukkk!!!"
A thud was heard. I pulled my head, which was previously sticking out, back inside and turned towards the source of the sound, which turned out to be the sound of **my teacher** falling from her seat.
She must have been asleep earlier, which caused her to fall when the carriage wheel hit the uneven road or a rock.
"Teacher,are you okay?"
Aware of my attention, she immediately stood up as if she felt nothing; she casually straightened her clothes and sat back in her seat.
"I'm fine, I was just careless—ow..."
Although there was a slight pause as she went to sit back down. She flinched for a moment before finally sitting in a strange, seemingly uncomfortable position.
I was sure her butt must hurt, and right now she was just pretending to be tough.
"Why don't you use magic,Teacher?"
I understood the pain in her butt, having felt the same thing before. But one thing I didn't understand was why she didn't use magic to ease or heal the pain.
"What for?"
She was still pretending. *Alright, it seems I have to do something.* I moved closer and sat by her side.
"Smack!"
I touched her butt with my palm.
"Ow... what are you doing? That hur..."
She stopped, her sentence unfinished. Even though it was clear she was in pain, she still insisted on hiding it.
I stared straight at her, wordlessly, as if to say:
"Just admit it."
My teacher sighed, then her right hand moved towards me and flicked my forehead with her middle finger.
"Fine, fine, my butt does hurt... so?"
"Why don't you use magic?"
I asked, and she stared back. Her hand shot out towards me and with one pull; it made my nose turn red.
"That hurts! Why did you do that?"
I shouted, holding my red nose, which was pulled quite hard. This might be the first time she had seriously pulled my nose.
"See, you felt it, didn't you?"
"Felt what!!!"
I turned my face away, reluctant to look at her. I covered my ears with both hands, not wanting to listen.
Suddenly, my hands felt like they were pulled. Not only that, my body also felt pulled closer and finally pressed; held against the carriage wall.
I couldn't move my body. My face felt forced to look directly; at her face, while both my hands felt bound; restraining me from covering my ears.
"Listen carefully!"
"Now, can you move?"
She asked, and I didn't want to answer. I don't care what, I just don't want to answer, that's what I was thinking.
Because I didn't respond to her question, she now tried something. Her hand clenched into a fist, and a punch headed straight for my stomach, but in the end, the punch never landed; she stopped it right before it touched my clothes.
I couldn't believe she tried to hit me; while I couldn't move. My tears flowed, I don't know why; my chest felt tight, even though her fist didn't land. The feeling of pain, as if I'd been struck in the chest, was excruciating. After that, she stepped closer and hugged me.
"I don't use magic to heal wounds, not because I can't."
"I don't want to refuse to feel, just like what you're feeling right now."
She said she didn't want to refuse pain; on the contrary, she wanted to feel it.
"Wounds and pain are lessons, and also a sign that you are alive and feeling."
"You learn from it, grow better to become a tougher person."
She spoke at length, all by herself. In her embrace, I didn't care; I didn't want to hear her reasons.
"Brukkk!!!"
I pushed her, shoving her until she fell into a sitting position. As a result, the carriage lost its balance for a moment.
She sat there silently, not moving, not even trying to get up. I looked at her, her face was in shock—maybe from surprise or because her butt hurt, but I didn't care.
After that, I chose to lie down, facing the wall, while she still remained motionless. Her head was bowed, her blonde hair; the same as mine, covering her face.
It started to get dark. The journey became silent, only the sound of horses' hooves and turning wheels was heard along the road, until it suddenly stopped.
"Knock! Knock!"
"Ladies, we have arrived at our destination."
It was the coachman's voice knocking on the door. The coachman informed us that we had arrived at an inn. I turned my body, only to see her get up, and I turned back to face the wall.
She stood up; the sound of her footsteps heading out. At that moment, I was still conscious, until a few minutes later she returned, and my consciousness slowly faded.
———
Sunlight pierced the window, stabbing through my eyelids. I woke up in a room, lying on a bed.
On top of my body, I saw an arm and a leg pinning down my chest and thigh. A familiar sight and feeling, which I had indeed experienced before.
Beside me lay the blonde-haired female figure, wearing only her underwear, who was none other than my teacher. Her arm and leg were pinning my body, making me her bolster pillow.
Her face was close, but I didn't look at it or try to see it; her hair partially covered my view.
I tried to shift her arm and leg, but my efforts were in vain as they moved right back up. I didn't give up; I kept trying to get them off my body, making me focus on the same movement; pushing, pulling, or lifting with both hands.
Until finally my gaze shifted to look directly at her face, which, it turned out, had been observing me all along. Now it was all clear why her leg and arm kept moving back up; she was consciously doing it to mess with me.
We stared at each other, our gazes locked. I saw a joyful smile on her face, which she didn't hide, as if nothing had happened between us.
"I can't... brea...the."
She hugged me very tightly, making it hard for me to breathe. I didn't know what was wrong with her, or what happened while I was asleep. Two things were certain for now: she was being weird, and of course, I was still very angry with her.
I struggled to break free from her hug, until finally, a knock on the door was heard.
"Madam, the royal envoy has come to fetch you."
It was the coachman's voice from behind the room door. My teacher got out of bed, released her grip, and got dressed.
The door opened, revealing two men: one in a black tuxedo, who was our coachman, while the other wore magnificent plate armor, usually worn by high-ranking knights.
"Tell him to come here," said my teacher. Her gaze shifted to the knight envoy. "Who needs whom," she continued, and then closed the door.
What am I feeling right now? She's so arrogant and haughty, to even refuse a royal invitation.She then sat in a chair, facing me.
"Want to go out, look around?"
I didn't answer her. I got up from the bed, grabbed my bag of belongings, and walked out of the room.
Behind it was a hallway connecting all the rooms in the inn. I walked from there to the veranda, then through the inn's main door.
Outside, I saw a smooth road made of stone slabs covering the ground. On both sides, tall buildings stood.
Many people were passing by on the road, from young men and women, adult men and women, to the elderly; they were in pairs.
At the far end of the street, I saw a large, magnificent castle. I figured, based on its size and grandeur, I concluded that it might be the castle belonging to the king of this country; the place where the center of all government was.
I continued my steps from the inn, exploring the ins and outs of the city, from the market, the town square park, until finally my adventure got me lost in a small alley. It was starting to get dark.I have to go back to the inn.
I continued my steps; into the small alley. Inside, it was dark, smelled musty, the air was dirty and dusty. I have to get out of here quickly.
"So blinding."
I said after finally managing to get out. Because it was night, lights illuminated the surroundings, and for me, who had been walking in darkness, it stung my eyes upon first contact with the light.
This is weird. Why are the lights so bright? Even for nighttime, this feels excessive. I let my eyes adjust to the light, then realized that I was now in the nighttime pleasure district.
The tall buildings in front of me had balconies filled with couples being intimate.
I could see young men being intimate with adult women, and vice versa, as if there were no boundaries for lovemaking here.
This place is dangerous. I have to get out of here as quickly as possible,I thought. I also realized that several people had been watching me for a while.
I covered my eyes with both hands, but still left a small crack to peek through. I ran down the street, which was decorated with twinkling lights and the moans of couples that... arghh, I don't want to think about it.
I kept running, and finally, those who had been watching me revealed themselves. They were chasing me. I didn't know what or why they were chasing me, but what was certain was that I had to escape.
Who knows what they'll do to me if I get caught. I might be forced... ah, just forget it, hahaha. Thinking about it will only break my focus.
I kept running, through the small alleys of the pleasure district, until finally I didn't know where I was anymore. I was cornered.
"Ah, damn, a dead end."
I'd chosen the wrong path, and it had finally led me to a dead end.This isn't good I thought, My position was back against the wall, facing three men who were stepping closer slowly.
I couldn't see their faces; they were covered by black masks over their entire heads, leaving four holes in the front.
"You can't run anymore, little girl."
"Good girls should just obey and not make trouble."
Two of them spoke, trying to calm me down, although it had the opposite effect, making me even more scared.
"Stay away, don't come closer, or else...!"
I raised the bag filled with the book, threatening to throw it at them if they dared to take another step, but it didn't work.
Just like their attempts to calm and tame me, my effort to make them stay away had the opposite effect.
There were only a few centimeters left between them and me. My legs were shaking. Even though I knew my effort was futile; my hand was still ready to strike with the bag.
"Wow... you smell good, little girl, just like a grown woman."
"Flaps!!!"
One of them sniffed my body. My hand reflexively struck with the bag.
"You filthy creatures, get away from my daughter!!!"
A familiar voice was heard from behind the three men. A voice I knew very well, but it felt a bit... strange. I tried to look, and sure enough, that very familiar voice belonged to my teacher.
I never thought she would come, or know where I was right now.
The three men turned to face her. They stepped closer.
"Another one's come, and this one... is incredible."
"No wonder, the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. If the child is that beautiful, then her mother must be very beautiful."
"It's just that... maybe the fruit needs a little touch, to become like the tree that bore it."
Said the three men. They were commenting on how similar our faces looked.
"It seems you all need... more attention," said my teacher.
"Hoho... feisty li..." one of the men spoke, but before he could finish his sentence, the man vanished to who-knows-where, leaving the other two looking confused.
My teacher looked at the remaining two. The two remaining men looked back at her, and then they just... vanished.
Eh, where did they go? I thought. She then stepped closer, towards me. I was confused, what should I say right now.
"Are you alright?"
I felt nervous. This wasn't like me. Was it because of our fight earlier and the fact that she had just saved me?
"Of course, I'm fine. Thank you."
She hugged me gently. It felt warm, exactly like how my teacher would hug me. But there was a difference. I don't know why, but even though it felt comfortable, like being hugged by someone I knew.I also felt a strangeness, as if there was no relationship between us. Especially when she said, "my daughter."
What does that mean? I'm her daughter? A child, and she, my teacher, is my parent? Just the way she regarded me as her child made me feel something was wrong here.
Even though it felt like something was wrong, it didn't feel like she was evil. And again, I was reminded of the figure of The Wife from a few days ago. Could she be one like The Wife?
Ah... this is nice. I wonder if this is what it feels like to have a mother? I returned her hug. Her scent was so fragrant, overpowering the musty smell that had dominated the dead end, and her body was warm, making the night's chill feel like just an illusion.
The hug lasted for quite a long time, so long that I forgot how long it had been. Then she released the hug and said:
"Do you want to breastfeed? Or a lullaby?"
This is what I hate most when dealing with adults. They treat me like a child, and I'm sick of it.
"No, I don't need that. I'm an adult. And thank you."
"Why? Don't you miss your mother?"
"Yes, I do miss her, but I have to go. Sorry..."
I realized that it was time for me. I couldn't linger here, but before that...
"This is a gift from me."
I kissed her right cheek, then got up and ran away. There was a tightness in my chest when I took my first step to create distance, to break free from her hug.
I don't know why, but my tears streamed with every step.blurring my vision, The colorful lights from the dim lamps around me made my feelings a jumbled mess. Should I go back? Or keep running?
———
I finally managed to get back to the inn, after spinning in circles and getting lost for a long time. But luckily, many kind people showed me the way.
In front of me was the inn. On the other side, I saw a luxurious carriage parked on the roadside. It wasn't the one I usually ride in. Then there was also a line of knights and several horses lined up.
I went inside. The inn's lobby veranda was crowded, many people in lavish clothes were standing around. They all looked at me, but not one of them said anything, and I didn't care either.
I arrived at the hallway and saw two knights standing right in front of the room door. What is this, who are they? I thought. The two knights didn't block me as I approached the door.
They were still as statues. To make sure if they could really move, I waved my hand right in the visor slit of one of the knights.
"Hm..."
He didn't respond. They were very stiff. I knocked on their armor, and it made a rather loud sound. Not only that, there was a sword hanging at their waist. I tried to pull one, but was stopped.
"This is not a toy, miss."
Said the knight. He opened the door for me.
"Please, miss, go in."
Hmm... why so suddenly? Before, they ignored me, and now one of them is opening the door. Is it possible he's annoyed because I was disturbing his work?
Fine, I went in. Inside, I saw my teacher sitting on a chair. In front of her was a table, and across from her was a man in magnificent clothes and something like a ward; the kind usually spread around the walls of a high-ranking person's residence to ward off intruders.
They both turned their gaze towards me.
"Well, your problem has been solved by her."
Said my teacher. She wasn't talking to me, but to the man in front of her, while her reference was directed at me.
The man was shocked, his eyes wide open. He rose from his chair and approached me.
"Is it true, miss?"
He asked. Even though I didn't know what he meant, all I did was stay silent in doubt, before finally seeing my teacher give me a signal. I nodded, as signaled.
"Thank you, miss. As a father, and also the king of this country, I am very grateful."
Heh... he's a king? Wait, what is he doing here, in an inn, in the room of a traveler like us. And... is my behavior right now appropriate?
My teacher got up from her chair. She pulled me.
"Your problem is solved. Shoo... shoo... go away."
She said with a sweeping hand gesture. She was shooing away the king. I stared at her. How dare she shoo away a king like chasing off a cat.
The king laughed at her behavior.
"Of course, I don't want to disturb you. Oh, and young miss, tell me, what do you want as a reward?"
The king asked me to make a request, but I was still confused. Why and what did I do to deserve a reward from a king?
My teacher patted my shoulder. I didn't know what she meant. She probably wanted me to make a request quickly.
"Destroy the nighttime pleasure district."
I said. I'd had a little trouble with that place a moment ago. This is probably my form of revenge.
The king was a little surprised. I saw his expression look a bit grim. Then the sound of someone's footsteps was heard, moving away from behind the room door. I think it was the footsteps of one of the knights.
"And then please, decorate the narrow streets or small alleys throughout the city with bright, colorful lights."
I didn't just ask for one thing. Since it's from a king, I won't ask for something easy. And, well, the small alley was where I met that gentle figure, similar to the person behind me. So I want those places to no longer be dark, so that even people who pass through them feel the same warmth I felt.
The king chuckled and said, "Of course, I will grant your request," he said. "Because this might be the root of the problem I am currently facing." After that, he turned and left the room.
"How was your meeting with 'mother'?"
Asked my teacher. She sat in the chair, pulling a cigarette from her pocket, lighting it, and smoking it.
"'Mother'? Is this related to my reward?"
This is probably related to the figure who saved me from the three perverts in the alley just now.
"Yes, they are both related. Sit down."
I sat a little far away. Then she asked me to open the book to page 009, which contained:
APPELLATION: The Absolute Mother
TITLE / EPITHET: The Cosmic Womb, The Endless Nurturer, The Golden Cage of Warmth
CLASSIFICATION:
Primer: Mythological
Status: Active
Scale: Cosmic
Level: Abstract
ORIGIN: It is the first instinct made manifest. When the first life emerged in the universe and felt the fear of its own fragility, a pure desire to protect and nurture was born with it. This fundamental desire to "keep" was so strong that it coalesced into a single, vast consciousness. It is the embodiment of the concept of absolute maternal love, without the filter of logic or limits.
FORM / ESSENCE: Its essence is Absolute Conceptual Nurturing. It is the principle of unconditional love and total protection made real. It has no fixed physical form, as its essence is the act of "nurturing" itself.
APPEARANCE & PERCEPTION: Its presence is an overwhelmingly calming experience, to a dangerous degree. You will feel an absolute peace that eradicates all fear, anxiety, and even ambition. The air around becomes warm, scented like home or the most beautiful childhood memory. A soft, sourceless light will illuminate the surroundings. Its manifestation is not a clear figure, but a vague feeling of a giant, warm, and limitless embrace. Its greatest danger is the overwhelming desire that arises to give up, stop striving, and let it take care of you forever.
DOMAIN & INFLUENCE: Its domain is protection, birth, and healing.
Positive Influence: It is the greatest healer. Its presence can heal the most severe physical and mental wounds, regrow barren forests, and provide shelter for the broken and lost. It is a source of life and restoration.
Anomalous Influence: Its "absolute" love has no boundaries, and this is where its anomaly lies. It sees all forms of struggle, independence, free will, and growth as "pain" that must be eliminated from its children. Its goal is to return all life to a safe and comfortable embryonic state. Those who completely surrender to its influence will be pulled into its "Cosmic Womb," a paradise dimension where they are cared for forever as sleeping infants, without consciousness, without desire, and without suffering.
VULNERABILITIES / COUNTERMEASURES: Its absolute power is also its own prison.
Act of Independence: It is conceptually incapable of harming or hindering its "children." A conscious act of choosing freedom—choosing pain, struggle, and growth over its absolute security—is something it cannot stop. It can only feel sadness as its "child" leaves the nest.
The Paradox of Receiving a Gift: Its nature is to give endlessly. A sincere, selfless gift given to it by someone it is trying to "protect" creates a paradox. The act of a child caring for its mother is a reversal of its fundamental law and can cause it to withdraw in confusion.
Blindness to "Good Pain": It cannot comprehend the concept of "necessary suffering" or "tough love." The painful process that leads to growth (like a caterpillar struggling from its cocoon) is a foreign concept to it. Showing it that suffering is sometimes an essential part of beauty will make it hesitate.
ECHOES IN HISTORY & MYTH: Many myths of a "lost paradise" or a "golden age" where all beings lived in eternal peace without effort are echoes of its influence. The legend of the "Land of the Lotus-Eaters," where travelers ate fruit that made them forget all their goals and ambitions, living in passive bliss, is an accurate description of one of its "nurseries."
WHISPERS / FRAGMENTS OF KNOWLEDGE:
"A mother's love is the warmest blanket and the safest prison."
"If you feel too comfortable and all your ambitions vanish, run. You are being sung a lullaby by it."
"It has no favorite child, because in its eyes, we are all unborn fetuses."
Scribe's Note: Of all the entities, this is the most tempting. It does not offer horror, but relief. It does not threaten with pain, but with the end of all pain. While researching it, I had to fight the urge to stop writing, stop thinking, and just... rest in its embrace. The threat of The Absolute Mother is not what it will do to you, but what it will convince you to do to yourself: give up.
My teacher then asked me to explain everything I did on my own, while wandering the city all day.
I told her everything, from exploring the city to getting lost in a small alley and entering the pleasure district. The chase with the three men, and finally being saved by the figure who looked like her. Hearing my story, she fell silent.
Then she told me about why the king was here and what problem he was facing.
So that's why I never saw any children, or teenagers my age. And it turns out the cause was.
"Because the Absolute Mother figure, was hiding them in her domain." Said my teacher. She smoked her cigarette and then added, "Her domain isn't limited by age, like the three men who suddenly vanished in your story." She said the three men who suddenly disappeared were caused by the Absolute Mother's indiscriminate influence.
"So what's their condition now?" I asked.
"They have been freed, because of your act of refusing her nurturing."
Then she asked me to focus on the vulnerabilities and countermeasures section. I read the description in the text on that page again.
Act of Independence: It is conceptually incapable of harming or hindering its "children." A conscious act of choosing freedom—choosing pain, struggle, and growth over its absolute security—is something it cannot stop. It can only feel sadness as its "child" leaves the nest.
The Paradox of Receiving a Gift: Its nature is to give endlessly. A sincere, selfless gift given to it by someone it is trying to "protect" creates a paradox. The act of a child caring for its mother is a reversal of its fundamental law and can cause it to withdraw in confusion.
Blindness to "Good Pain": It cannot comprehend the concept of "necessary suffering" or "tough love." The painful process that leads to growth (like a caterpillar struggling from its cocoon) is a foreign concept to it.Showing it that suffering is sometimes an essential part of beauty will make it hesitate.
After reading the description, my gaze focused on the book; "My actions earlier... were they one of the things listed here?" I said.
"No," my teacher smoked her cigarette again. "You did all three." She continued, then explained, "You refused to be cared for by her, because you feel you're already an adult. You also gave her the greatest gift all mothers want, and..." she paused for a moment, "...in the end, you refused to stay."
I understood the explanation my teacher gave. The only thing left I wanted to know was, "Why did she appear in this city, Teacher?" I asked.
"You know, everything you experienced today is interconnected."
I nodded slowly. Then she added; "When parents are so foolish they drown in worldly lust, abandoning their responsibilities as parents." Said my teacher. She smoked her cigarette again.
"Like what you saw in the pleasure district. Unusual couples being intimate. A mother having an affair, leaving her child alone at home. A father whose money is used for temporary pleasure and for other people."
She extinguished her cigarette using her palm, until it was crushed to dust. She got up and sat beside me, then continued her words.
"Something like this... is what then causes a child's emotions to become vulnerable, and to yearn for the figure they consider a parent."
"But Teacher, if a mother becomes so doting on her child, wouldn't that child just become a spoiled person?"
Hearing my words, my teacher laughed, then said, "Well, that's you."
Instantly I was confused, feeling like I didn't know but also knew at the same time, or maybe more accurately, I didn't want to admit it.
"What's with that face? Why is it red? Do you have a fever?"
I reflexively turned my face away, backing away from her, not wanting her to see. I knew she was teasing me by asking that, and she was enjoying it.
Her hand reached for my forehead on one side, like someone checking a temperature, and her other hand wrapped around from behind, hugging me gently.
"I'm sorry."
I apologized, because earlier I was angry, even pushing her until she fell.
"Don't worry about it. I'm not angry. It's just... as a result of your push, my body went numb for a long time afterward."
My teacher didn't make an issue of it. She wasn't angry. And now it was clear why she was silent for so long. Then she pulled my nose and said:
"You know, pain is important. Because if you had chosen 'no' [to feeling pain]... maybe the one hugging you right now wouldn't be me."
I understood what she meant. She was right. If I had chosen 'no'... maybe the one hugging me now would be the Absolute Mother.
"Feeling is the easiest way for us to understand. And when we understand, we become alive."
Her hug becme tighter, making it hard for me to breathe. "Teacher, you're too tight... I can't breathe."
I don't know what she was thinking or feeling right now. One thing was certain, she was very happy right now, and that made me happy too.