Chương 268: Liu Shu's Decision On Fortuna.

Back in Golden Sap City, things were advancing at a very good pace. Liu Shu was keeping an eye on matters related to the army roaming the surrounding areas, but other than that, there were no other pressing matters. Looking at the things she needed to do, Liu Shu decided to check on Fortuna.

"Hey, Fortuna!" Since she woke up, her roots on Fortuna's side stopped advancing, staying close enough to communicate at all times. When she called her, Fortuna was relatively quick to answer. Her tone was calm and relaxed as she asked back.

"What's wrong, Liu Shu?"

"So… Um. I've been thinking about what to do with you during the last month and a half…" Fortuna chuckled softly.

"That's great news, what do you think? Do you believe that you can swallow another World Tree in your domain and keep it in check?" Liu Shu heard her question and answered honestly.

"I don't." Fortuna was somewhat surprised, feeling a wave of sadness filling her body. During the one and a half month, Liu Shu had seen what she could do with her new strength. However, even when Fortuna was currently much weaker than herself, she didn't know how she could live together with her. Would their roots just cross? Would she need to allow Fortuna to expand? Many questions came to mind that made taking Fortuna as a subordinate tree a terrible idea. Liu Shu spoke to Fortuna.

"If I allow you to live, I set a precedent. Other World Trees I defeat will ask why I pardoned you and didn't with them. Moreover, in your domain, I don't know how much I'll be able to see or if you'll have the ability to hide certain places from my sight. I don't know how my auras will influence you or if your auras will influence me…"

"I see." Fortuna answered somewhat sadly. Then, she asked.

"So… Are you going to start attacking me?" Liu Shu paused a bit, and eventually, she answered.

"I won't." That answer startled Fortuna.

"You won't? What do you mean?" Liu Shu sighed, speaking somewhat frustratedly.

"I won't attack or kill you. I'll assimilate you."

"Huh?" Confusion filled the older World Tree.

"I don't understand. Didn't you just say that doing so would be too risky? You even gave me a bunch of reasonable arguments…" Our World Tree laughed awkwardly.

"That's right, but killing you will have similarly bad outcomes." Liu Shu sighed and started reasoning her decision, her tone carrying deep thoughtfulness.

"You see, Fortuna. Those people living in your city and everyone who uses your city as a hub of commerce or other activities all love you. They all feel safe under your canopy… If I were to steal that. If I were to destroy you in front of their eyes… I feel that it will bring much more trouble than assimilating would ever do." A shock ran through Fortuna's root net. Liu Shu's words couldn't help but make her look around herself.

The bustling city of the past was much more silent, as many people had emigrated to other places due to her imminent defeat. From then on, Fortuna somewhat closed her hearing and stopped listening to people. She just enclosed herself in her own mental space and waited for her judgment. However, it seemed that her mood had infected the entire city. When Fortuna closed herself in outwardly, her aura seemed faint. It was as if the previously lively World Tree, with seemingly endless vitality, had its soul sapped away.

And yet, even at that specific moment, she could hear some people in their homes praying. A middle-aged man was sitting in his shop, his eyes closed and hands clasped.

"Lady World Tree, please continue fighting strong. Don't let others topple you and continue protecting us under your majestic and gorgeous canopy…" A young woman was kneeling in her house, looking at Fortuna from her home's window.

"Lady World Tree, my mother and grandmother have lived under your canopy. I am young, and I can't bring you strength, so I hope that at least my words can bring you strength…" Sporadically, prayers such as those two reached Fortuna, making the World Tree feel as if her roots were knotting. A wave of emotion filled her, making the indifferent World Tree suddenly gain a touch of tenderness for her inhabitants. Liu Shu's powerful and pure voice reached her, accompanied by gentleness that appeared boundless.

"So… Fortuna. After thinking about it for a long time, I decided that assimilating you would be for the best." The combination of those words and the people living in her city felt like the refreshing wind of spring for the emotionally dying World Tree. Even when they were in the middle of summer and temperatures were somewhat hot, for Fortuna, the weather appeared to have cleared. A faint but refreshed laugh escaped her.

"I see… That's great to hear, Liu Shu." Fortuna thanked her from the bottom of her heart.

"Truly… Thank you for being able to spread your gentleness to me as well." The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Hearing such corny words, Liu Shu felt a bit flustered and shy.

"Hmph! But I will make you work for me! Unlike other trees that are too weak, you are a World Tree! So you better show it! If you do… I can give you some of my fruits!" Fortuna commented softly, her elegant voice carrying a hint of softness.

"Of course… also, Fruits? I've heard something from Eila in the past but never really paid much attention." Before answering, our World Tree asked, her tone clearly inquisitive.

"Say, Fortuna… Do you also produce fruits?"

"Hm… I do produce two types of fruits. But they take a while to mature and are honestly not too powerful." Our World Tree's skewed vision of reality about fruits couldn't help but show up in full force.

"Only two types of fruits!? Are you having trouble with your pistils? You should try to increase the ecosystem in your canopy! I have the Rose Fairies with me; what do you have?" Her words made Fortuna feel a bit strange. She had been around much longer than Liu Shu, so she had a clearer idea of what was "normal" for World Trees. Being able to produce two types of different fruits was actually quite rare between World Trees. After all, you don't see apple and orange trees in the wild!

Fortuna was an outlier in that regard and gave two types of fruits.

"Um… Liu Shu, how many types of fruits can you grow?" After asking, Fortuna heard something that almost made her doubt reality.

"Eleven types of fruits!" Liu Shu said matter-of-factly.

"You are very strange, Fortuna. Only producing two types…" Fortuna was a moment away from being the first World Tree in history to have a stroke.

"E-E-ELEVEN!? Are you telling the truth!?" The booming question burst into Liu Shu's mind, making her complain.

"Don't be so loud! Also, yes! That's why I am telling you that you should check your pistils." Fortuna didn't even know where to start when she heard Liu Shu's answer.

"Liu Shu…" Fortuna was going to say that it was far from normal, but instead, she decided that starting this conversation would probably make her lose leaves out of stress. Instead, she continued her sentence with a defeated voice.

"... I'll check them. Thank you for your advice." Liu Shu answered happily.

"Great! I can't have you be a sickly World Tree when you are under my domain!" Fortuna sighed in her mind, but there was a hint of a smile in her exasperation. Our World Tree commented happily.

"So, I will tell Flor and the others about my decision!"

"Hm?" Fortuna asked, curious.

"You haven't told them about it yet?" Liu Shu commented, her tone serious and honest.

"This decision is too significant. That's why I wanted to reach a conclusion by myself. I didn't want to be influenced by anything or anyone when reaching a final decision. That way, when I tell them, I won't make the mistake of choosing either too hurriedly or be swayed by their opinions." Fortuna chuckled faintly, her tone somewhat happy.

"So, the decision to leave me alive is entirely yours?"

"Of course!" Liu Shu humphed.

"Either way, the assimilation won't happen until my roots cover your entire domain. I won't do anything but advance. If you do anything strange, I'll attack you, so you better tell me about it before doing anything strange!"

"Understood." After speaking with Fortuna, she checked on the people in her domain and spotted everyone with whom she wanted to share these thoughts. Hence, she said directly to their heads.

"I've decided not to kill Fortuna. Come to the main meeting room to hear the reasons why~." This bomb of information exploding out of nowhere made most of them answer identically.

"WHAT!?" Only Ignatia clapped her hands and laughed.

"That sounds like fun~!" Wert stood up abruptly and looked at the startled people around him. He forcefully smiled and commented.

"Um… Ahem. Sorry, urgent matters with Lady World Tree. Let's postpone this meeting for a later date." Then, he turned around and ran toward the primary office. Once there, Wert saw those who Liu Shu trusted had gathered. The three Sylvans, Flor and Ignatia, Mariane, and Amapola as the obvious ones.

Then, she also called Thallus, the leader of the Myconids; Eric and Lorena, heads of the economy management; Terra and Terran, heads of the mining section; Cory, head of management; Camelia, the leader assistant Rose Fairy; and finally, a <Floriculturist> called Damian. The other <Floriculturist>, Patricia, died in combat during one of the wars, hence her absence. Many of the guard leaders as well that came at first, due to their low levels, were unfortunate and ended up perishing.

Flor was the one who took the lead in the conversation. Her tone was full of confusion and doubt.

"Love, Explain. What do you mean that you want to let her live? This doesn't make any sense after all we've done until now." Liu Shu understood why they were acting as such. After all, her words sounded like she had gone insane or something. She could even feel that some of them were looking in her real body's direction worriedly. The World Tree commented.

"During my Leveling Up, my roots had taken a lot of space away from Fortuna. I am barely five kilometers away from Fortuna City." Hearing that news was quite a shock, but nothing compared to her earlier words. Knowing that she was explaining her reasoning, no one interrupted, and they listened attentively.

"When I woke up, I was quite surprised. While I was surprised, I heard Fortuna's voice. We had a conversation, and during that conversation, Fortuna told me that she wanted to become a subordinate World Tree. In short, she wants to be assimilated into my domain." This made a few of them recoil in shock. They had yet to hear even once that this had happened in the past. This also made them realize how brutally oppressive Liu Shu's presence was.

It reached such an extent that the opposing and much older World Tree directly gave up resistance, going as far as asking to become a subordinate. After clarifying how everything started, Liu Shu explained her reasoning and told all of them what she said to Fortuna, with a few added details. By the end of her tale, everyone was thoughtful and silent, each with many thoughts swirling in their mind.