Eat The World Tree

Chapter 313: Collapse Of The Cradle (1)

A large hole opened in my chest.

The emptiness that seemed like it would never be filled would, over time, 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 me.

As his rugged but handsome 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 seemed I still viewed some 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 mere 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 something I could easily adapt to.

For that fleeting moment, 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 met my fingertips.

For some reason, a sense of emptiness and unfamiliarity washed over me.

I ended up letting go of the glass.

“It’s really over.”

This was an emotion that would never return in my lifetime.

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. RÀ????ỘBЁŞ

The corners of my lips fell. The loneliness that had always enveloped me consumed my body.

The feelings I had been accustomed 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 movements, she tidied up the messy 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 become 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.

“Welcome, Maronnie. Did you sleep well?”

For some 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 movements, 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?”

In an effort to overcome discrimination and disparity, they implemented 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 mentioned 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 times in history, Maronnie. Your family was born out of a revolution, after all.”

“...Yes.”

Who would be deemed 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 stemmed from my time 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 me.

She likely wanted to show me 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 informed, 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 some 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 me, moving hundreds of people simultaneously is impossible. I’ll need time.”

The Church and the Association might make some 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 time.

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 seemed like someone entirely different from the person I had come to know.

I nodded in bewilderment.

‘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 became clear soon enough.

I needed someone to help me.