Chapter 75

"No, is this a place for humans to live? It's a pigsty?"

This was a habitual remark my mother would make whenever she saw my messy room. Except for the annual major cleaning to prepare for the relatives who would visit during the holidays, my room was always in a dirty state. The current scene was even worse.

"Oh, sir. I just saw my younger sister. She also couldn't understand the order in this chaos and always said I was the one who made it messy."

Pila said this while glancing at me and started to subtly tidy up the items. There was a hint of genuine nostalgia in his eyes, as if he really was thinking of his younger sister.

"You have a younger sister…"

I'm an only child. I once envied friends who had siblings, but since most of them didn't get along well, I now think being an only child is better.

"Yes, I have one younger sister. I bet she's become a cool druid like you by now."

"Your sister is also a druid?"

"Yes, she used to run around in the mountains and fields every day, but I never knew that was a characteristic of druids who have a good affinity with plants. Even my parents didn't know until she grew up. She also didn't talk much…"

Pila was clearing a path so that my large druids could pass through.

If the elder with a giant shield on his back or the one carrying a long staff had walked through the cluttered lab before it was tidied up, it would have been a disaster. The items piled up like a landslide would have collapsed.

"Druids must have some genetic factor…"

Aren't there many fantasies that emphasize bloodlines? I heard that druids are souls blessed by the World Tree, similar to the mechanism of wild druids being born.

Druids are more like the chosen children in a digital world travel manga rather than the ninjas in a manga that emphasize bloodlines.

Pila somehow caught my muttered words.

"Yes, of course. Some are destined to be druids from birth, while others realize it as they grow. My younger sister was a precocious case. When I found out she was a druid, I was really envious. I wanted to be a druid myself."

In fact, the answer was already clear. Whenever I tried to grow plants with my sister, I always killed them, while she could turn a single pot into a flower garden.

Pila continued and brought a large glass case that looked like a rectangular aquarium. Inside, a rotten branch was stuck in dry soil, covered with fallen leaves.

"Since I can't feed them on time, they've become quite sensitive… I have to hide them like this…"

When Pila put down the glass case, the vibration woke up the creatures inside, making a loud buzzing sound, like an unpleasant morning alarm on a weekend.

"Why did your sister hide that she was a druid?"

"…She was a deep thinker. Our family couldn't afford the druid fruit or the travel funds. Druids have a destiny, but my sister chose reality."

It's a familiar story of giving up dreams for reality.

"The World Tree with a lower number bears more fruit, so there are many free ones. But my hometown has a higher number, so it doesn't bear much fruit. Even when we lined up for free fruit, we were always pushed back. Once, my sister waited for three days and nights to get a turn, but it was a bad year. When her turn was cut off right in front of her, she didn't come out of her room for days, hahaha…"

The rotten branch had a large hole filled with yellow wax. A fist-sized giant hornet was crawling out of it.

It was extremely disgusting. I had to use this… as a messenger? I could boast that this was the largest hornet I had ever seen. When another one of the same size crawled out… I almost swore.

"Still, with the salary I earned here, I couldn't buy a 300-diamond druid fruit, but I could buy an unripe one. My sister was so talented that she quickly formed a soul connection with the wild druids in the forest behind the mountain! Her first druid was a magnolia, a rare grade! Through her, I learned about the magnolia grove for the first time. Her lively personality made her a good partner."

A magnolia grove… how beautiful must it be? Imagining a forest of white flowers in full bloom made me feel enchanted.

"Where are you from?"

"The 42nd Terrarium of the World Tree."

Wow, there's a big gap between 42 and 18 here… Anyway, there's a magnolia grove in the 42nd Terrarium? Since I have to go to a higher-numbered Terrarium because of the elder butterfly, I should definitely visit if it's close.

"Sir, did you think the number difference between my hometown and this Terrarium was large?"

You're like a ghost. How did you know?

"Of course, everyone would think so. Usually, people can't move far from their hometown's Terrarium number. However, the alchemy society's scholarship system is quite excellent. Talented researchers can gradually move to lower-numbered alchemy towers if they work hard. When I was young, my dream was to be a druid, but since it was impossible, I had to quickly find my path. My dream is to introduce a groundbreaking research item in the 1st Terrarium and move my family to a Terrarium in the 20s! And I will definitely give my sister a 300-diamond druid fruit! Nowadays, druids usually have at least three druids with them."

Impressive. Then he brought a crumpled bundle of papers.

I felt a sense of nostalgia for college. There was a professor who preferred analog and made graduate students write their thesis drafts by hand, tormenting them.

When I visited the department building for my locker, I would often see senior graduate students walking around like zombies, clutching these bundles as if they were totems.

Pila pushed the papers he was about to hand me and smiled.

"Give me a briefing. I can't read all of it."

"Yes, sir! I'll explain! You were looking for hornets, right? This pair of hornets is different from ordinary ones!"

What's different? The size? Or those three thick stingers?

"They are creatures that can't be robbed of their message mid-way! They are very strong! Tearing spider webs is basic, and they have a unique feature! Right now…!"

Pila waved the bundle of papers like a flag, building tension.

"They eat all the other bees…."

"What?"

I heard that hornets eat anything, but…

"They eat not only honeybees but also other hornets! They prefer hornets over honeybees. The data they consume is the hornet itself, so the message remains. If you release one and extend the delivery period, you can see the extinction of all bees in the area…."

I wanted a messenger hornet, but you're introducing me to a virus-level hornet that steals others' messages.

"Their natural enemies are spiders and birds, so to create the strongest hornet, I combined the data of birds' main food with the hornet, resulting in… these creatures…. They are really strong, but… the maintenance cost is not a joke…. That's why the alchemy society rejected them. But if you give more support…!"

"The maintenance cost is not a problem… but what would I use them for?"

"But aren't there many people who want to steal others' messages mid-way? I thought it was a matter of how you use them. I just create them; the user decides the purpose, right?"

Pila asked with a shameless face. What would I do with the extinction of bees in this area? I'm just pretending to be a member of a specific force with a boss, but I don't have ambitions to conquer the world. If these hornets fall into the wrong hands, it would be a big problem.

"Hmm, it's ambiguous for me to use. Hmm… it's not very appealing. The practicality is low."

I mimicked the tone my thesis advisor used when rejecting my thesis for graduation preparation. Pila looked shocked.

"That… can't be! I thought rich people like you would definitely like it…! I must not have fully understood the needs of the rich…. I need to become more corrupt and commercial…!"

"Is being commercial the same as being corrupt?"

"Any intellectual should pursue pure knowledge! Since I'm already corrupt, I'll become even more corrupt! There is another alternative in the final stages of research…! But I lack research funds…."

"How much do you need?"

"There's another guy in the other room who invented an amazing research item but was rejected due to maintenance costs, like me. To buy the rights to his invention and apply it to my hornets…. There are two hornets, and he's recently gotten into gambling and has debts, so he'll try to overcharge…."

I saw him doing calculations on the bundle of papers. He must be checking the amount. Just tell me the amount.

"No."

The elder suddenly said. I thought he was only paying attention to the hornet case, but he must have been listening to our conversation. The elder, who always understands money talk, was nagging.

I suddenly wondered. They said druids and ordinary people can't communicate. I thought the elder couldn't understand because he was quiet during the 28th Terrarium auction. But since he understands Pila and nags, that's not the case.

I asked Mesquite for an explanation. He simply said that druids can understand ordinary people, but ordinary people can't understand druids.

Specifically, druids can read and deduce everything about a person—actions, atmosphere, tone, expressions, and the pitch of their voice—through the accumulated knowledge in their core. It's amazing that plants can understand human speech.

"So, are you done with the calculations? How much?"

"That sir should know… Knowledge is intangible but very valuable. That's why talented people like us are treated as important assets…."

"Ah, I know. I'm not belittling the high value. To the extent that my courage allows, and as much as I can afford, just name your price. How much do you need?"

"It took that guy over two years to invent it… Yes, yes. I understand. I think it will be around 3,800 diamonds. Haha."

Pila muttered, "3,800? How many times do I need to get my salary here? Without spending anything, it would take five years…."

"Alright. Bring me to write a contract."