Chapter 461 – ATU (1)

A plan was necessary.

– Camellia, you alone must listen.

Ever since she learned the lady was one of the Four Great Demon Trees, Camellia’s mind had been inundated with thoughts.

‘What must I do?’

How could she protect the lady?

There were limited options in the face of such dire circumstances. It had become even more restricted since they were overpowered by the king.

‘Should I surrender and inform the World Tree?’

It would be too late. Even if help were to arrive, the king’s aim on the lady would come first.

‘An assassination?’

The power disparity was too vast to consider it.

‘Seeking help from mercenaries or other guilds?’

It was not only impossible but also, there wasn’t enough money to spare. Their domain was currently facing a financial crisis due to war, and there were very few people who could be counted as a force.

‘Most importantly, there’s no one capable of overthrowing that man.’

Bring Mugung. That wasn’t an empty boast. He was in recovery and not in a state fit for combat. So, who else could they bring?

The World Tree? A Flower executive?

‘…No. Even if they decide to help-’

The movements of that man on that day flashed through her mind.

-Poof!

The disappearance of a person right before her eyes,

-Thud!

A dominating power and speed without the need for magic.

-Creak!

And, the technique that twisted the magic circuit within the body into a chaotic mess.

Camellia’s hand instinctively moved towards her ribcage. Since that day, she had occasionally felt this phantom pain.

“Again….”

-Crack!

The quill she held in her hand snapped. The pain, piercing through even a layer of cloth, was relentless.

‘Damn it.’

In her office, once occupied by the head of the house, Camellia was in deep agony.

【Listen to me】

The sound echoed in her ears, a tightening fear. An intangible pressure that shook her mind as if gently scratching at her heart with fingernails.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

‘I must flee. But…’

Without thinking, she found herself pondering this.

‘…To where?’

She eventually succumbed to despair.

The opponent was a king. King Mokryeong, who in the past had slain countless gods and gained control of the world. Such a vile being was born with the ruthless force Flower at his back. There were rumors of an independent power separated from Flower, but what if they weren’t just rumors?

‘Even if we put that aside, it’s over.’

The king was already at their doorstep.

Perhaps, before the lady became a slave, with her own hands….

-Slam!

‘What in the blazes are you thinking, Camellia? You should be considering how to save her.’

Camellia was tormented.

‘…Should we reveal our cards to the Tree Knights? No. If a sudden influx of personnel occurs, we risk being exposed.’

Bam had pondered it all night. But still…

‘Decoying the day when the lady visits the fortress? That won’t work either… The king’s capabilities are unknown.’

No matter how much she racked her brain, hope was nowhere to be found.

Camellia, wrapping her head in her hands, trembled pathologically. The man’s face wouldn’t fade from her sight.

【Listen to me.】

Eyes hollow and inscrutable, their depths impenetrable.

‘…It was not magic. Nor a divine power.’

It was inexpressible. If it had been possible, he wouldn’t have been called a king. Even if the manner he displayed when with the raven-haired woman seemed ludicrous, even if that was his true nature.

Camellia knew.

A fragment of the king undeniably resided within that man.

-…Hello?

Thump.

Her vision quivered as if the world itself was transforming.

‘What was I contemplating just now?’

Camellia’s gaze silently drifted to her side. A familiar voice resonated from outside. Not someone who has recently been close with the lady, and considering the tone, not the Japanese woman either. Nor was it the unassertive girl with chestnut hair.

‘Then, it must be the National Tree.’

Kim Soo-yeon, Korea’s National Tree. Within the state of California, she was stronger than anyone, save for the king.

Camellia rose from her place, inadvertently approaching the door. As the faint voice grew louder, she could clearly discern it.

-The World Tree’s decree…is it?

A decree?

-Has it been properly confirmed? Ah…just before. Yes, yes.

Kim Soo-yeon’s voice hastened into darkness.

-…Regardless.

The World Tree’s decree, her tone teetering on the edge of caution. Every word seemed to bear a negative undertone, causing Camellia to squeeze her eyes shut.

Among the World Tree’s possible moves. The most extreme yet certain one. But to attempt it, control over the media was necessary.

‘The king might have prepared, but…’

If it materializes, this Descanso Garden would be doomed.

Camellia closed her eyes. She might need to brace herself, she thought, a thought she should never entertain.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

“So, how did you manage your sexual desires all this time?”
“Did whatever I could, to the best of my ability.”
“Wow, your words lack conviction.”

At the parched response, Gu-seul stuck out her tongue, suddenly plopping down on the bed.

“I’ve scoured the entire area. There are certain rumors circulating.”
“…….”

“Rumors abound of a handsome nobleman skilled in nocturnal affairs who occasionally graces the hotel. These whispers circulate among a select group of female aristocrats,” someone said.
“Is that so?”

“But upon reflection…”

-Thud.

As she sat, her body slowly leaned over until Gu-seul’s head softly collided with my abdomen. Gu-seul turned her head, our eyes meeting in a perfect alignment.

“Huh?”

Her lips curled into a slow grin, her hand, which had been tapping away at her mobile device, froze.

“…You’re here?”

Nonsense.

-Smack!

“Ah!”

When I applied force to my abdomen, Gu-seul rebounded, hitting the ceiling before collapsing onto the floor. From her prone position, she began to rise, the grin lingering on her face with no sign of fading.

“Missed me a lot, didn’t you? Admit it.”

“I indeed was quite exhausted without you around.”

“So you admit it?”

Despite hearing the news, she showed no signs of being hurt, rather she seemed determined.

-Creak.

Just as the door swung open, Ebony, who had just finished her shower, opened her eyes wide in surprise. Gu-seul swiftly turned her head and greeted her with a bright smile.

“Hmm?”

“Has Ebony arrived?”

“Oh… Sister?”

Pause.

“Hey, Ebony.”

“Yes?”

“Why do you address me as ‘sir’ and her as ‘sister?'”

There’s barely any age difference between Gu-seul and me. My aged appearance is merely a facade, an illusion of middle age.

“Stop being petty. Is that how a king should behave? Does a master desire to be addressed as ‘brother’ by his pupil?”

Before I realized, Gu-seul had approached Ebony, enveloping her in a tight hug while shouting these words. Ebony, stiff in Gu-seul’s embrace, looked at me apologetically.

“Also, Your Majesty, the original has aged a bit. It’s due to the countless times spent rolling in the dungeons, and the mind being not quite as sharp.”

“Because it’s not as sharp?”

“There’s no choice but to prune… Why are you standing up?”

As the criticism grew increasingly harsh, I closed the medicine bottle I’d been consuming and rose from my seat. At that, Gu-seul’s face hardened ever so slightly.

“You’re whipping up a storm.”

“Huh? Ah…”

Gu-seul pushed Ebony in front of her, subtly retreating.

“What I mean to say is, if you receive some massage-“

Ahead.

“Your appearance won’t befit hearing ‘brother’ – Ah!”

Five fingers that brushed past Ebony’s head swiftly gripped Gu-seul’s face. Gu-seul was pulled towards me in an instant.

-Bang!

“Ouch!”

She slipped onto the floor in a comical pose seen only in cartoons.

“Ebony.”

“…Yes, yes.”

“Go into the small room for a while. Feel free to sleep there.”

“Yes!”

As the perceptive Ebony disappeared, I lifted my hand. Gu-seul, still on the floor, trembled, unable to rise.

“…Your Majesty, was I too harsh?”

-Silence.

“Listen, isn’t it time to be serious? The conquest of the Four Great Demon Trees is imminent.”

“Yes, indeed.”

I wonder, who shattered the mood?

-Ssskreeech.

The riding suit Gu-seul had been wearing was stripped off her, like the peel of a tangerine in the dead of winter.

“…What’s the hour count for today?”
“That depends on your actions.”
“Damn.”

Resigned, Gu-seul opened her mouth. Her neat and pristine white teeth sparkled as they caught the light from the lamp.

“Uh, uh!”

* * * * * * * * * * *

“The preparations are nearly complete.”
“So, we just need to finish it off? But why is Prajna still like that?”

The subjects of ATU and special agents had gathered in one place to warm up. In response to Bell’s question, A.B, who was quiet, shrugged his shoulders.

“She said she’s taking a moment to divine.”

That ‘ritual’, now all too familiar to the agents of ATU. Prajna’s power to foresee her future was far stronger than those of the World Tree or the Flower.

-Woooom!

Then came the rise of ominous power. The magic commonly referred to as sorcery was distinct from the usual magical power.

A power that was entirely off-character, only a handful, including Prajna, in this world could wield.

“Looking at its origin, what was it called… Elf?”
“Elf Seer.”

The Elves, a mysterious entity that underpinned the ancient humans. Descended from the seers, they split into sorcerers in the East, and now they were associated with sorcery.

It was unclear why, but the World Tree’s attempt to suppress this power was said to be the cause of Prajna’s betrayal. No one knew the finer details.

“Why did a power, an entity formed between the World Tree and the primeval humans, come this far?”
“Well, we benefited from it, didn’t we? It’s why our power has grown so much.”

Most of the ATU agents were based on S-Class Hunters from three years ago. And thanks to the recent surge in dungeons and towers, they’ve gained much more power than before. Even the special team alone could suppress a decent army of the World Tree.

-Woom!

The resonance of the magical power continued to echo. Question marks appeared on the faces of the agents.

“…It’s difficult.”

Prajna, who had been sitting, murmured.

“Everyone, please leave.”
“Yes, yes.”

The agents, Bell, and A.B sequentially exited. In the now-empty preparation room, Prajna concentrated even more on her magical power, gathering strength into her eyes.

“…Why. Can’t I see?”

As her forehead gradually opened, a blue light emanated, and her body became translucent.

The third eye, often referred to as the semi-transcendental state in the religion that the elves established. Prajna, in a state quite similar to a spirit, disrobed and assumed her natural form.

“…Eugh.”

Still unable to see clearly, Prajna rose abruptly.

-Bang!

“Where is she going?”
“Put on your clothes and go!”

In naught but gossamer undergarments and a brassiere, Prajna ventured from her quarters, making her way to her own sacred space. The disconcerted agents could not help but stare at her exposed form, yet Prajna was undaunted in her exposure.

‘Strange,’ she pondered.

A sense of foreboding loomed.

-Thud, thud-

Upon entering her space, Prajna quickly readied the ritual site. Before a towering stone effigy, she placed a crimson dish large enough for a person to sit. Lighting candles on either side, she disrobed and fell to her knees.

-Pat, pat, pat!-

Prajna scattered the white powder before her across her body.

-Swishhhhh-

Water dripped in the surrounding area, a rivulet meandering down the center, thoroughly drenching Prajna’s head.

‘Surely not… It can’t be,’ she thought, her third eye opening in trepidation, revealing a hazy world before her.

Ancient language emerged.

Though the information was quite limited, Prajna was adept at deciphering it.

-Ooommm-

The candles extinguished, darkness encroached. With eyes closed, Prajna shivered, bearing witness to the vision she’d seen.

‘This is… bad.’

She felt a pressing need to reduce their numbers.

* * * * * * * * *

It was now time for the Flower and the World Tree to make their move.

I spooned the white rice into my mouth, chewing it as is. Despite the available buffet below, I had habitually prepared a meal of rice.

‘Am I not taking medication?’ I pondered.

Despite my moment of doubt, I wasn’t averse to the idea, having recently craved Korean cuisine. I decided to savor the meal.

“….”

“Why Ebony?” I asked.

“She thought… you might not eat,” I explained, pointing to Gu-seul.

I turned my head, pointing to the figure sprawled on the couch. Dressed in dolphin shorts and a light t-shirt, Gu-seul raised her hand and waved it frantically.

“Ebony, I’m not hungry,” she protested.

“Did you not eat… anything?” I asked.

“I ate plenty while getting ready. But you’re the only one who can lift me.”

It was true; I had eaten quite a bit. My upper abdomen was slightly distended.

“Lee Si-heon, don’t you have anything to say?”

“???”

Ebony tilted her head, apparently confused.

“Wow… Look how calm you are, that burn.”

Ignoring Gu-seul’s resentful gaze, I brought a spoonful of rice to my mouth.