Volume 7, Chapter 74 – The Dryad’s Service

By the time the sun was casting an oblique light into the courtyard, Laxy had finally stopped crying. Probably feeling very embarrassed, she kept her head down after pulling away and didn’t dare to look Yisi in the face.

“Ahem…” To ease the awkwardness, Yisi proactively changed the subject. “Have Camilla and the others gone to the labyrinth?”

“Uh, no, th-they haven’t. After the last commotion, the monster distribution in the labyrinth is a mess. There are frequent incidents of lower-level monsters appearing on the upper floors, making it much more dangerous than before. So, Dominic issued a ban, temporarily forbidding adventurers from entering. This includes them. They should be at Dominic’s residence right now.”

Having composed herself, Laxy looked up. Although her red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained eyelashes gave her a somewhat delicate look, the composure befitting an angel was slowly returning.

“Dominic’s residence? What are they doing there?”

Since the temple had collapsed in the previous earthquake, Yisi’s group had been staying at an inn for the past few days. It was worth mentioning that, perhaps having realized in the earthquake that life was more important than money, or perhaps the disaster had awakened his sense of responsibility as a head priest, the fat head priest had uncharacteristically paid for the food and lodging of the priests and nuns with his personal funds.

Laxy cleared her throat.

“The slime giants rampaged through the city, and with the initial earthquake, many residents’ homes were destroyed. To prevent them from becoming homeless, Dominic opened up his own residence, allowing people to live in his home and providing free breakfast and dinner. However, there were far more victims than expected, and even the courtyard is now crowded with homeless people. With not enough hands, Dominic came to the temple for help earlier today. So, Mary, Tiffany, and Refina went to the residence with the nuns. Camilla and Edith should still be at the inn.”

“Phew, so Mary and Tiffany aren’t here… but maybe that’s for the best? After all, they’re too young…”

Yisi’s low murmur made Laxy look puzzled.

“What do you mean, my lord?”

“Ah, I’m planning to visit the dryad. Since Camilla and Edith are here, let’s take them with us.”

“…Indulging in pleasure is not befitting of a hero, my lord. Please learn some restraint.”

Hmm?

Yisi blinked curiously, but she quickly understood what Laxy was referring to—the “dryad’s service” that the dryad had mentioned to her before they left last time.

“It’s not for the service. What kind of unscrupulous person do you think I am, Laxy? I’m going to see the dryad about the slime incident. Those slimes should have been dealt with by her, so I’m curious why they appeared in the labyrinth again.”

“I-I see.”

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Her cheeks blushing slightly, Laxy stammered, a rare occurrence.

She probably hasn’t fully composed herself yet. Yisi didn’t think much of it. After returning from the courtyard to the inn and calling Camilla and Edith, the four of them went to the Water Tree together.

They encountered no monsters along the way. Even the obstructive branches that would have snagged their clothes were gone. It was as if the entire forest was welcoming them, with all things proactively making way for the group.

“I can feel something guiding us. Is it that dryad friend you mentioned?”

Stepping out of the forest and arriving at the lake, Edith looked up. The sight of the clear waterfall rushing down from the tree’s crown, the mist hitting their faces mixed with the fragrance of the forest, made one want to relax completely and let out a long sigh.

“Yes, the dryad…”

It was only now that Yisi realized she had never asked the dryad’s name. For a moment, she could only smile wryly.

“Well… it’s roughly as Pepe said.”

“Then you could have just come alone.”

“Isn’t it a wonderful feeling to meet a dryad who has lived for thousands of years? It would be too pitiful to just leave you in the inn, Pepe.”

“Hmph, unnecessary sympathy.”

Although she said that, Pepe was actually very happy. Her soft huff gave Yisi that impression. The same sound, combined with different tones and expressions, could reflect a myriad of emotions. As long as one spent enough time with someone, one could discern the meaning they wanted to convey.

I feel like I’ve gained a lover who likes to be difficult. No, wait, aren’t we already lovers?

No, no, it’s better not to talk about this right now.

As if something had descended, without any wind, the surrounding trees began to rustle. A green light burst forth from the crown of the Water Tree. Then, a vine, twisted like a rope, descended from it. With it was a bewitching woman standing on the vine. Her tall figure and mature face, combined with her plant-green skin, gave her a bewitching appearance that was enough to make most men lose their souls and see her as the unattainable dream lover from the moon.

The dryad of Taris.

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Before Yisi could speak, the dryad greeted her group with a confident smile.

“Oh my, the hero has finally remembered me.” Perhaps it was a unique etiquette of the dryad race; she had the vine behind her extend to Yisi, gently brushing her palm. Then she turned her gaze to the three beside her. “An angel, a human, and a pureblood have come along as well? As expected of the hero, to so easily gather people from different races. This kind of charisma is not something that can be achieved casually. As you can see, I am the dryad who rules this forest—ah, my apologies, my apologies. It has been a long time since I have entertained guests, and I have forgotten that one should not keep them standing while talking.”

The dryad snapped her fingers. As if winding up a clockwork for the forest, the surrounding trees and vines began to grow wildly. The canopy that had been covering the sky parted, and scattered sunlight fell into this dark and dense forest. A chair made entirely of living plants appeared behind Yisi’s group, along with a small table, steaming honey tea, and a parasol formed by the green leaves above. Paired with the misty waterfall and the singing of birds nearby, it gave the feeling of a tea party in the woods—in Yisi’s eyes, this atmosphere was very much like Alice in Wonderland.

It’s just like—no, I should say she is the queen of this forest.

Watching the squirrels that ran out of the forest in a line, Yisi couldn’t help but have this thought. Each of these squirrels was holding a brightly colored fruit, and like soldiers, they orderly placed them on the wooden plates on the small table.

Even her own companions were so surprised by this scene that they forgot to sit down, their gazes fixed on this fantastical forest.

“There is no need to be surprised. The entire Taris forest is my territory. As a friend of the hero, you can just think of this place as the Fairy Village. Please, have a seat first. As the host, I cannot possibly sit down before my guests.”

Hmm, since we’re visiting someone’s home, it’s probably better to prepare some gifts. Besides being polite, another reason is that a tea party without cookies and pastries always feels like something is missing. Yisi placed a gift box of pastries made by Andrea and Mary on the table.

“Oh my, what is this…?”

Her gaze falling on the gift box tied with a purple ribbon, the dryad tilted her head.

“A small gift. Hmm… it’s a custom in the human world, I suppose.”

“Hehe, I can smell a sweet aroma. I’m guessing it’s some kind of pastry, like a cake? The last time I ate something like this was before I left the Fairy Village, when I was still a child. It’s such a nostalgic taste. Thank you.”

It seemed there was no custom in this world of not opening gifts in front of the guest. The dryad immediately opened the gift box. Upon seeing the various desserts inside, which exuded the fragrance of honey and cream, her enchanting face was full of pleasant surprise.

“Mmm! This is it! As expected, the desserts of the human world are more exquisite than those of the Fairy Village. They look appetizing just by looking at them.”

Actually, it’s just that Andrea and Mary are highly skilled at making desserts.

Yisi quietly snarked in her heart. In terms of making desserts, Andrea’s skills were a cut above Mary’s, even better than the pastry shop next to the Alvier Noble Academy.

After the dryad had placed the desserts on the table and everyone had sat down and introduced themselves, the topic got on track, starting with Camilla.

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As if thinking about something, Camilla frowned slightly.

“What is this ‘Fairy Village’ you just mentioned? And if I heard correctly, you also seem to be calling Onee-sama ‘Hero’.”

“Huh?” The dryad, who was about to put a scone into her mouth, froze, her face full of astonishment. “Even though you are the hero’s companions, you don’t know anything? Well, it’s no big deal. As a member of the Fairy Village, I can introduce you… Camilla.”

Her enchanting face regained its composure. The dryad took a small bite of the dessert and let out a satisfied moan—the sound alone was enough to make one lose control. If there were any men here, they would probably be hunched over, awkwardly covering their lower bodies with their hands, their faces full of embarrassment.

“Mmm~~! I just love this kind of sweet dessert. Even after a thousand years, my tastes haven’t changed. Ah, I forgot the main point. The Fairy Village is one of the places that the hero must go to, as recorded in the Gospel. You could also say that it is the hero’s starting point. Only after passing through the forbidden land in the Fairy Village, set by the god worshipped by the elves, Lady Isthel Hilthir, can one be recognized as a true hero.”

But I’ve never been to the so-called Fairy Village, let alone been given the title of hero. Although Laxy keeps talking about heroes, saviors, and fated ones, I don’t think I’m a hero at all.

This wasn’t Yisi being self-deprecating or escaping reality. If one thought about it carefully, it should be clear. A so-called hero should be a hardworking and determined person who starts from scratch, goes through hardships, and endures all kinds of difficulties. If someone like her, who was level 427 from birth, were to be the hero, this world would be a little too casual. The amount of magic power emanating from Tartaros was several orders of magnitude different from her own. This couldn’t be called a hero challenging a Demon Lord, but more like the Demon Lords having to band together to subjugate the hero—if the hero’s destiny was to kill the Demon Lords. So Yisi didn’t feel like she was a hero at all.

As for what she was, if she had to be placed in the story of a hero and a Demon Lord, Yisi only felt that she was a product of a bug in the world. Therefore, she only needed to be an NPC and quietly watch the story unfold.

As if reading Yisi’s thoughts, the dryad stuck out her bewitching red tongue and licked the cream from her fingertip. Even though her whole body was green, her tongue and the inside of her mouth were red. The erotic feeling was palpable. More than a dryad, a succubus was a more fitting description for her.

“The hero doesn’t seem to have been to the Fairy Village. Well, I sensed it from the first time we met. You don’t have the mark of the Fairy Village on you. Perhaps too much time has passed, and the Gospel has found a better solution. After all, the world is not an unchanging script; there are occasional unexpected changes… Tsk, it’s still a little annoying. I’ve been played by the Gospel. After I’m done with my service, I’ll just go back to the Fairy Village—ah, I’ve said a little too much. In any case, this doesn’t affect my recognition of you all. The company of an angel and being the first to reach the crown of the tree, these all fit the Gospel’s prophecy. The only difference is that you saw me in an unsightly state. I’m really sorry about that.”

“An unsightly state?”

Edith raised her eyebrows, her azure eyes full of doubt.

Yisi waved her hand.

“It’s not the kind of unsightly you’re thinking of, Pepe. It’s just that when I saw the dryad, she had almost disappeared because of a high-ranking demon’s mischief.”

“Exactly. Not only did you help me in a time of crisis, but you also brought me delicious desserts. Hmm, all I can offer in return is my service.”

As if feeling embarrassed, for the first time, Yisi saw a bashful look on the dryad. After hesitating for a long time, she extended a vine with a pink flower at its tip from behind her. She first had Yisi’s group pour out the honey tea in their cups, and then squeezed a golden, honey-like liquid from the pink flower into them.

A rich floral fragrance, and also the aroma of burnt honey.

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Even without tasting it, Yisi could guess that the tea in the cup must be overly sweet.

After the dryad had poured a small half-cup for each of the four—only Yisi’s was a full cup—she held her face in her hands, blushing, and averted her gaze slightly.

“Please… please drink. This is the most important part of the ritual.”

“A ritual?”

The one who answered Camilla was Laxy.

“The dryad is here also under the guidance of the Gospel. The human goddess and the elven goddess are closely related. In ancient times, angels and elves were allies. The reason she is preparing a ritual for us is probably to grant a blessing to the visitors.”

“Yes, that’s right. As expected of an angel from the Kingdom of God.” The dryad confirmed Laxy’s words, but then quickly became shy again. She placed her hands between her thighs and said with her head lowered, “I-I’m sorry… I’ve been sleeping for most of the past thousand years… I’ve only produced this little bit of nectar.”

A blessing?

I should have brought Mary and the others with me, and Andrea and Evelyn too.

Yisi couldn’t help but have the thought of using teleportation magic to bring her companions here.

But according to the dryad, this was probably all the nectar she had. Even if she were to call Mary and the others over, she wouldn’t be able to produce any more. It was better for her to use it sparingly and take the extra back for them. In any case, whether she had a blessing or not, the result would be the same for her.

Under the dryad’s guidance, Yisi touched her tongue to the surface of the liquid, and then secretly stored the rest in her inventory. Just as she had expected, it was overly sweet, like a concentrated product of mixing all sweet things like milk, sugar, chocolate, honey, and cream. If she were to drink a large cup of it in one go, she would surely throw up.

Yisi secretly glanced at Camilla and Edith. As expected, both of them also showed complex expressions. Only Laxy, who had no sense of taste, drank it calmly.

Wait, Laxy can eat?!

Due to her embarrassment and shyness, the dryad did not notice that Yisi had only drunk a little. She stood up, blushing, and, like a young girl seeing a lewd scene for the first time, mumbled in a voice so low it was almost inaudible.

“Please follow me… next is… the dryad’s… service…”