61 – Let’s Plant Trees
The royal decree had arrived.
“It is concerning that due to recent developments all across the empire, our forest resources may be compromised. Every Minister should set an example by personally taking a lead in planting trees to restore the flora of our empire.”
The quaint penmanship and the antiquated choice of words.
Ascal recognized the source of the decree.
‘This is serious.’
The Emperor is at work.
Since his health improved recently, the Emperor had been looking for something to keep himself busy.
However, the real power of the empire had already been transferred to the crown prince. The Emperor had merely initiated one of those ‘well-intentioned but practically useless’ activities characteristic of high-ranking officials nearing retirement.
But it was the Emperor’s command.
One couldn’t just ignore it.
Ascal gathered the department heads and relayed the contents of the decree.
“Plant one tree each.”
“Where should we do it?”
“You know, the backyard behind the evaluation office. Can’t we just plant one sapling per person there?”
“Hmm.”
The reaction was lukewarm.
Ascal considered three options.
1. Scold them.
2. Motivate them.
3. Straight up ignore the decree.
I see.
There are things you only get to see when you rise to such positions.
The first option was overwhelmingly tempting.
As Ascal was delving into deep thought,
“Do we all intend to shame the Minister? Other offices will be planting trees as well. Can we afford to be outdone?”
Good heavens!
Ascal was touched.
The chief, Cain, had successfully maneuvered the situation.
Essentially, it implied a likelihood of occurrence only if the loyalty exceeds 80 in the guise of a game….
“Listening to you, it does seem that way. Lately, the Department of Development Innovation has been making waves, if they take the title of ‘exemplary department’ next year, it would be quite a disgrace.”
“I enjoy planting flowers!”
Arin blurted out suddenly.
Everyone turned to look at Arin.
Arin, seeming embarrassed, averted her gaze.
‘Right, she too was an overachiever.’
Although it was a little worrying, her enthusiasm was certainly a good thing.
“So with that, let’s end this meeting.”
“I wonder if I should mix poison in his medicine? His incompetence is only bearable to a certain point after all, and he just continues tormenting his subordinates. Should I just kill him……”
Elenia, the former empress of the empire spat out venomously.
Ascal sat quietly in his chair, unable to respond, just staring blankly.
At such times it was best to feign ignorance. Otherwise, he ran the risk of a permanent departure of his head from his body.
“So, is business going well?”
Since realizing she was the former empress, Ascal seriously considered if he should maintain a more respectful address. However, he decided to keep the original way of addressing her when she was Elenia.
Reflecting on it, people of this family seemed to enjoy their double identities too much. Yulia, Serena, Elenia. Perhaps even the Crown Prince?
“Yes. It seems where there are people, there are conflicts. Everyone carries various concerns. Especially those in relationship counseling……”
“I see.”
“hehehe, you’re quite popular aren’t you, Minister?”
Lowering her upper body, Elenia whispered to Ascal.
“Which of my daughters do you fancy? Serena or Yulia?”
Ascal replied calmly.
“How dare I harbor such inappropriate feelings toward the noble royal family.”
“You’re not exactly underqualified now, are you, Minister?”
“…….”
Her eyes, full of mischief, were like black obsidian.
It’s a loss to be wrapped around the witch’s finger.
Ascal changed the subject.
“Enough with the teasing. Given that you have visited a fortune-telling house, you must want to have your fortune read, right? Ah right, for you, Minister, it’s free for life.”
“Even the candies are free!”
Flora rattled over and handed over a candy.
Ascal stroked Flora’s head while savoring a grape-flavored candy.
“So what’s your prediction?”
“Escape from the Empire.”
“You haven’t given up on that yet, huh.”
“Escape from the Empire.”
“Ugh…”
Elenia picked up the crystal ball.
Last time, she had read the ball thoughtlessly and it had shattered, but this time she began to scrutinize it, being mindful of not overloading it.
In truth, getting readings on the same matter multiple times wasn’t a good practice, but Ascal was both a benefactor and a man categorized as a storm-bringer, so his destiny had always been drastically shifting.
Maybe this time.
“Well, it might be actually possible?”
“Really!?”
“Your fate’s compass is pointing north. If it’s in that direction, it might be feasible.”
Ascal’s mood immediately lifted.
“You’re the best fortune teller.”
“Thank you for the compliment. Oh, also, I heard you’re planting a tree, do you need a seedling?”
“I was going to look for one after work, but if it’s not a trouble I’d gladly accept.”
“Here you go.”
Elenia offered a seedling in a small pot.
Verdant green leaves fluttered.
“I appreciate it.”
Currently, in the evaluation department, there was a competition going on due to tree planting. It was a wager on whose tree would grow the best to make things even more interesting.
Ascal was skeptical.
‘It’s not that the tree’s going to grow overnight. It’d be lucky if it doesn’t wither after few weeks.’
The complaining Ascal took the seedling to the backyard and planted it.
But to his utter surprise, the tree grew overnight.
‘What on earth happened in one day…’
Was it wrong to use the jewel frog’s poop as a fertilizer, or was it that the seedling received from the witch strange to begin with? Or perhaps, the fact that Sushia sang for it to grow well was the reason?
Ascal stood agape looking at a tree almost his height, scanning the surroundings.
All the seedlings the other employees had planted were gone.
Who dug it up overnight?
Yet, there were no traces of digging.
“My Lucius…! Who would do such a thing!”
Sushia, who came with a watering can, slumped down.
“Calm down, Sushia. We can always plant another tree.”
“But, but Lucius won’t come back.”
Ascal soothed Sushia and ordered the staff to replant the tree.
And then, the next day.
Again, the sapling was gone.
And the tree had grown even more. It was even taller than Ascal this time.
‘Could it be that this tree is absorbing other saplings?’
Sushia, who again came with a watering can, slumped down once more.
“Maximus!!!!!”
“Enough of giving up in a day.”
At that moment, Yulia, while examining the tree, spoke.
“The red vein indicates greed that devours competitors in its surroundings. It might be a red lightning tree. Where did you get this?”
“I got it from a soothsayer…”
Ascal swallowed his sentence mid-way.
Come to think of it, they haven’t had a mother-daughter reunion yet, have they?
Considering the previous conversation, it seemed like their relationship wasn’t that good.
“Are you talking about the newly opened fortune-telling store? We should go there right now.”
“Thinking about it, I think I bought it from a flower shop.”
“What’s the name of the shop?”
“Erus, perhaps?”
“There’s no such flower shop in the empire. You must have been mistaken, sir.”
No way, Yulia remembered the names of all the flower shops in the empire? It can’t be. She’s definitely bluffing.
“And if the flower shop sold you this sapling, they should be punished. This is an unapproved exotic species.”
“Come to think of it, I think the soothsayer gave it to me.”
To give him a harmful parasite tree.
Ascal didn’t hesitate to sell out the soothsayer.
“Cough, cough. What brings you to this poor old man?”
Elenia had transformed into an old man before they realized it. He looked completely different from when they first saw him as an illegal street vendor.
The twins were also missing.
As Ascal looked around discreetly, he found the twins hiding between tables and cracks, like cats.
The twins placed a finger over their lips.
Then they mumbled.
-It’s hide and seek. You can’t get caught.
Ascal pretended not to see.
“Where did you get this sapling you gave to the Minister?”
“I got it from my hometown, is there a problem with the sapling?”
“See for yourself.”
“Oh dear, my back.”
The old man picked up his cane and went outside.
What was Elenia’s purpose in giving him such a sapling?
The old man squinted as if his eyes were dimmed, approached the tree, and caressed its texture.
Then he said,
“What’s this…why is it so big?”
Elenia seemed startled.
-That’s a sacred tree.
Ascal, who had been seriously considering whether or not to dig up the tree, met a dragon in his dream.
“We meet quite often these days.”
-I wish I could sleep peacefully, but there are a lot of strange things happening.
“What’s a sacred tree?”
-It’s a tree with a spirit. Some races worship them as guardians. But usually, nine out of ten don’t grow into trees and die.
Why was that precious sacred tree growing in the backyard of the appraisal office?
There were too many guesses that it was actually hard to pinpoint.
-Offer me sacrifices.
“Pardon?”
-Amulets are the best, but a sacred tree like that can somewhat restore my power.
“But it hasn’t even fully grown yet?”
“In a hundred years, it will grow. Dedicate it then.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“The average human dies within a hundred years.”
“And you……”
At that moment.
A dragon with a white body appeared and bit the neck of the cloud dragon.
“Ouch.”
It wasn’t particularly effective.
The dragon that had appeared was far too small compared to the cloud dragon. It was even smaller than Askel.
And the small dragon looked back at Askel.
[I have finally found it.]