Chapter 719 – A Tree That Has Suffered Damage

-Jump, jerk.

A long, long road home.
The horrible smell of grass still won’t leave my nose.

The morning dew had fallen, making it strangely humid, and the floor was muddy with mud.
It was quite an unpleasant experience for the first day of expedition, but there was no one who could complain.

‘It’s not that far to begin with.’

If you go a little further, you will arrive at a passage that cannot be compared to the ascetic path you have experienced so far.
I reached the first floor in an instant without encountering any monsters.
Since I was moving in a group rather than alone, I was able to ease my worries quite a bit.

“Your majesty.”
“Why are you doing this, commander?”

Dieffenbachia, who had narrowed the distance slightly, spoke to me.

“If you go a little further straight from here, you will reach a plain, but I calculated the time. Considering the morale of the soldiers, it seems like a good idea to rest there.”

A deliberately intelligent voice. It was a way of speaking that reminded me of someone from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
I asked in a playful, somewhat surprised voice.

“As expected, the corps commander. “You are my dragon.”
“… You are welcome. “Can you say it’s a dragon?”
“Miss Zhuge. “It’s another name for her that praises her.”
“Come on… !”

Dieffenbachia, repeating Zhuge Liang’s call, shrugged excitedly.

“Then I am Your Majesty’s irreplaceable dragon, right?”
“… “Yeah, yeah.”

Come on… Come on!
It was nice to see him nodding his head as he seemed very proud.

But on the other hand, there are also concerns.
Even if I catch the wind, isn’t that too much?
Dieffenbachia has changed really quickly since I met him. Recently, rumors have been going around that his impression has improved among the soldiers.

“… ♬”

Three Kingdoms.
Now it’s all over again.

From the moment I started talking about Zhuge Yang, Diefenbachia started to call himself smart.
It gives a strange strength to the voice. Just like educating children, I try to teach them from one to ten.
It’s the exact opposite of part-time work, which most people don’t want to tell about.

‘He’s competent, smart, and cute, so he looks good in the eyes of those who see him… ‘Wouldn’t I be upset if I met a part-timer?’

As long as there is something to aim for. He is the type of person who gets jealous when he sees talent above him.

I cleared my throat and spoke to Diefenbachia.

“Walong.”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”

Now I know Waryong by my first name.
Look how long it’s been since I told you.

Let’s stare at it like it’s absurd. Dieffenbachia turned her head glumly.

“Even if Da-jeong died soon, she wouldn’t admit it. “Is Waryong good?”
“…”

Da-jeong doesn’t like it.
I would rather have a soldier behind me and have that name called only at night. If I were to argue with you, you would talk nonsense and slur your words.

I sighed and continued walking down the street.
Dieffenbachia turned his head, glanced at me, and rubbed his iron-padded lower abdomen, as was his habit.

A plain that soon appeared.
It wasn’t long before lunch, but we made a campsite to have an early meal.

As Taeyang, the corps commander, and I sat together in one place and ate our packed lunches, conversation flowed naturally.

“Your majesty. “What kind of people serve you under the tower?”

A story under the tower that must be told soon.
Only now that I no longer have to worry about betrayal can I speak with confidence.

The moment I was carefully trying to set the mood. Taeyang giggled and opened the first door to chat.

“Tsk tsk tsk. Rather than serving you, they are people who rip you off.”
“…”

Instead of instigating and fabricating, they criticize me with shameless facts.

“… Overpriced? Your Majesty? “What disloyalty!!”
“Dajeong, don’t be angry. “I don’t know what your brother told you, but it’s all lies – kekekeut!”

The lunch box lid flew off and hit the sun in the face.
The sun went behind and sank.

“I told you not to call me that.”

Da-jeong, with a straight face, looks like she is truly angry and glares at Tae-yang with the intent to kill him.

I put my hand up to calm them both down. I smiled bitterly and sighed again.

“… “Taeyang is not wrong.”
“…”
“I don’t know how the first king created the kingdom. We still… “It’s almost family.”

Not only is she not married, but almost everyone treats her as a wife.
Except for a few cases like the World Tree of Growth and Mary, these are all women who passed through my hands as their first relationship.

If the number increases a little more, the number will reach a whopping twenty.
It was cool after this war ended.

“… “S-you mean twenty?”
“It’s not there yet.”

Dajeong’s face turned pale as she was eating the bread she baked this morning.

“This. There is nothing strange. The previous king also had a wife of eight… “It is said that if you add the concubine room, it will be over a hundred units.”

I wonder how it would be compared to the first King Mokryeong.
Even for Diefenbachia, whose values ​​are far removed from modern times, a harem of more than ten people seems abnormal.

“It’s still okay if you hear it, right?”

When she turned her head, Dieffenbachia, who was clutching her lower abdomen, was startled and shook her head.

“Ah. No. There’s nothing strange. It’s not because of your majesty, but many of my soldiers have multiple spouses. The maximum is about fifteen…”
“Then why are you surprised?”
“…”

The corps commander did not speak.
At that moment, the sun rose brightly and spoke as he held his numb forehead.

“Oh brother, you didn’t notice that again… Didn’t he look at the estimate to see if there was room for him? “Oh my gosh!”

-Kang!

Taeyang was lying down after being hit not only by the lunch box lid but also the lunch box cylinder.

“… “Forget what the idiot said.”
“Dajeong. No matter what, I won’t call you by my name. “He ate a little more than you.”
“Well, more than that. Then… “Do you have any children, Your Majesty?”

There are two.
Shiva and Wiki that won’t hurt even if you put them in your eyes.

“There are only two, two… ?”
“What do you mean outside?”

If there are more than this, there won’t be any left on the back.
It’s not that I don’t have plans for children afterward, but shouldn’t I settle all the issues before having children?

“Two… “His Majesty’s daughter is Duul.”

Dajeong stroked her lower abdomen again, as if her stomach was hurting today.

“… Oh, no. What kind of person is His Majesty’s lover? And what kind of enemies we will be dealing with.”

Listen carefully and convey it well to your soldiers.
Because these were things that needed to be fully explained before a fight.

“Hmm.”

He was thirsty and looked at his water bottle, which was empty.
Da-jeong quickly holds out the water she was drinking.

I used to drink it, but what is it? When I take the water and drink it, the slight smell of honey is amazing.
After wetting her throat, I started talking to her.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Less than a day has passed since Lee Si-heon left to retrieve the crown.

“Beep, beep, beep~”

Shiva, wearing a small piece of the shirt Lee Si-heon usually wore and wearing it like a cape, ran around the hallway like Superman.

-Green, green!

Four flower pots chasing Shiva.
The name tags of the flower pots that followed Shiva were written with the names ‘Suho,’ ‘Zia,’ ‘Wendy,’ and ‘Leor,’ respectively.

Talented children raised by the world tree of growth.
While she was asleep after burning the internet cafe all night, Shiva became the children’s alley leader and led the sprouts.

-Pee, pee!
-Tar bowl, tar bowl.

Suho and Leor fuss and block Shiva’s path.
The cloaked Shiva’s eyebrows rose as if he saw something unpleasant. She then took her stance and spread her fists in front of her.

“Beep. “Heavenly Demon God Technique, my best brother, Baekdo!”

When she scatters the flower petal-shaped piece of cloth she had in her pocket, a small amount of magical energy bursts out of Shiva’s grasp and swirls around.

Gia and Wendy are kicking flower pots and making noise as if cheering.

-Purrrr?!
-Taaaaat!

Suho and Leor were as if they had been hit by a divine attack from the Heavenly Demon. The cotyledons tilted and fell to the floor.
Shiva lightly stepped on a flower pot and struck a glorious pose.

“Beep!”

Shiva, 23rd victory.

-Clap clap clap clap!

Gia and Wendy’s applause marks her victory.

The Cheonma Hero game that has recently become popular among Shiba’s alley friends.
It was designed by Shiva, who recalled Lee Si-heon’s movements while practicing alone in her room during her academy days.

“Beep! Line!”

At Shiva’s gathering, the fallen flower pots rose up at once and stood in a line.

“Beep. What to play next… , Hmmm. “A school tournament?”

The biography of Lee Si-heon, who was struggling at the Academy.

“Suho and Jia are here, here! And the other kids…”

Like a famous movie director, the roles are assigned, and the sprouts, moving in perfect order, follow Shiva’s orders.

A fast-paced filming scene in the King’s Corridor.
Shiva’s sharp eyes hit the sprouts’ butts.

And a woman watching the scene.

-Squeak.

“Phew hee. “Is it a children’s movie?”

Gusu, who had been watching Shivane for the past two hours, stretched her legs and approached Shiva.

She always wears the same house clothes.
Sweat drips down her belly button as her clothes expose her stomach.

She is a familiar person to Shiba, who has been here several times and has been by her father’s side.
Above all, it was a smell she had smelled several times at the Academy.

“Kkuseul?”
“Yep! Beads. Pheehee~ What were you doing?”

When the squatting bead reached out her hand to stroke her head, Shiva darted back.

“Beep!”

No hair!
The twitching tree branch tilts like a stag beetle.

“Oh why~ just once.”
“Beep! Eye patch! “Only you can pet it!”

Only dad and mom are allowed to stroke the cotyledons that have been planted since childhood.

To a sprout, the cotyledon is the top of Shiva’s head.
Gusul chuckled as she saw Shiva’s unwavering love for her father.

“Um, really?”

Nod. At Shiva’s urging, Gusu put her index finger on her cheek and pretended to be worried, and then she looked at the sprouts in the flower pot.

“Then, join me too.”
“Beep?”
“It looked like fun?”

Anyway, there is no Lee Si-heon. Gusul’s current job wasn’t that big of a deal.
At best, if a subversive force is discovered, deal with it directly and report it?

“Beep… “You’re an adult.”
“Hey. Basically, adults are more like children. “Adults fight over trivial things and are childish.”
“Beep. Lie.”
“Really. If you look at it, war is the same.”

I’m angry because they are treated better.
Why should we be discriminated against?

It’s a big deal, it’s a big deal, but if you boil it down, the contents are like this.
The war was similar.

I wonder if those guys are better off than me. We want to live better.

“I want to be the best… Wanting to gain the king’s trust? “We fight over things like this.”
“…”

So does that greedy old man.
The desire to make the greatest contribution.

I will save the king and gain his favor. So much happens with that simple goal.

It’s all the same.
King Mokyeongdo. World capital. Engahero too…

‘And your dad too.’

I don’t know what it is like now. Because my hope was to live in peace.
Shiva would not have known how many things had been done for that reason, let alone that it could not be helped, or whether it was good or evil.

And those things may look rather bad to Shiva.

“Don’t suffer and grow up.”
“Beep?”

The corners of her beaded mouth formed a straight line. It becomes a cold expression.

An inorganic face with no ego and no sense of value in anything.
Shiva couldn’t even realize what had happened in a split second.

The returning beads smiled like a puppy again.

“Phew hee. “Isn’t this a really exciting story?”

Shiva frowned as if he was not in control. After raising her bead on her finger, she coaxed Shiva for good.

“If you join me, I can tell you about your dad.”
“Bah!? “I’ll hug you!”

For Shiba, dad is a special medicine.

Surprisingly, the role of the marble that was forced to participate in the game was the same marble.

A tournament has just been held. When the two face off.

‘At that time, I just harassed her with her pistol and then surrendered.’

Memories grow again and again.
Who knew back then that things would end up like this with Lee Si-heon?

“Beep!”
“Kaaaaah!!!”

A bead falls from Shiva’s fist.
The beads fell on her floor, becoming dusty and rolling all over her.

‘Well, it will be like this.’

Would screenwriter Siva include a scene where Lee Si-heon is pushed?
Clean pot! And a billion!

For a long time, Shiba and Rice were lying on the floor in an exhausted state.

As time passed, the children disappeared and the hallway became quiet.
The sunset sets outside the window.

“OMG… “I’m tired of playing with the kids.”

Quiet.

Lying in an uninhabited hallway, she spent time with her eyes closed in a place no one would ever come.

Unleash your spirit.
Downstairs, downstairs beyond that. Lower and lower. Sometimes comfort.
Inside the building where people left one by one… There were only executives who had no idea what was going on.

‘What should I say about this?’

Sad?
Subtly sad and empty.

Following Engahero’s movements, I noticed them gradually increasing their vigilance and leaving their seats.
When you notice. The way I looked at myself had changed.

There’s something I heard a while ago in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
One of the comments from an ironic internet community.

“If someone calls me a statue of rebelliousness, make sure to rebel like that…”
“Will you do it?”
“Do you want to… Uh?”

Gusul was startled by the pure white woman who crept through the wall and asked in horror.

“… “Have you been spying on me this whole time?”
“It wasn’t like that. “I guess I’m the child’s guardian.”

The object of surveillance is not Gusul but Shiva.
Gusul snorted and lay down on the floor again.

“Eh, I don’t know~!”
“… “You’re not surprised.”
“Yeah~ I already know you’re suspicious~ What are you going to do with me?”

The beads that closed her eyes lost their smile.
The voice that seemed to spread cheerfully lost its luster and echoed in the air, and eventually she reached the state of selflessness she had experienced before.

The body of a doll whose existence has been forgotten.
When Gusul regained consciousness and opened his eyes. Alba was on the verge of disappearing down the wall.

“… “Sage.”
“Oh, I’m not a wise man.”
“I wonder if you are asking. “Do you know what my flowers mean?”

Alba’s narrowed eyes narrowed even further, and her head slowly shook.
White hair trembling like a pendulum before her eyes.
Her orbs laughed and giggled at themselves.

“Me too… No.”

This went too far.

What would you say to a complete stranger?
Alba disappears as soon as she closes her mouth. Her orbs throbbed with depression, and she leaned back against the wall and hugged her knees.

-Tick.

Now, she couldn’t even move the skin on her face.