Eat The World Tree

“Once again.”

Bang!

Lemon slammed the desk hard, glaring icily at the surroundings.

“If we don’t fortify the Cradle immediately and gather all the S-grade hunters, it will be too late.”

The Captain of the Golden Knights.

The golden lion emblem on her chest signified her position.

The seven knight orders directly under the Pope. Their power was officially equivalent to that of an archbishop.

If someone was judged to be a heretic, they could be executed on the spot.

“It’s absurd. Do you know where this is? You’re saying Flower would dare to invade here?”

“At best, it’s one or two spies. You should consider that it might just be Flower’s deception.”

Concentrating the military in the peaceful Cradle during heightened combat would only invite public outrage.

“And, as far as I know, mutual respect is the standard in this position.”

“What?”

After all, she was merely the Pope’s representative.

Although Lemon held a higher position, it was still superficial power.

It couldn’t be helped.

The Golden Knights suffered rapid decline following the Heavenly Demon Subjugation War.

Even Lemon, the captain, still bore the injuries from that time.

-Throb.

A sharp pain pulsed in her chest. Lemon furrowed her brows.

“Once again, I reiterate. This is the will of His Holiness, the Pope. Defying it without just cause will result in severe consequences.”

The archbishop’s reasoning was sound, but this was the Cradle.

This place must never be invaded.

It was one of the reasons why sanctity had been emphasized, and why the World Tree could remain as a god.

If Flower’s influence has even slightly touched this place, vigilance is mandatory.

‘That damned old fool.’

Lemon gritted her teeth inwardly.

Every other sacred site of the World Tree, except the Cradle, had raised their defenses.

There was a reason for it, and it was non-negotiable.

As they said, if the battle intensifies, vigilance becomes even more necessary.

Lemon had changed significantly from the past.

From her first deployment in the Heavenly Demon Subjugation War to now. Her magical core had been completely destroyed, and her combat abilities were steadily declining.

But she had regained her reason over immature emotions. She was much more composed than before.

“Captain Lemon, you sometimes display a disregard for humanity, don’t you?”

“What?”

“Since Priest Aaron and I are human, are you dismissing our opinions too easily?”

“Enough wordplay.”

The more they talked, the more her rigid attitude grated on him.

It made one wonder to the point of madness how someone like this could rise to the rank of archbishop.

She knew the reason.

Lowering her gaze calmly, Lemon issued a cold warning.

“Archbishop Vin Mark.”

“Yes?”

Noticing the change in her tone, Mark’s eyelids slightly twitched.

“Your achievements are well-known even to His Holiness. You’ve eradicated many members of Flower and gained great trust from the surrounding priests and bishops.”

“What are you suddenly saying?”

“Do you still not understand the meaning of my words?”

Manipulated achievements.

A common occurrence.

“Faith in the Church wanes, and even the World Tree laments. Where did you learn to misuse your pitiful brain, which isn’t even as good as a child’s?”

“W-What nonsense!”

The air grew tense.

As Lemon stepped forward, the observing priest guards became visibly uneasy.

-Thud.

A man stepped in front of Lemon.

Aaron looked down at her with an expressionless face.

Lemon let out a laugh, seemingly in disbelief, and turned her gaze to Archbishop Mark standing behind Aaron.

“The only reason we haven’t put you on trial is that you still have some usefulness left.”

“…….”

“Do you still not get it? Quietly. Let it go.”

Her voice rose.

It became hard to breathe.

“Did you think the World Tree wouldn’t notice anything? Or that we’d continue tolerating senile fools in the temple forever?”

Though her power had waned, Lemon was still the captain of the Knights.

She was not someone to show incompetence in such a place.

“Sir Aaron.”

“Yes.”

“Following orders is fine, but going too far invites disaster.”

“My apologies.”

The archbishop, his face pale, stuttered and hurriedly protested.

“T-Those baseless accusations. Watch your words!”

“If you’re confident, then why are you stuttering?”

Lemon turned her back.

“Today’s situation is the result of people like you. Keep that in mind as you act. Please.”

Discrimination against humans.

Corruption and military misconduct.

Even in religion, discrimination against humanity remained prevalent.

It wasn’t something that could be eradicated in a day or two.

Even Lemon, the captain of the Knights, knew that fact all too well.

‘I didn’t kill people I didn’t want to just to protect scum like this.’

Duty and obligation.

She understood them deeply, yet her anger boiled over.

“Immediately arm the remaining priests and stand guard. Do not allow even a single second of laxity.”

“…….”

“Can’t you even answer? You were quite eloquent when it came to self-preservation.”

The archbishop kept his mouth shut and silently lowered his head.

Lemon stepped out, slamming the door loudly behind her.

-Bang.

Through the window, cadets and National Trees training outside came into view.

For years, she had been too busy with her duties to engage with any issues beyond religious matters.

Her rehabilitation after the Heavenly Demon Subjugation War had also consumed a significant amount of time.

Her magical core and energy channels had been completely destroyed.

‘Please. Let this pass without any issues.’

Though she had to leave some knights as guards for the Pope, at least she could still pray.

The burden of being a National Tree and its associated duties was overwhelming for Maronnie.

Although she had been mentally preoccupied due to brainwashing for a while, that was a story of the past.

After regaining her daily life, Maronnie found herself constantly contemplating how to meet the Sage’s expectations, leaving her deeply perplexed.

“This is the predicted path of Flower’s invasion.”

It had been decades since the system was restructured.

But if one included the time before, the Cradle of the World Tree originated in ancient times.

Ancient magic and artifacts were deeply embedded here.

Conversely, there were also highly dangerous elements being suppressed.

Predicting Flower’s potential paths after years of preparation was a task that only Maronnie could handle in this position.

“There could be traitors within the Church as well, so don’t disclose this to anyone.”

She observed the Cradle’s system.

The Sage’s assistance was essential, and her studies in Eden proved helpful.

At this moment, Maronnie’s knowledge was overwhelmingly superior.

Even though these were just preparations, Maronnie had already taken on immense responsibilities.

The results of the Sage’s direct visits and advice led to:

“…This is my plan for now.”

A fairly viable strategy had been born.

“Not bad.”

“With this, it’s possible not just to escape but to block them entirely.”

This plan considered the remaining personnel in the Cradle.

Overconfidence was the enemy.

Even for Maronnie, her experience was still limited.

She accounted for thousands of variables in her thoughts.

Thanks to her logical explanations, the atmosphere was harmonious.

‘I need to speak up.’

She knew the plan would not proceed smoothly as is.

However, disrupting the positive mood was difficult.

She decided to wait until the air settled down before speaking.

At that moment, Lee Shiheon spoke up.

“It’s not over yet. I’ll explain a few more things.”

When the plan failed for indescribable reasons, tasks were assigned considering the uniqueness of each National Tree.

Some prioritized rescuing lives, while others would support with magic.

Although the Sage’s spatial magic was sturdier than others’, it was still prone to breaking.

There was a need to guard against mages approaching her.

At the same time, this group included cadets.

Members responsible for guiding evacuation routes were naturally needed.

The objective of this group was “saving lives,” not completely blocking Flower.

“Remember everything up to here. From today, don’t overthink. Return to your positions, and if you notice anything unusual, report immediately.”

After completing the explanations and task assignments, Lee Shiheon glanced at Maronnie.

She instinctively turned her head.

‘….’

He was competent.

He may not have the charisma of a leader, but he always spoke up when she hesitated.

Even when presenting risky or challenging solutions, he did not shy away from criticism.

‘A good person.’

Still, thinking about what happened just a few days ago made her feel awkward.

After the meeting dissolved, Maronnie reviewed the plan.

While working late into the night again, a cold bottle of ice was placed on her head.

“Kind and smart people are often called pushovers.”

“…What does that mean?”

“It means you’re working too hard.”

Having frequently exchanged thoughts about the plan, casual conversations like this had become possible.

“I once knew someone like you. I wonder how they’re doing now.”

“…Like me?”

“Yeah.”

Lee Shiheon chuckled as he drank water.

“There was someone terribly kind who ended up taking on every possible task. They liked the people around them a lot.”

“A friend? A lover?”

Maroonie didn’t know why she asked that, but Lee Shiheon shook his head.

“I’m not sure. We didn’t spend much time together. A friend? Maybe just a colleague.”

It wasn’t a significant topic.

Brushing it aside, Lee Shiheon stretched his shoulders and returned to his work.

The serious focus in his eyes as he read through documents.

Sometimes, just watching him, she found herself drawn in without realizing it.

There was a certain charm to it.

‘And yet he works just as hard.’

Maroonie blinked her drowsy eyes and got up.

Work was good, but rest was necessary too.

Maronnie hadn’t slept properly in three days, except for brief naps.

“Get some proper rest. I’ll let you know if anything happens.”

Although there were still parts of the plan that needed revision and gaps that needed to be addressed,

Maronnie nodded.

Her brain couldn’t function any further.

And… being near this person sometimes made her head feel overheated.

It was better to focus alone in her room.

-Creak. Bang!

She opened and closed the door, staggering toward her room.

Near her room, a man was loitering.

“Hey, shorty.”

“Bell?”

“You’ve been busy lately. Did you pass the trials?”

Bell, the National Tree of England, chuckled as he patted Maronnie’s shoulder, causing her to sway.

She nearly fell but managed to regain her balance.

“…What? Why are you so weak?”

Bell, flustered, asked Maronnie.

She frowned as she looked at him.

England, France, and Germany—the three nations maintained excellent relations among their National Trees.

Normally, she would have included Bell and Abie in this plan.

‘…Abie.’

The German Spruce.

She didn’t think someone she had trained with since childhood would betray them, but personal feelings aside, it was better to exclude Bell and Abie.

“You okay? Your eyes are twitching.”

“Shut up, Bell. I’m tired, so just go. What’s with the sudden concern?”

“Listen to that tone. Classic French temper.”

Bell’s usual teasing annoyed her even more.

Maronnie sighed as she tried to pass him.

“I’m leaving.”

A quiet statement followed by the sound of footsteps.

-Thud.

Bell reacted to the footsteps echoing behind them.

“Abie?”

That man.

The one Lee Shiheon was slightly wary of, and Maronnie’s friend.

Normally, she wouldn’t have thought much of the situation, but an unease began to bloom in her mind.

1:30 AM.

Three National Trees were gathered here.

And it was right near her room.

Maronnie wasn’t one to dismiss such an oddity as coincidence.

Her drowsiness vanished with a chill.

She glanced around, both in front and behind her.

“Maronnie.”

Abie stepped closer, one step at a time. Bell continued to grin.

The same as they had been two months ago.

But something felt off.

Her heightened senses detected an ominous atmosphere.

Maronnie’s eyes turned icy blue.

‘…….’

A thought rippled.

Somewhere in the depths of her expanding consciousness, Bell’s voice echoed.

-Twitch!

Her hand, which had reached for the wand at her waist, was stopped by Bell effortlessly.

“Take a quiet nap.”

-Thud!

Pain struck her lungs, leaving her breathless.

The voice echoing in Maronnie’s ears was much darker than before.

Bell, as if disgusted, wiped off a drop of saliva that had fallen and slung Maronnie over his shoulder.

“I told you, you need to work out.”

“…Crazy bastard.”

A faint voice slipped through her fading consciousness.

“You’re way too weak.”

I had anticipated the possibility of something like this happening.

One of us being attacked.

However, I hadn’t expected it to happen inside the hotel.

‘I didn’t expect it, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t prepare for it.’

<Chirp!>

I had assigned a spirit to Maronnie.

Not just any spirit—the most combat-capable one, Luci.

The command was simple: if her life were in danger, act immediately.

It seemed, however, that killing Maronnie wasn’t their intention.

Her power held value for both Flower and the World Tree.

They wouldn’t kill her so easily.

Now I could sense movement rapidly leaving the Cradle.

Inadvertently, Maronnie had become bait.

But there was no choice.

At the moment, even if I wanted to rescue her, it wasn’t possible.

-Thwack!

“Gugh, kuhak.”

An attack.

This wasn’t something that concerned only Maronnie.

A woman lay on the ground, her face partially caved in, unable to even scream.

“Hey.”

“…Cough, cough.”

“Answer me.”

-Thwack!

Her flesh squished under the blow, and blood smeared stickily onto the knuckles.

“Stop, please stop….”

The pain seemed to have worn her down; she began to cry.

If I had more time, there might have been a chance to brainwash her. But I didn’t.

I silently raised my fist again.

-Bang!

Blood spread across the floor in a beautiful pattern.

True to the name “Flower,” it resembled petals.