Eat The World Tree

Chapter 178: Eight Leaves

An empty dormitory.

An empty wardrobe. My clothes and Shiba’s baby clothes hanging alone.

Kindergarten uniforms and chick costumes. Apart from these, all other noticeable clothes had disappeared.

It was significant that their unique battle gear, like full latex or full tights, was gone.

I tidied up the dishes and lay down on the bed for a moment.

“Nope.”

Quarreling with Baekdo, flirting with Hwangdo, or teasing Cheondo were daily routines.

There was a training camp in the middle, so the emptiness wasn’t too severe.

Still, my room, which felt somewhat warm before, had become chilly.

Now, I could fully concentrate on my own matters.

Sansuyu’s business. Jin Dallae’s business. To eradicate Flower and be wary of the association.

From now on, I couldn’t trust just anyone.

Withdrawing from the Academy was practically a decided matter.

For now, I needed to maintain my current status, so I decided to stay at the Academy for the time being.

“Anyway, there will be things to do for the next few months with the forester selection competition. After that, I’ll look for what to do next.”

There were things I must do now.

I lay on the bed, looking at Shiba sitting on my stomach.

“Peep?”

“Shiba, dad has work to do for a while again….”

Did she understand me? Shiba’s eyes went round.

Behind Shiba’s back, I heard a ringing as if lightning had struck.

‘I know. I know you are sad, and I’m sorry. It’s not your fault that dad is busy.’

I closed my eyes and waited for Shiba’s retort.

Soon, Shiba’s heartfelt voice came.

“…Peep.”

-Thump.

Shiba hit my stomach once hard, then gently rubbed it with a much weaker touch.

Then, she looked straight at me, blinking her innocent, pure eyes cutely.

Standing bravely with her shoulders squared. It could seem arrogant, but it’s much cuter for a kindergartener.

“Daddy.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t worry.”

Opposite to her wiggly voice, Shiba’s words rang out maturely.

I was moved and got up from the bed to hug Shiba.

Why did such a young kid have to be so likable?

As if reading my thoughts, Shiba giggled and hugged me back.

“Just stay with mom for a while. Dad has a lot of work to do.”

“…Peep.”

Yes.

Alright.

I understood everything Shiba said.

The differences in resonance, tone, pitch, and expression. Depending on the situation, the words that resound all turn into sentences that reach my ears.

For Shiba’s sake too, I must quickly resolve the situation I am in.

-Ringtone-

A phone rang. It was Byeol, who had just arrived at the Academy after Cheondo left.

Holding Shiba, I looked at the phone screen and sighed with resolve.

“Sigh…”

It’s time to get ready.

“Shall we get to the main point then.”

“…Shiheon, you seem really tense?”

As soon as I met Byeol, we took an office and ordered just drinks.

The important thing was Flower.

How to deal with those guys.

Reading my determination, Byeol seemed a bit disappointed but surprised by my demeanor and soon pulled out a file from his backpack.

“First… this is the order. The planned locations of Flower’s terror. But this info comes from a captured Flower member, so it’s not very reliable. Those bastards… Sigh. You know? They are incredibly toxic and lie a lot.”

“I know.”

I remember that man who wouldn’t hesitate to manufacture and forcibly administer drugs, what wouldn’t he do.

Jin Dallae’s mother was still distant in her relationship to Jin Dallae, affected by some mass-produced weird item called Pink Dawn.

I heard about it.

And who knew how many times that would be repeated.

I disliked the association, but they were necessary. Flower, however, was not.

They were pure evil in existence.

-Swish-

I thoroughly read through the file I was handed.

Predicted terror locations selected across the globe. The scope was wide and varied, and it was clear that there weren’t enough hands to cover them all.

“So, you plan to solve it by predicting the terror locations with this?”

“…Really complicated, right? But that’s correct. We manage the rest somehow with numbers.”

Hunters were dispatched to all regions, while the government thoroughly analyzed and closely examined the risk areas.

Given that this was an issue of global concern, a somewhat established system existed for dealing with it.

Byeol added,

“Just because of one terrorist, billions are being spent annually worldwide.”

“…So even after prevention, terror still occurs?”

“Yes. Because it’s Flower.”

“How many of them are there? Those crazy bastards.”

“They are terribly intertwined.”

Me too. After I came to this world. Despite not having adapted for long, I was quickly entangled with Flower.

They kept barking nonsense about how I was necessary for them, which I ignored. But thinking about it, the number of believers I met then was significant.

“Well… there’s nothing concrete identified, except for the openly revealed executives.”

“Executives?”

“Yes. The Eight Leaves. First time hearing about it?”

“Tell me more, please.”

So… this was the way Flower operated.

Byeol, as the vice president of the association branch, blended her experiences and stories coherently as she explained.

Flower was not just a simple terrorist group.“

Saints – the World Tree did not recognize this – under the vision to dismantle the hierarchical society of the World Trees and Wooden people, they were united with this purpose.

It might seem cult-like, but their actions were different from typical cults.

Flower operated around eight executives, and the factions were also exactly divided into eight.

From the eighth leaf to the first, that was, up to the last leaf.

“And this is an estimation of the executives’ names… I’m not sure if it’s correct.”

Freesia.

Paeonia.

Gentian.

Lotus.

Cistus.

Canna.

Tarragon.

As I recited their names one by one, I felt something unnatural and asked Byeol,

“…There’s one missing, right?”

“A vacancy. So… there’s no executive. I guess there’s someone acting in that executive’s role as long as the factions are divided, right?”

“Factions. So, power isn’t concentrated?”

“Right. They do engage in terror, but each faction’s violence varies. There’s even a Flower faction that focuses peacefully on social activism. Well… they are all bastards, though.”

Byeol didn’t hesitate to swear while trying to instill a strong perception of the Flower faction in me.

Whether that was really her intention, I felt it strongly.

“If the factions are divided… like the mafia? They fight each other too, I guess.”

“Right. They often have power disputes among themselves. Well… that’s not our business to know. The problem is… look at this. The third, sixth, and seventh. And the eighth.”

Pointing casually at the world map in the file, Byeol pointed to North America and China and smiled slyly.

“These four leaves are the most troublesome. They mainly operate in these two regions.”

Cistus.

A name that felt familiar.

I narrowed my eyes and listened more intently to Byeol’s story.

“Especially the third leaf. This guy is really toxic. He uses terrible drugs.”

This was emphasized by tapping on the part labeled as the third leaf.

Listening to Byeol, I was somewhat convinced.

The drug-related incident that had occurred. Was it named the Serial Ent Incident?

It’s still referred to as a disastrous terror incident that had decorated the peaceful streets with Ents.

Of course, the aftermath of the terror wasn’t severe thanks to quick responses, but all scholars agreed that if Spring Peach Blossom hadn’t been there, the astronomical losses would have been significant.

“This guy often operates in China, but… he’s just globally active.”

“I see.”

“Do you understand to some extent?”

“Yes.”

The Saint’s Oracle. I hadn’t heard such tales before, but I seemed to understand where that madman’s beliefs originated from.

I clasped my hands and organized my thoughts while looking at Byeol.

Byeol was serious now. Her pupils, literally filled with stars like a starfruit, had been lively at first sight but now were solemn.

“So, Flower is… Huh? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Um… I realized you do have a professional side.”

“…Ha!”

Startled by my comment, Byeol exaggeratedly spread her hands.

“Really? Did I seem like a working woman?”

“Yes.”

“Hehe~ Well, I am somewhat~ meticulous? about work. If you have any requests, just let me know, Shiheon.”

“To the working woman Byeol?”

“Nope. To the awesome working woman Byeol.”

Pleased by the compliment, she seemed ready to fly off with joy.

I chuckled and glanced over the file again.

The predicted terror locations. Looking over the expected locations in South Korea, I noticed colors marking unexpected places.

“…Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

Here. It was the area where Shiba went to kindergarten.

Pointing it out, Byeol scratched her cheek, making an “Ah” sound.

“That area, if you go a bit to the outskirts, turns into an industrial zone. The imported magical processed water is essential for them. Korea is a powerhouse in magical engineering, and they’re all drawn there, see?”

“…Ah, that’s why.”

“They haven’t touched it yet. But still, it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”

“That’s true.”

I nodded deeply and exhaled sharply.

I knew the matter was significant, but indeed, it was a substantial organization.

It certainly made sense if Cheondo had suffered harm.

If Flower’s executives were similar to Cheondo… then naturally, they would be beyond ordinary levels.

I was not strong enough yet to win against an executive—the chances of defeat were very high.

Not just high, but I’d be utterly trounced.

‘Am I lacking?’

Though the thought crossed my mind, I immediately shook my head from side to side, deciding to think differently.

‘No. There’s nothing more foolish than challenging an executive when you’re shaking up an organization.’

I lacked nothing in terms of power.

As I rose to fight, I gained strength from seeking the teachings of Cheonma.

I had reached this point only through being torn apart and learning from my injuries.

Was there anyone else who had improved their skills this much in such a short time? I would confidently say no.

The talent Cheondo saw in me, the flower I had become.

Skills were developed through conflict. Getting injured might actually be more beneficial for me.

Being timid was not an option in the current situation.

“Shiheon?”

Byeol, checking my complexion, asked if something was wrong.

She wore a spring dress like forsythia, a bit too warm for now. Now that I think about it, her outfit did indeed resemble something a girlfriend would wear.

Understanding why she had pouted her lips at the start of our work meeting.

“Come to think of it, you really dressed up today.”

“…You’re mentioning it now?”

“Eh hey. But it’s pretty. Where did you buy it?”

“Huhuhu. An online store.”

“……”

Now that I though about it, it was subtly different from luxury brands.

I laughed as if it was absurd, and after all the hardships Byeol had gone through, I made a suggestion.

“…Let’s go shopping for clothes together sometime.”

“Really~? Shiheon, you’re the best!”

Byeol leaped up from the sofa, threw her arms up in a cheer, and hugged me tightly.

Her soft chest pressed against my face as she deliberately rubbed it in with force.

‘…For now, should I scout around the area where Shiba goes to kindergarten?’

While pushing away the overreacting Byeol, I put the file she had brought back into her bag.