Chapter 58

Looking at the scope and the time, I thought this must have been another instance of pouring in a lot of Dia.

Elder was looking at the water droplets on his staff with a complicated expression, and Mesquite, who had been watching all of this, smiled slightly, commenting that it was an impressive sight no matter how many times he saw it. Daisy was enthusiastically cheering me on, and Barot nodded his head slightly in rhythm with Daisy's words.

Even though my Dia was used, this was a graft done with Elder... He should also be praised, right? Of course, he probably didn't hear anything, as he was likely deep in thought, gauging the amount of Dia consumed by the Rain of Life and reflecting on the harsh reality.

But even if I praised him extravagantly, I had a slightly different purpose in mind.

Since I've cleared the passage, please visit the 28th Terrarium often. As you walk, you'll see clear pools filled with small, cute duckweed floating on either side. If you're lucky, other water plants might also start to grow.

Now that I've generously sprinkled the Rain of Life, won't the plants start to multiply explosively? Enjoy a pleasant journey through the lush greenery. J-Tour.

Should I name it? Since the only plant here is duckweed, let's call this place the Frog Marsh. I don't know if it had a name before, but on the map, it was just marked as a marsh. It's a much more friendly and cute name than the "Forest of Death" I call it in my head, right? It's harmless and welcoming to everyone.

With so much duckweed, will real frogs start to gather? Just as I was thinking this, my phone rang.

It was a notification that the name of this area, which falls under the influence of the 28th Terrarium, had been officially changed to "Frog Marsh" by the temporary administrative officer.

No... I was just thinking it...

The thought that this would become the official name of the terrain made me feel a bit embarrassed.

***

On the way back to the 28th Terrarium after finishing the work, I walked while chatting with the other Daisy Dryad there through the Terrarium Artifact.

There was so much to tell that the conversation never ended. He stopped clearing the debris and sat on it, listening to my stories with wide eyes.

Starting with the story of the Death Marsh, where not even fire could approach, he was full of exclamations of amazement.

When the scene of using the graft with Elder was relayed, his face showed extreme excitement, as if reaching the climax of a movie.

"I really wish I could have seen the rain falling. Anyway, Mr. Jay, you must have had a lot of Dia, an incredible amount. I can't believe... you really... used the World Tree's branch at your own expense..." he muttered in a slightly trembling voice.

When I told him that Barot, who was supposed to come to the 28th Terrarium long ago, had become a Dryad and was now coming with us, he expressed a mix of emotions. Mesquite walked closely beside me, looking at the Terrarium Artifact to make sure I didn't trip.

Before I knew it, we had arrived at the 28th Terrarium. "Mom's here! Is the room cleaned up?"

It was already quite dark. But I could spend the night here.

In that short time, the Daisy Dryad had gathered usable equipment from a relatively intact room in the orchard and prepared a comfortable bed. It seemed she had believed my words that I would return here soon.

"You worked hard alone."

"It wasn't that hard. I just hope a skilled technician can come and clean up the debris. I can only move things, but there's a limit to how much I can stack. The outer walls are badly burned, but there should be many usable items if you look carefully. The foundation might be weak, so in the early stages, only low-rise buildings should be built..."

While I was talking non-stop when I arrived, now it was the Daisy Dryad's turn. Passing the baton! I was impressed that she could create so many stories in such a limited space. If we had traveled together, she might have been an excellent storyteller.

I jumped onto the bed, where the blankets, which had been shaken vigorously to remove dust, were piled up. It's been a while since I've lain on something soft. Of course, lying down anywhere is restful and I sleep well, but it's still nice to have something soft.

There was a musty smell of dust and a faint smell of ash, but the scent of the Dryads gathered around me diluted it significantly.

When Mesquite asked if I was hungry, I suddenly felt a pang of hunger. Expecting decent food in this ruined village would be too much. I poured emergency rations into my mouth and looked at Barot, who had returned with Daisy after visiting the World Tree's branch.

Originally, the mother of the Dryad should have arrived here before the situation worsened. But it was now long past the time, and only after the 28th Terrarium had been destroyed once did we arrive.

If the mother of Barot had arrived on time, would the worst have been avoided? Given Barot's abilities, which had put us in danger, the mother's power might have been great enough to eradicate the bugs.

"How was it?"

"It was amazing... Warm light... just like when we first met, was pouring out..."

Barot listed the emotions he felt upon meeting the World Tree's branch, one by one. Daisy Dryad, who had been discussing building a wall and a moat around the Terrarium, passed the baton to Barot, who was carefully sharing his story.

The child, who met the real part of the World Tree, not just a small World Tree, seemed to be deeply moved. Watching him enthusiastically describe his feelings from the moment he met it until he left, I couldn't help but smile warmly.

The child, created by humans using forbidden power, yet still revering the World Tree. The World Tree must have felt sorry for the child to entrust him to me.

As I listened to Barot's calm words, something caught my attention. The child often paused, looking at me intently before continuing. The missing part that should have been there... was me.

The child didn't know what to call me. Maybe he was confused because Mesquite and Elder called me Jay, and Daisy called me Druid.

"I'm Jay. Just call me Jay. Why didn't you ask?"

I pointed at myself. "My name is Jay." I was introducing myself formally, a bit late. Barot looked flustered. Was it difficult? What was difficult? I wasn't asking him to call me "my master" like Mesquite.

"Jay-sama...?"

"Ah..."

Daisy Dryad, who had been listening quietly, hastily suppressed a laugh. Barot, thinking he had done something wrong, made a sad face.

"Try again... again."

"Jay-sama...?"

"Ah..."

"Stop laughing! The child will cry! Have you tried comforting the child? If the child cries, poison will fall into the Rainbow Pond?"

Of course, it would only become an attack if the safety pin was removed.

Because of the child's high, squeaky voice, I became "Chei" instead of "Jay." "Chei" is my alt nickname... The child clearly said "Jay," but the sound that came out had an extra "j"!

Daisy Dryad, who didn't understand the situation, burst out laughing, and Barot was on the verge of tears.

"That's right. That's the correct way to call me. It's not wrong. It's just that the Dryad is a bit unusual. Don't cry! Good job, child!"

I patted his head to comfort him, and Elder's expression turned playful.

"Don't do that. You're just imitating because you're big and clumsy."

"Why? You said it's correct to call me Chei."

"I said don't! Do you think I'll overlook your pretty face?"

While Elder and I were arguing... I noticed Mesquite was also laughing playfully. "Sister, you shouldn't do that..."

It was getting late, so Mesquite urged us to go to bed. We could skip a day on the way to the 26th, so we decided to leave early. Daisy Dryad looked a bit disappointed but quickly recovered.

The Dryads didn't go into the Artifact this time. The 28th Terrarium was practically my Artifact. Lying down together with my Dryads felt like a school trip... I hadn't realized there were so many of us now.

I tossed and turned.

"Jay, can't you sleep? You usually fall asleep right away. Is something bothering you?"

Mesquite pressed her hand on my head. The movement made my head turn, and I looked at her. Her amber eyes, shining brightly in the dark, reminded me of a candle ceremony at a school trip campfire. Her eyes, which made everything seem noble, like a confession.

I could feel the other Dryads focusing their attention on me, worried about why I couldn't sleep.

Something had been bothering me on the way to the 29th Terrarium. The former administrative officer's log about the World Tree's branch.

I couldn't easily tell the Dryads, especially Mesquite, about the log and the clues I gathered on the way to the 29th Terrarium, leading to my conclusion... because of their blind faith in the World Tree.

The reason the once-strong World Tree had weakened was due to a mere pest. And it seemed someone had deliberately isolated the 28th Terrarium.

Killing the messengers heading to the 29th, intercepting Barot, the deadly herb sent to counter the bugs. It was as if they wanted the World Tree's branch to wither and die.

The pest was a simpler story. But the idea that there was something threatening the great World Tree... was a bit difficult.

I was afraid they would get angry, thinking I was saying something absurd. Of course, that was only until we entered the marsh.

Now, I planned to tell them everything and ask for their thoughts, just in case I had jumped to conclusions.

Because... before recruiting Barot, the attitude of the Dryads towards me. Elder, who said he would destroy the fruit if I didn't want it, Mesquite, who was annoyed by the World Tree's one-sided attitude, and Daisy, who didn't care whether the World Tree entrusted it to me or not.

That's when I realized. The most important thing was the small World Tree, me. The one they blindly believed in was me.

I looked into Mesquite's eyes and began to speak. When I mentioned the log, there was a long silence, followed by a simple "I see."

It was a more concise response than I had feared. It seemed Mesquite had noticed my hesitation and even guessed the reason. Her gentle touch felt like an apology for making me worry alone.

Daisy Dryad's reaction was more intense. But it seemed she was holding back her words. "I should have come here properly earlier," Barot said, blaming himself with his small head. I flicked his forehead.

It's not your fault. The sharp sound startled the child, and he wiped away his gloomy expression.

When I shared my conclusion based on the clues gathered on the way to the 29th, the Dryads reacted unexpectedly. They put everything aside and first worried about me.

They were concerned that the existence targeting the great World Tree's branch might also threaten me, a small World Tree deeply involved.

They affirmed my conclusion as reasonable and scolded me for not telling them sooner. It seemed I had unnecessarily worried alone. Even the quiet Daisy Dryad joined in, suggesting that perhaps the bugs were secretly brought in by them.

As the burden that had been weighing on my mind lifted, my mood also improved. I had foolishly worried alone. Next time, I'll just tell them everything. I buried my face in the bed.

Mesquite gently wrapped her fingers around my hair, which she had untied. Feeling embarrassed for worrying alone, I only peeked at her with my eyes.

"My master, Jay. I want to be the first to know your worries. I regret not being able to visit the Terrarium Artifact even for a moment when you're thinking. While you're in the Terrarium Artifact, all your thoughts are shared without filters, and I can notice even the briefest worry. I'm sorry I didn't notice your worry sooner."

She moved my hair to the opposite shoulder. Perhaps she wanted to look into my eyes and talk again. Before she moved my hair, it had been like a curtain blocking my face.

Her action seemed to say that there would be no more secrets between us.