The Druid Who Devoured the Great Nature

“Thank you!”

The captain repeatedly bowed his head at a ninety-degree angle to express his gratitude. His uniform, which must have been a vivid blue, was now the color of faded jeans from how much he had sweated.

“Thank you so much! I don’t know what kind of thunderbolt this was… We wouldn’t have been able to handle it on our own.”

His breathing was rough between his words. He still seemed unable to shake off his tension. It was a big deal. That’s why he had called me to the cockpit in a hurry as soon as the battle was over.

The cockpit was very spacious. It was a mixture of various control tools that incorporated various technologies, such as a ship’s key, a compass, a display, and a crystal ball engraved with a magic circle. This was probably why only a few in each city owned one.

“……”

Behind me, Sage was observing with great interest, tapping and touching the circuit board. Seeing that the captain didn’t say anything, I was relieved that she seemed to be of help.

“I don’t know where such outrageous people came from. I’ve been doing this for over 10 years, and this is the first time I’ve experienced something like this.”

The captain went on and on about how abnormal this was, how the attackers were bastards, and how he was greatly indebted to my appropriate response. It was a tongue-lashing that seemed to be trying to distract me rather than seeking my response or empathy.

“The rest of the journey is not long, but we will do our best to accommodate you during that time. So please, I earnestly ask you to keep this a secret from the other passengers.”

It wasn’t just a feeling. His safety was on the line, so it was a desperate plea from the captain. His judgment was to cover it up for now, even if he had to come up with a countermeasure later.

“Of course. I also don’t want any unnecessary trouble to cause us to turn back.”

I put aside the purpose and agreed with his judgment. If I had intended to make a big deal out of it, I would have refused Bianca’s help. Whatever the case, the priority was to set foot in the City of Iron and Blood.

If any of the passengers insisted on turning back on the grounds of danger, the airship would have to return. That was an ending that I, as much as the captain, did not want.

The captain, relieved that we had come to an understanding, wiped his chest and said.

“Thank you. It may seem like an afterthought, but we will do our best to prevent such an unfortunate incident from happening again.”

“That’s a bit of a rash statement. What are you going to do if the same thing happens again?”

“……That’s.”

The captain became a mute who had eaten honey.

“From what I’ve experienced myself, they seemed like a unit raised by a prestigious family from the City of Iron and Blood. I couldn’t confirm which family they belonged to, but the fact that they operated a small airship is clear circumstantial evidence.”

“Hmph, they wouldn’t be so rash…”

“Then do you have any other idea where such skilled people with that much equipment came from?”

“Kkeung.”

The captain grabbed his head and groaned. He wanted to deny it, but he knew that what I said was right.

“As you said, I don’t think a prestigious family would rashly cause a problem that could escalate into a diplomatic dispute.”

I didn’t bring it up to give him a hard time about what he had done while I was taking care of the situation.

“If you know anything about what’s going on in the City of Iron and Blood, please tell me honestly.”

If he was a captain and not just a crew member, he must have heard something. He sighed deeply, then looked around and locked the door before speaking.

“Please know that I’m just telling you what I’ve heard, and don’t tell anyone else. It’s that…”

***

After that, the airship arrived safely in the City of Iron and Blood without being attacked again. It was a natural result. If there was really a prestigious family behind the enemy, the political burden of carrying out the same act twice was great.

In the first place, it was an overwhelming force to worry about failure. The variable was that a force like me was on board the airship. They must be greatly flustered now, having received a report that the airship had arrived safely.

“Haaa, we’re alive.”

“I can finally sleep comfortably now.”

The crew members finally relaxed only when the airship was docked at the mooring tower. I could understand their relief, as they had been on 24-hour alert since the attack. It was also pitiful in that I knew it was a useless administrative act for show.

The fact that the enemy’s backer was presumed to be a prestigious family of the city was a fact that only we and the captain were aware of. And this was a secret that was quite dangerous to share with anyone.

If it was really their doing, it was not an exaggeration to say that it would become a diplomatic dispute. Even if they protested, they had to do it after returning to Gellerg City, and there was no good in letting it be on the lips of many people from early on.

“This airship has safely arrived at its destination, the City of Iron and Blood, Brahms.”

“It was an honor to serve you.”

“We look forward to seeing you again.”

Under the guidance of the crew, the passengers disembarked, and finally, it was our turn to get off.

“I don’t know when you’ll be back, but we’ll take good measures to prevent the same problem from happening then.”

We received the special treatment of being seen off by the captain himself and got off the airship. The airfield was no different in Gellerg City and Brahms. Sage, who had gotten off a step ahead, was pouting her lips, unable to hide her disappointment.

“It doesn’t feel like we’ve come to another city.”

“You’ll feel the reality of being in a foreign country when you move deeper.”

Even Gellerg City, the leader in technology development and advancement, had its airfield in an undeveloped district. The other cities were no exception.

“But it will be a little different.”

They say that when you arrive in a foreign country, the air is different. If Gellerg City were to be expressed in color, it would be gray. The City of Iron and Blood, Brahms, was brown. A color that exuded the chill and bleakness of autumn.

「The World Tree says it’s colder than it thought and fastens its clothes.」

It wasn’t cold enough to see your breath like in a winter city, but the temperature was relatively low. There was a refreshing feeling mixed in the air that was hard to feel in the polluted Gellerg City.

“More importantly, how far are you going to follow me?”

“Oh, you caught me.”

Bianca, who had been hiding her presence and camouflaged in the shadows of the building, playfully stuck out her tongue and walked out.

“I had no bad intentions. I was just going to appear out of nowhere and help if you didn’t know anything.”

“I don’t need it.”

“Yes, I thought so.”

Bianca’s knowledge was top-notch. If I were in a strange city and at a loss, it was a help I would have to pay for. I didn’t need it. My knowledge was by no means inferior to hers.

Above all, with a human detector like Sage, it was hard to get lost.

“Then since we’re going the same way anyway, how about we go together… the kid next to you seems to dislike it a lot, so I guess not.”

Sage was glaring with her eyes wide open and fiddling with her staff. She had treated her as if she were not there when she was just glaring, but had she recognized the value of the staff with a thief’s eye? Bianca’s gaze was directed more towards the staff than to Sage.

“I don’t welcome it either.”

On the airship, it was a chance encounter, so it was fine, but I didn’t want to get involved with Bianca even in the city. It was best to part ways here. The Mad House was a collection of human scum who lived with countless grudges on their backs.

Accompanying her would only bring more harm than good.

“Then if you have any business with me later, look for Rowan at the ‘Golden Lion’s Rest Stop’. I’ll be there soon. Oh, and as for where the Golden Lion’s Rest Stop is…”

“I know where it is. I’ll try not to have to go there, so just stop talking and leave quickly.”

“I’ll be waiting. If my business ends first, I might come and find you first. Don’t refuse so strongly. I’m just trying to pay you back for your trouble on the airship.”

Bianca’s figure melted into the shadows. Pay back for the help? An outlaw knowing gratitude was a ridiculous excuse. She definitely seemed friendly, but… it was just creepy.

Should I say it was like a snake flicking its tongue? Even though its intention was not a threat but an exploration, it made me anxious for no reason. So as long as I knew Bianca’s madness, I would never let my guard down in front of her.

“Where are we going?”

Sage, who would dislike Bianca as much as I did, for distinguishing people’s mana, urged me by pulling at my sleeve as if to erase her traces.

“In Gellerg City, we moved by tram, but do we have to just walk here?”

“Not really. Come to think of it, the difference from Gellerg City will be noticeable from there.”

“?”

I led Sage, who was tilting her head, and walked. There was the specialty of the City of Iron and Blood, Brahms.

A rough snorting sound. It was the sound of breath leaking from the nostrils, which were larger than the large, vivid eyes, far below the long, well-balanced head. The firm, muscular forelegs scraped the ground.

“……A horse?”

“In Brahms, horse-drawn carriages are the main means of transportation.”

It was a representative difference from Gellerg City, which moved by car, subway, and tram. It wasn’t that there were no internal combustion engine cars, but they prioritized the use of horse-drawn carriages, both culturally and customarily.

That’s why it was a specialty. A specialty is something that is familiar to the local people but strange to people from other regions.

As I raised my hand, a coachman wearing leather gloves and boots and holding a whip in one hand came running.

“Where to?”

“First, please go to the public district.”

“Understood.”

I let Sage get on the carriage first and then got on. The inside of the carriage was quite spacious, with plenty of room for two people. The feel of the cushion on my bottom was also soft.

Sage, who had been tense from encountering the unknown, soon relaxed her shoulders and leaned against the backrest.

“Then we’ll be off. It’s dangerous, so please don’t stick your head out the window.”

“……Yep.”

「The World Tree flinches and steps back.」

The two country bumpkins, who had ridden in a car but had never ridden in a carriage, fell away from the window, and at the same time, the carriage started.

***

The speed of the carriage was not as slow as I had thought. If you prioritized the comfort of the passengers, it would be infinitely slow, but if you focused on speed, you could feel the sense of speed with your skin.

Above all, the horses of Brahms were of a different breed. They boasted a sturdiness and speed that was enough for the anachronistic profession of a knight to still exist. Of course, if you ran fast, the bumpy ride was a problem.

Since there was no need to rush the carriage that much, it was quite comfortable. Apart from the difference in technology, it wasn’t for nothing that internal combustion engine cars had not become the common means of transportation.

Sage fully enjoyed such differences between each city. Not only the carriage, but the scenery outside was also a different world. The tall and splendid building complexes of Gellerg City were rare here.

The stone buildings were small and not packed together, so the scenery was less stuffy than that of Gellerg City. If Gellerg City was a city, this place was closer to the countryside. There was even a fortress built on a hill.

The image of the Middle Ages that came to mind was what the production team of the game had intended. The daily life of the residents, social norms, and structure were also not much different from the appearance of the city.

“Do you know why Brahms has the nickname ‘City of Iron and Blood’?”

“No.”

“For convenience, we call it Iron and Blood, but strictly speaking, it’s correct to call them separately. The City of Iron and Blood.”

Iron meant war, and blood meant lineage. The ruling structure of Brahms was like that.

“The map of Brahms can be divided into ten pieces after drawing a large circle around the central public district.”

The public district is the land ruled by the king. In Gellerg City, the system of monarchy had collapsed, and the parliamentary politics of the city government had been established. On the other hand, a king still remained in Brahms.

It was a lineage-centered politics where the throne was inherited, not elected. And the land divided into ten pieces was ruled by ten families. The head of each family and the lord were under the king in the system, but they were basically independent forces.

“Then it’s a dangerous neighborhood in a different sense from Gellerg City, where the security is broken.”

Sage understood correctly. The history of this city was a history of bloody political strife. The nickname ‘City of Iron and Blood’ originated from there.

“But it’s not as dangerous as you think.”

As the exchange between the cities was cut off, each city focused on blocking external threats rather than internal competition. After long negotiations, the territories of each family were confirmed, and the war stopped.

In the present, the bloody history of Brahms had been relegated to an old story.

“What we need to know from this story is that each territory is independent, so we have to choose our direction well.”

Since the people of this territory did not know the people of that territory, if you were unlucky, you might have to explore each territory.

“How about it, can you see the traces of mana?”

“Yes. But…”

“But?”

“……It’s nothing.”

It was a bit uncomfortable that she had cut off her words, but it was fine since she said she could see it well.

“We’ve arrived, sir.”

The center of Brahms, the public district.

(End of Chapter)