I Became a Druid in Another World

"Can that druid really be trusted?"

Louis Corin asked with a voice still laced with doubt. Lloyd simply looked at Louis without answering.

"No matter what I say, it won't make a difference."

"..."

"Not until you experience it for yourself."

That was true. Unlike his obedient older brother, Louis, the second son of the Corin family, had a rebellious nature. He was the type of man who couldn't rest easy unless he did everything with his own hands. Lloyd had been his friend for many years and understood this well. That's why he remained silent, not bothering to debate Theo's character.

"…. Lloyd, there must be a reason you're working with him."

Louis muttered in a voice that sounded defeated or frustrated. Lloyd wasn't the type to act without purpose. When the Reinhardt family, which had practically raised him, collapsed, he immediately abandoned everything to protect them by venturing into the cursed lands. At the time, Lloyd had been on the verge of becoming the commander of the Imperial Knights. Most people wouldn't easily give up such honor and power. A strange person. Or perhaps, a noble person. He was a friend worthy of admiration.

If Lloyd had chosen him, then he must have been someone trustworthy. Yet, an ominous feeling kept tugging at Louis and held him back. It was like the strange aura he had sensed near the druid's heart…

Both Lloyd and Louis had reached a level where they could wield "sword energy" and read the aura of others. It was similar to how mages could roughly gauge each other's abilities. A body honed to its extreme and its senses heightened could detect many things. Like hostility, killing intent, and pure "power".

What Louis had sensed in that druid was a force far too great, something that no mere human should be able to contain. For a person to wield that level of power, they wouldn't just have to reach a new height; they'd have to surpass it entirely and look down on the very idea of "limits" from an unimaginable height. In other words, he was no longer human. He was a higher being, like a god, a demon, or perhaps… a dragon…

…What am I even thinking?

Louis slowly shook his head. No matter how he looked at it, the druid was just an ordinary human. It was uncomfortable, yes, and his pride was wounded, but it made more sense to assume he had simply been "mistaken".

"Louis."

"…Ah."

"Focus."

"..."

"The important thing right now isn't Theodore."

Lloyd was right. The druid wasn't the issue. What truly mattered was the Lord of Corin and his heir.

Louis's father and his brother.

They were the ones that mattered.

"Your father…"

"..."

"He wouldn't be shaken by something like orcs."

Yes, Louis's father had been a man born with natural courage and strength. Thanks to such a lord, the areas near Corin where monsters frequently appeared, as well as the cursed lands nearby, had been kept in order for decades. There was no desperate need for mercenaries with a well-organized army. It was only a few weeks ago that an unusual number of mercenaries began flocking to Corin.

This all started after Corin's heir, Dawood, offered generous rewards to recruit them.

Dawood was the firstborn son of the Lord of Corin and his first wife. Since his mother had died giving birth to him, the Lord of Corin had taken a second wife before the blood on Dawood's head had even dried. The son born from that second wife was Louis.

Dawood who took after his mother was frail. He too wanted to become a great swordsman like his father, but unfortunately, the one who inherited that talent was not Dawood but his younger brother Louis.

The relationship between Dawood and Louis was as good as any other pair of brothers. However, inferiority is something difficult to hide; it is like a sharp needle in one's pocket. Louis knew exactly how Dawood saw him. A threat to his position as heir.

That's why, for the sake of his beloved brother and for the peace of the family, Louis left the territory and joined the Imperial Knights. It was there that he met Lloyd, someone in a similar situation to himself, and found great comfort in their friendship. Fortunately, while Louis was away from the territory, Dawood seemed to solidify his own position, and the unspoken tension between the brothers appeared to ease.

It was a mistake.

After Lloyd left the Imperial Knights to serve the Reinhardt family, the weasel who had always kept Lloyd in check ended up taking the position of Knight Commander. The discipline within the Imperial Knights began to crumble. Unable to bear it any longer, Louis returned to Corin.

For a while, there was peace. Louis spared no effort and took part in every subjugation. It was all for his father and brother. He had decided to become the sword of Corin in their place, as they were the ones who needed to tend to the territory.

However, it seemed that Dawood believed that very sword was now pointed at his own throat.

No matter how many times Louis insisted he had no interest in the heir's position, Dawood never let go of his suspicion or his wariness. The fact that Louis had gained the soldiers' trust through his numerous subjugations only fueled Dawood's anxiety.

"The druid told me to speak without hiding anything, but I couldn't."

"..."

Lloyd quietly looked at Louis's face. A faint mix of fear and confusion clouded Louis's expression. It was rare for Lloyd to see him like this after all the years they'd known each other.

"This can't be allowed to get out."

"..."

"The truth is, Lloyd, I shouldn't even be telling you this."

"Then you don't have to say it."

"But…"

"..."

"I need your help."

Louis lowered his head and took a deep breath. He took a deep breath as if making up his mind, then raised his head again and met Lloyd's eyes.

"A month ago, my father fell from his horse during a hunt."

It was strange. Lloyd frowned. Perhaps if it had been a novice knight he could believe it, but Lord Corin who had spent decades on the battlefield wasn't someone who would fall from his horse, even by accident. Yet he was saying it was a "fall"? Louis saw the doubt in Lloyd's expression and nodded his head.

"I thought the same as you. There's no way my father would fall from his horse. The horse he rode that day was Ramon. A fine horse, practically an extension of him. And yet, you're telling me Ramon threw him?"

"..."

"It makes no sense."

"If that's the case…"

"Yes."

Though there was no one around, Louis lowered his voice even further.

"He was attacked."

"..."

"That day, during the hunt."

"By whom?"

"..."

Louis said nothing, but Lloyd could guess the answer.

Dawood.

The one closest to the lord, more than anyone else.

Which meant the one who could betray him more than anyone else.

"..."

"..."

The two of them remained silent. Just speaking these doubts and suspicions aloud could lead to charges of treason, and it wouldn't be surprising if they lost not just their tongues but their heads as well.

"Now you understand why I couldn't reveal everything in front of that druid."

"..."

"This is practically treason. If the druid gets scared and runs off…"

"Louis."

"..."

"He would never run away, no matter what."

"..."

"If you want help, it's best to be honest with him about all of this."

"..."

"Theodore is the one who can help you."

***

-Caw, caw, caw.

The sound of Blackie's cries could be heard Outside the window. He had just returned from his early morning walk, or rather his early morning "flight", crying for the door to be opened. When the door was opened, the bird shook off the morning dew from his feathers and flew into his cage, pecking at seeds.

"Nothing unusual?"

-Cawwww.

"That's a relief."

Normally, Ayla handled the patrols, but in a city like this, it wasn't easy for a giant white wolf to roam around unnoticed. Ayla was good at hiding, as to be expected of a shadow wolf, but concealing herself in a forest was entirely different from doing so in a city.

So the dawn patrol was entrusted to Blackie, and it wasn't a bad arrangement. He seemed to enjoy it too.

"You did well, Blackie."

-Caw.

Having rested well for a day, it was time to start getting a proper feel for Corin's atmosphere.

El was still buried under the blankets and lost in the world of dreams. It had been a while, so I decided to let her sleep in. Without waking her, I leisurely headed downstairs by myself.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning to you too, innkeeper."

"Shall I prepare breakfast for you?"

"Something simple. I ate too much yesterday…"

"Hahaha! You certainly did eat a lot!"

"Well, that's because your cooking is very good."

"Oh, you're making me blush. If you sit where you did yesterday, I'll bring you some milk to start."

"Thank you."

I sat at the table I had sat at the day before, yawned, and rubbed my still-heavy eyelids. Ah, taking a break after so long just made me feel even more tired. It was like this when I used to work too. Resting all weekend somehow left me feeling even more exhausted. Oh, how I miss it. I really do.

-Thud.

"If you wait a moment, I'll bring your meal."

The innkeeper brought me a cup of goat milk boiled with sugarcane. She also brought a plate with a pinch of salt and a few cream beans. I took a sip of the warm milk first.

[Theo. Me.]

Perhaps he smelled the food, Legion poked his head out from under my clothes.

"Legion, I told you not to come out whenever you want here."

[Theo. But. Me. Hungry.]

"I saw you sneaking some dried figs before we came down…"

[Theo.]

"…Alright, alright, fine, just be quiet."

I picked up a cream bean and popped it into his mouth. Salty things aren't good for kids, so I gave it to him just like that. Thankfully, he chewed on the cream bean with a satisfied expression. Gulp, gulp, he really knew how to eat. At this rate, when he grows up, all my money will go straight to food.

By the time Legion had finished off the cream bean, I saw the innkeeper approaching with a wooden tray. I quickly shoved Legion back into my clothes. I could feel him grumbling as he curled up again.

"Enjoy your meal!"

Breakfast was simpler than the dinner from the night before, but it still looked delicious. A hearty meal to start the day! Just as I picked up my fork,

"Theodore."

I heard the voice of Lloyd who had been gone since early dawn.

Index