After Frak left.

Beeeeep—

A letter arrived from Barad.

When I unfolded it, the negotiation terms and Barad’s proposal were written there.

‘Send Storm Brigade members as Prahum Kingdom swordsmanship instructors?’

It wasn’t a bad idea.

And in this negotiation, the lead—literally—was me.

I sent a reply letter saying I would accept everything.

Ding!

[Kingdom Quest: Negotiator]

Rank: A

Restriction: One proposed by the king

Reward: Negotiation Progress 10% and Kingdom Contribution 5%.

Failure Penalty: Decrease in Affinity with Barad.

Description: As a negotiator, during the 10 days you remain in the Prahum Kingdom, you can raise Negotiation Progress by accomplishing various tasks, and both improving relations between the Prahum Kingdom and the Kingdom of Goyard and how well the Storm Brigade members teach swordsmanship will also affect it.

The quest told me a lot.

First: as a Junior Baron of Goyard, the time I could remain in the Prahum Kingdom was 10 days.

And the Negotiation Progress I’d raise through this negotiation.

‘Negotiation Progress 10% and Contribution 5%.’

My current Kingdom Contribution was 29%.

When it reached 100%, in most cases I’d be able to obtain the next title.

Suddenly, I thought of the forty-nine soldiers who said they would wait in Araham Territory.

Normally, once soldiers finished a certain amount of training, they had to go find their lord.

And yet they’d said they would wait.

Once I earned the next title, I could bring them in.

‘Hold on just a little longer.’

Then—

Creeeak.

The door opened, and Ben entered the garden.

I gave a small nod.

Sky King Ben was infamous for being an exceptionally cranky king.

And I knew it, too.

‘The notification that I bought Ben’s heart.’

That wasn’t quite the same concept as Affinity.

Through Barad’s letter, I learned that they’d planned to send me from the start.

But I also knew Ben wouldn’t allow me easily.

In practice, “Ben’s heart” was nothing more than a Prahum Kingdom entry ticket.

‘In His Majesty’s letter, he told me to produce results that would satisfy and delight Ben.’

But that itself was questionable.

Whether I could buy that old man’s heart at all.

Ben soon put his hand on the Small World Tree and got to the point.

“The Small World Tree is a tree that used to be in the center of the sea.”

The old man, lost in memories, wore a subtle smile.

“At the age of seventeen, when I became king of this Prahum Kingdom, I heard a story—there’s the most beautiful tree in the world out on the sea. I was too young and life was hard. I needed even a little story to cling to, and I needed an achievement, so I went out to sea.”

Ben looked at the drying Small World Tree with an affectionate gaze.

“Everyone said I was insane. That there was a king who believed the most beautiful tree was out in the middle of the sea—on the most dangerous side of the ocean, at that. But after days upon days of sailing, I found it. No, I found this beautiful Small World Tree, standing tall in the heart of the sea. That day, I brought it here. And from then until now, I’ve spent the years with it. It grew old with me.”

From his voice alone, I could tell how precious that tree was to Ben.

“At first, I brought only the Small World Tree and planted it here. But just by taking root, it made other small trees and grass and flower petals sprout around it. But as time passed, the Small World Tree instead made them wither and shrivel, and even it ended up like this.”

A Small World Tree that once created nature now made everything around it wilt.

‘Is that what the notification meant by disaster?’

When I first saw the Small World Tree, I’d gotten this notification.

[The Small World Tree may cause disaster.]

“I struggled to revive this Small World Tree, and I found one method.”

“What is it?”

“The Small World Tree was out at sea. It’s the reverse of how a forest is supposed to be—forests belong on land.”

Ben took out a water bottle and poured it over the Small World Tree.

Sssss—

The area where the water landed regenerated rapidly—then withered away again.

“Literally. It needs water. Not the level of watering it, not just dampening it—an enormous amount of water.”

It needed water.

It was, in a sense, a simple problem.

Why not use magic to create water and pour it?

But Ben answered that question before I asked it.

“Magic is a power that doesn’t manifest permanently. And perhaps because the Small World Tree is an artifact material... it reacts more strongly to water made from artifacts.”

Then Ben said the most important thing.

“I want you to craft an artifact that can keep this Small World Tree from withering further for at least a few years. Honestly, I don’t expect it to return to a perfect state.”

As he spoke, Ben started walking toward the door again.

“Nobles and blacksmiths will storm into this garden soon. I hear you have the power to craft equipment quickly.”

He meant God’s Emergency Crafting.

“Many suspect the wisdom of entrusting something this important to a negotiator from another kingdom. You must prove yourself—to them, and to me.”

And with that, Ben left.

After he left, I understood he meant to test me.

‘An artifact that can spray out a huge amount of water...’

A single sword came to mind.

‘Water bursting out of that one sword...’

Like a faucet, gushing.

‘I think I know why no one’s been able to save it.’

A garden the size of two athletic fields combined.

Revive the Small World Tree inside this with an artifact that produces water like a faucet?

That would be impossible, too.

‘What about dumping a massive amount of water at once?’

No. That was impossible as well.

Because when Ben poured water earlier, the tree looked like it was reviving—then quickly withered.

Then—

[A small disaster will begin soon.]

At the sudden notification, I stared at the Small World Tree with a flustered expression.

‘What?’

Only then did I understand.

The notification that said a disaster might occur.

And the Small World Tree that made everything wither.

From the start, that hadn’t meant disaster had already occurred.

That “disaster” wasn’t 禍.

It was 火.

[A small fire begins to blaze.]

Flames began burning at the base of the Small World Tree.

Whooosh—

[If you fail to suppress the small fire within 3 minutes, the Small World Tree will be completely annihilated.]

‘If the Small World Tree is completely annihilated, the negotiation itself becomes meaningless.’

As I watched the blazing flames, something flashed through my mind.

‘If pouring water doesn’t work, and creating water doesn’t work, then I should try that method...’

At that moment—

KABOOOOOM—!

A massive explosion from the Small World Tree slammed into me.

I flew backward and heard an absurd notification.

[HP falls below 56%.]

[It is not easy to endure severe burns.]

[You are afflicted with the status effect Dizziness.]

*****

Ben stepped outside.

He spoke with the kingdom’s best blacksmith and the kingdom’s nobles.

First, the nobles.

“Your Majesty, the people are uneasy. Carefully speaking... some are saying you’ve developed dementia.”

Ben had not told them something.

It lay in the secret of the Small World Tree.

The Small World Tree.

According to legend, if you revived it completely, you could obtain fruit that granted abundant crops.

“We all know it, don’t we? Someday that tree will create a massive disaster.”

Yes. The Small World Tree had warned them steadily.

“The people are saying we should abandon the Small World Tree.”

The blacksmiths said similar things.

“Your Majesty, an artifact capable of saving the Small World Tree cannot exist.”

Hundreds of blacksmiths had once banded together to create an artifact that could infuse it with water.

And even then, it had always failed.

So Ben chuckled softly.

“From the start, didn’t we decide to give that negotiator an impossible task?”

“...Oh?”

“Ho.”

Hearing it put that way, it was true.

They’d assigned something no one could accomplish.

Of course, Ben carried a small hope that the Small World Tree might be saved.

Then—

KABOOOOOM—!

A roar that shook the entire castle made everyone flinch.

Ben reacted first.

He hurriedly threw the garden door open.

Whooosh—

A tremendous blaze surged up inside, then ebbed, and Ben stepped in.

“Ah...”

Ben looked at the burning Small World Tree.

His vassals had kept saying it.

‘Your Majesty, you must abandon the Small World Tree.’

‘The people say you’re insane! Their sentiment is more chaotic now than even ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) when you went out to find the World Tree in the past!’

The reason Ben couldn’t abandon the Small World Tree was that even without him, the Small World Tree could remain here.

Ben had grown old with the World Tree.

He would be forgotten someday, but he couldn’t bring himself to discard the Small World Tree he’d obtained when he was young, believing it would remain here.

More bluntly—

The old man, having aged, refused to abandon the Small World Tree because he himself would be abandoned in the end.

‘It was my greed.’

Ben admitted it at last.

How foolish it was to leave it be, even knowing disaster could occur.

And the vassals and blacksmiths who had entered with him—

“...Maybe it’s for the best.”

Words spoken without understanding the king’s heart.

Whooosh—

The flames grew fiercer.

Ben couldn’t take a step. He had a strong body, and he could endure this much.

But his vassals and blacksmiths stumbled backward at the violently spreading flames.

“Your Majesty, you must retreat!”

“P-Please, you should go!”

“...”

Yes. Ben envied Barad.

If they were Barad’s vassals, they wouldn’t just talk—they would have stepped in front of him first and blocked him.

In truth, Ben had no one like Bella who stayed by Barad’s side.

And unlike Barad, Ben wasn’t loved by all the people, and he had almost no trustworthy loyal vassals.

Because his personality was so cranky.

WHOOOOSH—!

THUD—!

The flames grew fiercer and seized the entire space.

[The Small World Tree will be completely annihilated in 30 seconds.]

The Small World Tree was turning completely black as it burned. Ben turned his body.

‘Farewell...’

Then, beyond the towering blaze—

He saw a figure shaking their head hard as they rose.

Blacksmith Hyun.

He began walking inward, cutting through the flames, and above his head a mineral and a branch lifted up.

Ben fixed his eyes on him.

It was strange.

The nobles and blacksmiths who had said, “Trust only us,” began to flee.

“Hot—hot!”

“R-Run, hurry!”

“Call the soldiers!”

But a vassal from an enemy kingdom walked toward him.

Hyun passed him without pause. When he reached his hand toward the sky, a spear he’d made descended into his palm.

Shhk—

He gripped the spear with both hands.

Puuuuur....

Between the flames spreading with the roar of explosions, he drove the spear down with all his strength.

CRACK—!

In that instant—

Ben made a puzzled expression.

A moment ago, the explosion had been about to swallow both Hyun and Ben.

But now, it felt like his breath had been choked off for a moment—he grabbed his throat without thinking, then lowered his hand.

He silently looked around.

Where was this place?

He moved his hand.

Swish—

Because of the water filling everything, his hand moved slowly.

Then Hyun’s voice brought Ben’s thoughts back.

“If pouring water doesn’t work, and making water with a sword doesn’t work...”

Ben stared at Hyun, who wore a small, shaky smile.

“Then wouldn’t it work if we put the Small World Tree into the sea?”

Only then did Ben realize where he was.

Yes. The sea’s depths.

Ben was inside the ocean.

And Hyunsoo heard a notification.

[You have stopped the annihilation of the Small World Tree.]

And for me, it came quite a few times.

[Negotiation Progress increases by 4%.]

[Negotiation Progress increases by 6%.]

Those notifications kept ringing out.

And Ben, looking at the World Tree with its flames extinguished inside the sea, asked,

“...You could have died. Why didn’t you run?”

I was honest.

“Because it isn’t real death anyway, and I judged that earning Your Majesty Ben’s heart was worth more. And...”

Ben understood why Barad treasured me.

“Isn’t it a tree you cherish, Your Majesty.”

And the end of the notifications I heard was this.

[Affinity with Ben increases.]

[You have achieved 39% Negotiation Progress.]

And the old man smiled where no one could see it.