Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 206

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 206

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While the word “destruction” sounds grandiose, if you think about it simply, this is a war against the demonic beast army led by the Demon King.

I don’t know much about war, but I knew this one thing well.

Wars cost an enormous amount of money.

And the more money you have, the better.

Therefore, I began steadily gathering capital that could be converted to cash.

Giuseppe decided to focus on hunting down the remaining members of ‘Those Who Lift the Veil of the World’ for the time being, while also searching for traitors and ascetics in the Temple who had conspired with them.

“You know that Dark Mage bastard. The crazy one who detonated the explosive magic device with his own hands. That son of a bitch definitely said it with his own mouth. ‘The world’s destruction.'”

“There were such mentions in their past that I glimpsed as well.”

According to Chaser’s testimony and Giuseppe’s power of insight, the Dark Mages of the ‘Veil Lifters’ also knew about the world’s destruction.

Perhaps they might be related to the destruction six years from now.

Therefore, Giuseppe was focusing on pursuing the dark magic organization.

Meanwhile, Chaser moved in a different direction.

He gathered the Magic Tower’s mages to research wide-area attack magic circles and protective magic circles, while interpreting the First King’s dark magic circle to understand what legacy he had left behind.

“This perverted dark magic circle was created for three purposes. One is soul-manipulating magic as I mentioned before, the second is auxiliary magic that explains the world’s phenomena. And the most costly price was paid for the last magic… but I can’t figure out what this is at all.”

The first magic was to bring someone not bound by fate determined by the gods to this world.

The second magic was the system window to help the summoned soul adapt to the unfamiliar world and achieve their purpose.

Thinking this way, the dark magic created by the First King could be roughly explained, but the identity of the last one remained vague.

Finally, Cheri, who had occupied one seat at the round table, decided to head north temporarily this winter to thoroughly examine the Barrier Forest.

By the time the underground round table meetings had proceeded about three times.

The royal rumors I collected were three.

The Sleepless Well. The World Tree’s Passage. The Cozy Heavenly Trumpet.

Among these, the First King’s magic power was detected in the World Tree’s Passage, and when new shoots sprout on the World Tree in the Royal Palace, a secret entrance appears in the tree’s trunk.

It would be better to discuss the details while seeing it directly.

Finally, the awaited response came back from Mikhail.

* * *

When I first purchased a cash item with coins, I simply marveled that magic could do anything.

However, when I became familiar with this world and understood even a little about the structure of magic, I could realize how absurd it was to create cash items with coins that were merely numbers in the system window.

If, as I theorized, cash items stored somewhere are summoned whenever a player purchases items from the cash shop.

‘There’s no need to bother clearing Quests to collect coins and purchase items.’

In other words, it means I can intercept cash items even without coins!

Moreover, my speculation that the storage facility might be somewhere in the Royal Palace had its own basis.

Evidence one. The First King’s legacy and treasure that appear as rewards for the Quest ‘Draw the Holy Sword.’

Since no one knew their location, it was perfect for storing cash items that people in the world couldn’t touch.

Evidence two. On the map provided to players, there’s exactly one non-public area excluding dungeons.

That place was the Royal Palace, and in 【Hirome】, it was impossible to infiltrate the inner palace of the Royal Palace by any means.

But even if I can’t infiltrate now, isn’t there someone who will thoroughly investigate the Royal Palace for me and even invite me there?

‘Power really is nice after all.’

Not long after receiving the letter, I was directly guided to the garden located in the deepest part of the Royal Palace and leisurely examined the tree before my eyes.

Unlike its name as the World Tree, the tree before my eyes showed no special features.

For something that had guarded one spot for 700 years, it looked like too young a tree, so much so that the trees in the Barrier Forest seemed more mystical.

“Except for being extremely slow in growth, it’s no different from an ordinary tree.”

The tree cast shadows on Mikhail’s face as he looked up at the World Tree and explained.

I heard that in the Holy Empire’s mainland, there exists a giant World Tree that looks like a single forest.

There was a legend about the World Tree that if the world were destroyed, the tree would also wither and die, and this was not just a legend but fact.

The Holy Empire gifts World Tree saplings to the royal family when a new country is founded.

Then the king who founded the country mixes his own magic power with the sapling and nurtures it more preciously than anything else in the deepest part of the Royal Palace.

The World Tree that grows along with the country’s history is said to rapidly wither if the country is destroyed for any reason, no matter how good the soil where it has taken root.

Therefore, the size of the World Tree was nothing less than an indicator symbolizing that country’s national power.

“So, what shall we do now?”

Mikhail suddenly turned to look at me and asked.

I answered confidently.

“The rumor was that a secret entrance appears when new shoots sprout on the World Tree, right? Let’s wait until new shoots appear.”

“…Belinda, didn’t I tell you? The World Tree grows slowly.”

“Ah, then it will take quite some time for new shoots to appear.”

“Right, the last record of new shoots appearing on the World Tree was 15 years ago, so at the earliest, we’ll be able to see new shoots in 2 years.”

“Yes, then we’ll wait 2 years… Excuse me? 2 whole years?”

“Right. And that’s if we’re lucky, 2 years.”

It takes 17 years for a single new shoot to appear. This was an unexpected challenge.

“Isn’t there a way to make new shoots appear right away? Like pouring lots of nutrients and laying down fertilizer.”

“Why do you think the World Tree is called the World Tree? The only one who can handle this tree would be the founding king who shared his magic power when planting the World Tree sapling.”

There might be an entrance to the First King’s treasury full of cash items here!

“Isn’t there really any way? Maybe if we ask a gardener who knows about plants…”

“Even though it looks like an ordinary tree, it’s the World Tree. It’s different from common plants. It would be faster to ask mages or priests for methods.”

Ah, at this rate, I have no choice but to ask Vivian to make the highest-grade plant nutrients to grow it faster than its natural growth rate.

That’s when I thought that far.

‘Wait. Faster than the natural growth rate…?’

Suddenly, an idea flashed.

“Maybe that person could…”

There was exactly one person.

Someone with the ability to make their target grow specially and quickly, whether it’s a person, animal, or plant, just by caring for it with affection.

* * *

Naturally, Ophelia looked bewildered when I asked her to help the World Tree sprout.

“The World Tree? Hmm, I do have talent for growing things, but I’m not confident about the World Tree.”

“No, you can do it! Ophelia, you’re actually someone with the ability to grow beans if you plant red beans and pray for beans to grow.”

“…It’s not that amazing.”

Taking Ophelia, who couldn’t hide her doubtful expression until the end at my words, I stood before the World Tree.

Ophelia, who had been examining the World Tree with a puzzled face, carefully placed her hand on the World Tree’s trunk.

Then she muttered admiringly.

“Wow, it’s incredibly stubborn.”

It was as if the World Tree had a personality.

I watched her carefully examine various parts of the World Tree, and as soon as she stepped back, I quickly asked.

“How is it? Can you do it?”

“As I said, I’m not confident… but if the World Tree sprouting will help you, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll give it a try.”

I quickly grabbed her hands and shook them up and down to express my gratitude.

After that, Ophelia came to find me and the World Tree whenever she had a chance.

It wasn’t like she gave special nutrients or used some secret magic that others didn’t know about.

She simply settled down beside the World Tree and occasionally stroked the tree’s trunk while pouring out all sorts of affectionate words.

“I don’t know if you knew this when you asked me, Belinda, but as I mentioned before, I have a talent for nurturing things. The secret is simple. You praise them like this, with plenty of affection. Good, pretty, well done, and so on.”

Ophelia’s voice as she gave such praise was incredibly gentle.

Without realizing it, I imagined that if I hadn’t met Leo, perhaps Ophelia would have praised Leo like this.

And so, day after day.

At first, there seemed to be no effect at all.

However, I came to realize anew in just one week how remarkable her nurturing abilities truly were.

“…The whole world has become a jungle.”

“I guess my praise was too excessive…”

Originally, the garden where the World Tree was located had only low grass and flowers.

But within just one week of Ophelia tending to the World Tree, all the plants that had listened to her praise alongside the World Tree had grown thick and robust, as if they had been given some kind of gigantification nutrient.

“If I had known I had such talent for growing flowers, I would have opened a flower shop.”

Ophelia laughed playfully as she leaned against the World Tree’s trunk.

I also sat beside her, freely savoring the flower fragrance that was so intense it seemed like it would stain our dresses.

Six years left until destruction.

But the world was unbelievably peaceful.

How long had we been sitting side by side like that, buried in the pile of flowers?

On an autumn day when the World Tree’s shade cast over us and drowsiness poured down.

“Belinda, I really think I’m fortunate to have met you.”

Ophelia whispered as if in a dream.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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