MTLNOVEL Chapter 188
188. Problems Grow Bigger On Their Own, Isn’t It?
I scratched my head while standing in front of a black plant.
“This is that thing, right? The one we found all over near the lair of the Hydra with eight heads.”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“Then why the hell did it take so long to find something like this?”
If I recall, the wetlands had been off-limits for a while, but they were reopened after the lizardmen arrived.
While it might have been hard for regular adventurers to reach the central area due to the strong monsters, it shouldn’t have been so difficult that these guys struggled.
“Oh, I see now. Craft-kun, you weren’t informed, were you?”
Leafan realized something, smacked his forehead, and let out an exasperated sigh.
“When the wetlands were reopened and the lizardmen were allowed in, the Adventurers’ Guild was tasked with culling the monsters and conducting investigations.”
“I didn’t hear about that.”
“It was during a busy time for you, so we avoided passing along unrelated information.”
“I see.”
Apparently, they were being considerate.
“And of course, Raidoc and his team investigated that shady black forest, but…”
Raidoc shrugged and shook his head.
“Clean as a whistle. The black plants were the only thing completely gone.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Yeah, it shocked us too.”
“So then what?”
“Well, it was suspicious, but there wasn’t much we could do, so we consulted with Jabil-sensei. She said the first thing we needed was a sample.”
Makes sense.
You can’t investigate a mysterious plant just by looking at it.
“I see. And now we’ve got the real thing in front of us. Good job finding it.”
The black plants we found during the cockatrice incident had been incinerated by Raidoc and his team, so this must have taken quite some effort.
“Yeah. Every time we traveled for adventuring work, we gathered info from guilds and merchants. After heading to a few spots with reported monster outbreaks, we finally found it.”
“Impressive.”
Instead of directly searching for the black plant, they used their experience to deduce that places swarming with monsters might have it. That’s proof of their skill.
Eva’s guesses probably played a big role here.
“Well, a new issue has come up because of this. Reporting to Lord Kyle is on you now.”
“What happened?”
“The black plants we found in the monster hotspots weren’t in large quantities. Monsters that fed on them were significantly stronger than normal, but they were still no match for us. They didn’t come close to the Hydra’s main body.”
“Sounds like the strength is proportional to the amount consumed. That doesn’t seem like a problem.”
“It’s not that. The issue started after we eradicated the monsters and used the tools Jabil-sensei lent us to collect the plants.”
Raidoc glanced at the plants stored in a treasure chest.
“We collected as much as would fit in the chest, then returned to the guild to report. Afterward, we brought other adventurers to the site for further collection, but…”
“No way.”
Recalling the wetlands, I shot to my feet.
“Yeah, exactly. The black plants that should have remained had vanished without a trace.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Silence fell over the group.
Of course, it was too suspicious. It almost made you suspect intentional tampering.
“…Let’s not overthink this for now. The first step is to investigate.”
“You’re right.”
I casually picked up one of the black plants.
“Hey!”
“What are you doing!?”
“It’s fine. Remember during the Hydra incident? The forest depths were covered in this black stuff. If something bad was going to happen, we’d all have been affected long ago.”
I’d already handled it quite a bit back then, so I doubt it’ll suddenly make me go berserk.
“Even so, can’t you be more careful?”
“If Raidoc and sensei weren’t here, I wouldn’t be doing this. Anyway… [Appraisal].”
It’s most accurate to appraise while holding the item. Since I wouldn’t let sensei do it, I’d have ended up appraising it myself anyway. Just saving time here!
The appraisal took longer than usual. Instead of the result popping into my head, it spread slowly, like ink bleeding into water.
Sweat trickled down my forehead from the unfamiliar sensation.
“…Hey, Craft. Say something.”
“Yes, hurry and tell us.”
Sifting through the jumbled, broken information, I managed to pick out a single term.
“Mutated… World Tree… fragment?”
“What!?”
Jabil-sensei was the one who yelled.
“W-World Tree!? The one said to have stood tall at the world’s center in ancient times!?”
“The World Tree!?”
“Sorry, the appraisal magic didn’t work properly. That’s all I got.”
“Enough! Give it to me!”
“Ah!”
Jabil-sensei snatched the plant from my hands and used her own appraisal magic.
So much for my caution!
…Well, I think it’ll be fine. Probably.
“Hmm… Unfortunately, it’s impossible for me to appraise. But the strange feedback I got makes your odd result understandable.”
“Ugh… I wish I hadn’t said anything.”
Eva rubbed her temples.
“Well, this guy couldn’t come up with a lie or manipulate information even if he tried.”
“That’s so Craft-kun…”
“That’s not a compliment, is it!?”
Sure, blurting out something so serious wasn’t great, but I only did it because I trust Raidoc, Jabil-sensei, and Leafan!
“Hmph. That face says, ‘It’s fine because it’s just us’.”
“We’re worried you’ll slip up when third parties are around.”
“Craft has always been like this.”
“As a mage… no, as an alchemist, you should be more mindful.”
“Craft-kun, you never change.”
“Urgh… I’ll be careful.”
I couldn’t argue, so I promised to be more cautious.
“But still, the World Tree… It really existed, huh?”
“As adventurers, we’ve all heard the term, but what’s it actually like?”
“Hm. Let me give a brief lecture.”
Jabil-sensei raised a finger.
“The general consensus is that somewhere in the world stands a massive tree reaching the heavens. This tree holds immense magical power, and its leaves can cure all ailments. That’s the most well-known idea.”
“Yeah, that’s basically what I’ve heard from veteran adventurers.”
“However, I have my doubts about this.”
Jabil-sensei shook her head, surprising Eva.
“As you know, humanity was nearly wiped out once. Records from before then are extremely scarce. But the fragments that remain make me think the World Tree wasn’t singular.”
“Do you have evidence?”
Eva leaned in, clearly intrigued. Mages really do love these kinds of discussions.
“Not evidence per se. But many records imply the World Tree existed near the authors. Yet those records were found in scattered, distant locations.”
“That alone isn’t conclusive.”
“True. It could simply mean records from the same area were dispersed later. But…”
Jabil-sensei hesitated, debating whether to continue.
Eva’s earnest gaze seemed to push him forward.
“Language reflects its region, like dialects. The phrasing in the records suggests they were written where they were found. That’s my hypothesis.”
“…Can I see those records sometime?”
“You’d have to ask Batista-dono. If he likes you, he might grant access to the Kingdom of Maugaria’s collection. The Adventurers’ Guild should also have some, so try there.”
The mention of Batista, the royal court’s chief alchemist, meant the records were state property. It’s impressive that Jabil-sensei even got to view them.
“Understood.”
“I’ll put in a good word for you.”
“That’d be a big help. Thank you.”
“Mm. Now then…”
Everyone turned their gaze to the black plant—no, the mutated World Tree fragment—and then to me.
“So, what do we do now?”
“This is troublesome.”
“Why do problems always escalate when this man is involved…?”
And everyone heaved a collective sigh.
Wait!?
This isn’t my fault, is it!?