“That’s because you’re using a recovery-type power you’re not used to. If you were an attack-type, you’d be a grenade that explodes everywhere once the safety pin is pulled… How amazing would that be!”

Yeah, you once turned a wide area into your domain, making it a deadly swamp that took out any creature that set foot in it. Your poison debuff could annihilate the enemy if they lacked the right dryad.

Even that great Elder was almost reduced to a near-death state dealing with you alone. This kid has no idea how scary a debuffer with DoT damage can be. And that debuff even stacks. You’re excellent as an attack-type, and I had high hopes that you could become equally excellent as a recovery-type.

“Look, I’m the Little World Tree, right?”

“…….”

The dryads always call me the Little World Tree whenever they see me. Even the short dandelion children, having heard it from Dandelion, call me that. But Wolfsbane, being an artificially born dryad, reportedly had almost no awareness of druids.

“The Little World Tree, they say, has the World Tree’s blessing power embedded somewhere in my soul, making me no different from the World Tree itself. Since dryads can’t stay away from the World Tree for long, I become their walking World Tree. Once dryads take root in my soul, I provide them with the same environment as the World Tree.”

In fact, until just a short while ago, I was a complete novice who didn’t even know what the World Tree was. Through Mesquite’s explanations and bits I picked up here and there, I’ve barely managed to reach a level where I can pretend to know something.

Lying side by side like this, chattering away, makes me feel like an aunt telling old tales to my little nephew, Wolfsbane.

“You are the first improved monkshood Dryad to uniquely exist in my small world tree. Out of countless small world trees in this world, I’m the first to have you. This small world tree beat the big world trees to the punch, doing what they couldn’t.”

Even though I tend to cling to the first of something, being the first is quite important, isn’t it? Because it’s the start of something.

I still had the gear I first put together in the 26th terrarium. I stuffed it all into my pockets, and somehow it fit.

Even though I’m now wearing better equipment than back then, I wanted to keep that thrilling memory of when I first properly geared up as an adventurer in this world. The shop owner said he’d throw it away, but it kept catching my eye, so I ended up packing it.

If circumstances allow later, I’d like to display those pieces of equipment—the clothes newbie Jae wore when she first set out on an adventure.

“Look at this. Now you have information in the World Tree too, don’t you? Even if it’s just a small world tree. Or, do you dislike it because it’s small?”

Wolfsbane shook his head vigorously with his pressed-down head. My precious Dryad. I hope he becomes confident and unflinching. If he sets his mind to it, I could do anything for him. Wolfsbane, walk only the diamond path.

With no more words to say, I just hugged Wolfsbane tightly. I hope he sees me as special. Then, because I’m special, he’ll see himself, as my Dryad, as special too.

On a night when my Dryads are training hard in the artifact, a night when a solitary blooming flower peers into a flowerbed of gathered blossoms. If it musters the courage to stretch its roots far, it can always reach their side.

Even if it doesn’t realize it’s already inside the flowerbed, someday, when it looks around, it will eventually notice.

I entrusted my body to the child’s warm temperature, using his steady breathing as a lullaby, and closed my eyes, immediately falling asleep. May a better day await tomorrow.

***

I woke up to the news that Iris’s party was waiting for me since early morning.

What a diligent party. It seemed like just yesterday they were determined to go shopping with the funds I provided—don’t they need sleep?

Wolfsbane, who received the news from the inn clerk, tried to wake me alone but failed, then called all the Dryads from the artifact for help, and finally I got up.

After a long time, I had a refreshing shower and a hearty breakfast. They say Koreans live on rice, and my head, which had been wailing to sleep more, finally surrendered once the sugar kicked in.

Iris’s party was sitting and waiting at the table in the lobby. Around them stood their dryads, which I hadn’t seen yesterday.

The dryad standing beside Iris looked the most colorful and splendid of all I had seen. While ordinary dryads have hair or armor matching the color of their petals, Iris’s dryads had hair and armor shimmering in at least five different colors.

There was even a dryad with flower wings on its back. Oh, that dryad must be the king of the forest.

“Did you sleep well last night? We slept really well thanks to you booking such a luxurious inn. Thank you.”

Iris, who spotted me, rose from her seat and offered a morning greeting. Unlike her, who looked refreshed, there were two men who appeared to be on the verge of death.

“Ah, Herma is always weak in the morning. Zephyr ate too much yesterday and got an upset stomach. He had a rough time last night.”

“Oh dear…”

“Isn’t he clueless? That guy will die from eating even if it kills him. It’s not like he grew up without enough food, so why is he so obsessed with it? Our team is better off than other druid teams, so we don’t usually skip meals. Even if it’s just emergency rations.”

“Save me…”

“Even in that state, he can handle today’s commission! If he can’t, I’ll beat him until he does. Please take good care of us!”

“Haha… ha…”

Iris sure has a strong personality. Good, good, I like it. Just as I was about to discuss how we’d act before heading out, my dryads happened to be coming down the stairs.

As soon as I came out of the artifact, I was dealing with the bickering dandelion kids, so I entrusted one each to Mesquite and Elder, and then hurried down with only Daisy and Wolfsbane to meet Iris’s party, who were waiting.

“Wow… are those your dryads…? They look extraordinary.”

You noticed at a glance. My dryads are indeed quite impressive. I can’t help but feel proud.

Just then, Herma, who had been slumped like a corpse and weak in the morning, sprang up as if resurrected. He rubbed his eyes and stumbled over to this side.

“Is that all you see, just being extraordinary? Even after looking at that dryad?”

What Herma pointed to was Mesquite. Our Mesquite is a special-grade, amazing dryad, but she was making a huge fuss as if she had seen a ghost.

“Oh, come on. We’ve seen plenty of unique grades. I have one too. Still, it’s always fascinating to see them.”

“That one’s not just a simple unique grade.”

“What? Then surely it’s not special-grade, is it? I don’t know all dryads either… Wow! Is it really a special grade?”

It’s my first time seeing a Special! Iris covered her mouth with both hands and let out a silent scream. Their fuss made everyone in the lobby focus their attention on them. Even Zephyr, who was clutching his stomach and lying there as if dead, stared with his mouth wide open.

Thanks to the inn staff’s consideration, we were moved to a seat with a partition. It was just the right kind of consideration at that moment.

Back in the orchard, when a Unique-grade tree like the Elder bloomed for the first time, everyone cheered. The Special-grade Mesquite, which bloomed for the first time in ten years, seemed to be treated like a celebrity.

Does everyone react like this when they recognize a Special grade? Even though Mesquite usually draws attention when I walk outside with her, I’ve never seen such a fuss. Did they think she was just a Unique like Iris at first?

“It’s not just a simple Special. Don’t you really remember? You’ve seen it somewhere before. That Dryad.”

“Huh! You’ve seen Mesquite? Wait, there’s another Velvet Mesquite Dryad? The Elder said Mesquite was unique!”

“No, I don’t mean I’ve seen a moving Dryad….”

Herma muttered, “It must be right… I’m sure it was one of them…” and tapped Iris on the shoulder.

Iris seemed to have trouble grasping what he was saying. “Don’t you guys remember either?” she said, glancing at the others, but Zephyr still had his mouth wide open, and Notos looked lost in thought with his eyes closed.

“I guess you all only remember almost dying in the desert. Don’t you recall going the wrong way and ending up in the 70th-level Terrarium? We saw it in that temple-type dungeon. That Dryad statue. It was one of about ten in front of the entrance.”

Whoa, a statue? What does that mean? A Mesquite statue! At Herma’s words, the others finally looked like they remembered. Then they stared at Mesquite with even more surprised expressions. What is it? Why are you all like that? Let me join in the shock too!

As they whispered among themselves, Mesquite let out a long sigh, *heum*. Somehow it felt like she wasn’t pleased with something.

“Ah! Now that you mention it, really… that shield and lance…”

“There were quite impressive Dryad statues gathered together…”

“Whoa. There’s a Mesquite statue? Where is it?”

How impressive must she be to have a statue? What kind of statue is it? I want to go see it too!