A large hole opened in my chest.
The emptiness that seed like it would never be filled would, over ti, gradually fade into the past.
Once I had moved on, I’d probably wonder why I was like that back then.
Mocking myself with a touch of nostalgia.
When I opened my eyes, that person was no longer there.
Touching my chest again, I realized that the emotions I once held had completely vanished.
I no longer liked him.
The man who forcibly assaulted .
As his rugged but handso face flashed through my mind, I instinctively narrowed my eyes.
Strangely enough, just as I had anticipated, I didn’t feel hatred toward Lee Shiheon.
Even without the bond of subjugation, it seed I still viewed so aspects of his personality positively.
I could now look at myself objectively, understanding how foolish my feelings and the love I once whispered to him were.
Lee Shiheon was right.
My will to sing of love was re stubbornness, and in the end, my feelings had cooled.
Now, I was grateful to him.
Because he corrected a future in which I could have been manipulated under the influence of brainwashing.
Still, the empty heart wasn’t sothing I could easily adapt to.
For that fleeting mont, I had been genuinely happy, as if I had the whole world in my hands.
Since I had rarely experienced happiness, perhaps this feeling wasn’t about missing love but rather about mourning the loss of the happiness I had once held.
‘Where is Lee Shiheon now?’
In the kitchen, seven empty wine bottles were rolling across the table.
Had he been deep in thought? The amount of wine he drank alone wasn’t small.
I picked up the empty wine glass that had been in his spot. The smooth texture of the glass t my fingertips.
For so reason, a sense of emptiness and unfamiliarity washed over .
I ended up letting go of the glass.
“It’s really over.”
This was an emotion that would never return in my lifeti.
While my mind was as clear as if the fog had lifted, my mood remained unbearably somber.
I felt like a round pebble left on a deserted road during a long night, trembling under the dusky sky and frigid air, wondering when it would be crushed by a passing car. 𝑅À𐌽ỘＢЁŞ
The corners of my lips fell. The loneliness that had always enveloped consud my body.
The feelings I had been accustod to—experiencing them anew—were indescribably painful.
But this was the truth.
I resolved to accept it, even if it hurt.
‘I’ll just live as I always have.’
Maronnie patted her chest once and took a deep breath.
“Ssss. Haa!”
The heaviness in her chest eased, even if just slightly.
She wiped her slightly reddened eyes and clenched her fists tightly.
“There’s a lot to do.”
She was the national tree of France.
With natural movents, she tidied up the ssy kitchen. When she stepped out of her room, she saw the Sage and Shiheon sitting silently in the common area.
The table looked like it had been stained with spilled black tea.
The two of them sipped their tea without exchanging a word.
“Good morning, everyone.”
She greeted them casually.
Letting the atmosphere beco somber because of last night’s events would not do. Especially not in front of the Sage, who had even brought wine they could never hope to taste again.
“Welco, Maronnie. Did you sleep well?”
For so reason, the Sage’s face was redder than usual.
After the morning, the Sage maintained a poker face.
She thoroughly concealed the occasional innocent expressions she used to show. From her posture to her hand movents, every action exuded elegance.
Maronnie got up first, followed by Sansuyu, who joined them.
Both winced at each other, nursing hangovers, but at least the heavy atmosphere from the previous day didn’t linger.
“…Shall we begin discussing the matter at hand?”
The Sage spoke in a voice full of poise, devoid of any familiarity.
With a dry tone, she relayed the anticipated location, ti, and specific actions required regarding Flower’s appearance.
“To summarize, it’s about initial suppression and notifying the association and the church.”
“As I’ve ntioned before, have you considered contacting the Hunter Association directly? We could also relay the ssage.”
“I’ll refrain from comnting on that part.”
The Sage replied firmly to my question.
The Hunter Association could be contacted through Byeol.
Noticing my expression, the Sage raised a finger, as if adding one final remark.
“For clarification, letting information flow to the association or the church would not be beneficial. Both organizations have already been infiltrated to a considerable degree.”
“Then, what about Maronnie appealing to the state?”
“That’s… similar.”
Maronnie paused before speaking.
“…Though it’s not often ntioned, human rights advocates have occasionally established contact with groups associated with Flower.”
It appeared that Flower’s influence in Europe was substantial.
“Korea is different. Even finding minimal evidence of Flower’s involvent results in a punishnt akin to the death penalty. It’s not like that in other countries. Their societal values have been distorted for a long ti.”
I turned to the Sage, who nodded in agreent. It seed to be true.
“The Sword Saint has managed things so well that Flower barely exists in Korea. However, because of that enmity, incidents of terrorism occur frequently.”
The Sword Saint.
Hearing that na again filled with admiration, setting aside personal preferences.
His achievents were beyond description.
The man who subdued Cheonma, a global crisis, and seized control of South Korea’s leadership and Hunter Association.
He single-handedly established South Korea as a major power, making him one of the most significant figures in modern history.
His martial prowess was unparalleled.
Under his leadership, South Korea, devastated by war, thrived for nearly a century. Every economic and political achievent could be attributed to his efforts alone.
When one thought of a great figure, his na was the first to co to mind.
A living legend and a hero to children.
“Other nations aren’t doing as well. While they outwardly oppose Flower… the reality is different.”
Comparing the number of humans to Tree People, humans were naturally the overwhelming majority.
Even in absolute terms, the numbers differed by dozens of tis.
In a society where the concept of freedom had sowhat spread, a division of status only led to trouble.
It wouldn’t be surprising if there were societal issues I hadn’t yet recognized.
One thing was certain: those grievances would never truly disappear.
Flower was the monster born from those cracks.
“So politicians are already aware of the changes in the world. Many of them even support Flower. It’s not like Asia. Europe… is in Kanna’s grasp.”
Flower’s executives were spread across the globe.
The perception of Flower varied greatly depending on the actions of these executives.
In Asia, thanks to Cistus’ movents, the hostility toward Flower was extrely high.
The Middle East could essentially be considered Flower’s stronghold.
Europe had also been deeply influenced.
Kanna, known as Flower’s saintess, wielded that much power.
Cleverly, they didn’t stop at being a group called “Flower.” They often changed their nas, masquerading as simple human rights organizations.
There were dozens of major corporations established this way.
“The Church is trying, but it’s tough. The wounds of the past run too deep.”
“Shiheon, you still don’t know much about the world’s history, do you?”
“Ah, yes.”
Sansuyu and I attentively listened to the Sage’s words.
Though she had recently been teaching various things, I still had much to learn.
Even so, I had picked up a few things from observing and listening at her side.
“The current Church’s inability to exert power—you know the reason, right?”
“To unify humans and Tree People, the Church attempted to incorporate a large number of humans into key roles, but it backfired. That’s what I’ve heard.”
The ongoing tension between humans and Tree People was evident.
The World Tree side wasn’t unaware of it.
In an effort to overco discrimination and disparity, they implented various policies and doctrines.
One of those efforts was appointing capable humans to key positions within the Church.
The Sage nodded approvingly, a faint smile forming on her lips.
“That’s correct. It was too sudden, and there were many side effects. Discrimination doesn’t vanish overnight, so the backlash grew severe. Flower gained power, and even within the Church, people started aligning with Flower.”
The Tree Spirit King was the critical blow.
What she just ntioned were actions taken by a weakened Church to avoid repeating the past associated with the Tree Spirit King.
Since the first step had already failed, collapse was all that remained.
The Church barely maintained its power through the World Tree’s influence, but no one knew how long that would last.
“At this point, Flower is practically the dominant force. We’re just a shabby building facing a tidal wave.”
The Sage’s words were grim.
Maronnie lowered her head in despondency.
Even Sansuyu, sensing the atmosphere, glanced at the two of us and mimicked our expressions.
“You’re familiar with turbulent tis in history, Maronnie. Your family was born out of a revolution, after all.”
“…Yes.”
Who would be deed the good or the evil?
That decision would likely be made within the next decade or so.
I organized my thoughts, learning much from the conversation.
The belief that the World Tree’s authority controlled everything likely stemd from my ti among South Korean cadets under the Sword Saint’s influence.
They were all hostile to Flower, and what I had seen and heard reflected that.
Only Cheondo had provided a rational perspective on Flower.
The places I had operated in were all dominated by the World Tree.
The disasters involving Flower that I had been exposed to may have been due to my association with the Tree Spirit King, but they were also because I was in one of the Church’s key locations or nations.
This also explained the orphanage district she had shown .
She likely wanted to show the parts I had overlooked.
“If that’s the case, isn’t it impossible for just the three of us to suppress them from the outset?”
I finally voiced the thoughts I had been mulling over.
It was true that Maronnie, Sansuyu, and I were among the upper echelon of National Trees in strength.
Even compared to A-rank and beyond, S-rank Hunters, we didn’t fall short.
The problem was: what could only the three of us accomplish in such a raid?
“That’s correct. Realistically, we can’t stop the rumors from spreading, even if we know and prepare.”
“Then what?”
“We can minimize the casualties. If I leave it to you, the attacks from Flower will be imminent, and even if the Hunter Association and the Church are inford, they won’t prioritize civilians’ lives.”
That’s how urgent the situation was.
The World Tree Church’s disregard for civilian lives was undoubtedly a contributing factor.
The “young trees” and the “World Tree” in the cradle.
Compared to their lives, the cadets were essentially insignificant.
“They’ll make so effort to evacuate the cadets, but it will only be minimal.”
“…And you want us to assist with that?”
The Sage nodded.
“When disaster strikes, all I can do is use spatial magic to relocate each person to safety. But even for , moving hundreds of people simultaneously is impossible. I’ll need ti.”
The Church and the Association might make so efforts, but it wouldn’t suffice.
They would be too preoccupied with suppressing Flower to focus on rescue efforts.
And ultimately, the task of buying ti.
That was the trial the Sage left with us.
“We should start preparing gradually from today. Don’t you agree, Shiheon?”
The Sage’s face no longer carried the emotions of the morning.
She seed like soone entirely different from the person I had co to know.
I nodded in bewildernt.
‘But no matter how I think about it, this seems too much for us to handle.’
Especially if the goal was to minimize the cadets’ casualties.
The answer beca clear soon enough.
I needed soone to help .
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