Chapter 515 – A Test of Resolve (5)

“No problem.”

The Queen spoke without any change in her expression.

“A.B?”

A.B replied.

“Yes.”

Without hesitation, he drew a dagger from his waistband, as if to show that it was a genuine blade. A.B flipped the glinting sword to display its sharp edge and then swiftly pierced his own heart without any second thoughts.

“…Is this enough?”

With a muffled thud, the blood flowing from the knife in his chest soaked the floor. A trickle of blood also flowed back between his lips. He twisted the handle of the dagger 90 degrees, causing his bones to break and black blood to pour out like a waterfall.

Kneeling down, A.B closed his eyes and bowed his head, as though saying a final goodbye to the Queen.

“Ever since I first laid eyes on you, I have longed for you. It is an honor to die with the vision of your true self before me.”

A.B poured out his true emotions, hesitating and rambling.

When he had met her after falling through a dimensional rift in his childhood. When he had struggled through her difficult orders after becoming her loyal servant. When he had betrayed his friends and chosen to live a life solely for his queen, and so forth.

The grand epic was quite a tale, even for me who was merely listening. But…

“Your Majesty…”

“I will always remember your loyalty, my child.”

Unlike A.B, who revealed all his desperate feelings as he faced death, there was no emotion in the queen’s voice. As cold as cutting off a relationship with a single stroke in the social world, she did not give A.B any warm glances.

I casually asked the queen, with my right foot resting on my left thigh.

“He says he loves you?”

“Is that an odd question? It’s only natural that the child I raised loves me. He would die for me as well. Is that strange?”

“No, it’s not that. It means something else.”

“Well, there’s no need to discuss this any further. I have something I’d like to address. May I do so?”

It’s laughable to think this is the end of a global mastermind.
I averted my gaze from A.B. The Queen’s expression was refreshing.

“First and foremost, my child… A.B cannot die now.”

?

“Huh?”

I asked, Lerad laughed, and A.B with his blurry eyes raised his head, inquiring what she meant.
A.B’s contorted face looked exceedingly pitiful.

“To seize and sway the power of the ATU, this child’s existence is necessary.”

The story doesn’t seem to add up.
I pointed at A.B, who was collapsing and dying, and the Queen answered my question with a fierce, sardonic smile.

“That’s merely an expression of loyalty.”

The Queen’s hand was imbued with magic, which she directed at A.B.
New flesh sprouted in the area of his pierced chest, but A.B, who had lost too much blood, fell unconscious on the spot.

[“What an idiot.”]

Lerard mocked A.B., tapping his foot with her diminutive one, and he was unable to resist.

I glanced at the queen with a disbelieving smile.

Clearly, the queen saw A.B. as nothing more than a convenient pawn. Her expression remained serene, as if she were playing a game of chess.

“Instead, I shall provide you with valuable information that might prove helpful.”

In exchange for A.B.’s life. The queen wore a smile.

“The World Tree of Resentment.”
“…”
“The location of that woman.”

Upon uttering her name, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh in the queen’s presence. This is why I detest these manipulative types.

These individuals knew countless pieces of information I was unaware of and exploited them for their own gain. While it was comforting to know that I, who had been ignorant, was drawing closer to the truth, I still disliked the fact that someone continued to hold power over me.

“Is it appropriate to sell a Great World Tree in this manner?”
“Same? They’re different – in class, honor, and value.”

The queen, her arms folded, nodded confidently.

“From head to toe, their existence is on a different plane. I’m the one selling, so what could that mother and daughter possibly do?”
“…Huh.”

One thing was clear, the queen’s heart was filled with a great deal of vanity.

“King Mokryeong. You and I stand at different heights, unlike the common rabble. It’s a matter of class. If we’re royalty, those beneath us are base. The Five Great World Trees? They’re nothing but trifles.”
“Does that include me?”
“Of course. We possess crowns. Though it seems you’ve temporarily set yours aside due to a trial.”
“…”

The crown above her head resonated.

“How long will we allow these base beings to rule the world?”

I laughed.

“Among those base beings you mention, there was a version of me not too long ago.”

“It was. That’s why it piques my interest. How did someone so lowly manage to come this far?”

Quite blunt indeed.
Is this their true nature, contrasting with the refined manner of speech when we first met? They’re more arrogant and condescending than the average noble.

“And I acknowledged it. You are worthy of owning the crown. What do you think? Shall we join forces?”
“Well…”

I dragged out my response.
Furrowing my brow as if deep in thought, I tapped the table with my fingernails.

– Tap, tap.

In the current situation, with no shortage of difficulties, receiving her assistance—on par with or surpassing the Five Great World Trees—would be a significant advantage for our faction. I had learned who was at the very top of those self-proclaimed gods, and after overcoming the status window, I also knew what schemes the inactive World Tree of Resentment had in store.

What must I choose?
Do I join forces and easily obtain something,
Or continue to face the dangers on my own?

*Thud.*

The tapping of my fingers on the table came to a halt. The queen’s expression was brimming with triumph, as if she were certain I would accept her proposal unconditionally. A captivating smile played at the corners of her mouth, as if urging me to speak.

“Hmm.”

The World Tree of Resentment, the being that had dragged me into this world and ensnared my life with a deceptively attractive system called the status window. If she was scheming something else, it would be wise to hear that information.

I responded.

“I think I’ll need some time to consider it.”

“Excuse me?”

For the first time, the queen’s face contorted. Perhaps her patience wasn’t as strong as I thought; her eyebrows slanted, and her eyes’ gleeful glint cracked.

“I said we would join forces as equals, didn’t I?”

“Well…yes.”

“But something is lacking.”

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”

The moment two powers join hands, the thing to be most wary of transforms from enemies to allies.

This woman knows more than I do.
She appears to be hiding something, and she seems greedy.
There is a possibility that my power could be manipulated by this woman’s desires.

“We must stand on equal ground, as you said.”

I adjusted my expression and asked her.

“Firstly, the crown.”

My hand gestured towards her crown.

“Its shape is slightly different, but we need to know its true nature. How does it relate to the royal power I possess, and what power does your crown hold?”
“Do you truly need to know that?”
“It’s clearly dangerous, just by looking at it.”

The World Tree of Growth, Cotton, also had a similar crown.
That crown resonated with mine, creating a significant reverberation.
I relayed this story to the queen.

The crown this queen possesses holds greater power than Cotton’s.
If I had a crown, the resonance would have created quite a cacophony in my head.

“Is that a conjecture?”
“Certainty.”

The moment the Queen summoned me was impeccably timed.

She had attempted to establish a connection with me during a period when I was without a crown. It was apparent to anyone that she was trying to conceal any resonance with the crown.

“…”

The Queen narrowed her eyes, remaining silent.

“The first thing is to make that clear. If our crowns are misaligned and we must become adversaries in the future, wouldn’t it be equitable for us to be aware of this?” I questioned.
“So there’s a first… which implies there is more,” she responded.
“Indeed, there is much more. You can see it for yourself.”

It was blatantly obvious that she intended to use me. It was necessary to close the dark window between us.

“Alliances exist so that we may mutually benefit from one another,” she stated.
“Exactly. If you were to interact solely through me, A.B, leaving no trace of your presence in reality, you would greatly require words to fulfill your ambitions. That’s where I come in. Am I wrong? If we both have desires to fulfill, we must lay all our cards on the table.”

The second matter involved the King of the World Tree.

“And how is it that you know this?” she inquired.

Information unattained in over three years.
Why does this individual know about the existence of tree deities in a society that venerates the Five Great World Trees as the supreme gods?

Another question arises.

“Who are you?”

The queen, Melia.
She grinned ferociously, curling her fingers.

“You’re quite audacious.”

Her nose twitched. With her long nails, she prodded her palm, yet the queen’s eyes remained fixed on me.

“…Perhaps you didn’t become the possessor of the crown for nothing. However, is there any guarantee that you won’t be manipulated by me simply because you know this?”

A counter-question was posed—revealing the queen’s hidden thoughts.
The reason I inquired about such sensitive matters was not only because I needed the knowledge but also to convey my disdain for her.

Up until now, the equal footing that had been consistently maintained.

To achieve this, we must engage in a drawn-out battle of wits.
The moment we become entangled in the conversation, even slightly, we will be swallowed up.
I held my breath and offered a smile akin to the Queen’s.

“Ah.”

Just look at that.
I have just peeled away one layer of the mask.

“Have you already been swayed?”

The Queen couldn’t suppress her laughter.

“Presumptuous.”

The terse words she spat at me were harsh, but her gaze was notably different from before.

As if reconsidering her evaluation of me.
Intense heat and desire emanated from her eyes.

* * * * * * * * * * *

The day I returned to our faction after the initial face-to-face encounter with the Queen.

The Queen pondered my proposal quite positively, and we agreed to part ways temporarily to mull over our thoughts.

[Arrogant, truly arrogant. So… what will you do if you know the World Tree of Resentment?]

Curiously, as her antipathy toward me grew, so did her interest. Once we became candid, we spoke openly with each other.

She was more cruel and greedier than I had anticipated.

– Kwajik!

Returning like this, what will transpire this time?

“An intruder!”

In King Mokryeong’s territory, where no one could easily trespass, someone was wreaking havoc.

– Tang Taang!

I could hear Gu-seul’s gunshots from here. Sensing the lingering magic, I clicked my tongue while watching the fleeing residents.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty has arrived!”
“What is happening?”
“I… I don’t know. A blue knight suddenly appeared!”

A blue knight?

My lips quivered at the immediate mental image of the heavy armor.

“No way… Just calm down for now. We’ll sort this out quickly.”

Tang, Taang. The gunshots intensified. As I extended my magic to discern the identity, the figures were soon revealed.

Two women were entwined, wielding swords and guns against each other. Naturally, the one using the gun was Gu-seul, and it was admirable to see her fiercely fighting to protect this territory. What mattered most was the face of the intruder.

‘…A puppy.’

A bright yellow golden retriever clad in armor. Our family’s go player, who seemed utterly pitiable, was on the verge of being overpowered, unable to make even the slightest sound under the crushing magical force of the large dog.

Cornus.

And she had barged in.