Chương 789: Small Tour.

Liu Shu's declaration was like a hammer striking their heads. For a World Tree to be able to manifest an Avatar outside its body, the bare minimum of related skills needed was S- Rank. That was not all. In the first place, the World Tree would need to feel either motivated or positive about it. While the Verdant Elder and the others had more or less understood with their heads that Liu Shu was not a normal World Tree.

That didn't mean that their hearts could take meeting with a World Tree Avatar that acted indistinguishably from a normal human woman lightly. The only "uncanny" vibe was how much her body radiated both gentleness and softness. The Verdant Elder, thankfully, was able to snap out of his daze rather quickly and smiled.

"So it is Lady Heavenly Willow's Avatar. This one has seen your ladyship." Following his gestures, the rest also bowed and repeated.

"This one has seen your ladyship!" Liu Shu smiled.

"Thank you. There is no need for such formalities. Shall we move to your accommodations? They are a tad far from the hangar. However, I chose quite a central location so that you can explore and live our culture easily. You will stay for a relatively long time to fulfill your duties. Am I right?" The Verdant Elder looked at the short woman and smiled.

"That is indeed the case. We will appreciate it if Lady Heavenly Willow could present the city to us."

"Naturally. Follow me." Liu Shu turned around, her long emerald green dress flowing with her gesture like a blooming flower. The rest of the entourage followed, forming a group neither too large nor too small, around 130 individuals. The 100 people who came out with the Verdant Elder were stealthily casting glances toward the 30 who came with Liu Shu. While most of them were not that remarkable, there were some that utterly bewildered them.

For starters, seeing their "seniors" walking alongside Liu Shu without even welcoming them verbally left them a bit uncomfortable. While there was information that the previous envoys had been either assimilated or lost, seeing former comrades side with another group brought both unease and anger. Liu Shu served as a proper guide, showing some peculiar shops and local specialties. Her voice, soothing, calm, and peaceful, was truly pleasant to hear as she spoke.

Some envoys even got a little carried away and began listening not with the intent of finding clues, but just to hear Liu Shu speak.

"That shop is part of a merchant group that graced us with their stay. They originate from a Globular Star Cluster Empire, so we had some conflicts at first. Thankfully, we have reached an agreement and now get along perfectly fine. They've basically naturalized, haha." Verdant Elder smiled.

"That's incredible to hear. These merchants are more often than not tricky to deal with due to their large backings." Liu Shu chuckled.

"It seems that not even the Covenant is free from such people." Then, she pointed at a structure that stood out even among the countless trees.

"That structure over there is our <Colosseum>."

"Colosseum? Like those entertainment areas from past eras?" Liu Shu asked, a bit confused.

"Are they that outdated? With the nature of living beings, I don't think they will ever get tired of physical sports. Especially when some of the contents are in actual risk of crippling or death." The Verdant Elder frowned.

"Those words do not put that place in a good light." Liu Shu chuckled.

"That seems so, I misspoke. That location is where people go to solve conflicts. Some families use it to gain wealth, some families use it to challenge others for their resources, while some individuals go there to participate for the thrill of it all." Liu Shu smiled lightly.

"Retired Explorers, disqualified ones… They often gather in the colosseum and fight until their last breath, searching for the warrior's death." The female archbishop spoke with a difficult-to-hide touch of disdain.

"Isn't this too barbaric, Lady Heavenly Willow?" Liu Shu looked at her and smiled.

"It is not. This is an outlet. Those who want to participate will, and those who don't, won't be able to feel even the breeze of such a…

'violent' location, as Miss said." Another envoy who had been paying attention spoke, his tone somewhat curious.

"How many of such structures has Lady Heavenly Willow developed? While it looked quite vulgar outwardly, it is quite an exciting method to alleviate crimes." Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Liu Shu nodded.

"That's the gist of it. You can visit yourself later and get more details. Let's move on. Those 300-meter-tall trees are a bit difficult. They are called <Lignified Town Hall> and…" Her pleasant voice continued to ring, attracting attention as they walked. This kind of effect was a mix of her passive skills and the building <Faith> energy within Liu Shu. While that mysterious energy was elusive and difficult to use, Liu Shu had already grown to the point where she would begin to exhibit its characteristics.

A sense of innate charisma and making those look at you with a pious heart. These effects were not uncontrollable, but they would sink into the mannerisms, giving the wielder a peculiar aura that causes worship just by seeing her. Meanwhile, the Verdant Elder's eyes gravitated toward one woman with a confused heart. The woman was average in height, with hair and eye colors identical to Liu Shu, but a familiar face.

After having looked at her for a while, the Verdant Elder finally realized that the woman walking in unknown religious robes was Elyne. So, while Liu Shu was slightly distracted, he looked at her and spoke up.

"Um… child. Are you…?" Elyne, hearing her former master's voice, naturally reacted and smiled.

"Lord Master, you were truly benevolent in the past for allowing my selfish desire to come and see the new World Tree. Back then, since Skyflower was here, I just wanted to check what happened to that child. Now, I can confidently say that this was my most correct decision." The Verdant Elder asked, somewhat confused.

"How have your eye and hair color changed? You were a blonde girl with green eyes, not too long ago." Elyne smiled.

"I, of course, accepted Lady Liu Shu's existence within my limited body. Liu Shu's vastness fills me all the time, making my soul sing with euphoria." The speaker didn't think much of it, but those listening could almost imagine some strange images. The Verdant Elder frowned.

'I'll need to speak with her alone in the future and know what's happening better.' During Liu Shu's tour, the Verdant Elder also turned toward Seraphina and Obsidianis. They were not easy to miss with their height and peculiar looks.

"You two… weren't you in those sects training quite rigidly? How come you've suddenly appeared here?" Obsidianis with a rather cutting remark.

"I was visiting my mother, who lives here. Not much else." Yet those words, carrying undeniable bias and strength, made the Verdant Elder feel like he didn't have a place to speak up. Seraphina was also quite angry at the Covenant's decision. However, since she didn't have… a casus belli like Obsidianis, she chose to leave her to do the talking. So, with an awkward silence that was only filled with Liu Shu's constant and cheerful explanation, they arrived at their housing.

"This entire street will belong to you. From what I've seen, you need at least this much to house you. Also, this time, please don't pass on my sincerity. The sleep quality in Golden Sap City is too good to lose by chatting away meaninglessly." The Verdant Elder was quite satisfied, and after bidding Liu Shu farewell, he called Elyne over.

"Wait a moment, Elyne. I want to talk to you once again." Elyne nodded, approaching with confident strides. With the titles related to the church and Liu Shu's own protection, Elyne was not someone easy to bully within Ceperet. Since she was left behind, Elyne decided to help them tour the <Lignified House> while speaking.

"These <Lignified Houses> are very precious existences. I hope everyone can tell the others to take care of them. Their accommodations are easily remodelable, and even if you have no talent for interior design, the <Lignified House> has some predetermined designs."

"Elyne, come here for a moment." Elyne paused and glanced back. As she approached, she was cautious. Just in case. The Verdant Elder shook his head and activated the stealth formation so that their conversation would not leak.

"Elyne, now you can speak at ease. Were you forced or something similar? Why have you changed so much?" Elyne sighed, looking at her former master with complicated looks.

"It is not that I don't want to, but that World Tree becomes increasingly valuable and worthy of my choice back then. It makes it impossible for me to even have the thought of ever betraying her. Not that I would even if she weren't such a talented World Tree. Liu Shu deserves support." Looking at those eyes, the Verdant Elder could tell that the woman in front of him was serious. He sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead.

"Alright, we can talk later then." Meanwhile, Liu Shu walked with a happy look.

"Everything's going quite nicely." Verdantia chuckled.

"Yes, yes. We can finally take our sides without them looking~." Flor asked, curious.

"So, what is your first impression?" Liu Shu hummed.

"They are problematic, but they won't move without a clear signal that I am dangerous. In a way, I have them where I want. Of course, things can develop later, but right as we are, I feel that our side will benefit a bit more. These envoys didn't come empty-handed, after all." Ignatia muttered.

"I had the same view. Still, I am curious as to why they didn't react much to my presence." Flor commented.

"Sensory overload. Too many things are happening for them right now. Moreover, you should've been mentioned in passing within her reports. At least enough that I saw little surprise confirming your existence." Liu Shu skipped over, hugging Ignatia's arm.

"That's right, that's right. Don't make her cry too much!" Ignatia laughed while the fairy just rubbed the top of Liu Shu's head.

"Crying? Does that sentence even make sense?" Liu Shu began screaming that it hurt, while the rest looked on, laughing.