“Are you crazy? You broke even the absolute rule of alchemy that Earning made, and you still have the audacity to try to meet Earning? This bastard is completely insane! You shouldn’t have brought him here! Kick him out immediately!”

Loop pointed at Winter and shouted in a high-pitched voice.

“No, why on earth did you do something like that to your body?”

I fully agreed with Loop’s words and asked him this. Looking at Loop, who creates wasps that infect kin or zombie parasites, I thought alchemists were truly incomprehensible people, but upon hearing this, Winter was even worse. A person who infects their own body with pests in the name of research.

“…The ‘White Wood Rot Pest’ is a pest that accelerates lignification, hindering plant growth. It doesn’t just stop at stems… it also causes leaves, flowers, and fruits to turn white and woody, obstructing sunlight absorption. It’s highly contagious too… if a disease breaks out in one place, the entire area turns white as if covered in snow….”

“But a nutrient solution that acts as a vaccine has already been developed, so it’s not as threatening as it used to be. I heard that in ancient times, an enormous area of plants fell victim to the White Wood Rot Pest, making the whole region look like a snow field. Still, it was said that the nutrient solution was supplied to all terrariums and completely eradicated it….”

Loop seemed unable to contain the intellectual curiosity that sprang from within him, even as he despised the man on a human level. His eyes looked at him with contempt, but his ears were fully open.

“I was researching ways for ordinary humans, not druids, to communicate with dryads. Then it occurred to me that if part of my body became a plant… it might be possible.”

“It certainly would be a groundbreaking idea if it succeeded, but that’s something countless renowned alchemists have already tried. Turning yourself into a plant, though.”

Loop suddenly fell silent. Hearing his words, he seemed to have sunk into deep thought.

“I… was that desperate. There was something I wanted to ask and hear from just one dryad.”

“What on earth is that?”

“That is… I’ll tell you if I get to that dryad….”

Ugh! It feels like watching a drama and seeing ‘To be continued in the next episode’ at a crucial moment. My curiosity is eating me alive!

“Hehe, you seem like you can’t stand the curiosity at all.”

Mesquite said, placing her hand on my shoulder. He was right. I was dying of curiosity about the mysterious branch blocking the way, the dryad Winter wanted to meet, and the reason he had to meet that dryad.

But no matter how curious I am, I know it’s dangerous to move alone right now. And of all places, it’s the back mountain of the Alchemy Tower, my final destination.

“Is it really only possible with one researcher and one companion? Absolutely just one? Think carefully. How can I not bring even one more person?”

Under my questioning, Winter obsessively rubbed the back of her hand and fell into thought.

“If it’s a high-ranking Gardener… that identity is proven by the terrarium, so they can freely move in and out of it… maybe around Grade 4… but Grade 4 is the highest rank an outsider can achieve, so it’d be hard to find a druid who fits the condition…”

I’m also a Grade 4 Gardener. Even if I’m a Grade 4 Gardener from the 26th Terrarium. I only got this rank after completing the toughest quest given to me by the old administrative manager. The quest to investigate the truth of the 28th Terrarium.

“If you’re a Grade 4 Gardener, it’d be faster to just bribe an orchard worker with diamonds. How are you going to find a druid trusted that much inside the terrarium?”

Iris grumbled at Winter’s words. Come to think of it… I suddenly recalled that guy staying in the next room on the same floor. He said he’s been specializing in handling requests from the 16th Terrarium, right? If it’s Siedling, maybe…?

“Wait a moment. I think I know someone who might be a Grade 4 Gardener.”

I left my room and walked toward the room at the end of the hallway. When I arrived at the door, I knocked.

“Siedling, it’s me. I need to ask you something.”

The door opened right away. At the same time, a wave of hot steam rushed out.

“Uh… were you showering…?”

Siedling covered his bare upper body with just a robe and greeted me, dripping water from his hair. Damn it, I don’t know where to look.

“What’s up?”

His voice sounded oddly deeper somehow. I asked while forcing my gaze away from his wide-open robe.

“Did you get your Gardener rank in the 16th Terrarium?”

“I did.”

“What grade? I hope it’s Grade 4.”

“It’s Grade 4.”

“Oh!”

In my delight, I snapped my head up, but his broad chest said, “Hello,” like a greeting, and my face grew as hot as if I’d swallowed a fireball. Why is this guy being like this in this outfit in broad daylight?

“Ah, Master Druid. Actually, I was planning to come see you today to educate your Monkshood Dryad.”

Belladonna stepped forward from behind Siedling and said.

“Yes, yes, that’s all great, but get him some clothes. Siedling, see you later.”

As I hurriedly left the spot, I heard Kalmia’s voice from behind asking, “What did the Druid say? Did she change her mind and tell you to leave the inn?”

A little later, Siedling arrived at my room.

Whether the notoriety that Siedling’s dryads were always warning me about wasn’t just a rumor… Iris’s party recognized him at a glance as soon as they saw Siedling.

Moreover, when Siedling appeared fully armored, everyone assumed a defensive stance and tried to protect me. They firmly believed that Siedling was a threat to me.

“There’s no chance of winning against that guy cleanly. Even Master, please run away! I’ll hold him off with all my might!”

Zephyr, who had been sprawled on the sofa, hastily drew his bow and aimed it at him, and when Kalmia the Dryad’s gun muzzle turned to point at Zephyr, it was truly a moment of imminent crisis.

“Didn’t you say the guild hierarchy is based on order of joining? These druids joined before you, so they’re above you.”

I tried to casually ramble and naturally introduce Siedling as a member of the Gaia Guild, but Iris shouted in disbelief.

“Good heavens! Master Jae, do you even know who that man is? That notorious Ironbeast! He’s a man blacklisted by many terrariums, and there’s no way he’s normal. Did he trick you, Master Jae?”

“Wow… never thought I’d see the monster from the arena that I only saw on wanted posters here…”

“What, you have a wanted poster too? What did you do to get one?”

I was surprised to hear about the wanted poster for the first time. Kalmia defended Siedling and said to me.

“Master Druid, Siedling is innocent. That guild misunderstood him. Siedling judged that they couldn’t handle the situation, so he stepped in to take care of it before the damage got worse. He tried to explain, but they just kept attacking him whenever they saw him…”

What exactly is that incident? Did you act like you did with me during the Fire Chariot boss fight? What did you do to make that guild so angry they put out a wanted poster? This guy is way more of a troublemaker than I imagined.

“It’s a wanted poster issued by a major guild that owns a Stonehenge in the 5th terrarium, no less. The wanted poster is spread across not only the front-numbered terrariums but even the 50-plus back-numbered ones. If we make him an ally, we’ll end up antagonizing a major guild.”

The problem was that, as Kalmia said, it wasn’t so much that Siedling committed a crime, but that he likely just acted with no ill intent while using his socially inept manner of speech. I could vouch for that, having dealt with him firsthand.

I earnestly explained to Iris’s party how Siedling came to join the guild. After I spilled all the details about everything that happened with Siedling, the way they looked at him changed. It shifted from seeing him as a dangerous person… to seeing him as someone a bit off.

Zephyr in particular seemed shocked. ‘So that Ironbeast was just a guy lacking social skills…’ he muttered, weakly lowering his bow.

And then, the finishing blow…

“Wow, this is the first time Siedling has talked with so many people without fighting!”

Kalmia’s joyful, heartfelt words shattered the tense atmosphere like thin ice.

“Surely the infamous feat of dominating the private arena of the 3rd terrarium isn’t a lie, right?”

“Uh, no, it’s not a lie. Siedling really did win five consecutive times in the arena. But after that, he got banned from participating, so he couldn’t join anymore.”

At that, Iris’s party gathered together, whispering and exchanging words among themselves. Whether they had come to a conclusion, Iris asked me as their representative.

“That Ironbeast could be a great asset to the guild as a druid. But Jae, please think carefully. He’s already on the blacklist of not just major guilds but many Terrariums. Do you really intend to keep him as a guild member?”

“Still, he is my guild member, you know…”

Even though he’s infamous, isn’t it said that because of his skills, even Papillion Malon and single-digit Terrariums are scrambling to recruit him? If even they’re making a fuss, why can’t the 28th Terrarium?

I briefly considered using him and then kicking him out of the guild, but he turned out to be an unexpectedly good card for me. And blood is thicker than water. Now that he’s a guild member, he’s still my kid, after all.

“But I did set down some rules. Guild members must absolutely obey the Guild Master. And the hierarchy within the guild is determined by the order of joining. I figured I’d need to control him that way.”

At my words, Zephyr gestured with his fingers, pointing at Iris, Herma, and Notos in turn.

“So Iris is next in line after the Guild Master here? And I’m even second! If only I’d checked my Wallet a bit sooner!”

Zephyr wailed in a voice that sounded like he was dying of regret.

“Oh… is that so?”

Hearing me, Iris looked at Siedling with an odd expression. It was like the look she had before she was about to crush Zephyr under her foot.

“If it’s Jae’s decision, I’ll follow it. Now that I think about it, if we’re afraid of some big guild and kick out Ironbeast, isn’t that just proving that our Gaia Guild is inferior to them? We’re the exclusive guild of a Terrarium, after all. We just need to grow bigger than those big guilds.”

Iris crossed her arms imposingly and looked down at Siedling. Though she was much shorter, she was clearly looking down on him. As she turned her head haughtily, the rain-washed sky-like strands of hair clinging to her cheek slid down her shoulder. A playful glint sparkled in her indigo eyes.

“Take good care of our Guild Master, junior.”

“I will.”

“Hey, you’ve got no fear. Calling him that right away.”

Zephyr tapped Iris on the shoulder.

“Why? It’s a rule personally set by the Guild Master, so we have to obey, right?”

You’re below me, Iris waved her hand up and down with a snort. As the somewhat rough guild member introduction session drew to a close, Loop and Winter, who were practically ordinary people and not druids, huddled up like truly terrified hamsters.