Elder wished to stay a bit longer at the artifact workshop, but after opening boxes all day, I was hungry. I also felt like taking a break. I wanted to quickly prepare my own equipment and finish up the errands at the shopping district. Then I’d stop by the inn, eat something delicious, and lie down on a soft bed.

As I stepped outside, I saw the artifact workshop staff making helpless expressions as they looked at the pile of empty boxes. I felt a bit sorry.

“Oh my! Good heavens! Is that Daisy?”

He could have chosen a fancy restaurant or inn, but his heart led him to the inn he had first visited. The inn where the kind owner had taken such good care of Daisy.

The food we ate with Daisy back then was all good too. It was a place where my mind, which had fallen into a strange world, confused and scared, found peace.

The owner recognized us right away. Especially surprised to see Daisy, who had changed so much. The innkeeper’s face beamed with a bright smile as she hugged Daisy tightly.

“Is it really you, Daisy? I wouldn’t have recognized you!”

She still wasn’t a druid, so she couldn’t communicate with Daisy verbally. But just by looking at each other, they seemed to understand one another.

“Let me see. Have you grown a little? No, you’ve grown a lot! Your face looks more mature too. You’re a pretty little flower. So, this is your flower, huh?”

As Daisy grew, the pretty red daisy flower on her head also bloomed fully and became lush. She carefully examined the flower on Daisy’s head, Daisy’s well-dressed equipment, and her pleasantly flushed cheeks, praising her repeatedly.

“Such a pretty child… Oh, look at my scatterbrain! I’ll prepare some food right away. Since it’s a rare happy day…”

Since learning about the terrarium’s situation, freebies are absolutely out of the question!

“It’s a day for my wallet to open! I’ll treat you! Everything! Every one! Let’s all eat together!”

Of course, my dryads don’t need to eat, but I’ll ring the golden bell for everyone at the inn. It’ll be a good day for the dwarves too.

For once, there’s someone to listen to me proudly brag about Daisy’s growth. Come quickly and listen to Daisy’s story! I’m on standby!

The newly fitted equipment felt stifling, not yet fully adapted to my body, and the specially ordered emergency rations, tasting of all sorts of fruits and desserts, sat unopened in their boxes inside the inventory, rustling softly.

The table where the two of them had sat now held five, and the heart once filled with frustration and anxiety from unfamiliarity was now replaced by anticipation for the future.

Though it was the same place, everything felt new. For a moment, I felt like I was doing well.

***

“Focus a bit.”

“I’m trying, but you keep shoving that pretty face in my way, disrupting my concentration. Your face reflects in these transparent fruits, and it startles me every time!”

“It’s not because of that.”

There are three children. Daisy, who’s a bit older; small Wolfsbane; and Elder, who’s a bit sulky.

As soon as day broke, we headed for the dandelion colony. It was supposed to be Daisy2’s grand speech, but the whining hidden within it had been maximized. This was because the 28th terrarium’s restoration level was too low to handle the excessive furniture I had shoved into the artifact workshop, and labor was urgently needed.

Jae, I spent a night in this cabin, and it was very comfortable. It seems the effects imbued in the furniture work just fine on me since I’m a normal field dryad. If we utilize this, we could create great results! But we need labor. I can’t do it alone. It’s way too much. Blah blah blah.

Elder’s butterfly, unfortunately for him, flew in a direction quite far from where we were headed. It fluttered toward the 18th terrarium, the 16th terrarium where we could get info on Wolfsbane, and the 30s terrariums—completely opposite to those two.

If luck was bad, it might be the 40s terrariums. After calming Elder down repeatedly, we barely made it to the dandelion colony, only to face another obstacle.

Maybe some fateful force was at play between Wolfsbane and me. Given that I succeeded on my first attempt at a soul link with a wild dryad. But now, trying to link souls with the dandelion kids, it somehow wasn’t easy.

“What’s the problem? Could it be the unripe fruit I brought from the orchard?”

Dandelion, who had finished all preparations and steeled his heart to send the kids off, also looked a bit flustered. Only the two dandelion kids, who seemed oblivious or indifferent to the situation, stared at me cheerfully.

Could it be my level? No, Mesquite said my soul vessel had grown plenty big enough to contain those kids. COST wasn’t an issue.

I tried hard to recall when I recruited Wolfsbane. The cold fruit gradually warmed, and I ripened it into a bright golden yellow with my soul’s power.

But even though it warmed up, there was no sign of it ripening anytime soon. Plus, Elder, who was a bit sulky, kept grumbling, so I couldn’t focus well either.

“Is it because they’re too young?”

Wolfsbane was recruited when it was exactly the same size….

Dandelion, who had been suggesting various causes, suddenly looked at me. Perhaps the cause wasn’t external but lay within my inner self.

“Little World Tree, what’s worrying you? Try to focus well.”

Her two hands overlapped mine, which were holding the fruit.

Dandelion’s gentle voice echoed in my head.

“You’re not taking the saplings away from me. I’ve never thought that way. I’ve passed on enough wisdom to the saplings. When the children grow up, they’ll surely be a great help to you. I don’t think the children are useless even now.”

Then what on earth… Ah….

Our overlapped hands parted. Dandelion had a face as if she had a great realization. Her hand touched her bosom where the diamond she received from me was hidden. And her eyes, which looked at Wolfsbane like the serene surface of a lake.

“There was no problem with the saplings or the fruit, of course. Nor was there a problem with you, Little World Tree, Druid. It was with me. The children sensed my little anxiety. They were worried about me and couldn’t leave. Since the children share my thoughts as the king of this forest, they noticed even the slightest anxiety. Because the children couldn’t steel their hearts due to me, the soul connection was difficult.”

Dandelion pulled the small shoulders of the two dandelion children. The three of them met eyes for a long time. What kind of connection passed between them? When the children returned to me, the fruit was finally tinged with a golden hue.

To dispel any lingering unease in her, I passionately revealed my ambitions. From grandiose promises as if running for election to growth plans borrowed from Daisy 2’s thoughts. But her eyes, which had been like a calm lake, were now rippling blue again, so it seems my worries were unfounded.

Checking briefly through the artifact, I saw that Daisy 2, who I thought would immediately put the children to work after sending them to the 28th terrarium, was unexpectedly acting like a mentor.

“You need to strengthen the roots!”

The advice sounded familiar, but seeing the eyes of the two dandelion children blazing with enthusiasm put my mind at ease. They’ll guide them well.

“My master, Jae. Now we’ll head to a place somewhat away from where the World Tree’s branches are balanced. Before arriving at the 18th terrarium, we might encounter threatening fire not suppressed by blessings, and other dangers may also lie in wait.”

“Does that danger include the sulky Elder grumbling? He keeps getting on my nerves. What if it develops into stress? Stress is the root of all ills, you know.”

Mom said she would come after work, right? That guy who has Naby too, why is he so greedy! Finding wild elderflowers on my list is way down there.

“Kid, are you in a hurry? Afraid Daisy might become stronger than you?”

At Mesquite’s words, Elder let out a snort. But he did quiet down a bit… Could it be…? I wanted to tease and mess with him a little, but I held back because I liked that he kept his mouth shut.

On the way to the 18th terrarium, we crossed a mountain made of huge boulders. Fortunately, there was a path for people to pass through. If I had to rock climb, my inner conflict would have dragged on. Sturdy trees were piercing through the rocks and settling in.

They said it was their survival strategy to settle on rocks, which are harder to burn than on grassy fields. The trees twisted their bodies like snakes to dodge the massive boulders and catch sunlight. Some had roots wrapped around the rocks like claw machines grabbing dolls, and others coiled around them like pythons. It made me realize I had come to a field full of nature’s mysteries.

Having developed a lot, unlike before, I didn’t check the map whenever I had a chance. I didn’t bother trying to gauge where I was. Because that only made my body feel more tired. I also learned how to sip water to quench my thirst and efficiently shorten rest time.

It seemed like if I, the weakest in the team, pushed myself, we could get to the 18th terrarium smoothly.

Until my phone made a strange sound.

A weak signal was coming through. I had experienced a similar situation before. I had a bad feeling.

“Mesquite, wait…”

Sensing something from my words, Mesquite began to scan the surroundings.

The phone spun in circles looking for a network signal, then kept switching modes back and forth, acting frantically.

Artifact network connecting

Adjacent terrarium artifact: Machi

The adjacent Terrarium Artifact’s emergency rescue mode has been activated, giving it highest priority for connection.

Please reduce the distance between artifacts to connect to the network.

This is not good. Not good at all.

“What’s wrong?”

Back in his original form, Elder took a defensive stance to protect me. Daisy held two daggers, ready to spring out at any moment, and Wolfsbane, having read the atmosphere, clung tightly to me with a terrified expression.

This situation is the same as when Scarecrow requested rescue, right? That means there’s a druid in need of help nearby.

“Someone is asking for help.”

“I don’t feel any fire energy around. Something else that might harm a druid…”

“Maybe they’re stranded!”

Since it’s a rocky area, they might have fallen or something… Gasp! That could be an extremely dangerous situation. Like when catching Wi-Fi, I spun around holding the phone, chasing the signal.

And I found a spot with a strong signal. Mesquite took the lead, and not far away, we succeeded in connecting to the artifact network.

There, lying in a crevice between rocks, was a person covered in blood, clearly in a serious condition at first glance. They were wearing a white coat.

There was no dryad guarding them nearby either. And for injuries from falling off rocks, it looked strangely off. It seemed more like someone who had just been through a major battle. Oh shit….