Chapter 10
Building Karma Was the Easiest Thing
“Life…….”
Standing in front of the World Tree, Liris slumped over like a stalk of grain.
In her hand was a contract stamped with the imperial seal.
She couldn’t refuse it.
Aitana, rolling a ring in her hand, smiled a deeply ominous and vicious smile and held out an ink-dipped pen toward Liris.
It was technically a suggestion, but Liris already knew from the original story.
‘Aitana’s personality is really fiery. Sometimes even Emperor Kairos couldn’t stop her.’
If she refused, it felt like she would be killed on the spot. The veins on Aitana’s hand were sharply raised, and above all, her gaze was terrifying.
Her eyes were already scary enough because of her naturally sharp look, but when she narrowed them, it became even worse.
And the more Liris looked troubled and rolled her eyes around, the more Aitana’s breathing grew rough.
A clear message was being sent: don’t waste time.
In the end, Liris had no choice but to sign a contract that read:
‘Leak of mission details = extermination, suspicious behavior = extermination, and of course if the World Tree withers = extermination of even distant relatives up to the seventh degree.’
“Boohoohoo.”
[Hey.]
Make the World Tree bloom flowers? Was this some kind of joke?
Since ancient times, flowers blooming on the World Tree were considered extremely auspicious.
The problem was that there had been no recorded instance of the World Tree blooming for over a thousand years since the founding year of the First Emperor.
[Hey, human. What are you doing lying on the ground?]
“Boohoohoo.”
[You’re the new manager, right? Don’t lie around—go fetch some water.]
“Can I exchange it for tears instead?”
[Like hell you can.]
Liris, lying flat and crying sadly, slowly lifted her head.
Where she had been collapsed, her tears and mucus had stamped a face-like pattern into the ground.
Due to Aitana’s request—no, coercion—that she start work immediately, Liris was transported straight from the imperial palace to the sacred ground without even a moment to collect herself.
Her mind was pure chaos.
“Could you make flowers bloom for me?”
[Why would I.]
“So I can go back to the southern region.”
[Nope.]
“…sigh.”
Water pig.
At her small mutter, the World Tree pretended not to hear and pointed toward the lake with its branches.
Looking up at it, Liris crouched down and touched the soil.
‘It’s damp.’
It wasn’t from her tears or mucus, but from the water the knights had poured in with great effort the day before, which still hadn’t been fully absorbed.
If they kept pouring water as requested, the roots could rot from overwatering.
“Are you really thirsty?”
[Yes.]
“You don’t look like it.”
[How would a human like you even know.]
“I’m a human too. And I’m a PhD, you know.”
With a deep sigh, Liris brushed off the dirt from her skirt and stood up.
Her mind finally cleared a little, and she began organizing the situation. It was time for a proper conversation.
“I have a lot of questions, but I’ll start with the most urgent one.”
[What.]
“Why do you keep asking for water? You don’t actually need it, do you? You’re not a normal tree.”
The World Tree was a being created by ancient magic.
It took the form of a tree, but its essence was not that of a plant.
Therefore, what it needed to grow was not water, but divine power and mana.
[Haah.]
As if releasing long-held frustration, the World Tree spoke rapidly.
[Listen carefully. I am the embodiment of the Creator God’s authority in the form of a tree. Right?]
“Right?”
[That means my physical body is a tree, no matter what’s inside my soul.]
“…?”
[I was born in the form of a tree. So in the end, I’m still a tree.]
Even as Liris tilted her head, the World Tree continued speaking only what it wanted.
[Honestly, I thought I was done for. I was just going to dry up while sleeping deeply and die. Damn humans, there’s a limit to how much you can mistreat a tree.]
“You were asleep? Then maybe…?”
[That’s right. You woke me up.]
So I was the idiot who put a mouth on the World Tree!
[So take responsibility.]
What are you even talking about? Who is responsible for what?
[Bring water.]
“Why does the conclusion always jump there?!”
Liris felt that calming this water-obsessed creature was the priority.
There was no one around for now, which was fortunate—but if it caused a scene asking for water in front of others later, her head would literally roll.
“But the roots are still this wet. What do you even mean, water?”
[If not water, give me death!!]
Given that awful personality, there was no way to calm it easily.
‘No choice.’
Liris came up with a secret plan and casually draped an arm around a branch.
“Hey, have you ever tried rainwater?”
[…]
“Even if it doesn’t rain in the sacred ground, you’ve probably heard of it, right? Rainwater full of nitrogen and nutrients—cool and delicious!”
I might be able to get that for you.
At her muttered words, the World Tree subtly glanced at her.
After a moment of silence, it finally spoke.
[How?]
“Honestly, it’s not that interesting.”
[Hey.]
“From now on, I’ll only give you water once a week. You have to agree to that before I bring you rainwater.”
[Seven times.]
“Then let’s pretend I never said anything.”
Liris turned away naturally.
A branch quickly grabbed her shoulder.
[Five times?]
“……”
[Three times?]
With no response, the branch drooped helplessly.
[Haah… I knew it. What do I expect from myself? If only I could… be outside instead of here… sob… sniff…]
“….”
[Like other trees… hic… sob…]
Sensing something strange, Liris slowly looked up.
Dew gathered on the World Tree’s leaves, and then it began to fall like rain over her head.
“Hey, why are you—”
Seeing the unexpectedly sorrowful World Tree, Liris’s firm expression softened slightly.
‘Actually, given its size and environment, twice a week would be fine.’
Watching it cry out all the water it had just drunk the day before made her feel uneasy.
Looking around, that uneasy feeling grew even more.
[Honestly, I thought I was done for. I was just going to dry up while sleeping deeply and die.]
From what it said, it seemed to have had a will of its own regardless of her.
She didn’t know whether it had been born with consciousness from the Creator God, or whether it had slowly developed it over thousands of years like a spirit of nature.
But whatever it was, it had been standing alone on this hill for thousands of years. It must have been lonely.
[Hic… sob…]
“Ugh… fine. Twice! Let’s compromise at twice a week.”
[Really?]
Liris nodded.
Even then, the World Tree was still dripping water.
[Sniff… with rainwater?]
“Yes.”
[Sniff… how will you get it?]
“I’ll ask the knight order to collect rainwater. Sir Jeffrey told me to say if I ever needed anything.”
Jeffrey was Edrion’s deputy, and they had grown closer during the journey to the capital.
He was cheerful and sociable, so Liris felt it wouldn’t be difficult to ask him for help.
[Is that so.]
“Yes. Now moving on to the next topic—”
[Then go get the rainwater quickly.]
“…pardon?”
[How long are you going to stand around? Hurry up and run.]
The World Tree, which had just been crying pitifully, was now completely dry-eyed and pointing its branches toward the knight order.
[Move out immediately!]
“……”
For a moment, Liris seriously wanted to turn the damn World Tree into firewood.
At the same time, members of the Knight Order were being thoroughly “destroyed” by an enraged Edrion.
“Lost them again?”
“T-that is…”
“Down.”
Edrion crushed the edge of the desk with his grip.
It was a top-grade wooden desk reinforced with magic for durability, said to withstand even an axe.
Yet it shattered like paper under the commander’s monstrous strength, and the knights immediately dropped to the floor, pressing their foreheads down.
“How many chances do I have to give you?”
“Forgive us.”
“How long do I have to wait for you to catch a single rebel? Should I just handle it myself to satisfy you?”
“But if you personally intervene, civilians may be harmed…”
Edrion’s sword aura was excessively violent and wide-ranging.
It was perfect for war, but not suitable for dealing with hidden rebel agents among civilians.
That was also why he had been excluded from shadow suppression operations.
He had spent most of his life on the battlefield.
Until he cut off the head of the tyrant Razel, he had lived in an environment where a single mistake endangered not only his life but everyone around him.
He was used to blood and slaughter, and showed no hesitation toward destruction.
The knights admired him—but also feared him.
“Then you should have done your job properly. So I wouldn’t have to go after Raven myself. Am I wrong?”
“N-no, sir.”
“And now you’ve lost him even after he appeared in the capital.”
“……”
“Haa… you lot are really…”
Edrion stood up from leaning against the desk, rolling his stiff neck.
At that moment, heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor.
The door opened.
“Hello? I heard Sir Jeffrey is here…”
A woman peeked her head through the slightly open door.
She looked a little out of breath, cheeks flushed from walking.
“Liris?”
“Ah, Duke Axshard?”
Upon seeing his small and precious fiancée, Edrion’s sharp gaze instantly softened like a gentle lamb.
