Druid Spells (Part 2)

"Oh, you can cook too? It smells great!" Just then, the druid returned.

He eyed it suspiciously, took out a wooden spoon, ladled himself half a spoonful, and drank it. His spirits immediately lifted.

"It's actually pretty good!" he praised.

Romon said nothing. He took a wooden spoon himself, ladled half a spoonful, and tasted it. He thought it was fairly ordinary, just very savory. That was thanks to the chicken essence; the fishy smell was indeed gone, mostly due to the wine.

Still, for people in this world, it seemed good enough.

He ladled out the fish soup and brought a bowl to Nick, who had just awakened. Nick accepted it gratefully, as if he had never drunk such delicious fish soup before. His appetite surged, and before long, he had gulped it all down.

After drinking, Jefa sat comfortably on a wooden stump and studied the boy carefully.

There had been matters to attend to earlier, so he had not observed him closely. Now, the boy's green aura was exceptionally clear: a faint green core, surrounded by a thin shield of natural spiritual energy.

This was a typical sign of a level-one druid. Seeing it, surprise surfaced in Jefa's eyes, along with a faint trace of jealousy.

Jefa himself had not become a druid until he was twenty-three. Before that, he had often slept rough, faced bandits who blocked the roads to rob travelers, and fought wild beasts. Yet this kid had become a druid at fifteen. Once he entered this path, his future lay wide open.

Even so, Jefa smiled and asked, "Now that you've become a druid, what are your plans?"

Romon thought properly for a moment before replying, "I want to study druidcraft under Master Jefa. I also want to open a small shop in town and sell herbs and Stop Bleeding potions."

It was a perfectly normal idea. Jefa nodded. "Very good. Although you're already a druid, you still have much to learn. Come here one day every week from now on. Hmm, opening a small shop in town isn't bad either. How about this? I'll write you a letter recommending you visit the lord. That will make things easier."

Romon looked deeply grateful. He rose and said, "Thank you, Master."

Jefa wrote a letter. Its main point was that Romon was his disciple and wished to open a small shop, with only a few understated lines of recommendation at the end. Romon looked it over and put it away.

Romon was not exceptionally clever, but he had lived in a modern city for twenty-five years. What he had seen and heard had taught him quite a lot, especially about competition for jobs. In this world, the relationship between master and disciple was nowhere near as important as it had been in ancient China.

Once that was settled and he saw Romon accept the letter, Jefa was quite pleased. "Nick can stay here with me. Go back and take care of this matter first."

Seeing him say so, Romon thanked him for his kindness, then took his leave.

It was afternoon by then. As he stepped outside, an autumn wind blew over him. This stretch of forest was not far from town, but it lay amid rolling hills. The shrubs had indeed begun to yellow, and when he looked around, the bleakness of the season had begun to settle in.

He crossed down through the hills and reached the main road. To his surprise, he spotted a caravan. It had around ten people and three carriages, trudging with difficulty along the road.

Though it was called a main road, it was really just a path paved with gravel.

A middle-aged man was riding a horse.

Romon approached. The moment he drew near, the two men at the rear became alert and gripped their sword hilts. Only after seeing that he was a boy did they reluctantly relax somewhat.

"Mr. Barnel, you came to town?" Romon greeted him first.

"Oh... so it's little Romon. What are you doing out here?" The middle-aged man looked him over before barely recognizing him from memory. Once he heard that Romon knew him, the two men behind him relaxed.

Barnel came to town every month. With a caravan of this size, he could only travel along the main roads.

Roads connected the various towns and cities, and Patrol Units, mercenary companies, and military forces regularly swept through them to ensure the routes remained safe. Under normal circumstances, bandits would not interfere on such roads; doing so would bring ruin upon them.

However, remote roads were filled with bandit groups of all sizes and races. Safety there was much harder to guarantee.

"Nothing much. I went to see Master Jefa, and now I'm heading back to pay my respects to the Baron. I'm already a level-one druid! Master Jefa gave me a letter of introduction and told me to see the lord!" Romon scratched his head and spoke happily.

"Ah, you've already become a druid?" Barnel, who had been rather indifferent, immediately brightened. His expression and tone instantly became far more enthusiastic.

Only then did he examine him carefully. The boy had short hair and a very handsome face. Though Barnel remembered him as being around fifteen or sixteen, his bearing now seemed very different, carrying a touch of... maturity?

Although druids were now far less esteemed than priests and mages, and were even secretly excluded, they still ranked above warriors. After all, they possessed natural spells, and spells meant power.

"Yes. When I get back, I plan to open a small shop in town and sell some simple potions and herbs." Romon said cheerfully, "Maybe I'll be doing business with you, Mr. Barnel."

"Of course, of course! Leave it to me from now on. I won't let you lose out!" Barnel immediately put on a merchant's smile and thumped his chest loudly.

They talked as they walked, reaching Rika Town before sunset.

It was a small town situated on the edge of the sea and forest. A river wound through it, bringing fresh water to the town before stretching toward the distant ocean.

Just five hundred meters beyond the town stood the dense forest.

At that moment, hundreds of wisps of cooking smoke could already be seen rising slowly in the distance. It was time to prepare dinner.

Barnel let out a breath, and his tense nerves finally relaxed. Though safety on the main road was relatively assured, one could never be too cautious. Now he could rest easy, and tomorrow he could begin trading.

Rika Town naturally had soldiers. They spotted the group from far away, but everyone was familiar, so after a brief inspection, they let them pass.

There was still some time left. Barnel headed straight for the Motte Inn, while Romon went to the Temple of the Earth Goddess. Before meeting the lord, he hoped to gain Miss Eileen's help.

But the moment he reached the entrance, a carriage startled him.

The carriage was quite large. Though its exterior was rather plain, a golden emblem was set into its roof—an emblem of nobility or the Church. Yet the thick mud staining its wheels and sides made it clear that it had already traveled a long distance.

Romon quickly stepped aside to make way.

However, someone in the carriage lifted the curtain and looked outside, asking, "Is this the Temple of the Goddess of Agriculture?"

An old man poked his head out.

"Yes, sir. This is the Temple of the Goddess of Agriculture!" Romon answered respectfully.

The old man nodded slightly, but the carriage did not stop. Something gleaming with golden light fell down, striking the stone pavement with a crisp sound.

The carriage continued onward.

"Master Ankas, what is it?" a woman's voice asked.

"Nothing, Miss Puli. Since there is a Temple of the Goddess of Agriculture here, it is at least a good place to tend to wounds. Have someone contact this temple later," said the mage called Ankas.

"Oh, then that boy just now was?"

"A low-level druid," Ankas said somewhat absentmindedly.

"Very well. We'll rest here, then head for Troll Forest. We must obtain this matter at all costs, and quickly. I doubt it can remain secret for much longer."

"Quite right." The carriage drove away.

Romon picked up the object. It was a gold coin, shining brightly, worth ten silver coins.

In high spirits, Romon entered the Temple. The person he sought was not in the outer hall, so he passed through the garden behind it. This was the Temple's garden. Though it held no precious flowers, it was lush with over a hundred kinds of medicinal herbs, including Hornflower, Nightmoon Grass, and Bluegrass. These herbs were used to treat and restore the body.

"Hello, Mr. Ansen!" Seeing an old man emerge from one of the buildings behind the garden, he hurried forward to greet him.

Ansen was an herbalist and the keeper of this medicinal garden. For most ordinary townsfolk and farmers, the costly healing of Divine Spells was quick and effective, but it still could not compare to cheap medicinal herbs.

Thus, Ansen, who had served as an herbalist for thirty years, was deeply loved by the townspeople and nearby tenant farmers.

"Hmm, so it's Romon." The herbalist looked at the boy and smiled. "Why have you come today?"

The light of the Last Sunset slanted in through the Temple windows, dyeing everything with a layer of gold. Flowerbeds surrounded the front of the Temple, blooming as though it were spring all year round; even in winter, flowers opened there. This was the power bestowed by the Temple. Not only were the flowers especially brilliant, even the green leaves were exceptionally lush.

"I want to find Miss Eileen! Mr. Ansen, do you know where she is now?"

"What do you need Miss Eileen for?" a woman's voice asked as a woman emerged from behind him.

"Madam Salin!" Romon gave a slight bow.

Madam Salin, the female steward, was around thirty years old and wore a blue dress.

"I have a letter from Master Jefa. I would like to ask Miss Eileen to give it to the lord," Romon said. But before Madam Salin could speak, Miss Eileen appeared behind them.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Oh, Miss Eileen, I want to meet the lord, but I don't know what channel to use. Can you help me?" Romon took out the letter. Miss Eileen accepted it naturally. After opening and reading it, she immediately smiled happily. "My, my, our little Romon has actually become a druid. What wonderful news! Madam Salin, arrange dinner today. From now on, little Romon is qualified to dine with us. As for introducing him to the lord, no problem. He is my father!"

"Ah!" Romon was somewhat surprised. Miss Eileen was the local lord's daughter. Perhaps that information was not a secret, but it was not something he could have known.

Miss Eileen was gentle and pleasant. Time always passed quickly and comfortably around her. She was nothing like the noble young lady he had imagined.

Just then, Priest Tennis came up from behind. Seeing how delighted she was, he asked, "Eileen, what has made you so happy?"

As he spoke, he shot Romon a look of faint disgust.

"Priest Tennis, Romon has become a Formal Druid. This is joyous news. Tomorrow, I will introduce him to my father. I'm sure Father will be happy when he hears it." Miss Eileen put away the letter and said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Priest Tennis's previously cheerful face immediately darkened.

!!