Up close, they looked even more mysterious than when I saw them small through the artifact.

Their flowing violet robes, made of multiple layers of thin silk fabric like insect wings, were embroidered here and there with small, simple circular flower patterns in silver thread.

When viewed up close through the artifact, unlike when seen small, they all looked even more mysterious. A flowing purple robe made of multiple layers of thin silk fabric, resembling insect wings, was embroidered here and there with simple round floral patterns in silver thread.

One of them, a woman of small stature, stepped forward and greeted me.

“Hello, little yet great World Tree. Nice to meet you. We are a wandering fortune-telling troupe that roams around Terrarium, divining both big and small destinies.”

Her glossy black hair, streaked with white here and there, cascaded down to her waist. Her calm, whisper-like voice approached me like ASMR. It was so beautiful that I could confidently say it was the best voice I had ever heard.

I could swear that if this world had radio content, she would easily gather a million subscribers. I was so mesmerized by her voice that my reaction was a bit delayed.

“Uh… hello. I heard from Daisy that you wanted to meet me… Ah, or is it ‘Little World Tree’… Are you a dryad?”

“Hehe, no. I am a druid, just like you, Little World Tree. But I am not one who can truly be called a Little World Tree like you. I was simply born under the blessing of the World Tree, as if by fate—nothing more.”

Her voice had a rhythm like a softly hummed lullaby.

“I felt a strong pull of fate that I had to visit the 28th Terrarium of the World Tree. And since you were at the center of it, I wanted to meet you.”

“A pull?”

I usually enjoy reading tarot cards for fun, but perhaps because I’ve been scammed too many times by street pseudo-fortunetellers, hearing “fate” so bluntly made me a bit skeptical. Still, in a world with dryads and magic, their fortune-telling probably isn’t entirely fictional.

“Hmm, this might turn into a long story—should we move somewhere else? But I don’t think there’s a proper place to sit and talk in the Terrarium…”

Even the orchard, which was in relatively better shape, was practically a ruined house except for the office.

“Then how about going to our tent where we’re staying temporarily? Since we roam around the world setting up stalls, we carry a tent that can be pitched anytime in our wagon.”

I recalled the wagon carrying a huge tent in the same color as their robes, which I had seen through the artifact. It reminded me of a circus troupe the moment I saw it. As I was being guided, Iris, who had been unusually quiet, let out a small gasp.

“Ah! I remember now. There’s a story about a famous wandering fortune-telling troupe among druids, who call themselves ‘Foliumtellers.’ They’re said to tell fortunes incredibly well. So, everyone goes out of their way to find a Foliumteller before making any truly important decisions. They say they never settle in one place for long and have no set travel routes, so you’re lucky to meet them at all…”

“I remembered it earlier, but I couldn’t recall the word. Foliumteller—leaf readers, or something like that. But other people are desperate to meet them, going to any lengths as Iris said… yet they sought you out on their own, Master?”

Zephyr chimed in agreement with Iris’s words. As they spoke, the people walking ahead chuckled quietly, glancing back in their direction.

“Oh, and there’s more. They won’t give readings to just anyone. If they decide not to give someone a reading, it’s said they’ll never do it, even if you offer thousands of diamonds.”

“Ooh…”

But what if you offered hundreds of millions of diamonds? Of course, I have no intention of doing something that crazy just to get a reading. Still, having seen people swayed by diamonds, I suddenly wondered if they really would refuse even in exchange for an enormous amount of diamonds.

In the clearing where the wandering fortune-telling troupe guided them, a massive purple tent stood. Through its wide-open entrance, a modest dining table and several backless chairs were visible. It was too cramped for everyone to enter at once, so the dryads and a few members of the troupe decided to stay outside.

“As you may have heard on the way, we are a wandering fortune-telling troupe operating under the name Foliumteller. My name is Flora—the name of the person who first founded the Foliumtellers. It’s said that the leader of the troupe, generation after generation, discards their former name and takes on this one.”

“Um, I’m Jae. As you know, I’m the administrative officer of the 28th Terrarium, and these people are guild members from my Terrarium.”

“So you’re Master Jae. Your name feels somewhat misaligned with the soul of the small World Tree, but it’s not entirely dissonant. By any chance, have you also abandoned your birth name and taken on a different one?”

Flora’s question caught me off guard. When I came to this world, I discarded my birth name, Gong Jaehee, and started using Jae, a nickname I often used in games, as if it were my real name.

In a world teeming with nickname-like names, mine blended in seamlessly, so no one had ever noticed anything odd. And yet here was someone bluntly asking, “Did you, by any chance, change your nickname?” Amazing, truly amazing!

Everyone looked at me with sparkling eyes, as if waiting for my response to Flora’s question. It’s not like I could list my nickname change history.

“Uh, it’s Jae, right.”

“I answered, blurring the pronunciation between ‘Yi’ and ‘Hui.’ I just felt a slight pang of conscience. Flora simply nodded silently at my answer.”

“You said you don’t give fortune readings to just anyone, but since you’ve come all the way here to find me… are you planning to read my fortune?”

“It’s not that I came here solely to read Jae’s fortune. But if you wish, I’d gladly do it. Do you have a future you’re curious about?”

They said she predicts the future incredibly well. Could it be that every question I ask will be answered correctly? Thrown into this unknown world with nothing but a phone, I was brimming with curiosity about countless futures.

“Well, more than that, why are you offering to read my fortune? What’s the criteria for choosing me but not others? And you seem to know what I’d ask…”

“We don’t choose people, but rather the futures they wish to ask about. Some futures simply cannot and must not be spoken. That’s a tradition passed down from the first Flora. Even if you offered me this entire terrarium, I could never tell you.”

Flora said with a bright smile. Gasp, not even for a whole terrarium?

“If you’re truly curious, would you like to give it a try? Without saying a word out loud, just think of a future you want to ask about in your mind. It must be a question that can be answered with ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”

“Really? You can just read my fortune and tell me without me even speaking? Wow… that’s amazing.”

Behind me, Iris and Zephyr were clamoring, saying they wanted their fortunes read too.

What should I ask? Hmm… Can I maybe go back to my original world?

Just then, a tall figure standing behind Flora strode briskly to her side. As he bent down, a flash of distinct blonde hair peeked out from beneath his hood. A sound of small beads clinking together was heard.

A slender, long index finger poked out from the sleeve of his long robe. The finger came to rest at the position of tightly closed lips inside the hood.

“I see. Unfortunately, I cannot read the fortune you wish for right now, Jae.”

I thought it was the most important question about the fate ahead of me… Does it mean I can go back? Or not?

“What a shame. But I suppose not knowing is fun too. What’s the trick behind this?”

“Would you like to think of another question about a different future?”

Hmm, what should I ask this time? I need to go to Paradise Terrarium… but do I have to go through more than 50 terrariums?

This time, the tallest among those standing behind Flora stepped to her side. Unlike the previous person, he took no particular action and just stood still.

“This is a question I can answer. Now, how about removing your hoods? It seems the Little World Tree is curious about your identities.”

At Flora’s words, the two on either side each removed their hoods. With their beautiful appearances, adorned flowers, and peculiar attire… could they both be dryads?

The one standing on the right, relatively smaller in stature, was a man with a bob cut of bright golden hair that lightly framed his cheeks. On his head, small yellow flowers, as if about to bloom, were bundled together wrapped in a crimson mesh fabric that encircled his head, sitting like a coronet.

He wore a strange mask resembling a curtain made of several rows of gold threads studded with rice-grain-sized gold pieces, worn up to the bridge of his nose and covering his mouth. The gold threads made a rustling sound with even the slightest movement.

“This one is a dryad with the petals of the golden orchid.”

The one standing on the left, very tall, was a man with lime-colored curly hair that turned reddish toward the ends. His half-closed eyes, as if drowsy, were striking. A cluster of fruit-like flowers decorated the center of his necktie abundantly.

“This one is a dryad with the petals of the zelkova tree. Both are flowers that meet the conditions of the bouquet that every Foliumteller devised by the previous Flora must possess. The golden orchid uses the power of flower language to give me warnings and cautions when it senses a future that must not be spoken. Conversely, the zelkova tree uses the power of flower language to feel the fate regarding the future between the questioner and me. If the golden orchid’s petals curl, the Foliumteller can absolutely never answer any question.”

“Oh… How fascinating. Then since the zelkova tree stepped forward for my recent question, does that mean I can get an answer?”

“Yes, shall I try giving you an answer to that question about the future?”

The last person standing behind Flora approached her side. Pure white hair was visible inside the hood.