Chapter 6

It's a big deal. I really hate walking. I wiped the child's mouth with the clean part of the napkin, and although his face was flustered, he remained obedient.

"Can we go right now without any preparation? I only have diamonds, so do I need to buy anything else?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure. People with a lot of money usually buy potions and food before they go."

I couldn't grasp how much "a lot" was. Whatever, I'll buy things later. What I really wanted to do now was to go to that "orchard" as soon as possible, which I was most curious about. The innkeeper saw us off with a careful farewell as we stepped out into the fresh morning air.

The orchard we arrived at was not the vast apple field I had imagined. It was a large glass dome building, like a giant greenhouse. It sparkled in the sunlight, giving the impression of half a karaoke mirror ball laid flat.

And, despairingly, there were way too many people. I felt like I had been bumped into at least ten times before reaching the entrance.

I was worried that Daiz, who was shorter than me, would be swept away, so I asked for understanding and lifted him up. Daiz struggled, but when I swayed in response, he stopped moving.

"I'm sorry. I must have brought you here too late. I didn't expect there to be so many people."

"No, no. Even if I had woken up earlier, I probably wouldn't have been able to get up. Anyway, are all these people druids?"

"No, there are probably some spectators mixed in. It's not something you see every day."

I pushed through the crowd with the skills I had for buses and subways.

"Do you know where to get the number tickets?"

"Hello. Can I help you?"

While looking around for where to get the number tickets as Daiz suggested, a man approached me. He was neatly dressed in a suit, and I strongly felt he was a guide here.

He glanced at Daiz, whom I was holding, with a strange look and quickly wiped his expression. It was too short a moment for me to feel anything unpleasant, so I let it go.

"Sure, I'd like to use it. Where do I get the number tickets?"

I threw it out without knowing what I was going to use. If it came to the worst, I'd have to ask Daiz for help.

"The free fruit number tickets provided by our Terrarium have already been issued."

"What can we do? Druid! If you miss today, you'll have to wait another year!"

Daiz fidgeted, grabbing and shaking my collar.

What! So I can't use it? Can't go on an adventure? Can't play the game? This wasn't in my plan! Wait! It was free, right? If free is over, what about paid?

"Then, what about paid? I'll pay with diamonds."

"In the case of purchasing fruit for a fee, you don't need a number ticket. Can I guide you?"

"Sure! Let's go!"

While following the guide, I saw a long line occupying one side of the building. They all held white papers dearly. Could that be the number tickets? They looked at me with envy, and I looked at them with curiosity. When did they get here?

"The fruit only ripens once a year, so the quantity is limited. According to our Terrarium policy, about half of the quantity must be provided free of charge to druids who are starting their first adventure. Since only 100 can be given, some people have been queuing for three days."

Three days! That's impressive. I suddenly thought of a friend who stayed up all night to attend a fan signing event for their favorite idol group. Another friend who queued up to buy a new phone.

I don't have the stamina to do that. They are really amazing.

Following the man's guidance, we arrived at a place where a giant branch filled the room.

Is that the World Tree? The branches were adorned with large leaves that shimmered in gold, and round, transparent fruits hung, emitting a gentle light.

There were other people inside. They glanced at me as I entered late, smirked, and immediately turned their heads.

What? That's annoying.

"I've never been here before…."

"Me too."

When I put Daiz down, he worried if I was tired. He's so cute.

Not knowing what to do, I sat in a chair set up in one of the rooms. I planned to follow what others were doing. Then, a man sat next to us and started talking without being asked.

"My parents sold the land they owned to get the diamonds for today."

"Really…."

"My parents hope I become an excellent druid. To do that, I must draw a Rare-grade dryad. Of course, it would be even better if I could draw a Unique or Special grade!"

"I see."

I nodded with a smile, even though I didn't ask. You can do it! I said something I didn't really mean, and he took a deep breath while hugging a bag that looked like it was full of diamonds.

So, this is a place for drawing. I was confused because it's called an orchard.

I usually hate random draws, but now I have a lot of money, right? I've always envied people who could continuously draw without worrying about money.

But now I can do it, right? Regardless of the price of one fruit, can't I buy all the fruits here?

Just then, someone plucked a transparent, spherical fruit from a branch and disappeared into a separate room with the guide. That fruit must be like a card that gives a character, right?

"Normal is no good! If I draw a Normal, I have to go back to my hometown. Absolutely not Normal!"

He suddenly shouted with a fierce expression, making Daiz shiver in surprise.

"Why?"

"It's weak in combat and has poor early skills. A dryad with a recovery skill can be sold to rich people, but a dealer is a disaster. If I give a good-grade dryad as fertilizer, it's one thing, but I only have the diamonds for one draw now."

I suddenly felt strange. Of course, what he said is a basic rule in draw games, but it somehow made me feel bad.

While I was staring at the branch, lost in this inexplicable feeling, a huge cheer suddenly erupted from outside. Everyone in the room instantly looked anxious, and a few people rushed out.

"Someone must have drawn a Unique-grade dryad! The probability of getting several Uniques from one branch is extremely low…. Should I give up this year and try next year? Damn…! My parents went to great lengths because the diamond draw has a higher probability!"

The man next to me kept sitting and standing, agitated. I got up and sat far away from him. Daiz followed me with a gloomy expression.

"Why? Is it because of that person? He seems a bit strange, doesn't he?"

"No…."

His expression didn't seem to be improving, so I took a diamond from my pocket and waved it in front of the child's eyes.

"Want this?"

"Ah… No!"

Daiz blushed and quickly looked up. If this one diamond could cheer him up, I'd give him ten or a hundred. Daiz seemed to have returned to his usual self.

"Someone drew a cyclamen! The color is so deep, it must be a Unique!"

"Damn! It was one of the dryads I was aiming for! Now, there's no chance of getting a cyclamen from this branch."

"Thank goodness…."

A person who had rushed out came back and shouted. A few people sighed or wiped their chests in relief. Suddenly, a heavy tension filled the room.

It felt like the tension when someone draws a good grade and it shows up on the screen while you're drawing. But how do you know if the grade is high when you draw?

"Do you want to go see?"

I asked because I thought Daiz might be gloomy because he missed a good show. But he shook his head vigorously and said he just wanted to stay here with me.

You want to stay with me? Are you relying on me? I felt a pang in my heart.

"I'm giving up! It's better to aim for next year. A Unique, huh. Actually, a Rare grade would be fine, but I don't feel good about it."

The man, who had been talking to himself, said this and left. At this point, I was curious about how many diamonds were needed for a draw. I raised my hand to the guide who had been standing there blankly until people chose their fruits. He quickly came over.

"When do I need to pay the diamonds?"

"You pay after picking the fruit, according to the number. Of course, you can pay in advance. All the diamonds go to maintaining the orchard."

"Ah, okay."

Just as I was about to ask how much it cost, I saw someone paying. Another guide brought a box and poured diamonds into it.

The number on the box was 300, and the person held one fruit. So, one draw costs 300 diamonds. That's why he said he sold his land. It's a huge amount from the perspective of the people here. Since 1 diamond could buy three loaves of bread and two bottles of milk, 300 diamonds could buy 900 loaves of bread and 600 bottles of milk.

Great, I know the price and the method. I took Daiz's hand and stood under a branch.