“Main?”

What main? Is this an idol group? Do we need a main? A main vocalist?

“The main of the bouquet. We need to decide on a dryad to be the leader and the core of the combat style. Of course it’s me, right? I’m your very first dryad.”

“What does bouquet have to do with this? A wedding bouquet?”

Suddenly a bouquet? Wait, did I mishear ‘bouquet’ for ‘sub-character’?

“Jae, ‘bouquet’ is a playful word used among dryads. Someone once said that dryads gathered together look like a bouquet. To be precise, think of it as a team. Elder, you should use the right words.”

“So who will be the main?”

Of course it’s me, right? With some kind of confidence, he kept pointing at himself and pestering me to decide the main. I stared at Elder, imagining his buried in a bouquet of flowers.

If Elder is the main, would the bouquet be called Elder Flower Bouquet? Haha. I just laughed because it was funny, but they misinterpreted my laughter and asked back, “So I was right, wasn’t I?”

“Why should you be the main?”

“A top-notch recovery-type Dryad like me should be the center for the bouquet to be stable. If you set me as the main, I can focus on recovery skills, improving performance.”

“Jae, what that brat Elder is saying is that they want you to choose a team leader. It means selecting a Dryad to commune most closely with your soul. When there are two or more Dryads, it’s better to pick one for team order and rules. During battle, the chosen leader’s will is the same as Jae’s will.”

Are they asking me to designate a representative hero? Sometimes in games, setting a representative hero gives the team basic buffs based on that hero’s special effects.

From what Elder says, it seems that if recovery-type Elder becomes the representative hero, the recovery amount of the team’s healing skills increases.

As it happens, I have a balanced mix of Dryad traits: defensive, recovery, and offensive. I need to focus on one of these three traits for battle. I’ll have to carefully decide whether to go for a full-on assault party, a safety-first defensive party, or a typical stable healer-led party.

Mesquite, the defensive type, seemed the most experienced among these Dryads and very reliable. When I looked at Mesquite, she held up a large shield.

“I’m not greedy for the main position, but if I become the main, the team’s defense will increase.”

She certainly seemed dependable.

Daisy, the offensive type, seemed the least experienced here, but all support would probably be poured into her strong attacks.

Mesquite was dependable, Daisy seemed like a budding dealer needing experience, and Elder had a pretty face. Even if all fingers hurt when bitten, some hurt less, and that’s Elder.

If I entrust leadership to that arrogant Dryad, I’ll have a headache. Look at them, already acting high and mighty as if they’re the main, even though I never said they were.

“The main is Daisy. Of course, only near the village. When we go farther from the village, I’ll switch the main to Mesquite.”

“What? Why isn’t it me?”

“I’ll give you diamonds, so focus on healing if Daisy gets hurt. And use buffs diligently!”

When they immediately made a sulky face, I appeased them with diamonds. One diamond per buff or heal. Elder quickly complied.

“Mesquite, near the village, the enemies are mostly weak ones with low firepower, right?”

Shouldn’t there be weak monsters near the village for beginners? I planned to stay near the village for a while, investing time in building up experience for Daisy and me. I wanted to get familiar with combat methods and level up in advance since I didn’t know how difficult the quests would be.

“Hmm, it’s true that the World Tree’s power suppresses the fire, making it relatively less aggressive. But even so, you must not underestimate fire.”

I planned to build a foundation with weak mobs in the beginner hunting ground and then move to other hunting grounds. When I do, it might get dangerous, so I intended to use Mesquite as my main and proceed safely.

Finally, passing through the iron fence, we were completely separated from the village. From now on, the safe zone was over.

As I had worried, fire didn’t pop up right as we left the village. Mesquite seemed to want to avoid encountering fire as much as possible, but I needed experience. Operator, unleash the fire!

Walking on the well-maintained road, the lack of any aggro made my tension completely melt away. What, this is boring. As if I had come out for a stroll, I started chatting leisurely.

“What does fire look like?”

“Blazing.”

Elder answered without enthusiasm.

Who doesn’t know that? Does fire blaze fiercely or creep slowly? He’s sulking because I didn’t give him the main role.

“Sparkling?”

“Cute!”

Daisy answered. How adorable. Fire sparkles, she says. Our kid asked what fire looks like, and she says it sparkles! So lovely.

“Jae, that’s what fire looks like.”

Just then, Mesquite’s armor clanked! She immediately blocked me and spoke.

Oh! What does that famous fire look like? Daisy drew two daggers from her waist and took a stance.

Elder, wiping off his sullen expression and turning serious, grabbed me clinging to Mesquite’s back and retreated backward.

The fire was burning fiercely on its surface, as Elder said—blazing, and as Daisy said—sparkling.

But it wasn’t the candle-like fire I had imagined; it looked more like… lava? Liquid? A slime? Or maybe a leech. I had pictured a fire scene like a blaze, but instead, a liquid about the size of my head wriggled and spewed flames, leaving me speechless.

Yeah, that’s a monster in its own right… It looks just like a monster to anyone.

Something like slag fresh from a furnace twitched as it burned everything around it. It contracted and expanded, intermittently spewing out something like solar flares from the sun’s surface.

“We were lucky to encounter a small specimen. But be careful; even though it looks small, fire is still fire.”

“That size, seems like pouring water on it would put it out…”

At my muttering, Elder let out a snort.

“That fire can never be extinguished with water.”

“That’s right. Only a dryad can catch fire. My master, Jae. What will you do? Will you entrust it to Daisy?”

“I can do it!”

Daisy shouted, glaring at the fire.

“But the fire’s prey is also a dryad. If you’re not careful, you’ll become kindling in an instant. Still, aren’t you afraid?”

Mesquite spoke to Daisy as if warning her. But the child showed no fear at all.

“I swore. I’m no longer afraid of pain or death!”

Daisy declared firmly. At that moment, I felt something connect between Daisy and me.

It seemed I wasn’t the only one who felt it; the other dryads flinched as well.

Main setting. Attack-type Daisy was the main. The fighting spirit blazed in the dryads’ eyes. It was the moment I realized that Daisy’s team effect was likely a combat power boost.

Mesquite raised her shield. A dazzling golden light burst from the center of the shield’s surface and spread to its edges, engulfing it.

The light that covered the entire shield instantly turned into grains of sand and seeped into the ground beneath Daisy’s feet. Only the patch of ground where she stood seemed to have turned into a desert.

The sand occasionally surged up like angry waves. It looked precarious enough that her feet might sink in, but that was all.

“It will block attack damage up to three times. It takes time to recast, so you need to fight while avoiding the fire’s attacks as much as possible.”

Mesquite advised Daisy. Daisy nodded, marveling at the surging sand puddle beneath her feet.

I poked Elder. Elder asked with an indifferent expression, “What?”

Though we were already far from Mesquite, Elder was still holding my shoulder, as if worried I might dash out. Even though, being the one who knew my own abilities best, I would never act recklessly.

“Don’t you have anything for Daisy? Try casting some buffs on her.”

“It’s a waste on such a little one.”

“It’s our kid’s first battle, so we need to prepare thoroughly!”

I nagged Elder with the mindset of a parent sending their child to elementary school for the first time. Elder reluctantly swung the staff toward Daisy. A white light wrapped around Daisy’s legs.

“It’ll speed you up. For a little chestnut like you, this buff should be perfect.”

I praised Elder and handed over a diamond while patting them. Their expression immediately changed, and Elder smiled, swinging the staff this way and that at Daisy repeatedly.

Elder’s white petals wrapped around Daisy several times and then vanished. You could have done that sooner. You’re so lovable when you listen well, aren’t you?

Daisy took a deep breath and glared at the small flame. Mesquite lifted a lance beside her, pointing it toward the flame in the distance as she spoke.

“I wish we could take it out in one go, but Daisy’s knife is still dull. The important thing is that the longer this drags on, the worse it gets for us. We need to find a method that suits Daisy. Hmm… if you can’t swallow it all at once, just bite it off piece by piece, right?”

At those last words, Daisy looked at Mesquite with a puzzled expression.

“I’m worried, but let’s give it a try. Of course, I won’t be taking the front this time. And rather than me explaining it all, facing it head-on might be a better experience for you. Don’t back down even if you’re scared. You’ve got capable supporters behind you. And Jae’s watching you with unwavering eyes too.”

Daisy nodded and lowered her body.

Putting strength into his bent legs, he leaped, and in an instant, the small child shot up like a rocket, high, high into the air. As I stared in awe, I felt the Elder behind me suddenly tense up.

Until Daisy stepped into battle, her attitude had been somewhat relaxed, but now it felt like she had become a completely different person.

Flying high, Daisy twisted her body, gathered her daggers together, and plunged downward toward the flame.