I Became a Druid in Another World

"Master, are you really going to take that guy with us…?"

"Yes, El. He says he'll help us. And by the way, do you realize this is the sixth time you're asking me?"

"But…"

"Enough."

"..."

El closed her mouth with a sulky expression on her face. Well, I could understand her reaction. It hadn't been that long since we left Lysette and the memories of what happened there and the elves we encountered were still fresh. Plus, Callisto's first impression wasn't exactly the best.

But considering what lay ahead of us, we couldn't afford to be picky. Whether it's a cat's paw or a dog's paw.

"Right now, all the mercenaries in Corin have volunteered for the orc subjugation campaign that Dawood has started."

Dawood was clever. He offered generous upfront payments but added penalty clauses to prevent mercenaries from breaking their contracts. On the surface, it seemed like a fair deal for the mercenaries, which is why so many of them flocked to Corin.

"So Callisto is our only option. We'd be lucky with an ordinary mercenary, but he's an exceptional one… this is a stroke of good luck for us."

Indeed, Callisto's mercenary badge was the kind given only to the highest-level mercenaries. Even a mid-level badge was enough to make your heart race, but an elf mercenary with the highest-level badge? That meant he could handle the work of dozens on his own. Meeting him in this situation was literally a godsend.

"Now that he knows we helped Lysette, he won't act rudely anymore. So don't worry about that."

"He's only not being rude to you, Master. He's still ignoring me."

"…Maybe he's just shy around new people."

After calming El down a bit, I stepped outside the inn. While I stayed near the grapevines, it wasn't long before Callisto appeared. He carried only a simple bag as if he didn't have much to pack.

"Theodore, have you been waiting?"

"No…"

"My apologies. I tried to hurry…"

"No, no. I was just getting some fresh air."

Callisto's attitude was so excessively polite and friendly, it made me wonder if he was the same elf I had first met. It was like he was treating me… not like a friend, but more like someone much older, someone he was trying to honor.

This is a bit much.

Who would have thought the words of the Elf Queen Dianta carried such weight? I had just considered it a mere formality… Regardless, I was glad it helped in an important moment. This is why people say you should live a good life; you never know when or where your good deeds will come back to you.

"By the way, you travel light."

"Yes. I'm not interested in owning things. After wandering from place to place, this kind of lifestyle feels more comfortable."

Not interested in owning things, huh? I liked that attitude, but then why was he so greedy when it came to money? Did he have some kind of circumstances?

Asking about it now would be too soon, right?

I pushed down my rising curiosity and led him inside the inn.

"I already spoke to the innkeeper. I asked her to let me know as soon as a room becomes available. In about three days, one should open up, and you can take that room. Of course, I'll cover the cost."

"No, Sir Theodore. Since it's where I'll be staying, I should—"

"Don't refuse, Callisto. I'm the one receiving your help."

"..."

Callisto hesitated for a moment before nodding his head.

"Sir Theodore."

And then, he called me again, but this time in a rather serious tone. Was he going to refuse again?

"What is it?"

"..."

"Speak freely."

"…Cal."

"…. Huh?"

"Please, call me Cal."

"Cal?"

"Yes. That's what my mother and sister used to call me."

…Uh, but I'm not your family, am I? I thought about making that remark, but the look on Cal's face was so serious and solemn. He seemed to have made some monumental decision just to ask this… Well, it's hard to refuse someone over something as simple as a name.

"….…"

"….…"

An awkward silence hung in the air for a moment. I nodded as naturally as I could.

"Alright, Cal. You can call me Theo."

"That won't do. You're the 'Hero' of Lysette."

"….…"

"Also, please speak more casually."

He's much more rigid than he looks. For some reason, he reminded me of Darion, though Cal seemed a lot sharper than him.

"…Alright, Cal."

Though it felt a bit awkward, as soon as I replied, Callisto finally relaxed and gave a nod. Sure, there's a chance that, as an elf, he's much older than I am, but let's just ignore that for now. I opened the door.

"For the time being, you'll share this room with me. You can use that bed over there. Lloyd, my companion who's using that bed, is currently away on a mission outside."

"I see. I'll make sure not to disturb you in any way, Sir Theodore."

"No, no… just make yourself comfortable. Really."

I wasn't the Elf Queen … After waving my hand dismissively, I pointed to Lloyd's neatly arranged and perfectly made bed.

"Just leave your stuff near the bed. You'll get a room soon enough, so for now, keep it simple… Oh, right, you don't have much luggage anyway. Well, just make yourself comfortable. Really, make yourself at home."

However, Callisto was as stiff as a newly enlisted trainee and didn't relax at all. He started unpacking with rigid precision and aligning everything perfectly in place.

Haah…

Of course, he was a hundred, no, a thousand times better than those rude elves I'd encountered, but… this was a different kind of pressure. I was already worrying about the days ahead.

***

– Chak, chak, chak…

With a small pair of scissors, I carefully trimmed the new shoots sprouting from Blackie's legs and pruned the branches around them. After gently scraping the bark to mimic the unique ridges of his new limbs, they looked almost perfect.

– Caaaaw.

"Good job, you held still."

I stroked Blackie's head, who had been quiet while I worked on his legs, and then I fed him the fruit I had created using [Blessing of the Forest]. I gave him one piece at a time.

– Caaaaaaw.

Blackie spread his wings wide and flapped a few times at the open window after eating the fruits. The night breeze ruffled his feathers. Somehow I had a good feeling about tonight.

"Alright, let's leave this for now."

– Caaaaw.

I removed the green necklace I had placed around Blackie's neck. Starting today, he would be roaming the crow paths to intercept their letters, so he couldn't have anything on him that might make him stand out.

"If things get dangerous, escape to the forest."

– Caaw.

Coming back to the inn would be far too risky. We couldn't afford to let the crows discover our presence. Fleeing to the forest to avoid them and only moving again once the pursuit had stopped was the safest option. That was for both Blackie and us.

Blackie had two missions.

Intercept the letters.

Deliver the fake ones.

Once he delivered the letter, they would likely break one of Blackie's legs again, but it didn't matter. His legs which were branches moved but couldn't feel pain, and even if they broke, they would grow back.

His body was perfectly suited to deceive the crows.

"Be careful out there, Blackie."

– Caaaaw.

He let out a long cry, glanced at me once, then soared into the night sky. I watched him fly higher and higher for a long moment before I closed the window.

"You're very good with animals, Sir Theodore."

"… I am a druid, after all."

I shrugged as if it was nothing. Callisto slowly shook his head with a serious expression.

"That's not what I meant. I chose the wrong words. What I wanted to say is that Sir Theodore 'cares' for animals."

"Ah, that's…"

"It was an action that showed your care."

"Is… is that so?"

"You wouldn't put such dedication into a carrier pigeon just delivering a letter."

"..."

"Even going as far as making a new leg for it 'like that'."

So, this is the famous saying: an elf is an elf. It seemed Callisto had realized that Blackie's leg was no ordinary one. He looked at me with an expression that showed he was quite impressed.

"Indeed, you're different from the average 'human'."

"That's ridiculous. I'm just an ordinary human too, Callisto."

"You said you'd call me Cal."

"Oh, right. Cal. I forgot for a moment."

I dragged a chair over and sat down at the table. Then, I pointed to the seat across from me.

"Let's skip the embarrassing talk. I'd like to discuss business now."

"Yes, Sir Theodore. Whatever you need."

Callisto stood up and took the seat opposite me. I pulled out a sheet of paper, placed it on the table, and began sketching a simple map.

"Is that a dog?"

"..."

Is he making fun of me?

"A cat?"

"It's a map, a map of Corin."

"…Ah, looking closely, it seems that way."

I gave Callisto a brief sideways glance before finishing the map and highlighting Corin's castle and the Sequoia Forest.

"From now on, what I'm about to tell you must not leak out anywhere."

"Of course, Sir Theodore. I swear on Lysette's honor, I will protect this secret even in the face of death."

Wow, why does everything he says sound so intense? Is he related to Darion? Probably not… After all, Callisto doesn't have a family name, just a first name.

Anyway.

It's a good thing. Even if I slip up and share sensitive information, it's unlikely that Callisto would go blabbing it around.

I lowered my voice and explained to Callisto what I had heard from Louis about the situation in Corin. Throughout the explanation, Callisto couldn't hide his contempt for humans. Whenever our eyes met, he tried to mask it with a neutral expression, but after dealing with many elves in Lysette, I wasn't so easily fooled.

Besides, it is something worth feeling contempt over.

I didn't tell Callisto about the crows. I only explained that there was an "external force" trying to bring down Corin. After all… Callisto was just a mercenary who would leave once this mission was over.

But still.

"Sir Theodore."

"Hmm?"

"Do you not trust me?"

"What are you…?"

"There are parts missing from your story."

"...!"

To think he could pick up on the parts I hadn't mentioned.

Index