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Lusien, expressionless and with a stiff smile, replied, "That nickname sounds very... well... Lady Angela is indeed exceptionally... well, strict, when managing the prison, but not to the point of..."
"Druid Destroyer." I had to interrupt Lusien prematurely; it seemed this knight knew nothing about the detailed classifications of spellcasters.
I noticed that Angela rolled over on the floor and adopted a very domineering sitting posture, as if she were the one in control.
A Druid Destroyer—I can hardly imagine encountering one. Druids are already few in number, and among them, the Destroyers... this group is far fewer than the Black Mages, but... they are even more dangerous. Because even among Black Mages, some are kind and virtuous in their daily lives, while the Destroyers, both in their pursuit of magic and their attitude towards life, perfectly embody their name.
"So, shouldn't you first explain what a Destroyer is?" Luolan raised his hand to ask.
Facing these three curious kids, I felt the atmosphere was incredibly awkward. Their curiosity was completely out of place; they were utterly lacking in common sense! Especially Luolan —he's an elf, and aren't natural spellcasters supposed to have a good relationship with elves? How could he not know that? Is he a fake elf? Any person with a sound mind should immediately jump into battle upon hearing the words "Druid Destroyer," instead of asking such basic questions. I was so angry I wanted to throw them out of the protective shield and let the Destroyer show them what destruction truly is!
"I am not the Destroyer."
Angela broke the silence first, a strange light flickering in her eyes... It looked... wait? Like, well, like the look of relief I get when I discover someone can communicate with me through magic.
Yet, she was indeed filled with a raging and frenzied aura, like dark, low-hanging clouds brewing a storm and winter thunder. She was nature's negative emotions, the wrath of nature capable of destroying living beings. And she actually said she wasn't destruction... wait?
I was suddenly stunned, and I almost cried out, "No way! Are you a Mourner?"
For the first time ever, Ms. Angela flashed a kind smile, though it looked very stiff, as if her mouth muscles were not used to such a movement, and it was completely out of place with her deathly makeup.
Mel and I simultaneously used our mental perception, and unexpectedly, Angela was completely unprepared; she opened her mental realm to us.
Her spiritual realm was like a rolling thundercloud, filled with rage and cruelty, but at the eye of the storm, it was as if the earth had cracked open, and tender shoots were struggling to survive in the parched soil.
We simultaneously withdrew all spells and offered our sincere apologies.
"It's alright. It's already rare enough that they know about the Destroyer. As for the Mourner, there might not be one in a thousand years," Lady Angela smiled. "So these idiots have never known. Just now, because you attacked right away, it was a rare opportunity, and I really wanted to see how much my magical skill differed from yours in actual combat..." She spread her hands, indicating her helplessness.
We turned around and were startled to see three pairs of gleaming eyes, especially Lusien, who pressed us, "I know you are a druid, but what is the Destroyer, and what is the Mourner?"
Ms. Angela coolly crossed her arms, and Mel glanced at her dismissively, so this kind of common-sense question, similar to a toddler asking their mother why people need to eat, had to be answered by me.
I will try to use vocabulary that is within the intellectual capacity of a knight to describe the story:
"Druids are spellcasters who can sense the forces of nature and use them to cast spells. Ninety percent of druid spellcasters became druids because they love nature. They are the kind of druids we often see who live deep in the mountains and forests, like to transform into animals and run around, and often volunteer to help sows give birth on farms."
These druids are incredibly popular; wherever they go, there are bountiful harvests—they're practically mascots! The Druid Southern Sect even signed a contract with an agricultural production base near Holy Dragon to produce organic produce. Their commercials air every day; even I, who rarely watches TV, remember the tagline. "Cows personally stimulated by the Archdruid, healthy and natural milk, let you drink the taste of an entire forest in one sip!"
"But nature is not only full of life, but also of disasters and destruction. A very small number of druids have witnessed the decay of all things in nature and have come to resonate with the part of Will of Nature that represents withering and destruction. Under the influence of this force, they slowly become destroyers who see only desolation. They believe that nature will eventually decay and all things will wither, so druid destroyers almost always end up becoming fanatical destructives."
I also emphasized. "Therefore, be extra careful when you see a Destruction Druid! They are extremely dangerous! Wherever they go, nothing grows, rivers dry up, flowers wither, and their power often goes out of control, their sanity severely impaired, even to the point of being less intelligent than a warlock!"
That's a ruthless, indiscriminate, world-destroying demon king!
Ms. Angela seemed stunned, but I was sure I hadn't said anything wrong, so I went on to explain the next definition—
"However, there are even rarer druids who, after sensing catastrophe and decay, still refuse to succumb to the destruction they see as inevitable. Instead, they try to protect their inner love for nature and life. Thus, they become Mourner. Mourner can wield the power of life and destruction simultaneously, but they suppress their destructive desires and do not indulge themselves. Instead, they continue to use benign magic to fulfill their responsibilities as druids. Therefore, they are truly great, and upholding such a belief requires even greater perseverance!" I couldn't help but praise them.
"Stop!" Ms. Angela suddenly said, "You..."
Ms. Angela choked, and Luolan suddenly interjected, "There are so many things to complain about, I don't even know where to begin!"
Huh? Did I say something wrong?
Um... but I'm just stating the facts!
The veins on Ms. Angela's forehead were throbbing. She pressed her hand to her forehead and said, "I need the scholars from the Sanctuary of Truth to help me determine if you two are from the past! Listen to this, does this sound like something an academician from a modern society would say?"
I remained silent with Mel...
But did I say something wrong?
Ms. Angela said, "What you're saying was quite true in the legendary era. The first thing you'd do upon encountering a Destroyer was try to kill him. But nowadays... Druid Destroyers are usually sent to special detention centers and then, under the supervision of Druid cult commissioners, work in garbage dumps. Don't you go online much? The online reviews for Druid garbage dumps are exceptionally high."
Wait, what? It's the... garbage disposal plant I was thinking of?
Mel and I were both in a daze, feeling as if our worldviews had been greatly shaken.
"May Will of Nature be kind to you all, how did you grow up...?" Angela said, arms crossed. "I must emphasize, using Druid Destroyers to dispose of garbage is far more environmentally friendly and harmless than the most advanced magical shredders! International environmental organizations give it five stars!"
Mel and I both gasped in shock. We simply couldn't imagine what that scene was like. For the first time, I felt like an incompetent mage; my imagination was so lacking!
What's wrong with this society?!
"As for me, I am indeed Mourner, but I'm not that noble. Your description makes me think... I'm listening to a heroic epic from a legendary era." Angela smirked. "I work for the Federation because I've discovered a very good way to relieve stress—it's both lucrative and allows me to legally unleash my destructive power."
I suddenly felt that... the lofty and glorious image of the Mourner in my heart was about to collapse.
"I absolutely love torturing prisoners," Ms. Angela grinned. "Heh heh, no matter how stubborn a prisoner is, I can make him confess to everything, even peeping at his female teacher's breasts in elementary school. I'll beat them until their skin is torn and bruised, use all sorts of exquisite instruments of torture, and I can even record their beautiful screams..." Her face suddenly flashed with annoyance and resentment. "And then that damned, bullshit national defense and human rights organization accused me of prisoner abuse. Ha, did they think that would stop them from torturing me?"