Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert-Chapter 552
Chapter 552
Jin Geumho sat in a chair, looking out over the underground city where construction was underway.
Work to break through a passage leading to City Hall was being carried out discreetly.
Once the passage was fully opened, it would be possible to come straight down to the underground city without having to go through Zeon’s building.
The one commanding the construction on the front lines was his secretary, Seo Taeran.
Thanks to that, Jin Geumho could sit back and rest comfortably.
Just then, a small girl approached him.
“Grandpa!”
“Remura, is that you?”
“Please drink this.”
Remura held out to him a glass of water on a tray.
“Ho ho! Thank you. I was just getting thirsty—how did you know?”
“Hehe!”
At Jin Geumho’s praise, Remura let out a delighted laugh.
Hearing praise from Jin Geumho made Remura happier than anything else.
To everyone else, Jin Geumho was endlessly curt and cold, but to Remura alone he cherished and loved her like his own granddaughter.
On the other hand, Jetoya was watching Jin Geumho from afar with a displeased expression.
‘Tch! We’re the ones who built the underground city, and he just puts one spoon on the table and acts like it’s all his doing.’
More than anything, he didn’t like how close Jin Geumho acted toward Remura.
He was uneasy that, at this rate, Jin Geumho might take Remura up to City Hall. The one who comforted such a Jetoya was Levin.
“Remura will never leave this place.”
“How do you know that, hyung?”
“If she were going to City Hall, she wouldn’t have come back here from the World Tree Village in the first place.”
“Ah!”
Jetoya was convinced at once.
He had only heard stories about the World Tree Village.
Just hearing about it was enough to feel how wonderful a place it was.
A village where the World Tree and spirits played and ran about.
Compared to that, the underground city was no different from a sewer. Yet Remura had returned here without hesitation. There was no way she would now chase after bright places and go up to City Hall.
Even so, he still didn’t like Jin Geumho being close to Remura.
Levin patted Jetoya on the shoulder and said,
“Hey! Relax your face. Anyone would think you just got robbed.”
“Well, it’s basically the same, isn’t it? With all those awakeneds from City Hall coming in.”
“That part can’t be helped. They need this place too. Think of it positively. Compared to before, the environment’s improved beyond comparison.”
“Tsk! The residents do seem happy.”
At first, the people of the underground city also felt resistant toward the awakeneds who came from City Hall.
They didn’t welcome outsiders suddenly entering what they thought was their own territory. But thanks to them, the environment of the underground city improved, and now they actually liked it.
In truth, Jin Geumho had given a lot of support to the underground city.
Thanks to that, the environment of the underground city had improved beyond comparison, and the residents welcomed these changes.
Just then, Levin spotted Zeon entering the underground city.
“Huh? It’s Zeon hyung.”
“It really is hyung.”
The two of them immediately ran over to Zeon.
“Zeon hyung!”
“Have you guys been well?”
“What brings you here?”
“I’m here to introduce Lady Liala to the mayor.”
“Really?”
Levin’s eyes widened in surprise at the name Liala.
He hadn’t expected Zeon to make such a decision.
“Where’s the mayor?”
“Over there.”
Levin pointed to the mayor sitting on one side of the plaza.
“Got it. Let’s go.”
Zeon approached Jin Geumho together with Liala.
Sensing someone’s presence, Jin Geumho looked at Zeon.
“You’ve come!”
“How is your health?”
“Thanks to Remura, I’ve recovered perfectly.”
“That’s a relief.”
“At this rate, I think I can work for Neo Seoul for a few more years.”
“More than that—you look like you’ll live a long, healthy life.”
“So you can say flattering things too. But who is the person beside you?”
Jin Geumho’s gaze turned toward Liala standing next to Zeon.
Liala greeted him politely.
“My name is Liala.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Jin Geumho. But you don’t seem to be from around here?”
Jin Geumho’s eye for detail was sharp.
Even though she had changed into the clothes usually worn in Neo Seoul, he sensed the foreign air about Liala.
Zeon spoke in her place.
“She’s from El Harun.”
“El… Harun? That’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.”
“You knew about it?”
“I knew of its existence. It’s so far away that I didn’t really pay it much mind.”
Jin Geumho’s gaze as he looked at Liala turned cold.
In that instant, Liala felt chills run over her whole body.
Even Liala, who prided herself as the strongest among the humans in El Harun, felt cowed by Jin Geumho’s terrifying gaze.
Jin Geumho stood up from his seat and looked at Zeon.
“Looks like you went to El Harun.”
“Yes.”
“There’s no one else on Earth who can go back and forth across the desert that freely. So—how was El Harun?”
“It’s not in a very good state.”
“Is that so?”
“If things were good, Lady Liala wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to come all the way here.”
“I see. Sounds like a long story. Let’s go inside.”
“Alright.”
The three of them went into the building next to the plaza.
It was a building specially constructed by City Hall.
From a reception room for guests to lodging for awakened ones, everything was fully equipped.
When they entered the reception room, Jin Geumho said to Liala,
“So, what brings you all this way?”
“To be honest, the purpose of coming here is to meet Sir Zeon and receive his help.”
“What kind of help?”
“We are searching for the World Tree.”
Jin Geumho frowned.
“The World Tree? Does something like that really exist?”
“It does. It exists in El Harun.”
“If there’s already one, why look for another?”
“The World Tree of El Harun is dying.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
Jin Geumho clicked his tongue.
He said it, but he didn’t look genuinely concerned.
Though he didn’t show it to Liala, he wasn’t very friendly toward the other races living in El Harun.
It was only natural.
Those other races living in El Harun held an absolute share of the blame for how ruined Earth had become.
If it weren’t for them, Krasias wouldn’t have forcibly terraformed Earth, and the aftermath of that failure wouldn’t have left Earth in this state.
If it weren’t for their greed, his wife and twin siblings might still be alive.
It was a pointless hypothetical, but that was how bad Jin Geumho’s feelings toward El Harun were.
Naturally, he couldn’t help but be indifferent to Liala’s words.
He asked her,
“So what’s so good about having a World Tree? Does it turn the desert sands into fertile green land or something?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“Exactly as you said. The World Tree is the very foundation that supports the world. Wherever the World Tree grows, that place naturally becomes abundant. Grass and trees will grow as well.”
“Is that true?”
Jin Geumho asked with an expression of disbelief.
“I swear it on my honor. El Harun maintains its greenery because it has a World Tree.”
“Hmm.”
Jin Geumho let out a low sound.
What Neo Seoul needed most was greenery.
Of course, Neo Seoul did have green areas. But their size was extremely limited.
Thanks to the barrier around Neo Seoul, they had managed to stay green so far, but from some point on, they had begun to visibly lose their vitality.
“If you find a World Tree, what do you plan to do?”
“We plan to plunder the place where it has bloomed.”
“Just like you plundered Earth, you’re going to plunder the place with the World Tree too?”
“That’s not my idea. I oppose such plundering, but the others are different.”
Jin Geumho’s eyes sank deeply.
“So coexistence was never even considered.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Whose idea is it?”
“It’s the idea of Del Roa, the leader of El Harun.”
“Is there any chance his thinking will change?”
“No.”
“Absolutely not?”
“Yes. Absolutely not.”
Liala answered firmly.
“Then there will be a storm of blood where the World Tree is born. So what is it you want from me?”
“Please help us.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t understand. Why involve me in El Harun’s problems?”
“Because there are humans there too.”
“Humans…”
“Countless humans are being discriminated against in El Harun. Please, help them.”
“How? Are you telling me to wage war on El Harun? I’ll pass on that. Maybe later, but right now I’m too busy just keeping Neo Seoul afloat.”
A sneer formed on Jin Geumho’s lips.
In his heart, he wanted to wipe El Harun from the face of the world for what it had done to Earth. But physically it was too far away, so he endured it.
“I’m not asking you to help right now.”
“Then why did you come now?”
“Later… if someday the humans of El Harun leave that place and try to settle here—or even somewhere else—I hope you’ll help them.”
“Sounds like you’re thinking of becoming independent.”
“We don’t intend to rush out. But if discrimination against humans continues, we’ll have to consider it.”
“Hmm.”
“I won’t ask you to decide right now. But if such a situation arises, please think about it one more time.”
“Zeon, what do you think?”
Instead of answering, Jin Geumho looked at Zeon.
Zeon replied simply,
“Please help them.”
“Why should I?”
“Because you’ve already decided to.”
“Did you learn mind-reading?”
“I know your goal.”
“And what is that?”
“A human-centered Earth.”
“……”
“Am I wrong?”
At Zeon’s words, Jin Geumho frowned.
Because they pierced straight through to the core.
In his heart, he wanted to make an Earth where only humans existed. But Jin Geumho knew well how impossible that was.
The other race that had crossed over from Kurayan had already taken deep root in Earth.
At this point, driving them all out or killing them was impossible.
They had no choice but to coexist.
That was why he had given the northern district of Neo Seoul to the other races.
They would coexist, but with their territory limited so they could no longer grow their power.
Jin Geumho gave a small snort of laughter.
“It’s fortunate you’re not my enemy.”
“Then I’ll take that as you agreeing to help.”
“I can’t take them into Neo Seoul. As you know, if the population explodes any more, it’ll be a problem for us too. But if they settle somewhere else, I can at least support them with supplies.”
“That will be enough.”
When Zeon looked at Liala, she nodded.
She agreed.
The one who ruled Neo Seoul and the leader guiding the humans of El Harun thus formed a secret pact.
At that moment, Jin Geumho’s eyes shone gold.
“Zeon. Let me ask you just one thing.”
“Yes?”
“Do you know where the new World Tree is growing?”
“I’m sorry.”
Zeon didn’t explain what he was sorry about in detail. Even so, Jin Geumho nodded as if he had received an answer.
“I see.”
