The Druid Who Swallowed Mother Nature - Chapter 84



Only Noblemtl

Episode 83. If you have received something

A tall flag fluttered in the sandy, blustery wind.

The flag planted on the top of the watchtower fluttered fiercely like the wild beast it was made of.

The sight of a circular earthen wall surrounding a stone building… … was a sight that looked like it was from a century or two ago, compared to the five developed cities.

Because there was no need to do so.

Since they are barbarians whose main economic activity is plunder, they consider the current form of fortresses, rather than developed cities, to be the most efficient.

And this was soon the impression that an outsider had of the bandits.

A savage who ignores civilization.

People with habits closer to those of animals than humans.

That was why Colin gave off a rather unpleasant vibe while moving.

“What are you going to do now?”

Colin said, frowning at the strong sunlight.

Although they did not oppose it, they were skeptical as to whether this was a viable plan.

‘There really is a lot of prejudice against bandits.’

Survival of the fittest, survival of the fittest.

This is the motto that bandits hold up as their banner.

In fact, it was a rational perception built up from experience rather than a prejudice.

In that respect, I was more biased because I had encountered the game.

But I was confident.

“I will go and talk to you.”

“Who asks that without knowing?”

Colin glared at me as I rang the bell with the obvious answer.

Sage, who was standing next to him, felt a pang in his chest as he buried one person and killed another.

“Of course, that would be the right way to go in general, but, um, I think it would be like shooting an arrow before you even get to talk to me.”

Arrows are a great means of communication, although not as good as chainsaws.

“Do you have some kind of secret method? A secret or weakness that will make the bandits bow their heads?”

Sage interjected, taking note of the mood.

Unlike Colin, I felt an infinite trust in him.

“Like I said, I’m going to try to have a normal conversation.”

“Is that really all?”

“Instead, I guess I should try to have a conversation according to their social order.”

“?”

Sage blinked his large eyes.

The expression was full of curiosity.

I gave her little hints to broaden her horizons.

“There is a saying that goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

“… … ?”

There is no Rome in this world, but the nuance will probably be conveyed.

The reason why the so-called civilized people of the five cities have failed to communicate with them so far is because they did not respect the other side’s culture.

‘If you want to talk to savages, you should at least try to become one.’

It wasn’t that difficult.

***

I left my group behind and moved alone.

He squinted his eyes as he headed towards the bandits’ village.

It wasn’t for nothing that Colin kept expressing his doubts out of old-fashioned anxiety.

The glare of the sunlight pouring down without a shade was focused on me, as was the coolness of the window reflecting it.

Beep!

Soon after, a horn blew across the village.

It is a signal notifying the presence of an intruder.

The guards who spotted me immediately drew their bows and aimed at me.

There was no verbal warning.

Wedge!

Pavabak!

The arrow was stuck in front.

A distance that is beyond the range of the shooting range.

But the very attitude of shooting the arrow without hesitation was threatening.

“They are panicking, saying that the World Tree is dangerous.”

It was a fierce greeting that came before I could even open my lips.

The world tree poked my ribs, asking if this was right.

I didn’t care.

Buzz buzz!

Since I kept going straight without stopping, it was their turn to panic.

The guards exchanged glances of bewilderment and chattered.

I guess it’s basically like, “What the hell is that crazy guy doing?”

Those guys might as well have waged war instead. They probably never expected to meet someone walking around like they were taking a stroll alone.

“… … .”

I stopped at the line made by the arrows they had shot.

Normally, at this point, the person in charge would show up and start wagging his tongue.

The bandits, of course, were not bound by such common sense.

Colin’s concerns were not misplaced.

The interior of the village, blocked by a mud wall, was in disarray.

The warriors of the tribe were ready to charge at me on horseback.

“I didn’t think it would be solved easily.”

It doesn’t matter.

In fact, I agreed with them that it is inefficient to just talk.

There is no rule that says that conversations have to be done only through words.

It was an enlightenment that my numerous experiences in this world gave me.

Crunch!

The moment you take action.

Even in front of those who were keeping me in check, and behind those who were worried about me, I felt a commotion for a moment.

“I am astonished at what the World Tree is doing.”

The M2 Maximum’s sights were fixed on the turret.

The target area is a thin area that has been hit by frequent storms in the desert.

The bullets currently in the magazine are special bullets that fragment and explode.

It would not have been enough to just say hello.

bang!

I pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Almost simultaneously with the sound of the gunshot, an explosion occurred.

The sound waves vibrated through the air, sending shockwaves that spread out in concentric circles, causing the sand to ripple as high as a person.

Krrrr!

It was impossible for a mud wall or something like that to block the force of a bombing.

The earthen wall, shattered into pieces, crumbled and the warriors were thrown out like balls.

Acrid smoke and screams rising into the sky.

It was spectacular.

“Isn’t it natural to return what you have received?”

It is a conversation technique that is applicable even to barbarians.

“The World Tree asks cautiously, ‘Is this how it is supposed to be?’”

“That’s because you don’t know yet.”

Not long after, a warrior wearing thick armor, who appeared to be in charge, jumped over the collapsed fence.

He shouted, the veins rising in his throat.

“What kind of guy is this!”

“look.”

「!」

At the appearance of the person in charge who had been hiding tightly, the World Tree took the shape of an exclamation mark with its leaves.

“He asked who I was!”

“customer.”

“what……?”

The captain’s face was strangely distorted.

“I want to meet the chief. Doesn’t this make me qualified to be a challenger?”

He didn’t make the same expression in the comment I added.

The commotion began to die down.

The bandits who were about to swing their weapons at me at any moment lost their momentum.

The captain frowned for a moment, then nodded.

“Follow me.”

“The World Tree has attained enlightenment.”

Having successfully taught him, I followed him with light steps.

***

Gold is a measure of power in civilized societies.

So what is the measure of power in a savage society where hunting and pillaging are the main economic activities?

It is a force that can reliably succeed in hunting and plundering.

In a civilized society, gold is used as a weapon, but bandits use force to steal gold.

That is why, unlike those in power in civilized societies, the positions of bandit chieftains were not stable.

He had to constantly prove his skills while facing frequent challenges.

It was closer to a kind of ritualistic act that did not tolerate interference from others, as it was for the development of the tribe.

That was the reason why the belligerent bandits couldn’t even lift a finger while glaring at me as I crossed the village.

Since I was the challenger’s name, I was their guest.

“……think.”

I ignored the displeased defense chief and went inside.

The interior was more like a warrior’s training ground than an office for a leader handling agendas.

A stuffed animal staring at me from the front.

There were looted weapons and armor on display, and a warrior with a tattooed upper body was waiting for me, sitting on a leather sofa.

“I am Batu, the chieftain of the Wolfin tribe. I heard you are a challenger. Reveal your identity.”

I didn’t feel the heaviness that comes with being tall.

Instead, even the smallest movement was fierce and oppressive.

“Allen the hitman.”

“I thought he might be a contractor… or a performer, but he’s surprisingly good.”

The term practitioner refers to people who risk their lives to train themselves.

They were a people who brought about asceticism, whether for religious or religious reasons, so it would not be strange for them to experience some bizarre incidents or accidents.

“How would you know about the tradition of the challenger if you were not a practitioner?”

Accordingly, it was not surprising that he mistook me for a practitioner, as it was easy for the criminal to access secret knowledge that he did not know.

“There’s an orc I know in the city. He gets lighter when he drinks.”

There was a simple excuse rather than bringing up the story of the previous playthrough.

Brotherhood branch leader Oak Hartig.

His presence would have added plausibility to my knowledge.

“You leaked your traditions to outsiders, so I can see why you were banished to the city.”

“I think similarly.”

He was a unique orc, as he was expected to be the main culprit in starting the civil war within the Brotherhood.

“Still, it was a helpful connection since I got the chance to talk to the chief.”

“… … Was the conversation, the challenger thing, an excuse?”

“Just listen to the story first.”

He looked obviously disappointed, but he didn’t seem like he was going to kick me out right away, so I got to the main point.

“You are aware that there have been frequent raids in the territory under your tribe’s jurisdiction recently, right?”

“I’ve received the report. Judging from the fact that not a single messenger has escaped, they seem to be quite resourceful.”

Batu frowned.

The damage would be too serious to just brag and say it’s okay.

There was no need to bring up the fact that I had a hand in it in the meantime.

“This is the Thorson Exploration Team. They discovered ruins nearby and are currently cleaning up the area.”

“So you were a relic exploration team? So?”

“Let’s cooperate temporarily. We don’t have good relations with those guys either.”

“hmm.”

The worries didn’t last long.

The guy leaned forward and drank the liquid from the flask.

Soon, a sour smell wafted from the guy who opened his mouth.

It was Mayuju.

“There were more than a few packs of lynxes trying to shake us up. Of course, we never followed along obediently.”

It was a sudden remark.

It may seem like it’s a bit off topic from the conversation we’ve had so far, but the gist is the same.

“If you look at them from a distance, they are both prey.”

“You know a lot.”

Batu smiled brightly.

A pack of beasts that refuse to be tamed.

The beasts they used as symbols hinted at the habits of such bandits.

“You are no different. Have you ever seen a beast cooperating with its prey?”

Batu raised his finger and pointed beyond the door.

“But since your method was ingenious, I will let you go right now. Get out now.”

“The World Tree is stamping its feet, wondering what to do.”

Unlike the anxious World Tree, I maintained my composure.

“I think there’s one thing that needs to be corrected first.”

I got up from my seat.

The destination was not in the direction the guy’s fingertips were pointing.

My footsteps stopped within sight of the guy.

“I never said that the challenger thing was for a reason.”

It didn’t seem right to be talking about something by myself.

“Whether it was just an excuse or not depended on your attitude.”

“… … ?”

“If you don’t want to listen, I’ll just take you down and run the tribe for myself.”

There was a reason why it took the form of a challenger.

There was no need to worry about becoming a chieftain.

Why can’t a primitive tribe put forward a president?

In the process, Batu’s pride will be trampled on… … .

‘It doesn’t go against the tribe’s values.’

According to the law of the jungle, which is represented by survival of the fittest, it was true that the strong were right.

“… … Hehehe.”

Batu, who had been blankly staring for a while, let out a strange laugh.

“In short, you’re going to knock me down and use me as your pawn?”

“I understand correctly.”

“Hahaha!”

The laughter was so loud that it felt like they had boiled a train car.

“The World Tree relaxes its body, sensing the signs of battle.”

Even without the tension of the World Tree, the future developments were obvious.

A belligerent savage tribe, a proud chieftain, and an atmosphere of conversation that was always tense.

Since the demands had been made known in a threatening tone, the only remaining procedure was combat.

“I like you because you’re hot, unlike those rats who just try to please others and read their moods.”

… … That was the way of thinking of the so-called civilized people rooted in the five cities.

“Okay, I accept your offer.”

Batu smiled friendly and offered to shake my hand.

The world tree was confused by the 180-degree change in atmosphere.

“The decision-making date is tomorrow.”

“Are we going to hit them first before they catch wind of it?”

“The longer you delay, the more damage will occur.”

“From my perspective, of course I welcome it.”

It’s not that we can’t communicate with the savages of a predatory economy.

I wasn’t stupid enough to be foolish and not be able to weigh the pros and cons.

Cooperating with me was a natural and rational choice for the well-being of the tribe and for the preservation of one’s own position.

‘It’s just that the process for setting up a dialogue is complicated.’

So, it is clear that the Thorson expedition will not be able to predict it.

Cooperation between me and the bandits.