Chapter 433 – Executive Meeting

The World Tree of Patience acquired potential and achieved rapid growth.
The World Tree of Healing possessed the power to save humanity from the very beginning.

Healing and Patience, it wouldn’t have been strange for either of these two trees to graduate at any time.

‘……’

Among them, only Mary was different.

For a tree that has completed its growth period to continue growing, it must endure the pain of tearing its flesh and extracting bones from within. This must have been a time of immense hardship for Mary, who had already experienced her growth phase.

With her arms crossed, Mary looked at the audience, her firm lips trembling. When had she ever received this much attention? Sweat trickled down her spine.

‘I, too, am a bona fide World Tree…’

She had forced herself to ascend from a small tree that was on the verge of being discharged.

‘People said it was impossible anyway.’

Some of the administrators had snickered, believing it useless to exert effort at this point.

There had been numerous occasions when her branches had nearly snapped.

Standing atop the podium, Mary brought her trembling hands together and took a deep breath.

[The World Tree of Elegance and Mischief]

Her red hair danced in the breeze. Flower petals sprouted amidst the curls of hair, twining around each other. Visions of her past trials and tribulations flickered before her eyes.

When the cradle collapsed, the trees lost their sustenance, unable to feed. Mary transformed herself into a human and worked alongside her caretakers to restore the balance.

As she drew nearer, the attitudes of those who had once despised her began to change, astonishingly.

“…Ah, ah.”

Her voice reverberated through the microphone.

“To be honest, I… I still can’t believe that I am standing here…”

From this day forward, Mary would become a part of the religion as the World Tree. It signified her transformation into a figure of myth and legend.

– If you’re unsure, try changing your attitude just once.
– Apologize to those you have wronged, whether they be human or tree, for there is no difference between them.

“There have been many issues concerning the relationship between humans and trees lately.”

Unlike the younger Mary, she had gained insight into common sense… and had broadened her understanding of etiquette and knowledge. Though slightly anxious, the poise emanating from her body was genuine.

“Between humans, trees, and our World Tree, there is a hierarchy. It may be impossible at the moment, but… I wish for us to become closer. I will take the lead in addressing any issue. Even after becoming the World Tree… if there is anything I can do to help, feel free to seek me out.”

She had changed.
That’s what all the administrators said about Mary.

And the administrators knew the turning point of Mary’s transformation. When she went to visit Lee Si-heon. Mary had changed, but at that time, Lee Si-heon had been branded a heretic and could not escape death.

Mary remains unaware of Lee Si-heon’s demise. As each day passed and they inquired about Lee Si-heon, the administrators had no choice but to remain silent about the issue.

Might Mary’s growth be stunted? It was out of concern.

– Clap clap clap clap clap clap!

Applause showered upon Mary. Having concluded her speech, she descended from the stage, cradling her racing heart.

“Mary, you did great.”

Her long-time manager, Nick, extended a thumbs-up.

“Did I do well…?”
“Absolutely!”
“Will he praise me?”

She couldn’t quite bring herself to say it, but… perhaps today.
Nick nodded affirmatively.

“Of course.”

A bashful smile blossomed on Mary’s lips.

* * * * * * * * * * *

In a room shrouded in darkness.
Various magical tools blocked any interference from the outside.

This place, where Flower executives gathered, was a space inaccessible to anyone from the outside.

It was akin to the theory applied to Zanppuri, an artificial dungeon crafted by King Mokryeong; it remained undetectable even by satellites and impervious to the senses, even when magic was employed.

A place devoid of any signs.

At the executive meeting, six out of the seven members had assembled when one more person entered. The gaze of every executive present fell upon him.

“The king has arrived.”

Sistus, resting his chin on the desk, chuckled. The king strode in nonchalantly, took his seat, and scanned the room.

The Eight Leaves of Flower.

Taragon, Canna, Sistus, Lotus.
Honeysuckle, Freesia, the king.

Since the demise of Licorice Radiata, the sixth-ranked executive of Flower, only seven leaves remained.

“I heard you have something to say.”

The king’s mouth opened. A hand, devoid of perspiration, tapped the table.

“You’ve done something rather interesting. This is our first meeting, isn’t it?”

Upon hearing Sistus’s words, Taragon subtly furrowed his brow.

Despite his awareness, Sistus remained indifferent. This was because subtle power struggles took place during the executive meetings.

Though they were, in name, part of the same faction, no one could predict who would seize control or when it would happen. The battle for power was far from over.

Sistus continued speaking.

“…No, this isn’t our first encounter.”

The king’s undisguised visage, shrouded in shadows, became visible. His dark hair and eyes marked by prominent veins.

“You’ve done something intriguing. How did you kill him?”

The sixth leaf, Pianhua, met its end after pursuing Lee Si-heon. Consequently, he had to endure significant hardship concerning his sustenance for quite some time.

“Beep~”

A woman addressed the king.

“Do you want to eat this?”

Holding a small fruit, she blinked her large eyes lined with long eyelashes. Freesia offered the fruit with a persuasive expression.

“This is incredibly delicious.”
“…I’ll pass.”

Lee Si-heon felt a sense of unease at the familiar tone but initially declined her proposition.

“I’ll only listen.”

The eighth leaf lay further out than the current binding of the Flower. Lee Si-heon’s reaction wasn’t unusual, but Cistus smirked as if to question whether it was acceptable.

“I suppose your situation must be like that…”
“Cistus.”
“Tsk.”

At the words of the fifth leaf, Honeysuckle, Cistus closed her mouth and stuck out her tongue. Her demeanor resembled a petulant child, which might have appeared endearing, but to those who knew her true nature, it was nothing short of horrifying.

“Lee Si-heon.”

Cistus retreated, and the leader of the Flower spoke for the first time.

“I’ve heard that you’re planning a raid on the cradle.”

As the main topic surfaced, the atmosphere rapidly turned cold. Only Freesia, the seventh leaf, continued to eat the fruit she had brought with apparent satisfaction.

With hands clasped, Lee Si-heon tilted his head.

“So?”

“What do you mean, ‘so’? Just give up.”

Sistus’s interruption elicited a sardonic laugh. Canna, the saintess who had been silently listening, hurriedly opened her mouth.

“I’m not asking you to give up. We should find a more amicable agreement point…”

“Canna, that’s the same as giving up.”

Sistus cut her off with a smirk. Taragon continued speaking, striving to persuade before the atmosphere grew even colder.

“You must be aware of the relationship between the Flower and the World Tree.”

“…”

“It’s a Cold War, and even more than that. One wrong move and it could escalate to a declaration of war. Whether it’s the Flower or the World Tree, if war breaks out at this point… Even if we win, we won’t be able to avoid the deaths of civilians.”

His eyes narrowed, and all the executives present tensed up.

Although he was a king, his true power remained unknown. From the moment he had killed one of their officers, he had become an adversary too significant to disregard.

“In exchange, I will provide all the assistance I can in strengthening your power.”

I will bring forth the World Tree of Growth and other trees to increase my power.
Flower was keeping Lee Si-heon’s intentions in check.
Of course, it wasn’t just an empty tale. Relying on forces other than self-sufficiency may hinder true independence, but it would still allow for steady growth.
The underlying story was certainly not difficult to grasp.

“…”

Lee Si-heon took a breath.

“Strange, isn’t it?”

He smiled, a half-mad grin.

The oppressive pressure weighed down on the officers’ shoulders.

“All those nobles who tried every means to crush me when I was a child. Why are they acting this way now?”

His gaze shifted towards Sistus.

“Now, of all times?”

His black pupils trembled. Quiet fury seeped through his dry lips as words escaped them.

“They feign ignorance of their own deeds, yet complain about civilian casualties. Perhaps they should clean up the slave markets and stables they control before passing judgment.”

It was merely an act of obscuring the issue, nothing more than a futile chase of one’s own tail. Yet it was undeniably a stab to their pride.

“Those who most readily dismiss the value of human life now ask me to stop for the sake of people?”

They must view it as a mere feint and not back down.

The demand may seem trivial, but the implications within it weighed heavily.

“Taragon. Canna.”
“……”
“Being bound to that girl will bring you no good.”

They knew the ideals of Flower well – once championing equality, but now long since twisted into human supremacy.

Though Taragon was the leader of Flower, his actions remained unrecorded in history. The majority of terror and war had been orchestrated by Sistus.

“I don’t know what binds you two, but you have no right to make such demands.”

Why had the leader of Flower allowed the situation to deteriorate to this point? The reason didn’t pique their curiosity.

“The moment the World Tree of Prosperity unifies, there will be no reason to continue the power struggle, even though we know it will collapse.”
“Collapse? Who?”

Cistus interjected.

“The World Tree is enough for me alone. There’s nothing for you to do, Lee Si-heon. If you just sit tight until I’m ready, who knows where the beans will fall? If… if you keep going. Yes…”

A subtle smile appeared on Cistus’ face.

“I can let you go like those others.”

It wouldn’t be a lie. Cistus was responsible for the axis of Flower’s war, and it was Cistus who actually brought down the World Tree of Prosperity.

Cistus’ power was so great that even Taragon, the leader, had no choice but to tread carefully. The faction centered around Cistus had completely disrupted the essence of Flower.

Why did Taragon let it go until the power became fragmented? Was it also due to the prophecy of that distinguished saintess?

It didn’t matter what it was, Sistus wouldn’t stop speaking.

“Don’t you understand? Your teacher-“
“Sistus. Shut up.”
“…What if I don’t want to?”

Sistus responded to Taragon’s words.

An icy silence.
The sound of a brief, broken heartbeat echoed. Sistus, clearly provoking him, gazed at Taragon with a challenging look.

“Just a moment-“

As the burning hostility filled the space in an instant, Canna’s voice rang out, concerned about a potential fight. The first to move was Sistus’s body.

-Bang!!!

The surrounding space cracked, and Sistus’s form vanished.
A shattered table. The light illuminating the area grew brighter.
After a fleeting moment, on the floor below, Sistus’s body lay gasping for air, badly injured.

“Ugh, cough…”

It was Sistus who had acted first.
Yet, when had that man made his move?

The king’s power, reverberating throughout the world, exerted immense pressure on those nearby.

“Ugh, ugh…”

In response to the smiling Sisyphus, the king’s envoy cried out.

【Kill her! Kill that wench quickly!】

Despite the excited shouts of the envoy, Lee Si-heon’s expression remained unchanging.

“Please wait, Your Majesty…!”

Canna’s mediation fell on deaf ears as both executives drew their weapons. Honeysuckle and Lotus, a male and female pair, charged at the king with all their might.

– Kwaang!

Before they could even let out a cry, the bodies of the two assailants were flung away from the king, moving at an almost imperceptible speed.

“…”

Canna, too, found herself at a loss for words in the face of such a spectacle. These executives, although not at their full strength, were among the most skilled individuals within the Flower organization, yet they were quickly subdued.

“…ugh.”

Blood trickled down from Sisyphus’s face as he lay buried on the floor.

“Sisyphus.”

Fingers burrowed into the cheekbones, splitting bones and muscles, eliciting a scream.

“Next time, it’ll be your entire body that’s buried.”

Her voice trembled heavily.

Cistus’s provocation merely served as a good pretext to exert force. It was necessary to display his prowess at least once. Taragon did not unsheathe his sword; he merely stepped back and observed the subdued officers. Freesia, biting into an apple, watched Cistus as though a fascinating spectacle had emerged.

“…Interesting.”

Subsequently, Cistus’s breath hitched.

Her face appeared relaxed, but the officers who had known her for a long time were well aware. For the first time, her unyielding spirit had been broken.