After she woke up, the woman didn't want to go out. However, she was forced out of bed by the Lignified Tree she lived in. Her pale face, sunken cheeks, and dark eye circles could easily tell her current mental condition. "W-What do you want? Why are you forcing me to wake up?"

The voice that answered her was not the tree's but Liu Shu's. "You are quite involved, so I decided to use you to bring them out in the open. Now, go to work like normal and then deliver a set of documents to them."

The woman was trembling as she listened, stammering while answering. "B-But I don't know which documents."

"Just do as you are told."

Liu Shu's presence disappeared from the room. The woman sat in the living room, alone, and looked at the already prepared breakfast. A root poked out and slapped her shoulder lightly, as if telling her to speed up her actions.

So, holding back the nausea, the woman ate the otherwise delicious breakfast. Even then, she couldn't taste a single thing, her mind spinning and trying to find methods to keep her life. 'Even if I confess now, it is too late. Should I ask her to forgive me and use me as a spy? I can become a useful double agent.'

While walking down the stairs, she met with a few of her neighbors. He was a middle-aged man with a family and an approachable vibe. "Hey, Emlen. It is nice to see you this morning. You usually wake up much earlier."

Emlen nodded once and continued walking down, her mind preoccupied. The neighbor was somewhat suspicious, but he didn't call out again. 'I wonder why she is so worried?'

When she reached the lowest floor and walked outside, Emlen took a look at her surroundings once more. '...Why did I even do what I did?'

Around her, Lignified Trees could be seen as far as her sight stretched. The city had long, perfectly designed streets, with enough space between them to avoid feeling crammed, so that living didn't feel suffocating. Just stepping outside would usually make you feel refreshed and full of vitality.

The people walking around were not too numerous. With the capacity of the city, everyone was spread out nicely, creating a welcoming environment. People welcomed each other, speaking together and letting their children play around without worries.

Large ants slowly walked down the streets, their black compound eyes taking in the surroundings with barely any head movements. Emlen looked up, looking beyond the canopy of the tall trees, and could easily see parts of the World Tree's canopy. Above her, a grayish sky filled with rain clouds blocked out the Sun; it was rainy season in the Wild Continent.

"Lady Heavenly Willow… Please forgive me. I know my wrongs."

Her mutter went unanswered, so, with a heavy heart, she moved to a nearby stable and rented a transportation beast and carriage. These stables were spread out throughout the city. The animals used for pulling the carriages came from a batch Liu Shu had been growing in her farms for decades. Their numbers were significant, making it rather affordable for anyone with a decent income.

When Emlen traversed the center of the paved streets, her soulless gaze took in the happy residents of the city. The more she looked, the more she felt she was blind before. She spoke, her mutter full of bitter regret. "At least… I will follow Lady Heavenly Willow's words during my last hours. This will be good as repentance for my actions."

It took around ten minutes to arrive at the Town Hall, where she usually worked. The Town Hall, one of the tallest Landmarks of the city, exuded both presence and power. The sleek exterior, interlocking branches at the top, beautiful windows, and the multitude of people entering and exiting constantly told volumes about how busy it was inside.

As she walked inside, Emlen received the greeting of a few guards. "Good morning, Lady Emlen."

"Hope you had a great night, Lady Emlen."

Emlen smiled weakly. "Good morning to you, too."

Stepping inside, a massive reception room welcomed her. In the reception room of the Town Hall, the citizens could speak to government officials directly and have their worries listened to. There were protocols for how to answer each basic inquiry, taking care of most people. For those whose inquiries were outside of the protocols, they were given a permit to go to higher floors.

To work here, one had to have a profound education and extra studies given by the government after joining. This way, the efficiency of work was nothing but exceptional.

As she walked toward the stairs on the second floor, she was approached by a Sylvan. A melodious voice pleasantly rang in her ear. "Lady Emlen, wait."

Emlen looked over and frowned. 'This woman…' She looked at the purplish-blue hair, pear-shaped slim figure, and short stature. Then, she recalled. 'Right, she is a Sylvan from the Songtree family.'

"Yes, Miss Songtree. What's the matter?"

The girl smiled and spoke. "My aunt, Lady Harmonixia, is calling you. Please follow me."

Emlen's entire body burst into goosebumps as her muscles and expression tensed. The girl, seeing Emlen's reaction, noticed that something was wrong. Nevertheless, she didn't pry into it. 'Aunt has personally called, so it is normal for her to be so scared.'

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Her aunt seemed pleasant on the surface, but everyone who has worked with her knew how strict she truly was. Moreover, whenever her aunt-in-law, the World Tree, was involved… 'Ugh. Just thinking about it makes my stomach churn from nervousness. Any mistake is utterly prohibited from occurring when dealing with the aunt-in-law's matters.'

While walking to the top floor, their steps rang silently on the wooden stairs. Since everyone walked everywhere, the overall health of the population was excellent. Moreover, with the help of levels and extra strength, going to the top floor of a 200-meter tree only made them sweat a bit.

Once there, the girl took out a handkerchief and cleaned her sweaty forehead. "We've arrived. Please go on, Lady Emlen."

Emlen's breath was also slightly ragged, with her face covered in a gentle flush from the exercise. Copying the girl, she took out a pocket wipe and cleaned her forehead. Only Emlen herself knew whether the sweat was due to tiredness or nervousness.

The woman walked forward down a hallway and came in front of a pair of robust doors. While she hesitated, a pleasant and almost musical voice reached her.

"Please, come in."

The harmony in the voice was delightful, but Emlen only felt her insides twist. After taking a deep breath, she pushed open the doors and walked inside, her legs trembling slightly.

The room she entered was nothing short of breathtaking. The wooden walls curved slightly, while the furniture imitated different tree forms. The furniture was not only beautiful, but it also had spaces and cabinets to store documents and other objects. A soft carpet of natural grass covered the floor, cleanly taken care of.

Then, in the middle of the room, a large desk connected to the floor like a tree's sprouting roots could be spotted. The desk, made out of the Town Hall's wood, had carvings of nature and intricate instruments.

On top of the detailed piece of art that was the desk, orderly stacks of papers were gathered in one corner. Then, at the other corner, a gorgeous flower exuded a pleasant fragrance and opened its petals under the faint light coming from the window.

Finally, in the middle of the desk, a woman similar to the girl she encountered earlier was sitting elegantly. The shifting hues of her blue-purplish eyes and hair added to her unmatched charm, and her tall stature and presence made others want to worship the elegant being. With a face that even Sylvans felt envious of, she was the unmistakable Song Muse, lover of the Heavenly Willow: Harmonixia Songtree.

"Emlen, right? Come and sit." Harmonixia smiled. "If you stay by the door, it will be uncomfortable when we speak, right?"

Emlen gulped. 'Being so close to a <Fourth Energy Cycle> is suffocating. The passive influence on her surroundings bends the Aether Mana to her will.'

With difficulty, Emlen reached the front of the desk. Then, behind her, the floor deformed, and a chair appeared for her to sit on. Clearly, the Town Hall created the wooden chair. Harmonixia spoke softly. "Thank you, baby."

Emlen knew that she was speaking to the Town Hall, so she didn't say anything. Since they were the Heavenly Willow's children, Harmonixia would naturally treat them as her own.

"Now…" Harmonixia fiddled with the gorgeous flower by her side and smiled. "Let's speak about what you can do for us, shall we?"

Emlen wanted to speak, but her throat was dry. Only then did she realize that her body was trembling as sweat soaked her clothes. She felt so parched that she couldn't speak even if she wanted to.

Harmonixia's lips arched slightly. "Oh my, you are so nervous that even speaking is difficult. Here, drink this tea. You will probably calm down."

Emlen was so thirsty that she didn't give it much thought and reached out with her trembling hands.

After downing the tea, her body felt a sense of relaxation, and a comfortable sigh escaped her.

[You've drunk <Soul Soothing Tea (A Rank)>. Your <Anima> is temporarily increased by 5%.]

Looking at the effects, Emlen was stunned. Then, she spoke with a stutter. "T-Thank you, Lady Harmonixia."

Harmonixia's finger continued playing with the flower, and the flower answered adorably. It would sometimes coil its petals around her fingers, and at other times, it would shake as if laughing when Harmonixia tickled it. Emlen remembered. 'That must be Violue, one of Harmonixia's biological daughters.'

This flower was almost as famous as Harmonixia herself because some people nearly lost their lives by exchanging it for new flowers to earn "favor" from Harmonixia. 'The fact that those people were spared is beyond me…'

"Emlen. I know everything about you. After Lian'er… excuse me, Liu Shu told me what you and those people of the Explorer Association were planning, I was in disbelief."

Emlen still stumbled with her words, even when her mind and body were calmer. "Lady Harmonixia, I know what wrongs I committed. Honestly, I was unaware that they were manipulating Lady Heavenly Willow's children. If I knew, I wouldn't have cooperated like I did! I was greedy, but I never wanted to make enemies out of Lady Heavenly Willow."

Harmonixia didn't interrupt and allowed her to speak, her gaze always on Violue. "Anything else?"

"Um… Excuse me? I don't understand…"

Harmonixia still didn't look at Emlen, her finger gently tickling Violue's stalk. "I asked if there was any other confession you wanted to make."

Emlen's eyes darted around, trying to think what Harmonixia was searching for. "That… I am willing to become your hunting dog or soldier ant. I will work honestly, so please, spare my life. I don't want to die."

Her choking voice and teary eyes were heartbreaking, but not for Harmonixia. The Sylvan raised her eyes for the first time, and Emlen let out a silent scream.

Harmonixia's blue and purple shifting eyes were cold like the ice on the moon, as if she were looking not at a living creature but at a dead person.

"Spare you?"

Harmonixia's lips arched while the colors in her eyes swirled with deep obsession.

"Spare someone who made my Lian'er upset? Huhu…"

Emlen wanted to leave; she wanted to flee. Her very soul was screaming for her to run, and if not possible, to kill herself. This person was not normal at all; those profound eyes carried a particular hint of madness that terrified her to her core.

"L-L-Lady Harmonixia! P-Please, please! I swear I will do anything! Please!"

Harmonixia's expression didn't even twitch. "You have two options. Listen to us and die cleanly… Or don't listen to us and fall into a place where death is a mercy. Choose."

Emlen knew that she had no choice. "I, I will listen."

Harmonixia's smile arched slightly higher. "Good."

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