Chapter 178 – Eight Leaves

The dormitory lay empty.
A barren wardrobe. My clothes and Shiba’s infant attire hung alone.
Kindergarten uniforms and chick outfits. Aside from these, all the conspicuous garments had vanished.

The disappearance of their unique battle attire, such as full-body latex and full-body tights, must have played a significant role.
I tidied up the dishes and lay down on the bed for a moment.

‘Gone.’

The everyday life of squabbling with White Peach, flirting with Zodiac, and teasing Heaven.
Though a retreat in the middle had diluted the profound sense of emptiness, it still lingered.
Nevertheless, the once cozy atmosphere of my room had turned cold.

‘Not too bad.’

Now I could wholly concentrate on my tasks.
Cornus’s duties. Azalea’s responsibilities. Defeat Flower and remain vigilant of the association.
From this point on, trust could not be afforded to anyone.

Withdrawing from the academy was, for all intents and purposes, a foregone conclusion.

Currently, I must maintain my identity, so I’ve decided to remain at the academy for the time being.

‘In any case, I’ll have work for several months with the forest keeper selection contest. Once that’s over, I’ll need to find a job.’

For now, there’s something I need to do. Lying on the bed, I gazed at Shiba who was perched upon my abdomen.

“Beep?”
“Shiba, Dad has some work to do for a while…”

Reading my words, Shiba’s eyes widened. A ringing noise reminiscent of lightning echoed from behind her back. I know you’re sad, and I’m sorry. It’s not your fault that I’m occupied with work.

I closed my eyes, anticipating Shiba’s bitter tone. Soon enough, her sincere words reached my ears.

“…Beep.”

– Thump.

Shiba struck my belly thrice, then tenderly caressed it with her much gentler touch.

Then, gazing straight at me, she blinked her young, innocent eyes cutely just once.
Shoulders squared confidently; it could be seen as bold, yet it was an endearing pose for someone of kindergarten age.

“Daddy.”
“Mm?”
“Don’t worry.”

Contrasting her faint voice, the dignified words of young Shiba reverberated. Moved by her sentiment, I got out of bed and embraced Shiba.

Why is a child not even a year old so kindhearted?
As if sensing my inner thoughts, Shiba smiled gently and hugged me back.

“Stay with Mommy for a bit. Daddy has a lot to do.”
“…beep.”

Mm.
Alright.

I understand everything Shiba says.
The nuances in resonance, the tone, the pitch, and the intonation. Each word that echoes depending on the situation forms a phrase, and I hear it as a complete sentence.

For Shiba’s sake, I had to resolve my current predicament as quickly as possible.

-Turururu.

A ringing phone call came from Byul, who had just arrived at the academy after Cheondo left.
I held Shiba in my arms, looked at the cell phone screen, and sighed with determination.

“Whew…”

Ready, set, go.

* * * * * * * *

“Then let’s start with the main point.”
“… Siheon, you seem to have a lot on your shoulders?”

As soon as I met Byul, I secured an office and met her face-to-face, ordering only drinks.
The important matter is the Flower.
How to deal with them.

Byul, who had read my intentions through my eyes, seemed slightly disappointed, but took the file from the backpack she had immediately brought, perhaps because my appearance was unexpected.

“First of all, this is what I ordered. The location of Flower’s planned terror attack. But I heard it from a captured Flower member, so its credibility isn’t very high, right? They’re so… Whew. You know, right? They’re ruthless individuals, so they’re exceptionally good at perjury and lies.”
“I am well aware.”

He doesn’t hesitate to manufacture drugs and force their administration on others.
Azalea’s mother was victim to a bizarre mass-produced item called the Pink Dawn, and I heard her relationship with Azalea remains strained to this day.

And who knows how many times this may happen again in the future?
I may dislike the Association, but even if they’re considered necessary, Flower is not the same.

Those bastards are nothing but pure evil in their very existence.

– Swish.

I thoroughly read the file I was handed.
Estimated terrorist locations selected as indicators across the globe. The range was vast and diverse, so it was indeed too much for me to uncover them all by myself.

“Are we supposed to predict and deal with the terrorist locations using this?”
“…It’s really complicated, isn’t it? But yes, that’s the idea. We’ll somehow manage the rest through other means.”

Hunters are dispatched to all regions, or the government conducts thorough analyses and closely examines the dangerous areas.

As it was already a pressing issue worldwide, a system was in place to some extent.

Star added.

All because of a single terrorist. Trillions of dollars are spent every year across the globe.

“…So even with all these precautions, terrorism still occurs?”
“Yes, because it’s Flower.”
“How many of them are there? Those insane bastards.”

They are dreadfully entangled.

I’m no exception. Shortly after I arrived in this world and started to adapt, I became involved with Flower. They barked nonsense about how essential I was to them, so I ignored it. But looking back, I had encountered a significant number of their followers.

“Well… nothing has been figured out, except for the executives who have openly revealed themselves.”
“Executives?”
“Yes. Eight Leaves. Have you heard of them before?”
“Please tell me more.”
“So… the way this Flower operates is…”

As the vice president of the association’s branch, Byul skillfully recounted stories and experiences they had encountered.

Flower is not merely a terrorist group.

Under the objective of shattering the hierarchical society of the World Tree and its Woodmen, with the foresight of the saintess—though the World Tree refuses to acknowledge this—united they stand. In a way, they resemble a cult, but their actions deviate from typical cultish standards.

Flower operates around eight key figures, and the factions are divided into exactly eight.

Starting from the eighth leaf.
The first, all the way to the last leaf.

“And this is the estimated list of the executives’ names… I’m not sure if it’s accurate.”

Freesia.
Pianhwa.
Honeysuckle.
Lotus.
Cistus.
Canna.
Tarragon.

As I repeated their names one by one, I sensed something unnatural and questioned Byul.

“…Is there someone missing?”
“A vacancy, meaning… there’s no executive. But since the factions are divided, wouldn’t there be someone who could take on the role of an executive?”

“It’s a faction. So power isn’t centralized, is it?”
“Exactly. They do engage in acts of terrorism, but each faction varies in their level of extremism. There are even some flowers that focus solely on peaceful social movements. Though… they’re all detestable scoundrels in the end.”

Byul didn’t hesitate to use profanities, attempting to firmly instill in me a strong perception of the flowers. Whether that was their true intention or not, the feeling was quite palpable.

“When factions are divided… like the Mafia? I suppose they’d fight amongst themselves too.”
“That’s right. Power struggles frequently occur within their ranks. But, that’s none of our concern. The real issue is… take a look at this. The third and sixth ones. Also, the seventh and eighth.”

Byul casually pointed to the world map in the file, focusing on North America and China, and gave a sly grin.

“These four factions are the most troublesome. They’re primarily active in these two regions.”

Cistus.
A curiously familiar name.

I narrowed my eyes and listened intently to the story once more.

“Especially the third leaf. This one is truly potent. It deals with drugs in a most dreadful manner.”

Emphasizing her point, she tapped the section marked with the third leaf.

Upon hearing her words, I felt a degree of certainty.

The drug-related incident back then — wasn’t it called the Chain Ent Incident? It was a disastrous act of terror, still discussed to this day, when Ents wreaked havoc on the once peaceful streets.

Of course, the devastation caused by the attack was mitigated by a swift response. However, all scholars concur that, had Do-won not been present, the damage would have been astronomical.

“This individual is often active in China, but… he’s really a global operator.”

“I see.”

“Do you understand to some extent?”

“Yes.”

The prophecy of a saint. Though I had never heard such tales before, I felt as if I could discern the origin of that madman’s convictions.

I clasped my hands together and gazed at the stars as I organized my thoughts.
A serious star. A starfruit girl with actual stars embedded in her bright yellow pupils.
Seeing her once lively face turn serious wasn’t so bad.

“So, Flower is… Huh? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Hmm… I just realized that you have a somewhat professional side as well.”
“…Hot!”

Startled by my words, Star spread her hands with an exaggerated gesture.

“Really? Did I seem like a working woman?”
“Yes.”
“Hehe~ True, I can be quite meticulous when it comes to work. If you ever need help with something, Si-heon, just ask me~”
“From office worker Star?”
“Nope. From the amazing office worker Star.”

She was overjoyed and seemed ready to soar with happiness after receiving a compliment. I chuckled and quickly scanned the file.
Terrorist attack location. As I surveyed the anticipated locations across South Korea, I noticed an unexpected place had been marked.

“…Huh?”
“What’s the matter?”

Here. This is the area where Shiba attends kindergarten.
When I pointed it out, Byul let out an ‘ah’ sound and scratched her cheek.

“If you go towards the outskirts, it leads to the factory district. The imported mana processing water is essential for them. Korea is a powerhouse in magical engineering, and that’s where they’re drawn to, right?”
“…Ah, I see.”
“I haven’t interfered yet, but there’s no harm in being cautious.”
“That’s true.”

I shook my head and exhaled deeply.
I knew it was a big deal, but still, it was a considerably large organization.
Certainly, at this level, it wasn’t strange for Cheondo to be angered.

If Flower’s executives were on a similar level as Cheondo… Then, of course, they must have surpassed the boundary.
I wasn’t that strong yet, so there was a very high chance I would lose if I faced an executive.
No, it wasn’t just a high chance, it would be a complete defeat.

‘Am I not strong enough?’

That thought crossed my mind, but I immediately shook my head from side to side and decided to think differently.

‘No. There’s nothing more foolish than meddling with an executive when organizing an organization.’

At this moment, my power is sufficient. I rise and fight, drawing strength from the Heavenly Demon, seeking guidance. It was only through being torn apart, struck, and my limbs disassembled that I could reach this point.

Has anyone ever improved their skills so drastically in such a short time? It’s safe to say there’s no certainty. It’s a talent that Heaven has witnessed, and a flower that I have brought to bloom. My skill… it grows through conflict. It might even be more advantageous for me to learn while enduring injuries. In the current situation, skulking about was utterly fruitless.

“Si-heon?”

Byul, examining my complexion and inquiring about what’s happening. A spring dress reminiscent of forsythia blooms – a slightly warm choice for the current weather. Come to think of it, her attire was indeed quite similar to a girlfriend’s look.

Now I understand why she pursed her lips when I brought up work from the beginning.

“Come to think of it, you borrowed your sister’s clothes.”

“…You’re mentioning that now?”

“Ah, it’s pretty though. Where did you buy it?”
“Hehe, an online shopping mall.”
“……”

Now that I think about it, it’s subtly different from a luxury brand.
I chuckled, as if incredulous, and spoke to Byul, who had struggled up to this point.

“…Let’s go shopping for clothes together later.”
“Really? Si-heon is the best!”

With a triumphant wave of her hand, Byul stood up from the sofa and embraced me tightly.
Her soft breasts pressed against my face, and she deliberately rubbed her chest with force.

‘…First, I should scout the area around the kindergarten where Shiba attends.’

As I let go of the overly enthusiastic Byul, I placed the file she had brought into her bag.