Chapter 202. Delegations.

While Liu Shu and Mariane investigated the dolls and runes, Flor was in her office room with Ignatia, Cinderielle, Verdantia, and Tempestria. In front of her, they all had a few open letters coming from the City Lords in the surroundings. 

Of them, the most inconspicuous one was the one that worried Verdantia and the rest the most. Flor looked at it and sighed. "So… What do we do about this one?"

Verdantia read it aloud again. "It seems I was mistaken. I'll be visiting by the end of this month. Regards, Eila Neoflora."

After Verdantia re-read the short and concise letter, Tempestria smiled wryly. "'Regards,' she said. Hahaha. End of this month… That means she will arrive in less than five days. How do we prepare for this?"

Ignatia smirked and commented. "That's an interesting letter. What do you think about it?"

Verdantia spoke first. "It is a bad thing, right? What if she has bad intentions?"

Cinderielle leaned her head on her hand and said the opposite. "I think it is a good thing."

The others looked at Cinderielle. Ignatia's lips arched a bit and asked. "Oh? How so?"

The red-haired Sylvan spoke. "If she is sending a letter, that means that she is considering that speaking with us has some value. If she wanted to do something bad to us, she would just… I don't know, appear on our doorstep with an army and force their way inside because they feel entitled to it?"

After Cinderielle said so, a Rose Fairy entered from the door and spoke. "Queen Flor! An army is coming, and they want to force their way inside. If we disagree, they say they are going to attack. A relatively powerful lord seems to be at the helm of it."

Cinderielle blinked. "Yes. Exactly like that."

The others in the room glared at her, making her hiccup. "H-Hey! I didn't summon this army!"

Tempestria stood up and clicked her tongue. "It sure seems like you did so!"

Verdantia harrumphed. "You and your big mouth, can't you act here like you act outside?"

Cinderielle's eyes widened. "What do you mean? Do I even act different outside?"

Tempestria rolled her eyes. "Lady Cinderielle, the ultra-cool, elegant, and handsome fire Sylvan who hides her passionate fire in her gorgeous orange eyes. She just can't stop receiving compliments for her mature and relaxed vibe! A smile from you sends several Sylvan and human teenagers screaming in excitement!" 

"Ha!?" The fire-attributed Sylvan exclaimed, baffled. "When did that ever happen!? Also!" Cinderielle pointed at Verdantia. "She is the one making males and females salivate by imagining being in her arms."

Verdantia asked, stunned. "Why did I get hit while lying down? How about speaking about the bold heroes that Tempestria's valiant temperament brings in?"

Flor listened to their conversation for a little while as they rushed toward the Lignified Wall. After a little while, Flor asked. "You three… Have you been avoiding Liu Shu lately?"

The three Sylvans stopped their conversation, flinching almost at the same time. Flor sighed. "You know, Liu Shu has been growing a lot lately, right? She is intimidating, and her strength makes you feel like… What's the word? Ah. It makes you feel like you are unworthy. Like chasing after her is like trying to grasp a cloud, right?"

The three Sylvans didn't answer, but Flor didn't need an answer. Flor laughed softly. "Somehow… I feel like you three have, at some point, stopped looking at Liu Shu for who she is and started looking at her for what she is."

Those words made the three of them feel like a glass mirror had suddenly broken, revealing the other side. 

Flor giggled. "Her identity as a World Tree never stopped any of you from trying your best to approach quite… aggressively. But lately…" Flor hummed, thoughtful, and then she began speaking. "The World Tree in the middle of the Golden Sap Town, at the end of the day, is Tianlian Liu Shu. A fun to be with, cute, sometimes serious, but usually carefree little darling. Isn't she?" 

The Rose Fairy Queen's words flowed slowly but constantly. "She might've matured. Her voice might sound as beautiful as a forest's breath and as calming as the lake-side's melody. However, listening closely, you can still hear Tianlian Liu Shu. Behind her gargantuan canopy is a young being who has matured at an accelerated pace and feels lost. Don't you think so?"

They couldn't help but take in those words and feel that they might've truly been avoiding Liu Shu lately. 

Flor saw the wall and said. "Although, now focus on this problem and… Liu Shu!"

After Flor shouted, the World Tree's voice spread around her with a beautiful tone. "What do you want, Flor?" 

The Sylvans heard it and couldn't help but feel mesmerized. Meanwhile, the Rose Fairy Queen asked. "Why didn't you warn us about them?"

The World Tree asked, confused. "Warn about who?"

Flor blinked. "The army that's coming toward us? We just received a report." 

Flor climbed on top of the wall and looked to the other side, expecting a large army. However, there was no one there. "Huh? Where are they?"

"Umm… Flor." Liu Shu spoke, confused. "There is no large army inside the forest." 

"Huh?" Flor's mind spun, trying to make sense of the words that the Rose Fairy spoke about. 'What did she say, exactly? That there is an army coming, right? Coming… like, far away?'

"Quen Flooooor! Waaaait!" 

The desperate scream of the same Rose Fairy reached from behind, and when she arrived, the poor Rose Fairy almost flopped to the ground. "Ugh, my wings. I am beat…" 

Flor flew down and lifted the young Rose Fairy. "Um. What army are you talking about, little one?" 

The Rose Fairy caught her breath and spoke. "Queen Flor… Ha… They will send an army… Ha… if we don't agree with their terms!" 

Flor nodded. "Right, right. But, where is the army to negotiate?"

Tempestria suddenly understood and asked with a cough. "Um. Little Fairy, is there a delegation that's waiting in the town hall?"

The Rose Fairy nodded in quick succession, making the four of them feel like slapping themselves. They were so tense because of Eila's letter, that they all jumped at the word army, expecting someone to be knocking on their door already.

"Sigh…" Rubbing her forehead, Flor said. "Let's return. Cinderielle, carry her with us so that she can guide us to the delegation." 

Once they arrived back at the town hall, the young Rose Fairy pointed at one of the bigger rooms they had for welcoming guests and said. "There, Queen Flor."

Flor approached and asked, confused. "Huh? Why did you send a single person to one of the largest rooms?" 

"Queen Flor…" The Rose Fairy poked her fingers together, and she answered softly. "There isn't just one person…"

Flor frowned. "How many people can there be? There shouldn't be enough to use one of the biggest…" She opened the door, and the rest of her sentence got stuck in her throat while her stomach flipped with frustration as the work she would need to do flashed in her mind. 

"Queen Flor! We've been waiting for such a long time!"

"As expected, the reception is not proper! This town needs stronger management!"

"This is a big offense, Queen Flor!"

"Queen Flor!" 

"Queen Flor!" 

"Queen Flor!" 

A total of 24 people began speaking simultaneously, making Flor stare blankly at everyone. Verdantia, Cinderielle, and Tempestria's lips twitched incessantly. 'Ah… Politics…'

While Liu Shu was with Mariane, she also paid attention to this side after hearing the army warning. Now, listening to the ruckus these people were making while pointing and speaking to Flor, her mood worsened, and her presence descended into the room.

"Silence!"

Her voice boomed in the room, making all those people clutch their ears as they crouched down in pain. Liu Shu's sneering voice echoed in the room once more. "If I wanted to hear the babbling of animals, I would go to my farm, not the Town Hall! Also, you are in MY territory, so you better behave, or I will ensure that this town becomes your resting place!"

After Liu Shu stopped speaking, a few of the people in the group frowned and looked toward the ceiling. "World Tree, you are too arrogant! Do you know what family I belong to!? I am-."

However, before he finished speaking, a hole opened below the man, and then, it closed. A screech followed by the sound of bones cracking 

[Congratulations on defeating <Level 11 Ceperet Human>. You've gained 0 Experience Points.]

The other twenty-three looked at the place where the previous man was missing and couldn't help but feel their hearts shudder. 

"I will say it once more. You are in my territory, human, Sylvan, and beastkin delegations. Behave."

The threat in the usually gentle and soothing voice felt like a thousand poisonous thorns were coiling around them, and if they took one wrong step, those thorns would pierce deeply. 

The young Rose Fairy's eyes were shining with awe. 'So cool~.' These people have naturally not been the gentlest with her, so she felt no sympathy for them.

Flor's blank gaze recovered, and her eyes regained strength the second Liu Shu's voice appeared. After Liu Shu stopped speaking, her mind was clear again, and she took a deep breath. 'Come on. I am Liu Shu's mom. I can't look stupid in front of these people.'

"I can understand the reason that you are all here. However, remember that you are in the presence of a World Tree. Your behavior is honestly quite shameful. What are we, in a food market where people scream prices left and right?" 

Flor looked at all of them and said. "I don't want to see all of you today. Leave the town and tell the people who sent you that they will need to send more reasonable people if they want to talk." Flor squinted. "Also, don't expect us to bend against pressure easily. If you want a piece of this large fruit, there are beings protecting it that will bite you."

Flor flew to the side, leaving the door free, and spoke one last time. "I have never stopped people from trying to develop in our lands as long as they follow our rules. If you want to have a place in the Golden Sap Town, tell your superiors to adhere to the same rules as everyone else." 

"50 <Syl >."

A woman at the back, wearing a luxurious robe and holding a beautiful fan, spoke. "My Lord offers you 50 Syl in exchange for the town. That's so much money that you can probably never make it in your entire life. Not to mention, this is an initial investment."

Flor looked at her with a sneer. While the amount of money they've ever made during the last months barely amounted to one percent of that amount, Flor smiled coldly and said. "Your Lord is very generous. However, I am not. Putting a price on a World Tree is insulting, foxkin."

The woman laughed, waving her fan. "This world runs on currency and strength, regardless of what people say. What are you going to do? Kill me like you did with that man?"

Flor raised her eyebrows. "Why not?"

The foxkin grinned. "Because you won't kill someone who can offer that amount of money."

Flor's cold smile completely became even more chilly, making the beautiful foxkin's smile falter. "Hm?"

Flor laughed. "You underestimate my love for the World Tree, foxkin. Liu Shu!"

The foxkin's expression changed, and her eyes widened. "WAIT! We can talk about this!"

Flor shook her head. "Die for your arrogance."

Roots burst out from the ground, coiling around the elegant foxkin, and then, she was swallowed underground. 

[Congratulations on defeating <Level 14 Brown Mist Foxkin>. You've gained 6 Experience Points.]

Liu Shu dug out the pouch from the ground and threw it under Flor's feet. Then, she said. "Oh look, now we are quite a few Syl richer! Send them back to the person who sent the foxkin and say that we bought his foxkin for all this money! Aren't we generous? We bought the life of a foxkin for the same price they placed on a World Tree!" 

The remaining 22 people didn't even dare speak up as they all lowered their heads and quickly left.