“Hello? You from Black Lily, want to chat a bit?”

A guy with a handsome face but lacking brain somehow found out where I was and came looking. I had booked a classy inn like the 18th one and sat down in the first-floor lounge to grab a quick bite.

He sat across from me without permission and flashed a silly smile, as if trying to smooth things over with his face. When Mesquite finally pulled out her lance, the inn staff rushed over with pale faces, saying it was a non-combat zone.

I liked this place and didn’t want to be bothered to move because of a commotion. Kicking out that troublemaker would solve the problem.

But the staff, instead of kicking out that weirdo, were treating him extremely well. They even set up his seat. What, was it face privilege? He was one of those guys with a halo like Elder’s, almost like an illusion.

He rested his chin on his hand and stared at me intently. Somehow, his eyes felt empty, as if devoid of a soul, like a doll.

“I’ve never met anyone who acts like they hate me. Everyone, men and women, has always liked my face.”

“It’s not acting like I hate you, I do hate you. Ah, your face is to my taste. But the way you talk makes you sound crazy.”

“Why? Don’t you like this? People usually like handsome guys who act dumb, thinking they can handle them easily. If I acted smart, you’d think I’m riding on my looks, right?”

“Right now, you’re not even living up to your looks. You’re just making a fool of yourself.”

The man, who had been chattering away, tightly shut his mouth. Then, he watched very closely as I picked up the tea cup from the appetizer or smashed the salad with my fork.

“How long are you going to keep sitting there? Our dryads, especially Mesquite, seem like they’re about to explode. Right now, they’re barely holding back because of my wish not to make a commotion, but it’s almost at its limit. We dryads have no mercy.”

Then the little bird sitting on his shoulder fluttered down and landed on the table. The bright yellow bird had a head and wing feathers as black as if dipped in ink. It clicked its vermilion beak and tilted its head at me, looking quite cute.

“It says it likes you too.”

“I didn’t ask.”

The bird seemed to be eyeing the nuts garnishing my salad. When I waved my hand to shoo it away, it took it as a game, hopping around and flapping its wings.

“Get that out of here. It’ll shed feathers near the food.”

“This one’s very clean. It won’t even use bathwater that’s been sitting for more than an hour.”

“Ha…”

I put down the fork I was holding and looked back at him. His eyes were blue, like jewels, but they lacked any sparkle. What was with that look of lethargy while he calmly scratched away at someone’s insides like this?

“What exactly is your deal? You’re popular, aren’t you? Go find someone else to play with.”

At that moment, I felt as if a glimmer of life returned to his eyes. They were no longer those doll-like, lifeless eyes, but the lively eyes of a breathing human.

“I was just wondering what business the 28th administrative manager of the World Tree’s terrarium has here.”

“…What?”

How did he know I was the administrative manager? I saw him, still staring at me, quickly scan the dryads standing around me.

“As far as I know, the 28th administrative manager was someone older. You look young… You’re quite different from what I heard.”

“Ahem, what proof do you have that I’m the administrative manager?”

He pulled out a wallet and shook it.

“Well, I can know because I’m the administrative manager of this place. What happened? Did the administrative manager change? Even if the World Tree withers, I thought the 28th terrarium’s manager wouldn’t change.”

Wow, to think a guy like that is the administrative manager of this terrarium. It’s the end of the world, truly.

Unconsciously, I raised my hand and pressed it firmly over my mouth. I didn’t want to say anything more. I glanced up at Mesquite. Our eyes met, and she seemed to understand my desire to end the conversation. Mesquite lifted a large shield, completely blocking me from her view.

If that bastard is the administrative manager, then it makes sense why the inn staff treated him so reverently. Since he controls the entire terrarium, no matter how much I ask this inn to get rid of him, they probably won’t listen. Even if I move to another inn, he sees through the terrarium with just a wallet, so there’s a good chance he’ll follow me again.

The answer is to ignore him. I decided from now on not to give any response to his words. He’ll probably get tired and give up on his own.

“Wow, that shield is really big. Are you not going to talk to me?”

The tension between us made the serving staff awkward, constantly stealing glances. On one side was the Terrarium’s administrative manager, and on my side was a VVIP guest who had rented the best and largest room in the inn indefinitely and prepaid for full service today.

Having lavishly tipped everyone, all the staff were gathered to support me. If I were to switch inns, it would be a huge loss for them.

Diamonds are faster than the law. When I piled a heap of diamonds on the table, the sharp innkeeper quickly latched on. Today, the administrative manager, who’s practically the law on foot within the Terrarium, will learn that there are diamond-rich folks who fly around too.

They eventually asked for their administrative manager’s understanding.

“It seems the guest is uncomfortable, so we’d like to move them to another spot.”

“Ha ha, that’s odd. The 28th Terrarium wasn’t exactly in a great economic position. How did this happen?”

He had regained his sharp gaze, and now his tone was stripped of any greasiness and filled with force, as if his earlier demeanor was all an act.

“Can’t you stay and talk to me a little longer? If you don’t want to talk about the 28th Terrarium, I won’t. I’m just interested in you.”

“The guest is uncomfortable.”

A creaking sound came as the chair back tilted.

“You know, about this place. You wouldn’t want the taxes raised, would you? It’s in a good location, so there are plenty of people eyeing it.”

He was acting like a slumlord.

“If you keep on like you have been, I’ll stay here and spend freely for at least a few months’ worth of taxes.”

Taxes, what’s that? If the dwarves staged a ‘mistaken’ accident, it’d easily cover several years’ worth. The innkeeper’s legs, which had been ready to retreat from his threats, regained their strength.

“It’s not easy. Ah, right. How about we talk about Siedling? How exactly do you know ‘Ironbeast’?”

Pfft, what’s Ironbeast now? An iron monster? Why does he go by something like that?

“That guy’s so notorious among the Terrariums that he’s banned from many places and has no one close to him. I’m curious how you, a druid with such a low soul level, came to know him.”

Don’t look down on a noob. Do you think you were never a noob yourself?

“Oh, right. I sent down a request, so did you meet that way? But the period was short. What did you do to make him say he wanted to learn how to talk to you? Thanks for that, I made a tidy profit in diamonds, though.”

“As I thought, it must’ve been you who taught him something strange.”

Oops, my mistake. I ended up responding without thinking. But Mesquite firmly held the shield partition that separated us. His little yellow bird hopped around the shield and let out a tinkling, bell-like chirp.

What exactly is that bird? Is it like his trademark?

“I’m not close with Siedling. No, wait—how do you even know I met him? And how do you know I want to talk to you?”

“Everyone who has contacted Ironbeast is supposed to report to me. Notorious as he is, he’s a capable druid, and every Terrarium that can manage him is scrambling to take him in. Even if he’s hard to control, losing him would be a loss. The only person he’s had contact with since returning to the 16th Terrarium is you, aside from me. Are you interested in Ironbeast’s story? I’ll tell you more. In return, tell me your story.”

“Oh, if that’s the case, no need to continue. I’ll just head up to my room. I’d rather order room service. You’re not going to follow me to my room, are you?”

As I got up from my seat, Elder tucked me into his robe as if he’d been waiting, shielding me completely. Clank—Mesquite’s shield followed slowly. She looked ready to thrust her lance without mercy if the man made any move to follow.

“Then I’ll stay quiet—can’t you stay with me a little longer? I’ll just watch.”

“What’s with that creepy behavior? Why are you acting like this toward me? Why don’t you go to those people who say you’re handsome? I’ve got plenty of pretty flowers around me, so trying to win me over with looks won’t work.”

As if to prove a point, I pressed my palm against Elder’s chin. With such beauty clinging close by, my resistance to good looks is pretty high, you see.

“Still, just a moment…!”

As she tried to get up too, Mesquite finally exploded.

“Stop. Do not come any closer to my master.”

As Mesquite aimed her lance at her, the yellow bird chirped loudly again. A strong floral scent filled the lounge, and a female dryad with her short black hair swept back burst out from his artifact.

No sooner had the dryad emerged from the artifact than she held up a bizarrely shaped giant saw horizontally, blocking Mesquite’s lance. The yellow bird flew over leisurely with a cheerful chirp, landed on the dryad’s shoulder, and pecked her lightly with its beak.

That dryad was a type I’d seen before, though the coloring was different. Seeing the flower pinned like a brooch on her chest made me even more certain. It was quite similar to the thistle dryad that a novice druid had with me on the way back to the 28th Terrarium.

But this one looked far more experienced than that rookie’s dryad, with tangled black flower-stalk wings and flashier equipment.

Come to think of it, a black thistle—I’ve never seen that before.

“That’s not like you at all, making the other party hostile. Why the sudden change? Don’t you think you should be a bit more careful about who you’re dealing with? Even I find that dryad troublesome.”

“Please, no… no ruckus here! All inns are non-combat zones!”

Fearing they might get caught up in the dryads’ fight, the employees who had taken refuge in the safe zone shouted out. The thistle dryad watched intently as Daisy drew her weapon and leaped up to secure a favorable position. If it had been the old Wolfsbane, he would have clung to me in such an atmosphere, but now he even knew how to wield his staff and strike a fairly threatening pose. How commendable.

“Quite a number, aren’t there. All finely honed woods, every one of them….”

The thistle murmured quietly, looking at my dryads. Then she glanced sideways at her master.

“Papillion, if you want to avoid a fight, forcibly expel them.”

“I won’t expel them.”

He grabbed his dryad by the shoulder, pulling her toward him, and looked at me.

“Alright, I’ll go. How come you talk just fine with someone as dangerous as Ironbeast, but not with me? Isn’t my appearance better than his?”

“He and you both.”

“Guess you have a taste for the more dangerous types, huh?”

He looked at his dryad as if seeking her agreement. The thistle dryad, on the other hand, had a look that said, ‘What did this brat eat wrong today?’

Ignoring him, I walked toward the stairs. He urgently called out to my back.

“For your information, I’m a dangerous person too!”

“What’s up with you today?”

“There are many things I want to know, but you won’t talk to me.”

“Oh, right. You’ve got plenty of people who like you. Guess someone finally showed up to wake you from your narcissistic dryad act.”

As I headed to my room, the employees brightened up and hastily guided me.

“Hey, my name is Papillion. I’ll come find you again next time!”

I showed him my middle finger as he shouted urgently again.