Chapter 442 – Declaration of War (4)

“The first selection in three years is upon us. Do you truly believe those Flower fiends will not cause any trouble?”

Within the confines of the church.

“It’s possible they have their sights set on the World Tree of Growth.”
“No, we have spent three years preparing for this. The power of Flower has significantly waned, and the number of Sistus’s avatars has greatly diminished compared to before.”
“… What about the newly emerged king?”
“Would a king who has just consolidated power attack the cradle?”

Amid the swiftly exchanged opinions, Angelica, the representative of the World Tree, silently sifted through their conversations.

“… Sigh.”

A chilly sigh escaped her lips before long. The atmosphere grew cold enough for frost to settle on the table adorned with various intricate patterns.

“What, what is going on?”

Everyone began to watch her closely.

‘Justice,’ boasting the most formidable power among the various World Trees, had recently expanded its influence, amassing power beyond the Pope’s control. As the representative of such a World Tree, Angelica essentially served as the leader of the church’s military forces.

*Tap, tap.*

After tapping the desk a few times with his fingernails, Angelica reached a conclusion about the current situation.

‘The problem is significant.’

It was a challenging time. Following the demise of ‘Prosperity,’ one of the Five Great World Trees, the Church of the Treefolk faced unwelcome changes. Many priests and apostles began to clamor for the withered ideals of ‘Prosperity.’

‘A horizontal relationship between humans and trees… What a laughable notion.’

Due to the death of the tree once revered as a god, humans perceived the World Tree as a distant, divine entity. Some trees, such as ‘Prosperity,’ which had once been fond of humans, began advocating for equality.

The Pope’s authority dwindled with each passing day.

The cleansing aimed at the nobility three years ago had become a poison, tenaciously gripping the church’s foundation.

In a state that seemed on the verge of collapse to onlookers, Angelica led this faction.

“Speak the prophecy.”

Upon initiating the ritual, Angelica narrowed her eyes to scan her surroundings, then clenched her teeth.

There weren’t many ways to seize the people’s hearts in this situation.

If Flower interfered in this year’s Forest Keeper selection contest, the disciples of the Wooden Faith would be unable to escape their plight.

“Flower’s situation isn’t so good. If they come, the king will act.”

A smile spread across the bishop’s face, suggesting that they should prepare for the possibility of the king’s arrival.

“But how will you stop it?”

She rebuffed the bishop’s grin.

“Gauging the king’s power is difficult. If they have transcended boundaries with the crown’s strength… We have no choice but to seek the aid of the exalted World Tree.”

“…Isn’t it possible then? If it’s the World Tree, it will surely lend its power whenever needed.”
“Only if the opponent were just the king.”

The system Yoram possessed had become more impenetrable than before, making intrusion seemingly impossible. However, one rumor caught their attention. Angelica uttered the word ‘prophecy.’

“There’s a high probability that the sage, who has descended from his position, has formed a secret alliance with the king… The sage is dangerous.”

Merely by lending her power to the king, the influence of the Eighth Leaf had risen to a level that could not be ignored. The sage was an even more formidable opponent than the Heavenly Demon or perhaps even Mugung.

If the king’s unknown power were to be added to the mix… It would be impossible to confront them, even for the World Tree, unless it manifested its full strength.

“Should we give up or continue? Is planning for the future the better option?”

Angelica brought her hands together.

‘Somehow, I feel uneasy.’

They had witnessed the death of the Heavenly Demon, who once seemed as if he would rule the world, not once but twice.

Additionally, the blooming Mugunghwa withered before my eyes.

Yet still, the world continues to obstruct the path forward.

“Justice must be restored. Justice.”

Angelica murmured softly.
The apostles around her tensed and shrank back.

“…the greatest power. One must rise above all.”

Humans are flawed and malicious.
They kill and pillage from one another, and without the proper standard of law, they could become cruel at any moment.

The ‘World Tree of Justice’ provided the morality within and a framework for humans to maintain society.

To her, evil was a concept that had to perish.
Goodness had to be preserved.

Mugung was a repulsive snake that read the flow of society and sought only profit. Heavenly Demon was a concentrated embodiment of evil.
For Angelica, both were entities that needed to be eradicated from the world.

As for King Mokryeong, who emerged this time, he was nothing more than a fish that polluted her narrow stream.

【The World Tree of Justice commands.】

Angelica took a deep breath and opened her eyes. A pristine white landscape greeted her.

The sole method to vanquish the evil obstructing the path of the order.

“…A dreadful king requires a hero, as is the way of things.”

Confusion spread across the faces of the surrounding apostles at her words.

“Surely not…”
“Do you all know the tale of the hero?”

Angelica’s face paled as she addressed the apostle.

“It’s quaint and archaic… a heroic tale that might have been popular in the Middle Ages. But I enjoyed it.”

Since childhood, Angelica had been fond of the stories of heroes vanquishing demon lords.

The clear distinction between good and evil.
Justice is achieved, and light drives out darkness.

Angelica clenched and unclenched her hand. The cross in her grasp seemed to symbolize her faith.

She still couldn’t forget the feeling of superiority when she first judged evil, resisting countless oppressive hands, dragging her gambler parents’ heads on the floor.

A severed nerve in the spine. Dangling, dangling.
The lifeless bodies of villains, unable to make a sound.

An incongruous smile bloomed on Angelica’s face.

“…I abandon the preliminary contest. But in the near future, the king’s head shall fall.”
“But, my lord, if the king appears in the cradle and causes a flood….”

To the apostle’s question, she answered nonchalantly as if there was no issue.

Even if there is collateral damage, it’s merely part of the execution process.
If evil is vanquished, the soul can be soothed.

“What’s the problem?”

The fuel driving her was an obsession with an ambiguous sense of justice.
The notion ingrained in her childhood mind was also a form of madness.

Little by little, she was adapting to the changing world.

* * * * * * * * *

On the day of the declaration of war.

Having returned from Eden and joined the group early in the morning, I decided to start with a meal.

– Crunch.

Today’s menu is perfectly toasted bread.
It’s a very simple dish, consisting of bread toasted to a golden brown and topped with a fried egg and strawberry jam.

– Crunch.

Taking a bite of the bread with the egg and jam piled on top.

The sweet strawberry jam fills my mouth as chunks of egg assert themselves and roll in.
Savory yolk and slightly salty egg white.
The bread is also densely sprinkled with sugar, providing a much-needed energy boost on this hectic morning.

“Hmm…”

However…
I found myself staring blankly at Gu-seul, who was wearing an apron.

“Eat quickly. We need to get moving.”

Except for her emotionless face, Gu-seul looked like a beautiful maiden as she urged me on.

“However,”
“What else do you have to say?”

In the morning, people gathered around the dining table in small groups, picking up pieces of toast one by one. The food was undoubtedly delicious, but something seemed peculiar.

“Isn’t this atmosphere too friendly for a terrorist meal?”
“Why?”

Gu-seul placed an additional fried egg in front of me as she spoke.

“What’s the problem?”

It wasn’t really a problem, but the scene looked like a harmonious family gathering. As I gestured to the surroundings, Gu-seul’s eyes followed my movements.

“Hmm.”

The sleepy one, still not fully awake, was chewing on bread lazily. Wiki was sitting on my lap, happily munching on the bread I gave her. If I were to read the newspaper with gusto in this setting, wouldn’t it resemble the atmosphere of a family home straight out of a comic strip?

“What kind of food do terrorists eat then? Mala Xiangguo? Freshwater crayfish dishes?”
“…”

Having said that, I found myself at a loss for words.
In any case, filling one’s belly is necessary for accomplishing great tasks. I reluctantly stuffed the toast into my mouth.

Gu-seul observed me for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and sighing.

“You should’ve stopped with the lovemaking, you know.”
“…”

How could she know that?

At Gu-seul’s crude remark, Ebony’s eyes widened in surprise, jolting her awake.
Her toast fell to the floor with a thud.

“It would’ve been reasonable to ask you to hold back in the early morning. But since you didn’t say anything, I guess it’s not a big deal.”

She spoke to me as if she knew all about my lustful nature, and her “am I right?” attitude was incredibly irritating.

Was that really the topic for discussion right now?

“…There are children here.”
“So what? They already know all about that stuff.”

They certainly did not know everything.
Setting Ebony aside for a moment, our Wiki was truly precious.
She deserved nothing but love, and I couldn’t expose her to such vulgar conversation so soon.

“Do you understand?”
“Mhm.”

Guseul snorted in disbelief as she hugged Wiki.

“Our king is so innocent. A young lady who knows how to hack, wouldn’t she have some knowledge in that area?”
“You’re crossing the line.”
“Oh, is that so?”

Pretending to zip her mouth shut, Guseul took off her apron and hung it on the chair. Wiki, who had just woken up, took a small bite of the toast I was holding.

“Wiki, are you awake?”
“… Munch. Yes.”

The rabbit-like tooth marks on the toast made me smile for a moment. The meal was almost over, so I needed to sort things out.

“Once we’re done eating, we’ll check the plan again. Exceptions can happen at any time… Let’s proceed carefully. Wiki, you can do it, right?”
“I can do it well.”

It’s nice to see her confident. Wiki, who swallowed the toast, picked up a piece of paper that she had likely left at dawn yesterday, and showed it to me.

“I’ve made some adjustments to the route. We’ll do our best to avoid encountering those participating in the Forest Keeper Tournament.”

The Cradle had become more complex and fortress-like than it was three years ago. Structures such as hotels and basements from before were rebuilt on a grand scale, rivaling the foundation itself, so planning the route must not have been an easy task.

“Well done, my daughter.”

Wiki smiled as her head was patted.

‘It seems the preparations are complete.’

Attack the Cradle.

It’s easy to say, but it’s not a trivial task. Gu-seul’s playful and lighthearted nature was understandable in all aspects, but it was unexpected for young Wiki to be so poised.

The plan might proceed quite smoothly.

‘Although I was concerned about Ebony as well.’

It appears there are no issues.

I cautiously asked, looking at Ebony who was eating jam-covered bread once more.

“Dana.”
“…?”
“How is your condition?”

Ebony nodded gently. Though she didn’t say it out loud, it was a relief to see that she seemed to be alright. It was a situation that could potentially be life-threatening. I wondered if she would feel repulsed. I had thought so, but she had likely experienced far worse during her time as a slave.

Perhaps, she had grown up witnessing a reality even more sordid than my own or Gu-seul’s. Seeing her silently accept what I demand, which is far from delicate or refined, could it be true? The saying “a prepared talent” wasn’t empty words after all.

“Alright.”

*Clap.*

As I clapped my hands, I drew everyone’s attention and raised my voice.

“Let’s do this.”

This was just the beginning.