Chapter 443 – Declaration of War (5)

“If someone inquires about the cradle’s future! Lift your gaze and behold the Foundation Tower!”

Dudung Tak!

Mary, perched on the backrest of a park bench, crossed her arms confidently.

“This is the place where I was born and raised during my childhood. It did crumble once, but consider it a remodeling. Doesn’t it seem much more impressive now?”
“Yes!”
“Cool!”

The multitude of students who followed Mary clapped their hands in support, echoing her words.

To the students, Mary is akin to divine royalty.
All but two of them applauded as they gazed upon her, her halo shining brightly.
Mary, the World Tree in charge of Shiba as an individual and of the El Academy students as a group.

“So, the World Tree grew up there?”
“The birthplace of gods… Of course, it’s not possible, but I yearn to see it at least once. What is the Foundation like?”

A gaze brimming with envy and desire serves as excellent nourishment for the tree. Mary’s lips quiver, her nose seemingly soaring to the heavens, bolstered by the surrounding praise.

“Hehe~”

An involuntary hum escapes her. The sight of Mary’s childlike demeanor brings smiles to the faces of the cadets.

– So adorable…
– Is it wrong to think this way about the World Tree?

Mischief and elegance. Mary, embodying these two contradictory energies simultaneously, effortlessly captures the hearts of the cadets.

“Hey Mary! Please look over here!”

Mary, at the pinnacle of popularity. A student from another academy, having ventured outside, points their camera at Mary as she stands in the park.

Although the likes of Mokstagram and Mokwitter, and ordinary gods, do not reveal themselves due to their status, Mary is different.

“Huh? Oh, a proof shot? Cheese! Cheese!”

The widely-grinning photo of the World Tree has long circulated throughout various communities, stirring the hearts of countless fans.

Mary’s popularity soared with each passing day as the Forest Keeper Selection commenced.

Though the World Tree of Healing was also the subject of many conversations due to her humanization, she couldn’t withstand Mary’s aggressive marketing.

‘I’m so popular! Extremely.’

Mary wasn’t sure if causing such a commotion in the park was technically allowed, but what did it matter?

‘I’m popular and I’m here.’

Mary mumbled to herself.

‘I am.’

Unable to contain her excitement, she reveled in the praise from the trainees before her.

‘I’m divine.’

Mary’s eyes sparkled, and the branches sprouting from her head quivered uncontrollably, unable to conceal her emotions.

Her feet clearly longed to jump with glee. But since she was balancing atop the bench’s backrest, she couldn’t hop around as much as she desired.

“Yay!”

In any case, dreams do come true.

“…”

The two cadets observed the scene without reacting, then snickered.
One was Shiba, and the other was Shiba’s classmate.

“Quite the spectacle.”

Upon hearing the comment from her side, Shiba shifted her gaze from Mary to the girl. She had chestnut-colored short hair and a somewhat squirrel-like appearance.

They weren’t close friends.
Just a classmate she knew. When they were at the academy, the girl would always sit alone. Unlike Shiba, who was voluntarily solitary but still drew consistent attention from others, this girl was perpetually alone, like a crow perched beside a utility pole.

Perhaps her stare had been too obvious. The chestnut-haired girl shot Shiba a glance.

“What are you looking at?”
“Ah. Just… I suddenly heard some harsh words.”
“Oh, you heard that? I’m sorry.”

Compared to her thin yet coarse voice, her temperament didn’t seem as nasty. Alternatively, she might have a personality that became timid when facing others, like a cornered tigress.

The chestnut-hued girl apologized without hesitation, but her expression showed no signs of embarrassment. Her face had a certain cuteness to it. The intelligent appearance she exuded was probably due to her lack of expression.

“…Why do you keep staring? I already said I’m sorry.”
“Beep… Because you’re pretty?”
“Beep? You have a peculiar way of speaking.”

‘Beep’ was merely a noise she made while pondering what to say.

Nevertheless, it was true that her face was quite pretty. It was noticeable that her clothes were worn and tattered, but Shiba wasn’t particularly biased when it came to the disparity between the rich and the poor.

‘What is it?’

Shiba’s blue eyes scrutinized her.

For some unknown reason, her attention was drawn to the girl. Instead of feeling good about it, she felt somewhat uneasy.

‘Strange.’

She had hardly ever harbored dislike towards someone in her life. Throughout her existence, she had never experienced hating someone, wanting to deliberately distance herself, and so on. Her speech may be rough, but that was just her nature, and it couldn’t be helped.

If there’s one thing I can’t stand… it might be those who targeted my father. Truth be told, it’s been so long that I no longer think about the World Tree or any such beings, but my body naturally displays a sense of rejection.

Yes, that aversion.

Shiba could feel it from the girl before her.

“…Why, why do you keep staring?”

“Uh… well?”

“What?”

The girl, wearing a puzzled expression, blinked her eyes. Her face seemed to ask what on earth Shiba was talking about.

“So… are you saying you want to talk to me?”

“Ah, would you?”

Shiba slightly narrows the distance between them on the bench and approaches the girl. The dark-haired girl appeared slightly taken aback by Shiba’s approach, which resembled that of a high-school ringleader.

“Hey, friend~ What tint do you use?”

“Do you have any cotton pads?”

“Hey, just lend me a sharp.”

Though not related by blood, do mothers and daughters resemble each other? She isn’t Azalea’s daughter, but her attitude is strikingly similar.

Still, Shiba was not as conversationally challenged as Azalea had been in the past, so she broached the subject casually. It was a story about a father she had once heard.

As it happened, the location was a cradle.

“You know the hotel we’re staying at, next to this foundation, right?”
“Yes.”
“But for how long will you address me so formally?”
“…Actually, I’m a year younger.”

Shiba pointed towards the hotel as she spoke.

“It’s about the selection of the previous forest guardian, and it seems there was an attack there as well.”

A historical event marked by countless national trees betraying and the world’s division starting simultaneously. It must have been the most humiliating day for the World Tree.

“Well, it makes sense. Gukmok is a talent produced by the state to protect the World Tree. But when that talent betrayed, it must have been beyond words. You understand?”
“Yes, I understand.”

Shiba objectively recited the history she had learned during her academy days.

The repercussions of the incident at the time were too significant to be overlooked.

Browsing the TreeWiki on the internet, one could see the incident meticulously detailed, from its inception to its progression, and even the rescue of the trainees.

Countless testimonies from trainees and the substantiation of national affairs were recorded in the historical texts.

“What are you discussing?”

Before she knew it, Mary had dispersed the group of trainees and approached Shiba with her inquiry.

“Oh, I was talking about that particular incident.”

“Ah, that incident?”

It had been mentioned so frequently that it was now perfectly understood when referred to with a pronoun.

Mary giggled and struck ‘that’ pose – the one where she crossed her arms and feigned arrogance.

“If it’s about that incident, I have some more to share.”

“Oh, what is it?”

Shiba replied with interest to Mary’s words. Suddenly, the three of them were engaged in conversation, and a brown-haired girl was sweating profusely. Once Mary, the World Tree, opened her mouth, there was no escape; becoming a blasphemy in and of itself.

Aware of this, the girl’s shoulders tensed up considerably.

“The person who solved the case~”

Lee Si-heon.
When discussing that event, it’s impossible to overlook the savior of that time. In collaboration with the sages of the previous generation, he managed to reduce the number of casualties that would have actually occurred by nearly half.

Nowadays, after multiple distortions, mentions of Lee Si-heon have largely disappeared. However, back then, the media coverage was so explosive that he remained etched in everyone’s memory.

His talent and skills were exceptional, and he was undoubtedly one of the top young prodigies of his era. Yet, for some unknown reason, he ended up becoming a wicked man.

Some communities claimed it was because he had rebelled against the gods. Lee Si-heon, who was once seen as the antithesis of Jung Si-woo, the most renowned figure in Korea, ultimately fell from grace.

But Mary was unaware of this. The only thing she knew about Lee Si-heon was his involvement in that case, which made her extremely proud.

“Lee Si-heon.”

Kya~
At Mary’s words, spoken while she was drunkenly lost in her thoughts, the faces of Shiba and the chestnut-haired girl hardened.

A concealed truth, one that must not be exposed. As Lee Si-heon was not recorded in Shiba’s genealogy, she could not divulge this fact to the world. The instant it was revealed… she too would have to pay the price as a member of a heretic’s family.

Unable to call her father by that name!

As much as the words of Hong Gil-dong came to mind, Shiba loathed that reality with a passion.

‘Spare the words.’

Nevertheless, Mary seemed fairly positive about Lee Si-heon, so her mood wasn’t entirely soured. Just as the corners of her mouth started to curl upward, the girl doused her with cold water.

“The heretic, Lee Si-heon?”

The girl, who appeared somewhat timid yet spoke with a coarse edge, uttered her words with raw emotion.

“He’s dead, that person.”

Branded as a heretic,

“He died deservedly. For he had raised arms against the World Tree.”

This was a widely held belief, regarded as the orthodox view.

However, for some inexplicable reason, the girl’s words were hostile, sharp as arrows, and they pierced coldly into Shiba’s chest.

He died well.

“What? This bit-“

-ch.

After swallowing the words that almost burst out, Shiba tried to conceal her icy expression. Fortunately, the girl wasn’t looking at Shiba. For some reason, upon hearing the name Lee Si-heon, the girl seemed slightly excited.

And yet.

“…What?”

There was someone even worse at managing their facial expressions than Shiba.

-Blink.

Eyes unable to comprehend the situation. Mary, who had been staring blankly and blinking, gazed intently at the girl.

“Who said that?”
“Pardon?”

When you hear shocking words and don’t initially believe them to be true… Gradually, reality sets in.

Hasn’t everyone experienced a moment when they didn’t think about anything, only to be suddenly overwhelmed by intense sorrow?

Mary, who hadn’t yet grasped the situation, wore a bewildered expression.

“…Who died?”

Her large eyes trembled, anxiety seeping into them. Shiba, too, was taken aback by her demeanor. After all, she wasn’t aware of the driving force that had fueled Mary’s growth until now.

This was a stark contrast to her usual self-assuredness, brimming with determination.

“Uh… what? Really? This… Lee Si-heon…?”

Pale and covered in cold sweat, Mary muttered to them both. Neither Shiba nor the girl could provide an answer.

Growing more panicked, Mary lowered her head, her self-reassurance taking on a morbid tone.

“…Why?”

It had been three days since the attack on the cradle.

* * * * * * * * * *

Contrary to the initial plan, the operation was postponed by several days.

This was due to Wiki, who had assessed the security measures around the cradle up close, requesting additional time.

Although there was no urgency, the delay allowed for a more cautious approach, which I gladly accepted. After all, my hope was to minimize any collateral damage.

The seemingly lengthy three-day grace period passed.

Now, exactly 30 minutes remained before the assault.

“But, is this really necessary?” Gu-seul inquired.

We were in a relatively unmonitored area behind the building, farther from the cradle’s periphery. Gu-seul had utilized magic to eliminate any signs of our presence before posing the question.

– Thump, thump, thump.

The sound of flesh striking flesh echoed in succession. I felt a gentle warmth, wrapped in a delicate touch, on my lower body.

“What?”
“Why now, of all times?”
“It was so close that I couldn’t help it.”

Gu-seul continued to wave her hand, her expression a mix of disbelief and confusion. The slightly coarse texture of the material brushed against Gu-seul’s hand as she persisted.

“…Ugh, his lust is just too much. Sigh, sigh~!”
“You’re clearly showing your dislike.”
“What woman would actually enjoy providing sexual services?”

At times, he claimed it was his duty, but lately, he’s been complaining more frequently.

“Do you think I enjoy living like this?”
“Is that what you say to a woman who pleases you? Wow, you truly have the character of a despicable demon king.”

His words are especially hurtful today.

“I’m sorry I’m not the one you love~”

Thud, thud.
Perhaps it’s just her perception, but the force of her grip seems to have increased.

If she were a normal person, she might have exploded. Gritting her teeth, Gu-seul put pressure on her wrist, causing a white, viscous liquid to spurt out.

“I should throw these socks away. Surely there’s no king who would threaten to make someone wear them all day long? It’s impossible for such a Hye-woong to exist.”
“Your mouth is always the problem.”
“Hehe~ If not now, when else can I tease you? The king is most vulnerable when his lower region is exposed.”

She is truly beyond comprehension.

After hastily cleaning up with magic, I pulled up my pants and straightened myself out.
Though it’s unfair, there’s nothing I can do about it.

“So, what happens when sexual desire builds up?”

As Gu-seul asked with a mischievous expression, I let out a resigned laugh.

There’s a reason for this periodic maintenance.

“…I don’t want to think about it.”

Since I was born a human, I’d like to die as one too.

“Ah, I see.”

Gu-seul chuckled incredulously and spread her sticky hands, remarking,

“It seems you’ve already died as a human.”
“Chuckle.”

I responded.

“I know.”