Chapter 320 – The Collapse of the Cradle (5)

“We’ll need a few more people.”

It’s nearly impossible for five individuals to simultaneously confront the National Tree, block a portion of the Flower, and escort the crowd to a safe mountainside.

“How?”

Marronnier inquires. The crux of the matter is deciding who to bring.

Those half-hearted hunters have already been mostly recruited by the Association’s personnel. Star, who works under the highly capable Mugung, isn’t the best choice for me to bother here.

It’s not an idea without merit.

– Byeori: “You know, something really big just happened?”

I’m aware.
Heaven, Zodiac, and Champi—all of them are in a similar situation. Even Azalea, the businesswoman, expressed her frustration to me, as if her workload had increased due to the Flower crisis.

All those in influential positions are stepping up to protect their strongholds and interests.

I may not be of any help, but I won’t ask for assistance with a stoic facade either.
Especially not from Byul.

‘Perhaps that person could devise a strategy.’

Well, considering my experience managing the Do-won, even just a little, and witnessing the raid, it seems impossible.

In this situation, to discreetly send hunters who would be significantly helpful to us without being detected by Flower.
Support equal to that of a national pillar is unattainable.

‘No point in increasing the unnecessary burden.’

Byul has many lives to save.
The Vice President of the Association.

Tens of thousands of lives could be in her hands.
No matter how competent she is, there’s no guarantee she won’t let personal feelings interfere with her official duties.

“Whew.”

The silence stretches on.
At this point, conversation might slowly begin.

It’s not my place to say, coming from another world, but they truly lack friends.

“No, I do have one.”

Marronnier’s eyes widen like a furious axe.

“Ha, seriously. Brother.”

Tae-yang also tapped me on the shoulder with a slightly incredulous tone. Listening to what he had to say:

“We don’t have friends, don’t we have Gao? These five are enough. Right? If you compare Aori and me, it’s like Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. We’re not afraid of Cao Cao’s million-strong army.”
“Heh, damn.”
“I’m scared, for real.”

Baobab couldn’t help but laugh, and I shuddered. This lunatic never holds back.

“Your Majesty, there’s some truth to what they’re saying.”
“What?”
“With these five, we could take down a few guilds.”

Aori, with an emotionless face, spoke such menacing words.

“You’re right.”

I admit, I may have underestimated these people. It’s probably because I’ve never seen their true abilities with my own eyes.

I’ve never witnessed the Woodification skill, which drastically increases the potential of the Wooden Man, either.

However, it’s also good to face reality.

“The opponent is also a formidable tree.”

Even though Marronnier is a genius, he may struggle to stand out in the chaos of the battle. Sansuyu is weakened.

“Ha, so I just have to sweep them all away?”
“That’s your issue.”

You’re blockheaded.

“What?”
“Your emotions get the better of you.”

The power of the Baobab tree is intrinsically connected to emotions. As the excitement and damage of battle build up, the power grows stronger.

It’s only by unreservedly expressing emotions and igniting one’s fighting spirit that this ability can be fully realized.

“So, we need a few more people to make a perfect team. Who else is there?”

Silence falls upon the group, eerie as a ghost.

“Well, there are some other notable trees I know.”

Marronnier brings it up hesitantly, still unsure if they can trust these potential allies.

Sansuyu remains…

“…”

Doing her best to feign ignorance. The urge to pinch her cheek arises, but it’s suppressed as the conversation continues.

“Bao, not you. That’s enough.”
“What?”

He seemed friendless as well.
Tae-yang and Aori might not be without connections, but the question was whether they would be able to participate in the preliminary round.

“It would be faster to find someone among the current contenders.”
“Right.”

It was better to personally seek out a trustworthy individual.

First, let’s increase our numbers slightly.
As he tapped the table, a magical circle expanded from its surface.
Soon, two birds appeared, scattering feathers and spreading their wings wide as they chirped.

[Master! We’re here! Eleonor has arrived!]
[Was your short break comfortable, Master?]

“Yes. As you all know, we’re in quite a difficult situation regarding our numbers.”

Everyone’s gaze was drawn to the appearance of the birds they had never seen before.
Cornus and Marronnier were aware of them, but their eyes still blinked in wonder.

“What are these sparrows?”
“Spirits.”
“Oh, they seem to possess quite a bit of talent. Spirits that can speak, no less.”

Bao, too, showed astonishment at this particular aspect.
It was because the spirit summoners were exceptionally rare.

“Shion, may I touch it?”

Sansuyu cautiously extended her hand while glancing at me, and upon receiving my nod, her hand reached towards the wooden footbar.

[Grunt]

A reluctant response, as if to say, “I don’t like it, but I’ll bear it since you said so.”
Marronnier also couldn’t help but reach out her hand. Such a small and fluffy bird was a rarity, likely making it quite popular among women.

Returning to the main topic of conversation, I posed a question to them.

Honestly inform the national trees that the Flower is coming and ask for their assistance.
The criteria were of utmost importance.

“The standard for determining whether one is a traitor or not. Perhaps, Marronnier.”
“Uh, yes.”

Marronnier, still feeling somewhat awkward, stammered in her response.

“Your ability will be the most crucial one.”

The world of the mind.
The ability to read others’ thoughts.

A power that must be closely watched for among traitors.

Some may be aware of this and remain cautious.
Naturally, if used openly, there will be a response, and one must use her ability discreetly to see its effectiveness.

“Use my power?”
“Uh. It won’t be easy.”

Of course, there are bound to be gaps that will emerge everywhere.

I surveyed everyone around.

“I cannot leave until I reveal all my secrets here today.”

* * * * * * * *

The meeting proceeds smoothly even in the midst of the lively atmosphere with flowers.

On the surface, the contest for selecting forest guardians must exude a sense of peace.
Every subtle interaction between a cadet and a national figure is captured without fail.

“But it won’t even sound like that.”

It is unusual for the conversation to proceed in this manner.
Competing in a 1vs1 match, conducting an interview with a national figure during training, and so on.

Even as we sit in the café and converse, there is no way for the viewers to know.

‘The voices might be exposed in the control room.’

The control room responsible for overseeing the camera artifacts. However, perhaps due to a controversy long ago, the artifacts within the hotel use an older model that lacks voice recognition.

I even went as far as to interfere with the magical circuit to verify. The only ones aware of our conversation are my teammates and me. In short, we are being monitored.

Artifacts that would typically be forbidden are brought in under the authority of the nation’s tree, and the video is transmitted in real-time. A camera in the shape of a ballpoint pen. Furthermore, the spirit in the back. A wooden footbar capable of observing the emotions and malice of others watches over us from above, turning transparent.

-Startled.

Just then, an opponent entered.

A system that allows you to directly request a meeting and engage in conversation with the parties involved. If you like it, you can accept it, and if you are busy, you can cancel it.

“It was significant that I demonstrated my skills in the first trial.”

Surprisingly, my name is more widely known than I had anticipated.

Among the national trees, there are few who are unfamiliar with me.

“Oh, hello.”

A striking red-haired beauty greets me with a smile.

“Miss Maple?”
“Hehe. Yes, that’s right. It’s an honor to be invited here today. I’ve only ever heard rumors.”
“Rumors, you say?”

Sugar L. Maple.
Sugar maple.

She is a rare healing mage, and the national tree of Canada. True to her name, her voice is as sweet as melted sugar. She laughs softly as she brushes her hair behind her ear.

“I saw your battle with Maehwa.”
“Ah… So that’s what it was.”
“Not only that, but you’ve had quite a few clashes with the national trees, haven’t you?”

An ordinary person faced off against the national trees and emerged victorious. It may be a stretch to say they won because they weren’t at full strength, but it’s a fact that they seized victory in an official match nonetheless.

Suga took a seat and whispered so that no one around could hear.

“Actually, there has been quite a bit of gossip among our fellow nation’s guardians, hasn’t there?”

His voice had a different quality compared to Marronnier’s, quite pleasant indeed. The guardians held their esteemed positions for a reason.

One could easily be smitten by her looks alone.

“Is that so?”

I am a married man. I reminded myself of this fact while listening to the story.

“So, why have you arranged this meeting with me?”
“Well, I have some interest in the matter, and it’s quite noisy outside at the moment, isn’t it?”

He continued the conversation calmly. The pen remained inactive. If he were a mage, he would have been able to detect the artifact’s movement. Mages are more sensitive to the workings of magical circuits than anyone else.

If the pen were to work unexpectedly and expose itself, it would make persuasion quite challenging.

‘Fortunately, he’s not an Elemental Sage.’

Unaware, the wooden footrest behind me remained concealed by the applied transparency spell. I subtly tapped my index finger on the desk to send a signal.

The eyes of the wooden Balvari glowed a resonant blue, sharing their vision with Marronnier, who was elsewhere.

“Flower.”

I broached the topic first, feeling it was best to get to the heart of the matter rather than engage in idle chatter. It might not be polite to mention a terrorist’s name in such a setting, but we were pressed for time, and regrettably, we couldn’t adhere to all formalities.

“Flower…? Why bring that up all of a sudden?”

Suga blinked and tilted her head, puzzled. Soon after, Marronnier’s voice echoed in my ears.

– It’s a simple curiosity. Why would you suddenly mention that? More of a question than bewilderment.

‘So they don’t know yet.’

– And… it seems they quite like you as well.

‘What?’

– Not sure. Never mind. Maybe it’s because you have a half-serious expression.

I inadvertently received a bit of criticism, but I moved on.

The reason Marronnier could communicate with me now.

Naturally, countless spells were connecting us in succession.

‘This is quite useful.’

She marveled inwardly.
The mental image of Marronnier.

Of course, one cannot utilize mental images for objects transmitted through a monitor screen.
However, the story changes when it comes to the sensory sharing employed by spirits.

An opportunity arose for Eleanor, the novice spy.

“It’s nothing major. I just wished for it to be resolved quickly.”
“Aha. True… You have no idea how much work has piled up lately because of it.”
“Is there that much work in your line of duty?”
“Only Si-heon knows. It’s so much that my legs are trembling.”

Well, she couldn’t divulge the specifics.

Having said that, Suga, still smiling, appraised Flower with an air of fatigue.

– I don’t harbor any suspicions. I think I can trust them.

Si-heon’s ability allows the user to hear the thoughts of others, including their tone of voice. When this power was amplified, it enabled him to manifest his imagination and step into that world directly.

As long as we don’t forcibly erase memories and let them enter this place, there is no entity capable of deceiving us.

The others, who likely received all of Marronnier’s words, remain silent as well. It seems they concur. Hence, there’s no reason to keep it hidden.

“Uh, Mr. Maple?”
“Yes?”
“I have something important to share right now. Would it be possible for us to move to a different location?”
“Is it not possible here? How crucial is it?”
“It’s information that could shake the world. I’ll offer it to you at a bargain right now.”

Suga, amused by the ill-timed joke, shrugged nonchalantly, as if nothing was out of bounds.

“It’s Si-heon, after all, known for stirring up a commotion. I expect it to be an intriguing tale.”

Having abundant free time after completing her third trial, she may have discovered her own unique way to find amusement.

‘It’s fortunate that the face is evenly balanced.’

I secretly thought so.

* * * * * * *

The explanation didn’t take long.

At the national level, it is quick to grasp the dangers of a situation. Above all, they know their interests well. Our group, now numbering five or six, continued the conversation while facing one another.

“Ha… There’s a traitor among the national representatives?”

That was the reason I first sought out Canada’s representative.

We put our heads together to find a representative who could stand against Flower. Canada frequently clashes with Flower. That representative must also harbor resentment towards Flower. Kim Soo-yeon and Saku were also considered, but Kim Soo-yeon’s connection to Mugung made me a bit hesitant. Soo-yeon and Saku might be fine, but the problem lies with the representative from India who always accompanies them.

That woman honestly makes me doubt my intuition.

“Do you expect me to believe this?”

“That’s correct.”
“……The sage isn’t one to jest. If gathering these three together is meant as a joke, then perhaps it’s more courteous to play along. Regardless, I understand.”

Suga, who alternately observed Marronnier, Bao, and myself, couldn’t help but be convinced.

The situation we find ourselves in now.
He even offered help beyond just understanding.

“Protecting people is my duty. Among the trainees, there are Canadians as well. Even if that weren’t the case, I’d still need to step forward.”

Even now, Marronnier is discreetly using her power.
It’s due to her suspicious mage personality.

“…Haha. I don’t think I’ve done anything to warrant suspicion.”
“Ah, I’m sorry….”
“Marronnier, you’ve met me once before, right? How can I alleviate your doubts?”

Of course, having someone read your thoughts right in front of you is an unpleasant experience.

Suga smiled amicably and shared a story to convey his position to us.

“…It’s a tale within our family. There are speculations suggesting that there might be a member of the Maple Tree lineage among the people of Flower.”
“Is it okay to mention that here?”
“Well, in fact, it has essentially become a fait accompli. It’s on the brink of being exposed, so there’s no harm in discussing a few words.”
“But why bring up that story?”

Suga nodded.

“That disgrace. How many of our family members have made life-or-death decisions because of it? If you look through the records, you’ll see. The Maple Tree has shed so much blood and sown countless Flowers.”
“What does it mean to be a Flower?”
“…It’s merely a conjecture.”

This is what Suga had said:

A five-year-old girl from the Maple Tree lineage went missing in an accident while studying abroad. They expended significant resources searching for her, who had vanished in a city between Korea and China, but they couldn’t find her. It was assumed that she had perished at the hands of Flower, who had orchestrated the terror.

Recently, rumors have circulated about a woman with red hair and eyes characteristic of maple trees, who has been operating as a member of the Flower.

“So, are those two the same person?”
“It seems so. If the leaves stirred by magical power are maple leaves, whether from a branch or main family.”

There are many types of maple leaves.
Like Lee Se-Young’s oak lineage, numerous branches of maple tree families exist across various nations.
Goroshi, the dependable healer of Dowonhyang whom I know, also belongs to a branch family of maple trees.

However, the magic emanating from the woman who joined the Flower is undoubtedly from the main family.
It is said that some family members who participated in battles have asserted as much.

Upon examining the circumstances, abilities, and magical power, it was highly likely that she was a member of the Maple Tree family.

“So, have your doubts been alleviated now?”

By the time she had unraveled her entire story, the suspicions held by most of us had all but vanished.

“Ah, but…”

She added more to her words.

The young girl who vanished back then was a woman with a talent so remarkable that it aroused Flower’s desire.

“It’s an indelible mark on our family, and though it cannot be washed away, we must attempt to erase it somehow. As for the child… I am at a loss for words.”

Suga let out a bitter laugh.
It seemed she harbored a lingering sense of guilt for that child her family had failed to protect long ago.

Even if she was involved in acts of terror, considering the child’s perspective, she was abandoned by her family and joined Flower to survive.

‘It’s the maple leaf.’

I contemplated as I listened to her story.
The five-forked maple leaf still etched deep within her mind.
Without a doubt, the girl I knew was a maple leaf too.