Chapter 432 – Ebony Wood (3)

A considerable amount of time had passed since Ebony and I were trapped in the dungeon.

As I leaned against the wall, kindling a fire, Ebony cautiously asked,

“…Sir, don’t you need to eat?”

Taking into account the slowed passage of time in this place, about four days had gone by. We had already confirmed that it would take roughly a week for the next layer of the dungeon to open, turning our predicament into a battle against time. We had brought enough food for three days, which would last the two of us a week if I abstained from eating.

Ebony’s reaction as she stuffed the portable bread into her mouth was not surprising. After all, I hadn’t touched food or water for three days already.

“It’s fine,” I replied nonchalantly.

Even outside the relationship between a master and a disciple, human connections often deepen when faced with such adversities.

As our relationship deepened after the Purgatory, Ebony and I needed a similar turning point.

Even though I could have chosen to escape, I decided to go through with it.

‘There was a reason Master took me there.’

The Ent rampage incident caused countless victims due to Flower’s terror. In order to recognize my potential, Master accompanied me in the flood relief efforts.

During that time, not only did I grow closer to her, but it was also when I began to offer my body to my Master in love. Although it might sound awkward to call it love, the feelings I have for her and the way I express them don’t differ much.

“…Mister?”

Ebony asked, perhaps my gaze had been too explicit. I gently stroked her hair.

“Can you endure it?”
“…Yes.”

Our communication was now seamless. Although our conversations are still brief and there’s little exchange of emotions, I hope we can become close soon.

For a brief moment, I stroked Ebony’s hair, but then I pulled my hand away, wondering if I had gotten too close.

“…Ah.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the fleeting, subtle expression that crossed Ebony’s face. It was heartening to know that she, too, felt some warmth from me.

“After this dungeon is over, let’s patrol the nearby area.”

“…Patrol?”

“Yes, there are many people living in abandoned slums.”

Flower and the World Tree. Both sides had numerous forsaken humans. Although they outwardly promoted their relief efforts with all sorts of propaganda, in reality, no one was venturing into this shattered city.

“There are so many people to save. Many are starving, and others are killing one another to steal what little they have. We need to help them.”

In this place, where the government had been overthrown, deaths from starvation had increased, and corpses could be easily seen along the way. Swords took precedence over words in this land devoid of the concepts of good and evil.

War had given birth to countless gray areas, and it was my duty to restore what had been lost.

“…Why?”

A grand reason.
That’s what I have to call it now.

“Because you’re a king.”
“…King Mokryeong?”
“Oh, you know that?”
“…The man who started a war long ago.”
“I’m different from him… So, are you scared?”

Ebony shook her head.
There was a king who once brought the world to its knees standing before her, and yet, she didn’t seem very frightened.

‘Well.’

Acting so absurdly, it would be strange to be scared.

“…”

Ebony’s head nodded, seemingly a little drowsy after eating.
I moved my hand and laid Ebony on my thigh.

Warming her body with magic so she wouldn’t be cold, I embraced her with my right arm.

“Sleep well, child.”

-Tak, tadak!

The bonfire flickering inside the dungeon crackled pleasantly.

* * * * * * * *

-thud!

The air outside the dungeon is always invigorating.

“Phew…”

The tension within the dungeon must not be released until it is cleared and one safely exits. Ebony, who had squeezed through a crevice in the rock, blinked and gazed at me.

“Is it over…?”
“Well done.”

I patted her head and wiped the soot from her face with my hand. Ebony, slightly startled, allowed my touch with a hint of stiffness.

“Are you hungry?”
“…Yes.”
“Let’s go eat.”

Of course, we must report our progress first. Holding a backpack filled with a heap of magic stones and magical tools from the dungeon, I grasped Ebony’s shoulder.

“Don’t be too startled, alright? Drain all the magic.”
“…?”

Spatial magic. The space before our eyes flashed, and our surroundings transformed.

– Oooh!

Ebony was taken aback, and I gave her a reassuring pat on the back. It’s best to relax right after using spatial magic, as it can cause nausea if you’re not careful.

“What took you so long?” Gu-seul inquired as she approached me, noticing I was stretching after tossing my bag aside.

“Water,” I replied, extending my hand toward her.

A magical spell to provide drinking water. Gu-seul left the room with a puzzled expression and soon returned with two glasses of water.

I handed one to Ebony, and we both took a sip. The water tasted heavenly after not having any for days.

“So, what happened? Was there a rampage in the dungeon?” Gu-seul asked.

“No, it was a type of dungeon that manipulates time,” I responded.

“Ah,” Gu-seul nodded, understanding quickly. She had her fair share of experience with conquering dungeons.

“It’s strange… There shouldn’t be a trap around here that you couldn’t escape from,” she remarked.

“Shh, be mindful,” I cautioned her.

This was all part of the process to strengthen our bond with Ebony.

Ebony, who was completely clueless, tilted her head. Upon seeing her expression, Gu-seul covered her mouth and nodded.

“Okay, got it.”

They understood each other so well.

“I’ve set the magic stone aside. You should deal with it quickly; its value has increased quite a bit due to the upcoming tournament.”
“Hehe, I know, don’t you think I’m well aware?”
“…Has your speech become a bit curt lately?”

It was absurd how I was being treated, despite being a young breadwinner who even earned my own money.

At first, Ebony was consistently respectful and acted like a secretary. When did she become such a sycophantic subordinate? She giggled as I stared at her, dumbfounded.

In a moment when Ebony couldn’t see, I clutched my chest.

“Ah…!”

Gu-seul, who had reacted briefly, moved closer to me. One side of her breast pressed against my shoulder, and as she lowered her head, a faint lemon scent wafted over. The subtle fragrance of body wash tickled the tip of my nose, as if she had just showered.

“What are you doing?”
“Uh.”

It had been nearly a week without incident, and the situation had escalated to a somewhat perilous level. One of Gu-seul’s primary roles, after all, was to attend to sexual matters. She herself had proclaimed that she was born for this very purpose, and it was likely true.

“Mouth? Hand?”

Gu-seul slightly parted her lips and spread one hand. The scent of peach permeated the air.

“…Or perhaps my thighs? Would you like me to grind against you? Should I wear fishnets like last time?”
“Do as you wish.”

Her words were sublimely provocative.

“?”

Ebony was far away; this was a conversation meant for adults. Gu-seul chuckled as she undid one of her buttons.

“Oh, and tomorrow… You know, right?”
“I’m aware.”

The meeting of Flower’s executives was scheduled. As the nominal eighth leaf, I too held the right to participate.

After sending Ebony to bathe, I returned to my office and slumped into my chair, drained. My body was already taut with tension, and I needed to address my desires as soon as possible.

“Wow~ Such a pervert.”

Gu-seul, who drew out the zipper of the pants with her mouth, hummed a tune.

“What are you enjoying?”
“No? Hehehe.”

Numbness. It’s a mechanical motion. Neither Gu-seul nor I experienced any particular pleasure; it was merely a release of sexual desires.

‘What a predicament this is.’

I sighed at the warm and slightly rough sensation felt on my lower garment.

* * * * * * *

The Forest Keeper Selection event proceeded without a hitch. The onlookers’ gazes were fixed on one woman.

“Shiba-chan, so cute!”
“Don’t mess with our competitor.”

Soo-yeon’s face, the national tree of Korea, displayed her hard work.

A gathering formed for camaraderie, taking place after the opening ceremony of the selection event.

Usually, competitions took place between individuals of similar standing, with national representatives competing against each other and cadets facing off amongst themselves. However, this time the situation was quite different.

It was a well-known fact that those who inherited more of the World Tree’s blood possessed a radiant appearance.

Shiba found herself receiving an overwhelming amount of attention from those around her.

“…”

Discomfort spread across Shiba’s face. While no one dared to throw overt flirtations due to the event being broadcasted, there were still many individuals who couldn’t help but show interest in her.

Without a doubt, Shiba was the most attention-grabbing person in the room. She once again experienced the intense scrutiny she had felt during her early days at the academy.

“Hey, um… can I get your number?”
“Do you want to train together?”

The predatory gazes of men who stealthily glanced at her inner thighs and the inside of her arms resembled those of wolves!

Even among the girls, Shiba faced subtle ostracism due to her extraordinary beauty. In such a situation, there might not have been any issues if Shiba had taken the lead and formed her own group. However, Shiba had little interest in human relationships.

Naturally, politics also existed between universities.

However, Shiva’s reputation remained unscathed despite the malicious rumors sparked by some envious women.

– Hey, you know Shiva…
– What?

In fact, because of the rumors, she was treated like a delicate flower perched on a cliff, possibly proving that beauty could make life easier.

– Tap, tap.

Yet, there were no such rumors before the preliminaries. A handsome man approached and tapped Shiva on the shoulder.

“…What?”

She was quite annoyed and couldn’t find the right words. The man, slightly taken aback by Shiva’s words, soon responded with courtesy.

“#^@#$^@#^?”

The words couldn’t be interpreted since she hadn’t been provided with a translator yet. Being multilingual was natural for academy cadets, but Shiva didn’t know that.

“Beep, I can only speak Korean.”
“…#$^?”

The man’s face stiffened, seemingly a little disconcerted by Shiva’s cold remark.

“Hey.”

Soo-yeon, who had been observing the situation, stepped in between the two.

“#@$^@$#^?”
“@#$^@3….”

The two exchanged words, and before long, the man bowed his head and vanished. Shiba’s eyes widened as she looked at Soo-yeon.

“What did he say?”
“…He said you’re pretty.”
“Oh.”

Soo-yeon had already resolved such difficult situations numerous times, and Shiba found herself secretly relying on her.

“Shiba-chan, so cute~~”
“Ah, you…”

Saku, who kept calling out to Shiba, was another matter. Following the previous incident, the relationships between the national warriors and the trainees had grown considerably closer.

“It’s amazing. To think the national warriors and the wooden people would all be gathered in one place like this.”

Soo-yeon nodded in agreement with Saku’s words.

“Indeed.”

Soo-yeon thought about how they were able to naturally mingle and converse, all thanks to that man.

Ever since the incident three years prior, when the national warriors and trainees had joined forces, interactions between the different classes had increased significantly.

A star in the distant heavens, the National Tree that stands at the pinnacle of nobility. And now, they have been naturally reconciled like this.

“…”

“Soo-yeon?”

“No, I was just lost in thought for a moment.”

However, that man was not present at this moment. It would have been fortunate if he hadn’t left the academy after graduating, but he was condemned as a heretic and met his end.

‘If only I had pushed a little harder.’

If she had stopped her grandfather and fervently protested to the World Tree, could she have prevented Lee Si-heon from meeting such a fate? Even if she couldn’t clearly delineate between good and evil, she knew who deserved to live in this world.

‘That person. He should have lived.’

That man, who had given his all to save the National Tree and its students, was the ideal figure she had longed for. Korea needed to be led by people like him.

“Beep, the speech is starting.”

At Shiba’s words, Soo-yeon snapped out of her reverie. She saw the face of the World Tree displayed on the expansive projector.

In the Cradle, there exists a system known as graduation. When they have sufficiently matured and are prepared to rule as gods, they emerge into the world through a preliminary match.

A gap of three years had passed, so there must have been many trees that graduated during that time. Astonishingly, the three World Trees that appeared on the screen had taken human form.

[…]

With hair resembling a drill, the World Tree of Elegance and Mischief appeared to be a young girl in age.

It seems she had been confined to the Cradle for quite some time and was also known as ‘Mary.’ Many administrators were deeply moved by the girl dressed in an antiquated gown.

“It was just before her release.”

Right on the verge of being abandoned due to delayed growth, she experienced a dramatic surge in growth. It is said that the story of Mary is written in various tales of great trees.

Beside Mary stood two other women.

The World Tree of Patience and the World Tree of Healing.

The two trees had also recently unleashed their latent potential. The World Tree of Healing entered the cradle and graduated in record time.

The gaze of the cadets and the national trees turned toward the World Trees.

The first trial of this forest keeper selection was to be determined by those three trees.