The Druid Who Devoured the Great Nature

According to the man, the seed was oval-shaped and brown, as if caked with soil.

A brown seed wasn’t exactly rare.

Barley, buckwheat, bellflower root—several plants came to mind without effort.

An oval shape was also common enough.

But there was one clear difference.

‘That size?’

I spread out my hand.

The man had said the seed was about this big.

For an adult male, a span was around twenty-two centimeters—massive for a seed.

‘…It really is a seed, right?’

Could they have mistaken an ornament for it?

They weren’t exactly experts in botany, so the possibility was high.

‘Well, they said the factory manager himself called it a seed…’

But since I hadn’t heard it directly from him, I couldn’t be certain.

Still, it was far too intriguing to ignore.

‘If it’s real, it’ll be far more useful once I escape.’

It was too precious to pass up.

Chances were high that it was a modified breed capable of surviving even in this barren land.

From past playthroughs, I already knew how useful such varieties could be.

Even if I couldn’t expand much from a single breed, it was still better than starting with nothing.

‘And if it happens to be a special seed, it might awaken the Druid’s power.’

News of a rare seed, just as I was plotting escape?

That couldn’t be coincidence.

‘Even if it’s not the key to escape, there’s no reason not to steal it.’

At the very least, it would humiliate the factory manager.

After all the suffering I’d endured here, just escaping wasn’t enough.

‘One more crime added to the list won’t matter.’

I didn’t need to change the framework of my escape plan.

Only adjust the details.

I made my decision immediately.

The factory manager wasn’t nobility, but he lived like one.

His meals were always full-course spreads that covered the entire table.

He never lifted a finger except to give orders.

In this world, money could buy anything.

Compared to modern times, this society was even more corrupt—money could erase any sin.

For the workers, treated like livestock, the factory manager was the very root of all evil.

If they had the means, they would have killed him without hesitation.

So gathering information on him wasn’t difficult, even with this loathsome body of mine.

“You want me to tell you the patrol routes? I know them, sure, but…”

“A bag of biscuits.”

“Well, you’re ready to bargain. Fine. I’ll tell you once, so remember it yourself.”

First, I traded with a fellow worker to learn the patrol routes.

Such exchanges were surprisingly common in the factory.

Workers hid in blind spots to slack off, so knowing the patrols was essential.

The lazy-looking laborer probably thought I wanted the info for the same reason.

That was why the routes he gave me were detailed around the factory grounds but vague near the offices.

But that was enough for me.

Patrols run solely by manpower always had gaps.

Besides, overseers were more eager to swing their fists than do their actual jobs.

No chance they’d patrol diligently.

‘All I need now is timing.’

The perfect chance would be when the factory manager left his office.

And fortune favored me.

“They say someone important’s visiting around lunchtime Friday.”

“Someone important?”

“A city councilman, or something. Anyway, someone big.”

“Damn, so that’s why the overseers have been on us so hard lately…”

A city councilman’s visit.

The moment I heard it, I knew.

‘This is it.’

A councilman was on a level far above a mere factory manager.

In front of him, the factory manager’s stiff pride would bow like a willow branch.

To receive the councilman, the manager would have to leave his office.

And the schedule spanned two whole days.

The timing was perfect for my plan.

“Keep your eyes sharp and work properly!”

“Mess up today and you’re dead!”

“Smile, damn it! You want to shame us by showing that face to the councilman?!”

On the day of the visit, the overseers’ mood was clearly different.

Shouts rang through the workshop without pause, and punishments skipped fists and went straight to whips.

Click! Clack!

Under their murderous glares and harsh presence, the workers were more tense than usual.

Thanks to that, my odd glances and careful movements went unnoticed.

“Work’s done! Rest!”

“Ghhk…!”

After finishing furnace duty, I sat with the others for a brief rest.

Today wasn’t my turn, but I had volunteered.

The purpose wasn’t the work itself, but the break afterward.

The overseers knew how exhausted we would be, so their watch slackened briefly.

That was the moment I slipped out of the workshop.

The patrol routes were already carved into my mind.

Avoiding detection, I took the shortest path to the manager’s office.

At the top floor, a gaudy white door stood at the end of the hall.

Its appearance proclaimed it was different from the filthy workers below.

That was the manager’s office.

Creak…

After checking for signs of movement, I opened the door.

The scent of perfume greeted me, and cool air brushed my brow.

Unlike the grimy, stifling workshop, the office was spotless, not a speck of dust in sight.

A massive desk loomed at the center.

A red carpet spread across the floor.

Strange paintings adorned the walls, and the shelves were filled with awards.

A nameplate carved from solid gold was the finishing touch.

Selling it alone would mean never worrying about money again.

I drew in a breath at the sheer display of gaudy wealth.

‘I’d love to tear this place apart.’

The urge burned, but it would only stir a hornet’s nest.

That would jeopardize my escape plan.

Better to take only what I came for and leave.

‘Found it.’

The seed was hidden in the innermost drawer of the desk.

If it had been for display, he would have left it outside.

And the system message that filled my view confirmed its identity.

「Unidentified Seed

─A seed of an unknown plant.

─It seems to require strict conditions to sprout.」

“…Haaaah!”

The moment it touched my hand, my body trembled without my knowing.

A faint earthy scent and a smooth texture reached me.

In my vision flickered the image of a mighty tree growing tall in a vast meadow.

‘This isn’t the time.’

I shook my head, took a deep breath, and calmed my racing heart.

Time was running thin.

To fabricate an alibi, I had to return to work quickly.

It was too soon to savor the joy.

‘I’ll hide it here.’

The inner pocket of my robe was spacious enough to conceal even this large seed.

From the outside, it caused no odd bulge.

Unless someone stripped me down, no one would know.

‘Good.’

There were no complications.

I made it back to the workshop without incident.

“Heheheh.”

Lying on my cot, I laughed to myself.

Though my body ached from the grueling work, the smile refused to leave my lips.

“What’s with him?”

“No idea. Guess he’s gone mad.”

“As if he’s the only crazy one here. Forget it.”

The whispers of my roommates never reached me.

With my blanket pulled over, I took out the seed, wrapped in bliss.

‘It’s real. Not a dream.’

The excitement I had forced down now surged through my body.

Before even escaping, I had already obtained the seed I had longed for.

A world once monotone now felt flooded with vibrant color.

‘Snffft.’

I pressed it to my nose and drew in a deep breath.

No matter how many times I inhaled, I never tired of it.

‘Yes, this is it.’

This was what I wanted.

Even before escaping, all my worries seemed to have vanished.

‘But… there’s no change.’

I hadn’t stolen the seed purely for my own fancy.

As a Druid, I had hoped for some kind of change.

But nothing happened.

The system stayed silent.

‘Maybe if I sow it and grow it, things will be different.’

Of course, how could a single seed bring transformation?

Cold logic told me it was greedy to expect rebirth from just one.

‘But then, what kind of plant is it?’

Once I let go of empty expectations, curiosity swiftly took over.

‘A seed this large is rare.’

The largest known seed in the world, the coco de mer, was the size of a soccer ball.

A span long and a palm’s width across—it was by no means small.

Certainly not a species commonly cultivated.

Even the system’s description hadn’t identified it.

This was a fantasy world, so it could easily be some plant I’d never known.

‘It’s probably not grass. A tree? Not something to grow in a pot. It’ll need wide soil, compost too.’

Already my mind was alight with endless imaginings.

‘All that’s left is to escape the factory as planned.’

Strike while the iron is hot. I had already resolved to escape soon.

For that, I had volunteered for waste incineration duty after furnace work.

Incineration often took place late at night, so suspicion would be minimal.

“Hey! Everyone up!”

But suddenly, the door burst open, and urgent shouting rang out.

Heavy footsteps thudded, and the overseer’s flushed face set off alarms in my mind.

“What is it? What’s going on?”

“They say the overseers are doing surprise inspections!”

“What the hell, why now?!”

“No idea! Maybe they’re tightening discipline after the councilman’s visit!”

The commotion spread to the other rooms as well.

My eyes quivered.

A sudden midnight inspection.

Only one explanation came to mind.

‘…Did they find out about the seed?’

It was too exact, too deliberate to be coincidence.

‘I knew stealing it might be discovered, but…’

I hadn’t thought it would be tonight.

And wasn’t the councilman’s visit supposed to last until tomorrow?

I hadn’t expected them to risk losing face with such extreme measures.

“Hide it fast!”

“Throw big stuff outside!”

“If they find anything, we’re all dead!”

The workers deftly concealed their belongings, regret clouding their faces.

To follow their lead seemed obvious, but it wasn’t so simple for me.

The seed was too large to hide under my bed.

And if I threw it out, retrieving it would be near impossible.

‘…Do I really have to?’

Of course, I had anticipated that something like this could happen.

Now that I was trapped in this game, nothing was too strange.

‘No choice.’

There was no time for hesitation.

I slammed the seed against the wall.

Desperate to escape detection, the others ignored my strange act.

‘Yes!’

The hard shell cracked.

Through the split, the lighter inner layer appeared.

When planting, the outer shell wasn’t needed—seeds sprouted fine from the inner layer alone.

‘At this size, I can hide it.’

Shrunk to less than half its bulk, the seed was now manageable.

I slipped it immediately into my mouth.

“Stop fidgeting and line up straight by your beds!”

The overseer who stormed into the room barked like a beast.

His face was even fiercer than usual.

Like a starving dog, ready to bite at any moment.

“You worthless rats! Who the hell stole the manager’s belongings and dragged us into this mess at midnight?!”

Thud! Thud!

He spat his words and kicked the bedframe, denting it until it tilted.

The worker whose bed was struck grimaced in fear.

“What’s this? Got a problem, bastard?”

“N-no, sir!”

“No? You’ve got a problem. You're mocking me, huh?!”

“That’s not—ughkkk!”

The overseer’s violence escalated.

Grabbing the man by the collar, he choked him until he thrashed in desperation.

His face paled, his eyes rolling back.

“Crawl before you die. Got it?!”

“Kehek!”

The overseer flung him aside.

The man gasped for air, while the overseer looked down on him with disgust, then turned to search his bed.

“Tch… nothing. You’re lucky, bastard.”

He hadn’t stolen anything nor smuggled in contraband.

Clicking his tongue in frustration, the overseer resumed his hunt with renewed fury.

“Cigarettes? Ha! Kept disappearing faster than they should. So you’re the thief.”

“P-please, just this once! I’ll never do it again—!”

“Look at all you stashed. And you don’t even know who you owe for your food and shelter, bastard!”

Cigarettes, sweets with a sprinkle of sugar, even crude drugs.

Workers who had failed to let go of their greed, hiding them clumsily, paid dearly.

Fists rained down without mercy—teeth flew, bones cracked.

The sickening thuds and the blood splattering on the floor left those still waiting frozen, barely able to breathe.

“Huuu… you’re the last one, huh?”

“……”

And at last—

My turn came.

(End of Chapter)