Chapter 319 – The Collapse of the Cradle (4)

The Flowers are gaining power.

This is a fact known to most of the ancient trees. However, since they had participated in the Forest Keeper trials, and there was no need to alert the citizens of the looming crisis, Saku and Kim Soo-yeon, along with the others, were unable to suppress the Flowers.

[Stay there.]
“Association President!”

Kim Soo-yeon’s resolute voice echoed throughout the café. Cameras discreetly moved away from their positions, trying to avoid capturing the scene. The students sitting in the café looked at her, intrigued by the unusual situation.

“Ahh… Soo-yeon, you’re causing a disturbance! It’s embarrassing!”

Saku, with her eyes wide open, tried to calm Soo-yeon down.

[Nothing significant will happen without you. Do not even think about confronting them yet.]

The elderly man’s voice was filled with steadfast determination. Soo-yeon’s eyebrows furrowed, and she bit her lower lip.

“What’s the issue with the National Tree protecting people? Please let me return home.”
[…Sigh…]

A sigh flows through the phone.

President of the Korean Hunter Association. Granddaughter of Mugung, who bears numerous legends. Korea’s National Tree, Kim Soo-yeon.
Even the most seasoned fighters can’t overcome their worry for their granddaughter.

[Soo-yeon.]
“Mr. President, no. Grandfather.”
[…Silence…]

Mugung couldn’t respond for a while to Kim Soo-yeon’s obstinacy, firmly armed with justice and order.

“People could die at this very moment. Is this forest guardian selection really the issue?”
“Soo-yeon, it’s just a trivial matter!”
“Saku, be quiet.”
“That’s too much!”

Kim Soo-yeon’s attitude, if evaluated, was exemplary.

Her mindset as the National Tree is among the rare few in the world, and she has earned the trust of the people to the same extent. Her very presence is already the future of Korea itself.

Since childhood, Soo-yeon had undergone rigorous training under Mugung, making it challenging to find a worthy rival within her generation.

However, her strong sense of justice would at times cloud her judgment.

Her primary concern was rescuing someone in times of crisis. A person’s life could not be weighed against anything else, and saving people always took precedence.

Thanks to her unwavering dedication, Soo-yeon quickly established herself in Korea. Yet, her focus on righting wrongs sometimes left her with a narrow perspective in situations where practicality was crucial.

In many ways, her approach stood in contrast to that of Mugung, who was no stranger to making sacrifices and sending numerous individuals into the abyss.

*[Sigh]*

Mugung exhaled softly.

“Flower will join the preliminary round soon.”

“…What?”

“No, they must have already completed their preparations. Soo-yeon, there might be Flowers around you.”

Upon hearing his words, the two of them gasped in surprise.

The location where World Trees are born and grow, densely populated with various trees: The Cradle. Of course, it is said that The Cradle is not the only place where World Trees reside. Nonetheless, the value of this site cannot be easily assessed. It is the sole place with the optimal conditions for nurturing growing trees.

Though the Five Great World Trees, which could be considered the archenemies of the Flower, are not located here, the majority of trees that have the potential to become World Trees have taken root in this place.

The area is heavily guarded, with its own soldiers and hunters assigned to protect it. The power of the trees themselves is not inferior to that of the hunters. Despite being a Flower, attacking The Cradle would be an act of suicide. It would be challenging unless even the higher-ups intervene.

“Unbelievable. Is that true?”

“Do not speak carelessly. It was bound to happen someday. It just happened a bit sooner,” Mugung replied calmly.

“The Flower in Korea is essentially finished. There is nothing you can do even if you come.”

“But…”

[Or do you think I can’t catch that mere blade of grass?]

Kim Soo-yeon couldn’t answer.
At this point, there was no one who could stand against Mugung.
Perhaps if the ancient adversary, Heavenly Demon, were to resurrect, it could be possible.
Despite the recent upsurge in Ent rampages and frequent terrorist attacks in South Korea, it boasts the least corruption and crime. When asked to name an ideal country to live in, South Korea often comes to mind first, holding a considerable reputation abroad.
In essence, the nation’s stability hinged on the accomplishments of one individual, Mugung.
Without him, many of Korea’s valuable assets, including the dungeons within its borders, might have been lost to foreign powers.

“But…”

Kim Soo-yeon spoke as if half-complaining.
As her sullen voice emerged, Mugung spoke to soothe her.

[Child, you have much to do. And there will be even more in the future. While passion is admirable, your withdrawal from the Forest Keeper Tournament alone makes people uneasy. They will try to find a reason, and if they discover the reason is the Flower… I believe you know what will happen.]
“…Yes.”

The potential repercussions weighed heavily.
Her position was too grave to act on simple righteousness alone.

The National Tree symbolizes the country and its pride.
Her actions could be interpreted as the will of the Republic of Korea.

[Do what you must for now.]

At Mugung’s words, Soo-yeon reluctantly accepted.

She sought tasks within the cradle.
The imminent catastrophe of the Flower’s arrival.
Like Mugung suggested, she needed only to hone her blade until then.

‘Soon, the cradle will be assaulted.’

Upon grasping the information her grandfather had covertly shared, Soo-yeon understood the necessity to prepare.

She was well aware of the absurdity of the situation.
The fact that she couldn’t even trust the national wood. She needed reliable people in her life.

* * * * * * *

“Lee Si-heon.”
“What?”
“We’re going to fight after this, right?”

I nodded half-heartedly to Bao, who persistently asked the question. My nonchalant demeanor caused her eyebrows to narrow.

“What you want is to find Bob, and to know where he is. But even if you want to know now, you can’t, right?”

Do-won’s mobility is faster than any other organization. He uses the spatial magic developed by the sages more effectively than anyone else, allowing him to swiftly pursue the Flower. Even if Bao, who is trying to find Bob, knows the location, he can’t keep up at all.

“Didn’t you say last time that you just need to contact me?”

“I can’t. It seems I won’t be able to contact them anymore. They’re too busy.”

I tried calling just in case, but they simply wouldn’t answer.
They must be incredibly busy.

Although I feel worried, I’ve decided to lighten my mindset for now.
One can’t avoid making decisions out of fear of potential consequences.
At the moment, I don’t have many means to help Cheondo.

“Hmph.”

Bao had a dissatisfied expression.
Their course of action had long veered off track. In the past, the goal was to find sustenance, but now they seem to desire a resolution by any means possible.

No way. Not a chance.
Baobab, the national tree of Africa.
I’ve learned through research that the sacred tradition of Arabid, which involves one-on-one duels, naturally requires mutual agreement.

If I refuse, Bao won’t be able to do much either. No matter how stubborn they are, they have no choice but to uphold their beliefs.

“Anyway, let’s move on to the main topic… Why aren’t you guys speaking up?”

I gazed at the individuals seated in a circle around the table in my room.

Tae-yang, Aori, Cornus, Marronnier, and Baobab.
As far as I know, they are the best candidates, at least when it comes to the forest keeper selection process.

The five of them sat awkwardly, glancing around the room.
Only Tae-yang and Aori, unconcerned with whether they were meeting for the first time or not, calmly munched on snacks.
Cornus stared intently at Baobab, while Marronnier looked at me with a sheepish expression.

“…What are we supposed to do if you suddenly call us here without any explanation?”
“Oh, I didn’t mention that, did I?”

Marronnier’s eyes widened.
People can make mistakes, after all.

I opened my mouth once more and introduced each person one by one.
All of them are capable of handling the Flowers and national trees that will be encountered in the cradle.

“We’ll likely need a few more people, but for now, I’ve gathered those I can trust. These individuals are graduates of the Korean Hunter Academy: Mok Tae-yang and Aori. They’re skilled, so they’re trustworthy. As for Baobab, he’ll know what to expect from the first trial.”
“They seem rather weak.”

Baobab smirked, recalling Tae-yang.
From the very beginning, he was making snide remarks, but Tae-yang wasn’t one to be baited by such cheap provocations. Tae-yang chuckled and placed a hand on Aori’s shoulder.

“Is that so? Weren’t you the one who lost to me?”
“Ugh. Whatever.”

Already, things were chaotic.

“Brother, can I spar with this guy just once?”
“If you lose, don’t forget to keep your dignity.”
“Tsk.”

At times, I wonder if I’m participating in a forest keeper competition or a tournament for kindergarteners. While it might be amusing, I wish they’d exercise some restraint here. Tae-yang, noticing my gaze, awkwardly brushed the back of his head.

“Sansuyu is from El Academy, just like me. Marronnier and Bao are national trees, and they’re so famous that you must know them well.”

I thought Aori might make a crude sexual joke, but she was surprisingly reserved. It was a relief that she knew how to separate her public and private personas.

After adding a few more explanations, I began to describe the upcoming attack on the cradle, briefly summarizing the events.

In the center of the table lay a detailed blueprint of the cradle’s internal structure. The escape route, as explained by the sage, was marked with a red line.

Hotel accommodations extended up to the sixth floor. We assumed that the Flower would strike before the start of the fourth trial.

“Taking the staff into account, we’re looking at at least three hundred people. We need to escort them somehow to the area in the mountains behind the hotel.”

We would have to overcome the ensuing chaos and take control in some way.

No matter how skilled a sage might be, it would be a grave mistake to assume they could use spatial magic amid countless obstructions.

If it were for individual use, it might be different, but this is a large-scale operation. Space magic is more susceptible to interference than any other type of magic. If it is disrupted during use, in the worst-case scenario, it could lead to an explosion caused by the backlash of magical energy.

Thus, it is necessary to move the application of space magic to mountainous areas with less living creature traffic.

“There are quite a few of them, you know? Frankly, it’s tough to manage with just five of us.”

The sage himself would have to step in.

“Normally, our role would be limited to ensuring that people aren’t attacked along the way.”

In the worst-case scenario, we might have to personally lead the trainees. We can’t ignore this since we heard it directly from the sage himself.

“But, brother, do you think the Flowers would really target civilians? They’re known to care deeply about their public image.”

“…With them, it’s entirely possible.”

Marronnier answered on my behalf.

“As we examine the consecutive civilian damages, the harm to the World Tree will be substantial. We cannot rule out the possibility that Flower may target it.”

We can live securely under the World Tree’s protection.
Thank you for this blue world.

At some point, every elementary school student creates a poster like this.
The World Tree’s grace is something we hear about so often, it’s almost like half-brainwashing, akin to the issue of global warming.

If civilian casualties continue to arise in this manner, such faith will inevitably waver.
Naturally, the number of dissenting voices would increase.

Perhaps Marronnier’s prediction is accurate.

“I won’t prioritize actions that put civilian harm first.”

There will be some degree of damage.
The outcome will differ depending on how we fend it off.
Tae-yang, seemingly convinced, nodded and rested his chin on his hand.

“Well, in that case, we’re more likely to face the National Tree in battle.”
“…?”

This time, the question mark belongs to Sansuyu.
Though it seems to come out of nowhere, it’s true.

When it is said that civilian harm results from Flower’s intentions,
The chaos that might ensue if the National Tree perpetrates such acts would only magnify.

A National Tree, the nation’s representative, had slain civilian trainees in the Forest Keeper selection match.
The moment rumors spread… The world will tremble with madness.

‘Why on earth would they betray?’

Did Flower possess such significant power?
Perhaps they saw potential or latent capabilities.

It’s possible that they were moved by a greater purpose.
Being a National Tree, they would undoubtedly know the dreadful aspects of the World Tree.
Or, like the Cornus family, they might yearn for immortality or strength.

Regardless, we were highly likely to engage in battle against the National Tree.

“We’ll certainly need a few more.”

One week.
That was the time allotted to us now.