Terrarium Adventure

We aimed for crossing the mountain before the end of the day.

The only difference from the previous time we traveled this way was that I knew how long it was, but somehow, I didn’t feel tired even after a whole day of walking without taking a break.

Could it be that my physical strength has improved from leveling? Ah, I wish real life was like this, too. Then I could increase my intelligence with each level and finally understand what my professor is talking about in class.

When we entered the mountain, we deliberately headed for the path we traveled on previously. It was the hillier road out of the two that did not have obstacles. We had put out all the fires on our way to the 28th terrarium, but I wanted to make sure I did not miss any.

I need to organize all the routes to the 28th terrarium like we did with the Duckweed Swamp to increase the number of migrants and visitors.

“We should see the wagon fire soon…”

“Over there.”

I could see a messy, vacant space where Mesquite pointed.

Trees and rocks had fallen and become smashed due to the great damage of the battle, but there were some greenery sprouting from the ground. It was a space with subtle contrast.

The burnt earth had regained the power of life after we had poured a rain of diamonds with Elder’s graft. Even though it had been a while since then, there was still refreshing energy emanating from the ground.

The number of fires that appear here has been reduced and the wagon fire that was churning this area has been eliminated as well. It would be nice to create a park or something like that here… but it looks like it’s a little closer to the 27th terrarium, so maybe not.  

When we walked a little further, we arrived at the place where we first found the overturned wagon. Will it be okay to let the Monkshood dryad see this? I hesitated a little because this wagon was where he was first separated from the other helmet flowers. It was also a place where all the other helmet flowers were burned.

“How about we get rid of the wagon here? I think it would be better for only us to know about the details of what happened in the 28th terrarium.”

“My master, Jay. I agree with Elder. Your safety is at stake. Even though it has been burned to ashes, others could get clues from here as you did. For example, they could find out something from the box in which the Monkshood dryad’s mother flower was located.”

“Hm, alright. I agree that it’s a bit eerie to have something like this on the way to the 28th terrarium.”

We tried our best to act nonchalant towards the wagon, but we were already exposed. The child was looking in the direction we were facing.

I held the Monkshood dryad’s hand and headed for the overturned wagon. Whether it was not found by anyone after we fought it or no one had ever passed by, the appearance was the same as I remembered.

The box with the skull drawing was still wide open and had black soil scattered around it. Plants that seemed to have dried up by the fire were mixed with the soil.

I asked the Monkshood dryad if he remembered the wagon. The child showed a frightened expression when he saw the ruined wagon, but it didn’t look like he could recognize anything. He just looked scared.

Does he not have any memories from when he was in his mother’s flower? It sounded like he remembered being carried somewhere…

I saw Elder trying to bury the wagon using his flower branches and stopped him from doing so. Before, we had to leave this place immediately, but we had time now to inspect it more thoroughly. I thought maybe we could get more clues related to the 28th terrarium.

“What are you looking for?”

“Remember the items we found on the way to the 29th terrarium? When we looked closely, we found traces of battles between people and dryads, not with fire. We also found an object with the pattern of the 28th terrarium.”

My dryads quickly recognized what I wanted to do. it was a very badly damaged wagon, but I wondered what we could find if we inspected carefully. I dragged the Monkshood dryad, who couldn’t take his eyes off the box with the skull drawing on it.

“You are going to search with me. You’re shorter than me, so you’ll be able to find something if it’s close to the ground, right? See, the first thing I can see is things this high up.”

I bent my knees to the eye level of the Monkshood dryad.

“You’ll be able to see these things first, right? Besides me, Mesquite and Elder are so tall that they won’t be able to find anything here. Can you look around here for me?”

The Monkshood dryad just looked at me. Look, kid. I’m not going to punish you for not doing it.

“Hey hey, this is something only you can do! Elder doesn’t even bend his knees except when picking up diamonds.”

“Hey, what are you talking about?”

Elder snapped. Are you pretending you don’t remember, or have you just lost your memories? If it’s the former reason, I can just remind you again. I thought as I felt the diamonds in my pocket rolling around.

“You will do well. I really need your help.”

At my pleading, Monkshood dryad nodded. He pushed his round glasses that was down to the tip of his nose to meet his shimmering eyes. With his hand deep in his sleeves, he lowered his waist. As he did so, I saw his long hood completely cover his head.

It looks like that huge hood is eating his head alive. I didn’t want to make him think I was laughing at him, so I bit my lower lip and closed my eyes. I probably looked really weird just now.

Mesquite approached me with a smile on her lips. She bowed and whispered in my ear.

“Are you making an excuse to compliment him?

She was right. As she said, I wanted to increase my intimacy with the Monkshood dryad by complimenting him as much as I could.

I thought it would be a bit weird to compliment him using random things like, ‘you have really pretty hair! It’s so blue!’ or ‘you really have big and round glasses! That’s great!’ I wanted to make a real reason to compliment him.

I glanced at Elder who looked a little upset after I teased him. Honestly, I could praise him any time because of his face. I could simply say, ‘good job Elder’s eye, good job Elder’s nose,’ because they were so beautiful.

Anyway, my plan was to give Monkshood dryad an easy task and praise him when he finished it. I felt like I needed to give the child a proper reason so he could understand why I entrusted that task to him.

To be honest, my dryads did so well on their own, there was no reason to drag the little child into searching the wagon. The only thing I could come up with was his small body.

At that moment, I saw Daisy walking to my side and looking at me with an expression saying, ‘what about me?’ Ah, the smallest dryad on the team is now the Monkshood dryad. I did not realize that because we all called her Little Daisy.

Will she be jealous because she had lost her position as the little one in the te… seeing her expression, I think not. Well, it’s true that there was no special advantages that came with being the youngest on the team.

“You are a grown-up now, Daisy. You’re getting closer to my height, so let’s leave it to the Monkshood dryad to search what’s down there.”

I spoke a little loudly on purpose so that Monkshood dryad could hear me. I could see the child bowing further to the ground. Can he even see with the hood covering his eyes like that…? I bit my lower lip again to prevent myself from laughing.

“It was Daisy who discovered the object with the 28th terrarium last time, so please take a good look this time as well. This wagon is already broken, so you can handle it a little roughly.”

“Okay, master druid! I will do my best!”

I did say she could handle it a little roughly… but…

Thwack!

I did not know she would lift the whole wagon and turn it over. Daisy…

At the sudden movement, the little Monkshood dryad screamed and fell back. I quickly took refuge behind Mesquite.

“What are you doing?!”

“Master druid asked me to take a good look!”

Dumbfounded Elder shouted and Daisy replied back brightly. The huge wagon, which seemed to be able to easily carry six people, was lifted up by the hands of a small child and turned over like meat on a fire plate. Daisy was smiling with a calm face amidst the rising dirt and ashes.

Hey, if she can do it that easily, maybe I can too. I tried with all the strength I had and gave up very quickly. Was she strong because she was an attack-type dryad, or are all dryads normally so powerful?

“Um… master Chay!”

A high voice called out to me. Don’t laugh… don’t laugh… I bit my lower lip again. It seemed like it was suffering several times today.

The Monkshood dryad ran to me to show me what he discovered. The sleeves that were covering his hand moved down, revealing a small white fist. I brushed off the dust from the child’s clothes and got ready to pour out praise for whatever he found.

“I found this…”

What the child found was a bird’s feather. It was a little faded, but it was a pretty feather with a yellow color and a dark brown tip. A feather… out of nowhere? It preserved its shape even in the midst of fire.

When I grabbed the tip of the feather and turned it around with a curious expression, the child’s expression became visibly dark. It seemed like he lost confidence because he had found something of no use. Oops! I let my guard down.

“You found something interesting. Where did you find it?”

“It popped up when the wagon turned over.”

“Well done! It’s a very small and pretty feather, right? We wouldn’t have found it if it weren’t for you!”

I ardently stroked the Monkshood dryad’s head. The child’s face brightened again. Elder snorted as he saw what I was doing.

“It’s just a feather, right? There are only a few, but wild animals live here. Some of them have feathers as well. How can that help?”

Hm, well, that’s true. At that moment, I could see Daisy throw her boomerang to strike a bird-like fire flying in the sky.

Daisy, who was able to attack from a distance now, did not struggle from fires flying in the sky like she used to. She threw her dagger at the fires as if playing a game.

Mesquite’s hand landed on Elder’s shoulder.

“You are the wrong one, little Elder. That feather isn’t from an ordinary bird.”

“What?”

“It’s a very small and pretty feather, like my master, Jay said.”

What? Why is it different? Elder seemed to have noticed something already.

“I have little knowledge about birds, but I think the feather color of this bird is hard to find around this area.”

Mesquite quickly glanced around our surroundings and spoke.

“Some of the dark surroundings here have been caused by the fire, but overall, there are many dark rocks and black trees. It is a difficult environment for a bird with such a unique color to survive. With this color, it would easily become a target for predators.”

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“That means… this feather came with the wagon or…”

“It could be a clue to the person who attacked this wagon.”

Mesquite pointed to the part of the door of the wagon with the tip of her lance. The other side of the door had relatively few burnt parts. I could see some rough marks on the door as if it had been hit by something like a saw.

“It may be a sign of a dryad who fought against fire, but we don’t know for sure.”

Did someone attack this wagon like they attacked the 28th terrarium messenger?