Eat The World Tree

Something felt off.

I went about my usual morning routine and had an early meal, but the atmosphere was unusually cold.

-Clink.

The sound of cutlery clashing. In other words, there was no other noise around. Sansuyu took a big spoonful of pure white rice, rolled it around in her mouth, and stared at me. Beside her, Maronnie picked at her food, looking restless.

Normally, it would have been a scene where Sansuyu bombarded Maronnie with enthusiastic questions, and Maronnie would awkwardly respond despite her discomfort. Today, however, Sansuyu was solely focused on her meal. Maronnie didn’t seem to have much of an appetite either.

“Maronnie.”

“Y-Yes?”

“You don’t like the rice? If it’s unfamiliar, I can make something else.”

“No! No, it’s fine.”

“I-I’m going now. I have a class.”

In the end, Maronnie fled the kitchen as if escaping.

Sansuyu watched Maronnie’s back, chewing on a piece of rice wrapped in Spam.

“Is something wrong?”

“Not really.”

“It’s obvious something’s up. Tell me, did you two have a fight?”

“……”

She stared at me with a meaningful look. The image of Sansuyu, usually reminiscent of a cute puppy, turned into that of a purebred dog, the kind you’d see on coins, tilting its head to glare at me. It was a look that said she wouldn’t let go until she got what she wanted.

Ah, this seemed to be about me again. Maybe it was because I was facing a thoroughly annoyed Sansuyu, but I could hardly swallow the food I was chewing.

“It doesn’t concern you, Shiheon.”

Her response was unusually curt.

“How can it not?”

“It really doesn’t.”

“Are you and I just acquaintances? I told you to let me know if you had any troubles.”

“Are you gaslighting me?”

“Pfft.”

Where did she even learn that word?

“From Tree Inside.”

“I told you to stop going there.”

Why couldn’t she quit that place already? I understood it’s where she connected with Champi, but there were so many good people outside of it. I knew Sansuyu was extremely introverted when it came to relationships. Up until now, I was probably the only person she felt comfortable enough to confide in.

“…You don’t need to worry, Siheon. It’s just a bit unsettling.”

“Got it, but it’s not gaslighting, seriously.”

“I was joking.”

Hearing that word suddenly from Sansuyu startled me quite a bit. If she genuinely believed that, then I’d have to seriously reconsider my actions. But knowing Sansuyu, she often used words without fully understanding their meanings, so it was likely a joke.

I gathered my dishes and started to clean up. I didn’t forget to channel the power of healing I had accumulated that morning into Sansuyu.

The Sage, her white dress fluttering, lowered her head gracefully. The elaborate, pure white outfit she always wore would be difficult for anyone else to pull off, almost resembling a robe with wings.

After three days of assignments, the task assigned to us was to develop magic.

The basement was an artifact training ground, hidden at the end of a narrow corridor in the library, accessible through a trapdoor.

“Developing magic, huh.”

“Are you having trouble?”

“No, not really.”

I had already created magic many times through experience. Though I acted like a madman back then, as the Young Demon, I could alter spells on the fly when facing hunters. Even during the first trial, I developed a wind-infused spell. Of course, calling it a unique creation would be a stretch.

What I did was take existing spells and modified them to suit my own affinities. Anyone with a deep understanding of magic could do the same.

It was like restructuring existing techniques to fit one’s body in martial arts.

But this time, it was different. The task was to create magic that did not yet exist in the world.

“If you truly understood my teachings over the past three days, Shiheon, you’ll be able to do it.”

Despite the ambiguous nature of her relationship with me and Flower, the Sage was sincere when it came to teaching magic. Although, like with most academic pursuits, she mainly solidified my basics. Perhaps it felt that way because I was relatively uninformed, unlike Maronnie, who was utterly captivated.

“Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”

“Not about the lesson, no.”

“Then, is it a question about something else?”

Maronnie had locked herself away in the lab for a while. She had acted sweetly, almost to the point of being coquettish when Sansuyu wasn’t around, but disappeared as soon as she got the assignment. Despite her protests about wanting to escape the status of a National Tree, she was serious when it came to magic. That’s why I wanted to support her more.

I paused my pen as I was drafting a spell. Anyway, the spell formations I was working on now would all be erased later. After all, you couldn’t just pull out a brand-new spell immediately.

“If I ask, will you answer?”

I glanced up at the Sage. She was looking down at me. I couldn’t help but notice the two large, prominent mounds in front of me.

“There’s no need for you to know right now.”

Smirk—

The Sage laughed as she saw my serious face.

“After saying that, you won’t trust me anymore, will you?”

“……”

The Sage dragged a chair over and sat beside me.

“Should I go with a classic, old-fashioned approach? I’ll answer three questions to the best of my knowledge, but only after you complete the assignment.”

“You could be lying.”

“Hm. Should I swear on the Holy Tree?”

In this world, invoking the Holy Tree’s oath wasn’t taken lightly. Since arriving here, I had only heard it mentioned a handful of times.

“Sephirot doesn’t involve herself in worldly affairs. It’s not because anyone set that rule for her; she chooses to act that way herself. It prevents me from indulging in excessive selfishness. But…”

“You said there are exceptions.”

-The World Tree of Knowledge does not interfere with the world unless it is for the fulfillment of knowledge!

Sephirot’s words. In other words, she could interfere anywhere if it was for the sake of knowledge.

It was a common play on words.

The Sage nodded, spreading her hand.

“She’s rarely shown this much interest before.”

“…….”

“She’s not someone who would oppose others recklessly. On the contrary, she likes to share knowledge. That’s probably why she entrusted me with this task.”

“I see.”

The Sage’s voice was so soft that, just by listening, I felt drowsy. It reminded me of the feeling of being embraced by my mother when I was a child.

-Clap.

The Sage clapped her hands and stood up.

“Well, whether you trust me or not is up to you, Shiheon.”

As she turned to leave, I stopped her.

“You said three questions.”

“Yes.”

“…For this Forester Selection Competition, do you know who Flower is?”

There were so many things I wanted to ask.

Which World Tree cursed Cheondo?

What happened to Dowon after I left?

Was there a way to cure Sansuyu?

How could I change the future I once saw?

And, why did she show a favorable attitude towards me?

Even though her policy was to avoid deep involvement, why did she call not only me but also Sansuyu and Maronnie?

Out of all those things, the most pressing concern was the imminent attack.

“Of course.”

The Sage answered.

Flower and the World Tree.

Although Sephirot was a World Tree, she could be seen as a neutral force between the two. The Sage, too, was nominally a hunter but not really one.

“Got it.”

Hearing my reply, the Sage left. I returned to drafting magic.

One month, a short period.

Perhaps, Flower would really make a move during the next trial.

Should I just stay here without investigating anything?

‘No.’

There had to be a way, right?

Flower’s territory, the slums. If I searched there, I might find something.

Lately, my morning routines have been mostly solo.

…Should I stir things up a bit?

Why did the Sage leave me alone in the mornings, even though she knew I was opposing Flower?

‘For now,’

Let’s focus on the present.

I observed the magic formula I had laid out and began to channel mana into my hand. A pure sphere of mana. Mana flowed like smoke from my five fingers, expanding the sphere.

After confirming that no one was around, I slowly began to alter the mana.

Mana, into magic.

-Crack!

The blue mana orb suddenly turned ashen and murky, expanding uncontrollably as it threatened to burst. Canceling the magic wasn’t an option.

I immediately turned and shot the orb of magic toward the center of the training ground.

-BOOM!

A sharp noise echoed through the space. The wind that rushed through the enclosed area made his hair flutter.

A storm of magic that swallowed up half the vast space, as big as a giant playground. If anyone got caught up in that, their body would likely not be intact.

This was what magic was.

If you didn’t deliberately control it, it quickly ran out of control.

In the case of Heukdo, which converted all mana into dark energy, there was a risk that not only my dantian but my entire body could burst.

‘It’s still not enough.’

This was not what I was aiming for.

Even a small amount of dark energy once tore my body apart.

If the power of that huge magic orb was only this much, it actually meant that the magic had become less efficient.

“I can’t use dark energy freely outside.”

So, I needed to experiment here.

If I could use magic with dark energy, it will broaden my options in battle.

Magic that doesn’t exist in the world.

Because it utilizes dark energy, not even Hwangdo or the sage can use it.

I needed to create magic that only I could use.

A long silence filled the space.

“There’s been a complication.”

Right before the great mission.

“The Hunter Association moved faster than we expected.”

Flower.

Eight executives had gathered in one place, an unusual occurrence.

It was rare for those who had clashed in power struggles, almost akin to wars, to come together like this.

“…How are you going to take responsibility for this?”

The Fifth Leaf. Indongcho.

A large man with short white hair questioned the woman in front of him, almost accusingly.

Six of the executives, excluding Freesia, were all focused on one woman.

“We proceed as planned.”

The Second Leaf. Kanna.

She was at the heart of Flower’s founding.

Excluding the First Leaf, who does not participate in power struggles, she could be considered the highest-ranking member among the executives.

“As planned? If we continue, we’ll gain nothing.”

Kanna’s words were interrupted by Cistus.

Her harsh tone, coming from a childlike figure, made those listening frown.

“The plan has been almost completely exposed, all to reduce a single casualty. Are you forgetting the bigger picture? Hah, Flower’s lost its mind.”

“Cistus.”

“What? I’m not wrong, am I, Dad?”

Indongcho’s brow furrowed at her aggressive tone.

Only then did Cistus close her mouth.

Fighting wouldn’t benefit anyone.

Everyone present was either at the peak or on the verge of it.

If they missed this opportunity to unite, they might waste another few decades.

There were over ten nations gathered under a shared ideology.

If they missed this chance, many companies and countries that sided with Flower might turn their backs.

Until they ended this tense standoff, Flower had no future.

“Let it start now.”

The Sixth Leaf, Pianhwa, spoke.

“Reducing casualties? That’s nonsense. As soon as the war starts, the lives you spared will just become soldiers and turn into enemies. Can’t you see that, Kanna?”

“……”

“Don’t think you can keep your hands clean.”

It was heading toward catastrophe.

Whenever an argument began, it always centered around Kanna and Cistus.

“…This isn’t what I wanted.”

“Bullshit.”

Cistus sneered at Kanna’s words.

“A woman with her head full of flowers.”

Even if she was called a saint or the world’s only prophet, in Cistus’s eyes, she was just another hypocrite.

All Tree People must die.

As long as even one remained, it wouldn’t stop.

Not a single one must be left.

Whether World Trees or Tree People, they needed to be eradicated from the roots.

“If no one changes their mind, I’ll handle it myself.”

“…Cistus!”

“What?”

Tension filled the air at Cistus’s words.

Kanna shouted, but Cistus simply smirked.

“Think about what you’ve done!”

“What, using the Cornus Family? Or turning Tree People into livestock? I did everything right, didn’t I? Hah, or are you going to scold me for acting on my own again? What is this, a kindergarten?”

“……”

“I’ve already lost Tube Rose.”

Cistus’s voice was sharp and menacing.

Kanna fell silent, her expression somber.

“Quiet.”

A single, heavy word resonated through the room.

The First Leaf, Taragon, glanced at Cistus.

“…Ha.”

For a moment, her whole body stiffened.

Cistus’s hands trembled as she forced a taunting smile at Kanna.

“There it is, there it is. Whenever things get tough, this is what you do.”

“Restrain yourself.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. Fine.”

Taragon scanned the room.

There were three people who hadn’t spoken at all: Lotus, Freesia, and Hongyeon.

They usually remained neutral in these discussions.

Although Hongyeon was more of a representative than an executive, her exceptional intellect allowed her to perform on par with the others.

“Freesia.”

“Hmm?”

“What do you think?”

All eyes turned to Freesia.

With her light green hair and cute appearance, she blinked and then smiled.

“…Well, it doesn’t really matter to me.”

“Lotus.”

“I think we should proceed with caution.”

“Hongyeon.”

Lastly, Taragon looked at her.

Her bright red hair and eyes that seemed to burn.

She stared at Taragon for a long moment before closing her eyes gently.

“…If the goal is to minimize the sacrifice of innocent civilians, proceeding as planned should be sufficient.”

“And how?”

“The Sage won’t just sit by. We’ve reduced the number enough.”

“She won’t intervene.”

“There are plenty of loopholes in the contract with Sephirot. Given her personality, she’ll step in.”

The number of cadets had significantly decreased.

There were enough people to save civilians.

From the beginning, Flower’s goal was to eliminate the World Trees and the Tree People. They decided it was sufficient to proceed as planned.

“Understood. We’ll proceed as is.”

“…You.”

“Hah.”

Kanna’s eyes widened in surprise, and Cistus laughed heartily.

In essence, Taragon had sided with one of them.

Unlike the other executives who were swayed by emotions, Hongyeon was different.

The more profound her desires, the colder she became.

She was born with the traits of a strategist.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Others also had a talent for scheming, but they often used it solely to expand their power.

As an outsider, Hongyeon showed little affection for her own faction.

Only vengeance.

Her sole focus was the extermination of the World Trees.

That made her useful.

By giving her power and observing, they could see exactly where her feelings were directed.

“The attack will begin during the third trial. Everyone, be prepared.”

The conclusion was set.