Eat The World Tree

Suddenly, a text from Byeol.

-Can you talk now?

There was no way Byeol would contact me without a reason.

It must be about Flower or Lee Seyeong.

“Hold on, I got a call from someone I know.”

If it’s urgent, I had to take it.

I ended my conversation with Cheondo and walked out of the dorm to the outside.

Exiting the main gate, I walked down a deserted alley and took out my phone to call Byeol.

[Hello. Yes, is this Shiheon?]

It wasn’t the flirtatious voice she used with her boyfriend, but calm and collected.

“What’s going on?”

[Yes, no. I didn’t want to call for this kind of thing.]

“Flower?”

I wondered if Seyeong got into trouble.

The future I knew made me anxious, but if she really had an incident, her voice should have been more somber.

Flower.

Probably, Byeol had something to say about that.

[Yes. I have a favor to ask.]

I leaned against the alley wall, comfortably bent my knees, and sat down next to a utility pole.

…Perhaps Cheondo followed me.

I expanded my magic to sense the surroundings, only to find some students who had heavily drunk, but that cautious person wasn’t visible.

‘…Do I really have to hide what I am doing from my master?’

Suddenly, that thought crossed my mind, but I wasn’t sure.

Problems that should be resolved through conversation should be, but now it was too tangled to easily intervene.

I shook my head like a wet dog to clear it. Then, I gathered my thoughts.

As long as Cheondo had her own issues… I had things I needed to do myself.

Always relying on a master’s help wasn’t feasible. Cheondo was too weak to my requests.

I took a deep breath and opened my mouth.

“What is it?”

[…Well, there’s one piece of good news and one piece of bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?]

“Might as well hear the bad news first.”

[Yeah… Just got the info, seems like the terror attacks will start again soon.]

Flower’s terror attacks.

It’s a globally problematic organization, one that even the World Tree or Hunter’s Association couldn’t rashly interfere with.

I listened to the phone while gazing at the night sky, then flicked my finger to turn up the volume a bit more.

Then, Byeol’s voice sounded a bit louder.

[So… we’re short on manpower? And there’s a task only you can do.]

“…Just tell me. I was the one who said we should deal with Flower anyway. No need for a contract or anything. Just tell me what it is.”

[A participant is needed for the Forest Keeper Selection. The official notice hasn’t been issued yet, but you’re already confirmed.]

Forest Keeper Selection…

I exhaled internally.

Given that it’s a globally significant event, it’s not strange for Flower to poke around there.

Were they planning to kill even the growing cadets?

Killing young people was always a sensitive matter.

[No, that’s not it.]

Byeol immediately denied my suspicion, her voice trembling as if stressed.

[…The location of the Forest Keeper Selection is filled with young saplings and World Trees.]

“…….”

Not people, but trees.

Damn tree lovers.

[If that place gets terrorized, it’s really over.]

“It would be tough for me to stop it alone, wouldn’t it?”

[It’s not about stopping it. That’s the role of other hunters and priests. But the most important thing is to take precautions beforehand. If you see anyone suspicious, report it. We can’t trust all the cadets participating in the Forest Keeper Selection.]

That made it sound like at least I was a trustworthy person.

Even if I was blinded by bias, it’s been thoroughly done.

I hated Flower to death, but I hated the World Tree just as much.

Honestly, I was not fond of the Hunter’s Association either… Maybe I was the anarchist that existed in this world.

I organized Byeol’s request once more to refresh the conversation.

“…So you’re saying to sneak among the cadets and root out the terrorists?”

[Exactly that… As expected, Shiheon!]

Byeol’s tone of voice rises instantly.

[I’ll definitely prepare a good reward for you! Okay? I mean, I’m practically the vice president, so I can take really good care of you.]

Vice president… This lively, Maltese-like person was just below the president in rank.

Thinking back, that powerful presence I felt at Dowon was the president.

‘Then, is she also quite strong?’

I had never fought her, so I didn’t know, but she must be strong, of course.

[What would you like for a reward?]

I snorted dismissively, ignoring Byeol’s attempts to persuade me, and moved on to the next topic.

“Let’s think about the reward later. Actually, instead of that… can you tell me something else?”

[…Uh? Um… Just a moment.]

[What? Too confidential might be an issue… but since Shiheon is asking, I’ll try to tell you as much as I can.]

“Flower’s current location and… the suspected location of the terror. Can you at least tell me that?”

[…Why that?]

Byeol sounded surprised by my request.

From her perspective, my question seemed to ask for utterly useless information.

What would a mere cadet do with Flower’s location? It’s not like they’re planning an assault.

But that’s not it.

Right now, Flower’s location was more important to me than any other information.

Whether to storm in and smash it up.

Or tighten the noose from the outside.

Or… torture those who came to perform the terror until they die.

I had no intention of being choosy about the means to destroy Flower.

“Do I need a reason to mess up the bad guys? I have a personal grudge.”

[…Uh. Since Shiheon is asking, I’ll tell you. I’ll be flying there tomorrow, so I plan to pass along the files as well.]

“Okay, got it. I have to see my master off tomorrow. Let’s meet in the afternoon.”

Lock it in.

I put down my phone to cool off for a bit before calling Byeol again.

There was still good news left.

“What’s the good news then?”

[Good news? Hehe.]

Byeol chuckled.

After a few seconds, as if she had prepared her lines, she spoke to me in an exaggerated tone that seemed straight out of a cartoon.

[From today… you can work with Byeol~?]

Her words seemed more beneficial to her than to me.

I chuckled and agreed.

“That’s good news.”

[Right?! There’s a new game out this month, let’s play together!]

“How can you think of games when there’s work to do? Just like a true gamer.”

[Exactly~ I am a true gamer~ Not ashamed at all!]

The call suddenly became lively.

I had more questions, but they could wait.

After discussing some details about the new game with Byeol, I was finally able to head back to the dorm.

[Uh, I’m sleepy.]

‘…Going to sleep again?’

[I get sleepy right after eating. Hehe.]

9 PM.

When the good child Cheondo fell asleep, and Hwangdo and Baekdo started their activities.

Just before leaving the dormitory, Hwangdo, who had indulged in a feast, fell asleep before Baekdo.

Baekdo was left with the remaining food for herself and Lee Shiheon.

‘Ah damn… I should have eaten first,’

Who knew Lee Shiheon would be on the phone this long?

Shiheon usually ate with Hwangdo, or Cheondo, while she planned to enjoy a slow meal and peach tea time by herself, but that splendid plan quickly burst like a bubble.

-Gurgle.

It was too wasteful not to eat the food in front of her.

There were peaches of every kind, with the hard peaches Baekdo favored piled up. The other dishes were also luxurious, ones that would normally make one’s stomach burst from overeating.

‘…Won’t he end up not eating? No… his tastes match mine too well.’

If it stayed this way, we’d end up eating together.

That loathsome flirt would surely wag his tongue and grate on her nerves.

Baekdo scratched her head and sighed.

Today, the scars running from her palm to the back of her hand felt particularly fiery.

‘Why not just eat it quickly?’

Leaving Lee Shiheon to eat alone would be sufficient.

With Shiba already fed and asleep, spending the last night in the dormitory as far away from Shiheon as possible seemed like it could turn into a fantastic evening.

There’s still a lot left in the comic magazine I was reading.

Let’s just get this meal over with.

As Baekdo was about to start eating, the dormitory door opened, and her face stiffened.

“Huh? You started eating first.”

“……”

Really.

Such a clueless jerk!

Useless nice guys didn’t help the world.

Baekdo took a breath and composed herself.

With a polite tone but masterful actions, she glared sharply at him, imitating Cheondo’s demeanor.

“Where are the others?”

“They already ate. It was like a party. Where did you run off to, leaving your girlfriend behind?”

“What?”

Trash. A flirt.

Inside her cold exterior, Baekdo was seething.

How could anyone like that kind of man?

Hwangdo, who used to scream from childhood that one must choose men carefully, was now hopelessly hung up on such a man.

She wanted to break them apart, but doing so might make Hwangdo angry for the first time in years. So, what could she do?

Baekdo steadied her breath and tapped on the table in front of Lee Shiheon’s rice.

‘There’s a saying that even an unlikable person deserves an extra rice cake.’

On closer inspection, like observing ants, he seemed a bit cute in some ways.

His behavior was unsociable, and there was nothing likable about him, but since returning from the training camp, his face seemed a bit, just a bit, more mature.

Lee Shiheon, sitting down, smirked.

“So it’s just the two of us?”

Again! He makes unnecessary remarks.

“……Just eat and shut up.”

“Did you buy this?”

The food was ordered by Hwangdo from outside and delivered through spatial magic.

It’s often ordered by Baekdo too, from ‘Delivery by Hwangdo’.

Lee Shiheon glanced at Baekdo and finally began eating.

Baekdo also sighed once more and started eating. Their chopsticks targeted the same dish.

Barbecue ribs.

Slow-cooked until they fall off the bone with a rich ketchup base—Baekdo’s top pick for this meal.

Their chopsticks clashed.

‘It happens.’

Baekdo, displaying the patience of a saint, shifted her chopsticks to pick another rib.

The problem was their similar, unnecessary politeness, causing their chopsticks to clash again.

At this point, she was annoyed for the second time.

“…….”

Somehow, after sorting out the food and getting it into her mouth, the taste turned out to be quite good. The second attempt was for Japchae… but upon seeing Lee Shiheon’s chopsticks headed there, she quickly switched to Bulgogi instead.

‘…Why do I have to struggle like this just to eat?’

That thought was fleeting. As she continued to eat, Lee Shiheon’s chopsticks moved towards her.

“Try this, it’s good. I usually don’t like this, but it’s tasty here.”

Lotus root side dish.

Initially, its soy sauce flavor was acceptable, but as you chewed, the distinct flavor that emerged was something Baekdo disliked.

The lotus root side dish messing up her clean rice irritated her.

‘Just doing pointless things.’

Yet, when she put the food in her mouth. Oh?

Surprisingly, it was crunchy and tasty.

“…It’s good.”

“Right?”

Seeing him smile smugly as he looked at her, it seemed like he was truly enjoying the moment. Baekdo felt her heart flutter in confusion.

‘…Am I being too sensitive?’

That was a genuine consideration. Lee Shiheon’s actions… there weren’t many that crossed the line. It was just more irritating because it was this man saying it.

“Try this too.”

Another side dish placed on top of her rice. Not brainless enough not to notice. He always picked fights, yet he did these irritating things without hesitation.

‘…Is it not so bad being alone with him?’

Suddenly, that thought crossed her mind. But it didn’t go far.

‘What am I thinking! He’s just a flirt… and trash.’

And a water flea. A scumbag. A complete idiot. Given that he only touched her but never made a significant move, he must be impotent.

“What are you doing, not eating?”

“So?”

“…So?”

“Just shut up. Don’t be rude while eating. You shouldn’t speak when eating with a master.”

“Eh, what does it matter? It’s the last time.”

As Baekdo internally cursed Lee Shiheon, his words seemed to have an effect on her, and she nodded. Yeah, it’s the last time. Future meetings are uncertain.

That thought made this moment seem all the more precious. Maybe it’s okay not to be so sensitive just for today?

‘……’

-Swish.

Baekdo placed the last remaining rib on Shiheon’s rice.

“The last one… do whatever you want with it.”

A clear change in her demeanor. Did he notice?

Of course, he did. He was the kind of person whose brain only worked in useless ways.

Lee Shiheon’s eyes widened, then he looked at Baekdo and smirked slyly.

“Wanna drink too?”

“…I’m actually in the mood today.”

“So how long are you going to keep up that tone? Alcohol goes well with wood-tapping, right?”

Baekdo, with a bitter smile inside, spoke to him in a slightly more relaxed tone.

“…Fine. Just give me the drink.”

“Hehehe.”

“Stop laughing… hurry up.”

Trash was still trash, but perhaps this was recyclable trash.

-Click.

Baekdo savored a sip of the beer he opened and handed to her. The slightly chilled beer felt refreshing, and for some reason, drinking it in front of this man made it taste even better.

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