Chapter 188:
Druid’s Announcement
“Good morning!” I opened the door of the shop and greeted everyone. Okay, let’s put in another good day’s work.
“Good morning, Ivy.” Greeting me with a smile was Druid… Wait, huh?
“Weren’t you going to go help your old mentor today?”
“Huh? Oh, no… Though I did tell the guild master first thing this morning what his plan was.”
Huh… I had braced myself for an extra-busy day of work without Druid, so I was really relieved to see him. I was ready to do whatever it took…but to be honest, I was quite insecure about it.
“After how busy this place got yesterday, there was no way I could run out on you now.”
That was Druid’s character in a nutshell: He was fully committed to doing what needed to be done.
“Oh!” an unfamiliar voice yelped.
I looked in its direction…and saw Dolgas the troublemaker emerge from the back of the shop.
I got it right! That’s the first time I thought of Dolgas’s name on the first try! As I stood there, silently rejoicing…I realized the air
around me was quite heavy. What happened to the light, bright morning cheer?
“Oh, good morning, dear,” Druid’s mother said, emerging from the back with a large sack in her arms.
“Good morning, ma’am.”
“Druid, thanks for helping out again today. Dolgas, if you’re not working, then stay in the house or get out. You’re in the way.”
The cool, unfazed way his mother just told him he was in the way with a smile on her face…she was not a woman to be crossed. It looked like her daughter-in-law wasn’t the only one.
“But Mom!”
“What did I tell you yesterday? Nobody is willing to put up with your crap anymore. Just grow up already.”
Er…I should make myself scarce, right? But the mother and son were blocking the way to the back of the shop. Maybe I should leave? I glanced at Druid. Oh! He looks terribly uncomfortable. He was trying desperately to act normal, but his face was a convulsing mess.
“But why…” Dolgas whimpered, listlessly hanging his head.
“Everybody goes through hard times. That’s how we learn and grow. I know that losing your stars was very hard for you, Dolgas. But you have your health and a family who supports you. You need to appreciate just how blessed you really are. I’ve told you so more times than I can count, remember? It’s high time you finally give what I’ve said some serious thought.”
Not showing a hint of anger, Dolgas quietly slipped into the back of the shop. He was probably going back home.
“Sorry you had to see that,” the shop mistress apologized.
“It’s okay, ma’am.” The Dolgas I’d just seen was different from the last time I’d encountered him. I only hoped he was moving in a good direction.
“He really hurt you, too, didn’t he, Druid?”
The word “hurt” gave me pause. All I’d seen on Druid’s face earlier was a look of hyper-bewilderment.
“I’m fine, Mom. I’ve done some growing up, too.”
“Huh?! Oh…yes, you have. Hee hee, perhaps we have Ivy to thank for that?”
Huh?! Me? Er, but I didn’t do anything.
“Yeah, we do have Ivy to thank for that. That reminds me, Mom, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“I’m thinking of joining Ivy on her travels. Wait, that’s not quite right. I’m going to join Ivy on her travels. I want to see the world with her.”
Huh? I asked him to come travel with me, right? But from the way Druid phrased it, things sounded a bit…different?
“Oh, really? Ivy, are you sure you’re okay with that? Won’t his missing arm be a liability?”
Told you she wasn’t a woman to be crossed.
“It’s not a problem. In fact, I actually asked him to come with me.”
“Really? Well, I hope you’ll make good use of him, if you can.”
“Er, that’s not quite what I meant…” I didn’t exactly ask him to join me on my journey so I could order him around. Druid’s mother cheerfully finished her task and returned to the back of the shop.
“I really am grateful to you, Ivy.”
“Huh?!” I looked at Druid in surprise. There was a serious look in his eyes as he stared down at me. There was something different about it…and it made me feel a little nervous.
“Since you found the blessed incense, we figured out that this whole thing was orchestrated by my client. So you spared me a huge debt that I’d have had to pay off with slavery. Thank you.”
Oh. So that’s what he meant. Thank goodness.
“Also, I still hadn’t given you a proper answer yet. Thanks for choosing me to come with you on your travels. I’m excited to join you.”
He still hadn’t given me an answer? But he’d said earlier that he had to “get back in shape before we go traveling,” so I’d just assumed he was coming with me.
“I’m excited to go with you, too,” I said with a little bow. Druid bowed back at me as well. It felt kind of silly being all polite like that.
“Once the gurbar and ryce problems are sorted out, can you gather everything we’ll need for our journey?”
“Yes. I can’t wait.”
“But we’ll have to make it through today first…”
Right. We may have settled that Druid was going to travel with me…but we needed to make it through today’s rush first!
“Here you go, trooper,” Druid said, handing me a drink.
I was in the break room, drained and barely able to move, just like the day before.
“Thanks. What a crowd we had today, huh?”
After our rush from the day before, I was worried about how many customers we’d get today, since I’d assumed the same people wouldn’t come two days in a row. But the first customers who bounded into the shop as soon as we opened were the same kids from yesterday who’d sung the onigiri’s praises in front of the store. And they’d brought their friends this time, so we were even busier than the day before. And once the kids tapered off, the adults came flocking in and…until just a little while ago, the shop was constantly packed.
“Yeah. It was busier than I expected.”
“It sure was.”
The succession of hectic days was starting to push my body to its limit. My legs were like putty… Could I even make it back to the plaza?
“Oh, there you are. Here’s your wages from the last two days. You really rescued me there. I had no idea we were going to be this busy. You and Druid completely saved our hides, Ivy. Thank you.”
Druid’s father handed us each a slip of paper. I just stared at my own slip in confusion while Druid picked his up beside me. Noticing this, I nervously grabbed mine, too. The paper had the name of the shop written on it as well as the words “total pay.” I assumed those were our wages. Druid’s father immediately returned to the back of the shop after we took the papers—I guess he was busy.
“Um, Mr. Druid, are these our wages?”
“First time?”
It was my first time receiving payment in the form of a check. “Yes, it is.”
“Oh. Well, if you take this slip to the guild, they’ll change it into money for you.”
“Really? Wow, that’s neat.”
“They can transfer it directly to your account if you want.”
Hey, that’s great! But the paper says five gidals on it… “Mr. Druid, um, isn’t this too much?”
“No, he probably took the rush into account. If you want more, you can always negotiate.”
“Oh, no, sir!” I frantically objected.
“Ha ha ha!”
I guess he was teasing me. Ugh.
“Oh, there you are!” Shurila popped her head into the break room. “Can you both stay for dinner this time?”
“Sorry, but once I get my energy back, I have to go back to the plaza.” I wanted to take Sora and Flame out of their bag.
“Awww, really? Too bad. Okay, I’ll just make you another boxed meal like I did last night.”
“Oh, wait! Can I please have less food this time? I still have some left over from yesterday.” I’d eaten some of the leftovers for breakfast, but there was still a lot remaining.
“Ivy, you have to be sure you eat enough.”
“Enough” is good and all…but not even at my hungriest can I possibly eat two adult portions!
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login