Ch.2929. Druid Gathering (1)

After my meeting with Viscount Dehyu ended, I received a proper and legal payment from him as compensation for this subjugation mission. I then returned to the high-class inn that I’m currently using as my base.

[Master, you’re back?]

[Welcome back, Gregory?]

[…….Master!]

‘Yes, I’m back.’

As I opened the door to my room at the inn, my three animal friends, who had sensed my movement and arrival, poked their heads out and welcomed me.

Perhaps thanks to borrowing my power, they had become able to adjust their size and bulk to some extent. They had reduced themselves to roughly the size between small and medium dogs, which allowed them to live comfortably in a human-sized room.

[Master! Master!]

‘Yes, Robo. Did you behave well?’

[Yeah! My brothers played with me!]

The one especially excited to see me was none other than Fenrir Robo.

Despite technically being a high-ranking wolf beast, he ran over to me like a puppy, begging to be petted.

[Hehehe……]

Of course, as this fluffy creature approached me with his soft fur swaying, I smiled warmly and stroked Robo. Then I naturally embraced him while taking out the pouch containing the rewards I had received.

A whole 20 gold coins, which are so valuable that they’re mainly used for trade rather than everyday transactions.

And 100 silver coins, which could be considered high-value currency that can be used for daily expenses.

This amount is undoubtedly enough to live extravagantly for about a year no matter where I go, and there should be no major problem using it as travel expenses for a journey that might last at least a few years.

So after briefly looking at the heavy pouch containing the gold coins, I scratched the neck of our tiny Fenrir Robo while carefully taking out the precious material gifted by the Viscount—a head feather from a Royal Griffin.

[……?!!]

[Master, what is…… that?]

[……??]

Unlike Robo, who was too young and still low-ranked to sense anything, Astra and Corin couldn’t hide their amazement at the overwhelming mystique emanating from this feather… and I felt the same way.

‘……..This is an extraordinary mystery.’

Royal Griffin. As a superior species of the Griffin, which is basically a mid-rank magical beast, this golden feather from a high-rank magical beast contains a truly terrifying level of mystical quality.

Although its internal magical power is minimal since it’s just a single feather from the head, the overwhelming wild mystique contained within it can be utilized in various ways.

Simply attaching it to the end of a suitable wooden stick would make it more efficient than most magic wands, at least for wild magic. I found myself pleasantly contemplating how best to use it.

I could simply attach it to my current staff as decoration to enhance wild magic. Or I could process it into a talisman to continuously grant me the effects of specific wild magic.

Or perhaps… it might be best to use this opportunity to replace this somewhat old bear skin cloak with a new one.

With that thought in mind, I decided to take immediate action.

‘Corin, please.’

[……..Robo, want to play tag with me?]

[Tag? ….Yeah! Sounds fun! Let’s play!]

As soon as I sent a mental wave to Corin while speaking to him, he understood perfectly and took Robo to another room under the pretext of playing with him.

And with Robo temporarily gone, following Corin, I took out something I absolutely couldn’t bring out in front of Robo—the fur of two mid-rank Fen Wolves, Robo’s parents.

No matter how conscienceless I might be, I would never show a child the sight of me processing his parents’ skin.

Anyway, aside from feeling somewhat awkward about it, the quality and value of the materials I had prepared were beyond what could be matched at the mid-rank level.

The mid-rank fur of Fen Wolves, which has no special characteristics except being durable and highly compatible with magical power, but which, for that very reason, allows the creator to freely imbue it with magical power according to their will.

And then there’s the head feather of a Royal Griffin, an ingredient of the highest quality that serves as a catalyst when permanently imbuing equipment with wild magic effects.

Of course, the compatibility between these two materials isn’t great, so I would need to harmonize them using silver deer horn extract and Fenrir fur that I had secretly collected during grooming sessions…

Even with this troublesome process, these mid-rank Fen Wolf skins and the Royal Griffin head feather are worth the effort.

Therefore, with Astra’s help, I began processing the fur into a cloak-cum-coat while simultaneously using Fen Wolf fur as an emulsifier to slowly absorb the Royal Griffin feather into the cloak that was beginning to take shape.

The wild magic I would imbue would be three spells to compensate for the lack of defense, a common weakness among most magic users, including druids.

‘Hardening Skin,’ which instantly maximizes physical defense when receiving an impact above a certain power, is just the beginning.

‘Carapace of Armadillo,’ one of the various enhancement spells of wild magic that significantly increases the defense of the target—in this case, the wearer of the cloak.

And ‘Turtle Shell,’ which forms a spherical magical barrier around the target, with durability proportional to the caster’s magical capacity.

With these three magical effects constantly applied, I should be able to guarantee a level of defense that would allow me to withstand most ordinary attacks with my bare body.

……Though I do feel somewhat sorry for Robo.

※ ※ ※

After I completely finished the mid-rank Fen Wolf skin cloak, I received two bottles of brandy that were delivered shortly thereafter. I wanted to deliver one of these bottles to my mother.

First, I was certain that given the inherently high difficulty of delivery in this world, it would be impossible to deliver it through normal means.

With delivery people worse than the most unreliable couriers in the real world, there’s a possibility that a delivery person who knows the value of Viscount Dehyu’s brandy might run off with it, or it could be damaged during shipping for various reasons.

Moreover, the greatest threat is the environment itself that might be encountered during delivery. The chances of a personal courier successfully completing a delivery after facing wild monsters or traversing the characteristically distant and treacherous environment are hardly high.

Therefore, the method I thought of was… somewhat forced but the most reliable: simply entrusting it to Corin, who would be better than any courier.

[Corin, I need a favor.]

‘Leave it to me, Master. This premium courier Corin will deliver it safely!’

Though he usually appears frivolous, Corin is actually my close friend who handles tasks more thoroughly than anyone when it matters. Additionally, as a Thunder Bird, a high-ranking mid-level magical beast, he could complete the delivery within days if he flies quickly without major interference.

So, trusting Corin, I directly entrusted him with delivering the brandy along with a handwritten letter.

‘Now, let’s depart.’

[Yes!]

Since Corin and I are connected by an animal friend contract and can locate each other, I assumed he would find his way back to me. I mounted Astra and began heading toward the Druid Conclave headquarters near the capital.

According to my mother, the Druid Conclave is located in the “Great Forest” near the capital of the Frankish Kingdom.

This forest, which has essentially turned “Great Forest” into a proper noun because the term suits it so well, is actually closer to a primeval forest, jungle, or magical realm than a simple forest.

Due to its high magical density, over 90% of the life forms inhabiting it are magical beasts, and the concentration of mystical energy has become so thick that the entire Great Forest has nearly established itself as an independently occurring otherworld.

An ordinary person without special magical training would be unable to breathe in the high magical density, and the internal ecosystem is so ferocious that there are said to be at least five high-rank magical beasts and an adult Green Dragon living there.

Moreover, as it transformed into an otherworld, the internal space became distorted and twisted, making the inside much larger than the outside, maintaining what is essentially a green hell despite being called a forest.

……..And I have to personally break through this forest with my bare body to find the headquarters of the Druid Conclave.