The Druid Who Swallowed Mother Nature - Chapter 7



Only Noblemtl

Episode 7. Clue

“This is the breakfast you ordered.”

I ordered breakfast through room service.

The food at the factory was more like feed, so let’s put that aside, this is my first meal since I got into the cage.

That was the reason I indulged in the luxury of room service when I didn’t have the money.

“hmm.”

But there is one thing I overlooked.

I had forgotten what regular food in this world felt like.

“… … It feels like chewing rubber.”

Meat is okay.

Since it was a hotel, they served real grilled meat, not cubes made of bugs, and they even sprinkled seasoning on it, so it looked pretty good.

What spoiled my appetite was the side salad.

“What on earth is it made of?”

It was hard to tell what kind of vegetable it was.

The leaves were dry and withered, and even the texture was tough.

Mother Nature is a parched wasteland.

In this world, it was actually more difficult to obtain proper vegetables than meat.

“How can this not work?”

The World Tree scratched its stem with its leaves, as if in trouble.

I sighed and consoled my bitterness, as I hadn’t expected or asked for it.

‘I don’t think I’ll be eating fresh vegetables in the future either.’

Not all vegetables are like this.

If you had enough money, you could get good quality items.

It is a high-class food ingredient generally enjoyed by the upper class.

It was a price that was too much for me to afford.

‘Come to think of it, I also need a source of income.’

Even without that, the accommodations were already a problem.

This place is reasonably priced, but it’s too expensive for me to afford.

With the money in the supervisor’s wallet, he had to pack his bags in a week.

‘That’s the first problem that needs to be solved.’

If you don’t have money, you can’t live.

If restoring Mother Nature was a long-term goal, this was a short-term goal.

That’s also quite urgent.

‘… …Shall we go to the rooftop?’

The amount of money sprinkled on the rooftop is considerable.

It was also a place where I owed a lot to the university, as they provided funding for all sorts of odd research as long as it produced results.

Thanks to this, I was able to move without worrying about money in many previous rounds I played.

‘That won’t work.’

I shook my head as I thought about it.

The procedure for entering the Magic Tower is complicated.

As someone who can’t even use a simple spell, I was treated with contempt.

‘I can’t just work normally.’

Unless you join a solid company, it’s just enough to put food on the table.

Besides, it doesn’t go along with my goal of reviving Mother Nature.

‘It’s questionable what kind of activity we should be doing in the first place.’

If we continue to breed and grow plants like we used to, we will end up with the same result.

Even if there was a world tree, that wouldn’t change anything.

‘I can’t even aim for mayor’s office.’

To become a politician, you must be of noble birth or something similar.

As someone from the lower classes, in order to run for office I had to aim for a social revolution first.

‘It’s hard to decide right now, so for now… … .’

I put down the dishes I had finished eating from.

The salad was a bit so-so, but compared to the factory where we ate porridge, it was a satisfying meal.

‘I need to gather information first.’

Even if you are in a hurry, heading to the bare ground is prohibited.

It’s going to take a while, but I’ve decided to pursue certainty.

***

The easiest way for modern people to find information is through the Internet.

But in this world, the Internet is generally closer to a corporate promotional space than a place for exchanging information.

So, to find information, I had to take a more traditional approach.

For example, there were libraries, information centers, and detectives.

‘There’s no point in going to the library.’

The library has already been searched several times in previous editions.

It was unlikely that any special information would be discovered now.

‘The information probably doesn’t mean much.’

The biggest obstacle was money.

I had no idea how much gold I would have to sprinkle to find information about the World Tree.

So how are we going to gather information?

What I chose was a shortcut.

Thud! Thud!

Even in a flashy downtown area, dark back alleys exist.

The streetlights on the sunless street flickered irregularly.

As I walked down the street, trash kept hitting my feet.

The gloomy, abandoned house beyond the collapsed wall gave off an eerie atmosphere.

If you listen closely, you can hear the hustle and bustle of the street.

But somehow it feels like it’s coming from far away.

Here, the only sounds close by were the eerie sound of the wind and the howling of rats.

Although it was only a few minutes away, this place was a different world from the downtown area.

I was used to walking around inside those streets.

‘I think it was something like this.’

After walking through the twisted alleyways like a maze, turning several times.

Finally, the object I was looking for appeared before my eyes.

Similar in appearance to a public telephone booth.

It seemed abandoned like the surrounding abandoned houses, and there was no electricity.

I checked my surroundings for signs of life and then went inside.

I blew on the dusty top of the machine and then raised my hand.

Support!

‘It’s possible.’

It’s not that he doesn’t have magical powers, just that he can’t use magic.

As I squeezed the magic power out of my fingertips, the machine responded.

‘The information exchange device of the magic tower.’

It is a type of Ooparts created by the fusion of magic and engineering.

They are hidden like this in designated locations in each city, and they move in response to magical power.

It wasn’t available to everyone.

Entering the ID and password distributed to the tower personnel unlocks the ability to search for information inside the tower.

‘That’s why… … .’

I used the one of the wizards who were active at this time.

It was an ID that was distributed to a so-called senior who enlisted around the same time in the past.

All I know is… … it was a waste of time.

As is often the case with wizards, he was a rather authoritarian man.

He was so hateful that I wanted to kill him, but now he’s become a blessing in disguise.

Woof!

As I typed in my memory, the screen brightened.

A familiar interface brightened the dull air.

I searched the world tree.

‘……enemy.’

As fast as it was loading, there was little information.

The result is only one page.

It was a condition that was displayed just by mentioning it, and that was it.

‘Is this also a sense of gratitude?’

But since it’s a rooftop, it’s like this.

There wasn’t a single book mentioned in the library.

I quickly scanned the information.

Since I used someone else’s ID, I didn’t have time to look into it for a thousand years.

The best thing to do was to finish the business before being caught.

‘Nothing is going right.’

Disappointingly, most of it was useless information.

It was no different from the information I had as common knowledge, such as whether it was a legendary tree or based on a certain myth.

Even though it was his own story, the World Tree was boringly ignoring it.

Knock knock!

‘hmm?’

It was during that time.

The World Tree suddenly touched a line.

I looked away, wondering.

“… … Is it fundamentally connected to the spirits?”

“The World Tree nods, saying it now remembers.”

The World Tree’s reaction to the words that came out of his mouth was dramatic.

It was the first time I discovered ‘information I didn’t know’.

The story goes that the World Tree uses spirits as its source of power.

That one line was all it took, but it was worth it.

‘A spirit.’

Just like the World Tree, this is information that I didn’t know existed in this world.

It may not be a lie since the World Tree guaranteed it, but it was a headache.

‘Where else can I find the spirit?’

So far in my time playing the game I have never encountered a spirit.

When I think about it, it was a strange thing.

It’s a fantasy world, but there’s no mention of spirits.

‘Surely this is the condition for the growth of the World Tree.’

It’s 100% true, since it’s the source of strength.

It also served the purpose of restoring and revitalizing Mother Nature.

Spirits, even if you think about it, don’t they seem to have something to do with Mother Nature?

It was my job to find them and collect them.

Dismissed!

“Ugh.”

I was just about to search about spirits.

I was pulled back by the sparks coming from the device.

Flap flap!

I’m not the only one who’s suffered.

“The World Tree cries and stirs the sparkling leaves.”

I blew my breath on the leaves to cool them down and smiled bitterly.

“… … Looks like I got caught.”

The connection was forcibly disconnected.

Whether it was you who logged in or the administrator who detected the illegal access.

Whatever it was, it was difficult to use it anymore.

‘Okay, the biggest question has been answered.’

I found the keyword ‘spirit’.

It would have been icing on the cake if I had known more detailed information about the spirits, but this alone was a huge gain.

‘It’s not like there’s no way to find out.’

A report discovering new information about the World Tree.

I remembered the part where it was referenced in the footnotes.

‘Greenwood.’

It wasn’t an unfamiliar name at all.

Rather, it is surprising that it is mentioned here.

I left the room, my mind wandering over the memories.

***

There are not many environmental groups in this world, but there are not a few.

They are persecuted and unable to gain sympathy, so they operate more like a secret society, so there will be at least ten in each city.

I knew them well, having linked up with them during previous playthroughs.

Greenwood was one of those environmental groups.

‘Unfortunately, I have never directly linked it.’

I didn’t pay attention because I knew the reality of environmental groups, which were nothing more than empty promises.

‘But there was a difference.’

Greenwood knew how to use force directly.

It just doesn’t have much influence.

Compared to other groups that could not get beyond the club level, their finances are also sound.

I don’t know where the money came from though.

‘If it’s special, then it’s a special place.’

Now I just regret not having contacted him.

Unlike previous episodes where I had a fancy title, with my current status it was difficult to even keep up with them.

‘I’m glad there’s a clue.’

Signs dividing the city’s districts dangled.

“From here to 5th Avenue, District 3”

It is a fairly remote area within the bustling District 3.

Although the buildings were not shabby, they were far removed from the dazzling lights and hectic noise of the city center.

The often noticeable crowds were a stark contrast to the downtown area.

They are the basic ones who cover their faces as if they were heinous criminals.

‘The air is so stifling.’

The reason for this is the influence of geography.

A short distance from here, you will come across District 4, a lawless area close to extraterritoriality, commonly known as Junk Town.

It is a land where lawbreakers who move with money and rely on force have made it their home.

Fifth Avenue in District 3 was their passageway to the downtown area.

It was also a place where businessmen and those in power interacted with them to conduct business in the illegal realm.

It is a kind of neutral zone, straddling the border between the shady and sunny areas.

Although there are few things that would cause as much commotion as the 4th district, ordinary people were reluctant to set foot there even if they had business.

The air was bound to be different from downtown.

‘Is this it?’

The place where I stopped was in front of a shopping mall.

A sign with illegible letters was shaking, broken in half.

Several people come and go through the entrance.

The atmosphere and impression they gave off were by no means those with a sound profession.

‘You came to the right place.’

I went inside the store.

An interior similar to a fancy cafe.

It was completely different from its shabby appearance.

I crossed the quiet room.

There must have been a few people who came in before me, but the only person I can see is an employee.

It was no surprise.

This was that kind of place.

“hey.”

I put my feet up on the table and poked at the slacker.

“… … What?”

“I want to get a job.”

“We don’t hire employees here.”

The man answered with a yawn.

“Are you crazy? Do you want to work in this bad neighborhood? If you want to live in Jemyeong, go to the city center.”

The employee waved his hand as if swatting away a bug.

He looked quite annoyed.

I added a word to him as he was about to fall asleep again.

“Don’t do that kind of odd job. I heard there’s a job where you can make a lot of money.”

“… … Ah, you are a guest from that side.”

The man who had stopped moving suddenly began to laugh bitterly.

“Open the back door and go up the stairs. What you’re looking for is there.”

I followed the man’s words and climbed the stairs.

The atmosphere of the place I went up to was different from that of the lower floor.

The tightly sealed windows, the dim lighting even in broad daylight, and the pungent smell of alcohol that seems to permeate the furniture.

The sound of the ceiling fan spinning loudly tickled my ears.

I walked up to the giant cork board on the wall.

As I crossed the center, a low voice called out to me.

“… … It’s a face I’ve never seen before. Did Jack send it?”

He was a middle-aged man with a stylish beard.

His appearance was grave, despite the old scar at the base of his eyebrows that gave him an intimidating look.

With his neatly slicked-back gray hair and perfectly tailored suit, he looked like the kind of man you’d expect to find in the heads of a prominent corporation.

“If the man downstairs is Jack.”

“Whew, I’ve told you over and over again not to just send anyone up based on their own guesswork. You still don’t listen.”

The man let out a small sigh.

He raised his head again and looked at me with sharp eyes.

“If you came here without knowing where this place is, then get out. I’ll forgive you this once, but don’t come near me again.”

“Don’t worry, I already know everything.”

I took a step back from where I had stopped.

“It’s a contracting office.”

The man nodded heavily.

“… … Thank goodness he’s not an outsider. Are you a contractor who came over from another city?”

“Similar.”

Contracting office, contract worker.

It’s an ominous sound.

But it was an industry I had to throw myself into.

‘I saw the name Greenwood in one of the commissions.’

Because there was a trace of Greenwood here.