Kingdom Building: Civilization Starts with Divinity-Chapter 122: Melphite The Dryad(1)

"Aahh! That hit the spot! Thank you so much, stranger!" The Young Dryad cheered.

Their demeanor was the epitome of carelessness, causing Nera to let out a sigh of relief silently.

"You’re welcome! But... Are you sure you’re okay aside from that?" She asked, offering the girl a hand.

"Ah! Yeah! I’m perfectly fine! I may not look like it, but I’m a part of the Dryads!" Melphite said as she took Nera’s hand.

’You’re right about that.’ Nera hummed inwardly.

Dryads, at least the ones Nera knew of, didn’t look this similar to humans. The only spirits that had such forms were those who were part of the Fey Court.

"A Dryad? What’s that?" Nera played dumb.

’There isn’t a Mana fluctuation, so she’s not using an illusion. Not to mention that her stats are so high despite being a child.’

"Eh? You don’t know?" Melphite said.

Only now did she take a good look at Nera.

"Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Monster like you! Are you new to the forest!"

"That’s right." Nera nodded.

Melphite playfully tilted her head and circled Nera.

’Weird. I can’t sense any mana from her, but she has intelligence... She must just have gotten the forest’s blessing! Poor thing, even the outer forest is really dangerous. Good thing she met me!’ The dryad thought.

"Hehehe!" Melphite stood on her toes to place her hand on Nera’s shoulder.

"Us Dryads are kind of big deals around these parts! You could say that we’re the guardians of this forest!"

"Woah!" Nera’s eyes sparkled, "Then if you’re so powerful, why were you lying on the floor?"

Melphite froze up.

"That was... Uhm... Right! I was given a task of the utmost importance! An-and then I ran into a terrifying monster, not a bunch of terrifying guys who tried to gang up on me. I, of course, fought valiantly, but alas, the numbers were too much, so I had to run away."

Nera nearly broke into laughter. She barely managed to cover her mouth with her arm in time.

"Eh? Are you hurt? Let me see!" The Dryad seemed slightly panicked.

"N-no! I’m fine, really! I was just thinking how sad it was for those bad guys to try and attack you! How dare they!"

Melphite’s eyes widened a little bit.

"That’s right! But don’t worry! I’m prepared now! If they return, I’ll beat those bad guys up!"

’She’s too easy... Although the rest were certainly lies, her mission seems legitimate. Perhaps a test from the older dryads?’

"Ah, That’s right! My Mission! Look, it’s dangerous around here! Misty said that there is a group of highly dangerous individuals that have made their base around here! It’s best if you get away now." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Nera let her arm shiver.

"Dangerous? Is it those bad guys who attacked you?"

Melphite quickly shook her head in denial.

"Yes! I mean, no! Well, they might be related, but I don’t think so!"

Progressively, Nera let an artificial fear take over her body. Her pupils dilated, and her posture tensed. She wasn’t even sure if the little forest sprite would pick up on her signs, but to her luck, Melphite did.

"Ah! I scared you! I’m sorry! But this place is definitely dangerous. I know! How about you become my retainer and come with me? I’ll make sure to protect you!"

’YOUR WHAT?!’ Nera nearly choked.

’This is definitely a trap. It has to be? She’s known me for a whole 5 minutes, and she’s saying something like this? Is she just that naive? Does she know I’m with the Verminae? Are the other Dryads perhaps watching from a distance beyond the hive’s detection range?’

Nera’s mind moved a mile a minute; this conversation took a turn that she wasn’t expecting. The goal was to get Melphite to take her with them to see the Verminae, but it seems she took a step too far.

"Miss! Hello?"

"Ah! Sorry! Your offer just took me aback. I’m not too sure what it means to be a retainer, but if it’s something I can help with, then sure!" Nera quickly responded as she realized that she was spacing out.

"Don’t worry about it! It’s not hard at all! All Dryads have retainers. It’s like... You help us keep order and harmony in the forest, and in exchange, we give you protection and a stable supply of food! Anyway, you should at least follow me for now! I won’t force anything upon you."

Nera gave a nervous nod, and Melphite happily grabbed her hand, shaking it excitedly.

"Yay~! I’m Melphite! Do you have a name?"

’A name? Shoot. Do I have a name?" Nera wondered.

She definitely couldn’t introduce herself as Nera. While she didn’t seem to realize that she was with the Verminae by appearance, the names of the key players in their group could already be known.

"I don’t... Think so?"

"Ehhhh? You’ve gotten the blessing of the forest, but you haven’t decided on a name yet? That’s not good! You definitely need a name if you’re going to be my retainer!"

Melphite began to pace in circles while Nera’s eyes idly followed.

’Blessing of the Forest, huh? Is she referring to a Mutation? But that stupid dog and Old man Rio called it enlightenment if I remember correctly.’

"What... Exactly is this blessing?" Nera decided the best way to figure it out was simply to ask.

"Well. Whenever animals or mindless monsters enter our beloved forest’s bounds, they grow smarter! Misty calls it The Blessing of the Forest, but those affected seem to have different names for it. That’s what happened to you, right?"

"I think?" Nera responded after getting the answer she wanted.

Suddenly, Melphite ceased her movement right in front of Nera before pointing at her.

"That’s not important right now! After I finish my business, I can teach you all sorts of fun things! What is important is giving you a fitting name for my retainer!"

The gusto that the young dryad had amazed Nera. Sure, she had moments of high energy when she was doing what she enjoyed, but this little ball of energy went from starving to naming Nera within minutes.

And she thought her Mother Goddess had a sporadic personality.

"I know! How about I call you... Blanc!"

|<Notice: You have been named by a stronger being!>|

|<Notice: The Authority of this being is weaker than the original Namer. The bonuses will be kept, but the name will be lost!>|