Chapter 3
* * *
At the same time.
The chamberlain entered the office of Aitana, the original story’s female lead and Edrion’s older sister.
“Your Majesty the Empress, a message from Duke Akshad.”
“Speak.”
“He has departed the south with Lady Noella and is scheduled to arrive at the outskirts of the capital in four days.”
Aitana nodded, and the chamberlain bowed again before retreating.
She set down the document she was reading and sank into brief thoughts.
‘The World Tree caretaker…’
The World Tree, Yggdrasil.
The first creation made by the primordial god, a transcendent being connecting the east, west, south, and north of the continent.
Though it took the form of a tree, its essence was a crystallization of ancient magic condensed from mana.
Therefore, the task of managing it was exclusively handled by the imperial magic department, and finding the cause of the World Tree’s withering was also the role of the mages.
So originally, there would be no need to call in a separate horticulturist…
‘Sis, is Lilith doing well? No beggar-like guy has latched onto her, right? Actually, Lilith is so attractive that anyone who can’t see her charm has beggar-like eyes.’
‘Then go seduce her yourself.’
‘But what if Lilith hates me? What if she misunderstands me as a neglectful fiancé all this time? Or if my looks aren’t her type? She might prefer someone small and precious like herself. What do I do then? What do you think, sis?’
‘…This guy’s a total idiot.’
No matter how she thought about it, her younger brother was an idiot with only a fine appearance.
He seemed perfectly normal when attending council or state meetings, or when chewing out his subordinates finely…
But whenever the topic of his fiancée came up, he turned into a fool.
‘I miss Lilith.’
‘Oh, come on.’
‘Would it be bad if I sneaked over to see her? Her maid seems surprisingly sharp.’
‘Oh, come on.’
‘Or is there a way to bring Lilith to the capital? I can’t leave her suffering alone in that backwater forever… Ah, I’ve got a good idea!’
Edrion, who had been muttering to himself in front of his sister, suddenly lifted his head.
Then, to Aitana, who had been half-heartedly responding with dead-fish eyes, he proposed that he had a talented individual he wanted to recommend as the World Tree caretaker.
Of course, becoming the World Tree caretaker required a quite complex verification process, but Lilith’s status was solid, and Aitana owed her a debt of sorts.
Above all, if it meant getting that damned brother’s bastard face out of her sight, she felt like she could do anything.
Aitana immediately ran to her husband, and the emperor, her faithful foot-washer, readily agreed.
“Four days… So they’ll arrive soon.”
Lilith wasn’t a mage, and Aitana didn’t expect her to revive the World Tree.
Horticulture was, after all, a study of plants ‘within the cycle of nature.’
In contrast, the World Tree merely took the shape of a tree but was in reality a transcendent being not bound by nature’s cycle.
‘Doing all sorts of nonsense because of that idiot brother.’
Aitana clicked her tongue lowly and picked up the document again.
Unaware that in a few days, she herself would become that idiot…
* * *
The running carriage came to a stop.
Lilith, waking from a light nap, blinked blankly, and Edrion, noticing the situation, turned his horse and pulled up beside the carriage.
“I’m sorry, did I wake you? We’ve stopped briefly for an inspection.”
“Yeees…”
It was exactly the fifth day since leaving the south.
They’d stop at villages to take lodgings and rest when the sun set, but with her basically weak stamina, her limbs felt limp like wet cotton.
Lilith rubbed her sleep-heavy eyes and muttered.
“But where is this inspection? I think we passed the capital earlier.”
Thanks to the terrorist group Shadow Forces rampaging across the continent lately, Lilith had to go through inspections every time they crossed regions.
Though, since her companion was none other than the empire’s hero, Duke Akshad, it usually ended with a few casual greetings.
Peering out the window to check the situation, Lilith’s eyes widened in an instant.
‘Wow…’
Was there such a place in the capital?
A vast, green hill that seemed almost untouched by human hands stretched out before her.
“May I take a short walk until the inspection is over?”
“Of course.”
Edrion lightly jumped down from his high saddle and opened the carriage door.
He extended his arm for Lilith to hold as she descended, then slowly matched her quick, small steps as she walked.
“Lilith, did you know that the World Tree is actually not a tree?”
It was a sudden question.
But since Edrion was the captain of the guardian knight order protecting the World Tree, from his perspective, it might be small talk to ease the awkward atmosphere.
Without much thought, Lilith answered based on what she knew.
“I know it’s only in the form of a tree, but its essence is a magical being.”
“That’s correct.”
That’s why Lilith hadn’t learned anything about the World Tree during her academy days.
Handling the magical and transcendent World Tree in horticulture would be blasphemy itself.
Thus, departments studying the World Tree were limited to magic or theology faculties.
‘Yeah, let’s think positively. What came to me is a gardener commission. Not a World Tree management one.’
In the original story, the World Tree withering was in the middle of part 2, about two years from now.
So, she just needed to muddle through for a few months and then resign citing health reasons.
After that, whether chaos erupted in the palace or war broke out, she could return to the south and quietly hole up—problem solved.
‘What lunatic would entrust World Tree management to a gardener? Right?’
As if sensing Lilith’s thoughts, Edrion flashed a refreshing smile.
“Actually, what we want to entrust to you isn’t something as trivial as a garden.”
“Pardon?”
“The imperial family hopes you’ll manage the World Tree.”
“…?”
Edrion briefly explained how it had come to this.
In recent years, the World Tree had been withering due to an unknown cause.
There were suspects behind it, but only circumstantial evidence, no proof, and they hadn’t even properly figured out the method used to wither it.
The palace mages and priests dispatched from the grand temple had tried every method, but reviving the World Tree was beyond them.
In the midst of that, someone thought:
‘What if we show the World Tree to someone completely different—not a mage or priest. Like a gardener, for instance?’
However, the fact that the World Tree was dying was top secret among top secrets.
Thus, the new caretaker had to have a solid identity, guaranteed skills and experience, a tight lip, and narrow social connections.
“Ah, so that’s why me?”
“That’s how it turned out.”
“…”
What lunatic came up with that damned idea?
Gritting her teeth inwardly, Lilith stammered out her words.
“B-But wouldn’t it be blasphemy for a horticulture doctor like me to manage the World Tree? Treating it like an ordinary tree.”
“Everything will proceed in utmost secrecy.”
“How long will that secret hold? They say the palace has eyes in the walls and ears in the floors.”
“Ah, no need to worry about that. You’ll be entering the palace as my fiancée.”
“…?”
“I’m tasked with guarding the World Tree, so if you move under the pretext of meeting me, no one will suspect you.”
What?!
Lilith gathered her increasingly hazy mind and thought.
‘Is there no way out? They’re really entrusting World Tree management to a horticulturist? Are they sane?’
No, maybe it’s good that I know in advance. There are plenty of ways to get kicked out of the palace.
Just do something that’s obviously blasphemy.
Check drainage and nutrition like a normal tree, inspect leaves for pests, sprinkle some fertilizer and pesticides, water it casually.
And top it off with pruning to shape it—perfect, right?
‘Hehe, that’s it.’
If an ordinary gardener did this, their head would fly off immediately, but she was the legitimate daughter of the Noella family, one of the empire’s four ducal houses.
Surely, it would end with just being chased out of the capital.
And they wouldn’t seek her out again.
‘Very nice…’
Lilith, nodding in satisfaction, suddenly stopped walking.
In the middle of a gentle hill stood something with an overwhelming presence that couldn’t be ignored.
It was a tree.
So ancient that its height pierced the sky, its trunk so thick that five or six adult men couldn’t encircle it, branches straight, leaves emitting a brilliant golden light.
Even the roots partially protruding above ground were thick and majestic.
An indescribable ominous premonition made Lilith turn to Edrion as if demanding an explanation.
“Welcome to the sacred site, Lilith.”
“…”
Ah.
