Chapter 20 – Falling Azalea Blossoms (3)

“Why have you suddenly started training?”

As Se-young, who had been silently observing my training, asked, I struck the temple of the last remaining wooden dummy and returned the question.

“Would you believe it if something were to happen at the academy in three days?”

They say those malicious fraudsters are coming in three days.
As if a fire had broken out at a pancake house, Lee Se-young nervously furrowed her brow upon hearing about this future event.

“What happened between you and that man?”
“A great deal occurred.”

From the fact that the man despises the World Tree to his attempt to persuade me.
For me, it was like a refreshing rain in a drought. A sweet temptation that seemed to bring salvation if grasped. However, poison is often hidden within vibrant flowers.

“Regardless, I must train. I have no intention of resolving this on my own, but shouldn’t I increase my chances of survival?”
“…Is this something you must take on yourself?”

He raised his eyebrows in silence.

“It is something I must take on myself.”

That had been the sole thought from the beginning.
Using this incident as a stepping stone, he would raise Azalea’s favorability and eliminate the unfaithful man.

“That’s why I need your help too.”
“What is it?”
“I thought you’d resist at least once. What’s going on?”
“…Shut up. This is a serious matter. Depending on the situation, we may need to inform others.”

Of course, that was to be expected.
With the academy being filled with established heroes, they could resolve this case with advice and assistance.
There was a limit to what one person could achieve.

“Though it’s good to seek help, if this ends up being mere rumors, a few pages of apologies won’t suffice.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It means I still don’t know if what I’ve heard will truly come to pass or not.”

Lee Seong-Han did not provide me with specific details regarding the time and place.
This also implied that there was a chance that what I had heard could be false, and if so, caution was necessary.

“Prepare simply yet adequately. You can’t become the boy who cried wolf by causing trouble for no reason.”
“What exactly happened between you and that man?”
“Didn’t I tell you already? They asked me to bring down the World Tree. Do you know anything about it?”

Bringing down the World Tree –
Upon hearing those words, Lee Se-Young’s expression visibly tensed.

“Hey…”
“Yes.”
“Did he really say that? The man told you that without a single error in his words?”
“There might be some errors, but it’s certain that he was considering the nuance, content, and thoughts opposing the World Tree.”
“……”

Lee Se-Young clicked her tongue as she brushed off the top of the closed basket. Her face, with her head lowered, revealed her irritation.

“It seems like you know something.”

“Of course there are. Who doesn’t know? The lunatic terrorists that have been popping up for years whenever something happens.”

Having said that, she shared a few stories with me.

How the young World Trees, sprouting up all around the globe, became ancient, dead trunks. A fanatical group that achieves its objectives relentlessly, piercing through the strictest of security and eluding the hunters in pursuit.

“If that’s true, how do we deal with what’s going to happen in three days?”

Se-Young didn’t reply to my question. She stared intently at her phone’s screen before speaking to me in a voice laden with anxiety.

“You need to listen to me carefully.”
“Yes. What is it?”

She got up from her seat and closed the distance between us, one step at a time.
Striding purposefully. Se-Young’s earnest gaze met mine directly, and I stood still until she was close enough to be in my arms.

“Do you have to be at the academy that day?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I can’t not go.”

“Just for today, you only need to go to the training ground or at least the dormitory. Leaving it unattended… the matter is too significant.”

In short, they’re expressing worry.

“I’ve never seen a teacher defend criminals before.”

As usual, Se-Young shrugged nonchalantly, intending to move on.

“This is no joke. And, by the way—”

However, Se-Young closed the distance between them even more. Now, their breaths were almost touching.

“…If it pleases you, it’s Hwagan.”
“Yes, yes?”
“You’re not a criminal, you little brat. We had sex. Did you forget?”
“Uh… Right? But should a teacher be saying this?”

At my question, Lee Se-Young finally backed away, her face flushed red. She fanned herself with her hand, but her face showed no signs of cooling down.

“Still, it would be unreasonable not to show up that day.”
“Why!”
“More importantly, teacher, isn’t this a bit strange? What happened between you and me for you to take care of me like this?”

As the conversation shifted, he brought up a question that had been disregarded until now.

The relationship between me and Se-Young. To be honest, there had been no notable events between us, other than having sex. Did we ever go on a date? Or did we share stories that could ignite feelings of attraction? I sensed that there was something more than just a physical connection between us, but she had emotions that couldn’t be explained by that alone.

Se-Young glared at me with a sharp gaze and spat out biting words.

“What kind of misunderstanding is that? Do you need a reason to take care of me?”

She sighed in exasperation. Pretending to be lost in thought, she slowly began to recount the events that had transpired between us.

“At first, it was a seedy encounter. I intended to take advantage of you. And you, you raped me.”

I nodded in response, and Se-Young gently grasped my collar. The shirt stretched, constricting my throat.

“But a woman’s body is so devious… Ever since that day, my lower abdomen has been aching. Do you remember the underwear I wore when you invited me for drinks?”

I certainly remember them as black pantyhose. They had a tantalizing quality.

“Hehe, I was half-expecting it. Wouldn’t any woman lose her mind if she had a passionate encounter just once?”

Se-Young licked her upper lip once.
Her appearance was quite alluring.

“In short, anyone would become emotionally attached after making love, and if it lasts, that person could become a boyfriend or spouse candidate.”

Se-Young, having loosened her collar, took off her coat, relieving her tense neck.

“Well, that doesn’t mean you should impulsively confess your feelings. I wouldn’t want you as a husband because you’re not attractive.”

She was doing well, then suddenly took a turn.
It was rather audacious, considering she had just called me “honey.”

-Snicker.

I smiled wryly and sheathed my sword. I suddenly remembered Lee Se-Young’s romantic fantasy that I had witnessed back then.

“Well, let’s hold hands and go to the movie theater after we finish this.”
“Did you just misunderstand what I said?”
“Don’t you like the idea?”

If not, never mind.
As she shrugged her shoulders, Lee Se-Young clenched her teeth.

“…I didn’t say I disliked it.”

What’s with his attitude?

“So, are you really going to step up on that day?”
“Are you still going on about that?”
“Honestly, I don’t think you can accomplish much.”

It was Lee Se-Young, not anyone else, so the words stung. In fact, she had enough strength as an academy instructor.

“I acknowledge your talent, having just seen it, but… there’s a significant difference between humans and wooden people.”
“Are you talking about liberation?”

Se-Young gently nodded in response to my words and removed a layer of clothing.
Her well-trained 11-shaped abs were visible beneath the white tank top.

“There’s a reason wooden people are considered nobles. Not only are our basic abilities high, but half of our composition shares a structure similar to the World Tree.”

A Treeborn is,
A child born between the World Tree and humans, its foundation composed of wood.
Since the World Tree of this world is revered as a god, it wouldn’t be strange for the Treeborn to be called demigods.

However, as generations pass, the blood of the World Tree tends to fade.
Thus, there were often cases where a mere human caught up with a Treeborn.

Often.
It usually means they cannot.

Moreover, very occasionally, there are those who have inherited the power of the World Tree strongly.
They are said to be able to temporarily make their bodies equal to the World Tree.

We call that,
“Liberation” or “Lignification.”

– Wood-duk, wood-duk.

The wooden bark sprouting from Se-Young’s body covers her like well-forged armor.
Two enormous branches extend from the temples on either side, and the lower half of her body is covered with thick roots.
The sight, which may appear rather cruel, belongs to that of trees, not humans any longer.

“Do you think you can win against me now?”

Her voice, now coarse, carried an aggressive tone.

“This is too dangerous. Give up. There are terrorists involved.”
“If I can fight—”
“What?”
“If I can fight, will you leave me alone?”

The towering wooden figure, over 2 meters tall, wielded a massive hammer in one hand. It was said that each wooden being had a different appearance and traits upon liberation, so this must be Se-Young’s unique form. It had a rather dependable aspect. If it were a woman, one could easily fall for her.

“Are you serious?”
“Yes, well.”

The only way to prove one’s worth was to engage in combat and demonstrate it personally. It seemed like a fitting training exercise, and it was clear that battling a liberated wooden figure would be a valuable experience. Regardless of the outcome, the goal was to befriend Azalea, so stepping up was necessary.

“Is it possible to swing a real sword?”

I unsheathed the sword from its scabbard. With a slick, sharp sound of friction, the tip of the sword aimed at Se-Young.

“…Give it a try.”
“Yes.”
“However, if you lose, sleep with me for one night.”
“Uh…um…”

It was quite shocking to hear it put that way.
They’ll return, right? If they don’t, I’m confident I’d bite my tongue.

“For now, I agree.”

It marked the beginning of a contest for permission.