Chương 506: Warlya Conversing With The Leaders.

Flor and the others looked at the World Tree overflowing with energy and strength, not knowing what to say.

"So… Why is Warlya giving me such a dangerous feeling?" Flor asked, her head unable to properly keep up with what was happening. Liu Shu answered with a big smile.

"I healed Warlya!"

"Oh." Answered the Flower Fairy.

"I see." She added after that. Warlya spoke to them, her voice peaceful and gentle without losing any nobility she previously had.

"Welcome to my… Oh, right. It is now Little Liu Shu's territory. Then, I should instead say: Welcome to my city." Ignatia walked with the others, not caring about hiding her figure. Naturally, many of the citizens looked at her with bewildered gazes, not understanding if what they were seeing was what they thought they were seeing. But, since Liu Shu finally took over the continent, Ignatia was done hiding. Everyone will know that Liu Shu had her as a Mommy as well!

So, she walked around with a proud gait fit for a queen. Liu Shu commented to them.

"Anyway, you all deal with whatever you need to deal with. I'll go expand outward as fast as I can. Now that I've finally patched this central piece of the continent, my root network has become extremely sturdy and ready to take more space!" Melody and the others felt Liu Shu's presence leaving, and Warlya chuckled.

"She is quite busy, isn't she? Also, the root network between World Trees and Life Trees is exciting. I never thought that we could get along together like that." Seeing that the powerful World Tree was friendly, everyone let go of their reservations. Warlya was situated at the very center of the continent, and her presence as a <Fourth Energy Cycle> World Tree put her unmistakably as the number two strength-wise in Liu Shu's domain.

After recovering her lost strength, Warlya thought that she would be able to face Liu Shu, or at least not feel inferior to her. Nevertheless, she got a rude awakening once she recovered her strength. Their stats were two worlds apart. Even after regaining her former strength, Warlya felt that Liu Shu wouldn't even need to use half her strength to turn her into firewood. And, with all her instincts from her past self coming back to her, that feeling didn't become fainter. It only strengthened.

Flor and the rest entered the council room and looked around at the seven people sitting there. Verena asked, confused.

"Weren't there around 20 council members in your city, Lady Warlya?"

"Yes." Warlya spoke calmly.

"I got rid of those who were too annoying." Everyone felt their eyebrows twitch, while the remaining seven council members started sweating.

'Thankfully, we escaped Lady Warlya's purge. Almost 4, 000 people died in a single instant after she recovered her former strength.' Flor didn't mind; she was accustomed to Liu Shu's purges of people who did evil.

"No wonder Liu Shu mentioned that your city was the cleanest city she had ever assimilated. You actually cleaned house before she showed up." Warlya answered with a faintly smiling voice.

"Naturally. Before, I just didn't care and didn't interact with people. Whatever they did, as long as they didn't compromise the city's citizens, I didn't care. However, I couldn't keep those with traitorous thoughts anymore. So, I just got rid of everyone. These seven that remain and all their subordinates are very talented and will help a lot with managing the country."

"That's great." Flor smiled.

"Still, I will let you know that they won't start from too high a position. Regardless of their previous position, you are all now part of the <Golden Sap Arborarchy>. Therefore, we will use talents based on their abilities, not their connections… At least not most of the time." The council members felt their eyebrows twitch.

'So you admit to nepotism practices!? Is that okay to admit to!?'

"I understand," Warlya commented to Ignatia.

"Ignatia, can you avoid your ant tunnels getting too close to me for now? While I don't have anything against you, being near your ants is making me somewhat squirmish. It will take a while to get accustomed to seeing them as allies and not creatures to squash."

"Of course. That's not a problem. How about I tell them to avoid your city and create closer and closer tunnels each year?" Ignatia gave a solution good-naturedly.

"We can try to slowly get you accustomed to their presence by getting closer little by little. You can even interact with them as you like. I promise that they are extremely careful and loving of World Trees." A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Warlya answered, grateful.

"Thank you." After that, they started discussing how to use Warlya's city resources. Warlya was a powerful World Tree not only because of her personal strength but also because of her deep reserves of treasures. She had collected many things during the war and the following millennium. Now that she was part of Liu Shu's domain, like almost every other World Tree, she was going to move most of her treasures to the <Lignified Vault>.

It was without a doubt the most secure location to save treasures in the entire continent. The <Lignified Vault> was the first building-type plant life that Liu Shu assimilated. Therefore, it has been there during all of Liu Shu's changes. If one asked which one of Liu Shu's building daughters was the strongest, it wouldn't be <Mother Of Thousand Flower Field> or the <Guardian Trees>, it would be the <Lignified Vault>.

Its entire body was made of roots almost identical in strength to Tianlian Liu Shu, and during the last three decades, it had even gained a trace of intelligence. Not to mention, its size was ridiculous. Nobody noticed the growth because it was underground. The <Lignified Vault> was an underground structure over 300 meters in depth and around 500 meters in width. It was divided into 30 floors, where the Vault systematically divided treasures.

Moreover, it also had a list of users, owners, and values that gathered each and every single thing inside of it. The last five floors had A Rank and below materials that Liu Shu and the others gathered over the years. While the five floors above those held the items of other World Trees. Each time a World Tree wanted to retrieve one of their items, they would directly communicate with the I. C. A. R. E.

network, and the <Lignified Vault> would use Liu Shu's root network to move items underground several times faster than traveling through the air. Warlya got the explanation about the vault and other peculiarities of being part of the Golden Sap Arborarchy, and she accepted them easily.

"So, I'll be surrounded by this thing called <Mother Of Thousand Flower Field>. I guess it is both a prevention and a way to strengthen our defenses, right? Moreover, the <Lignified Living Wall> and <Guardian Trees> also look quite powerful." Flor nodded and explained faintly.

"I won't lie to you, Lady Warlya. You are right that these Flower Fields are there for both your and our security. We don't know when a World Tree with rebellious thoughts might appear, so we don't want to risk things. Liu Shu trusts all of you dearly, and she has shown it plenty of times by allowing all of you to use the I. C. A. R. E. Root system." Warlya admitted it.

"That's right. If someone wants to hurt Liu Shu, they just have to forcefully attack the I. C. A. R. E. network, which is closely linked to Liu Shu's soul. The blow won't be debilitating, but it can disorient her for a while." Warlya sighed softly.

"That silly sapling… She has too much strength and too much trust as well. But…" Warlya smiled.

"I guess that's part of her charm. I feel really… good when she does that. It makes me feel not like a subordinate of her ecosystem, but part of it." The others smiled as well, and Ignatia commented.

"That girl had many triggers to grow into a ruthless and unfeeling World Tree. The wars she has faced have been many and often. Most of the time during her life, she had spent it Leveling Up, Tiering Up, understanding new skills, getting stronger, building defenses, expanding the territory, dealing with World Trees and Life Trees, cleaning up evil organizations, making sure there is no corruption… and I could go on and on."

"But she has not become unfeeling and ruthless." Warlya declared softly. It was not a question but a statement. Ignatia shook her head.

"On the contrary, the more she suffered, the gentler she has become. If it were the young Liu Shu, she wouldn't have given those Corrupt Trees a chance even to speak back, destroying them by force. But as time passes, as that pretty baby matures, her personality develops and becomes as warm as the sun during a spring day." Warlya looked at Ignatia, knowing that she had something else to say.

"Warlya. There will be times in the future when Liu Shu's kindness might be directed toward the wrong people. Therefore, I want you to be a hidden blade together with me in the future." Her tone was indifferent as she spoke.

"Anyone who dares to even think of taking advantage of my baby's kindness should have the most gruesome of deaths." Warlya asked, her tone curious.

"Why me?"

"Strength," Ignatia answered simply.

"You, who have bested one of my ancestors, are someone who won't fall too far behind compared to us. Your strength will develop with time and make you influential. Fortuna and the others are not weak, but they are better suited for defense. You, on the other hand, are suited for war." Warlya hummed.

"That's interesting… Still, I won't agree nor disagree for now. I'll see how Liu Shu deals with problems and support her. If, one day, I need to do some dirty root work, I don't mind doing it. Nevertheless, Ignatia, I want you to know that I won't do it behind Liu Shu's back."

"That was not my intention." Ignatia laughed.

"Liu Shu is my baby, so I won't hide things from her. Just… Sometimes it might be better to jump the trigger and ask later."

"I'll think about it." Warlya insisted. Still, she had similar thoughts to Ignatia. Liu Shu's gentleness was all-encompassing. But, for now, Warlya knew that she was resolute when dealing with her enemies. So, she felt that Ignatia's worries were superfluous.

'Only time will tell. Before anything, I need to stretch my roots. I feel quite cramped here. Thankfully, following Liu Shu's energy guidelines, I can easily expand my roots.' Liu Shu heard their conversation in the back of her mind as she expanded her domain across the ocean. Even then, she didn't react. She knew that they were just worried for her, and she accepted their care. She also trusted them not to do something that would upset her.

So, if they wanted to deal with those they considered dangerous and she forgave, she didn't have anything against it. As long as they discussed things with her, Liu Shu would support her family. After all, during the first day she gained proper intelligence, that gentle voice told her not to lose sight of those around her while searching for strength. She wasn't going to forget that ever, and she would closely follow those words.