Chapter 32 – The Persimmon Tree (1)

“Take care, then.”

I stare blankly at Si-heon as he walks away.

Azalea watches the retreating figure of the man climbing the stairs, her eyes following his receding backside, before lowering her head. She sees his two feet that never seem to touch the ground.

‘If you don’t like it, you can just let this matter go.’ He had said it so clearly. Azalea couldn’t escape the dizzying shock.

He had said he wanted to be friends. That’s what she had heard.
She had also been thinking lately that she wanted that as well.

Once, her father had said that the heart is not eternal. Even the most passionate love eventually cools down. Her father had repeated this many times.

‘… He said we were friends.’

Azalea thought to herself as she entered the dormitory.

In the darkened room, she opens the refrigerator. A wave of cold air rushes out. Her arm shivers.

Chocolates fill the refrigerator.

What emotion does this evoke?
There was something that could only be understood by looking deep within oneself.

– One must approach directly.

Azalea tore open the chocolate and placed it in her mouth.

* * * * *

– Chirp, chirp!

Shiba’s alarm resonated in my ears. Unconsciously reaching out and caressing the sprout, Shiba rubbed the leaves against my hand like a cat.

Shafts of light poured through the gaps in the window curtains. Could it already be morning? She rubbed her eyes, rose from her spot, and scratched the back of her neck.

“The mask.”

Fumbling on the tabletop with her hand, she found the mask, held it close, entered the shower, cleaned herself thoroughly, and donned the mask. Today’s attire was the school uniform, a concept in this world similar to a practical combat outfit.

– Gulp.

“Hello~”
“Oh my, it’s been such a long time~ I heard rumors from the students. They said you did something good?”

Upon entering the breakfast restaurant, the familiar lady who often greeted me welcomed me warmly. Rumors about me had indeed spread throughout the academy, though there were some discrepancies between the gossip and what had actually happened.

“Did you hear about the academy cadet who assisted in the takedown of the fraudulent sect this time?”

“I heard the entire Jinmok group was involved, hahaha! It’s quite a grand affair.”

-ㅇㅇ(160.55): “Siwoo again? Is it Siwoo?”
└ㅇㅇ: “Nope, not this time, hahaha!”
└ㅇㅇ(160.55): “??????? What the hell? The article says it really isn’t him. I assumed it was Siwoo since he’s always involved.”

-SeYoung’s Mom: “It’s heartening to see a promising cadet. They’re the kind of person the World Tree would surely want to bless.”
-Soul: “There was chaos after the release of the Jinmok group’s official statement, hahaha! The already volatile public opinion grew even more chaotic.”
└ㅇㅇ: “Will we finally get to see a Mok-in family being stripped of their power after all this time?”
└Soul: “That might be pushing it too far, but it’ll likely end with those connected to Jin Yeo-hee being expelled from the family.”

– Siwoo oppa is the best: Who is this person? What about Siwoo?
└Ignorance: Siwoo Gallo – tc.app
└ㅇㅇ : Please, enough with Siwoo;;

The story spread in such a way that I was more of an accomplice than the one leading the case. In fact, this has already been discussed. An academy student solved a case that the Hunter Association had been investigating for a long time. If this fact spreads, the prestige of the Hunter Association will plummet.

Are they getting paid and still worse than a single student? They’re complete tax thieves. Even if it’s a joke, such rumors can cause related articles to spread like wildfire, so I contacted the association in advance and set the narrative.

Of course, it’s been a long time since I promised to get that compensation. Assigning a top hunter as my teacher for a week, for instance?

‘This is delicious.’

I bite into the toast that came out for breakfast. The scent of butter soaked in the sweet sauce is amazing. The instinct of a self-sufficient individual imprinted in my head keeps me searching for recipes.

This time, a glass of milk.

As I savored the aroma of the rich milk, I sensed someone approaching from the front.

“Excuse me.”

The same school uniform as mine. Familiar short hair. A petal pin adorning her bangs. Azalea took somewhat unnatural steps and sat down in front of me before asking,

“Can I sit here?”
“With me?”

I asked back, momentarily surprised.

The attitude of the Azalea I knew was so different from now that I almost experienced cognitive dissonance. Azalea spoke to me in a voice as timid as a mouse entering its hole.

“…You said we were friends.”

Friends. That’s right.

I knew from the system that Azalea recognized me as a friend.

However, the Azalea that still lingered in my memory continued to resent me. I managed a faint smile and spoke calmly,

“Come to think of it, you mentioned there was something you wanted to say?”

-Nod.

Azalea, now seated, took a sip of the fragrant flower tea and nodded.

The striking pink petals atop the tea capture one’s attention.

Soon enough, her mouth fell agape.

“Thank you for that.”

Grateful. As expected.
She had thought it was a relief that this wasn’t the sort of situation where she must exact revenge with her own hands.

I let out a sardonic laugh.

“What’s the matter?”
“I’m talking about what happened last time. I’m truly grateful for your help with my revenge.”
“Revenge? I’ve never heard of such a thing. Weren’t you saying you wouldn’t know even if I told you?”
“……”

Azalea hesitated, her eyes darting back and forth.
The raw emotions in her gaze were evident at a glance. It was proof that she was genuinely committed to this relationship.

I smirked. Azalea’s shoulders quivered with anxiety.
She chewed on a bite of toast and swallowed it down.
Tuk- She set down the glass of milk.

“So, how does it feel to have exacted revenge?”

At my words, Azalea’s eyes widened.

“…It was exhilarating.”

She murmured.

With that, I roughly pierced through Azalea’s thoughts. Now, let’s drop the formalities.

“When did you say you don’t want to be friends or not to do this?”
“I’m sorry. At that time—”
“I know. My behavior was pathetic. Now that I think about it, I feel the same way. Just be honest with me. How was it then?”

Azalea hesitated. Then, she hugged her arm with one hand and spoke.

“It was repulsive because it was so pathetic.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“No, no. It was only like that back then, and now—”
“What about now?”
“—It’s nothing.”

I felt like a nail had been driven into my chest.
This is why people should make friends when they’re young. If you live like me, you’ll only breed hatred.

“Anyway, I’ve incurred a debt that I won’t be able to repay in my entire life.”
“You can speak informally.”

Azalea shook her head bitterly at my words.
Looking at her face, she didn’t seem to be drawing a line in particular.

“It doesn’t matter. Using honorifics isn’t bad either.”

Progressing in a relationship is a good thing.

As we ate together and shared a few stories, I could feel Azalea, who had been somewhat reserved, gradually becoming more at ease with her words.

It’s often said that people bond quickly over a shared meal. And if you share a bottle of alcohol, you can become close friends in no time.

However…

“What’s your favorite food?”
“What hobbies do you enjoy?”
“How was your childhood? Did you attend a private school?”
“Did you always plan to apply to the academy?”

This woman… She was more talkative than I had anticipated. Listening to her, I couldn’t help but think she might be a reporter. I managed to answer her questions while breaking out into a sweat.

As I tackled her barrage of thirty questions, I couldn’t help but wonder:

‘Does she do this to Si-woo as well?’

It didn’t seem that way. From the sidelines, Si-woo and Azalea appeared to be long-time friends. So, was she just trying to toy with me?

“Do you like chocolate?”
“Yes, I do.”

I responded timidly.
It didn’t seem like I was being mocked, no matter how I looked at it.

We conversed until the lengthy meal came to an end.

Azalea laughed, and I forced a bitter smile.

* * * * *

In the video, the man draws his sword and engages in battle with the believer.

Exclamations of awe erupt from those around, witnessing the elegant swordplay and the magical energy permeating throughout his body.

Some even stuck their tongues out in amazement and applauded.

“Is he really a first-year student?”
“Yes, that’s right~ Lee Si-heon, a freshman at El Academy. This cadet is the man who made the most significant contribution to the subjugation of the 42nd branch. In fact, it’s fair to say that we merely added a spoon to the mix.”
“How astonishing.”

The executives of the association nodded in agreement at the presenter’s words.

Lee Si-heon. An incredible man.

His adept swordsmanship captured on CCTV astonished even the most seasoned prosecutors present.

-chin.
“Hold on a moment.”

At that point, a man raised his hand.

“Just a spoonful, you say? What sort of nonsense is that? Vice President Byeol.”

The man who had been responsible for subduing the 42nd branch for the past two years. Byeol glared at him with a steely gaze.
Indeed, he was a capable man.
However, it was also true that his investigative prowess had not reached the tail end of the 42nd branch.

As if embezzling thousands of dollars wasn’t enough, one wrong move could have led to disgrace for the entire association. It was no wonder Byeol was irritated.

With arms crossed, Byeol spoke.

“Is that so?”
“…What?”

“If you’re so unhappy, leave the association and manage your guild frugally. I don’t recall you complaining when I took care of everything, and now you’re grumbling about this and that… No, was it so unbearable when I tolerated your embezzlement and poaching, and then finally resolved the issue? Why? Are you planning to tattle to the president?”

The star-shaped pupils glowed ominously as they absorbed magical energy. The faces of the guild masters in the room visibly tensed.

Starfruits. It would be a mistake to think she ascended to the vice president position without any skills. A woman adept in both martial and political arts. It was said she could easily crush a small to medium-sized guild if she wished.

Several guild masters coughed and shot the man pointed looks.

“Ahem, you should step out for a moment.”
“But, what’s the meaning of this?”
“Get a clue!”
“…Fine. Understood.”

*Thud!*

The sound of a door slamming shut.

Byul, who had been gazing at the door with an icy expression, deliberately brightened her face and flashed a victorious smile.

“Hehe.”

She then returned to the presentation. Yellow, blue—the next slide of the vibrantly adorned and ludicrous presentation appeared.

“Anyway, I hold Lee Si-heon’s abilities in high esteem. I believe that if he continues to develop his skills from this point on, he could reach the same level as me.”

At this revelation, some people opened their mouths in surprise, while a few guild leaders who recognized Si-heon’s worth simply nodded their agreement.

“So, in my opinion, what Lee Si-heon needs most right now is undoubtedly the best mentor.”

Byul subtly turned her head and glanced at a woman.

“White Peach?”
“What is it?”
“What do you think of this kid?”

The woman called White Peach scratched the back of her snowy white hair and smirked as she gazed at the screen.

“That’s fine. I’d love to raise it.”

There was a commotion all around him.

A peach tree, White Peach. An invincible warrior. It is said that all those who witnessed her prowess spared no praise.

If there’s anything to be desired, it’s her less than noble lineage, but does that matter? Even the vice president of the association, Byul, was not very famous for his family background.

“The L Academy experience class will be held for a week starting tomorrow. You know that, right?”
“I understand.”

“And in the case of the tree that was asleep in the basement of the 42nd branch… Yoojung?”

Yoojung, who got up from her seat at Byul’s call, spoke while hugging the file in her arms.

“Yes. The tree that we thought was driftwood was found to be a World Tree upon investigation. The World Tree Foundation, of course, orders to incorporate it into the Mokinyo. Perhaps a saint will be assigned soon.”

“Is that so? I see. Then let’s talk about Lee Si-heon’s reward this time.”

Byul pursued the task fervently and determinedly.

The reason was straightforward.

‘…If things get messy and Si-heon exposes that he was assaulted by the World Tree, I’ll be screwed by Se-Young!’

It was a trivial reason, but she was sincere.