The Druid Who Swallowed Mother Nature - Chapter 81



Only Noblemtl

Episode 80. It’s time to check.

“The destination is right there, so I will leave now. If you ever need to find a guide again in the future, please contact me at any time.”

I sent the guide away and climbed the hill.

The night air in the desert was cold, the complete opposite of the daytime.

The coldness of the night was as bad as the heat of the day, but there were some positive aspects to the night.

A cluster of stars, set like jewels in the vast sky.

It was a completely different experience from the city sky, where things more like puffs of smoke were floating around than clouds.

When I looked up at the sky from the hill and looked down, there was also light twinkling there.

A blazing campfire between sturdy tents.

This is the meeting point that Colin told me about.

but…….

‘two?’

Wasn’t there only one person, Colin?

The figures I saw were a man and a woman.

“The world tree trembles with joy.”

The identity of the remaining one was easy to guess.

“Concentrate. Create a solid image in your mind. The magic comes next.”

Wanderer Colin, the self-proclaimed heretic of the Magic Tower.

The public perception that he would have a free-spirited and easy-going personality was not a prejudice but the truth.

The only exception to this is the moment of teaching.

Colin’s expression was serious and his voice was grave.

Even the vicious appearance that would make even the gangs squeal seemed sublime at this moment.

“Make no mistake. The essence of magic is not the distortion and transformation of physical laws, but the projection of images into the material world. Keep the images in your mind and use them as a foundation.”

The Juggernaut School, which studies common magic, is considered the best in the Magic Tower when it comes to the purity of its magic studies.

Regardless of the perception of the lower class, the solidity and depth of the foundation were unparalleled.

Colin was a wizard who rose to the top of that Juggernaut school.

As a private disciple of the Magic Tower, his teachings touched the very essence of magic.

“Yes, that’s it. Just let the magic flow naturally, like a stream from above to below. If the process is perfect, the results will follow naturally.”

It was impossible for the criminal to understand and internalize this in a short period of time.

It was based on these circumstances that Colin wandered and gathered many anonymous disciples.

We diligently sowed seeds in the hope that at least one of them would have the talent to digest the teachings.

“Okay. Now put a period.”

And his wish finally seemed to have come to fruition.

“Chain pressure.”

A magical force that was twisted and connected in a chain shape bound numerous objects together.

A common spell that binds the target’s body and applies constant pressure.

Just as it is said that restraint is more difficult than killing, the same goes for the magic called Chain Pressure.

The difficulty level was too high to be lumped together as common magic.

Clang!

One young wizard was able to crush no object with his exquisite power.

It was a result that revealed a high level of concentration, precise calculation skills, and an innate talent for controlling magical power.

“after.”

Even the magicians of the school who had trained for a long time had difficulty achieving this level of perfection.

However, the young wizard who achieved this did not rejoice in his success, but expressed his excitement with a short exhale.

She asked.

“how is it?”

“… … Excellent!”

Instead of her bluntness, it was the teacher who responded.

Colin jumped up from his seat and clapped his hands like a seal.

His expression was distorted, like a montage of a vicious criminal.

“As expected of Sage! A genius of the highest order! A disciple of the disciple of the Magic Tower Lord! A peerless man of great fortune who has been designated as the next Magic Tower Lord!”

Tears even flowed down from the corners of his wrinkled eyes.

It was such a reckless and presumptuous remark that it even felt like a burden.

“Ahem.”

Sage reacted as if he was used to such reactions, as if it was nothing special.

She responded to her passionate fans with just a flick of her hair.

“… … It seems like our relationship has changed considerably.”

Colin did have a tendency to coax Sage, but not to this extent.

Now it looked like they were worshipping numbers.

I approached them, hiding my embarrassment.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh, you’re here!”

“… … !”

Colin’s face turned red, as if he still felt the afterglow of my appearance.

He approached me before Sage, who had jumped up, and started talking in an excited tone.

“Look at this. It’s the magic that Sage has unleashed. You have the knowledge, so you can see how great it is!”

“Yes, good job.”

“This is not something that can be ended with just such a light exclamation! The artistry of this magical power combination structure, the strong bond, the compressed chanting phrases, and the clear images! This child is a genius! A talent who will be remembered for a long time in the history of the Magic Tower!”

“… … .”

I know I’m a genius.

Isn’t the reaction too excessive?

I stepped back, horrified at Colin’s ferocious face full of passion.

“Ahem.”

Sage went one step further than his master.

Even though it was burdensome, she didn’t care at all.

The attitude that was taken for granted was to stand with your chest out, hands on your hips, and strutting around.

Kuk kuk!

“… … ?”

Within seconds, Sage poked me in the ribs.

The meaning behind the action could be immediately interpreted through the bright eyes looking up at me.

“Yeah, good job.”

“… … I’m a genius, right?”

“I told you so from the beginning.”

“… … !”

Sage’s nose was about to rise to the sky.

I felt reassured by him.

‘I was worried that I would get drunk on pride, but I don’t think that will happen.’

He was just a kid who was hungry for praise.

‘Yeah, it’s good to have confidence.’

It was much better than yelling and making people feel intimidated.

“You seem a little taller than the last time I saw you.”

I suddenly noticed.

Now it’s bigger than my name.

Maybe it’s because he’s a teenager, but he’s growing up so quickly.

Sage’s face brightened.

“It will get bigger soon.”

“okay.”

“I won’t make you wait long.”

“Uh, yeah.”

Sage declared, clenching his fist.

Is this something we should talk about so seriously?

More than that, I wondered why I had to wait for that.

The emotions that came with the storm and stress period were beyond my understanding.

“By the way, why did you bring Sage?”

The dangers of exploring ruins are too much to talk about.

Even if they were safely stationed outside the ruins, the surrounding land itself was a dangerous area.

Sage’s company was not something I had planned.

“Do not let Sage’s growth rate fall into the category of common sense. I guarantee on my honor that my disciple is already a wizard who can do the work of one person.”

Sage nodded vigorously from the side.

He then performed various magic tricks to show evidence.

Flames burst out, water gushed out, and ice poured down from his outstretched palm.

“The World Tree is happy.”

It’s a completely makeshift magic show.

If you look closely without being dazzled by the flashiness, the rapid transformation and development of various elemental magics was clearly the work of a skilled master.

“There is a set amount of achievements that can be made through table-top learning. It will definitely be a great opportunity to achieve great things in real life.”

Unlike the average wizard who stays in a corner and digs a tunnel, Colin grew up with worldly experiences as his nourishment.

The theory he established could not help but be different from the common sense of the tower.

“I think we’ve built all the foundations we can on the rooftop, so I personally think it might be time to start coming out.”

I agreed with some of his arguments.

But the story that followed was something I couldn’t ignore as a parent.

“Regardless of individual achievements, the facilities and support of the Tower will remain effective.”

“You can either take it out with permission or take care of it yourself. Wouldn’t it be better for the child emotionally to come out into the wide world rather than the stuffy environment inside the tower?”

The logic was flawless.

If the schoolmaster himself were to gather the resources for the magic tower, it would not conflict with my intention of sending Sage to the magic tower.

“Have you prepared a separate workshop?”

“My disciple said he wanted to live at your house.”

This is my home.

A room had been prepared for Sage, but it was too early compared to the original plan.

During that time, it was ambiguous because two unexpected roommates appeared.

As I was rubbing my chin and thinking, Sage looked at me and said.

“… … You don’t like it, sir? Then there’s nothing I can do.”

“No, I’m always welcome.”

I consoled the sullen Sage.

Yeah, the military family members are the other two guys, not Sage.

The thing to be concerned about was not the discomfort of Sage’s two dependent slaves.

‘I guess it’s better this way.’

With two slaves, you can look after Sage closely and assist him.

“Good! Then, with this as a premise, let’s talk in detail… …!”

“I will overlook the hidden intentions behind your extravagant claims.”

“… … Oh my, there’s no such thing as an ulterior motive! I’m just concerned about my disciple being able to practice with peace of mind!”

“Did you give any word to the rooftop about this?”

“… … .”

That can’t be true.

‘It must be an excuse to come out.’

It may not be a lie that Sage’s growth was mentioned, but the biggest reason is probably Dojin’s wandering desire again.

After his troubles at the Tower of Eden, Colin became a loner.

There are some things I have taken into consideration, but it is basically a sanction from the Magic Tower.

One saying is that wanderlust is an incurable disease that can only be cured by death.

It was up to Colin himself to decide when he would attempt escape again.

It was a great step forward since they at least had a justification before escaping without permission.

“We’ll talk more about it later.”

The plan is to place a stop sign on the roof and the plan will be nullified.

The problem at hand was more urgent than worrying about something that hadn’t even been decided yet.

“Let’s go to the ruins first.”

Hahahoho, I didn’t have time to chatter.

‘The Thorson Expedition can chase after you.’

I have not forgotten the vigilance and hostility they secretly displayed.

***

“The entrance to the ruins is not far from here.”

“How long does it take?”

“If you hurry, it will take about half a day? At most, it will take a day.”

It may seem like a long way, but it was natural considering the special nature of the relics.

Since the ruins were sought after by many, their location had to be kept a complete secret.

Originally, you shouldn’t even be installing Jeon-i-jin.

The compromise to reduce fatigue would be a half-day’s walk.

“Half a day.”

I suddenly remembered the question and answer from when we first started and muttered.

“Did you calculate the distance taking into account the obstacles right in front of you?”

“That doesn’t usually happen.”

“I thought so.”

It is an exploration that the master and his disciple have been conducting together for several years.

If you don’t want to be bothered every time, you may have cleaned up your surroundings or planned a comfortable travel route.

Indeed, Colin’s expression was clearly one of embarrassment.

“A bunch of bandits, I don’t know why they’re here.”

A cloud of dust covered the area.

It is a sign of disaster that I saw while I was with the guide.

A group of bandits was approaching.

“Should I prepare for battle?”

“Let’s just watch for now.”

Colin soothed Sage, who was fidgeting nervously.

“They have no system, so they tend to stray from their patrol routes at will, so this will likely be the case. If we hide from their sight, we can avoid unnecessary conflict.”

“It probably won’t be solved that easily.”

I rejected Colin’s optimistic view.

I could guess because I had already experienced this situation once.

“Those guys probably ran away.”

“Run away?”

“The formation is too disorganized to say that they discovered this place and targeted it.”

The sentinel’s enhanced vision pierced through the thick sand and dust.

There was no sign of a hunter among those bandits.

All I could feel was the desperation of trying to escape.

“We were attacked in our base and driven out.”

“Are you saying someone is clearing out a group of bandits?”

“yes.”

“Who the hell? The city’s powers that be wouldn’t be interested in cleaning up this kind of wallpaper.”

“There must be some guys around here with a purpose.”

It means that we will lay the foundation from the beginning before an important event.

‘For example… … Exploring ruins.’

As we talked for a while, the dust cloud began to clear.

That must mean something happened to them.

“Let’s get moving first. You’ll know once you get there.”

Whether or not my recent encounter with the Thorson Expedition was a coincidence.

It was time to check.