Du-du-du-du-du!
The helicopter carrying the fainted sisters took off into the sky with the loud noise of its propellers.
There was a lot of commotion, but… in the end, I couldn’t hear the sisters’ answer.
The reason they tried to kill .
I overheard through a tree person once that the kidnapping was not their idea but an order from higher up.
Du-du-du-du!
Squinting in the morning sun, I watched the helicopter from a distance.
Outside the dungeon, back at the El Academy.
Due to treatnts and investigations, I hadn’t seen familiar faces for quite a while. Maybe that was why.
When I arrived at the academy, I felt hostility in their eyes.
Gulp.
Soone poked my back.
“Don’t you have sothing to say to ?”
Turning my head, Jin Dallae, with her sharp, cat-like eyes, stood there.
“…How have you been?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
She chuckled. Just a few minutes ago, Jin Dallae looked full of worries, but now she seed a bit better.
“Nothing happened, right? Please, please don’t disappear on your own. It worries sick.”
“Why would you be sick over it? It should be .”
“…It ans don’t make indebted and then just die. Can’t you even do that much for a friend?”
Jin Dallae always emphasized the word ‘friend’. I heard from Seyeong that Dallae worked hard in tracking down.
How did soone who disliked so much beco this close? Beneath my mask, I couldn’t help but smile.
“Thank you. Truly.”
The fact that soone was moving for my sake felt good. Many others besides Jin Dallae were ready to help , even though externally, I was just another human with the status of a nobody. If I were to fall, they made it seem like I was destined to be saved.
… It was not like soone like deserved it.
My lips turned bitter.
“I think choosing to be friends with you then wasn’t a wrong choice… Why are you making that face?”
As I reflected on the past, Jin Dallae’s face turned red.
She seed about to say sothing, but then she bit her lip and averted her eyes several tis. She then pulled at her collar and cleared her throat.
“Ahem. I… I’ve just never been thanked before.”
She was just like an awkward person when it cos to relationships.
Or was it just with ? I genuinely wished she’d relax a bit.
Tap tap.
“Siyeon.”
And there was another woman who was awkward in relationships. I turned my head to Sansuyu, who was tugging at my clothes.
“It’s Shiheon, not Siyeon.”
“…Shiheon.”
“Why?”
Sansuyu playfully slapped my shoulder.
“You haven’t attended training since that day.”
… Right now?
“I’m sorry… I was kidnapped, so I couldn’t help with the training.”
“It’s okay if you know. And you owe for the help.”
“Owe you?”
“Miho said that friends should help each other naturally.”
Sansuyu’s expression, which had just softened, returned to its previous emotionless state.
“And if you help, you should be compensated properly.”
“Heh heh, really? What can I do for you?”
“The spicy rose tteokbokki. It’s their new item.”
“The car’s here. Go on in, I’ll buy it for you later. Jin Dallae, you too.”
Jin Dallae, having heard , moved forward while fanning her still-red face. Just before boarding the car, she seed to recall sothing.
“Ah, right. About that child…”
Shiba.
The sudden ntion sent chills down my spine.
“Shiba? Wh-why? What happened to Shiba?”
“Calm down. She’s in my room, even had a al.”
Thump.
A wave of relief washed over .
Thank goodness. I felt my breath return. The surprise made break into a sweat in such a short ti.
Seeing my relief, Jin Dallae, standing by the car, was staring blankly at as if expecting sothing.
“So… I did well?”
“Yes, you did. Thanks.”
After chuckling at my follow-up to her ‘did well’, Jin Dallae boarded the car, and so did Sansuyu. Now, it was just left. As much as I wanted to imdiately follow Jin Dallae to see Shiba, my mode of transport was unfortunately predetermined.
“Hey, aren’t you coming?”
Lee Seyeong, tapping on the hood of her car, was next to a woman with crimson hair who was leisurely smoking. As always, Cheondo exudes charisma. Her outfit, looking even more like tights today, only added to that aura.
Shiver.
As I settled into the familiar passenger seat, both of them got in.
Inside the car, which hadn’t started yet, the silence was soon broken by Lee Seyeong’s words.
“Did you tell everything?”
I had explained the circumstances of my kidnapping a few hours ago.
“That’s it.”
“…I see. So I’m frustrated. So unknown guys are ssing with my life.”
Vroom.
The engine started. As Lee Seyeong stretched out, reclining in her seat, her armpit was exposed. Clearly, it was a deliberate move. She smirked teasingly.
“You still got that perverted streak, huh?”
“It’s the first ti I’ve seen soone check like that.”
“They say it doesn’t even get up when it’s really tough.”
“Please mind your words in front of the master.”
“Right. We’re alone after a long ti.”
Covering her mouth, Lee Seyeong sneakily glanced behind. Cheondo sighed in exasperation.
“…You, being flirty with the professor.”
“And you, being the most provocative master around.”
“Shut it.”
Cheondo, annoyed, covered herself with a draped robe. She was aware of how she appeared.
I chuckled, seeing her like that.
“Hey.”
Then Lee Seyeong whispered into my ear after glancing between Cheondo and .
“You didn’t, you know, with her, did you?”
“Do you think I’m crazy to ss with the master?”
I ford an X with both hands. Lee Seyeong seed to understand and exhaled in relief.
“Couldn’t be. Especially not you.”
“What’s with ?”
“You, who flirts with strangers.”
I couldn’t argue because it was true. But the fact she kept ntioning ‘flirting’ was sohow cute.
“Anyway, let’s move on from that.”
After a few clearing coughs, Lee Seyeong steered the conversation forward. She signaled to Cheondo behind her, who then began to speak.
“Cutting to the chase, Lee Shiheon, you are currently being targeted.”
The mood beca grave, and I straightened up, listening intently.
“I was already aware of that.”
“Right. The problem is that it’s not just one or two organizations targeting you.”
Cheondo pressed between her eyebrows with her index and thumb.
“Why didn’t you tell about being the candidate for the World Tree’s spouse?”
“I didn’t want to beco a husband.”
“Is that so? Ensure that you don’t hide anything from from now on.”
“Yes.”
Cheondo crossed her legs. The intricate holes in her tights almost revealed her skin, which looked as smooth as jade.
“Are you aware of ‘Flower’?”
Cheondo started the conversation with a playful tone.
“I have a general idea. However, there might be so misunderstandings, so please explain.”
“Alright. Think of ‘Flower’ as clans that despise the society controlled by the World Tree.”
There was bitterness in her voice.
“They intend to save humans from a world where their fate is controlled by the re words of the World Tree. It’s a noble cause if you think about it.”
“It seems you agree sowhat?”
Her words didn’t sound entirely negative, so I asked. Cheondo responded by closing her eyes.
“If you exclude their dirty thods, their intention isn’t wrong.”
“I see.”
“Anyway, ‘Flower’ is a coalition of seven organizations. They’re collecting the prophetic leaves.”
I focused, not familiar with so terms she ntioned.
Cheondo looked at closely, her lips slightly parted.
“One of those leaves is you, Lee Shiheon.”
“….”
“There’s a prophecy that they must kill you if they can’t convert you.”
“What?”
Startled, I turned to her. Lee Seyeong clarified.
“Rember when you t Lee Seonghan?”
“Ah, back then… but wasn’t that so unrelated cult?”
“Minor organizations usually act without understanding the higher-ups’ intentions. A blindly-following cult makes a good tool.”
I roughly understood.
“The problem is, not only ‘Flower’ is after you. It’s damn unbelievable, isn’t it?”
Cheondo, nodding at Lee Seyeong’s words, pulled out a long cigarette holder from her robe, loaded with tobacco.
Flick.
She lit it and opened the car window. Everyone inside was a smoker, so no one minded.
“The World Tree of Resentnt.”
“Who’s that?”
“I don’t know either. Considering it’s not known yet, it must be similar to the World Tree of Healing.”
Sigh. Cheondo exhaled a thick smoke.
“World Trees, by their re existence, can intervene in the spouse selection system. Considering the penalties you’ve received from your orders, it’s likely him exploiting it.”
“Why the hell is that bastard after ?”
“… Don’t you see any connection?”
I saw no relation. I had one unresolved issue, but it wasn’t connected to the World Tree of Resentnt. My prospective spouse should be…
‘Wait a mont.’
A thought crossed my mind.
Who was the target for my spouse candidacy?
I assud it was the World Tree of Purity.
Because it was the one who had responded to till now.
When I ntioned my pants on the first day, and when I spoke of my disdain for the world, it was always the World Tree of Purity that responded.
The system never clarified anything.
Just the cryptic phrase about being the first spouse candidate and a word about being worthy of it.
If multiple World Trees could control the spouse orders, it ant the World Tree of Purity might not be my prospective tree.
Then what?
Which tree did I commit that act with before coming to this world? Who was the woman asking to take responsibility, and what was with the World Tree of Purity?
Who was my daughter’s mother?
“…Wait a mont.”
“It seems sothing’s on your mind.”
“It’s not that…”
I felt my head heating up and took a deep breath, seeking a mont of solace. Both Lee Seyeong and Cheondo patiently waited, observing with sympathetic looks.
World Tree of Purity.
‘What are you?’
No answer ca. Maybe it never would.
Just as my knowledge was forcibly implanted when I first ca to this world, a groundless certainty took over that, perhaps, I would never be able to communicate with the World Tree again.
However, there remained a hint of its existence.
-Shiba is our daughter.
That fact was firmly in my mind. The “our” was clear, pointing to the unjust treatnt I had received since coming to this world.
If the intent was to ss with , then setting a reward for the quest would be abnormal. Also, letting modify the status window by spending points was inconsistent.
In the end, it was simple.
When a World Tree wanted to kill , only she stood by . Without any complaints, she did so blindly.
“Have you sorted out your thoughts?”
If my suspicion was right, then the identity of this World Tree of Resentnt would naturally fall into place.
I replied softly,
“Yes.”
I now knew for certain which World Tree brought to this world with intentions leading to my demise, all thanks to her clues.
“Are you worried?”
I didn’t answer Cheondo’s question. Perhaps misconstruing my silence, Cheondo continued.
“Don’t worry. A master should protect their disciple. You focus on honing your abilities.”
I appreciated her words. However, I was never really worried.
In fact, it felt refreshing. Until now, I felt like blindly trudging through a thicket, but for the first ti, it felt like I caught a glimpse of the sky beyond the dense brush.
Lifting my head towards the tightly packed forest canopy, I faced the world head-on. A newfound confidence surged within that I could make my way out.
“Thank you.”
…I now had a clear goal.
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