Chapter 56

Although we said we wouldn't see each other again... No, if I leave, it doesn't necessarily mean I'll meet him.

Mesquite said seriously, "We need to confirm whether artificial modification is something that happens openly in that terrarium or if it's something the Alchemy Tower secretly and arbitrarily carries out. In any case, since it's a forbidden act, we need to find a way to stop it. There will also be a price to pay for the act."

Listening to that, it reminded me of a secret organization from an anime. Could I have dipped my toes into an incredible secret by obtaining Bagoth? If I get caught, will I turn into a child...?

By the way, what is this Turn Over form? Bagoth has all the characteristics that a dryad can have except for the defensive one, but the offensive one has a lock symbol. It seems only the recovery and support forms are currently activated.

Well, if a single dryad had more than three characteristics, that would be a cheat. Even our special Mesquite only has two characteristics. But can this be turned on and off like a switch? How do I do it?

I got close to Bagoth, who had a flushed face as if he had just come out of a hot spring, feeling relaxed. I examined the child, who came up to my chest, but the child shivered without avoiding me. It's a great improvement compared to the first time. Good job for not crying.

"How do I make it go back to the offensive form?"

The child's eyes widened at my question. From the look on his face, he didn't understand what I was saying. "No, you're in the recovery form like Elder," I started, explaining the characteristics, but the child seemed to be completely lost.

"How do you use the attack, like shooting a moth-like light cluster and poison, like you did earlier?"

Then, the child suddenly said, "I'm sorry," with a sob. He was sorry for not knowing. He was just sorry for everything. So, he can't change his mode by himself? No need to cry. Why are you crying again?

I'm an only child, but if I had a younger brother, would it feel like this? Despite having the grand title of King of Poisons, he acts like a herbivore at the bottom of the food chain.

I was about to stroke his head, which was hunched over, when I noticed the piece of Dandelion's staff that Daisy had forcefully inserted.

Another item that awakens a new power. If Bagoth didn't change his mode by his own will and didn't know how to do it... Could this item, which was suddenly thrust into his crown, be the switch...?

I grabbed and pulled out the staff piece.

And... I had to cover my ears because Bagoth cried like a newborn baby. It was an incredible volume. Moth-like light clusters appeared around him, just like in battle. Damn, this isn't a control mechanism!

I put the staff piece back into the hood, and he finally stopped crying.

I'm already tired. I need to reconsider using this child in the offensive form.

Look closely. This is a safety pin of a grenade. If you pull it, it will explode. What will explode? The kid's crying will...

"I thought my ears would burst. Why are you crying, why!"

But in that short moment, I confirmed something. When I pulled out the staff piece, the lock symbol moved from the offensive form to the recovery form.

Bagoth stopped crying as soon as the staff piece was inserted, but he still sniffled, "I remembered when I was left alone..."

I got a good debuff dryad, but if he can't overcome this trauma, he won't be usable. What should I do?

"Probably an intimacy issue."

Elder, with a frown, answered. Her beautiful face couldn't handle the ear-piercing cries either.

"When the form changed, a soul connection was made with you, so in this state, he feels deep stability with you..."

Elder made a gesture of pulling out the staff piece from above Bagoth's head with the hand that wasn't holding the staff.

"The opposite state is the same as when he was left alone here."

"Right, intimacy! The guide said something like that when I first pulled you out. How did it go with Dia? Maybe this kid can't do it either?"

I haven't heard about intimacy in a while. When the guide said that when I bloomed Elder, I almost lost my mind. Elder, who had high self-esteem, had a very honest method of cultivation.

Do you also like rich owners? Should I try to appeal with diamonds?

"My owner, Jay. Intimacy means how well the roots of a dryad have settled into Jay's soul. Some dryads match Jay from the start, and some shudder in a strange environment. When a small world tree moves from the optimal environment of the world tree, especially when dryads like Elder first venture into the world, they feel a strong sense of alienation. They instinctively get scared."

"I wasn't scared. I just didn't like it at the time. I wanted a rich druid. Jay was quite shabby back then..."

She stopped talking and looked at me. Why? What?

"Anyway, not now."

"If this sapling was a materialistic dryad like Elder, it would be good."

"I'm not materialistic. Just... forget it."

Elder turned her head away, perhaps remembering the first time we met. Whether it was out of embarrassment or for another reason, only she knows. Judging from Mesquite's expression, it seems to be the former.

"This sapling is still young and seems to see his current self and his opposite characteristic self as different. It seems he doesn't know much about himself. He didn't grow up in a normal situation. He didn't form a forest with other dryads, and he didn't learn social skills from the earth. He couldn't do either."

"I've been given a troublesome task. Since the soul connection has already been made, I can't undo it. I have to teach him everything from one to ten."

Elder scolded.

"As he grows, the sapling will overcome the sense of alienation, Jay. Don't worry too much."

Yeah, all the dryads I've had so far have been blindly good to me. This child is my trial, the challenge I must overcome. I don't know what kind of dryad will come to me in the future, so I need to train. I can do it! With love! With affection!

"Let's see..."

I gently lifted the long hood of the child. A staff piece, like the bottom part of a dandelion seed, floated above his fluffy, light blue hair.

I stabbed it in with force when I was startled by the crying, but fortunately, it didn't penetrate in a terrifying shape. It seems to stop automatically when it reaches a certain point. A faint golden light was swirling where the staff piece touched the child's head. Daisy was close by, watching what I was doing.

When I carefully lifted the staff piece, a part where the golden light was about to disappear appeared. The conclusion is that this can be pulled out with a little force... I need to be careful not to touch it until the child is ready.

"Daisy, what should we do? By the way, I didn't worry about intimacy with you. Or with Mesquite."

"It'll be fine soon! The druid is a good person, so the child will soon realize that! There's nothing to worry about when you're with the druid!"

Daisy answered immediately with a bright smile, without a hint of hesitation. It was as if she had prepared the answer. I couldn't help but reach out to her fine red hair, filled with the overwhelming affection she was sending.

As I stroked her hair, she smiled and turned her eyes to Bagoth. The smile was directed intensely at the light blue child.

'Is that right? Is that what you have to do?' it seemed to ask. It wasn't a threatening smile, was it...?

Bagoth instinctively shrank but then looked at me and shrugged. He rolled his eyes and looked at Daisy's head and my hand on it. Seeing my small hand hovering near his head... I felt an indescribable cuteness that made my heart stop.

I'm weak for small creatures... Huh, is he really jealous of Daisy?

Mesquite suggested that Bagoth might be modeling himself after Daisy, who is the same size as him. She said it was a good sign.

Sapling dryads instinctively model themselves after stronger or larger mature dryads, so seeing this, the child would soon find his dryad identity.

"Moreover, the fact that he's jealous of the way Daisy receives Jay's kindness makes me feel a faint sense of reverence for the small world tree. I was worried that he wouldn't recognize the small world tree even after the soul connection..."

What would happen if he didn't recognize it...?

"The most important thing for this sapling seems to be Jay's praise. When he does something right, try praising him like you do Daisy. You'll see a quick response."

Mesquite added, trying to lift the mood. By the way, Elder... grew up being hit... Daisy grows by watching Mesquite, and Bagoth grows by watching Daisy. The flow made me feel proud, and I realized how well I had met my dryads.

"My owner, Jay. Have you finished everything you wanted to confirm? You wanted to see what was on the way to the 29th terrarium, right? Are you going back to the terrarium with the other Daisy, or are you going to visit the 29th terrarium?"

"Yeah, I confirmed it. It's clear that the cowardly Bagoth, who launches indiscriminate attacks, wouldn't let anyone else pass through here. We promised the other Daisy, so let's go back quickly. I'm curious about the 29th terrarium, but there are too many other things to do right now."

I put my hand on the child's head, which shivered again at the mention of indiscriminate attacks. The child looked at me with clear eyes, finding great stability in this action.

"Still, it's a bit much to leave this place as it is. The swamp is all churned up, and everything is sticky mud. It smells of stagnant water and rotting wood."

"Indeed, this place is difficult even for dryads that naturally live in swamp fields."

Elder pointed to the tangled vines that stretched like leeches.

"There is a way. It's not a very pleasant method, but..."

Mesquite's suggestion was to use fire. Burn the dead things to clear the land.

The entrance we came through seemed to have run