The Druid Who Swallowed Mother Nature - Chapter 85



Only Noblemtl

Episode 84. Nothing Would Have Changed

“At this rate, we should be able to clear out the bandits within a week.”

“I think the most important thing is not to act rashly on the Magic Tower after the first clash.”

“It would be better to send out a reconnaissance party and secure the area near the ruins… … .”

Wham!

Cliff raised his hand.

Then the lively and organic flow of reports stopped.

“It is premature to secure the relics. Don’t move hastily.”

Some of them averted their eyes, feeling bitter at his instructions.

These were the people who were greedy and prepared for the next task in advance.

Cliff didn’t bother to point out each and every one of them and blame them.

If he had overstepped his authority, I wouldn’t know, but if he had merely stopped at preparation, I could have turned a blind eye to it and considered it an expression of loyalty.

“That’s surprisingly true.”

Cliff tapped his temple with the hand that was resting his chin on.

“There was no movement on the rooftop.”

“Ah, as the captain said, the first clash may have been impulsive, but after understanding the situation in detail, they were reluctant to clash rashly… … .”

“Hey Inma, be quiet.”

“yes?”

He was a new recruit who had been appointed to replace the executive who had been purged last time.

He looked around in confusion at the dissuasion of those around him and found that everyone was staring at Cliff’s lips with their mouths shut in silence.

“I thought you were going to touch us at least once more.”

Cliff’s statement was not a question that expected an answer.

It is a question-and-answer session where you organize your thoughts based on your own intuition and self-talk.

His intuition, bordering on foresight, always found the right answer.

It will be the same this time too.

His subordinates remained silent, allowing him to concentrate on his thoughts, and waited for him to reach a conclusion.

“… … Tsk.”

It only took a moment for the wrinkles between her eyebrows to turn into a distorted face.

“I don’t know. What is your intention?”

Cliff knew that his intuition didn’t always provide the right answer in every situation.

His intuition was assessed as bordering on precognition.

It was close, but different from what was predicted.

In essence, it was the result of rational judgment based on circumstances and evidence.

There were not enough clues to solve this question.

“Isn’t that just trying to be careful?”

“It may be that they haven’t decided on a policy yet within the Tower.”

“Yeah, it’s not important anyway.”

It was a policy that was hammered out at the last meeting that we would not spend too much time on the rooftop.

It’s really strange that there’s no reaction at all… … but if he’s refraining from making any rash moves like his subordinates said, then it’s perfect.

but.

“… … .”

Cliff felt a rumbling of anxiety deep in his chest.

It was different from my intuition.

It’s instinct.

There were similar experiences… …

“Is it similar to when you were planning this exploration of the ruins?”

I ignored the anxiety I felt at that time.

Because I knew how great the results would be if this exploration of the ruins was successful.

Fortunately, I haven’t experienced any major adversity since then.

During the preparation process, it was discovered that the magic tower was involved and even the adjutant was lost, but this was something that happened often.

In the end, I could say that the anxiety I feel now is also an illusion.

It was just a fear of the unknown that could not be predicted even with intuition.

“As long as you succeed, that’s all that matters.”

Cliff muttered as if hinting to himself.

No matter what sacrifices there are, no matter how hard it is to achieve, once you succeed, everything will be resolved.

The ruins had some value to them.

It was worth risking the fate of the Thorson expedition.

Krrrr!

It was then that a suspicious vibration began to emanate.

“What’s going on?”

A vibration that starts from the foot and shakes the heavy table.

It was a situation that I couldn’t understand.

I’ve never heard of an earthquake occurring on a similar land.

It was fortunate that the camp was set up in a safe place so that it could be evacuated in advance if a disaster occurred.

“I’ll check it out right away!”

The newbie got up first and went outside.

“It won’t be a big deal.”

“A vibration that shakes the ground in the desert… … Are they bandits?”

“No way. They tie them up and hunt them down as soon as they see them. They don’t have the capacity to bring a large army towards us.”

“… … .”

Cliff’s face hardened as he listened to his subordinates’ casual chatter.

The anxiety that had been pounding in my chest was somehow growing in scale.

“But why isn’t this kid coming?”

The time that passed didn’t take long, as it was only about a minute at most.

But it was a delicate time, as I only had to look at the situation.

Because it was an early morning meeting, everyone in attendance was starting to relax, even yawning slightly.

“… … !”

In an instant Cliff jumped up, knocking over his chair.

“What the hell!”

“What’s going on… … .”

The surprised subordinates asked with their eyes wide open.

There wasn’t even time to explain.

They also vaguely noticed.

A fierce flow of magical power had already covered the entire area.

Whioooo!

A desert tornado, without warning, engulfed their barracks.

***

There is little moisture in the desert.

That’s why it doesn’t rain much.

Sand, which is in the form of small particles, never cracks like land that has suffered a drought, no matter how dry it may be.

The land of the similar is also a desert.

As the name suggests, quicksand is the biggest headache, but there was another natural disaster that was the biggest in the desert.

“Thank you for your effort.”

A huge tornado was blowing through the barracks built on the hill.

At first glance, it looked like a vermilion tower.

Contrary to its appearance, the inside was a mess.

Pillars were torn apart by the incredible winds, and everything, including people and furniture, was swallowed up in the whirlwind.

It was magic, a man-made disaster.

“What’s the big deal? It’s an easy task where you just have to use your magic at full power without any interruptions.”

Colin said with a blank expression.

It was a vicious sight, watching people die like insects without much emotion.

“… … That’s amazing.”

Batu, the chieftain of the Wolfin tribe, looked sideways and made a weary expression.

Colin’s charisma was so fearsome that it made even the proud warrior tremble.

“Ahem.”

Colin coughed as Sage poked his side.

He steps back and leans lightly on his cane.

It’s not that he was so embarrassed that his expression didn’t change, but he was simply exhausted.

It was not a level of magic that even a school leader-level magician could easily handle.

The power was that enormous.

A wizard who exerts all his abilities can be called a strategic weapon without any exaggeration.

“The tornado’s momentum is slowing down. Should we leave now?”

“Yes, there will be no reinforcements.”

The Thorson expedition split into squads and attempted to clear out the Ulfirin tribe.

It’s a good tactic for taking down the enemy, but not good for defense.

If they could just prevent the squad from joining, the bandits alone would be enough to inflict damage on the main force.

We also knew from experience that hijacking the radio could prevent them from joining.

The entire radio wave was under Beta’s control.

You won’t be able to send or receive radio transmissions.

They were isolated.

“Okay, trust me and go wild.”

Batu, beating his chest like a drum, mounted his horse.

The troops were ready.

All warriors of the tribe, except for a few troops who could delay the squad’s approach just in case.

They waited for orders, their spears drawn.

Purrrrrr!

I also rode a horse after Batu.

It was a word given by the tribe.

Perhaps because it was well trained, it didn’t show any rejection even when a stranger got on it.

“let’s go!”

The horse charged with a thunderous roar.

A sandstorm as massive as any magical disaster followed them.

The raid by the bandits, the lords of the land that ruled the land of Yusa, was no less magnificent than Colin’s magic.

‘I’ll do my part to stir up the battlefield.’

I ran with them, but for different purposes.

Even a wounded tiger is still a beast.

The advantage of bandits is their group’s violence, but their individual fighting power is not high.

It may be enough to wipe out the remnants of the group that were left completely wounded by magic, but it is no better than a rabble against a powerful opponent.

That’s why I followed.

They are my share.

‘Cut off the troublemakers here.’

Winner takes all.

It was a rule that didn’t necessarily need to be rejected.

***

Chomp!

“Kwaaak!”

“Kill them! Don’t leave a single one alive!”

The bandits began to ravage the disorganized expedition’s camp.

Even though the bandits were being massacred even in small squads, the condition of the Thorson expedition was very bad.

It was rare to find someone standing on both legs, and even those who did were in shambles, with some bones broken or unable to even hold a weapon.

Overall, there was no battle.

The bandits took the lives of the explorers as if they were harvesting rice.

I left them behind and gradually advanced deeper.

The destination was the place where the largest barracks were built.

“… … .”

It wasn’t like that place was free from the influence of magic.

Rather, it was like it had been left in ruins as if it had suffered concentrated damage.

All that can be seen are the materials broken down into powder.

I stood in front of him.

He pulled out his gun and fired.

Taang!

The bullet did not penetrate the target.

“… … You’re a very careful guy. It was useless to hide without even trying to stop the bleeding.”

Woohoo!

The remains of the collapsed building were floating in the air.

It acted like a shield and stopped the bullets.

‘Is it telekinesis?’

The flow of energy is fast and natural for magic.

It may be an innate power or an ability embedded in a relic.

A man emerged from between the rubble.

“Because I’m the type of person who wants to see even an extinguished fire again.”

“You’re a model citizen. Not like a contractor.”

“Just like your job, this job also feels like walking on thin ice every day.”

It wasn’t a completely normal color.

His head was cracked and blood was flowing out, covering one eye.

The top was torn and looked like a rag.

That was all there was to it.

Compared to the other explorers who rarely had control over their own bodies, I was relatively unharmed.

“Are you the head of the Thorson Expedition?”

“Yes, Cliff Burton. He must be a hired hand from the Magic Tower.”

“It’s Allen.”

“It’s a name I’ve never heard of before, to the point where I’d be hired by the Magic Tower. Is it a newcomer who’s been active since I started preparing to explore the ruins?”

Cliff stood up, pushing his blood-soaked hair to one side.

“They’re contractors who are more like crows or rats, but sometimes they turn out to be monsters. I was unlucky. If I had been paying attention, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Would that make any difference?”

“Not much has changed.”

The blood vessels in Cliff’s eyes burst as he could no longer bear the humiliation.

“At least my men wouldn’t have been killed in a surprise attack like this.”

“Is that your intuition?”

This was my first time meeting the leader of the Thorson expedition in person, but I was not unfamiliar with his information.

A person with an intuition that always chooses only the option closest to the correct answer.

The success of the Thorson expedition, which has continued to succeed in the exploration of ruins where failure is commonplace, was due to his ability.

“Nothing would have changed.”

“… … Ha! You’re really treating me like water just because I hit you once.”

All of the expedition’s leaders, except Cliff, appeared to be dead.

This may be the biggest failure he has ever experienced while leading an expedition.

Until now.

“Intuition, not prophecy, can’t always choose the right answer.”

I knew the failure he was going to face.

His intuition was only accurate, but it did not guarantee unconditional success.

Due to just one failure, the Thorson expedition is disbanded.

“Whether you knew my name or not, you would never have guessed that the Tower of Magic and the Bandits would join hands. Especially not that a mere contractor could pull off such a quick raid.”

“… … .”

Unless you are a prophet, you cannot know what is unknown.

The limits of his boasted intuition were at best that level.

“I should have done it in moderation, but I was greedy and over-extended myself.”

He would have died in the ruins anyway.

Even if I hadn’t done anything about it, it seemed like Cliff’s excessive greed would have ended in ruin.

“……also.”

Cliff, who had been unable to hide his sense of defeat, suddenly had a glint in his eyes.

“It seems that the Magic Tower also judged that the ruins contained a clue to transcendence.”

Mutter something meaningful.

“Transcendence? What does that mean?”

“Hehe, you kept it a secret from the Magic Tower. I don’t know. It’s a secret of the world that even a contractor would know for a lifetime.”

The sneer, soaked in superiority, was questionable.

I actually took the lead on this project.

It was originally a personal exploration carried out only by Topju and his disciple Colin.

There was nothing to do but hide the secrets of the ruins in the tower.

Transcendence in the first place.

The word itself is common, but I have never heard such a keyword in FP, the game.

‘Is the reason Cliff sacrificed the Thorson expedition team to break through the ruins because of transcendence?’

He may have believed a rumor, or the ruins may really hold some great secret.

No matter what the answer was, my actions did not change.

“I guess I can just kill you and check.”

It is the ruins of the Druids.

Everything in the ruins was arranged for me.