---

The corpse is familiar. To be precise, I’ve become accustomed to it.

It was that summer when I was just deployed to the African continent. Because the air conditioning was broken, my senior and I escaped to the terrace to avoid the heat.

The water pipe that I took a puff from, at my senior’s suggestion, had a fruity taste. The unfamiliar toxicity made me cough. Just then, I heard gunfire from somewhere.

That day, I witnessed a corpse for the first time.

It was a corpse with its head blown off. A large hole was evident on the front windshield, indicating that the pellet had been hit by a shotgun. The uniform of the deceased confirmed their identity.

Even now, it’s the same.

A police officer in uniform is seated in the driver’s seat, head blown off. The mangled face was unrecognizable, with only the lower jaw hanging loosely above the neck.

The openly exposed scarlet gums and teeth were all covered in vines.

“……”

It was vastly different from the corpses I had gotten used to.

—

Episode 17 – The Tree That Drinks Blood

—

Lucia washed her blood-soaked hands and twisted her wrists around.

“How does it feel?”

“Not good.”

She stopped twisting her wrists and glanced down briefly.

“It’s the first time I’ve taken a life with my own hands.”

Lucia, engulfed in feelings of guilt or discomfort—whatever it was—let her hands fall, and she replied shortly.

Francesca, straightening her hunched back, casually crossed her arms.

“You don’t need to be so gloomy. They’re already dead, after all.”

“…Still.”

Lucia opened her tight throat to answer, but Francesca’s words came first.

Some might view her as just a bureaucrat who could only wield a pen, but Francesca was not your average civil servant—she was an administrator at the Magic Tower Secretariat. Her experiences from the Magic Tower and the Fatalis had made her more than capable of turning a person into a realist.

“Does ‘this’ look like a person to you, Saint?”

Her blunt question was tossed out. As Francesca pointed at the headless corpse with a nod, everyone’s gaze was drawn there.

The corpse looked ordinary at first glance. But as we drew closer, its unusual state became apparent.

Vine-like tendrils were creeping up the esophagus, wrapping around the tongue. The strands covering the tongue split on both sides to invade the molars, wrapping around the gums along the dental arch. They met at the incisors.

At first glance, it seemed like the corpse was wearing braces or maybe that it had devoured a heaping salad. This made it all the more chilling and terrifying.

The appearance of plants emerging from a human’s body shocked everyone.

With only the lower jaw left, the parts where the tendrils climbed up the esophagus were vividly exposed, so none dared to touch the corpse.

The emotionless voice seemed almost cynical as it mingled with the horror before us.

In the calmed-down atmosphere, Francesca’s words continued.

“This isn’t human.”

“…….”

“It’s the victim who has turned into a monster.”

She pointed to the police officer, categorizing him as ‘a human transformed into a monster’ and firmly drew the line. It meant to no longer harbor guilt, while also expressing the gravity of the situation.

“……”

Standing despondently, Lucia weakly nodded. Francesca then gestured as if to say she understood.

I patted Lucia on the shoulder and offered her a brief comfort.

“It’s not your fault, so don’t be down.”

“…Yes.”

How could the fallen police officer be her fault? Therefore, his death wasn’t her fault either.

Leaving behind Lucia, who smiled faintly, I walked toward the police car. There, Camila and Francesca were examining the police officer who had transformed into a monster.

“How about it? Is your stomach feeling a bit better?”

Camila, who had placed her hand on the roof of the police car and was peering inside, shook her head as she replied.

“It’s slightly better.”

“You don’t look happy. You still feel nauseous, don’t you?”

“To be honest, just a little….”

Immediately after the police officer’s transformation, she began complaining of a nausea of unknown origin. At first, everyone thought it was just motion sickness, but now it was clear it was more than that.

Those with heightened sensitivities to their surroundings, like Camila, were sensitive to changes in their environment. Because she could handle a vast amount of magical power, she was much more sensitive than the average magician. Thus, she felt similar symptoms when the demon appeared and when the black magic barrier emerged.

I suggested rest to Camila, who looked pale.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay? It might be dangerous.”

“What’s so dangerous? It’s just a corpse with half a head blown off.”

“But… if it suddenly gets up like a zombie and attacks…”

“You’ve watched too many movies. Just stop talking and go rest. Leave this to us.”

Despite Camila’s resistance due to her obsession with creature features, she didn’t persist. She returned to the car to rest quietly.

With Camila sent off, I approached Francesca. She was calmly staring at the police officer who had morphed into a monster.

“Have you found out anything? If you have any clues, please share.”

“Unfortunately, I have no answers to provide.”

The Magic Tower is where the authorities of magic gather.

Since the time of the independence war, it has governed magicians, and now it is referred to as the spiritual hometown of magicians, maintaining the center of the magical society, so no government agency can compete with the authority of the Magic Tower regarding magic.

However, even Francesca, who had closely assisted the archmage and the elders, seemed utterly lost this time.

She frowned with a vague expression before starting to speak.

“There are various creatures that parasitize humans, but I’ve never heard of one being a plant.”

“So what is this?”

“Who knows… Perhaps it’s the malignant hobby of some vile magician?”

It was a suggestion that it might have been the work of a necromancer.

“A necromancer, huh? Aren’t you doubting the exile?”

“No.”

She firmly stated that it definitely didn’t have the exile’s handiwork. I asked why.

“Why’s that?”

Francesca seemed to ponder for a moment, then began to explain the differences between exiles and necromancers.

“It’s well-known that exiles are the main target of investigative agencies. They’re spread across so many countries that when one incident occurs, it’s continually reported in the foreign press. But unlike the minor disturbances caused by exiles, the kind of incidents caused by necromancers are on a whole different scale.”

Francesca glanced toward the corpse. More specifically, toward the plant growing from it.

“There’s nothing to lose, and the seeds are fundamentally a different category altogether. It’s the kind of thing they won’t hesitate to pull off.”

“You’re oddly confident. Do you have any evidence…?”

“The necromancers were the ones who summoned the demons in the North. Under the leadership of my subordinate, Martinez.”

I shut my mouth.

Francesca concluded her explanation as if it were nothing to worry about.

“If you’re asking for my thoughts, I can only respond that there’s likely a necromancer behind this. Of course, I can’t confirm it, but right now, nothing else comes to mind.”

It was a rational conjecture based on experience and data.

However, like she said, there wasn’t enough evidence to firmly conclude it was the work of a necromancer.

The plant that parasitized humans and the tree that devoured people.

What commonality could there be between them?

Since the tree that devoured people was related to cultists, it might have been possible that it was someone from that side who did this. While Francesca searched for new clues by examining the dead officer, I went looking for Lucia.

“According to Francesca, this seems to be the work of a necromancer. What do you think?”

“A necromancer… Certainly, there’s merit to that argument, but I didn’t see any magical traces.”

Lucia, who had personally dealt with the transformed police officer, leaned towards a different hypothesis than a necromancer.

She presented her new opinion based on the fact that the officer had suddenly transformed into a monster.

“Normally, rapidly changing a human body goes against nature. For instance, healing wounds is divine…”

“Such is the nature of magic.”

In its natural state, divinity and magic possess properties identical to those of the elements that compose the world.

While they hold infinite possibilities, divinity and magic alone cannot create something.

Just having hydrogen and oxygen doesn’t mean water will form; you need to chemically combine the two elements to create it.

“Just pouring divinity on a wound won’t make it disappear. Just like how a magician channels magic power through a circuit. A priest must undergo a similar process for healing to occur.”

“…So, the sudden growth of plants was also…?”

“Yes.”

Lucia nodded as if she understood perfectly.

“If it was the work of a magician, there should be traces left on the corpse. When magic is cast, a faint magic power tends to linger at the scene.”

“Magic residue. I know about that. Did the corpse have any magic residue?”

Though divine and magical energies may move in different directions, a priest or magician with keen perception can detect the manifestation of magic and divinity just from the traces floating in the air.

That’s how ancient magicians managed to evade the heresy inquisition. It’s also the reason why inquisitors were able to hunt them down. Modern investigative agencies often use the approach of apprehending troublesome magicians and throwing them in detention.

However, there were no such traces on the corpse.

“I found nothing when I examined the body,” I stated.

It was likely not magic at all, Lucia added.

Conflicting claims arose, and verification became necessary. Although I wasn’t as well-versed in investigations as Colonel Clevenz, I had an eye for people.

I called Francesca over to face them. After closely examining the corpse, she exchanged various views with Lucia and eventually affirmed Lucia’s opinion as valid.

“As the Saint said, I couldn’t find even a speck of magic residue. I’m no expert on plants, but seeing as this is a species I’ve never encountered, it might be a dangerous magical plant unknown to the world.”

“We must inform the Holy See. Of course, Al-Yabd should be informed as well.”

“Is it possible to collect the plant?”

“I’ll try, but don’t get your hopes too high. It could be extremely dangerous. It might need to be eliminated right away.”

That posed no problem for us. We had Camila with us. If flames could scorch demons, a mere plant wouldn’t be an issue.

Francesca pulled out her gear from the supplies and began collecting samples. Lucia, unable to just stand idly, followed along.

The issue was the federal government troops.

Those guys seemed spooked just from seeing the plants and didn’t even dare approach the police car. Executives, soldiers, they all huddled in the truck, guns ready, watching the surroundings like hawks.

While the Saint and the Administrator were actively involved, I questioned what they were doing when they boldly declared, “We’re maintaining vigilance for protection.”

Their intentions may have been good, but if you’re going to do something, do it properly!

We were investigating right in front of them, yet they were slinking away behind each other instead of keeping watch. What use was their vigilance? Ugh!

They showed signs of wanting to bolt at the slightest hint of danger, but even they couldn’t refuse my request for cooperation.

Soldiers loitering near the truck looked bewildered when I mentioned we had to collect the plant, and a moment later, they followed two women like lambs heading to the slaughter.

And then there was some good news.

Camila’s condition had significantly improved. Perhaps resting helped, as her complexion was brighter than before.

I handed her a bottle of water, and she gulped it down without pause.

“Ah…!”

“You’re looking a bit better. Feeling more alive?”

“No… I’m still feeling miserable.”

Though she shook her head, it seemed her stomach was still churning. She hastily stopped what she was doing to answer.

Hmm. Could it be the emptiness in her stomach was prolonging her nausea?

I knew her keen perception led to the sickness, but perhaps being empty-stomached also played a role. I thought maybe a sweet treat would soothe her stomach, so I offered her some chocolate, which she accepted without hesitation.

“Thank you!”

“Take it slow. You might end up throwing up.”

I cracked a piece of chocolate onto Camila’s palm while checking towards the police car.

Federal government soldiers had surrounded the police car. Perhaps they were more afraid of the corpse inside the vehicle than any external threat, as their guns pointed not outside but towards the driver’s seat.

Whatever the case, Francesca and Lucia unhesitatingly took out the corpse.

Due to a previous encounter where the man’s head was crushed, the front and back seats were now a pool of blood.

Extracting the corpse from what had become a crime scene was quite the spectacle. They looked like criminals, not due to their actions but because of their beauty, drawing all the attention.

“….”

As I watched the dead police officer’s body being covered with a tarp, I murmured to myself. What on earth is that plant?

I didn’t particularly expect an answer, but one came nonetheless.

From behind me.

“It is a rare sprout gathering the essence to become a Divine Tree.”

The voice came from an old man, who was holding a staff.

His demeanor was natural and calm, making it seem as if he had always belonged to this place.

At first, I thought he was a priest.

I recognized all the people who came from the Holy See, but I didn’t know Al-Yabd, so I considered that he might be one of those who had been in the car left behind earlier.

About two seconds passed when I grasped a firearm set in the driver’s seat.

That old man was not from Al-Yabd. I hadn’t seen a face like that when I checked before departure.

“I hurried over when I heard the sprout had germinated. Who knew I would encounter such noble individuals….”

Camila, who had been glancing over in confusion, suddenly turned pale. Her skin conveyed a darkness that was almost unsettling.

Only after I confirmed her with my side glance did I finally feel sure about it.

I pulled the trigger, and at that moment, the old man spoke.

“When a traveler visits, you must greet them with utmost hospitality.”

There wasn’t any foul odor like the one from the possessed person I had encountered before.

But from the words spilling out, an inexplicable ominousness loomed.

“Extend hospitality and fulfill your duty as a host. The Mother of All has cared for you with kindness and generosity, so the pleasure of the guest shall bring you honor. This is the teaching of our prophet, written in the Book of As-Sujud.”

As the trigger was pulled and the flames erupted at that moment.

The old man’s staff struck the ground.

“We must properly entertain our guest now that they have arrived.”

Life stirred beneath the earth. Greedy germination ensued. Life sprouted through stones, sand, and the cracks of the pavement. The transparent green tendril thickened, transitioning from rich green to a dark brown in an instant.

The sharpness for life grazed my skin. The thorny limbs left long wounds on my side, all while seeking Lucia’s back of the head.

-Whoosh-!!

A flame shot in from the left, incinerating the branches.

The trigger I couldn’t pull before was fully drawn now. My outstretched finger aimed for the target.

In the blink of an eye, booming gunfire and lively flames consumed the old man.

 

---