I Became a Druid in Another World

The orc subjugation had ended successfully. The mercenaries who were drunk on victory were already guzzling down their drinks, and among them were some who proudly flaunted severed orc ears or fingers as if they were trophies, just like the way orcs sometimes adorned themselves with human body parts.

"..."

Callisto looked around at the humans; his face openly showed his disdain. While humans despised orcs, Callisto as an elf felt that humans' barbarism was not so different from that of the orcs.

"Wahaha!"

"Gahaha!"

The sound of laughter mingled with the crackling of the campfire as the heavily intoxicated mercenaries burst into laughter here and there while they were surrounded by open barrels of ale. Though today's victory was being celebrated with drinks at the commander's orders, Callisto could not understand why they were drinking so recklessly. They were in the heart of the Sequoia Forest; if orcs were to ambush them now, they'd stagger around in a drunken haze, only to die at the tip of an orc's blade. Did they not care about such things? Callisto shook his head and took a sip of clear spring water from a clear glass bottle.

"Elf."

At someone's call, Callisto raised his head. A young human, much younger than him even with the beard he'd grown, was calling out to him.

Elf? Such a rude address. Yet Callisto had no desire to go through the trouble of revealing his name to this insignificant human. So he merely stared coldly at the man without bothering to correct him. Gulp. The soldier swallowed nervously.

"…Sir Dawood requests your presence."

Dawood.

The human whom Theodore had instructed him to watch over had, after a bit of courtesy, begun to treat him like a mere dog. Come here, go there. Why did humans have so little self-awareness? Just because they had some insignificant status on their wretched land, they acted as if they were something important… and yet Theodore who could boast of his heroic achievements was so humble. Callisto, unable to hide his irritation, rose from his seat and followed the soldier.

Unlike the mercenaries' area, there was a large tent where Dawood was staying. Inside, a flag bearing the image of a bull flapped in the breeze, and as Callisto stepped into the tent, he saw two men seated across from each other at a large table.

"Ah, Callisto. You're here."

One was Dawood and the other…

"Welcome, Sir Callisto."

Fabio.

Dawood called the little man in the black robe and the hat pulled down low "Fabio". His face was always covered by the hat, so it was hard to tell if he was young or old, but judging by his voice, he seemed to be on the younger side for a human.

"What's the reason you called me?"

After giving Fabio a quick indifferent glance, Callisto turned to Dawood with his question.

"Because of the subjugation. I wanted to consult with you about it."

"I thought the subjugation was already over."

"Yes, the first subjugation ended very successfully."

Dawood spoke with evident satisfaction. And why wouldn't he? The subjugation had gone beyond success; it had been closer to a one-sided massacre. But that wasn't because of human strength. It was simply because the orcs that remained in this forest were particularly weak.

Callisto silently watched the two men. Then Fabio leaned over and whispered something into Dawood's ear. Dawood, as if realizing something, nodded his head repeatedly before clapping his hands twice. Moments later, two soldiers entered the tent carrying a small chest between them. They carefully set the chest on the table, gave respectful bows to Dawood and Fabio, and then exited the tent.

"Come closer."

Callisto hesitated; he felt reluctant, but he took two steps toward the table. Fabio pulled out a key and handed it to him. Callisto paused for a moment, then accepted the key. It matched the chest in front of him.

"Open it."

Dawood spoke in a tone that held a hint of anticipation. Although the sound of his voice irritated Callisto and made him want to strangle him, he suppressed the impulse by thinking of Theodore. Pushing his irritation aside, he slipped the key into the lock of the chest and turned it. With a click, the lock snapped open. Then Dawood lifted the lid himself.

As the chest opened, a brilliant light radiated from inside. And no wonder; within the small chest lay a trove of gold coins and jewels. Among them were top-grade magic stones, so dazzling they could easily be mistaken for gemstones. Just one of these would be worth enough to live a relaxing life for an entire year. There weren't just one or two, but at least five of these top-grade magic stones. With this chest alone, a person could live a lifetime of luxury, at least within the empire.

"…I thought I've already received the payment for the subjugation."

In fact, he had already been compensated for the first subjugation. It had been a large bag of gold coins. Even that was an excessive price. But this chest… To put it bluntly, it was worth enough to buy Callisto himself. Of course, such a thing would never happen, but Callisto's brow furrowed as he looked between the chest and Dawood, suspecting what Dawood's intentions might be. He had heard stories of human leaders trying to enslave elves.

"This is…"

"Please don't worry, Sir Callisto. This is merely an 'advance payment' for the next mission."

Before Dawood could speak, Fabio interrupted him and addressed him directly. It was a bold move, especially for someone of unknown origin to interrupt a noble like Dawood. But Callisto, who saw all nobles and commoners as equally insignificant, saw nothing unusual in it.

"The next mission?"

"Yes, the next mission, indeed."

"I don't recall ever agreeing to a next mission."

Callisto twisted one corner of his mouth, but Fabio continued without showing any sign of discomfort.

"I'm aware. That's why we're showing our 'sincerity' in advance."

"..."

A sly tone. Just as Theodore had said, this was where the "real" talk would begin. Callisto remained silent, allowing him to continue.

"For a warrior as remarkable as you, this subjugation must have been as effortless as snuffing out a candle."

Human flattery. Callisto stifled a yawn.

"But Sir Callisto, the task I am about to ask of you now will be anything but easy. Een for an elf."

Praise, followed by a subtle challenge. Was it a transparent trick meant to lure him in by pricking his pride, or was it truly a "difficult" task? Callisto smirked faintly. The orc subjugation had only been a pretense; this was clearly the real purpose.

If it's for Sir Theodore's aims, I should let this pass.

Glancing briefly between Fabio and Dawood, Callisto took a moment before nodding his head.

"If you're willing to pay this much…"

"..."

"…I suppose I should at least hear you out."

Though his face was almost hidden by his hat, it was not hard to tell that Fabio was smiling. Callisto pretended to be interested only in the treasure chest, rummaging through it as if he cared only for gold and jewels. Just like the rumors said, like an elf who moved only for "money".

Snap!

After glancing around, Fabio snapped his fingers sharply. At that moment, Callisto saw purple symbols glow on the back of Fabio's hand. At the same time, a faint barrier appeared within the tent.

…A soundproofing spell.

Now it was time for the real discussion. Callisto erased the mocking expression from his face and looked directly at Fabio.

"I'll provide you with soldiers at your command. With them, guard the Sequoia Forest."

"Be specific."

"When the next subjugation begins, kill anyone who attempts to enter the Sequoia Forest afterward."

"..."

"For someone like you, it shouldn't be a difficult task."

As expected, their true purpose had nothing to do with the orc subjugation. Then, what could it be? Callisto silently rolled a gold coin between his fingers. If he asked anything more here or showed curiosity, they would surely sense something was off. He couldn't risk ruining Theodore's plans. After tossing the coin into the air and catching it again, Callisto looked Fabio squarely in the eye.

"Killing humans is far easier than killing orcs."

"Good to hear."

Fabio smiled faintly and snapped his fingers again, dispelling the soundproof barrier. The important discussion had ended. Without a word, Callisto pocketed the chest from the table and left the tent. The sounds of mercenaries celebrating continued to echo outside.

…I'll need to inform him.

Callisto looked up at the red moon that was hanging in the sky as though it might fall at any moment.

***

We returned to our lodgings in secret once again. Just as planned, even the innkeeper was unaware that we had ever left. Once we were back, we took a brief moment to rest.

"...."

Or perhaps "we" wasn't the right word. While the others seemed able to relax, for some reason, I couldn't let my guard down.

The red moon was rising through the window. I sat on the windowsill where the moonlight streamed in and stared intently at the box on the table. It was a square box formed by joining together a black box, a red box, and a golden box. Unlike when it was first assembled, the box now lay still. The engravings and symbols on its surface showed no signs of movement.

"…Fulfill Mother's revenge."

But as soon as I spoke the phrase written in ancient Ansgar language…

– Wooooong…

The carvings and symbols began to glow faintly. They moved again fluidly, slowly, or perhaps rapidly.

"…Cuscus, do you have any idea what this is?"

– Not at all.

I had suspected it might be something related to demons, so I asked Demarcushel, but it seemed he had no knowledge of the box or its contents either.

I fiddled with Liadel's shining key. My hand trembled, yet somehow, this time, I felt nothing at all. The fear or dread I had felt initially had disappeared.

If that's the case, now is the time…

To open it…

…Right?