I Became a Druid in Another World

It took about a week to reach the next city. Occasionally, we were lucky enough to find an inn and spend a day or two, but for the most part, we camped as we traveled.

"I really want to take a bath!"

"Hang in there; we're almost there."

Yaaawn. I yawned lazily, stretched, and looked around. Ayla and Argos were running around and playing in the forest. Beepy and Legion were squabbling inside the carriage, while Blackie watched us from a tall tree. It was a peaceful scene in its way.

The forest path was well-maintained; this was a sign that people often passed through here. We should reach the city by the afternoon at the latest. I leaned back against the carriage and sipped my apple juice. The rich apple juice, made from the apples the Phews had diligently grown in the dimensional garden, gave off a sweet and fragrant aroma. Ah, the taste of nature! Honestly, it's worlds away from the stuff I used to buy at the convenience store. Maybe because it's literally from another dimension?

"Have you ever been to Corin?"

"This is my first time. What about you, Lloyd?"

Lloyd just smiled lightly instead of answering. Right, it was a strange question to ask. I didn't know the details of his past, but it was clear that he used to be a knight of the Empire. He must have visited most of the Empire's cities, or even if he hadn't, he'd certainly know all about them.

He probably knows things far beyond what a mercenary like me could ever learn…

The fact that I wasn't nervous about approaching a new city was, to some extent, thanks to Lloyd. Even stray dogs would recognize him as a great knight. In this pseudo-medieval land, being a "knight" was like being a living armored vehicle—no, more like a tank. Their unmatched weapons and strength were something ordinary people could neither ignore nor pretend not to notice.

"I have an old friend there."

"Oh, really?"

"There won't be any trouble during our stay."

That was a relief. Honestly, every place we had passed through so far had been a complete mess. I felt a bit more at ease. This time, I could finally relax in a proper city, take a real break, and gather some information about what was happening on the continent…

"Oh, then you must know all the best restaurants?"

"…Restaurants?"

Right. The term "restaurants" didn't exist here.

"Uh, I mean, excellent places to eat. And good inns too."

Lloyd chuckled softly and nodded.

"I do know of some, but…"

"Not confident, are you?"

"Your standards are too high."

Ah, that made sense. The standards of this pseudo-medieval land and those of a modern person like me were worlds apart; it was literally so. What I considered basic was often seen as a luxury in this world. Take, for example, a perfectly ordinary ice cream you'd buy at a convenience store; it would be considered a dessert fit for royalty here. Most other things were the same.

That was exactly why I had become so obsessed with food. After coming here, I realized just how precious the joy of "fine dining" I had taken for granted truly was. For the people of this pseudo-medieval land, eating was never something to be enjoyed. It was merely an act to fill their stomachs, nothing more. The very idea of caring about "taste" was a kind of luxury reserved only for those with the leisure and power to afford it.

In a world where survival was the priority, caring about the "pleasure of eating" might have sounded foolish to some people. But to me, fine dining was the very act that reminded me I was still a modern person. That I was still the same "Kang Tae-oh" as before. It was proof that I hadn't lost my sense of leisure.

"Well… if you're going to eat, it might as well be something delicious."

I flashed Lloyd a grin and finished the rest of my apple juice.

Just as I expected, we arrived in Corin around lunchtime.

Corin was a huge city. The entrance was crowded with mercenaries, so we had to wait quite a while before our mercenary badges were inspected and we were allowed in. On top of that, they questioned us so thoroughly about our identities… The examination process was almost on par with the capital. Would you believe me if I said passing through the city gate was harder than getting here in the first place?

After the long inspection, we were all starving. Luckily, there was a plaza near the entrance filled with street vendors. Judging by the appearance of the crowd, it didn't seem like these stalls catered to the locals. It looked more like they were targeting mercenaries like us. We decided to park the wagon there for a while and grab a quick bite. It would take quite some time to find an inn, unload our things, and sit down for a proper meal.

-Ssshhh…

-Sizzle sizzle sizzle…

-Bubble bubble bubble…

The sounds of grilling, frying, boiling, and simmering echoed around us. Usually, mercenaries would settle for the cheapest option like oatmeal porridge, but since this was a fairly large city, it seemed like the wealthier ones had gathered here and they were eating a wider variety of food.

We split up to buy our own meals. El wandered from stall to stall and quickly filled her arms with all sorts of items, while Lloyd seemed to have bought a single meat pie from the least crowded stand. As for me…

There's nothing better than skewers for a quick bite.

I stopped at a stall where smoke was rising. Various skewers were being grilled to a perfect golden brown. It's hard to mess up food on a charcoal grill. I ordered one chicken skewer and one pork skewer, both seasoned with salt and pepper. For Ayla, I got an unseasoned pork skewer, and next to it, I spotted something that looked just like ginkgo skewers, so I ordered two of those as well.

"Haha! You know your stuff!"

The stall owner laughed heartily as he took my money; he looked to be clearly surprised I had ordered the ginkgo-like skewers. Well, ginkgo skewers had always been divisive in my original world too. They were a delicacy to me, though.

We sat at a table in the middle of the plaza and started eating the food we had bought. El who seemed to have stopped at every stall without missing a single one piled the table with everything from skewers to stew, roasted quail, fried bread, caramel apples, and more. This wasn't just a snack; it was a feast. I couldn't help but worry if she was spending all her earnings on food.

Lloyd was simple. Just a single meat pie. His meal seemed almost boring in comparison.

I started with the chicken skewer first. It wasn't as juicy as the ones I made, but it was well-seasoned and enjoyable enough. Ah, skewers really do need beer to go with them. Cold draft beer. I paired it with the tangy pickled onions I bought and then tried the pork skewer. Hmm, surprisingly, the pork was better than the chicken. It was oily and went well with onions.

[Theo.]

"Hmm? Do you want some too, Legion?"

[Theo. Me too.]

"Alright."

I tore off a piece of both the chicken and pork skewers and fed them to Legion. He seemed satisfied and started licking his lips and purring contentedly.

Next was the ginkgo skewer. What did the stall owner call it again? Amber skewer, right? Probably named for its similarity to amber gems. I popped one into my mouth and tasted the savory flavor of the perfectly grilled ginkgo.

[Theo. Me too.]

"Huh? This too? I don't think you'll like it…"

[Theo. Me too.]

Legion was like a child who wanted to copy everything his parent did. In the end, I gave in to his insistence and fed him one of the ginkgo nuts. He chewed on it for a while, and then…

[Ugh.]

He looked at me with a strange expression. Was he about to cry?

"See? I told you so."

[Theo. Poison. This.]

He wasn't wrong. Ginkgo nuts did have toxins, but unless you ate too many, they weren't life-threatening. I chuckled softly and gave Legion a light tap on the head.

[Theo. Dangerous. This.]

"Things that are dangerous usually taste good."

[Theo. Don't. Eat it.]

"If you waste food, you'll get cursed."

[Theo. I don't know. Might die]

Legion anxiously circled around my hand, which was still holding the ginkgo skewer, before finally opening his mouth. When I saw the black sparks rising from the back of his throat, I quickly grabbed him by the body.

"Stop, Legion!"

[Theo. I have to protect. Theo.]

Oh, for goodness' sake. What was I supposed to do with him? This wasn't the time to talk about death and freedom. I looked at him, unsure of what to do, then slowly released my grip. Instantly, the little dragon climbed onto my hand and devoured the rest of the ginkgo skewer, making a face like it was the worst thing he'd ever tasted.

"Legion, I'm not going to die that easily."

[Theo, but…]

"I appreciate how much you care; I really do, but don't worry too much. I'm not as strong as you, but I'm strong enough."

[Theo. Humans are weak.]

"Yeah. Humans are weak. Compared to dragons, anyway."

[...]

"Anyway, I won't eat that anymore if it worries you that much."

Once I made the promise, Legion finally seemed relieved and climbed onto my shoulder. Good grief; like they say, you can't even drink cold water in front of kids.

"Legion, what about me? This apple could be poisoned too, you know."

El who had been eyeing us while munching on a caramel apple giggled as she asked. Legion glanced at her, tilted his head, and then yawned widely.

[El. Stupid. No. Poison. In. Apples.]

Without a trace of affection in his voice, he bluntly said that and disappeared into my pocket.

"Ha! I know that too!"

El exclaimed in disbelief, but there was no reply. She glared at me, or more precisely, at the pocket where Legion had disappeared, while aggressively chewing the remaining half of her apple.

"Alright, alright. It looks like everyone's full, so let's go find an inn now."

In a city this large, the best time to secure an inn is around midday, because it's the time when mercenaries leave and rooms become available again before they return. We cleaned up and headed toward the carriage.

"What?!"

Ell who was walking ahead with Ayla suddenly cried out in surprise. Then, with a panicked expression, she turned to me and shouted.

"M-Master! The carriage is gone!"