Oh no. I really hate walking. When I wiped the child’s mouth with the clean part of the napkin, her face looked flustered but she stayed still.

“So, can we just go now without preparing? I only have diamonds on me; is there anything I need to buy separately?”

“Hmm, I’m not sure either. Rich people usually buy a lot of potions or food before going.”

I can’t get a sense of how much ‘a lot’ is. Whatever. I’ll buy stuff later; for now, I want to hurry and see that ‘orchard’ I’m most curious about. As we left the inn, breathing in the fresh morning air, the innkeeper saw us off warmly.

The orchard we arrived at wasn’t the sprawling apple field I had imagined. It was a glass-domed building reminiscent of a giant greenhouse. Shimmering in the sunlight, it felt like half a karaoke mirror ball had been cut and flipped over.

And despairingly, there were far too many people. Before we even reached the entrance, I must have been bumped into at least ten times.

Thinking Daisy, who was shorter than me, would get swept away, I asked for her permission and scooped her up. A flustered Daisy struggled, but when I wobbled in response, she stopped moving.

“I’m sorry. I guess I brought you too late. I didn’t know there would be this many people.”

“No, no. Even if you woke me up earlier, I wouldn’t have gotten up. By the way, are all these people druids?”

“No, there are probably spectators mixed in too. It’s a rare sight to see.”

Using skills I’d honed on buses and subways, I pushed through the crowd.

“Do you know where to get a number ticket?”

“Hello. Can I help you?”

I was looking around for the number ticket Daisy mentioned when some man spoke to me. Dressed neatly in a suit, I strongly suspected he was a guide here.

He gave Daisy, who I was holding, a strange look for a moment before quickly wiping his expression. It was too brief for me to feel any discomfort, so I let it slide.

“Help sounds good. Uh, I’m here to use it; where do I get a number ticket?”

Without even knowing what ‘it’ was, I threw it out there. If worst came to worst, I’d call for Daisy’s help.

“As for the fruit number tickets currently provided free of charge by our Terrarium, distribution has already ended.”

“What do we do? Master Druid! If we miss today, we’ll have to wait another year!”

Daisy fidgeted anxiously, grabbing my collar and shaking it.

What! Then I can’t use it? Can’t go on an adventure? Can’t play games? This wasn’t in my expectations! Wait! You said it was free, right? The free part is over, but what about the paid version?

“Then what about the paid version? I’ll pay with diamonds.”

“If you purchase the fruit through the paid option, no separate ticket is needed. Shall I guide you?”

“Call! Let’s go!”

While following the guide, I saw a long line occupying one side of the building. They were all clutching white paper dearly. Was that the ticket? They looked at me with envious eyes, and I looked at them with curious ones. How long had they been here?

“The fruit only bears once a year, so the quantity is limited. Under the terrarium policy, about half of the quantity must be provided free to druids embarking on their first adventure. Since only 100 can be given, some people start lining up three days in advance, even staying up all night.”

Three days of staying up all night! That’s intense. Suddenly, I thought of a friend who pulled all-nighters to go to a fan signing event of a favorite idol group. And a classmate who lined up to be the first to buy a new phone.

I couldn’t do that with my stamina. They’re really something.

The place I arrived at, guided by the man, was where a giant tree branch filled the entire room.

Was that the World Tree? On the branch, giant golden-glowing leaves and round, translucent fruits hung, emitting a faint light.

There were other people there besides me. They glanced at me as I entered late, snickered briefly, and then immediately turned their heads away.

What’s that? Annoying.

“I’m new here too…”

“So am I.”

After putting Daisy down, she worried if I was tired. So cute.

Not knowing what to do, I first sat on a chair placed in a room. I planned to watch what others did and follow suit. But then a man sat beside us. And without me even asking, he started talking.

“My parents sold our land to get diamonds for today.”

“I see…”

“My parents want me to become a great druid. To do that, I absolutely have to pull a Rare grade Dryad. Of course, pulling an even higher Unique or Special grade would be even better!”

“Is that so.”

I didn’t ask, but thanks. I smiled and nodded at the man with a determined expression.

You can do it! After saying that insincere words, he hugged a pouch likely full of diamonds tightly and took a deep breath.

So this is a gacha place after all? It was confusing because they called it an orchard.

I usually hate random draws, but now I have a lot of money, right? I used to envy people who could keep pulling without worrying about the cost.

But now I can do it? Doesn’t that mean I can buy all the fruits here, regardless of how much each fruit costs?

Just then, someone plucked a transparent, orb-like fruit from a branch. Guided by an attendant, they disappeared into a separate room. So that fruit is like a card that reveals a character?

“No normals! If I pull a normal, I’ll just have to go back home. Absolutely no normals!”

He suddenly shouted with a fierce expression, causing Daisy to flinch in surprise.

“Why?”

“Their combat power is weak, and their early skills are lousy. A Dryad that can use healing skills might be sellable to rich people, so that’s okay, but if it’s a dealer, you’re screwed. Unless you use it as fertilizer for a high-grade Dryad, but I only have one chance to get a diamond right now.”

Suddenly, I felt a strange sensation. Of course, what that man said was basically the common rule in drawing games, but should I say it felt oddly unpleasant?

Just as I was lost in that inexplicable feeling, staring blankly at the branches while looking away from him, a huge cheer suddenly erupted from outside. Everyone in the room turned nervous at once, and a few ran outside.

“Someone must have pulled a Dryad of Unique grade or higher! The probability of pulling multiple Uniques or higher from a single branch is extremely low… Should I give up this time and try next year? Damn it… They said the diamond draw has better odds, so my parents pushed themselves!”

The man next to me kept sitting down and standing up, driving me crazy. I got up from my seat and moved far away from him before sitting down again. Somehow, Daisy followed me with a sullen look.

“What’s wrong? Is it because of that guy? He seems a bit weird, doesn’t he?”

“No…”

Seeing no sign of her expression brightening, I took a diamond out of my pocket and shook it in front of the child’s eyes.

“Want this?”

“Ah… no!”

Daisy blushed and jerked her head up. If just one of these could cheer the child up, that would be great. Then I could give ten or even a hundred. Fortunately, Daisy seemed to return to her usual self.

“Someone pulled a Cyclamen! The flower color is deep, so it must be a Unique!”

“Oh no! That was one of the Dryads I was aiming for! Now there’s no chance of getting a Cyclamen from this branch.”

“What a relief…”

The person who had run outside came back in and shouted. In response, a few inside either sighed or sighed in relief and patted their chests. Suddenly, a heavy tension began to fill the room.

It felt just like the nervousness I get when someone draws a good grade and the electronic board lights up whenever I’m pulling. But how do they know it’s a high grade after pulling?

“Want to go take a look?”

I asked if maybe Daisy was sulking because she thought she missed out on a good sight. But the child shook her head vigorously and said she just wanted to stay here with me.

She wants to be with me? Is she relying on me? Somehow, a corner of my heart felt a pang.

“I give up! It’s better to just aim for next year. Unique, huh. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind just getting a Rare grade, but somehow my luck isn’t good.”

The man who had been rambling to himself said that and then bolted out of his seat. By now, I was curious about how many diamonds were needed for a pull. I raised my hand at the guide who was standing idly by while people chose their fruits. The one who had brought me to the room came over in a flash.

“When do I need to pay the diamonds?”

“You can pick the fruit first and then pay according to the quantity. Of course, you can also pay in advance. All the diamonds are used for the maintenance of the orchard.”

“Ah, yes.”

Just as I was about to ask how much it was, someone else seemed to be paying, and I saw another attendant pouring diamonds into a box that was being brought over.

The number written on the box was 300, and the fruit in that person’s hand was one. So it’s 300 diamonds per draw. That’s why they said they saved up by selling land earlier. Indeed, from these people’s perspective, it’s a frighteningly large amount. Since three pieces of bread and two bottles of milk could be bought for 1 diamond, 300 diamonds could buy 900 loaves of bread and 600 bottles of milk.

Alright, I know the price and the method now. I grabbed Daisy’s hand and stood under the branch.