Eat The World Tree

“Here is what you asked for last time.”

Cornus Family, the head’s office.

Sung Jiho spoke to San Hyukwon, who was handling paperwork, holding the file he had brought.

The content he investigated this time was about Lee Shiheon.

Because Lee Shiheon had matched evenly with Jung Siwoo in the last midterm exam match, San Hyukwon had taken an interest in him.

The seed of a talented person was useful in any way.

Breed improvement of the Tree people.

If the experiment failed in Sansuyu’s generation, they would mix her seed with another talented person’s to create a new experiment subject.

Sung Jiho, as the chief secretary for Sansuyu, had a high enough position to know some of their behind-the-scenes stories.

Creating an eternal, immortal Tree person.

That realm, unreachable even by the World Tree, was the secret wish of the Cornus Family. The language of the Sansuyu tree flower.

And this generation’s sacrifice was, of course, Sansuyu.

Recently, even during training or meal times, Sansuyu hadn’t appeared.

She was probably continuing through the stages of completion even now.

“It’s no longer needed. Destroy it.”

When San Hyukwon opened his mouth, Jiho sighed inwardly.

“……Understood.”

Jung Siwoo. Lee Shiheon.

They were merely seeds picked in case Sansuyu broke down.

The reason for choosing humans among talented people was that the bloodline of the Cornus Family shouldn’t mix with other Mok people.

But since things went smoothly, they were no longer needed.

Sung Jiho tucked the file under his arm.

“Sung Jiho.”

“Yes.”

“You think you can’t understand this right now, don’t you?”

San Hyukwon’s sharp eyes suddenly turned to him.

“No.”

“Do you resent me?”

“No.”

“Are you thinking of revenge because Sansuyu is breaking down?”

Sung Jiho, one of San Hyukwon’s closest aides, managed his expression.

“The secret wish of the family that has lasted for thousands of years is bearing fruit.”

“I understand.”

“It’s not something to be taken lightly. Do you know how many people have sacrificed for the success of this experiment? From the past, tens of thousands of family members have lived only looking at this one secret wish.”

Even if three generations were exterminated, it was a choice that had to be made.

‘Even though I knew, this family is….’

They are all insane.

When crazy scientists with excellent political skills held convictions, they ended up like this.

A man who imposed unreasonable standards even on his only blood relative.

And Sansuyu, who accepted such treatment without any qualms.

Sansuyu had been broken for a long time.

She was what they called a genius.

She devoured all culture and knowledge from a young age and showed great talent in the Cornus Family’s swordsmanship.

-Sung Jiho.

-Yes, ma’am.

-…How about shortening the working hours of these people?

-Sorry? What do you mean by that?

She was interested in business matters.

Above all, her kindness in looking after her people shone through.

-They need to take pride in their work. It’s important to make people your own. And I too… should set an example.

-What’s that got to do with working hours?

-Gosh. They look so tired whenever I check on them.

Sung Jiho had also become her secretary because he admired her humanity.

All of Sansuyu’s guards were like that.

He too owed a huge debt and hospital bills to Sansuyu.

-I’ll clean my own room. No need to waste unnecessary manpower.

What kind of elementary schooler said that?

But that was the kind of person Sansuyu was.

If she had grown up just like that… she might have become a great figure in history, respected by the world.

There was a part of him that wanted to see that.

“You still look like you don’t understand.”

“…No.”

“Go.”

San Hyukwon knew.

No one was as easy to use as someone who obeyed another person completely.

“Yes.”

Sung Jiho bowed and left the room.

The corridor of the huge mansion.

A woman was sitting by the window.

“Miho came.”

A body that looked young. Yet, she was thirty years old.

A swordswoman reigning over this era with the best skills among the Linden trees.

Champi.

No matter how many times he heard it, the name was utterly ridiculous.

“It’s Jiho, not Miho.”

“So, how’s our Suyu?”

A person who had contacted Sansuyu through an internet community site.

Her fashion mentor and someone who adored Sansuyu in her own way.

He had only heard about her but didn’t know her face until one day she suddenly appeared and started talking to him.

Her childlike body didn’t match her age at all.

“Still the same today.”

“…Should I just flip this place over? Hey, Sung Jiho. What are you afraid of?”

“Please don’t.”

Flipping it over.

It’s not impossible but it could be disastrous for Sansuyu.

Sung Jiho walked down the corridor, adjusting the tie of his suit.

Champi followed closely behind.

“Coward. I feel sorry for Suyu.”

“Excuse me, Champi. I have someone to meet now… Could you please leave?”

“I can’t go until I see Sansuyu, man. Who are you meeting?”

Lee Shiheon.

Among the people he knew, at least, Lee Shiheon was the one who saw Sansuyu properly and didn’t try to use her.

Now, the Cornus Family was in an emergency.

“Hey.”

Champi caught up to him with her short legs and asked.

“…It’s about to happen.”

“I know.”

To achieve the eternal, immortal secret wish, they approached Flower.

It was an act of rebellion against the Tree people and the gods.

“Until now, the Cornus Family was so strong that the World Tree didn’t gain anything by fighting them. But if the Flower moves, it will truly be the end of the Tree society.”

“…Yes.”

“But the Cornus Family is gradually crossing the line, isn’t it?”

Who knows when the media would expose them and the World Tree will brand them.

If the World Tree designated a family as villains, all public institutions, including the Hunter Association, would mobilize their forces to dismantle that family.

“Even if the Cornus Family isn’t exterminated… you don’t think the experiment’s subject, Sansuyu, will be safe, right?”

“I understand.”

“…If it happens, she will definitely die. Are you just going to stay still?”

Champi shrugged her shoulders.

Sung Jiho asked her after a long silence.

“Why are you trying to help the lady?”

Champi widened her eyes and spoke as if it was the most obvious thing.

“She’s kind. Even though I haven’t known her long, it would hurt my heart if she died. I’ve always lived my own way, you know.”

It was reassuring to hear that from an S-rank Hunter.

“But I’m not saying I’d risk my life. I’m telling you before I cut ties. I have to protect our gallery manager.”

“…Please don’t make me do such things.”

“She’s doing it because she likes it.”

Champi started chatting about Sansuyu with excitement.

Even though she worked hard, she had a good reputation.

Since it was revealed that she was the Cornus Family’s Sansuyu, no one dared to speak ill of her.

“Swordsmanship gallery’s admin goddess. Sansuyu.”

“…It’s driving me crazy.”

Still, it was nice to hear she was treated well.

Champi followed Jiho all the way to his private office and, after running out of things to say, smacked her lips and asked him.

“Who are you meeting, then?”

“…A friend of Sansuyu.”

“Oh~”

The matter isn’t light at all.

Champi blurted out without any thought.

“Then I’ll go with you.”

“……”

There was no way to stop her now that she said it.

Champi was the king of stubbornness among the stubborn.

“……As long as you don’t say anything unnecessary.”

“I won’t say a word.”

There were many things in the world I didn’t know.

I hadn’t come from the future, and I didn’t know what would happen next.

And this damned world was moving busily without me.

The stock market fluctuated from time to time.

There were reports of trees fighting for territory somewhere.

And there were also reports of new dungeons appearing in other places.

But one thing was certain: some change was coming soon.

And everyone was preparing for it.

The probability of encountering the world’s strongest was high, and even if I had gotten stronger, I didn’t know if I could win.

Above all, I hadn’t settled down properly yet.

No matter how unique my origin, I was still just a cadet.

“Hello. Is it the first time since then?”

Sansuyu’s secretary, I couldn’t remember his name well because Sansuyu often got it wrong.

Was it Sung Jiho?

“…Yes, hello. And who is this?”

Feigning friendliness, I glanced at the woman next to Sung Jiho.

A short person was sitting there.

“Yeah, I’m Champi. Nice to meet you, Sansuyu’s friend?”

Champi.

Champi…?

I had heard that ridiculous name before.

“…Sansuyu’s mentor?”

“Oh, you knew? Here, take this. Do you mind if I speak casually?”

Champi greeted me warmly and tossed something from her pocket.

A round, blue bead. Upon checking, it turned out to be quite an expensive item.

▶ Energy Potion of Linden Tree (C)

[Category: Consumable]

A magic potion made from the ancient Linden tree. It slightly increases magical power.

Magical power was always welcome.

I quickly popped the potion into my mouth and spoke to her.

“Feel free to speak casually. You can even swear.”

“Kekeke, you’re a hundred times better than Jiho.”

Her casual demeanor was surprising at first.

But if she was willing to give me something like this and speak informally, I welcomed it.

‘I wondered what kind of swordsmanship she taught Sansuyu.’

Champi tree.

Looking into her, she possessed skills beyond imagination.

Her magical power was immense, indicating she could hide her abilities.

An S-rank Hunter. Perhaps similar to me.

Bringing a monster like her here, it wasn’t to fight me, was it?

Champi laughed and rested her chin on the table.

“Just ignore her; she came along forcibly.”

Sung Jiho continued.

“Yes, speak comfortably.”

Champi responded.

Despite my inner disbelief, I chuckled.

Unpredictable chaos wasn’t necessarily bad.

“So, what do you want to talk about?”

At my question, Sung Jiho’s face immediately hardened.

“I’ve talked about this before, but to get to the point…”

“You want me to stay away from Sansuyu, as you said last time?”

Sung Jiho nodded.

I didn’t know the inner workings of the Cornus Family.

I knew there was a reason for Sansuyu’s lack of emotion, but we weren’t close enough for me to understand it fully.

Moreover, I was not the type to meddle in others’ family matters.

“It’s not difficult, is it?”

To Sung Jiho, my relationship with Sansuyu was just a four-month friendship.

So… we were just friends in college.

That too, between a human and a noble.

Normally, it wouldn’t be strange to accept and separate.

If it were a normal, mundane friendship.

“Sansuyu and I aren’t just friends.”

“…What?”

Sung Jiho frowned at my words.

I quickly corrected myself.

“I mean, I’ve received a lot of help from Sansuyu. I want to help her if she’s in trouble.”

It’s not a lie. I actually owed her my life.

When I first received the friend quest, I was grateful for Sansuyu approaching me.

Sung Jiho’s face softened at my words.

He spoke in a more gentle voice.

“…This isn’t something you can help with.”

“I know it’s about the family, but…”

“It’s quite serious.”

Sung Jiho paused, then began to explain slowly.

“I called you here, to put it simply, to minimize the number of victims.”

“It’s hard to accept without knowing the context.”

“…That is.”

Since it was classified information, Sung Jiho seemed reluctant to speak.

Minimizing the number of victims.

Did that mean I was being targeted?

Frankly, it didn’t matter. I was always being targeted.

Champi, sitting next to me, laughed.

“That’s right.”

“Well done, Champi.”

“It’s not bad to tell him.”

“…Champi, you promised not to say anything unnecessary.”

Champi seemed even more agitated by his words and was on the verge of saying something outrageous.

It seemed easier to get the details from her than from Sung Jiho.

Before I could prompt her, Champi blurted out.

“Why can’t you tell him? The Cornus Family is about to collapse, and everyone related might die.”

“…Breaking your promise…”

“It’s fine. You’re just too frustrating.”

Ignoring Sung Jiho’s grimace, Champi looked into my eyes.

Her eyes were those of an experienced master, seeing through everything.

“People who hide this much power don’t have loose lips.”

“What?”

Sung Jiho looked puzzled at Champi’s words.

This time, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You’re the disciple of that woman… A monster is still a monster. Jiho, you can get help from him.”

Not only Sung Jiho, but she also revealed my secret.

“…What are you talking about?”

Sung Jiho’s bewildered eyes were remarkable.

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