The Academy’s Deceased Ate It All

Lee Ye-Eun ran across her dorm room without taking off her shoes.

She then roughly picked up the envelope on the bed.

When she heard the story on the phone, she rushed here leaving everything behind.

Comforting her nauseous stomach somehow, she tore the envelope as she stood.

There were only a few sheets of documents inside.

Reading it with her trembling hands, she sat on the bed as if she were falling.

Then she lifted the cell phone she was holding so tightly that it broke and held it close to her ear.

“… Say it."

[Yes.]

On the other side of the phone, the man who had completed the investigation into Yoo Ji-Hyuk at her order spoke in a very businesslike tone.

[After checking, it was found that Yoo Ji-Hyuk does not have anyone related by blood. No parents, no siblings, no relatives. Not only that, but there is also no one to act as his guardian.]

"And?"

[And…… Bizarrely, no records of the past could be found.]

The man took a deep breath and continued.

[It wasn't just the level of few records, there was literally nothing. I couldn't find any information........ Where was he born, where did he grow up. The only trace that I could find was the fact that he worked part-time for a short time at the Archives before joining the Academy. Other than that, there was nothing.]

“That means…… .”

[It seems more reasonable to assume that someone intentionally deleted the information.]

Of course, it is by no means easy to erase a person's past so completely.

You must have money and manpower, as well as enough power to do such a thing and bury it.

And there are very few people who meet all of those conditions.

Of course, there was also the possibility that he had made a mistake or had done things immaturely.

However, Lee Ye-Eun immediately erased that possibility from her options.

As evidence of that, Lee Ye-Eun took a breath and examined the documents the man had left behind.

The document contained a list of people in the clan who had a history of leading a so-called elegant private life.

In the meantime, there were also records of people who had illegitimate children or children out of wedlock.

If he concluded that 'I couldn't find anything', when he dug up this information in just a few days, he really couldn't find anything.

However, Lee Ye-Eun's shaking was not due to the fact that her clan was morally flawed.

She didn't expect anything from them in the first place.

However, with the three letters of a name written at the end of the document, Lee Ye-Eun seemed to collapse at any moment.

Lee Je-Seok.

Lee Ye-Eun let out a ragged breath when she saw the name of the man who was the Head of the World Tree Clan, who had been unconscious for years now, and who was also her father.

“… So did my father.”

He was so loyal to mother.

Muttering quietly, Lee Ye-Eun asked with difficulty.

“Since when has it been like that?”

[…… .]

Unusually, the man hesitated to reply.

Lee Ye-Eun raised her voice like a scream with harsh swear words.

“I'm asking you when!!!”

[… I believe it was not long after his wife gave birth to his daughter.]

In response, Lee Ye-Eun closed her trembling eyes.

Then she asked quietly.

"What about the other person? No, it was just a simple affair? Right?"

To her question as if she was hanging on it, the man quietly answered.

[The other woman is said to have died about a year later. Other than that... Sorry. I didn't find anything. Likewise, I think that all information has been deleted.]

Lee Ye-Eun shut her mouth.

Then, in a daze, she was reported with the information about illegitimate children or children born out of wedlock regarding the clan on the list.

Not a single one of them was around her age.

Of course, everything was just Lee Ye-Eun's suspicion.

The fact that Yoo Ji-Hyuk had no records of his past and that her own father had an affair in the past were stories that had no connection.

But…… .

Branch of the World Tree.

Among the world tree clan, only a small fraction of people of the so-called family members, who have inherited its power the most, can accept the branches of the World Tree in their bodies.

And in the present age, those who accepted the branch of the World Tree in their bodies were the traitor of the clan and her father, both who could not be forgiven even if they were torn to death.

There were only those two.

Even then, her father, who was the head of the clan, was in a state where the power of the World Tree had gone out of control and he was unconscious, looking like a plant.

Although it is a shame, Lee Ye-Eun didn't accept the branch of the World Tree into her body.

But that didn't mean she couldn't accept the power of the World Tree.

Only people of the World Tree clan could hold the power of the World Tree inside their bodies.

If others accept it, it will soon disintegrate and result in death.

If there was only one exception, it was the so-called ‘baptism’, in which the traitor of the clan granted his power to others.

However, even if the man had been chosen by the branch of the world tree, he could not baptize others blindly.

Even if they were baptized, the extent to which they could handle the World Tree was limited or was just a subspecies of World Tree.

And that day, what Lee Ye-Eun saw was definitely the World Tree.

A branch of the real World Tree, not the chaos caused by baptism.

It was she who saw in person the branch of the World Tree that her father and traitor of the clan had blossomed.

There was no way she was mistaken.

She was no one else and she couldn't have mistaken herself.

"It can't be…… .”

She just assumed that he had similar abilities and moved on.

Brunch of World Tree, isn't it absurd?

It was a conclusion from such a firm belief, but now it is being shaken.

The clan of the World Tree possesses all the wealth, manpower, and power.

And my father, who was the head of that clan.

Yoo Ji-Hyuk has no record of his past.

Father's affair at the right time zone.

Yoo Ji-Hyuk, who made the branch of the World Tree bloom.

No way.

No way.

“Ugh… !”

[Lady?]

She covered her mouth at the instantaneous nausea that came over her.

She drew in her breath quietly at the sound of the man's voice coming from the other end of the phone.

Then, with a flash of thought, she babbled in an excited voice.

“Ye, yes! DNA test. There are genetic tests. If we examine the genes of my father, me, and Yoo Ji-Hyuk... ! No, I mean...… .”

[Lady.]

The man quietly informed her of the obvious.

[Unlike ordinary people, our clan has to return to their hometown to do that. Have you forgotten that?]

“…… .”

[There is no way that it is possible to conduct such a test on the Head who has become 'like that', and there is no way that the people of the clan will accept it.]

Lee Ye-Eun closed her mouth.

It was definitely what he said.

Because of the unique nature of the World Tree Clan, there was even a separate doctor and special equipment to treat the World Tree Clan.

And as he said, no one would tolerate such an examination being performed on her father in his current state.

“Then, if we examine Yoo Ji-Hyuk’s body closely…… .”

[How are you going to convince him? Even if you convince him...… .]

The man hesitated here for a moment and opened his mouth.

[You have to take him home to check, but there's no way I can block the eyes and ears of others. And if it turns out that he is a real member of the clan, what are you going to do then?]

Lee Ye-Eun had no choice but to remain silent.

[…… .]

The man was also silent, waiting for her answer.

A brief moment passed.

"Find out more details."

[What are you talking about?]

“My father’s affair. Everything about that woman. I don't care if it's illegal. Find out everything. All of it."

[Yes. all right.]

"Of course, the moment the others find out about this, you're dead. Not by their hands, but by mine."

[Yes. Don't worry.]

"And…… .”

Lee Ye-Eun hesitated for a moment.

Now she didn't care about the guild invitation or anything.

An obsessive-compulsive feeling that she must answer these questions, even if she finds herself in a somewhat difficult situation, took over her body.

But, if.

In all likelihood...… .

Lee Ye-Eun, who had been biting her lips roughly, opened her mouth.

"I'll try to find out about Yoo Ji-Hyuk.”

[That means...… .]

“Don’t do anything about him. I will check it myself.”

[Yes, then.]

With that, Lee Ye-Eun put down the phone, which was cut off.

She then lay on the bed as if she had collapsed and stared blankly at her ceiling.

It can't be.

There is no way.

No, it didn't.

Mumbling like that, Lee Ye-Eun decided to somehow find out about Yoo Ji-Hyuk.

There was no way that the power he possessed was the power of the World Tree.

Didn't she, who had the best sensing ability of anyone in the clan, also guarantee it?

She couldn't feel the power of World Tree from Yoo Ji-Hyuk.

Then, remembering that she also couldn't sense the power of her father and the traitor at all, Lee Ye-Eun covered her face with a pillow.

"No…… .”

There's no way he has the power of the World Tree.

I must have misunderstood something.

It's probably a similar ability.

Even as she mumbled, a voice in the corner of her mind whispered.

What if it's true?

What are you going to do then?

Lee Ye-Eun closed her eyes quietly, not answering the voice.

She was just too tired.

* * *

Lee Ye-Eun suddenly disappeared from the archery club, and Han Soo-young and I headed to the library together.

As the two of us walked, we talked about what had just happened.

“What the hell happened?”

"Well…… I guess it was something urgent. Looking at it, her complexion changed instantly.”

"I hope it's nothing big."

Han Soo-Young muttered as if she had a good impression of Lee Ye-Eun.

In the meantime, I was reminded of the fact that she almost followed me all day today.

“What are you going to do after you go to the library?”

"Well. I haven't really thought about it."

“Then, shall we go to your club this time? You said it was magic exploration, right?”

At my words, Han Soo-Young made a reluctant expression.

She didn't seem to like it very much.

“No, I’m not going today.”

"Huh? Why. Let me take a look too."

“I am not going today. you're not feeling well. Let's go to the library.”

“Then you can go alone…… .”

"I'm not going.”

With a firm voice, Han Soo-Young spat it out like that.

It was when I tilted my head to see her apparently avoiding something.

“Soo-Young.”

I heard the voice of a male student behind us.

Then, Han Soo-young closed her eyes and let out a small sigh, and she turned her head to look at the main character of the voice.

“Hello, senior.”

"Yes. Hello to you too?”

The male student who called Han Soo-Young was quite tall and had a neat impression.

With the typical western look of blond hair and blue eyes, he smiled.

“You're prettier today.”

"Oh yes…… .”

Han Soo-Young nodded her head with a hint of reluctance.

Then, the male student named senior glanced at me.

"Who is he?"

“We are just friends.”

To his subtle question, Han Soo-Young replied in a firm voice.

Then he gave a visibly relieved look.

"Oh, yeah? Just friends...… .”

And I seemed to know roughly what was going on with the two of them.

Han Soo-Young was indeed described in the setting as 'so beautiful that the viewer is instantly amazed'.

In fact, she's very beautiful, too.

I thought that that fact alone would be enough of a reason for this male student to be like this.

"More importantly, Soo-Young, have you thought about what I said?"

The male student who said that was still smiling and looking at Han Soo-Young.

“It's really absurd not to wear an artifact at the guild invitation? You definitely said you didn't have one."

“Yes, I did, but…… .”

"Okay. If you want, I'll lend it to you? That's what seniors and juniors are for, to help in times like these.”

“Thank you for your words, but it’s really burdensome.”

“Ah, the burden. I understand what you're worried about, but since we're in the same cub, I don't think the other people will find it very strange."

"No, but still..… .”

Han Soo-Young's adamant refusal and his willingness to continue lending artifacts made me feel like I knew what was going on.

The guild invitation could be seen as a big event in many ways.

And even if it was the same event, the contents of it would change in many different ways depending on what position you were in.

In the case of the front-liners, as in the games and cartoons of the time, there is a face-off between students.

To be honest, it's the easiest way to show each person's abilities since they're fighting at the forefront, but...….

It's not the UFC, but people go crazy over the sight of students fighting each other.

I honestly didn't understand it, but I had to accept that in this world, heroes are a combination of celebrities and martial artists.

And in the case of the rear-guard, the story becomes a little more complicated.

They were positions that could not be put into a fight like the front-liners, so they showed their abilities in different ways.

For example, in the case of the sniper position, it was about how far and how difficult the target they could hit.

In the case of the supporters, they showed how unique their abilities are.

And in the case of wizards like Han Soo-Young, they cast the most difficult magic that they can show, and in the process, they were allowed to wear artifacts and equipment items that the students had personally prepared.

Thorough preparation and pre-work are also skills. That's the logic......Well.

In the first place, I have always felt that this world was a little bit out of line with the common sense I knew.

“Then you’re just going to go out without any? Soo-Young. I'm not trying to be nosy for no reason.…. .”

“Senior, I’m sorry, but I really…… .”

Han Soo-Young made a face as if she really hated him, but he didn't care.

I had originally planned to stay put, but I couldn't stand the sight of him being so persistent, so I looked at him.

“Hey, I’m sorry, but we’re a little busy.”

Then he spat out, looking at me like I was a pain in the ass.

"Hey."

"What?"

"Can't you even read air? Can't you see I'm talking to her right now?"

“…… .”

“If you’re really busy, you go first, you punk. Where are you being rude...… .”

I didn't respond to his words.

Instead, I made a notification window and started rummaging through my belongings.

[Earring of Magic Control]

And looking at it, I hesitated for a very short time.

Yeah, I can't even use it anyway.

Thinking that way, I stepped forward as if covering Han Soo-Young.

"What?"

Seeing me, he frowned, as if why I hadn't disappeared yet.

I looked at him and smiled.

"No. It's nothing special."

I pretended to rummage through my inner pocket and took out the Earring of Magic Control.

Then I lifted it up so that he could clearly see the strangely shimmering thing in the light.

“She already has her own, so I don't think she needs to borrow it from you, right?"