The Druid Who Swallowed Mother Nature - Chapter 75



Only Noblemtl

Episode 75. I’m sorry

“How long do I have to wait?”

“Okay, just wait a minute.”

“Please wait for exactly one minute. After that, figure out what to do.”

“Ten minutes! Just give me ten minutes!”

Bell, whose face was pale as if he had imagined something, was struggling while making a clanging sound.

I watched him do this with my arms crossed.

The android, whose chest plate was open, did not even flinch at the complicated extension.

It had a strange appearance because it looked exactly like a human.

I have never seen such a delicate machine move with power flowing through it.

The android that was stolen after going through all kinds of hardships… … was unfortunately now nothing more than a piece of scrap metal.

“… … .”

I glanced at my watch at short intervals.

As time passed, my gaze looking down at the bell became more and more unpleasant.

The waiting time has already been two hours.

The excitement died down in thirty minutes, understanding and consideration lasted an hour, and distrust and suspicion remained for the present.

This kid scammed me with an unfinished item.

Bell’s hand movements quickened as if he sensed the ominous atmosphere.

“I wonder if the World Tree is like a machine to humans.”

Probably not the same.

There were only a limited number of cases where a person was beaten and healed like a machine.

If you do it wrong, it will only end up ruining you.

… … Isn’t it true that the opposite is not the case?

It was my fists that made those who couldn’t turn back while working as hitmen act like people.

I was shocked for a moment, but I held on and stroked the World Tree to calm myself down.

I understand your feelings, but I still haven’t told you.

It turns out that the harassment and beatings were fraudulent, and it’s not too late to commit them with emotion.

“Okay, okay!”

Belle shouted “Hurrah!” like a philosopher who had realized the truth.

Sweat was running down his joyous face here and there.

I was so focused in such a short period of time that my whole body was drenched in sweat and my work clothes were soaking wet.

“This time it’s really perfect! You can’t touch it any further!”

“Do you remember that this is the fifth time you’ve said that?”

A person’s words should have weight.

Bell was a man born with a talent for encouraging distrust in others.

The guy avoided eye contact and made excuses.

“No, that’s right, there’s no such thing as a technique that guarantees 100% success… … .”

“If you fail this time too, you’ll have to be prepared.”

To hijack this android, he fought Bianca, competed with big business, and tricked Sylvester.

Each and every one of them was a life-threatening crisis.

Belle had a duty to reward me for my troubles.

For example, if Android’s booting ultimately fails.

“I needed a slave, so you can take my place.”

He happened to be the garden manager.

I feel like it’s more of a chicken than a pheasant, but I’m fine with either.

It may not be a bell, though.

Saaaaa─ I thought I could hear the sound of blood draining from the guy’s skin.

The boy’s thin eyebrows twitched.

“… … Will it be okay if I just roll around for about thirty years?”

“He saved my life, so it would be only fair to repay him with my life.”

Where are you going to throw away your money?

It’s a lifelong slave contract.

“Ugh.”

Bell, whose complexion was pale to the point of paleness, bowed down and prayed.

Does it feel like programmers are having a good time to prevent bugs from appearing?

The world where people live seems to be the same.

The ritual of praying to the gods took longer than the final preparation.

“Go, go.”

The technician, who had completed the ritual, activated the starting device with trembling hands.

Woohoo!

This time, the reaction was different from the previous one, which had spread like a rattling, old machine.

White light spread from the central substrate to the extremities of the aircraft.

The molten magic stone that was transported as fuel ran through the body in place of blood in time with the pulse.

The meshing gears spun at high speed, producing an ear-piercing noise.

As the piston reciprocated around the cylinder, steam was sequentially discharged from the nozzles located at the periphery.

That wasn’t all.

Inside the tiny, human-sized vessel, countless events occurred that I could not perceive.

Even to me, a layman, its complexity and strangeness were an unknown mystery and a technological prowess that I could never help but admire.

“oh.”

“Finally!”

And then.

“… … .”

The android’s artificial eyes glowed.

***

Sylvester’s headquarters, offices assigned to the royal family.

Click!

Millina Olqueur locked the door.

They even cut off communication links, including disconnecting networks and using makeshift radio jamming devices.

The aim was to block all operations, including wiretapping and secret filming, that were secretly carried out as part of the power struggle.

Normally I wouldn’t have put in this much effort.

This time required complete secrecy.

Flap! Flap!

The sealed office was quiet.

In the silence, only the sound of a page turning could be heard intermittently.

It was right after her boss closed the file that Millina, who had been careful about even her breathing, opened her mouth.

“After analyzing the ledger, we have confirmed that Director Berman’s investment in Delight Conquer is true.”

“The investment situation itself was almost certain. What’s important is the flow of funds.”

“It is as you said. We have obtained testimony and circumstances that the misuse of company funds, not his own, was detected, and that additional work was done to cover this.”

“Is this the report that you secretly moved the men’s security team but lost half of their strength?”

“Yes, it seems like they immediately threw money at him to shut his mouth and ordered him to keep his mouth shut, but the guards who lost their comrades secretly leaked the story.”

“A double contract with the Shadow Empress of Madhouse… … She really wasn’t someone to be taken lightly. Looking into the details, it was a plan that could turn the tables.”

Claire raised her hand and covered her mouth.

Many were skeptical of the Shadow Empress’s actions.

However, he believed in the value of being a member of Madhouse and did not show any doubts.

But I never thought he would actually try to steal the item.

It was a lawless act that had nothing to do with trust.

It was also because I underestimated the fact that her true nature was nothing more than a bad-handed thief.

That’s why I planned to succeed if possible.

It would have been strange to predict failure if they had already confidently approached their goal and Berman had even guaranteed their direct cooperation.

“If it were successful, that is.”

Claire lowered the hand that was covering her mouth.

The exposed red lips had a distinct smile on them, separate from the serious look in her eyes.

“Phehheh!”

The best plan that didn’t take failure into account ended up going down the drain.

And that too by her own hands.

A thrill ran down my spine, gently tickling somewhere deep inside my chest rather than my skin.

And then it blew up.

“Ahahahahaha!”

Claire couldn’t hold back her laughter for the first time in a long time.

I felt like I was floating in the sky.

He kicked his feet like a child and couldn’t hold back his squeaky laughter, so he let out an undignified laugh.

Even Millina opened her eyes wide at the sight she was seeing for the first time.

After a burst of laughter, Claire calmed down and wiped away the tears from her eyes.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Are you surprised?”

“No, since you usually carry weight, there should be times when you let go.”

“Grab the weight… … .”

Is this an attempt to save face for the boss, or is it a subtle way to criticize him?

Claire, not seeing any malice in the secretary’s stern face, decided to believe the former.

“You used to interfere in everything, criticize me, and ignore me as if you were the only one who thought you were better, but now you’ve finally hit me hard. You look so happy.”

Investments that run counter to company policy? Misuse of company money?

It may have been a pretext for an attack, but it wasn’t fatal.

But the fact that the investment failed and, worse, that it was not even possible to recover the money was a different story.

Even the security guards, which were the company’s main force, were mobilized without permission, and because they moved a beat late and caused a melee, they lost nearly half of their force.

This was clearly a disciplinary matter.

The disappointment felt by his close associates was basic, and even his authority within the company would not be what it used to be.

It wasn’t an intended outcome.

That’s why Claire was purely happy.

“It’s a considerable amount of income for just moving one contractor.”

In fact, Claire would have been satisfied with even half the success.

The existence of a giant called Bianca, and the situation where even companies that were not inferior to Sylvester were joining in and waiting for an opportunity.

Even if Sylvester had planned the operation himself, success was not guaranteed.

That was why her original purpose was to request separate acquisition of the ledger.

“The destruction of the android, the deletion of the blueprint, all confirmed and taken action under the supervision of investigators.”

“He is truly a talent that is too valuable to be kept as a contractor.”

Even though the fact that he was commissioned to do a job was proof of his status as a top-tier contractor, few people have achieved such remarkable results.

In the first place, a person with that level of talent would have found his own nest or formed his own power early on.

Even if I try to let go of my attachment, I become more and more greedy.

Claire licked her lips with a regret that would not go away at all.

“How did the investigation into that man’s past go?”

Because I couldn’t shake off the regret, I had to get to know the other person even more.

Whether it’s greed for an object, a desire for fame, or revenge on an enemy, as long as we’re human, there are desires that we want to achieve.

However, it was difficult to guess Allen’s true intentions at the moment.

So the clue must have been in the past.

Millina swallowed dryly at the changed importance revealed in the tone of her voice.

“That is… … .”

“… … You still haven’t figured anything out?”

“I’m sorry.”

I was about to curse at how slow the progress was, but I was amazed first.

“We hired private investigators and even intelligence agencies, and we still haven’t found anything? Does that make sense?”

Even if the current chairman of the government were to be investigated, it would not have been to this extent.

Could it be because of the counter-intelligence he used to mobilize his unidentified information power?

Even if that were true, it was abnormal.

Unless you are determined to completely erase a person’s existence…

“We failed to find out his past, but it was not without its drawbacks.”

“What is it?”

“He was just before he entered the contract industry. He seems to have escaped from a factory and headed to the city.”

“You’re saying you were a factory worker? With that kind of talent?”

In terms of years, a newbie in the industry is already causing a storm.

This couldn’t have been anything other than talent.

It was unexpected that he was a factory worker at the lowest level, deprived of even his human rights.

Even if I had decided to do this on my own, it was a very difficult path.

“It is also unclear whether there was a worker named Allen at the factory who died of a severe skin disease.”

“Isn’t it a mistake, since there probably aren’t any medical professionals in the factory?”

“They say his heart stopped and he wasn’t breathing. And the most crucial thing is that they can’t be sure it’s the same person.”

Millina spoke to the world seriously, as if telling the truth.

“Allen, a factory worker, suffered severe burns to his face, leaving him horribly ugly.”

“… … .”

Indeed, Millina’s suspicions were valid and reasonable.

The contract worker, Allen, was a handsome man with an appearance that was more like a work of art than a real person.

He was far from the kind of ugly man who would be described as horrible.

Even though we live in an age where we can replace our bodies with machines, we cannot overcome the limitations of the original through plastic surgery.

“But once we get a clue, we can’t just ignore it.”

Honestly, I didn’t think anything would come out.

That was the only clue that could not be ignored.

It would have been better to do some research rather than just sit there and suck my thumb.

“Assuming there is a connection, investigate it. About the factory, about the worker with the same name.”

“I will take action.”

“I know you’re busy, but please take care of it.”

“I won’t be as busy as you, sir.”

“I guess so.”

Claire felt a sudden surge of fatigue and placed her hand on her forehead.

“I feel like the day is not enough to focus only on Director Berman.”

“Now that you have the opportunity, you must thoroughly exploit it.”

“Of course. I’ll take this opportunity to completely destroy it.”

What a long-awaited opportunity for revenge.

Claire wasn’t a fool who kicked away the good fortune that rolled in.

“After I get my lost position back, I will need my people more than I do now.”

Thinking about it that way weighed on my mind.

“Android, shouldn’t we have taken it instead of destroying it?”

Since it’s a machine and not a person, I think I can trust it 100%.

“There must be a lot of work to do.”

Since it was a model that introduced deep learning, it was difficult to say anything about its competence.

Claire imagined before getting down to work in earnest.

It was a happy fantasy to entrust all the company’s important projects to an android secretary, take credit for the performance, and treat her like a slave.

“Can’t we retrieve it and restore it even now?”

“It’s impossible.”

Claire pouted her lips for a rare moment at the firm answer.

Even though it was a vain dream, it was an imagination as sweet as honey that was too sweet to let go.

Android, that would be great.

I will provide you with the highest quality magic stone smelting fluid as fuel and will never make you do low-level labor that could harm your body.

I could guarantee that I would be treated with the utmost respect outside of work.

“It’s a pity.”

… … I just had such escapist fantasies.

Since the first and last aircraft were destroyed.

Because the development of Android was something that was far in the future and could not be accomplished within his generation.

***

“This is how you pull out weeds. Don’t just pull out the leaves, but use force to pull out the entire root. These guys are so poisonous that if you manage them roughly, they’ll quickly come back to life and multiply.”

“Is this what you mean?”

“No! I told you to pull out the weeds. Who would dare dig up the soil? If you do that, the healthy plants will die too!”

“I did my best.”

“Don’t just do your best, do it well! If it’s the android I made, it should learn these kinds of chores quickly!”

“It takes time to correct actions that are due to trial and error.”

“how much?”

“The result calculated by estimating maximum efficiency.”

“result?”

“It’s been ten years.”

“This isn’t just a piece of scrap metal!”

Same time.

The first and last android was venting his frustrations on the master who created him.