Eat The World Tree

“Lord Maehwa, today I will train you to the best of my limited abilities.”

A hunter who had just entered the room shouted with a clearly nervous expression. He was a talent from a fairly well-known family in China.

Maehwa, lying on the bed with his arm hanging off the side, weakly dropped the book he had been holding.

-Thud.

The book hit the dust-covered floor, sending a cloud of dust swirling into the air.

“…You.”

“Yes?”

Maehwa’s eyes scanned the hunter.

Zhang Wei.

“How strong are you?”

“Pardon?”

“I asked how strong you are.”

Maehwa, who loved the essence of bloody combat.

A being mad with the violent pleasure of crushing opponents, feeling the pain that pierced his entire body.

Just a glance at the smile he wore when he saw blood would give you a sense of Maehwa’s mental state.

He had returned to China for a while since outside classes were allowed. After watching the hunter for a moment, Maehwa slowly stood up and took a step forward.

“Are you as strong as Baekdo?”

“Uh, um? That person could surpass any hunter…”

“Really?”

Too many words.

It was so boring at that moment that there was no need to listen any longer.

-Bang!

With one swing of Maehwa’s hand, the hunter’s head was smashed into a nearby cabinet.

“Then die.”

As he looked at Zhang Wei’s body, blood pouring from the shattered part of his head, Maehwa frowned. Blood splattered from the broken cabinet door, staining the room. ꭆãΝÖ𐌱ƐS̩

Everyone was unbearably weak.

Even those who represented their countries, even the hunters the government assigned to teach.

Especially the S-grades from China.

These people didn’t earn their rank through skill but through bribes and corruption.

It was incredibly unpleasant.

No one in this country could kill him.

…Except for that one woman.

Even the ginkgo tree, a fellow national tree, had long since disappeared.

-Crack.

Maehwa clenched his fist.

The blood on his hand soaked into his pale skin.

The power Maehwa possessed, which no one yet knew about, allowed him to grow stronger by stealing the life force and magic of living beings with every kill.

-Step.

He walked out of the room, aimlessly wandering outside.

A woman who had been waiting outside peered into the room with a puzzled expression, and soon a loud scream erupted from inside.

To him, it was a common occurrence.

“…So boring, I could die.”

Not much time was left.

Once he joined Flower, there would only be battles and fists.

He would finally be able to enjoy the life he had always wanted.

And at the end of his life… even Baekdo, his idol, would be within reach.

“I wish time would pass quickly.”

Baekdo, the strongest woman he had ever seen.

Every time he thought of her, his body twisted with emotion.

It excited him.

Her unpainted, youthful skin, the most beautiful face in the world, and the strength that came from her slender arms.

Even seeing her once as a child had turned his life upside down.

This might be love.

In May and June, the flowers of the plum tree fell, and the fruit began to bloom.

It was a time of metamorphosis, as the newly formed plums fall to the ground and become seeds again.

Once this time passes, he’d be able to turn his back on the woman he had long admired.

Just the thought made his whole body tingle.

-“Take me as your disciple!”

-“Get lost.”

How prickly she was when they first met.

A crooked smile spread across his face.

Someday, he would claim her neck.

He couldn’t meet her now, but until then, he would enjoy confronting the other national trees.

The first trial didn’t reveal anyone’s true abilities.

But from the fourth trial onward, it would be a grand affair.

It would be okay to kill the national trees himself.

Well, he couldn’t touch allies like Banya. That woman was too weak to even be noticed.

Defiling a country would be fun. He wanted to tear their clothes and trample their flag in front of a broadcast.

Just imagining the despair on people’s faces as they watched made him smile.

“Ah… I can’t wait.”

Maehwa’s eyes gleamed mysteriously under the midday sun.

Cruel, yet beautiful.

“Th-thank you… oppa.”

He patted the head of the dirty little girl.

She was filthy, but he couldn’t use magic.

Even just being clean would attract unwanted attention in this area.

-Munch, munch.

Watching the girl savor soft bread for the first time in her life, her face full of wonder, brought a smile to his face.

Yeah, she was innocent.

It was him who was rotten. But even on land controlled by Flower, innocent young seeds grew.

The girl ate the bread while crying uncontrollably.

“Don’t cry, there, there. Drink your milk.”

“…Yes, sniff.”

Her ribs were sticking out; she must have just arrived here.

A girl, and a child at that.

In this lawless place, she was the most vulnerable.

She was crying and smiling at the same time, probably because it was the first time she had tasted the food we distributed.

“What’s your name?”

“…Tina.”

“Right, our Tina. Just wait a little longer.”

I patted her head, giving her the kindest smile I could manage.

I lowered my voice so the sage behind me wouldn’t hear.

“Good things come after hard times.”

“Really? Sniff.”

“Do you know about Flower?”

“…I don’t know much.”

As part of the Sage’s morning routine, I asked other children what they knew about Flower.

Turns out those bastards had a surprisingly good reputation.

The kids loved anyone who gave them food.

I didn’t plan to look down on them for their ignorance, but it just showed how easily the poor and uneducated were manipulated by politicians.

“But I know one person.”

“Who?”

“…Sniff, my sister. She was taken by Flower. I haven’t heard from her since. Where did she go?”

It probably wasn’t a happy ending.

They either used her for experiments or raised her as an operative for crime or terrorism.

The Sage had whispered as much to me when we arrived.

I continued to stroke Tina’s hair.

Just today, I had already memorized the names of five children.

“She’ll be fine.”

“Yes, sniff.”

This even applied to the World Tree.

I’d heard rumors about them using humans as test subjects or for unethical purposes before killing them off.

The World Tree acted in response to Flower’s ruthless accumulation of power, by any means necessary?

That was a laugh.

Both of them were the worst.

I wondered if the Sage was making me do this to change my values, but in the end, it only reinforced my thoughts.

If increasing my hatred for Flower and the World Tree was part of the Sage’s plan, then I had nothing to say.

“Let’s head out for the day.”

“Yes.”

“Did you memorize all the coordinates?”

“…No.”

At the Sage’s words, I gave Tina one last pat on the shoulder.

I pulled out another loaf of bread and a bottle of milk from his bag and handed them over. I also secretly gave her a candy, hidden from the sage.

“Eat it quickly. If anyone threatens you, give it to them without hesitation. Got it? I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

“Who are you, oppa?”

“…Lee Dowon.”

After giving my name, I stood up.

Memorizing coordinates was a rather annoying task.

It required intelligence more than magical power. Memory was crucial.

Like memorizing dates for historical events, if you dedicated enough time to it, eventually, you could commit it to memory.

If I put my mind to it, I could store everything in my head in a short period, but it gave me a headache.

As a result, I had erased a few locations from my memory.

I had long forgotten places I no longer frequent, like Dowon’s location and the area around a barbecue restaurant in Seoul where I once hung out with Baekdo, Hwangdo, and Cheondo.

After gathering everything I could, I memorized four locations. The remaining five wouldn’t take much longer to commit to memory.

After finishing my morning routine, I returned to Eden with the Sage.

“Is Siheon back?”

As soon as I entered, I made eye contact with Sansuyu, who was moving books.

“Yeah, what were you doing?”

“…Reading.”

Sansuyu shook several books in his hand.

Looking closer, I saw that they were filled with unfamiliar characters.

It had nothing to do with swordsmanship… The books were old and yellowed with age.

Thanks to preservation magic, there was no worry of them tearing.

“They’re books about the Cornus family.”

The Sage immediately identified the books.

Sansuyu, perhaps surprised that the Sage recognized them, subtly hid the books to the side and glanced at me.

She was probably being cautious because I often criticized the Cornus family.

“Really? Does it say much about the family?”

“Yes.”

“…I see.”

If I had time later, I thought I could gather information about families like Lee Seyeong’s or Sansuyu’s.

After that, I might even find out more about Dowon.

I could possibly uncover things I didn’t know.

The more I looked, the more Eden seemed like a land of milk and honey.

“Miss Sansuyu, where is Miss Marronie?”

“…In her room.”Nôv(el)B\\jnn

“Lee Shiheon, I’ll prepare for the lesson. Could you bring Marronie?”

“Yes.”

At the Sage’s request, I headed toward the room.

Marronie had suddenly become prickly this morning.

I wasn’t sure what I would hear, but since we were taking the same lesson, I figured I had a reason to talk to her.

I also wanted to ask why she had been in such a mood earlier.

-Creak.

The room was empty.

Sansuyu had definitely said she was in the room.

I looked around the bed.

One of her outdoor clothes hanging by the bed was missing.

Maybe someone had already taken it to the laundry since she wore it out yesterday.

She wasn’t in the kitchen either. I checked the bathroom, thinking she might be taking a shower, but there was no silhouette.

So, it must be the bathroom.

I pressed the button by the doorknob.

The soundproofing was so good that this was necessary.

-Ding dong.

The bell sound was surprisingly fresh for a bathroom.

The door was, of course, locked.

After waiting for 2-3 minutes, the doorknob finally turned.

“Oh, Marronie.”

I raised my voice so she would know it was me.

“…What.”

“There’s a lesson. The Sage says to come. Let’s go.”

“J-just give me a minute.”

Her voice was slightly flustered.

After a short while, Marronie opened the door.

A faint scent wafted from inside the bathroom.

Marronie shyly stepped out, pressing her hands against her chest. The front of her short-sleeve shirt bulged out slightly.

It looked like she had stuffed something inside.

More than that, this scent was incredibly familiar.

Because of the Tree Spirit King’s power, my body was sensitive to such things.

I looked at Marronie, then glanced away when I noticed a bit of fabric peeking out from under her bulging shirt.

“……”

“Hey.”

“…H-huh? What, what?”

“Nothing.”

Her face was flushed red. Her voice was slightly excited.

Even though it was a dry bathroom, the tiles glistened as if they were slightly wet.

Women were the same. They had times like men did.

There were even women who did it as often as men.

I could understand that.

“You didn’t seem in a good mood this morning. Did something happen?”

I changed the subject. To distance myself from Marronie’s scent, I went to my side of the bed.

Marronie sluggishly walked to the dressing room and opened the door.

“…It’s nothing. I just… misunderstood something.”

“What misunderstanding?”

“Don’t try to find out.”

Her reaction was sharp.

She quickly went in and out of the dressing room.

Her previously swollen belly was now flat.

It was clear my clothes had been hidden there.

Her arms were crossed behind her back, and her entire body was covered in sweat.

Even her stockings under the skirt were slightly damp, which was visible even to me.

I stared for a while before sighing.

“Are you struggling a lot?”

“……”

Silence was affirmation.

Still, it wasn’t like I could help her.

If I did something wrong, it might lead to deeper trouble.

“I can still manage.”

That word “still.”

I hadn’t heard a voice so unstable in a long time.

“…Let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

Marronie, head down, nodded and started putting on her clothes.

We entered the sage’s lesson together, still somewhat awkward.

I didn’t know how long this tension between us would last.

-Tug.

Marronie lightly tugged on my sleeve as if pinching it.

“Blanche?”

I asked in surprise, but she didn’t respond.

As we continued walking down the hallway, Marronie kept her head down.

Her nails grazed my arm as she scratched it nervously, like someone impatiently waiting.