The direction was where the Elder’s butterfly flapped its wings. Early in the morning, I hitched a ride on a Golden Pumpkin Trader’s carriage departing from the 28th Terrarium and set off. The Elder’s butterfly was headed toward the terrariums whose numbers ended in 1 to 3 among the later ones.

The world map, with the World Tree at the very top, spread out like an anthill. If you connected the terrariums in numerical order with lines, it looked like a zigzag. On the map, the 18th and 28th terrariums were in the west, but we were heading east, the exact opposite direction.

Whether it was because Mesquite’s advice sank in, Wolfsbane and Daisy, including her, stayed behind in the 28th Terrarium. Elder, who needed the butterfly’s guidance, had no choice but to come with me, and Marguerite, who once threatened the World Tree and insisted on clinging to my side crying and pleading, also ended up coming along.

But before departure, I made her promise never to quarrel with Elder. Thanks to that, the carriage was quieter than I had feared.

On either side of me, the large white dryads were clinging so closely, wearing clothes as voluminous as their size, that it was almost hot.

Knowing that showing interest in or speaking to either one would open the hell gate to disaster, I silently stared straight ahead.

Rowella, unaware of my feelings, showered my dryads with compliments, saying they looked splendid and magnificent. I was truly grateful that she sincerely praised them, but I prayed desperately that her compliments wouldn’t lean toward just one side.

Elder and Marguerite seemed quite pleased with Rowella, who praised them with the fervor of a bard singing a song.

We departed in the morning and spent the whole time until afternoon in the carriage except for mealtimes, so my whole body ached as if I were dying.

And finally, the carriage stopped.

“Druids, you need to get off here.”

Our destination—heading straight down toward the 31st Terrarium—was different from the carriage we had hitched. It was said that unlike the front-line terrariums, where roads were well-maintained and safe from the threat of fire, civilian carriages rarely traveled in the farther ones, and only carriages operated by the larger trading companies would run there.

It just so happened that the Golden Pumpkin Trading Company’s carriage was heading down to the back-numbered terrariums, so we hitched a ride while we were at it. Although we had to get off midway, we were able to travel quite a long distance comfortably and quickly.

“If you ever visit Terrarium 30, please look for our Golden Pumpkin Trading Company’s branch there. Master Jae, you’re an important customer of our company, so if there’s a carriage heading further back, they’ll gladly let you ride along.”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”

Still, perhaps because it was a route frequently traveled by people, the road was well-paved. It seemed like we could reach the terrarium just by following the road without needing to look at a map.

“Ah, before you go! Lately, there have been reports of theft targeting travelers in the terrariums near the direction you’re heading. In particular, there are many cases of precious metals being stolen, so I’d advise you to be careful. They say thieves steal belongings as swiftly as bees while you’re off guard, so I recommend not taking valuables out of your pockets.”

“Oh, theft? Thank you for letting me know. I’ll really have to be careful.”

Theft targeting travelers, huh… Since we’re wearing equipment with pockets that function like an inventory, as long as we don’t take important items out of our pockets following the advice, we should be fine.

Elder’s butterfly was still leaning eastward as if it had no business here even when passing by Terrarium 34, so as planned, we arrived at Terrarium 31 and decided to spend a day there.

Along the way, we saw quite a lot of fires roaming around. However, they weren’t at a level where Na or Siedling needed to step in, so thanks to that, only Rowella ran around energetically with the Thistle Dryad.

She seemed possessed by the single-minded determination to seriously level up, chasing after the fires. The Thistle Dryad, who had become grimy from the battles, was well treated by Elder, who grumbled but still took good care of it.

Whenever we spotted a carriage heading in the same direction as us, we hitched a short ride. Since a druid passenger could protect the carriage from fires, everyone who let us on said it was lucky to meet us during their trip.

However, since they had already hired mercenaries to escort the carriages, there weren’t many instances where we actually had to fight.

As we got closer to Terrarium 31, the wind grew stronger, and a salty smell spread through the air. The tall mountains had long since disappeared, and large white birds floated in the sky.

From atop a sheer cliff, like a final gate to descend into the lowlands, I could finally see where the new stage awaiting me was.

The sound of refreshing waves that made me doubt my ears, the salty wind that brushed against my skin, and the faint scent of seaweed that tickled my nose.

The dark night sky melted into an immense sea, swaying with an ink-black hue, overwhelming me with a pounding heart just from the sight.

Crimson lights, like fireflies floating on the sea, flickered left and right as if welcoming me. Though hard to see clearly in the darkness, the outline of a ship drifting like a giant sea creature was also visible.

“Wow… there’s a sea…”

At the place I arrived after a full day’s journey, an unexpected vast sea stretched out before me.

“Wow, it’s my first time seeing the sea…. It’s also my first time coming this far from the 26th terrarium.”

Rowella placed her hands like a visor above her brows, stretched her back, and eagerly gazed at the distant scene. So absorbed in her focus that she forgot she was standing dangerously on the cliff’s edge, the thistle dryad had to wrap both arms around her waist to keep her from falling.

“I never expected there to be a sea here at all.”

Right, thinking about it, among the field classifications there was definitely an ocean field, so of course there would be a sea.

“Let’s go down quickly. I want to see the sea up close right away.”

Even counting the time before I came to this world, it had been a really long time since I last saw the sea. Between school and part-time jobs, I was too busy, and without a car, I couldn’t travel to remote areas with a sea.

So, seeing the sea gently swaying as if urging me to come quickly, I felt my mood lift and my heart flutter, just like being on a school field trip.

“The terrain here is treacherous. Moreover, it’s dark, so we must be extra careful.”

Siedling said, taking the lead.

The path down the cliff consisted only of rough stone steps made of stacked rocks and two ropes hanging along both sides of the stairs. Moreover, the ropes were broken in places with burn marks, making them unreliable to hold.

Going down these nearly vertical stairs of varying heights, relying on sparse lighting in this dark night—isn’t it practically suicide for someone as unathletic as me?

We had deliberately chosen a rugged shortcut impassable by carriage to speed things up, but in the end, that choice left us stuck.

“Unnie Jae! There’s a sign here. It looks like there’s a camping spot nearby for travelers.”

We spent a long time together in the narrow space of the carriage, where we could see each other’s faces up close. With nothing particular to do inside, we naturally started talking, shared our ages, and found opportunities to grow closer.

Rowella was exactly four years younger than me. Having succeeded in winning my favor by praising the dryads, from the moment I learned she was younger, she felt less like a junior and more like a real cousin to me.

It was somehow different from being with Iris’s party. Perhaps it was because, from the very beginning, I perceived and accepted her as someone I needed to protect and care for.

Rowella was the first to ask if she could call me older sister, and I gladly agreed. In my world, she would have been a high school student.

She was at an age where she should be studying for the college entrance exam at school, but I thought it was admirable that she had chosen the path of a druid, bravely embarking on a dangerous journey.

A worn-out signpost pointing to a nearby campsite where we could rest pointed in the opposite direction of the road we were taking down.

“There’s no fire around. Looks like someone dealt with it.”

“Then there might be other people at the campsite we’re heading to? Probably druids, right?”

I looked at Elder and Marguerite. Since it was getting dark and there was no need to chase the butterflies any further, I thought I should send the kids back to the artifact before meeting the druids.

I felt we should follow the druids’ methods that Mesquite had emphasized time and again, because we couldn’t know whether the druids we’d encounter at the campsite would be friendly or hostile. But when I tried to send them back to the artifact, Marguerite, just like Elder, threw a tantrum, saying he wanted to stay by my side.

“My truth, are you anxious? Want me to prophesy? I can divine what path the people we’re about to meet will suggest for my truth. Since it’s just seeing whether it’ll be good or bad at best, even I can do it!”

“My lovely Marguerite.”

At my words, Marguerite fluttered in surprise like a bird taking flight and laughed brightly.

“My future is fun because I don’t know what will happen. It’s been that way, and it will always be. So Marguerite, I won’t ask you to divine about things like this. Stop being fussy and go back to the artifact to rest, okay? If you don’t, how can you diligently protect me by my side tomorrow?”

“How is it that even the way my truth speaks is as lovely as me? My precious truth is begging like this, how could I possibly refuse?”

Even though she had been stubborn earlier. Marguerite wrapped her arms around me, radiating a feeling of reluctance. I desperately raised my head to avoid getting my chin caught on her hat.

“Since my truth might suddenly miss me, my adorable self, I’ll always be waiting in the best visible spot in the artifact. I’ll keep staring at the sky so you can see my face right away.”

That won’t happen. Mesquite is waiting to get back at her.

When she tried to stubbornly follow me in the 28th Terrarium, Mesquite had been glaring terrifyingly behind Marguerite’s back, her eyes full of a reprimanding aura reminiscent of the sun. The moment she returned to the artifact, Marguerite would surely be dragged off by Mesquite.

Even while saying that, Marguerite wouldn’t easily let go of me, so in the end, Elder grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him back into the artifact.

Following me, Rowella also sent the Thistle Dryad back to the artifact, and we headed in the direction the signpost indicated. As we got closer to the campsite, the sound of grumbling voices filled with complaints drifted over.

I could immediately tell that the people we were about to face were not in a good mood.