The Druid Who Devoured the Great Nature

Ssshhhaa!

Warm water washed down my back.

A hot shower available anytime, anywhere—that was the beauty of a world where magitech was advanced.

If this were truly medieval, I would have had to boil the water myself or pay the innkeeper for the favor.

Just imagining that kind of life was dreadful.

“…Not even a sting, and not a single scar left.”

The worst wound I had taken while fighting Maley was on my back.

But the reflection in the mirror now showed a spotless back without a trace.

On the first day, even the brush of clothes had made it throb.

Yet after just three days of rest, the bruises and lacerations had completely healed.

It seemed the physical abilities enhanced by my metamorphosis even included recovery speed.

“You’re healthy too, right?”

Prrrr!

「The World Tree shrugs its shoulders, saying it’s in good health.」

The World Tree answered by shaking off water with vigor.

It acted lively, as though it had never once drooped when it doubted its usefulness after testing its lignification.

“Come to think of it, you handle hot water well.”

「The World Tree tilts its branch, not understanding what you mean.」

For plants, hot water was poison.

Their cells could easily be damaged and die, but perhaps because it was the World Tree, it seemed unaffected.

“You guys… calm down a bit.”

The spirit had become utterly full of itself after its recent performance.

It seemed to have discovered the fun of making a mess, casting lignification here and there, fluttering about in laughter.

They said fairies were mischievous by nature—this felt exactly like babysitting a child.

I pushed the thing blocking my sight aside and got dressed.

My condition was perfect.

It was about time to go see Hattig.

I left the hotel and headed to Brotherhood Branch 102.

In the morning, the club was quiet and pleasant, a far cry from the bustling nightlife.

Even the guards at the door had vanished somewhere.

I paid it no mind and went inside.

As before, I went up to the fourth floor, where one VIP room was brightly lit.

As expected, Hattig was seated inside.

“Welcome. You’ve done well.”

Hattig greeted me like he had been waiting.

He spread his arms wide to welcome me, while the gang members lined up on either side of the room stared at me with stony faces.

Feigning composure, I replied.

“…This is a bit much of a welcome.”

“It’s our courtesy. You don’t like this kind of thing?”

“It’s not about my taste.”

I studied their movements.

The entire crew was present.

I had to make sure they weren’t hiding ill intent under the excuse of celebration.

Better safe than sorry.

That was why I hadn’t come right away and instead taken time to recover.

To show weakness before criminals was the same as asking to be devoured.

“Heh, your movements look stiff. Nervous? Or maybe your wounds haven’t fully healed? Taking a few days off doesn’t exactly scream good condition.”

“No, I was waiting for you to dig up information. I just finished my job too quickly.”

“Is that so?”

Hattig responded indifferently and clapped twice.

Immediately, I sensed the men around him flinch.

“…If this is how you’re going to play it, things won’t be fun.”

I thought as much.

They said going into a bathroom and coming out were two different states of mind.

「The World Tree is tense.」

I flexed my fingers and secretly grasped my gun.

The moment I felt anything suspicious, I intended to shoot.

And then—

Hattig snapped his fingers.

“Thank you for your hard work!!”

Instead of drawing weapons, the gang members bowed deep.

Their voices boomed in unison.

Dozens of them greeting me like that—it was a spectacle.

Before I knew it, my finger relaxed from the trigger.

“…What the hell is this?”

“A surprise gift.”

“Crazy bastard.”

This was straight out of some gangster movie.

At least it wasn’t hostile, but it was still embarrassing.

“You don’t like it?”

“It’s not about my taste.”

“Well, I suppose these guys do look rather grim.”

The corner of the man’s mouth, the one Hattig patted on the shoulder, twisted oddly.

Now that I looked, they all wore awkward expressions.

So that was why they flinched at first.

It must have been entirely Hattig’s idea.

“Just before closing time. Everyone’s busy wrapping up, so don’t expect any hospitality.”

Hattig waved his hand, and the men filed out.

Poor guys, having to suffer under such a strange boss.

I dragged a chair over and sat in the same spot as before.

“I confirmed Maley was dealt with. Honestly, I didn’t expect much, but I didn’t think you’d actually succeed. I had a hard time patching things up in a rush.”

Despite his complaint, Hattig laughed heartily.

Of course, the effort would only help the branch grow, so the hardship was enjoyable to him.

Which meant it was about time I shared in that enjoyment as well.

“That was the deal, so I finished my part cleanly. Don’t you agree?”

“Of course. A man must keep his word.”

“The others didn’t.”

“Hm?”

There was something that needed settling first.

I calmly stated the truth.

“I fought Maley alone. The rest ran away.”

“Tsk, no wonder there’s been no word from them.”

Hattig clicked his tongue with a frown.

“If they come crawling back demanding their share, arrest them on the spot.”

If they’d dropped the ball, they had to pay the price.

There wasn’t a speck of intention in me to just let things slide for the sake of peace.

“I’ll look into it. But I suspect you’re right.”

“Ah, leave out the mage. I sent her away myself since she would’ve only gotten in the way at the end.”

“I’ll show leniency if she’s caught.”

“And whatever they wanted, convert it to money of equivalent value and give it to me.”

I made my claim on the side.

I had borne alone the burden of what four should have done.

Even Hattig admitted he hadn’t believed I’d succeed, so this wasn’t an unreasonable demand.

“I’ll do that. After all, it was success pay meant for the other three, so it won’t be wasted.”

“Exactly. And considering the money I earned for you, it wouldn’t do to be stingy.”

It might feel like a lot of money now, but in the future, it would be pocket change.

To take over the entire distribution network of a branch—that was what it meant.

And since I had seized it earlier than planned, I had even reaped an unexpected extra profit.

“The most important part remains.”

Now came the real business.

“I trust you won’t tell me that even with three extra days you failed to dig up any information.”

I had fulfilled my duty.

Now it was Hattig’s turn.

Hattig tapped his glass and sank deep into the sofa.

“It was close.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean those three days were crucial. In Darkest Chase, I wasn’t able to uncover the information you wanted.”

“…Dalton Sunderland wasn’t part of Darkest Chase?”

“No. But they didn’t give up information easily.”

Hattig’s gaze hardened as if recalling the struggle.

“Dalton Sunderland wasn’t supposed to be such a big figure.”

A mage proved his worth through magical ability.

If Dalton had really been so influential, I would have been the one to suffer instead.

“You’re right. It means he was tied to a company of that magnitude.”

“So what’s the conclusion? You couldn’t find out?”

Too many preliminaries.

It had been hard work on my end as well.

If he tried to brush it off by saying he only found scraps, I’d have plenty to say in return.

“I’m not some charity worker.”

If service was being forced, then I’d have to wring out an even greater price in exchange.

Would he be able to handle the commotion that came with it?

Hattig waved his hand as if telling me not to worry.

“Don’t fuss. I got it in the end. I coaxed a guy who’d been under me before he left, and I squeezed the information out of him.”

Hattig rambled on like a drunk about the effort he put in.

No doubt he exaggerated, but it was still a process worth groaning over.

His quirks in taste and speech aside, Hattig’s ability was undeniable.

That was why he would stir waves in the future Brotherhood, a massive organization.

Just when it was getting tedious, Hattig read the mood and got to the point.

“There wasn’t much worth talking my mouth dry over. Just one thing.”

I leaned in.

“An agent by the name of Alfonso made contact.”

“Alfonso?”

“In the industry, he’s considered a top-grade veteran.”

Hattig handed me Alfonso’s photo.

A solid body without an ounce of fat, a sharp, meaningful look, always clad in a perfectly tailored suit no matter where he went.

“He’s known as the errand man who monopolizes cases from major corporations, especially the picky Centrim.”

His appearance resembled that of the mysterious agent who had dealt with Maley.

“Here it is.”

I received the item from the locksmith.

It was the hard case Maley had received from his agent during the deal.

When I had brought it home to open, it turned out to be locked.

Not knowing what was inside, I couldn’t just smash it open.

So I entrusted it to a skilled locksmith with a criminal record of being wanted by the Bureau of Public Safety.

“Don’t bring me crap like this again. Damn thing even had magical safeguards—it was a nightmare to open.”

The locksmith, with his simple face, grimaced like he was sick of it.

If magical locks were involved, that reaction was understandable.

The fact he had managed to crack it only showed his skill.

I paid him more than I had promised and headed back to the hotel.

It wasn’t mine but something I had intercepted.

If I checked it out in public, who knew what tail I might draw.

I drew the curtains tight and flicked the latch of the hard case.

Click!

Thanks to the locksmith’s struggle, the case opened smoothly.

“…They really stuck to the concept.”

I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw it.

Inside was a prosthetic forearm, from wrist to elbow.

The very kind of item you’d expect a machine zealot to be trading.

“Not exactly practical for me to use.”

If it had just been a mechanical device, I might have, but being a prosthetic arm, it was nothing but a white elephant.

“What do you think?”

Just in case, I asked the World Tree.

Curious, it stretched out a tendril to inspect the prosthetic, then promptly flicked it away.

Since my cohabiting companion rejected it, using it was out of the question.

“Better to sell it, then.”

Since it had been given as part of a corporate deal, it surely contained impressive machinery within.

If properly appraised and sold, it could make a tidy profit.

Of course, this wasn’t something to be handled rashly.

Before selling stolen goods, there were always preparatory steps.

Machines bore marks of their manufacturers.

Engraved serial numbers were the most common.

If I left them intact, the company might come to reclaim it, so removing them was crucial.

“Like this, maybe.”

I twisted the screws and dismantled the joints of the prosthetic.

Any modern man had a rough idea of how to handle machines.

Even if not, repeated playthroughs of games had built up the knowledge.

Fortunately, disassembly wasn’t much different from a mini-game system.

Breaking it down took only a moment.

“Why’s there so much?”

The interior was crammed full of mechanisms, leaving not a sliver of space unused.

From the precision of the craftsmanship, it was clear this wasn’t from just any company.

I found the manufacturer’s mark on the inside of a hex nut.

“Delippersy.”

A company name I had never heard of.

The number of corporations founded in Gellerg City wasn’t in the dozens but well over the hundreds.

Including those that had entered from other cities, even government officials couldn’t possibly keep track of them all.

“So Alfonso wasn’t representing a major corporation after all?”

Must’ve just been a look-alike.

If I hadn’t been expecting anything, I’d have dismissed it as a mistake.

I wondered if I’d need to gather more information separately.

[Respected but foolish citizens! Here’s the next piece of news! There are only a handful of corporations you all recognize, right? Centrim, Sylvester, Militechnica… And now, news about one of the pillars of our city, Gellerg City! It’s Centrim!]

The radio, which had been playing as background noise, suddenly blared with the host’s raised voice.

[Centrim! Recently they’ve been aggressively expanding, haven’t they? Experts say they’re trying to completely outpace their eternal runner-up rival, Sylvester, and seize hegemony!]

Centrim and Sylvester.

The ancient rivals of Gellerg City.

Their competition never rested for even a second.

Anyone who delved deeply into corporate affairs couldn’t avoid getting caught in their struggle one way or another.

Even the dust in one’s home being owned by a conglomerate wasn’t just black humor—it was reality.

[And now, additional news! Centrim today signed agreements supporting several certified companies! Their annual event for selecting future partners, their hands and feet!]

Nothing particularly special.

I was about to tune out.

[And the list is four! Electtronics, Multi Combat, Robotovic… and lastly, Delippersy! Congratulations on grasping the golden opportunity to seize fortune!]

“…Delippersy?”

The name I had just been turning over in my mind echoed from the radio.

(End of Chapter)