Chapter 36

One druid with six dryads, all of them looking tough. The druid himself also looked formidable, wearing armor as heavy as mesquite.

Unlike me, who only had a smartphone, they had impressive weapons. Were they going to participate in combat?

"That's our druid, Seedling. The one holding the violin is Brazilian Rosewood, the one with the pistol on his hip is Kalmia latifolia, a dominant species of Kalmia Forest. The one with the whip is Periwinkle, and the one holding the crystal ball is Blue Melow. And the one who can't take his eyes off the dryad holding your shield is the Prince of the Desert, Caddon. It seems he hasn't been able to compose himself since he hasn't seen a dryad from the same Desert Field in a long time."

Her tone became a bit stronger when introducing Caddon. It seemed she was drawing attention to his rather rude stare at Mesquite. As a result, he was startled and bowed deeply.

"Ah, I'm the druid Jay. This is the first time I've met a druid outside the Terrarium... This is Velvet Mesquite, and the small one is Red Daylily..."

"I can guess the other one. She's a dryad with the most beautiful mother among flowers, right? The dryad I met before was also incredibly beautiful and elegant. She's an Elder Flower, isn't she?"

Oh, so Elder is famous over there too. I only heard about Elder Flower after coming here, but it seems Elder is a celebrity in this world. How beautiful must Elder's face be?

Elder's expression became arrogant. Could it be that the other Elder Flower species she met before also had such personalities?

"Still, Mesquite, huh. As expected, you're a remarkable dryad. I was unsure at first, but now I'm certain. It's an honor to meet you. The Field of..."

"It's an honor to meet you too. You have a remarkable team."

For some reason, it seemed Mesquite had interrupted Belladonna. Mesquite is indeed a special and remarkable dryad, but from Belladonna's words, it seemed there was something even more remarkable.

Suddenly, Caddon started causing a commotion behind us. He reached out to say something, but the druid on the other side raised his hand to stop him.

"Is that all you have to say?"

Belladonna sighed deeply.

"Yes. That's the end of the introductions. You said your name is Jay, right? Please bear with us. Our druid, Seedling, has lived with dryads since birth and is not familiar with human social interactions. His social skills are... lacking. Therefore, in our bouquet, there's a rule that three dryads speak before Seedling. The dryads speak first, and then Seedling continues the conversation. Even though the first two dryads messed up their turns, I hope Seedling can show proper etiquette, but... we have no choice but to ask for your understanding."

The man walked up to us, passing Belladonna. Mesquite is tall, but the man was also quite large, not far behind.

Up close, his presence was overwhelming. It felt like being pressed down by something intangible. It was different from what I felt when looking at Mesquite.

Could this be the difference in levels? If so, what level is this druid?

He had dark night-colored hair and deep blue eyes like the sea, and a rather handsome face, but after seeing Elder's face, I didn't feel much.

He had a long scar on his brow, as if cut by something sharp, and a scarred burn mark under his jaw. He seemed to have been through many battles.

This person also seems to participate in combat like the other dryads.

Just as the man was about to speak, the Kalmia dryad called out softly.

"Think before you speak! Don't just blurt out everything!"

The reactions of the other dryads made me tense up. How lacking in social skills could someone be...? Finally, he spoke to me.

"Shorty."

What is this? I've never been called short anywhere.

Or is it because the dryads and sir are so tall that I look short? My height is above average! To be called short by someone I just met!

"I've taught you many times, but you need to be different when dealing with dryads and humans! Think about the other person's feelings before you speak!"

This time, Belladonna scolded him from a distance.

"Go back. This place isn't for a human with a small soul to wander around freely. You've been relying on Velvet Mesquite so far, but it's impossible to go any further."

What...?

"Don't just say that without thinking! Explain your reasons and intentions first, so the other person can understand! Do you want to start a fight again like last time? We almost got kicked out of the 15th Terrarium because of that!"

Kalmia's voice grew louder. The man frowned, displeased, and hesitated before continuing.

"Your poor skills will only lead to your death. If you die, your dryads will be consumed by fire. When a Mesquite-level dryad is consumed, a disaster-level fire is born. So, go back to the Terrarium you came from. If you want, I can escort you."

"What? This guy...!"

What is he saying? I was about to get angry at his rudeness when Belladonna gestured, and the Rosewood dryad hurried over.

He bowed repeatedly to me. Kalmia also ran over and stood between the man and me, awkwardly laughing and apologizing, asking for a moment of patience.

Although the man's behavior was ridiculous, the dryads' apologies made me hold back.

"Seedling, meeting and talking to other humans must be interesting and fun for you, especially since this druid is the first human you've met in a long time and didn't immediately avoid you. But your language is raw, taught by dryads. Dryads don't get hurt by a druid's words, but humans are different. I've taught you many times to consider the other person's feelings when speaking."

"Don't use the word 'poor,' right?"

The Rosewood dryad waved the violin bow around, gently explaining to the man. Kalmia added to his words.

"Think before you speak."

"Didn't you see that Mesquite is holding a lance? If you had made the druid even more upset, she would have stepped in. A fight could have broken out! We have more numbers, but they have Mesquite and a high-level healing dryad we don't have. The combination is too disadvantageous for us! We wouldn't be able to avoid injuries."

Kalmia's words made me look at Mesquite, who was now staring coldly at the man.

It really seemed like if Seedling had continued speaking recklessly, Mesquite wouldn't have held back. Not only her, but Daylily and Elder also had bad expressions.

While the man was being restrained by the two dryads, Caddon, who had been exuding a strong presence, suddenly stepped forward.

Ignoring the atmosphere, he stood in front of Mesquite and extended his hand. Was this a pre-emptive strike?

"R... Respect! It's a great honor to meet you! I never thought I'd meet the guardian of the desert in such a place! I've admired you since I was a seedling! Please give me a handshake!"

What is this? Mesquite's guard was slightly lowered by his unexpected action. The tense atmosphere between the two groups dissipated.

"Hey! You didn't come over? I knew you would do this!"

"I... thought you would... do this..."

The Periwinkle dryad shouted, and the Melow dryad muttered gloomily. The dryads on the other side were as full of personality as their druid.

"If a handshake isn't possible, a hit with that lance would be fine! A glorious wound from the great guardian of the desert! I could boast about it to the Desert Field dryads for a long time!"

"That's annoying."

At my words, Mesquite raised her lance to drive Caddon away.

However, he didn't dodge and only closed his eyes tightly. More annoyed. Even more annoyed.

"We're on a mission from the 26th Terrarium to the 28th Terrarium. There's no reason to listen to you. It seems you swept away the surrounding fire while I was sleeping, but it was unnecessary. We're not as weak as you think. If you make more disrespectful comments, I won't hold back."

Be grateful I didn't curse first. From a distance, the Periwinkle dryad extended her whip, wrapping it around Caddon's neck and pulling him back. Caddon choked as he was dragged away, and Kalmia looked at me in surprise.

"Is this related to the 28th Terrarium, which was burned down? That... It's not suitable for you. This is not a disrespectful comment. It's a special mission given to a druid with a high evaluation, like our master. It seems too difficult for someone with a small soul. In the 20s Terrariums, they sent any druid to investigate without understanding the severity of the situation, and they all lost their lives. That's why the 10s Terrariums sent a few highly evaluated druids like Seedling. We seem to be the only ones who have arrived here so far."

What is this? The beginner quest given to me by the 28th Terrarium's administrator... turns out to be extremely difficult?

What he said about no one returning was true?

Suddenly, Mesquite pulled me back. The dryads on the other side also retreated in the direction we were heading, each holding their weapons.

As Elder's barrier enveloped us, a scorching heat that felt like it could melt our skin began to envelop us.