I Became a Druid in Another World

[TN: I won't be calling Ayla by just "It" so I'm treating Ayla as a girl. This decision is based only on the name "Ayla" which is obviously a girl's name and If proven wrong, I'll come back to correct everything.]

Dask was a city located to the east of the Barak Empire.

This city was closer to Solen than to the capital of the Barak Empire.

The caravan was scheduled to head straight to the capital of the Barak Empire, but after being attacked twice on the way, they decided to divert to the nearby city of Dask.

The horses were tired, and the mercenaries as well as the servants, were exhausted from the unexpected battles. It was a time when proper rest and reinforcement were needed.

It was here that I decided to part ways with the caravan.

"Th-Theodore, please think about it again."

The merchant wanted to keep me on board after my great contribution in repelling the two recent attacks. However, I refused his offer.

Continuing to escort the caravan which was now an obvious target would be crazy on my part.

Whoever was behind this had even brought a troll into the mix, so it has to be a madman.

There were other troubling aspects too.

The same black gem that I had found on the shadow wolf was discovered in the ashes of the burned troll.

I couldn't salvage it as it had melted, but it was definitely the same black gem.

There was someone who had the ability to control trolls.

Though I had managed to dispose of it somehow, I had no desire to encounter such a creature again.

Since I was quitting the escort job midway, my pay would be cut in half, but I ended up earning much more money than I had originally expected since I had helped take down both the pack of shadow wolves and a troll.

So I had even less reason to continue this escort mission.

The only thing that nagged at me was…

"Well, in this case."

I spoke while fiddling with my coin purse and glancing at the merchant who showed no intention of handing over the money.

"Instead of the original payment, how about you give me a bag of tea leaves?"

"Tea… tea leaves?"

The merchant's eyes widened as if he weren't expecting such a request.

It made sense.

A mercenary asking for tea leaves instead of money was, admittedly, quite strange.

I smiled broadly at the merchant.

"You'll need that money to hire another mercenary to escort you to the capital, right?"

"Th-that's true…"

He mumbled while sneakily hiding his coin purse behind him.

"I'm not that heartless either."

"...…"

"It's all about making a living, isn't it? I've decided to change my plans and head to Solen. The tea leaves should sell there. I'll take them as my payment."

"I-is that really okay with you?"

"Yes. But I will choose the tea leaves myself."

It was a decent offer, no, it was even an overly favorable proposal for the merchant.

"Ah, may the merciful goddess Nemeya bless you, kind soul!"

"Thank you for your kind words."

After nodding my head in greeting, I headed to the carriage piled with bags of tea leaves.

"There's no need to give me anything special. You should save those for sale in the Empire."

"Oh, my! To find such a noble young man these days… May blessings be upon your future, Theodore!"

The merchant was on the verge of tears as he praised me.

I ignored his antics and began to rummage through the bags of tea leaves.

This is it.

I found the smallest, most worn bag tucked away in the corner.

"That one?"

The merchant seemed to think I had no discernment for quality products and he sighed before raising his hand to dissuade me.

"Theodore, I'm not that cheap. Choose a medium-quality one from over there instead…"

"It's fine. This size is just right for carrying by myself."

I lifted the bag of tea leaves and smelled it.

As expected…

That scent was there.

The old woman told me to be careful about this…

I learned of it through hard experiences so the memory was very clear in my mind.

Although it was masked by the strong aroma of the other tea bags…

This was unmistakably the scent of "Black Opium".

I pulled out a bag made of thick rouge leaves, put the tea bag in it once more, and then hoisted it onto my shoulder.

"This will be enough."

Perhaps feeling a twinge of conscience, the merchant hesitated for a moment but soon nodded his head as if swayed by the emptiness of his pockets.

He then extended to me a leather pouch containing the rest of my payment.

Even after deducting the cost of the tea leaves, it was a generous compensation.

"Thank you. I will pray for your safe arrival at the capital."

"And I pray for your safe journey to Solen."

"Farewell, then."

I nodded lightly and began to walk away.

It would take about two days to reach Solen.

It wouldn't be bad to recover my energy before that.

Just then, I spotted a street lined with inns.

As usual, I intended to head for a shabby and cheap inn, but I stopped under a sign.

.

The well-maintained door was open, and inside, the sizzling sound of something cooking and an appetizing aroma wafted out.

…I've just received a hefty payment. Perhaps I could indulge myself today?

-Creak.

With that thought in mind, I pushed open the door and entered the inn.

"Welcome!"

The friendly innkeeper greeted me as I entered. He was grilling thick slices of meat over charcoal. I couldn't take my eyes off the meat and spoke to him.

"I'd like to rent a room…"

"We currently have only one room left; it's five silver. Shall I lead the way?"

Five silver coins.

That's expensive.

But today, I desperately wanted to rest in a good room.

A nice room, a comfortable bed, a good meal…

"I'll take that room."

The innkeeper seemed surprised that someone with my scruffy appearance would so readily ask for a room costing five silver. He shrugged his shoulders and called out.

"Yes, I'll assist you. Hey, Catelyn!"

At the innkeeper's call, a woman who seemed to work at the inn came down the stairs.

"Please show this customer to his room. And help him with the luggage."

"No, the luggage is fine."

I dissuaded Catelyn from trying to take the bag I was carrying and followed her up the stairs.

It was a well-maintained inn with not a single creaking sound coming from its wooden floors.

"Please prepare a bath for me as well."

"Yes. We have regular and luxury baths available…"

"The luxury bath, please."

"Understood. I'll have it ready shortly."

While Catelyn prepared the bathwater, I busied myself with organizing my belongings. I discarded what needed to be thrown away and kept what was necessary. In truth, there wasn't much to discard, just an old, unusable pouch and some clothes…

Once I sell the Black Opium, I should buy some proper clothes.

"The bath is ready!"

As I opened the bath door, a rush of hot steam burst out.

It was a luxury bath. Perhaps they used water steeped with herbs as a fragrant aroma filled the air. Ah, they even prepared bath salts.

"Please call me if you need anything."

"Thank you."

After Catelyn left, I stepped into the hot bathwater.

"Ah…"

This is it.

Finally, it felt like my fatigue was beginning to fade.

Even on the supposedly safe Golden Road, walking continuously was very tiring.

It felt like an endless cross country journey.

And carrying luggage made it incomparable to any regular journey.

It was already strenuous, but on top of that, we had to deal with beasts and trolls…

"Phew, this is nice…"

Now, I felt alive again.

I completely submerged myself in the bath water, closed my eyes, and organized my future plans.

Now that I had unexpectedly obtained "Black Opium", I now had to consider how to deal with it.

Selling it quickly seems like the best course of action.

There were many wizards who would be eager and desperate for Black Opium.

Therefore, it was important to sell it to the right person at the right price.

"Claude…"

I muttered a name that immediately came to mind but soon closed my mouth.

In this world, "Magic Tower Master Claude" has yet to make his appearance.

He would probably be just entering the academy around this time.

So, who would be a good candidate?

It's a bit risky, but maybe that guy's the only option?

The person who came to mind wasn't exactly a good option but I couldn't think of anyone better.

I couldn't keep carrying the Black Opium with me indefinitely.

And I needed money to create a .

I lifted my sluggish body and stepped out of the bath.

-Guuu.

Ayla must have been so sad to be separated from me after carrying her around all day, so she whined and snuggled back into my arms once again.

"Alright, let's go eat."

It was already dinner time and the inn's first floor was bustling with people.

The innkeeper and his wife were busy cooking. Catelyn was hurriedly moving food around and the guests were chatting and laughing over their drinks.

"Ah, dear customer!"

Catelyn spotted me first and led me to the best seat available.

Staying in a room that costs five silver coins really makes a difference.

"Thank you."

"I thought you might want to eat. We've got some excellent lamb that just came in today."

"Is that so? Then I'll start with the lamb…"

"What about beer?"

"I don't drink alcohol."

Getting drunk in such a place is just asking to be robbed.

After glancing around the hall, I continued with my order.

"One grilled lamb rib, a bowl of beef stew, chicken legs roasted with plenty of butter and herbs, and two pieces of white bread with butter and jam. Oh, and also a fig and a cup of goat milk."

Catelyn asked me once more if that was all I wanted before returning to the kitchen.

The aroma of cooking meat wafted through the air. It seemed Catelyn's words were true; the smell was incredibly enticing.

Just when the wait was starting to feel unbearable, the food arrived.

I first picked up the lamb ribs that were grilled to a delicious brown color. As I bit into it, the fatty meat filled my mouth and the juices overflowed. Ah, this is the taste. It's a pity I can't enjoy it with beer. Ah, back in my world, I often paired lamb skewers with beer…

The beef stew, simmered with fresh tomatoes and potatoes, was hearty. The beef was so tender that my spoon couldn't stop moving. I soaked one piece of bread in the stew and ate it, then spread the other with plenty of butter and jam. After always eating hard, grainy bread, this soft, sweet white bread was a delightful change.

The chicken thighs, beautifully grilled with plenty of butter and herbs, disappeared in just one bite. Ah, this place does it right.

Expensive as it may be, the food in this world isn't bad at all.

Though I desperately craved a sweet grape wine, I suppressed my urge to drink and picked up the cup filled with fresh goat milk instead.

-Giin, Gum, Gum.

Ayla poked her head out from my embrace.

"Take your time eating."

I set Ayla on the table and poured some goat milk onto a wide plate for her.

-Slurp, slurp, slurp.

Ayla emptied the plate as quickly as I did the food.

"Dogs really do resemble their owners, don't they?"

"Do you think so?"

As she brought a few more figs, saying it was on the house, Catelyn remarked.

"Ayla, she says we look alike."

-Giin?

Ayla looked at me curiously with her golden eyes, as if did didn't understand what that meant.

It was a peaceful night, something I hadn't experienced in a long time.