I Became a Druid whom the Different Races are Obsessed With chapter 31

31 – Platanus

Before we faced Pi’s main body, we headed to the village nearby.

Most of the members of the village, which was close to the front line with humans, were from the high-elf tribe.

The structures and the people both gave off a feeling closer to a forward base than a normal village.

As I was admiring the surroundings, Pii, who was with Shiz, jumped into my arms.

[Uh… hide me.]

Pii loosened my breastplate and slipped right in.

Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?

When I asked him why he was hiding, Pii, who was curled up inside the breastplate, told me his situation.

[I think I’ll get scolded for wandering around too much….]

Come to think of it, the high elves of this village were stern guards who protected Pii’s main body, the warriors.

They must have watched Pii closely, so they would naturally know about his avatar as well.

Is this the same psychology as when a runaway daughter crawls back home? I don’t know why he’s hiding when he’ll be found out soon anyway.

“Welcome!! Lady!!”

“Welcome!! Candidate!!”

As I hid Pii in my breastplate and jumped off the deer, the enthusiastic high elves greeted me loudly as if to chase away the forest.

It was a sight of only warriors from the Elden language tribe, so it looked more spirited than the previous village.

But I didn’t expect them to greet not only Shiz, but me as well.

I was a little touched by that and smiled slightly, when a few high elves came up to me and spoke with bright smiles.

“Nice to meet you, candidate. I am ‘Makia’, the garrison commander of the western branch tribe.”

“Ah, nice to meet you. I’m a bit awkward with this kind of kindness. It’s been a long time since I’ve received it.”

“Heh. Our spirit owes you a favor, candidate. Thanks to that, we’ve heard a lot of rumors about you. You’re not like anyone else.”

The woman, ‘Makia’, who had green short hair that suited her well, smiled refreshingly and created a comfortable atmosphere.

Even as he did so, he gestured to his subordinates to pack up their belongings, showing that he was as efficient in his work as he was in his personality.

Shizu seemed to have no complaints, so I thought we could get along well.

As I was thinking that and smiling pleasantly, Makia, who had been examining my body from head to toe, tilted her head and asked me.

“Are you not going to greet our tree spirit, who has returned after a long time?”

She seemed to be looking for Pii.

Her pouting lips looked quite cute, as if she was feeling hurt.

I chuckled and pointed to my breastplate.

“I’m scared of getting scolded by you guys.”

“Oh. Is that so? Well, anyway, please take good care of our spirit. She’s such a strange high spirit, especially since she woke up recently.”

“So Pii was the weird one?”

“She’s very weird.”

Makia made a playful expression and giggled.

At that, Pii, who had been hiding inside my breastplate, popped her head out and shouted.

[Hey! What’s so weird about me?]

As soon as Pii showed herself, Makia replied as if she had been waiting for her.

“Heh! Were you hiding there?”

[Eek! What do you mean weird?]

“Isn’t it unheard of for a high spirit to wander around in a clone body?”

[No, no! The World Tree does that too!]

“But Drea is not a high spirit, is she?”

[Ouch!]

Makia came up to me and teased me as if he was familiar with Pii.

The two of them bickered cutely, making me smile involuntarily.

At that moment, Shiz, who was chatting with his subordinates, approached us and said.

“Are you done with the greetings?”

“Huh? Yeah.”

“Then take Pii with you and check out the Spirit Tree. I’ll take care of the minor things for you.”

Shiz turned around coolly and entered the village.

Makia chuckled and whispered softly.

“It seems he wants to give you two some quality time. Captain Shiz is very considerate, even though he looks like that.”

“Ah.”

“If Pii accompanies you, you won’t need a guide. There are no humans or monsters around, but just in case, bring a weapon with you.”

I wondered what he was up to, asking me to take a walk in the moonlight, but it seemed he was trying to be nice in his own way.

I also wanted to see Pii’s true form up close, so I guess it was fine.

I nodded to Makia and entered the forest with a chainsaw.

“Then I’ll be back.”

“Okay. I’ll prepare a delicious meal and wait for you.”

* * *

I walked leisurely in the dark forest after the sun had set.

Pii used magic and green lights floated around us.

The sound of crickets was sweet to the ears, and a cool breeze blew softly.

The footsteps walking in the forest became lighter in the mysterious atmosphere.

[hehehe. It’s been a while since we were alone like this, right?]

“Yeah. I think it’s the first time since the goblin cave.”

Ever since I came to this world, I was so busy that I didn’t have much time to rest.

This was probably the first time I walked with Pii alone.

I enjoyed the rare break, breathing in the clear and cool night air.

‘Ah. Come to think of it…’

As I walked with Pii, a forgotten fact crossed my mind.

The tree spirit Pii, who forgave me for logging him and saved me several times.

I had to thank him and apologize to him, but I still couldn’t do it.

I was worried that I would get used to passing it over.

I tried to bring up the story I had kept silent, looking at Pii’s mood.

Pii was enjoying the moonlit walk with a bright expression, as if he was happy with the situation.

[Oh! Look over there! Over there!]

Then, Pii, who was sitting on my shoulder, tapped my cheek and shouted cheerfully.

I naturally turned my head and looked at the direction Pii pointed.

A huge tree, surrounded by a cluster of light, was hidden cleverly among the dense trees.

It was the high tree spirit, Pii’s main body.

[Ta-da! How do you feel after seeing the real me?]

It was a truly remarkable tree.

The elegantly stretched gray-brown trunk and the lushly shaded leaves. The harmoniously covered vines and moss, and the faintly wafting fresh fragrance.

The tree was undoubtedly a plane tree (platanus), but I had never seen such a majestic platanus before.

It was a dignity worthy of a spirit tree.

As I was speechless and only admiring it, Pii spoke to me with a cooing sound.

[Heh… I feel a little embarrassed when you react like that….]

I approached it as if I was bewitched and touched the gray-brown trunk.

The clear natural mana pulsated and gently wrapped around my body.

At that moment, a certain image came to my mind along with the mana that seeped in.

It was the memory of Pii, the divine tree of another world that had expanded its influence with the help of humans.

“Those street trees were you.”

[Ah….]

Was it the grace of Trias? Or was it a scolding to acknowledge my sin?

Thanks to the memory that came to my mind, I was able to know more clearly the relationship between Pii and me.

As the goddess of nature had told me, I was no different from an enemy to Pii.

“I cut down hundreds of you.”

Platanus had been planted a lot as street trees in the city, but they were so big and fast-growing that they often broke the pavement blocks around them.

Also, they had a lot of pollen and insect problems such as pine caterpillars, so they were not suitable for planting as street trees.

So I cut them down.

Because I was in charge of the national project to replace the street trees, I had personally felled hundreds of platanus with my own hands.

From Noble mtl dot com

Without knowing that those trees were spirit trees. Without knowing that those trees were Pii.

“I’m sorry.”

Even if I didn’t know, it was an undeniable fact that I had cut down hundreds of Pii.

I looked at Pii and sincerely apologized.

For some reason, the shoulder that Pii was sitting on felt very heavy.

[You knew everything….]

Pii muttered softly with an awkward smile.

Then he twisted my hair and accepted my apology.

[I, I’m fine… So I hope you don’t worry about the past….]

“Are you forgiving me?”

[There’s nothing to forgive. Rather, I’m sorry… Because of me, your mana got polluted by cutting me down.]

“You’re not at fault at all, so you don’t have to apologize.”

[Yeah….]

Fortunately, we were able to clear up the old story and apologize to each other, but that made the atmosphere awkward.

It was hard to turn my head to the right shoulder where Pii was sitting.

As I was only licking my dry lips, Pii smiled and tried to shake off the awkwardness.

[Hey, hey, Gau! Do you know what the humans in the previous life called me?]

“Huh? Plane tree. Or Platanus.”

[You knew it. Do you also know the flower language they gave me?]

Flower language.

As a woodcutter, I naturally knew.

It was information that I learned naturally as I researched trees.

Surely, the language of flowers for the plane tree was….

“Forgiveness, reconciliation, rest….”

The language of flowers for the plane tree was forgiveness, reconciliation, rest.

I felt a small chill and looked at Bii.

[hehehe. Yes. I forgave you a long time ago.]

“Ah.”

[So you really don’t have to worry.]

My little tree spirit.

Bii smiled brightly with a cute face.