Chapter 63

"That's great."

"Right? I heard that some druid willingly cleaned up around the 26th Terrarium, and that the World Tree's energy suddenly became stronger. What was the name of that druid who cleaned up? The 26th Terrarium residents called him very affectionately. It was something like an alphabet. Was it A? K?"

Suddenly, my face felt hot. This sounds like my story. I felt so embarrassed that I thought steam might come out of my nose. The elder's eyes seemed to be saying, "It's you."

"Must be a really strong druid, right? I tried to follow his example with my thistle, but even just controlling a small flame like that was a bit tough. A few days ago, I could control much larger flames, so how strong must that druid be? He's a total role model!"

Stop it... My face feels like it's going to explode.

"But you also look really strong! All your dryads seem to have very high ranks. How did you get them? Did you get them all from the orchard? Wow, you're so lucky…."

Am I lucky, or is Daisy lucky….

"Oh! I know that dryad! It's Daisy, right? I could recognize her at a glance because she's a common sight. But she looks really strong. As far as I know, she's the same normal rank as my thistle."

"Right? My baby is strong. Really strong. Super strong. She's probably the strongest Daisy dryad in existence, right?"

I pulled Daisy closer, showing off her weapons and upgraded equipment, hoping for a closer look. Unlike Mesquite and Elder, who were strong from the start, Daisy had grown from the bottom up, and in a way, she felt similar to me, who had grown from level 1.

That's why the praise for Daisy felt like praise for me, and it made me twice as happy.

I introduced her to other dryads of unfamiliar species and ended our light conversation. Since she didn't seem to need any help from me (like a ride), I only gave her a few combat tips.

Good attitude. I thought about giving her some diamonds out of kindness, but it felt somehow wrong, so instead, I rummaged through my pockets and gave her emergency rations and potions. Even though I emphasized that the emergency rations tasted terrible, she was so happy to receive them that I felt guilty.

Her passion for her dryads, combat, and adventure was impressive, and she seemed to have the potential to grow rapidly. I had a feeling she would grow quickly and that we would meet again.

Come to think of it, I didn't even ask her name. By the time I realized this, I was almost at the 26th Terrarium. Well, if she had told me her name, I would have told her mine. My face might have exploded from embarrassment.

Alright, let's go find the administrative officer to complete the quest!

The 26th Terrarium, which had suffered from a long drought due to the imbalance, seemed to have regained more vitality after recovery. There were more smiling faces, and the harshness of the people seemed to have softened. Now that I had a vague understanding of how the terrariums functioned, I could see these changes more clearly.

I had become a 5th-grade gardener in the 26th Terrarium, so the residents here recognized me and treated me warmly. When I was about to go complete the quest, an administrative officer approached me, seeing me wander around, and spoke to me very kindly.

"At this time, the administrative officer is probably at the orchard. Thank you for helping the terrarium. Thanks to you, the situation has improved a lot."

It seems we can lower the millet price now that there's no water shortage. Stores that were closed have reopened. Druids who were planning to leave for other terrariums have decided to stay.

Now, stores don't have to fiercely compete with each other. The boundaries of the outer areas have been lifted, so residents no longer have to live in fear. But it's a bit sad that taxes have gone up.

We might soon be on par with the tax rates of the 10th terrariums. But it will be easy to earn money since it's easier to attract druids. It's all thanks to...

"Jay, it's all thanks to you."

"..."

"My master, Jay. Are you okay? Your face..."

"Feels like it's about to explode? Is it hot? It doesn't hurt, but should I give you some healing power?"

"Are you sick, druid?"

With everyone calling out "Jay, Jay," I felt like dying of embarrassment. Even the people who used to get angry at me for standing in front of stores when I was low-level are now being nice and calling out "Jay, Jay."

The residents are treating me so well that the druids are looking at me curiously. I'm not thick-skinned enough to handle this kind of attention. I'm not cut out to be a celebrity. Being a 5th-grade gardener means this much attention.

Among my dryads, only Baragon, who is uncomfortable in crowded places, was trembling like a hamster huddled next to me. Mesquite shielded me with a large shield, blocking the gazes and attention of others, and I finally felt a bit better.

The orchard guide, whom I hadn't seen in a while, remembered my face, a VVIP. I didn't forget to mention the unripe fruits to him.

In the 26th Terrarium, people are only interested in regular fruits, so there are quite a few unripe fruits in stock.

So, I asked him to bring as many as I could carry, regardless of the number. Then, about five or six guides disappeared with him. How many will they bring...?

I left the spot where the guides had left and headed towards the administrative officer.

"Hello, it's Jay. I'm back." (quietly)

The administrative officer looked very busy. He didn't notice my arrival immediately and was staring at his wallet, which looked like a phone.

"Oh, you. I was waiting for you. I was worried that you, like the other druids, wouldn't be able to complete the task. Since I haven't heard from any of the druids I sent, how could I not worry? Especially since you were a very immature druid."

Well, that quest was S-rank, incredibly difficult. The journey was hell, and at the end, there was a boss raid with a giant fire beetle. Who could have completed that?

Without the special-grade Mesquite, the rain of diamonds from Elder, and the willful combat dryad Daisy, it would have been impossible to complete. Of course, I also had infinite diamonds, so... I feel like I can be a bit proud.

I concealed what I needed to and informed him about the tragedy in the 28th Terrarium and that I had completed the task by becoming a temporary administrative officer.

He immediately noticed that I had cleaned up around the 26th Terrarium and sent a message on his phone, but he seemed to know nothing about the quest in the 28th Terrarium until I mentioned it. What a messed-up system.

"Temporary administrative officer, huh. You've done a great job."

And the way he treated me changed. He seemed more polite, as if he were treating another administrative officer.

I took out the quest scroll, which I hadn't touched since that day. "For the safety of the 26th Terrarium of the World Tree, we request that you investigate the truth of the 28th Terrarium." The "Mission Complete" stamp was added, and the long quest was finally over.

"It's almost here."

At the same time, my phone rang. The phone screen showed a familiar envelope.

To the benefactor of the 26th Terrarium of the World Tree.

Druid Name: Jay

Thank you for saving the 26th Terrarium.

Thanks to your help, the terrarium has regained peace.

Residents no longer have to live in fear of the threat of fire.

Completion Condition: Complete the administrative officer's request regarding the 28th Terrarium

★Your name will be affectionately remembered by the village residents.

Your status in the 26th Terrarium of the World Tree: 4th-grade Gardener

(4th grade and above can own a certain share of the terrarium.)

(9th grade and below will become hostile to the terrarium and cannot enter.)

To commend your service, we offer the following benefits:

- 30% discount on purchases in the 26th Terrarium of the World Tree

- Free use of all inns in the 26th Terrarium of the World Tree

- Diamond loan with no collateral at the orchard of the 26th Terrarium of the World Tree

- Priority for free distribution of the World Tree's fruits

- Your status is guaranteed when visiting 20th terrariums

The 26th administrative officer and orchard of the World Tree certify this document.