"So much has happened while I was gone. I'm sorry… It must have been very difficult for you during this time, Nahida."
After the Great Lord Rukkhadevata learned everything that had occurred during the period she had been in self-sealing, she turned her gaze toward the small Nahida before her with a deeply apologetic expression. Her beautiful eyes were filled with guilt and sorrow.
Even as the Goddess of Wisdom, she was not capable of predicting the future. At that moment, she felt a sincere disappointment when thinking about Sumeru, the nation she had loved so dearly throughout her existence.
She had never imagined that, after her absence, people would go so far as to imprison the little Dendro Archon—and even ally themselves with shadowy organizations such as the so-called Cult of Diablos.
"It's okay, sister… Leon took care of those matters, but… I also want to apologize. Maybe I'm really not suited to be a ruler."
Nahida gently shook her head as she spoke.
She then turned her gaze not too far away.
The three of them were still within the space of the World Tree at that moment, as Leon had said that, since they had come this far, it would be best to finish everything they needed to do.
After all, information was an invaluable treasure. Although Leon had several agents under his command with exceptional espionage abilities, there were still countless gaps in his knowledge.
But now, everything was different.
The moment someone masters the authority of the World Tree, it can be said that the veil covering this world is completely removed. For Leon, there were no more barriers—he could freely access almost everything happening on this planet.
Leon's gaze was fixed on the immense tree before him as he absorbed and recorded all the necessary information with almost absurd precision, akin to photographic memory.
"All the strongholds of the Cult of Diablos, the location of their headquarters, the strength of their knights… And there's more… much more…"
If one had to describe Leon's current state in a single word, it would be: happiness.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly once more.
The power of the World Tree was simply absurd—completely broken.
It was like having absolute administrative permissions over reality itself.
At that moment, he was the only "cheater" on the planet.
For him, there were no more secrets.
If he had possessed something like this in his previous life, it would have been equivalent to having access to all records and information about anyone… something truly unbeatable.
Even so, Leon understood that, despite all this power, the World Tree was not truly omniscient.
Especially in his case.
As a reincarnated individual—an outsider—his existence could not be fully interpreted or controlled by this system. Although his traces were recorded, there was a much thicker layer of "privacy" compared to the native inhabitants of that world.
Beings like him were called descendants.
And Leon knew he was not the only one.
He wasn't surprised by that.
After all, in his youth, he had encountered another reincarnated individual—a man named Cid Kagenou—and had eliminated him without hesitation.
To Leon, this world was a stage that existed solely for him.
Even if others shared the same origin, none of them would be able to block his path.
Still, he continued mentally recording all information about such individuals.
"Hmm… interesting… So, normally, groups of descendants appear every two hundred years… There are several titles, but… apparently, they're all dead."
According to the records of the World Tree, only a few descendants remained alive on that planet—besides him.
And most of them were nothing more than people living ordinary lives, without any ambition.
After all, reincarnation did not guarantee success.
Without intelligence or ability, crossing worlds meant nothing.
Most of these individuals had been ordinary in their previous lives—commoners, without power or resources. A few had been born as nobles, but none could compare to Leon's privileged starting point.
As a result, many had succumbed to hunger, poverty… or simply irrelevance.
Leon brought a hand to his chin, thoughtful.
Reincarnation… was, without a doubt, a "technical profession."
But regardless of that, all descendants shared one common trait:
They were different from the people of that world.
And precisely because of that, the power of the World Tree had limited effect on them.
For example, what had happened moments ago.
If Nahida had truly erased all records of Rukkhadevata from the World Tree, then the entire world would forget her completely…
But Leon would not.
As someone who had witnessed it directly—and as an outsider—he would still remember her.
He existed outside the rules.
Thinking of that, Leon puffed his chest slightly, displaying a satisfied and proud air.
He truly liked the idea of being "special."
"Well… for now, I've seen enough."
Leon raised his hand and ended his connection with the World Tree.
He had already obtained all the information he needed at that moment. If anything else became necessary in the future, he could simply access it again.
As a consequence, Yelan and the other agents under his command would probably be… out of work for a while.
Meanwhile, after resolving his part, the conversation between Nahida and Rukkhadevata was also coming to an end.
Through Nahida, Rukkhadevata gained a complete understanding of the conspiracy that had taken place in Sumeru during her absence.
Upon learning that Leon would assume the position of Sumeru's new ruler, she showed an expression of understanding—and even relief.
She sincerely believed that this young man, who had saved both her and her sister and performed a true miracle, could become an even better ruler than anyone before him.
Leon then presented his plan.
"From now on, Sumeru will cease to be a nation and will become an institution. An… absolute academy. The greatest in the world. Capable of housing tens—or even hundreds—of millions of students."
To be honest, even Leon himself felt that it sounded somewhat exaggerated.
It almost seemed like a "downgrade"—from a nation to an academy.
But, to his surprise, both Nahida and Rukkhadevata agreed immediately.
Both were exceptionally intelligent.
And they understood the advantages almost instantly.
First: as a country, Sumeru's military power had always been weak, relying almost entirely on mercenaries.
But now, under Leon's rule, that weakness would simply cease to exist.
Second: Sumeru had strayed from both of their original ideals.
Rukkhadevata and Nahida had always dreamed of creating a nation dedicated purely to wisdom.
But in practice, a "kingdom" could never be completely pure.
There would always be political influence, interests, manipulation.
When knowledge and power mix, purity disappears.
From that perspective, transforming Sumeru into a great academy could actually bring it closer to its original ideal.
It would allow the pursuit of knowledge to be freer, broader, and accessible to far more people.
Leon would naturally assume the position of director.
And he also planned to appoint Rukkhadevata as vice director.
After all, she was far more suited to teaching and guiding.
Her ideals were focused on education.
His… on expansion.
Especially now, after fully mastering the World Tree, Leon felt a growing—almost uncontrollable—desire to conquer.
Rukkhadevata smiled softly.
"No problem. Leave it to me. In fact… I might be better suited as a teacher than as a ruler."
Nahida raised her hand excitedly.
"I… I want to help too!"
And at that moment, a new future began to take shape.
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(End of Chapter)