Chapter 217. Unexpected Visit. Liu Shu's Decision.

Two weeks after the war declaration, Flor finally received a report of starting activity. It was not from Fortuna, though. Reading the information she had, Flor asked. "What is this from? Or, better said, where do these come from?" 

The human woman who carried the document commented. "Queen Flor, this is a city to the north, beyond the prairie. As you might know, the sects and other powers do not really have cities but are usually part of nature, be it in the mountains, a lake, or underground. However, the first time some diplomats came, Lady Liu Shu killed a fox woman. That fox woman is part of a large merchant alliance." 

Flor blinked. "That large merchant alliance is coming to attack?" 

The human nodded. "They are. They will arrive in a week at most. They will stop by Fortuna City because they know about our recent war." 

Flor tilted her head. "How do we know all of this?" 

The human woman paused and looked up from the documents, noticing that Flor was staring straight at her. While the size difference was substantial, that didn't make Flor's gaze less pressuring. The human woman spoke, "We've spread some intelligence agents-."

"Huh?" Flor smiled and asked. "How come I don't know anything about these intelligence agents you are speaking about, supposedly roaming around on the outside?" 

The human woman smiled and answered. "I don't know, Queen Flor. These are the origins of the documents that I got."

"From who?" Flor asked. "Who told you about these outside… agents?"

The human woman looked sideways for a second and commented. "I don't know the names of all my coworkers, Queen Flor."

Flor looked at the woman for a few seconds, making them feel uncomfortable. "Um. What's wrong, Queen Flor?"

Flor asked, her tone somewhat exaggerated. "Well, you know, do you think I am stupid? That I have brain damage? Or do you think that my brain is not as developed as yours and, therefore, I will have trouble understanding things?"

The human woman answered quickly. "Of course not, Queen Flor! I don't think that you are lacking in any way!" 

Flor nodded a few times. "Right, right. Liu Shu!"

The human woman's face instantly tensed when Flor called for Liu Shu. 

"Hm? What's wrong, Flor?"

Flor pointed at the woman and asked. "Do you know her? Like, does her face ring a bell for you? Because I feel like it is the first time I am seeing her."

Liu Shu looked at the woman and commented. "I don't have any recollection. Is she new? Do you want to present her to me?"

Flor shook her head. "Have you heard anything about intelligence agents that are patrolling the outside?"

Liu Shu asked, confused. "Huh? Wasn't that one of your main concerns not long ago?" 

Flor laughed faintly. "Right, right… So." Flor blinked and asked. "Who are you? How did you come here? And what happened to the person who had your working post a few days ago?"

The human woman's polite smile disappeared, and she sighed. "To think that monsters would catch me. I'll need to report this when I am back."

"Going back?" Flor asked, pointing down. "What back are you talking about?"

The woman looked down and saw her legs completely tangled in roots. "Hm? You wouldn't kill me. The fox woman's information was the truth, so that should tell you that my origins are not simple."

Flor nodded and added. "Right, they are not simple. But, sadly for you, I don't care. They can come and attack if they want. I want to know who you are, where you come from, and what your aim is in making those merchants and our side fight."

The human woman rolled her eyes. "Do you really think I'd tell you? Just let me go, and I'll never come back."

Liu Shu was confused; the woman's heart was not accelerated, and her entire body was relaxed. It felt like she was completely sure that she wouldn't be harmed. "Why are you so sure I won't kill you?" She giggled. "I am not someone who cares about these things~. Have you investigated that before coming here?" 

The human woman patted the roots. "Okay, enough intimidation-."

Crack!

"AHH!" The woman screamed as her leg twisted in ways it shouldn't when Liu Shu squeezed with her roots. "Y-You! How dare you!? Do you know who I am!?"

Liu Shu giggled. "I don't. You are really annoying, though. Why would you come here and act so… bossy? It is as if you own the place or something. I own this place."

"HA!" The woman, holding back her tears as she gritted her teeth, seethed. "This place is owned by the Azure Rose Confederation! How dare you try to own this place!?" 

Flor sighed. "Hey, if you continue pushing, you will die. So, how about you tell me who you are and we can, I don't know, solve what in the high branches is going on?"

The woman glared at Flor and spoke with anger in her tone. "I am the daughter of the Baron Lorbase! I came here because I heard that there was something interesting! Hiss!" The woman looked at her leg and cried. "What are you even thinking!? My father will never forgive you! Once I tell him, all of you are finished!"

Flor sighed. "You are really leaving me no choice but to kill you."

"Ha! I dare you! If you kill me, he will know instantly and come to aid Fortuna in beating up your asses back into the ground!"

The Rose Fairy Queen asked, confused. "How would he know? Just get rid of her, Liu Shu."

"WAIT!" The women shouted. "I have a Runic Field that activates when I die and informs the other one of my location!"

Liu Shu looked closely and she indeed saw a runic field in her clothes. "Well, a Level 13 daughter got lost in the woods while escaping and was eaten by animals. Isn't that enough to deceive it?"

"Huh?" 

Listening to Liu Shu's suggestion, Flor nodded. "Sure. Go ahead."

"Waitwaitwaitwait!" The woman started panicking for real when she realized that she was really about to get killed. She managed to sneak all the way here after a lot of trouble, and now she was going to die because she was too arrogant. "Please, forgive me! I swear I won't say anything to my father! Please! Please! I don't want to die! I am still too young! I will answer your questions!"

Liu Shu commented. "Nobody wants to. You just made the wrong choices. What were you expecting to happen?" Liu Shu sighed, and then her roots dragged her downward and into the Town Hall's body. 

Flor blinked. "I thought you would forgive her?"

Liu Shu commented. "Why should I? Oh, I dealt with the two secret guards that she had. They were both Level 20 with basic-grade equipment. Their armors are almost intact, and I moved them toward the vault!" 

Flor blinked twice more. "Guards? What if those guards had the same Runic thingy on them?"

"They didn't." Liu Shu said quite confidently. "They tried to struggle quite a bit, though. Still, it seems that they were somewhat average strength-wise. My roots completely overpowered them."

Flor laughed wryly and said exaggeratedly. "Well, you probably have around 2000 points of Physique or something."

Liu Shu giggled. "Wow! You are always able to guess so nicely! Anyway, try to look for that army! If someone strange enters the domain, I'll tell you!"

Flor stood still for a few seconds and then rubbed her temples. '2000… Does she really have 2000 in a single stat? Oh, branches above…' Then, she stood up, and her wings began flapping, lifting her into the air. "Now, that army thingy. I guess Fortuna will be delighted to send a bunch of people who want to throw their life away to test our strength. However, she will be mistaken in thinking this will weaken us." 

Flor smirked. "Let's start preparing the armies." 

Meanwhile, in Fortuna City, Eila was sitting in the City Lord chair, and in front of her, five people wearing luxurious armor stood with stern faces. "Lady Eila Neoflora, we want to ask for permission to move our armies through your land and attack the Golden Sap Forest at the orders of our Lord."

Eila looked at them coldly, her eyes moving from one to the other. She could feel that they were all Second Energy Cycle powerhouses. However, they had not reached the third sub-cycle yet. "Are you five the top strength in the army?"

The general frowned. He was a tall bear man whose looks resembled those of a bear more than a human. Therefore, his gesture was difficult to distinguish. To be assigned as the general, he was naturally not a stupid person. Therefore, he could hear some implications in Eila's tone. She was basically saying. "Is this all?" 

The general nodded. "We each lead a 200-strong army. I personally will overlook this battle and participate in it. Does Lady Eila think it is not enough?"

Eila smiled faintly. "I never said so. I am just confused. Where does this entire army come from?"

The man spoke formally. "We are the Gold army from the <Deep Prairie Merchant Alliance> toward the north. We never bothered involving ourselves with this region due to Lady Fortuna's presence."

Eila asked. "Oh? Did the new World Tree change your opinion?" 

The general shook his head. "Lady Eila, I am good at military strategy, not political speech. If you want me to answer questions, you should be more upfront and move the subject closer to my specialty."

Eila smiled coldly. "You have guts, but your morals are in the right place. You seem to want to go there for, I guess, revenge for that fox that was killed?" 

The general smiled. "Sharp. It is like that. That fox woman was the future concubine of one of the Lords of the Merchant Alliance. We are here under his orders to take revenge and show that no one disrespects us."

Eila laughed, but her laugh sounded joyless. "You are here to take revenge after trying to buy a World Tree for a few dozen <Syl >? Your lord's face is thicker than a city wall." 

The general and his aides didn't dare rebuke. While they were going to attack a World Tree, they didn't consider Fortuna and Liu Shu to be at the same level. They just heard that a new World Tree disrespected their Lord by killing his concubine. Therefore, they were sent to heavily damage that World Tree. Fortuna would do the rest after they manage enough damage without damaging their army.

The general asked. "Lady Eila, may I ask for information about the World Tree? The range of its domain, if there is a safe distance to settle or any other similar information."

Eila hummed. "No. Since you plan to use me, I will happily be used. However, you are also going to go test these things for me, alright?"

The general spoke with a low tone. "Lady Eila, no one her is-"

"Stupid." Eila cut his sentence with a cold smile. "Am I right? No one here is stupid, right? So, take your army through our territory if you want, and then go attack that new World Tree. I will be waiting for the good news that my competition is weakened, and I can start my own attack."

The general looked at Eila for a few seconds and then said. "We will depart now. Thanks for all the help; I am sure my Lord will love hearing about it."

Eila kept smiling coldly as those people exited the room, and then she snorted. "Cannon fodder is so arrogant nowadays."