Chapter 85

When it was a stick, Zhao Mai could still use it as a cane to assist him while walking, which was somewhat useful. However, after it turned into a flower, it became a complete burden...

This flower had latched onto Zhao Mai and refused to leave his side by more than two meters. Otherwise, it would continuously send a "wah wah wah" crying sound into Zhao Mai’s mind. The sound was very much like that of a pitiful little girl, more resentful than afraid, and it just clung to Zhao Mai, insisting he come back.

The reserve food couldn’t hear this crying sound at all, but it was very interested in the fragments of the stick that had fallen to the ground. In no time, it had eaten them all as if they were chew toys. After that, it tilted its head curiously and watched as its owner opened his backpack and sorted through the contents.

Hearing this crying sound, Zhao Mai always thought of his little sister when she was young, so he couldn’t bear to be harsh. He adjusted the items in his backpack, placing the flower pot on top, and then tied it securely. This way, the little flower could just peek out, basking in the bright autumn sunlight.

Traveling with a pot of flowers looked very strange. This wasn’t like shooting "Léon: The Professional," and he wasn’t a Matilda hugging a plant. A druid with a flower on his back might not take long to become well-known in Nepo Town, right?

However, having the flower with him wasn’t entirely without benefits. After the flower’s mutation and enhancement, it continuously "standardized" the surrounding natural essence, providing it to Zhao Mai for use. This didn’t change the amount of natural essence, but it effectively improved Zhao Mai’s efficiency during meditation, which was a great help for a beginner druid like him.

It was a bit like carrying an air purifier, and not just any purifier, but a powerful one that could elevate the quality of the air to the standards of a chip manufacturing facility. Zhao Mai had also tested it; this tender little flower wasn’t as fragile as it looked. Without a sharp tool, it couldn’t be damaged, and he didn’t know why.

Natural essence was a very unique force, constantly cycling around him, permeating through the air, water, pollen of plants, and everything else in nature, subtly influencing Zhao Mai. If one were to use an Earthly saying, "the land and water of a place nurture the people of that place" would be a good explanation. Druids needed to blend with their surroundings to better mobilize the surrounding essence. Just as mages had elemental inclinations when using elements and priests had divine power rules when borrowing divine power, the natural essence of druids also had regional distinctions.

However, with this pot of flowers, Zhao Mai’s communication with the natural essence became much easier. He was always in a stable atmosphere of natural essence that had been modified by the little flower, so he wouldn’t suffer from "water and soil incompatibility." Many druids never left the forests or plains where they lived because they were already bound to the local natural essence. The Unyielding Walkers community could continuously draw on the ideas of their predecessors and expand their adaptability because of the Insight Tree. This gave them the capital to maintain constant contact with the outside world. Although Zhao Mai hadn’t learned such secret knowledge, the changes brought by this pot of flowers had already given him a vague sense of it.

By the time Zhao Mai entered the town, it was already close to dusk. The guards at the gate were already yawning, but they still stopped Zhao Mai. A captain with a goatee looked him up and down, picking his nose as he said, "I’ve never seen you before, have I?"

"Maybe, only you would know. But I don’t really have any impression of you," Zhao Mai smiled slightly. His Common Tongue was already quite good, though it still fell short of the locals like Green. For a druid who lived in the deep mountains and forests, this level of Common Tongue was just right.

"What brings you to Nepo Town?"

"Oh, I’m a druid. I want to head north to the Unyielding Walkers community through here," Zhao Mai said. "I heard that the Unyielding Walkers community has a close connection with this town, so I want to take a look."

"The northern forest is very dangerous now. I don’t recommend you go. But Nepo Town welcomes you, please come in." The goatee captain casually stepped aside to let him through.

Zhao Mai nodded in thanks and then entered the town with the reserve food. One of the guards found it strange and leaned in to ask the captain, "Boss, do you think this guy is suspicious?"

The captain looked back, making sure the druid with the dog was far enough away, and then said to his subordinate, "Nothing suspicious. Is he any stranger than the mercenaries in town? I just remembered what Sir Helior said and am being extra cautious about druids."

"Oh, the golden-haired short-haired paladin of Iomedae? Her name is Helior, it’s so beautiful..."

Seeing his subordinate’s face break into a silly smile, the goatee captain felt embarrassed and slapped him on the head. "What are you thinking? Can a paladin like her be within your reach? You useless lot, when Lady Helior dismounted, were you all just staring at her face? Hmph, did you notice that her Sword of Light emblem has seven rays? That means she’s a 7th-level paladin. She could take on all five of you with one hand!"

"Wow, boss, you really paid attention!" The tone was strange, with a hint of mockery. "The rays behind the emblem indicate the level, so a 1st-level paladin would only have one ray, right?"

"Idiot, levels below 5 are all the same. The Temple of Iomedae isn’t full of fools like you. How could they not think of this?" The captain licked his lips and said seriously, "Remember, the paladins are here to find a great druid, hoping to cooperate with the representative of the God of Nature, Gruul, to drive out the forces of the Nightmare God, Lamashtu. If you see a druid, ask them like I did, judge whether they might be the great druid, and then report to me."

"Huh, why not report directly to Sir Helior? Isn’t she staying at the Reedside Inn?"

The goatee captain grabbed the guard, his right hand clamping down on the man’s face, squeezing his mouth into an "8." "Don’t say I didn’t warn you, you smart-ass. I’m your captain, and what I say is an order. If any of you dare to disobey, you’ll be kicked out of the patrol, and then you’ll wash your necks, waiting for my wrath. I said report to me, so you report to me, got it?"

The guard, whose face was being squeezed, felt his gums loosening, and tears streamed down his face. He nodded quickly, his eyes showing a pleading look. The goatee captain finally let him go, wiping his saliva-stained fingers on the guard’s shirt, and then resumed his casual stance, standing at the gate and looking at the passersby.

His mind was already filled with thoughts of Lady Helior. The brief ten-minute conversation felt like a lifetime, but also like a second. He closed his eyes and could clearly recall her soft and alluring eyes, playful long lashes, straight and slender nose, and moist, soft red lips. A blush from the horseback ride added to the faint freckles on her cheeks, making her look shy and adorable. He had barely managed to tear his gaze away from her beautiful face, only to accidentally fall into the valley of her hills.

Fortunately, the 7th-level paladin’s emblem brought him back to his senses; otherwise, he wouldn’t have remembered Lady Helior’s request. A respected great druid, capable of representing the Unyielding Walkers community. The Goddess Iomedae required her paladins to cooperate with them, using their knowledge of nature to eliminate the evil stronghold of Lamashtu hidden in the Farmer’s Forest.

Druids were not common, and great druids were even rarer. Nepo Town often went months without seeing a druid, so the captain planned to check and question everyone entering or leaving with animals. The young man just now definitely wasn’t a great druid, and he was going to visit the Unyielding Walkers, so he wasn’t from the Unyielding Walkers community. The goatee captain thought for a moment. The Farmer’s Forest was to the north, so should he apply to be transferred to the north gate of the town to keep watch?

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