I Became a Druid in Another World

I crept closer to the whispering maids, wiped my lemon-juice-stained feet on a clump of fur, and then hid inside a sack filled with potatoes.

"Did she come by again?"

"Yes. She looked terrible, like she hasn't been able to sleep."

"Oh, of course. Who wouldn't be like that? Her precious daughter just disappeared…"

"Shh, watch what you say."

The maid who was wiping a plate with a cloth clamped her hand over the other maid's mouth. The silenced maid frowned but lowered her voice even more as she continued whispering.

"Well, I'm not wrong, am I? Annie did 'disappear'…"

"But you know we're not supposed to say it like that."

"Then what should we call it? Are we supposed to say like 'he' put it, that Annie ran off after stealing the ring?"

"..…"

"You know as well as I do that Annie wasn't that kind of person. And if she really did steal such a valuable ring and run away…"

"Shh!"

"Then why aren't they even looking for her? Why did they pay her father off instead?"

"I told you to stop talking! Don't you understand what 'shh' means?"

"I know. But if I don't say it out loud, I feel like I might just burst."

"If you keep talking, you might actually get killed. Just like Annie!"

"So, you think Annie's dead too, don't you?"

"....!"

The maids fell silent for a moment. I too held my breath (though how loud could a mouse's breathing really be?) and quietly observed the two of them.

"…Annie entered Lord Dawood's bedroom without permission. And then she stole his precious ring and ran off. That's the truth."

"It's true that Annie brought him his dinner; we all saw that. But no one saw her leaving Lord Dawood's bedroom. So how could she have 'run away'?"

"..."

"Could you leave the castle without anyone noticing?"

"..."

"What really happened in there?"

"We're not supposed to wonder."

"Oh, Annie. I miss her so much…"

"…I do too."

The two of them set down the plates they were drying and hugged each other briefly; their eyes were filled with tears. Then, as if afraid of being seen, they quickly wiped away their tears and resumed drying the dishes.

"What should we tell Annie's mother?"

"…Say nothing. Nothing at all."

"But…"

"Remember, we are without eyes, without ears, and without mouths."

"When the Lord was healthy, Corin wasn't like this…"

"..."

"Lord Dawood has changed somehow."

"…Yes. Just a few months ago, he was so kind."

"In my opinion, maybe…"

Just as one of the maids was about to talk about Dawood, a heavy footstep echoed nearby. A large bald man was approaching the maids, and judging by his attire, he seemed to be a cook. The maids heard his footsteps and quickly clammed up.

"What are you all gossiping about here?"

At his blunt words, the maids scattered like startled sparrows. Ah, if only I'd caught on to what she wanted to say after that "maybe"! Whether I regretted it or not, the cook reached out his hand and…

Thunk!

He grabbed a sack of potatoes and began dragging it away! In that instant, I tumbled and rolled helplessly among the potatoes. Wait, wait! There's a person—or rather, a mouse in here! Desperately, I flailed between the potatoes and tried to wriggle out of the sack.

Damn it!

But the man had already gripped the top of the sack tightly, leaving no escape. What was I supposed to do?! If I got caught, it would be the same as a death sentence! A cook and a mouse being friends only happens in movies; in reality, it's an impossible dream!

– Squeak! Squeak!

I let out a scream as I jumped from one potato to the next, being bumped from side to side. My head spun as I realized that I had to escape quickly…

– Squeak!

Then, I heard it.

Between the potatoes that felt like boulders to a mouse like me, there was a familiar sound.

– Gnaw gnaw gnaw gnaw…

– Gnaw gnaw gnaw gnaw…

The sound of small front teeth gnawing away at the potato sack.

Other mice had found me after hearing my cry!

They gnawed away at the potato sack with careful but impressive speed, even risking being caught by the cook all to save me. I knew that mice lived in groups, but I hadn't expected them to take such a risk for me. It was probably due to the [Affinity] skill, but it was still touching. With every ounce of strength I could muster, I pushed through the potatoes toward the hole they chewed open.

– Squeak!

– Squeak squeak!

Through a gap the size of a coin, I could see their little noses poking through. They were busy gnawing at the sack with their front teeth so that I could escape. I clung to their outstretched paws and squeezed through the hole.

– Squeak!

With whiskers bristling and noses twitching, the mice dashed swiftly toward the wall. It seemed there was a passage there, connecting the kitchen to their lair.

"Potatoes… no, mice! Mice!"

– Squeak!!

The cook shouted and raised a massive butcher's knife that glistened with an icy sheen. Oh, no. I scrambled after the mice and made a dash for the hole. Snap! Splat! Thud! A series of chaotic sounds erupted behind me. And then, just in the nick of time…

– Squeak!

Safe. I slipped into the mouse hole with a spectacular slide. Whew, that was close. I knew it; there's no such thing as friendship between a cook and a mouse… As I caught my breath in relief, I felt a sharp gaze on me. It was the mice who had saved me.

– Squeeeak!!!!

Turns out that there comes a time in life when you end up being scolded by mice. I bowed my head quietly and continued listening to their lecture. Not that I could understand a word of it.

– Squeak…

After hearing them out with what I hoped was a suitably remorseful expression, I trudged along, following their tails.

In any case, it's worth investigating the story about the maid disappearing after going to Dawood's bedroom.

Dawood might have used her as a test subject before he turned his father into a "Frozen Soul" or sacrificed her for something else.

I'll need to check out Dawood's bedroom.

***

El made sure the door was securely shut, then slowly looked around the room.

"..."

Dawood's bedroom didn't look much different from any other noble's chambers. There was a wide window, a small desk in one corner (small by noble standards), an opulent bed, an intricately carved wardrobe, a fancy-looking mirror, paintings on the walls, and a bookshelf packed with books. The very symbol of a true noble.

El thought back to her own bedroom. Or rather, to Elizabeth Reinhardt's bedroom. That room wasn't too different from Dawood's either. Where Dawood's bedroom had the bull, the emblem of House Corin, her old room had the lion, the emblem of House Reinhardt. That was about the only difference.

Nothing special stands out…

If her master was here, could he have found something in this room? The answer was undoubtedly "yes". Theodore always found a way. Conducting an investigation this important on her own only reminded her of how remarkable he truly was.

I just wish I could be helpful, too.

Her master always assured El, "You're a great help," but El couldn't see herself that way. After all, Theodore had Lloyd whose skills were immeasurable; Ayla, with abilities beyond human limits; and even Legion, a dragon, at his side.

…Even now, look. I've gotten this far, and I still haven't found anything.

She searched under the bed, through the drawers, and inside the wardrobe, but found nothing—not even a speck of dust. The room was so empty she wondered if anyone actually lived there.

Think, El! Just think!

She wasn't asking herself to be as capable as her master, but she had to at least try. El looked around with the urge to pull her hair in frustration. Apart from the stars beginning to appear in the darkened sky outside, nothing caught her eye.

Maybe… the paintings?

El tried to think like Theodore would. She checked behind the paintings and lifted the bull hide rug that lay on the floor, but there wasn't a single hidden mechanism. How did her master manage to find these secret devices so effortlessly? El let out a long, deep sigh.

"Haah…"

As her sigh trailed off and she turned her head, she saw herself in the mirror. The reflection showed a very different side of her: a neatly arranged skirt instead of her usual heavy armor and a duster in her hand instead of a sword.

Honestly, I'd rather be swinging a sword till I collapse.

El walked slowly toward the mirror. One step, then another. Even though the reflection was her own, it felt strangely unfamiliar. Was it because of her different attire? Or was it the change in her expression? Or perhaps… something else.

She stood in front of the mirror and stared intently at herself. Though a bit fancy, it was just an ordinary mirror. But for some reason, she couldn't take her eyes off the mirror, though she couldn't quite understand why.

"...."

"Can I really do this alone?" She remembered asking Theodore that question. Back then, he had answered, "Of course".

– Like you, Master?

– Yes. You'll be able to understand, just like I do.

– But…

– Don't worry. I'll be watching over you.

– Watching over you…

Those final words felt somehow distant now.

…Yes, I can do this too.

Without breaking her gaze, El slowly raised her hand. The girl in the mirror also raised her hand. Of course. It was a "mirror".

Cautiously, El placed her hand on the glass.

"...!"

At that moment, El sensed something "strange". If not for the bloodline of Reinhardt and her sharp instincts honed by Theodore and Lloyd's training, she might have missed it entirely.

It moved!

The eyes of her reflection had shifted. Unlike El, who was looking at her fingertips, the reflection was staring directly at her, at El standing outside the mirror. For a moment, she held her breath.

Then—

– Ripple…!

The mirror beneath her hand began to ripple as if it were the surface of water. It seemed ready to surge forward and swallow her up at any moment.