The Druid Who Swallowed Mother Nature - Chapter 88



Only Noblemtl

Episode 88. Can you see something?

“First, let me share with you the progress of the investigation that the Master and I have been investigating.”

The meticulous exploration of the area to recover artifacts is the decisive reason why the conquest of the ruins takes place on a yearly basis.

Fortunately, the exploration of the Druid ruins did not require such a huge amount of labor.

This was thanks to Matapju and Colin having already completed some of the investigation.

“The ruins here take the form of a huge city. If you follow the road, you’ll come across forks here and there. We concluded that the best way to conquer them would be to head in the right direction and reach the center of the ruins.”

“It’s in the form of a maze.”

“That’s correct.”

“It’s standard to solve it with human wave tactics, so the two of you must have had a hard time.”

Colin was amazed at how Allen could listen and understand everything without any difficulty.

Even now, if you look at it, you can quickly grasp the gist without spending any time thinking about it.

Basically, exploring ruins is not the domain of mercenaries or contractors, but closer to the work of adventurers.

If you look closely, it is different, but that is the general tendency.

He was quite specialized and had a wide range of skills to be considered a contractor who would do anything for money.

“Well, it would be convenient if there were more people, but I wonder if it would be possible to solve the problem that way.”

“Is it because of a magical phenomenon?”

“yes.”

Anyway, since there was no impediment to the exchange of information, Colin felt comfortable talking with Allen.

When I talked to Allen after only encountering the arrogant, snobbish people of the rooftop, I couldn’t have communicated this well.

I would have liked to have them all gather under me and learn from me.

There is a limit to just staying locked up in a room like that. Come out into the wide world and broaden your horizons… … .

It was Colin’s own sincerity that thought about the future of the rooftop.

The upper echelons prided themselves on having no intention of recruiting young people, as they were too old to change.

“If it’s a magical phenomenon, wouldn’t there be rules? Then, even if it’s a maze, I think I’ll be able to escape it quickly.”

Sage raised his hand to offer his opinion.

Despite her intelligence, she was not the type to assert her own opinions when being taught.

Whether it’s a question or an application, it’s faster and easier to show it than to say it.

She had the talent to make this possible.

Colin’s praise for Sage was by no means an exaggeration.

But even so, the fact that she reacted differently than usual… …was obvious from her awkward sidelong glances.

I want to show off my liveliness in front of my guardians.

Colin chuckled.

“Of course.”

“then……!”

“But do you think your teacher and ancestors didn’t come up with such an easy method?”

It was a joke because it was cute that her true feelings were obvious, but it was also partly staged.

Because it was the perfect opportunity to show Allen that he was doing a good job as a teacher.

“The magical phenomena that hindered perception and the labyrinthine structure mixed together transformed this ruin into a magical realm where common sense defies interpretation. It would be quicker to show it to you than to explain it in words.”

Sage pouted his lips and protested with his eyes.

The meaning was, why are you being so strict today of all days?

Unfortunately, Colin was in no position to give in to the situation.

He still hadn’t recovered the points he’d lost by shamelessly asking to borrow money at the casino in District 4.

There has never been a better opportunity to turn things around.

“Follow me.”

Colin took the lead.

Allen followed, and Sage followed behind with a sullen expression.

***

“Stop for a moment.”

Krrrr!

As soon as he finished speaking, the wall of the building in front of him collapsed.

It was a typical trap that caused casualties in the ruins.

Colin scratched the back of his head as if he was ashamed.

“Well, the road is particularly rough today. I took the lead with confidence, but I lost face like this.”

“It’s okay. It’s a maze.”

When you go down an unknown path, you are bound to encounter new traps.

I never thought Colin would take this path on purpose to mess with us.

“How did you know? Every time I tell you to stop, there’s a trap right in front of you.”

“I didn’t know for sure. I just have a feeling that there might be something around here, so I’m careful.”

This is big data accumulated through the experience of exploring numerous ruins.

If you just glance at it, you get the feeling that it might be dangerous.

This wasn’t the kind of knowledge that could be taught.

Because this was not a matter of discernment, but of familiarity.

In a word, it’s a trick.

“Tsk tsk, how much suffering must I have had… … .”

Colin looked at me pitifully, as if he had misunderstood something again… … but since it wasn’t the first or second time, I decided to just let it go.

Perhaps because of his wandering nature, he is closer to a jokester than a realistic magician.

Since misunderstandings seemed to be a daily occurrence, I just hoped that it wouldn’t have a negative impact on Sage.

“I think I know what you were trying to say now.”

Before I knew it, I had stopped walking in the lead.

Although the cognitive impairment was still in effect, there was no mistaking this place.

“If you make the wrong choice, you’ll be forced to return.”

After walking a long way, there was the entrance we had come through right in front of us.

This was the third time.

“Since the results are different every time at the same crossroads, the method of accumulating data by pushing forward with numbers will not work.”

“That’s exactly why Master and I haven’t made any progress. He’s a real pain in the ass.”

Traps, guardians, local creatures… … these are more challenging than the ruins, which are full of such real threats.

This type of relic attack was purely a matter of luck.

“The changes and flow of magical power are so chaotic that it seems difficult to even explain the regularities.”

“Your father gave up on it because of that. He concluded that it would be easier to experience it firsthand than to calculate it.”

The laws of magic that work in the maze of ruins do not contain any artificial elements.

Trying to figure this out and deal with it was almost like trying to conquer natural disasters.

It may not be impossible, but it requires specialized equipment, a lot of manpower, and a lot of time.

It was a difficult calculation that even the top master had to raise both hands for, so it was beyond Sage’s ability to even think about.

“How did you find the totem and the watchman’s falcon eggs?”

“To be honest, I was lucky. I recovered something that looked unusual. It’s no exaggeration to say that this was the result of thousands of attempts.”

“… … You deserve to be pampered.”

Since it was an item obtained after much hardship, Colin must have wandered for a long time looking for clues and Matapju must have studied it carefully.

It was a kind of compensation psychology.

It was obtained after much hard work and its identity was unknown, so it was thought to be something great.

“Is there a way? To be honest, I brought you here, but I didn’t have high expectations, so I guess it’s okay to be honest.”

Colin didn’t seem to care at all.

It would be good if I had a clue to conquer the ruins, but even if I didn’t, I calculated that it would be beneficial as it would be an opportunity to go out.

“… … .”

I kept my mouth shut for a while, lost in thought.

‘For a Druid ruin, the strategy is too dependent on luck.’

To be honest, it wasn’t a condition that was made to break.

If it were purely a matter of luck, there would be no reason for this to be a Druid ruin.

Clearly, there would be a separate method to conquering the maze, one that involved the Druid’s abilities.

‘Even if it’s a totem, it’s strange that the watchman’s hawk’s egg is lying alone on the road.’

It is an egg of a living creature.

It was unnatural that it had fallen in a place far from the nest.

If you think that in itself is a hint… … ?

Peeeeek!

The moment the thought occurred to me, I took off my tattoo.

The watchman hawk sat on my forearm and used it as a whip.

“hi.”

Sage approached first and greeted me warmly.

Her pure white cheeks flushed with joy and her nose was puffy.

As she stroked his head, the boy submitted himself obediently.

Did you start to hate each other because you fought every time you saw each other?

Colin looked envious, but the moment he reached out, the creature became wary and spread its wings, giving up.

“Why did you take that guy out?”

“The watchman has good eyesight.”

“I guess so. Because they’re birds of prey.”

“It’s much better than I had vaguely imagined birds of prey would be.”

It rises so high into the sky that it overlooks everything within sight.

It’s no exaggeration to say that it’s like finding a tiny needle in a pile of sand in the desert.

If it weren’t for the watchman’s unusual vision, I wouldn’t have been able to snipe the bandits in the first place.

That was the point.

Are those eyes really as susceptible to cognitive impairment as we are?

Peeeeek!

I took the Watchman’s hawk away from the grieving Sage and flew it high into the sky.

The watchman’s hawk soared so high that it became a dot in the sky.

I said, hoping that there would be not a single blur in those sharp eyes.

“Sharing the view.”

“Share the view with the watchman falcon.”

With a faint sense of elation, my mind connected with the watchman’s falcon.

I slowly closed my eyes and the sight of the sentinel falcon spread out behind my dark eyelids.

“… … .”

The ruins confirmed through the watchman’s eagle’s eyesight were vast.

Much more than the vague impressions I got while wandering around.

It was smaller than the country-sized city of Galaga, but not so big that you could walk around it on foot.

As I surveyed the scene, I soon came to understand the irrational structure of the maze that inevitably led back to the entrance.

Krrrr!

The roads that stretched out from all directions and connected to the center were transformed into a new structure at some point, with each area turning like gears.

Sometimes, the locations of each area were swapped, like fitting together a puzzle.

The story goes that the vast city was constantly changing its appearance at random.

Well, I had no choice but to wander.

‘indeed.’

Is this why even the Thorson Expedition, a seasoned veteran, is on the verge of collapse?

Time is limited and supplies are even more limited.

There is no progress in conquering the ruins and all I am doing is wasting money.

In a place like this, the best Cliff could do was to give up on conquering the ruins.

It is greedy because it is not like that.

As you know, the price was paid dearly.

“Can you see anything?”

“……yes.”

My case is different.

The ruins’ panoramic view, the labyrinth’s changing patterns, and even traps with teeth hidden everywhere.

All of these sights were clearly visible to the watchman’s hawk.

“Follow me.”

The moment when I was able to move while viewing my location in three dimensions.

The maze no longer functioned as a maze.

***

There was no obstruction to our steps as we walked along the path of ruins.

At every fork in the road, the choice was straightforward, and each time a new path opened up.

First of all, it was important not to encounter any traps.

It was proof that we were on the right path.

“I will be there soon.”

“Haha, I didn’t know it would be this easy to get to the center.”

Colin’s laugh had a hollow tone.

“A vision that sees through the obstruction of recognition of relics.”

It was a unique experience to hear a voice stuck to the ground while your vision was in the air.

As we focused, we saw Colin looking up at the sentinel falcon high in the sky.

“It’s really far away. Even if I send the familiar I serve up that far… … .”

The vague afterwords were obvious even though I couldn’t hear them with my ears.

Will we ever be able to see the full view of this ruin?

I’m not sure if I should have a positive thought, but I’m still licking my lips.

The phenomenon of cognitive impairment is a problem, but first of all, there was a high probability that the familiar’s eyesight would not support it.

“It’s too bad, that’s too bad.”

The importance of reconnaissance cannot be overemphasized.

Just the abilities that the Watchman Hawk had just demonstrated were limitless in their utility.

Colin seemed to be attracted to the watchman from the beginning.

The eyes that were blankly looking at the watchman were sticky.

Sharp yet round eyes, wide wings with soft feathers, and a slim abdomen without any flab…

The watchman felt his lips turn sour as Colin licked his lips with greedy eyes.

“Oh, over there.”

Just then Sage pointed across the road.

Taking advantage of Colin’s gap in attention, the sentinel falcon swooped down from the sky, tattooing me, and I blinked to adjust my vision to what was left behind.

“Is this the center?”

“okay.”

The center of the ruins.

The building erected there looked neat and tidy, as if even the ravages of time had escaped it.

It was a pious sight, standing alone and strong in the middle of a ruined civilization, enough to make one feel a sense of sacredness.

What’s inside it.

“It’s a grave.”

It was one coffin.