The Druid Who Devoured the Great Nature

The inside of the airship was bright. The blue sky and sunlight from beyond the window illuminated the spacious area without any artificial light. In the midst of that, Sage’s eyes shone brilliantly, like a jewel reflecting the scattered light.

“It’s black. Like a darker shadow under the bright light… it’s pitch black.”

They say that the color of mana reflects a person’s disposition to some extent. There were few places where the atmosphere was as rough and the bottom of humanity was as blatantly exposed as in the slums. Sage was born and raised in such a place.

If she was warning me directly, he must be a very dangerous seed.

“How are the other people?”

“They’re average. They seem like ordinary people. Only that person is peculiar.”

There was a general perception that it was dangerous to board a ship. This was partly because even a simple wave could become a disaster if you were unlucky at sea, but it was also because if someone caused trouble in the vast, inescapable sea, it would lead to a catastrophe.

By the same token, the airship flying on the sky road was a sealed room with no space to escape.

“Just don’t provoke him.”

But there was no need to be too worried. The airship had to pass strict conditions from the ticket purchase, and boarding was permitted only after an identity check. It meant that if he were a person who would rashly cause trouble, he wouldn’t even be in this place.

Of course, his personality could be a mess. So it was enough not to give him a reason to get angry. According to the culture inside this airship, which urged silence, that was not wrong either.

“Ah.”

Suddenly, Sage let out a gasp. She tugged at my collar. It didn’t seem to mean that she wanted me to look at her.

I heard the sound of shoes clattering. After a while, I felt a presence in front of me.

“Nice to meet you.”

“……”

A dry smile revealed under the wide brim of a fedora. Was he about to reach middle age? He was wearing a large suit, but the lines of his body that were faintly visible were firm.

It was the person Sage had pointed out. At first glance, he didn’t seem as dangerous as I had thought. But even Elliot’s first impression was that of a person who couldn’t even kill a bug. In this world, impressions were not a reliable factor.

I took out a deck of playing cards from the drawer of the table and held them out. It was an expression of my intention to play with him if he had come because he was bored. The opponent did not accept.

“I felt an ardent gaze. I came to see if you were someone I knew.”

Sage quickly turned her head and lowered her gaze to the floor. It seemed I should have advised her a little sooner not to provoke him. Or maybe he was the type who was sensitive to gazes, whether innate or acquired.

‘He’s not a mage.’

Sage had not allowed the approach of the opponent she was wary of defenselessly. She had finished all the preparations to activate her magic at any time if she just raised her mana. It was a state of alert that a mage or someone who had frequently dealt with mages would know.

The fact that he didn’t even give a glance was not an intentional disregard, as his actions were natural and not forced.

“And when I saw you in person, I realized you were someone I knew. I would have regretted it if I had treated it as just a feeling.”

“……?”

I had met countless types of people while working as a contractor. It would be an exaggeration to say that I remembered all of them. But at least I could distinguish whether I had seen them before when I met them again. And if my memory was not wrong, the man in front of me was a stranger.

“Contractor Allen.”

Fortunately, it seemed my memory was not wrong. There were also relationships where only one side knew the other. It was a case I often encountered now.

“It’s really nice to meet you. We’ve said our greetings, so can you go back to your seat now?”

I muttered with annoyance. Contractors are basically prickly. I thought it was because they were influenced by the environment, as it was a rough job. From what I had experienced myself, it was also a survival strategy to avoid being looked down upon.

An industry dominated by the logic of power. Etiquette was not an attitude to respect the opponent, but was treated similarly to flattery, begging to be looked upon favorably.

Even the clients secretly preferred prickly people. Their strong attitude, which was closer to a quarrel than to lowering themselves, bought them favor. In any case, since he had recognized me as a contractor, I would just treat him as such.

“I’m starting to feel a little hurt. It was quite an impressive meeting for me.”

The man did not care about my prickly response. He tilted his head, slightly lifted his fedora, and brought his hand to the skin of his face.

“Do you recognize me now?”

“……!”

「The World Tree is surprised to recognize the opponent’s identity!」

The skin of his face that his hand had touched blurred and then scattered like a mist. The face reflected in it was very familiar.

I retrieved my hand that had been on the table into my coat. The handle of the M2 Maximum touched my fingertips. Feeling the tension that was rising in an instant, I got the answer right.

“Bianca Melbrick.”

“Yes, you recognize me now.”

The black pupils under the long eyelashes captured my face.

“But can you not say that name now? You have to have some manners.”

The Shadow Empress of the Mad House grinned.

***

The Shadow Empress of the Mad House. A great thief who had made a name for herself in all five cities. Appearance, personality, ability, behavior… her personal details were widely known to the public, so much so that you could find out with just a little investigation.

And this was actually a strange thing. A famous thief whose personal details were public, isn’t it strange just to hear it? The personal details of a thief are revealed right before they are arrested, or after.

But Bianca was a thief, and too much information was exposed. It was partly because Bianca herself did not try to hide her identity, and it was also said that it was because the victims were so desperate to get their stolen goods back that they went to great lengths to find out.

In any case, despite being such a famous person, she had never been caught even once.

“It’s been a while since I’ve disguised myself, but it seems my skills haven’t rusted.”

That’s why people misunderstood that it was because she was a great skilled person. The fact that she belonged to the Mad House fueled this perception. The reality was different.

She couldn’t just stretch her legs and rest comfortably, having bought the grudge of so many powerful people. She didn’t not know how to disguise herself. She was so skilled that people just didn’t know.

“Isn’t it perfect?”

Every time Bianca waved her hand in front of her face, her face changed to that of another person. It was a magical sight. Sage and the World Tree were mesmerized by her sublime hand movements.

I was not surprised. No matter how great a magic trick, once the secret is revealed, it is not a mystery to be admired, but just an outstanding skill. It was just that my wariness had grown at the fact that even I had not been able to recognize her identity.

“Since it’s a form imitated by a shadow, it has to be perfect.”

“You have a good eye.”

Bianca’s domain was to handle shadows. It was an ability to even create living beings based on imagination. It was a light application to add flesh to a slender body, create wrinkles on smooth skin, and change the features.

It was a difference in proficiency, apart from the level of the domain. The scary thing about her was that she could deploy and carry her domain around as naturally as breathing.

“So, what’s your business?”

Since we were not on friendly terms, I cut off the relaxed atmosphere like a knife.

“Do you have this skill, so I should be afraid of where and in what form you will appear? Is that it?”

I had met Bianca as an enemy before and had fought. Although I had won, unfortunately, I had not been able to take her life on the spot. It was a common thing in the world of contractors, and not something to worry about.

We had not confronted each other with a sublime purpose and belief. It was just that we had clashed while carrying out a request, so it was a relationship that would end when the request was over. But it was a story that had no connection with the outlaws of the Mad House.

Although it was under the guise of a request, in essence, they had just acted as they pleased. They had thrown the unwritten rules of the industry to the dogs and had not held back their grudges when they had accumulated.

I maintained my wariness and calculated the composition of the battle.

‘It’s ambiguous.’

A battle inside an airship. It was secondary that others would get involved. If the two of us clashed, it was a foregone conclusion that the airship would be destroyed. We would be thrown into an extreme environmental zone with our bare bodies, without any preparation.

If you must kill someone, this airship is the perfect stage. Because it would be impossible to escape. To minimize the aftermath, the battle had to be ended in the early stages, not dragged out.

‘A gun and magic?’

Bianca’s eyes only reflected my face. Sage was treated as if she were not there. The possibility of a surprise attack was sufficient. Then I would take on the role of drawing attention, and Sage would finish it…

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of fighting here.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

“It’s true that I suffered after losing to you.”

The obsession of many companies with the first android was persistent. Although it was publicly announced that it had been destroyed, Bellis Inc. had even attacked me with their hunting dogs. Those who were sick with suspicion and deluded by conspiracy theories believed that the Shadow Empress had smuggled the android away.

She must have been harassed more than I had imagined.

“But I don’t particularly hold a grudge against you for that. Really.”

“……”

“If you don’t believe me, believe the situation. What will happen if we fight here? The airship will be destroyed. I want to go to the City of Iron and Blood comfortably. That’s why I went through the trouble of disguising myself and buying a ticket, right?”

“That’s too common sense, it doesn’t suit you.”

It’s hard to believe that we met on this airship by chance, her track record is too spectacular.

“Okay, let’s just believe it’s true and compromise. How about we have a match at a suitable place after we get off the airship?”

In a way, it was an opportunity. Bianca was an enemy that was easy for me to deal with, in terms of compatibility. Aftermath should be coolly eliminated. It was a golden opportunity to cut off one of the bad connections.

“I’ll pass. I told you I don’t have a grudge. Really.”

Bianca raised both hands as if to insist that she had no intention of fighting.

“I just covet what others have, I don’t want to break or ruin it. And you… hmm… I don’t know.”

Bianca’s gaze did not leave me for a single moment.

“I want to have you, but I don’t want to touch you. To the point where I’m worried that you might get a scratch. In that case, I’m satisfied with just looking. Is this the heart of appreciating art?”

A fire blazed in her black pupils.

“Ah, but it feels good that you’re obsessed with me. Can you just pretend to fight?”

She was saying creepy things. I briefly summarized the incomprehensible things she had said.

“Your organization really has a good name.”

The Mad House, a sanatorium for madmen.

“It’s the people who live sanely in a mad world that are stranger. Anyway, I just happened to meet you and said hello because I was happy. There’s no other hidden meaning, so don’t worry.”

I took my hand out of my coat. I didn’t know if this meeting was really a coincidence. But if she had no intention of fighting, it wasn’t bad for me either.

As it was, there were ominous rumors circulating that the Mad House was breaking its principle of not getting involved with its individual members and was trying to be hostile to me. Unless there were unavoidable circumstances, it was best not to give them a reason for the rumor to become true.

…Since I thought of it, should I ask?

“How’s the atmosphere at the Mad House recently?”

“I don’t know. Although we’re bound by one name, we don’t have a sense of bond or solidarity with each other.”

“Then the rumor that the Mad House is trying to be hostile to me must be false.”

“There was such a story circulating. As far as I know, it’s a false rumor.”

Bianca added playfully.

“Our mad dog is determined to give you a hard time, though. Well, that’s his own business.”

“If you want to fight, tell him to set a date and place and contact me. I won’t avoid it.”

“Oh, you’re confident?”

Since there was no room for improving the relationship, we would have to fight again someday. That guy didn’t choose the situation and place to attack like Bianca. So it was better to set up a stage and fight.

“But our organization is not like it used to be.”

“……?”

“You know, right? You caught the cult leader that our side was trying to recruit.”

“It was an unexpected story. Thanks to that, things got twisted, and I almost got struck by lightning.”

“There are not just one or two guys like that.”

Bianca twirled her hair and sighed.

“Recently, they’ve been scraping people together, even holding abbreviated entrance tests. Although they’re not even treated as rookies, from the outside, they’ll be seen as the same organization members, right?”

“……”

That was certainly a development that was clearly different from the game.

(End of Chapter)