“Elder, try some healing.”

Since we couldn’t tell what had injured them so badly, Mesquite stayed on high alert around us and stopped me from getting close to that person.

“I can only properly exert my energy against dryads, and besides, this druid isn’t soul-linked with me, so it’s even harder.”

Elder’s tone was blunt. It was true that Elder could dish out healing to dryads effectively, but for me, he could only use his power to the extent of infusing a bit of energy.

So, even though a druid is called a miniature world tree, a druid who isn’t me is basically nothing. Strangers. Still, you’re a dryad, but I’m human, so how could I be fine seeing another human lying there so severely injured?

When I pushed him, Elder pouted but aimed his staff. Compared to Elder, it was feeble, but Wolfsbane also raised his staff, emitting an energy that smelled as fresh as wild herbs. As the white light rippled, he, who had been lying there as if unconscious, slowly opened his eyes.

“Help me…”

“Hey! I’m going to come closer to check if you’re okay! You have to stay still! If you try anything funny, my dryads are overly protective, so they might force you to stay still!”

By force! I glanced at Mesquite and approached.

A white coat—maybe someone in the medical field? Or a researcher? As I got closer, I gave him some water and rummaged through my pocket for anything helpful, and my hand found an emergency first-aid kit.

Everything in the general store was just potions usable only on dryads, and the only item that could work on me too was this. Of course, I had bought it in bulk.

Just opening the white box automatically used the item on the designated target. What a relief. It was an item with no medical knowledge needed, like bandaging or an instruction manual, and I’d grabbed it on a whim, so I was worried, but it worked on its own.

But I couldn’t heal him completely. It seemed like it could only provide first aid, just as the item name implied. The bloodstains were still there, but the wounds looked cleaner, and on his arm, red and blotchy scars were revealed, like burns.

Should he go to a hospital at this point? There must be hospitals for people, not just dryads, in the terrarium, right? But getting to the terrarium from here would be quite a distance.

“Help me…”

“I did some treatment, but you need to go to the hospital. My dryads can’t do anything for you.”

“Please find the dryad… It’s dangerous. If that child is taken away, it’s dangerous…”

“Huh? A dryad?”

Can’t I just summon it with an artifact? I looked at his wrist, but there was nothing but a red scar.

“What kind of dryad is it?”

“It’s dangerous… It’s a dangerous situation…”

“Which dryad are you talking about? You need to tell me properly so I can help!”

“I don’t just help people carelessly.”

Elder chimed in from the side. That was true, though. Could this be some kind of quest?

“It’s Cannabis. The people after it took it away.”

“What’s Cannabis? I’ve never heard of that plant.”

But Mesquite and even Elder seemed to recognize what dryad it was. Both their expressions turned serious.

“That child will be used for something evil! There’s no time!”

He suddenly shouted like a madman, then collapsed weakly, as if his strength gave out. I wish there was something like an encyclopedia or even a compendium, like in some games. The topic would be plants or dryad types? What exactly is this dryad called Cannabis?

Fortunately, the other intellects stepped up. Because Mesquite and Elder were making faces that clearly expressed they knew everything I was curious about. When I looked at them with a dumb expression, Mesquite spoke up.

“My master, Jae. It seems what we feared has happened. When we were at the World Tree, when Elder was still a sapling, there was a controversy among dryads. It was a dispute based on the experiences of the progenitors long ago. There are many species dangerous to druids and even to people. Take Wolfsbane here, or Belladonna we met recently, for example.”

At that, Wolfsbane shrugged.

“But beyond things that threaten life, like poison or acid, the controversy began because there are even more horrifying things. There are species that erode the soul with deathly energy over a long time, leaving it in an irrecoverable state.”

That’s probably related to the dryad called Cannabis I just heard about, right?

“Poisons can be neutralized, external wounds can be healed, and if you meet a druid, those forces can be controlled to some extent. But the power that erodes the soul makes even a small World Tree completely unable to rise again. Those whose bodies and minds collapse commit all sorts of wrongdoings. Even as their souls are destroyed, they don’t realize it and keep relying on that power. I hear that in the distant past, humans in some terrarium nearly perished entirely because of that power. There were even wars between terrariums…”

“Uh… wait. I think I know what you’re talking about. Continue telling me.”

I had a foreboding feeling.

“That’s why some dryads argued that species that could threaten the safety of our small World Tree should never leave its boundaries. Of course, I opposed it.”

“Why did you oppose it?”

“Because there were places where they were still needed, despite that. We dryads can’t directly heal humans. You’ve heard that from the Elder many times, right?”

I already knew that. The Elder would make a fuss over me even if I showed the slightest hint of discomfort or pain. But all the Elder could do was infuse me with healing energy.

The Elder’s healing power could fully restore other dryads, but for a human like me, that was the best it could do. If complete healing were possible, that druid named ‘Maci,’ lying there like a corpse, would have been helped somehow.

“When humans are sick, they must be healed by other humans. Those species were needed in such situations.”

“That’s right. I’m the one needed in places like that. I’m a doctor.”

He seemed to have come to his senses and chimed into the conversation from time to time. So, he really was a doctor. Wearing a white coat and asserting his identity more strongly than anyone else.

“I was on my way with my dryad because of an emergency surgery request from the 17th terrarium. My dryad, Cannabis, was absolutely necessary due to her various medical benefits like pain relief and sedation. But as I just mentioned, there are many who seek this child even in undesirable places….”

“Wait…! Don’t tell me that Cannabis… is actually a drug?”

“Yes. That’s why people seek her out. Cannabis has another name too… Marijuana….”

You said drug, but I didn’t realize it was that famous marijuana. Suddenly this feels like an RPG game turned into a crime movie or a US detective drama, huh?

With drugs, aren’t there mafias and gangs and stuff? What age rating did this game originally have? Sure, these days mobile games come out all bare and bloody and still get 12+ or 15+ ratings!

“This seems like something we can’t handle! Shouldn’t people like the FBI or CSI step in instead of ordinary folks like us?”

“They probably haven’t gone far yet. We have to stop them before that child is used as a drug…! And there are emergency patients waiting only for me…!”

Why are you forcing a quest on me? I haven’t accepted yet! And aren’t you a user like me, not an NPC? Since when do users give out quests?

“She’s still a young one that hasn’t matured into a mighty tree… She could suffer something terrible…!”

Why would a druid go adventuring in this harsh world with just one dryad? And how do you know I’m weak to kids, stirring up sympathy like that?

“They couldn’t have gone far, so if we just search nearby quickly….”

“To help? Your expression doesn’t seem too keen on it, though?”

Looking at Elder, who had turned slightly pale, he asked worriedly. Of course, the terrifying word ‘drugs’ being involved made me a bit scared. After all, he’s still a young dryad.

You saw me for the first time and sharply caught my weak side! You’re no ordinary person! If I just let you pass by like this, I feel like I won’t be able to sleep due to guilt.

“Let’s finish this quickly. We happen to have Mesquite to help with the search. If they’re bad guys, don’t go easy on them and knock them down! Of course, without anyone noticing!”

I’m getting a strong vibe that I shouldn’t get involved, but if I strike quickly and run away, it’ll be fine!

“The controversy about dryads of the same species as Cannabis keeps exactly this situation in mind.”

Mesquite looked with a stern expression at the man covering his face with both hands and exuding a despairing aura. Then, reluctantly, she turned to me, who had accepted his request, with a troubled face.

“My master, Jae. Can you not regret it? Jae seems more conflicted now than ever.”

Even Mesquite asking my intentions made me feel weak. Indeed, unlike game-like situations like dealing with fire, this realistic scenario involving a human was frightening.

“Then let’s take a quick look, and if it seems bad, let’s just dash to the 18th Terrarium and report it!”

“In the meantime, my dryad…! If you just tell me the location, I’ll even go alone…!”

“I’m a solo player without a party and don’t know how to fight, so I can only help as much as I can! This is me squeezing out every bit of my tiny courage, you know? You’re also alone without a dryad, right? Be grateful you survived, and if you have that strength, wouldn’t it be better to head to a nearby terrarium first and ask for help?”

I thought he’d stubbornly refuse to go, but suddenly he struggled to lift himself up.

“Th-then so be it! That would be efficient. I’ll head to the 17th Terrarium first. Coincidentally, that’s also where the emergency patient is.”

With that, he dragged his leg and started walking away before I could stop him. Something’s strange? He said he was attacked, but he’s not even scared to go alone, and he claims it’s an important dryad, yet he readily entrusts it to me as if he knows what I’ll do?

Watching his back grow distant, I felt a sense of unease.