Chapter 6: How to Live as a Druid in Another World Part 2

The journey from Dask to Solen was not particularly far.

It took two days.

Moreover, there were no signs of monsters or thieves on the way.

This was to be expected.

After all, the most dangerous thing in this area were the wizards themselves.

If there were monsters, the wizards would wipe them out…

And as for thieves, only a madman would dare to pick the pockets of wizards.

Especially since the carriages traveling between Solen and the Empire were filled with dangerous and mysterious items that could kill if mishandled.

So, it was no surprise that the roads were clean.

This was a fortunate turn of events for me.

Of course, entering Solen was about twice as difficult as entering other countries.

But I already had a mercenary's badge which made it easy to prove my identity and enter Solen.

As soon as I entered Solen the first place I visited was an old mansion.

"Ar-are you really going to knock on that door?!"

"It's been quiet for a while, but now another madman has shown up."

"Who's going to clean up his corpse…"

Before I even knocked on the door, I heard whispers coming from all over the place.

That was understandable.

This place was the home of Khalid who was renowned across the continent as a mad wizard.

I paused to look at the gloomy door with a black crow carved on it for a moment, then knocked on the door.

– Creeeeak…

The door opened with a sinister sound.

But no matter how mad one might be, they couldn't surpass that old woman.

After recollecting the terrible memories of the forest, I steeled myself and went inside.

Passing through a garden where the flowers and trees had all withered away, I entered the mansion. There, two small golems were waiting for me.

These are quite unusual for clay golems.

I followed the two golems and ascended a staircase that was as high as a tower.

The house is covered in dust.

It seemed that the golems were not for household use but for experimentation.

"State your business."

No formal greeting or introduction, just a blunt "State your business".

Wizards, like nobles, usually value formalities. They might be arrogant but they usually observe basic greetings and introductions…

Well, I wasn't here for a friendly chat either.

"I've come to make a trade."

"A trade?"

From within the darkness, a man cloaked in a long thick robe emerged.

The man stood hunched and his face was partially obscured by a bushy beard peeking out from beneath the robe.

His voice sounded young yet his appearance was indistinguishable from that of an old man.

It's impossible to read his expression; how frustrating.

I looked at Khalid and then got straight to the point as he would have wanted.

"Black Opium."

His eyes twitched and I could see his hands shaking under his robes.

Black Opium was an item unknown to ordinary people. It was an item recognized only by a few wizards and those with specific knowledge in that area. Yet here it was, being mentioned by a seemingly insignificant mercenary like me.

I pulled out a small bag I had prepared earlier. Khalid eagerly took the bag before spilling its contents onto his palm. Dried Black Opium petals fell out. He picked one, crushed it into powder, and sniffed it.

He was indeed mad to bring such a dangerous substance so close to his nose.

It wouldn't be strange for a normal person to faint right away, but Khalid was fine. Instead, he seemed to savor the Black Opium, inhaling deeply and exhaling with a long sigh.

"Hmmm…"

He grasped the remaining petal in his palm. Soon, a shining black smoke began to rise from his clenched fist. When Black Opium was burned, it would emit a unique smoke.

"It's real."

"…Yes, it is."

"How much do you have?"

"Half a bag."

"There was a big flood in Niram recently. It's made acquiring Black Opium really difficult."

"Then you are quite fortunate."

I replied calmly, and Khalid smiled broadly.

– Whoosh!

Right then, a round flame began to erupt from beneath my feet.

This madman…

But I wasn't unprepared for such a situation.

"Calm down. What I want is a trade."

"What I want is to kill you and take the Black Opium."

"Don't be foolish. Do you think I would bring the Black Opium here with me?"

Wizards were generally cunning and vile madmen. And Khalid was known as a true "madman" even among those wizards. Even other wizards hesitated to confront such a lunatic. To deal with someone like him, one needed to be thoroughly prepared.

"You seem to be overthinking things. Wouldn't it be easier for me to just flip over the beds in the inn rooms or search through the forest?"

"The first guess is wrong, and the second is right, but not entirely correct."

– Whoosh!!!

The flames grew more intense.

"I am a druid and the forest has heeded my request. I swear that if you kill me you will never find the Black Opium."

"....."

The flames subsided a bit at the mention of me being a druid.

"You mentioned a flood in Niram. That means it will be harder to come across Black Opium in the future."

"....."

"I didn't realize you were foolish enough to kick away the luck that has fallen into your lap."

– Snap!

With a flick of his fingers, the fiercely burning flames were extinguished in an instant.

"What do you want?"

Khalid swiftly moved to the main point.

"20 gold coins."

20 gold coins were the equivalent of an average family's annual living expenses.

But for a wizard of Khalid's caliber, a mere 20 gold coins was nothing.

As expected, Khalid's expression didn't change at all and he didn't quibble over the price.

But what I really wanted was something else.

"Also, one of the extra space boxes you've created."

"Huh?"

"It must have resistance to cold and fire, and be enchanted with a locking spell."

"....."

"The larger, the better."

In response to Khalid's incredulous reaction, I responded with a wide smile.

The price of a space box varied greatly. The most basic ones started at 5 gold coins, while those with incredible features easily exceeded 100 or 200 gold coins.

And what I had just asked of Khalid was worth at least 500 gold coins.

A space box resistant to cold and fire was one thing, but one also enchanted with a locking spell that prevented others from opening it could cost 500 gold coins, or even as much as 1000 gold coins.

Was my request too absurd?

With Khalid's silence, I began to feel slightly anxious.

However, hesitating now would ruin everything.

According to Khalid, there's been a flood in Niram. If the Black Opium fields are completely washed away, it will take at least two, no, three years to grow more. During that time, the price of Black Opium will skyrocket. That's not even the main issue. It will become completely unavailable. Khalid knows this. He has no choice but to agree to my deal.

"Wait a moment."

Suddenly, Khalid began rummaging through his cluttered desk and drawers.

Then, he tossed an old ring my way all of a sudden.

I caught it somewhat reflexively. The ring, at first glance, looked worn and ordinary, but a closer inspection revealed it was made of gold and set with a superior precious gemstone.

It must have some value, but…

"What I wanted was a space box."

"I haven't made those in a long time. That's the closest thing I have."

The closest thing?

Could it be…

I put on the ring and gently stroked the intricately crafted transparent gemstone. The gem flickered momentarily and beyond that flicker…

-Whoosh!

A coin was instantly sucked into it.

"This is…"

"I told you it's similar."

Khalid replied with an air of irritation.

A space ring.

Items that used space magic usually began with boxes, and the next in line were pouches. Even pouches were quite rare and expensive, so they were difficult to find.

Ornaments like necklaces, bracelets, and rings were even more difficult to create, so much so that only a skilled craftsman would even consider making them.

Certainly, it's much more convenient in this form.

A space ring of all things. I had acquired an item I never even considered.

To leave such a valuable item in a drawer covered in dust…

Although Khalid was known to be eccentric, his skills were renowned across the continent, which instilled confidence in me.

Had I inadvertently received something far more valuable than anticipated?

Khalid, however, seemed indifferent to it…

"And here."

Khalid tossed a small pouch my way. It felt surprisingly heavy for its size, so it must contain the required 20 gold coins.

Honestly, the space ring alone was more than enough payment but there was no reason to refuse what was offered.

I quickly placed the pouch with the gold coins into the space ring before he could change his mind.

"Now, lead me to where the Black Opium is."

"Follow me."

The place we arrived at with the two golems and Khalid was a small corner of the forest surrounding Solen. I pulled out a dirt-covered bag, tightly wrapped by the roots of a giant oak tree, and handed it to the golems.

-Click.

When Khalid snapped his fingers, the two golems merged together around the Black Opium bag and turned into one giant golem.

Aha, so he didn't bring the golems just to carry the load.

Khalid had chosen the best way to ensure that the precious Black Opium would neither be discovered nor stolen. After all, to take the Black Opium, one would have to slice open the belly of that huge golem.

"It was a good deal."

"Wait a moment."

Khalid stopped me as I was about to leave.

He's not going to kill me now, is he?

Asking for the space ring might have been too much. I turned to Khalid, tense with anxiety, but to my surprise, he handed me the bag that contained the Black Opium.

"You didn't have to return this…"

"Inside it are seeds of the Black Opium."

"....."

Seeds of Black Opium?

"I don't know what the problem is, but it seems Black Opium can't be cultivated. However, it might be different for a druid."

"....."

"All the druids I've met so far have refused to cultivate Black Opium."

"But why give this to me…"

"I've never met a druid as greedy for money as you."

"....."

"If you manage to grow the Black Opium properly, I'll pay you whatever amount you want."

Should I take this as a compliment or an insult…

It was already common knowledge that druids did not covet worldly desires and lived in harmony with nature. So of course, they would naturally never agree to grow Black Opium at the request of a wizard.

But I was different.

That Khalid had recognized this…

"…I'll try."

That old woman would probably try to kill me if she found out about this, but she wasn't here right now.

Besides, I desperately needed a lot of money.

So what choice did I have? Even the ravings of a mad wizard warranted consideration.

"It was a good deal."

A good deal for him, maybe. He had effectively placed a hot coal beneath my feet… I cast a sidelong glance at Khalid and then offered a light bow.

"It was a good deal, Mr. Khalid. May the blessing of Kerayion always be with you."