I Became a Druid in Another World

– Clunk!

The doorknob turned. I pushed the door open carefully but with all my strength. It was lighter than expected and opened far more easily. As if there were no hidden mechanisms at all.

– Creeeak…

A perfectly ordinary, old door opened with that sound. I peered inside. According to Louis, there should have been "empty space" beyond. However, what lay before me…

"This… this is…"

It was astonishing.

The inside of the door was half the size of the office, but since the office was so big, it was by no means small. A bull hide that was likely meant to match the hunting trophies in the office covered the floor.

With no windows in the space, the walls were lined with large and small candles in neat rows. These candles ignited the moment the door opened; they were likely enchanted with some sort of magical power. After all, leaving regular candles unattended could lead to who knows what.

In any case, the space inside was much neater than the office, and rather than showing off its grandeur, it had a simple and comfortable atmosphere. There was a small desk, several drawers, and two swords that seemed to be family heirlooms crossed on the wall. I also noticed an expensive-looking coffin adorned with brilliant jewels.

This isn't what I'm looking for.

Right. I hadn't come here just to admire the Corin family heirlooms. What I was searching for was the source of this strange, unsettling feeling. It was hidden somewhere in this place, without a doubt. This was the perfect spot for concealing something.

I looked around for quite a while. Nothing unusual. It was just like the office.

Where could it be hidden?

My eyes caught on the bull hide covering the floor.

The bull was the key in the office as well.

It might serve as the key here too. I grabbed the bull hide and lifted it. And then…

Of course.

There it was, a square groove in the dark wood floor. I got down on one knee and felt along the groove. A bull symbol was carved into it, with one horn polished and gleaming, just like the hunting trophy in the office.

This had to be it. Without hesitation, I pressed down on the engraved horn.

Click!

The floor opened. And a square space appeared. The space was emitting a cold air like ice, and this air was not ordinary. I cautiously reached inside. My gloves seemed to tighten slightly, but then it felt normal again.

I felt a bone-chilling cold air moving between my fingers. It was an unpleasant feeling. For now, I grabbed what I could get my hands on. The Corin family seal, a secret map of the castle, a royal insignia that looked to be bestowed by the king, ancient Ansgar gold coins, and then…

".…..!"

The moment it landed in my hand with a thud, I involuntarily held my breath. This was the source of that eerie and bone-chilling cold I felt all along. Though I hadn't even looked at it yet, I knew exactly what it was.

A frozen soul…!

Yes.

A soul separated from its body, created through a forbidden ancient spell that split the physical form from the soul. To keep the soul tethered to this world, the soul had to be frozen so that it could not return to its own body or ascend. By freezing it this way, one could possess the soul without drawing the attention of the gods.

But this spell… it's one that only a warlock could use.

That was right. The spell required to create a frozen soul wasn't something an ordinary wizard could handle. Only corrupted wizards who had made pacts with demons—the warlocks—were able to wield it…

…The Crows, then.

A sharp pain pulsed through my head. Somehow, I felt a chill clawing down my spine. Was my body actually trembling?

"Theodore, are you alright?"

Just then, Lloyd grasped my trembling shoulder. Without hesitation, he took the frozen soul from my hand and placed it down on the floor. Only then did I manage to stop shaking and collect myself.

– Ooooooooh…

The frozen soul released a low, ghastly wail. It was a creepy, agonized sound that made every hair on my body stand on end.

"What… on earth is that?"

Louis asked, and I couldn't answer right away. I held back in silence for a moment before finally speaking.

"…It's called a frozen soul. A forbidden spell was used to separate the soul from the body."

"Th-That kind of horrific thing, why on earth is it here…?"

"….…"

I swallowed hard, then cautiously reached out and lifted the frozen soul. More precisely, I lifted the glass bottle containing it. Frost clung to the inside of the glass, where a small vortex swirled and stilled over and over. I focused and followed the movement of the vortex.

"...!"

Just as I thought.

The "frozen soul" was…

None other than the lord of Corin.

Louis's father.

They said Louis's father seemed in better condition than one would expect from someone who'd suffered a fall from horseback.

Only… he simply hadn't woken up.

Now everything made sense. Despite suffering a fall that should have left him half dead, the lord's body was unharmed, but he remained unconscious.

He had been separated from his soul through the frozen soul spell.

But why…

Was it because they couldn't bring themselves to kill him?

No, that couldn't be. It made no sense. Becoming a frozen soul was a fate worse than dying a dozen times over.

That left just one remaining possibility.

They must have had a purpose for this soul.

For Dawood, there was nothing to lose. This way, there would be no chaotic incidents stemming from the Lord's sudden death, and for now, Dawood as the heir would take his place. By clinging to the excuse that "Father might wake up any day now" he could eventually settle into the lord's seat without resistance. Since a body without a soul would gradually weaken until its final breath, it would also be perfect for staging a "death" without arousing suspicion.

"..."

I hesitated briefly. I wasn't sure what Louis might do if I told him this "frozen soul" was his father. I glanced over at Lloyd first, then gestured toward Louis with my eyes. Lloyd nodded and moved to stand by Louis.

"Louis."

I cautiously began to speak. No matter how carefully I put it, it wouldn't lessen the shock for him.

"This is…"

"..."

"It's your father's soul."

"...!"

Louis's brown eyes gradually widened, his mouth hanging half-open. He stared at me in disbelief, as if he simply couldn't accept it.

"What do you mean…"

Louis's face, which had looked dazed, suddenly shifted. It was now filled with shock, horror, and finally, fury.

"What the hell are you talking about!!!!"

Louis yelled and lunged at me—or rather, at the "frozen soul". Fortunately, as I had signaled, Lloyd intercepted him and held him firmly. Standing behind Louis, Lloyd held him so tightly that he couldn't move. Louis struggled and gritted his teeth, but it was no use.

"Let go, Lloyd!"

"Louis. Calm down. Losing control won't change anything."

"Shut up!"

"Think this through rationally. Theodore isn't the one who put your father in this state."

"That's…!"

"Don't be foolish. If you mess things up now, you might never get the chance to save your father."

"....!"

Louis, who had been panting in frustration, finally took a deep breath and let his body go limp. With that, Lloyd released him. Then I spoke to him.

"Lloyd is right."

I returned the frozen soul to its original place. Instantly, Louis's furious voice rang out again.

"What on earth do you think you're doing?!"

"Louis. Think rationally. I know how much you care about your father, but if we take this outside now…"

"....."

"Their forces will notice our infiltration. When that happens, that's when your father will truly be in danger."

"Damn it, hell! Dawood, why are you doing this?!"

"Shh. Keep your voice down; you never know who might be listening."

"…Khuh…"

"I don't know if it'll be any comfort, but your father seems to be in fairly good shape… if we can thwart their plans while he holds out, that should be enough."

"Father…"

The Lord of Corrin was a strong man; he'd hold out longer than most. That's why he still seemed stable now. Of course, the longer he remained separated from his soul, the more his body would weaken…

…We just need to save him before that happens.

Watching this grown man tearfully whisper the word "Father" made something ache deep within me. Right. If it were my father in that state, I'd be losing my mind too. I understood Louis's feelings. But…

Regrettably, there's nothing we can do for now.

Louis was in no condition to pay attention to the details. So I had to. I took out the old book and opened it, copied the spell etched on the glass jar containing the frozen soul, transcribed the letters below it, studied the Ansgar coins closely, and noted the year and the number of coins engraved. Copying them all was far from accurate, and it would be best to take them out and examine them thoroughly, but that wasn't possible. Like I told Louis, they would discover our infiltration.

…This much will have to be enough.

Swallowing my feelings of regret, I closed the lid again and covered it with bull hide. Then I took a moment to make sure this hidden space looked exactly as it had before.

"How does it look, El?"

"It's exactly the same as when we came in, Master. The bull hide is placed perfectly, just like before. No one will know we were here."

"That's a relief…"

But the unease wouldn't leave me. Was it the ominous atmosphere of this place, or…

Did I miss something?

Either way, we couldn't stay any longer. If this place was truly important, the longer we lingered, the more likely we'd be discovered.

I gave Lloyd a slight nod. He understood and helped Louis, who was still weak, to his feet.

"We should get out of here."

We left the secret room.

– Crrrrreeaak…

When I pulled the bull's horn back, a heavy dismal sound filled the air, and the portrait slid back into its original position.

– Thud!

Now, we had to get out of here.