The Kingmaker System

Davian could only stare at Reina who stared back at him with an unreadable expression, her eyes were as hard as frozen pools of bottomless lakes.

He opened his mouth and a breathless question slipped past his lips.

"What... do you..."

Reina stared into Davian’s eyes as she continued, "I... cannot tell you the details about everything but... What I’m telling you right now... It’s only something that I’m telling you."

Davian couldn’t speak, at first he was only crushed because he realised that the man he loved was just a false identity created by the woman he liked but now he was facing another truth that even the woman wasn’t real.

"You..."

"I am both Reina and Ocean but then again, this body..." She looked down at herself, "I wasn’t born into it."

Davian’s brain tried its best to absorb everything or at least the things that could remotely make sense.

And after trying his best and taking his time, he asked.

"Then... you... Who exactly are you?"

Reina shook her head, "I don’t really remember my name... and even if I did,"

She sighed, "I couldn’t tell you."

"Why?"

Reina pursed her lips and then her eyes drifted to the side, Davian followed her gaze and she just shook her head.

Davian stared at her for another few seconds before he reached out, his trembling fingers barely touched Reina’s round cheek.

Despite that fact that Davian’s skin was ice cold, the skin he felt on his fingers was unmistakably warm and soft. The sign of someone being alive.

"But you are... here... aren’t you?"

Reina met his eyes, there was a strange hollowness in her eyes that he recalled often seeing in Ocean’s eyes. The kind of reaction that made him wonder just what had this person seen throughout their life that they watched life as an outsider.

"Davian," Reina spoke.

"Nobody else knows of this... Not even Duke Aurelius or Young Duke Rune... Since you asked for the truth, I have given it to you... Now it’s your turn..."

Davian felt his heart thump painfully in his chest. He couldn’t think straight, apart from what he was seeing before him right now.

"Are you going to walk away after knowing the truth?" She asked.

Davian swallowed but his mouth was completely dry. His thoughts ran so fast that he couldn’t manage to even keep up with them.

Ocean wasn’t real, Reina isn’t real Reina, and this person before him was someone whose name he didn’t know. Just how was he supposed to deal with this?

Reina waited patiently, or at least it appeared on her face that she was trying her best to be patient. But Davian noticed her fingers that still tightly clutched onto the fabric of her dress.

Just like him, she was anxious and almost terrified. The strongest being known to him was terrified of his words.

Did it really matter though? The person he loved was the one sitting in front of him, what does it matter if they were a man or a woman, a human or Dragon or even someone whose identity was shrouded in anonymity?

"You..." Davian spoke.

Reina swallowed, her pupils quivering ever so slightly as her grip on the fabric tightened even more.

"I don’t know who you are..."

"But you’ve been the one who had been with me all this time, right? The one who... fought for me as Ocean and guided me as Reina?"

Reina blinked but then nodded.

Davian released a breath and his shoulders relaxed as a small smile made his lips curl up.

"Then I don’t care..."

Reina’s mouth opened on instinct to ask what he meant but he simply cupped the side of her little face with his large palm.

"I don’t care if you don’t tell me who you are or what your real name is... All I know is that you will still love me in whatever form you are, right? For me, that’s more than enough. No, that’s all that I need." His voice grew softer.

Reina felt her chest swelling with all the emotions that spun wildly within her like a hurricane, she couldn’t control it anymore as she stared up at Davian. Tears started forming at the corners of her eyes before they slipped down freely taking away all the anxiety and turmoil that had been building up inside her.

Davian froze for a moment, watching Reina cry again like that.

"Ah... What happened? Why are you crying? Di-Did I hurt you again?" He stammered.

Reina sniffled shaking her head as she wiped her tears and Davian slowly wrapped his arms around her little body.

Reina was small enough to disappear completely into Davian’s large chest, she could feel his heart beating hastily with her cheek pressed against his chest.

"Th-There, there... I’m sorry." He spoke softly, patting her back.

Reina continued crying for quite some time before she slowly stopped and Davian sat there holding her and patting her back.

"Have you calmed down now?" Davian asked glancing down at the child curled up in his arms.

The small head bobbed and he smiled to himself trying to pry her off to check but she clutched his shirt digging her face into his chest.

"Huh? Wait, are you cold?"

She shook her head. No.

"Then? What’s wrong?" Davian asked as he reached out to touch her face but she further hid her face.

"Um...what’s wrong?" He asked.

"... My face..." She grumbled something into his shirt and Davian failed to catch it.

"Huh? What did you say?"

"My face must look ugly right now... Don’t look."

Davian blinked and then held back his laughter.

"You..." He had to physically stop his trembling as he tried to not laugh.

"You of all people can’t look ugly after crying, Re-" he stopped himself and then looked down at the child.

What should he call her? Reina? Ocean?

"Er...what should I call you? Reina or Ocean?" He asked.

"... Whatever you like."

Davian sighed and then smiled, "Then, Reina. You don’t need to hide your face, I’m fine with anything..."

Should I say that I’ll love her even if she were to turn into a worm?

Reina sniffled and then lifted her head.

Davian looked at her with a smile before freezing. Flushed round baby cheeks, doe-like teary eyes and pouty pink lips.

He stared at her for two seconds before he pushed her face into his chest, his heart hammering like mad.

"What?" Reina asked.

"Nothing... You’re not ugly." He blurted out.

Reina listened to his frantic heartbeats before she chuckled and Davian felt conflicted as he gently squeezed her into his arms.

"Besides, why were you sleeping here?" He asked, "What will you do if you catch a cold?"

Reina hummed, "I need to stay close to the World Tree to recover my mana. Besides I won’t catch a co-"

Achoo!

Davian narrowed his eyes and Reina sniffled before sneezing again.

"Right," he spoke and Reina wiped her nose.

"We should head in." Davian said and Reina nodded.

He watched her little form before him as she grabbed his coat and he gently wrapped it around her little body. It was a strange feeling.

Most people would strive to know everything about the person they love. But for Davian, he seemed to be satisfied with only able to see his lover, in any form she may come. It was almost farcical but when he thought about it, it was the most natural thing.

Because if she chose him, then she would return to him in any way. If not, he could always go looking for her, how hard is it to find the sun amid the lamps after all?

But then again, he did have one thought.

"Reina," he spoke making the child look up at him.

"Hm?"

Davian swallowed, "Marry me."

Reina’s eyes widened and Davian smiled nervously.

"I mean... I know it’s sudden and I should propose with a ring and in more affectionate manner..." He looked down at her little form and corrected him, "And when you’re in an adult body but... I can’t wait..."

Reina stared at him before she covered her mouth, "Pfft-"

Davian flinched, "You-"

"All right."

"Eh?"

Reina smiled at him, "I said all right, let’s get married."

Davian opened his mouth and then closed it again before opening it again.

"Really?!"

Reina nodded and Davian beamed brightly before he hugged her tightly.

It was like a wish come true for him- the kind of wish he had once believed would be almost impossible to fulfil.

For Reina, too, hearing someone tell her that she alone was enough carried a meaning far deeper than Davian could ever know. Perhaps those words would have saved the lonely girl she had once been in her previous life, easing wounds she had carried without anyone ever noticing. Yet strangely, she did not feel that they had come too late. They had simply arrived at the moment they were meant to.

Reina slowly lifted her gaze towards the World Tree. A gentle breeze drifted through the island, stirring the countless leaves above until they rustled together in a soothing melody. A faint smile bloomed across her face as she looked upon the magnificent tree beneath which both of their wishes had finally been fulfilled.

Then, as though the answer had always been waiting within her heart, a name came to her.

Reina gently stepped away from Davian and walked towards the immense trunk of the World Tree.

"Reina?" Davian called softly, watching as she placed her small palm against the large bark.

Reina closed her eyes for a brief moment before speaking with quiet solemnity.

"I, Reina Aurelius, with the authority bestowed upon me as your Guardian, shall grant you a name."

The breeze gradually strengthened, weaving through the branches as the leaves began to rustle louder and louder. The ebb and flow of energy surrounding the island answered her voice, gathering like invisible currents around the colossal tree while Davian stood in silent awe.

Beneath Reina’s palm, a warm golden light slowly blossomed.

"From this moment onward, you shall be known as Kalpataru- the tree that grants what one seeks."

The golden radiance spread from the place where her hand rested, flowing across the vast trunk like veins of light before racing through every branch and unfurling into the countless leaves overhead. In the same breath, it descended deep into the earth, illuminating the roots buried beneath the island as though the entire World Tree had awakened to embrace its new name.

At that very instant, every living being upon Edrisyl felt it.

A gentle blessing swept across the island, carried by the endless current of mana that bound the land, the sea, and the World Tree together. Though none needed to be told what had happened, they instinctively understood that their Guardian had bestowed a name upon the newborn tree.

From that day onward, for generations yet to come, the World Tree of Edrisyl would be known by a single sacred name-

Kalpataru.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!