The Druid Who Swallowed Mother Nature - Chapter 38



Only Noblemtl

Episode 38. Has it been proven?

“… … Thank you so much. I don’t know how I can repay this favor.”

Colin bowed his head as if it were about to sink to the ground.

Although he is a human who has no connection to the majesty of the Magic Tower, he is an executive in charge of one of the pillars of the Magic Tower.

His back was not easily broken.

It was an expression of how much gratitude he felt towards me.

“If it weren’t for you, I would have been helpless.”

“If you feel that way, please take good care of Sage at the top of the tower.”

“I mean, I’ll do my best.”

The trial was hushed up by Galen’s rampage, and Colin retained his position as schoolmaster.

It was thanks to his contribution to black magic research that he was recognized.

It was a lie told in an impromptu manner, but it really became the truth when the warlock was discovered and defeated.

‘It’s to my advantage if Colin retains his position as schoolmaster.’

Now that he has acquired authority, let alone the ability, he will support Sage in both material and spiritual ways.

“But I didn’t know you had that kind of talent.”

Colin’s eyes were mysterious as he spoke.

“The research of a black magician? Is that true?”

“No way, it’s just a natural talent.”

“Innate talent?”

“Let’s just say it’s an ability that a Druid has.”

I just muddled through it.

I am the only druid in this world.

No matter what he said, Colin had no choice but to believe it.

“Tsk, I see. That’s too bad. If I could figure out the principle, I could eradicate the black magician’s seed.”

He licked his lips in regret, but I completely ignored him.

There was no obligation to go that far.

“Are you satisfied with the fact that you caught those rats on the rooftop?”

Galen wasn’t the only warlock.

The leaders and disciples of the school that followed him, as well as the researchers who worked closely with him, were currently under arrest and being interrogated.

They were all warlocks and would be punished.

‘They are the ones who will try to overthrow the Magic Tower in the Magic Tower scenario that will begin later.’

If left alone, the world will fall into chaos and become a threat to Sage.

The plan was to use the pretext to track everyone down.

“Oh, that’s right. How did you pick out people who weren’t even there and call them warlocks? That can’t be explained by the druid’s skills.”

“… … .”

It was a stinging remark.

I treated it as if he was talking to himself and didn’t answer.

There was also a black magician who quietly infiltrated without being friendly with Galen.

Those guys were linked to Galen’s backroom staff and reported for questioning.

They fabricated the evidence, but what can they do?

If you investigate, it will eventually be revealed that he is a warlock.

“Even though the contractor is a polymath, it’s strange that he knew about the Magic Tower in advance. Judging from the way he dug into Galen’s corruption as if he had been waiting for it, you… … .”

Colin put his hand on my shoulder.

I watched in silence, wondering what was going on.

“… … I guess you had a grudge against Galen.”

“… … ?”

Why did you come to that conclusion?

“He was a tough guy to begin with, and he did a lot of backstabbing for his fallen family, so there were a lot of people who were gnashing their teeth at him. Well, I understand now. Sage’s talent is real, but I’m sure his reason for coming to see me was also partly due to personal grudges.”

He let his fantasies run wild, even adding to the excitement.

“Are you the enemy of your parents? Judging by your dignified behavior, you might be a fallen noble.”

“… … .”

“I understand that you have no choice but to be cautious with your words. The aristocratic society is so cutthroat that fallen nobles hide their identities for their entire lives. That was the case with Galen before he became the head of the school and gained a position.”

Even without me saying a word, he beats the drum and janggu and plays the beat all by himself.

Before I knew it, I had become a fallen noble with a tragic past.

‘Surely this body is not really from a fallen noble family.’

According to what I heard from factory workers, he comes from a lower class background.

But if you look closely, there is no way to know whether it is true or not.

After all, this was just a story I heard from people around me, especially lower-class workers.

‘… … He was shunned because of his severe burn scars. It’s hard for a lower class person to be born with this kind of appearance.’

Was he really a fallen nobleman who left burn marks as a last resort?

Suddenly my mind became complicated.

‘I’ll have to look into it later when I have time.’

It’s my body now, my past.

If there was a hidden past, it was something I had to accept.

“Colin, Mr. Allen.”

A group of people arrived, accompanied by the sound of clanking shoes.

Unlike the Ileman School members who had a tense atmosphere, he had a gentle expression.

The Magic Tower’s Slaughterhouse is an organization that deals with traitors, not magical research.

It was favorable to us that we achieved great results thanks to me.

“I will take you to the conference room.”

“What troublesome business do you have calling us for again?”

“It’s about the acquisition of research items by the Lord Topju that was brought up as an agenda.”

I got up from my seat without saying a word.

‘This is the final gate.’

The commotion we’ve had so far was just an appetizer.

The real goal of visiting the Magic Tower was to recover the Druid’s legacy.

I headed to the conference room, steeling my resolve.

***

‘A fallen nobleman.’

Colin glanced at Allen’s face and observed him.

The thick eyebrows and mysterious eyes were a vivid impression that was memorable even in passing.

The sharp, slender jawline and flawless, pure white skin gave off a certain elegance.

‘I said it wasn’t me, but I guess it was.’

It was impossible for a lower class contractor to have such an appearance.

The restraint that comes from the sharp tone of speech and the loneliness of the actions.

In addition to extensive knowledge of the Magic Tower, he also has in-depth information on the Gelan.

The circumstances gathered one by one indirectly proved his noble origins.

‘Then, will my disciple be similar?’

It wasn’t a blood-related appearance.

Then the background is probably similar.

‘Well, I guess he can’t be an ordinary kid.’

A talent that comes once in a thousand years, and a cute and adorable appearance that promises to blossom in the future.

Surely, as he introduced himself, he wasn’t really of lower class blood.

‘Tsk, I wasn’t supposed to get involved with fallen nobles.’

However, it was difficult to make a hasty conclusion as to whether this was a good thing.

The Galen that drove him was only the tip of the iceberg.

Even after the monarchy collapsed, the city’s aristocrats who continued to rule created a closed society.

If he is a fallen noble, it means that he has a reason for being resentful.

Some people say that they deliberately disfigure their faces and live their lives like that.

There was no good to be had from getting involved with them.

It will only cause unnecessary conflict with the upper class of the city.

One wizard was certain of his favor.

If you lend it, you must take it back and return what you received.

The help I received from Allen this time was worth turning a blind eye to the circumstances of the fallen nobles.

‘If I ask about the past, they won’t listen, so I guess I’ll have to find out for myself.’

In order to provide help at the right time, we had to know the situation in advance.

In that case, background investigation is essential.

He has made quite a few connections through his wanderings.

If you ask them, it won’t be that difficult.

‘But before that, the recovery of the relics takes priority.’

I wasn’t worried.

Since there is a ball being set, the meeting will end soon.

I have prepared an excuse that Topju asked me to help with the research, so if I just say it well, I can do it right away… … .

“I disagree.”

“… … .”

It was a dropped voice, as if it had been waiting for them to arrive.

Colin, who had entered the conference room in high spirits, stepped back awkwardly and looked at Allen.

“It hasn’t even been half a day since we started treating him like a criminal and holding a trial. Do you really think it’s right to elevate him to the highest level as a disciple of the Tower Master? Let alone with an outsider whose identity has not even been properly revealed. It’s unacceptable even if I get dirt in my eyes.”

“… … That old man Derman still has the same annoying personality even after all these years.”

The executioner’s wizard smiled bitterly at Colin’s muttered excuses.

Derman, a strict-looking elder wearing glasses.

Although he was a person influenced by Galen at the trial, he was not a warlock.

I just sympathized with the idea because I have similar tendencies to Galen.

He was a discriminator who valued tradition.

The pride he had in his tower was sky-high, and he hated anything that threatened it.

As for the top pillar of the magic tower, it was treated as inviolable.

I had absolutely no intention of allowing outsiders to enter.

“The trial story has already ended with a not guilty verdict. The outsider is also the guardian of Colin’s disciple and has done great work. We have also done wrong, so this should be enough compensation.”

The elder sitting next to him defended him, but Derman shook his head.

“It’s excessive compensation.”

“The disciple of the tower master will accompany you, so you won’t be able to do anything reckless.”

“It’s a problem that a non-magician has set foot on the Magic Tower! Not to mention the Tower Lord’s room! Do you think this is normal?!”

Derman couldn’t control his anger and started hitting the table.

Looking around, I saw many people who agreed with his opinion.

Even though Colin was a disciple of the top leader, it was an opinion that he could not do it alone, but with an outsider.

“It’s a headache.”

In this case, it would have been better to just steal the relics from the room.

But it wasn’t a very good solution.

Among the relics, there were some that were difficult to bring in from outside.

It’s not a procedural issue, it’s a physical issue.

It is a valuable item that is protected with magic to prevent it from breaking if handled improperly.

The best way, of course, was to enter and exit the room.

“You should go back first. I’ll somehow get permission… … .”

“You don’t have to do that.”

There was not a trace of agitation on Allen’s face.

It was an expression that said he knew this would happen.

It was the same during the trial.

He confidently and immediately presented a solution.

“Do you have any plan in mind?”

“Ultimately, the point of the argument is to prohibit entry by unqualified persons.”

Allen looked into the distance.

What he saw was a huge gateway that led straight to the room of the tower master on the top floor of the magic tower, across the conference room.

“Then all you have to do is prove your qualifications.”

***

I cannot allow a non-wizard to enter the tower’s chambers.

This is a claim befitting the elders who are obsessed with the identity of the Magic Tower, an elite group of magicians.

I figured you’d make that argument.

If it were the executives of the stuffy Ma-Tap I knew, it would be like that.

‘Even if there was a tower owner, things wouldn’t have been different.’

Colin was optimistic, but his teacher was also a closed-minded man.

Rather, Colin, who is free-spirited and prone to unconventional behavior, is a special case.

Rather than giving up on the progress of my research, I would rather not bow down to my pride and ask for help from outsiders.

That’s why I saw the absence of the tower as a good thing.

It is better to do something difficult and get permission than to try to convince yourself of it.

It was a truth I heard from my company’s boss that also applies in the game world.

“Is that you?”

Derman said.

In this position, he took up the mantle and represented the opinions of the elders.

“My name is Allen.”

“Yes, I want to see the items the Lord is researching.”

“It is a druid relic. If you leave it to me, a druid, I can make great progress in my research.”

“Druid?”

The conference room was abuzz.

Most of the reactions were ones I had never heard of before.

‘It seems that even in the Magic Tower, related information is rare.’

It’s a profession shrouded in mystery.

If it weren’t for my many strokes of luck, I probably wouldn’t have been able to find even a single clue.

“Even if the relic is related to you, it is currently the property of the Magic Tower.”

“I have no intention of claiming ownership. As I said at the beginning, I am just here to help with research.”

“Even so, that won’t do. You are not a wizard. You are not worthy to stand shoulder to shoulder with us.”

The pressure on my shoulders seemed to increase my magical power.

It was a firm statement that if they were to be unreasonable, they would not hesitate to exercise their power.

“So I’m trying to prove my qualifications.”

“… … ?”

“Would you grant me permission if I demonstrate some convincing magical ability?”

“……her.”

It was a hollow laugh that made me laugh.

Derman flicked his tongue with a sly grin.

“How are you going to prove that? Are you going to show me the solution to the Seven Great Mysteries of Magic?”

The 7 Great Puzzles are a kind of Easter Egg.

This was a problem that even the greatest scholars who had devoted their entire lives to academics had given up on solving, so it was more than enough to prove one’s knowledge.

Of course, this was not a problem that was created to be solved.

Many players, including myself, have already tried and given up.

The conclusion thus reached is that this is a problem that had no answer in the first place.

There was an easier and simpler way.

“I will enter the tower’s room on my own two feet.”

“Didn’t you hear what I said? I told you I couldn’t allow it.”

“It means that we will break through the security of the tower owner’s room.”

“… … .”

This time, I didn’t even laugh in vain.

Derman raised his eyebrows as if he was really angry.

“Are you in your right mind?”

“This should be enough to prove your qualifications.”

It is no exaggeration to say that the security of the tower master’s room is the essence of the tower’s security.

The magic, which was supplemented and modified over the generations, did not allow entry to anyone other than the tower lord.

In terms of accepted difficulty, it is similar to solving the 7 Great Puzzles.

It was not strange for the elders of Matap to feel insulted when they said they would solve this.

“Okay, give it a try. There’s no point in regretting it later.”

The elders’ intentions were clear.

The spell cast in the tower’s room was aimed at eliminating intruders, not prohibiting entry.

If you failed, you lost your life.

Since it was impossible anyway, the elders had nothing to lose.

‘Regret? Who would say that?’

If I wasn’t confident, I wouldn’t have even brought it up.

I walked through the room and stood in front of the iron door.

This is a passage that leads directly to the tower’s room.

The majesty of the intricately intertwined magic circle had an oppressive effect that prevented even outsiders from approaching.

‘The irony is that even the top players share this sentiment.’

There was once a question raised about security magic.

The main point was how to handle the situation if an emergency occurred in the tower’s room.

Even the tower’s security magic, which had been improved and developed over generations, could not be dispelled head-on.

They were granted entry through a loophole deliberately carved into the magic, a shortcut that was passed on to the tower lord.

This is because the security magic that the previous tower lords had supplemented and evolved over the generations was at a level all its own.

The opinions were taken seriously and there was a lot of discussion.

Most of them were refuted before they even reached the verification stage, but one was recognized as a meaningful solution.

Even if the security magic is patched up and supplemented over generations, the original form still exists.

Just as if the floor collapsed, the entire building would fall down, if the circular release method was followed, wouldn’t the rest also be released on their own?

But even that was extremely difficult.

The tower masters who designed the early security spells wanted something strong enough to protect the persecuted wizarding community.

Credentials.

In traditional wizarding communities, it usually meant pure magical power.

‘That’s why it’s actually simple for me now.’

Pure magic power is close to raw mana.

And I could manipulate mana.

Hwaaaa!

government ordinance.

They are messengers of nature, a kind of mana condenser, just as the circuits engraved on the pieces of the cocoon operate without any external power.

Woohoo!

“what……!”

The magic circle vibrated.

The elders stood up from their seats at the unusual reaction.

A crack appeared in the magic circle, and a powerful storm raged from there.

The sound of the wind echoed loudly, like the scream of a magic circle.

When the magic circle that had been lying heavily on its buttocks for a long time raised its body, the aftershocks shook the entire magic tower beyond the hall.

My body was staggering and I had difficulty opening my eyes, but my fingertips were sensitive.

I could feel the will of the spirit connected to me moving along the right path.

And then, at the same time, a bright light appeared.

Crunch!

I heard the hallucination of a lock opening.

“… … .”

At the same time, the vibrations subsided.

The magic circle stopped screaming and became perfectly balanced, integrating the numerous small parts that had been stitched together like rags.

I savored the form, both aesthetically and mathematically perfect.

This was the prototype of the security magic that controlled access to the tower’s room.

And then soon.

Kugu palace!

The door opened.

“… … !”

“Has it been proven?”

I looked back and asked.

The expressions of the dumbfounded elders answered the question.