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Sophia tried to calm her Qi as much as possible and cautiously spoke to the wisp.

“I apologize for intruding into the forest without permission. However, we came here because we have a request for the druid who commands you. We are willing to pay the price, so could you relay this to your ‘masters’?”

The Will-o’-Wisp was a summoned entity that could only be controlled when a druid and an alchemist worked together. The alchemist would use alchemical crystals to craft the wisp’s body, and the druid would imbue it with the will of nature to control it.

Therefore, if there was a Will-o’-Wisp, there must be a druid nearby, and there was also a high chance of finding traces of an alchemist.

This was why Sophia referred to “masters” rather than a single “master.” While the wisp’s spirit and will were under the druid’s domain, its physical maintenance fell under the alchemist’s responsibility. A Will-o’-Wisp without an alchemist was essentially a summoned entity with an expiration date.

Upon hearing Sophia’s words, the wisp buzzed and flickered several times before darting back and forth in front of her eyes. Then, it began to move in a certain direction.

[……?]

“Alright. It seems to be telling us to follow.”

Sophia followed the wisp as it led her deeper into the forest.

The wisp moved ahead without a clear direction. It went straight at times, turned right or left, and even seemed to circle around the same spot occasionally.

However, Sophia didn’t find this strange. She could sense that the path the wisp was taking was the correct one.

As she followed the wisp, Sophia thought to herself.

‘Now I understand why druids and alchemists have settled in this forest.’

It was a forest abundant in resources. Not just in the sense of having enough flora and fauna for a rural village to survive, but in a more mystical sense. The forest was rich in spiritual energy.

For any spellcaster engaged in some form of mysticism, casting spells in this forest would be unusually smooth. The resources needed for spells would be minimized, and accessing higher-level spells would become easier.

Materially, the forest was also rich. There were rare herbs with special medicinal properties, trees imbued with spirits, and veins of mica and obsidian, used as spell catalysts, exposed on the surface in slightly sloped areas.

Sophia was genuinely impressed. For a spellcaster, this place could be considered a paradise on earth. If she weren’t a clergy member of the Church Order but a spellcaster, she might have coveted ownership of such a bountiful land.

After walking for a while, the wisp suddenly stopped in front of a cliff. They had reached their destination.

Sophia carefully examined the cliff and realized it was an elaborate illusion created by druidic magic. Beyond the illusion, the druid she was seeking was likely waiting. As she expected, the wisp disappeared beyond the cliff, signaling her to follow through the illusion.

When Sophia stepped forward, the illusion rippled, revealing the scenery beyond.

There was a wide clearing with a massive oak tree in the center and a small hut beside it. As Sophia entered the clearing, a man and a woman emerged from the hut to greet her.

The two looked quite unique.

The man had a robust build, wearing pants with a cloth draped over them, but his upper body was bare, revealing muscular arms. His skin was adorned with blue tattoos of Ogham letters and strange patterns, and his face was painted with red and blue pigments around his eyes. He wore a headdress made of vines with pheasant feathers and a bear fur robe over his shoulders.

In his hand, he held a staff made from an oak branch, tipped with a deer antler. Sophia could sense a profound mysticism emanating from the man’s tattoos and staff.

The woman, though not as tall as the man, had a striking appearance. Her attire wasn’t particularly unusual, but she wore a clean, bright-colored robe over her clothes, and her hair was neatly arranged under a wide-brimmed hat of the same color.

Upon closer inspection, the robe and hat had stains from spilled potions and soot.

“Welcome. You must have had a hard time coming all the way to this remote forest. Despite being a Paladin, you seem to handle mysticism similar to us druids. This is a rare encounter.”

The man spoke in a gentlemanly manner, contrasting with his wild appearance. Sophia felt at ease and responded.

“It’s called Gias. A technique where one imposes restrictions on oneself through oaths and vows, gaining power in return.”

“Hmm. It would be rude to ask what oaths you’ve made.”

The man nodded in understanding and tapped the ground with his staff. Instantly, a table and chairs made of stone and living wood formed between Sophia and the couple.

“Please, have a seat. I don’t know why a Paladin of the Church Order would come to a remote forest to ask a mere druid for a favor, but let’s hear it. Kali, could you prepare some tea?”

“I already did, Setanta.”

As the druid named Setanta sat at the table, the alchemist woman named Kali brought out a teapot and stone-carved teacups, setting them for three.

Sophia also sat down, picked up her cup, and took a sip. She let out a soft sigh of admiration.

“This is a rare tea. At first, it seemed almost scentless, but after a sip, the rich aroma condensed and became apparent.”

“Hehe, it’s a specialty. My main craft is alchemy, but I also enjoy enriching tea time. Personally, I think brewing tea and alchemy share many similarities.”

“I’m not an alchemist, but I can agree with that. A skilled tea master and an alchemist do share many similarities.”

“Hmm. I haven’t met many alchemists besides Kali, but her tea time certainly has a fulfilling quality. It’s distinctly different from a druid’s tea time.”

Thanks to the alchemist’s specialty, the atmosphere at the table became quite relaxed. Eventually, Sophia explained why she had come to seek them out.

As her story unfolded, the couple’s expressions grew increasingly serious. When Sophia finished, the druid spoke with a grave expression.

“So, the contamination of the water veins has caused a plague to spread in the nearby villages. This is truly heavy news. If not handled properly, it could even affect this forest, couldn’t it?”

“Most likely. To be honest, the water vein passing by that city flows through Northeastern Franquia, the Duchy of Briconneau, and the western fiefdoms of the Holy Griffin Empire. It would be hard for this forest to remain unaffected. If mishandled, it could become a significant disaster.”

“This is a serious problem. What a troublesome situation.”

In the midst of this tense atmosphere, Sophia cautiously asked.

“That’s precisely why I came to ask for your help. Would it be difficult?”

In response to Sophia’s question, Setanta made a troubled expression.

“Actually, Kali and I are currently unable to leave the forest.”

“What do you mean?”

“This ‘Ogma’s Forest’ is a sacred land for druids, runecasters, and alchemists. And as you know, such lands…”

“Have spirits that protect the land and ensure the mysticism doesn’t deplete. Has something happened to the spirit?”

“Exactly. Originally, the spirit of Ogma’s Oak Tree was responsible for this, but recently, the spirit has fallen into a deep slumber for some reason.”

“Kali and I were sent here temporarily to guard and manage the forest. It’s already been 15 years…”

As it turned out, Setanta was a druid dispatched from the northern island nation of Erin, and Kali was an alchemist from southern Rotaringia.

The two had met in this forest after being assigned as guardians by their respective orders and had been here for 15 years. What were once a young boy and girl were now approaching middle age.

“But what about the runecaster?”

“Actually, both Kali and I have some expertise in runic letters. We’ve also been involved with the Runecaster Association.”

“We had heard of each other’s reputations as runecasters before meeting here in the forest.”

Thanks to this, they had worked well together since their first meeting, Kali said with a smile. Hearing this, Sophia felt even more regretful. These two were exceptionally talented individuals, even by her standards. If she could have their help, the water vein issue could be easily resolved.

“Hmm. Thinking about it, do we really need to personally handle the purification of the water veins?”

“What do you mean, Setanta?”

“Well, Kali. If we think about it, it might take another 15 years before we can leave this forest.”

“That’s… true.”

“So, what if we send Conra? What do you think?”

“Are you serious?”

Suddenly, as the conversation took a turn only they understood, Sophia tilted her head. Conra? Who was Conra?

“Ah, sorry for talking among ourselves. Regarding your request, if you agree to one condition, we might be able to help.”

“Hmm, what condition are you proposing?”

“Well, during our time here, we had a bit of an accident.”

“Somehow, we ended up having a child.”

“While raising the child, we realized something.”

Suddenly, Sophia noticed the proud expressions on Setanta and Kali’s faces. Despite talking about an “accident,” they looked like parents boasting about their child.

Somehow, Sophia had a feeling she knew where this was going, but she decided to ask politely.

“What did you realize?”

“That our child is a tremendous genius.”

Of course. Sophia internally wanted to facepalm.

“Hmm. You don’t seem to believe me. But our son truly is a genius. He’s absorbed almost everything we’ve taught him. Druidism, alchemy, runic letters, and even the martial arts of Fena Erin and the guild swordsmanship of Rotaringia. He’s a real prodigy.”

Well, if what he said was true, this Conra kid was indeed a genius. Sophia nodded and asked.

“So, what do you want from me?”

“Well, it seems we won’t be able to leave the forest for a while.”

“This might be a bit embarrassing to ask, but could you take Conra with you for the time being? It doesn’t seem right to keep him confined to the forest for another 15 years.”

“It won’t be a burden. Conra is capable enough to handle himself. He could help with the water vein purification and more.”

What to do? The situation seemed to be taking an odd turn. Sophia internally broke into a cold sweat. But what could she do? She was the one asking for help, and this was the solution the couple proposed.

If Conra was as capable as they claimed, perhaps he alone could handle the water vein purification without needing the couple.

Resigned, Sophia cautiously asked.

“So, how old is this Conra?”

Setanta answered proudly.

“He’s eleven this year.”

“What――!?”

Of course.

Conra, the son the druid and alchemist couple wanted to entrust to Sophia, was just an eleven-year-old boy.

 

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