Chapter 333 – The Black and White Flower (完)

Peach blossoms danced on the distant wind.

A floral rain descending alongside the droplets.

The woman delicately brushed a fallen petal from her hair, her face drained of color. The black peach blossom, resting upon her elegant hand, rolled along her fingers, riding the breeze before falling to the dusty ground.

‘This…’

Hong-Yeon studied the petal for a brief moment.

‘It seems familiar somehow.’

Tempted to momentarily step away from the battlefield to ponder the significance of the petal, she ultimately shook the thought away and resumed her forward stride.

‘There’s no need to concern myself with such trivial matters.’

The fall of the cradle was drawing near.

* * * * * * * *

Tae-yang and Aori carry me on a stretcher up the mountain.

“Ugh, ow.”

-Trembling.

Is it because the mountain path is treacherous? My body shakes with every movement. When my skin brushes against an iron bar or fabric, a groan escapes my lips.

“Ah, you’re quite the complainer.”
“You little…”
“Hey Aori, now seems like a good time to pounce on him.”
“Your Majesty, do you need assistance?”
“No, I’ll be fine soon.”

Tae-yang and Aori, moving the stretcher back and forth, giggle while looking at me.

“Hand? Foot? Just say the word. Model patient. I can be Nurse Aori. Shall I dress up for the part?”
“Aori, you’re quite pleasant when you keep your mouth shut.”
“That’s just who I am.”
“Since my back hurts, don’t talk to me.”
“Understood.”

Power comes at a cost. Heukdo, which exchanges the magical energy of the entire body for demonic energy, is a force ill-suited to the frail human body.

A force that even the robust and resilient body of a tree-man, far stronger than any human, struggles to withstand.

Since I attempted to wield such power with a human body, side effects were bound to ensue.

‘Even if I try to maintain it, within a few minutes the spots will emerge.’

That wasn’t how it was meant to be.

Normally, I should be able to hold onto it a bit longer and gradually increase my strength. But this time, I completely lost control.

“Brother.”

As I leaned my head on both arms and groaned, Tae-yang asked me,

“What do you plan to do next?”
“What can I do, you bastard?”
“Isn’t it obvious that the power of the Heavenly Demon has been exposed? At the very least, the Korean and Japanese officials nearby should know.”

After Plum’s death, I collapsed in the pit, and Tae-yang, who heard the commotion, came to my aid.
Had he known this would happen from the start and prepared thoroughly?

I was already being moved to the mountains before Soo-yeon and Saku could arrive.

‘She may know, but… well. Is that a problem?’

Ironically, no battle seems to have erupted between Heaven and Mugung.

Now that Cheondo is assisting the association, there’s no reason for Soo-yeon to oppose me; in fact, her personality might even lead her to view me favorably.

“Those two are reliable. They’re a hundred times better than someone like me. At least I don’t regret revealing my power this time.”

“Even so, isn’t it too reckless for a king? We nearly got caught as well. The servant’s power is so unique. If we hadn’t destroyed our enemy, we would have been left with nothing but death.”

Tae-yang has scolded me. It may have been too impulsive, considering I don’t yet possess the influence to truly stand up to them.

I understand, but those who know me are aware that I am King Mokryeong regardless. Regret is something expressed when there is something to lament.

“Oh, I miss White Peach.”

“…Huh? Are you finally confessing?”

“That’s not it… Never mind.”

– Oomph, oomph!

My cell phone, which Tae-yang brought, has been vibrating consistently for a while now.

It must have been Azalea or Se-Young who heard the news and sent the message.

Despite knowing that I possess space magic, these people still can’t help but worry.

“Are you not going to answer the phone?”
“You’ve suddenly become playful.”
“Heh, even you have quite a filthy temper.”

I maneuvered my phone and sent a few messages.

[Me: Nothing much happened. It just took a bit of time. Don’t worry too much about the civilian residential area; the officials and I have taken care of it.] – (Group message)

-Yes! Ugh! Yes!!!!!!!!!

As soon as I pressed the send button, a torrent of calls from the women came in. I chuckled and turned off my phone.

“You’re quite loved.”
“Sometimes it’s frightening.”
“Are you not going to call back?”

Right now, my voice was too rough for a proper conversation. If I spoke, it would only cause more worry. Besides, there are still a few things left to do.

As I waited, gradually healing my body with the power of rejuvenation, I soon arrived at the location where the sage resided. Eyes were drawn to me, being carried on a stretcher, and the sound of forceful footsteps echoed from somewhere.

Clack, clack!

“@#$%!!”

A voice tinged with a hint of melancholy. The meaning, however, eluded me.

‘Now that I think about it, the translator must be broken.’

I recognized the voice well. There couldn’t be two people in this world with such a spine-chilling voice that merely hearing it would evoke shivers. As Tae-yang quietly carried me, a flustered Marronnier rushed over and grasped my cheek.

A bewildered face filled my vision.

“!#Si-heon%?? 3$^!!”
“Tae-yang, what are you saying? I can’t hear you because the translator is broken.”
“$@%5?”
“Conversations between men and women should work regardless of nationality. Figure it out on your own. Besides, my translator has been broken for a long while now.”

Tae-yang struck the iron rod he had been holding with an air of annoyance.

-Boom!

“Ugh!”

I awkwardly collapsed onto the ground. Marronnier, kneeling beside me, gently tapped my shoulder.
A choked, quivering voice escaped from her wide-open eyes.

“Are you… alright?”

Her Korean wasn’t perfect, but it was pleasant to hear.

“Are you injured?”

Marronnier’s clothes were slightly torn, but she covered herself with a large garment. The dirt smeared across her face revealed how she’d managed to handle the long cable on her own.

“I should be asking you that, not the other way around.”

She didn’t seem to fully understand longer sentences yet. Blanche wiped her moist eyes and her lips trembled. Perhaps the dirt on her hands had gotten into her eyes; tears streamed down from her squinted gaze.

‘Anyone would think I’m the one who’s been defeated.’

It was a reasonable misconception.

Somehow, in focusing on treating her wounds, we’d ended up in this situation. There was nothing to be done about it. As I patted Marronnier’s shoulder with my hand, Blanche enveloped my hand with both of hers and pressed her cheek against it.

I hope those around me perceive our interactions as expressions of camaraderie.

“Lee Si-heon! Are you okay?”
“Si-heon!”

Saku and Soo-yeon, who had followed me belatedly, rushed to my side.

“How do you feel? You vanished all of a sudden… There are no visible wounds. You’re all right, aren’t you? How about your Danjeon?”

I responded, gently pushing away Soo-yeon’s hand that emerged from her pocket holding a pill.
Lifting my body slightly, I felt that I could now move a bit.

“What happened?”
“Oh, well… the other national trees fled. All the treacherous cadets too.”
“Ah, I see. What about the civilian evacuation?”
“We managed to evacuate everyone, except for a small number and the national trees. Now it’s our turn.”

Once the national trees have been evacuated, this crisis will be over.
Thanks to the collaboration of the national trees, we were able to minimize the damage.

“It ended well.”
“Yes, indeed. Without Si-heon, I don’t think things would have resolved so smoothly. Thank you.”

Soo-yeon bowed her head gently, expressing her gratitude.

It felt quite unusual to see someone named Gukmok never display arrogance, instead expressing gratitude with such purity.

I could somewhat grasp his mindset of not discussing the power I had seen back then.

I rose from my seat. As I embraced the still despondent Marronnier, the cat-like figure in my arms nuzzled his face against me.

“Why are you crying? You did well.”
“…I don’t know.”
“You speak Korean well, too.”

I roughly wiped the dirt and tears from his face. Then, leading my aching body, I approached the sage.

The exhausted-looking sage grinned upon seeing me and opened his arms wide. Feeling an urge to hug for some reason, I spread my arms and drew near. Surprisingly, the sage accepted the embrace and whispered into my ear.

“Isn’t that too much?”

For a moment, I was lost in the soft sensation of his chest. The sage, pulling away from me, looked at my face and chuckled.

“Why are you laughing so much?”
“No, it’s just… I’m glad to see you.”

“You’re as endearing as a mother bear.”
“…Excuse me?”

A voice cooling like the frost in the dead of winter.
I feigned ignorance, and the sage glared at me before sighing.

“Anyway. Once we use this magic, everything will be over. What will you do, Si-heon? Will you return to Korea or head to the El Academy?”
“I’ll stay here for now. I’ve left some things behind.”
“I see.”

The sage nodded, rose from his seat, and surveyed the surroundings.
Only a few people remained in this once-bustling place. The surviving trees were also riddled with wounds.
With no strength left to seek support from the foundation, returning was the appropriate course of action.

It was a miracle that we managed to hold on this well.

“I would like to express my gratitude, on behalf of the sage, to all of you who have handled this difficult situation so adeptly.”

The sage bowed deeply in thanks and began to send the trees away one by one.
Maple, who came up in the third round, smiled at me.

“Are you alright? Earlier… there was quite a commotion.”
“Well, it was more than just a commotion, but I took quite a beating.”
“Hehehe, I can’t see any injuries though. Ah, I’d like to stay, but my body’s in a terrible state. There’s nothing I can do. I have to return to my family first and begin investigating everything step by step from the start.”

Maple, who had been searching for the autumn leaves in the Flower, also returned to her homeland.

“Oh, it’s been a while. Hehe.”
“Hyang?”

Lee Hyang, a dog-type creature resembling a Go player.
Their connection from the first trial remained unbroken and they had managed to survive.

Come to think of it, it seemed like a lot of connections had been forged during this Forest Guardian selection event.

“Gasp! I shouldn’t wash my hands.”
“Kehehe.”

Hyang, grabbing my hand and spinning around excitedly. I have their number so I can contact them anytime.

– Tap, tap.

Next is Blanche.
As the national tree of France, she too had to return now.
She was forced to go back to the routine she despised.

Blanche’s eyes were slightly reddened as she grasped my collar and stared intently into my eyes.

“Why?”

She pursed her lips at my question, then lifted a flower petal and tugged at my ear.

“Ah, ah!”

Though it wasn’t painful, I screamed and lowered my head. Blanche whispered a single word into my ear and vanished as if fleeing the scene.

“…When you get a call, please pick up.”

Just like that.

Both Saku and Soo-yeon left as well.

“Brother, how will we meet then? Should I consider transferring to El Academy?”

“We’ll figure it out over the phone later.”

“Ah, I see.”

Tae-yang and Aori exchanged a few words before departing too.

“… Now the cradle is your stage, isn’t it?”

“It seems so.”

“I hope you give it your best effort.”

After sharing a secret known only to Tae-yang and me, all that remained were the sage and me.

The sage sipped the potion for the first time, as though his magical power had almost been depleted.

“I should probably stop resting today. Is your magic energy sufficient?”
“Yes. I’ll just finish what needs to be done and return to El Academy.”

The sage narrowed his eyes at my words and murmured softly, as if he knew my intentions.

“Pervert.”

With a single word, he stuck out his tongue and fled. His behavior seemed childishly radiant, contrasting with his ladylike demeanor, which made me smile rather than feel embarrassed.

“Ah, but aren’t you giving me a reward?”
“Usually, people create a reason to meet again just before parting ways.”
“Aha.”
“Rest assured, I’ll come find you. But please, don’t wait too long.”

– Flash!

With the sage’s words, I was now the only one left on the mountainside. I gazed around from the mountaintop for quite some time, even pausing to admire the moon high in the sky.

After savoring a brief moment of respite, I reached for the bag I had placed beside the tree.

A black garment for disguise and an Infi mask.

‘Flower has attacked the Cradle.’

The Cradle is where young World Trees grow. More than just one or two World Trees and other plants reside within.

However, due to the presence of Artifacts, security is stringent, and the risk of losing one’s head upon discovery is significant.

‘And yet…’

-Boom!

The sound of an explosion reaches my ears, and a smile spreads across my lips.

‘Not anymore.’

No matter what mischief I engage in now, the blame can easily fall on Flower. The once perilous Cradle has now become an ideal hunting ground for experience points, just for me.