"Looks like it’s over there."
A Druid’s hermitage can’t be too far from human society because the basic necessities like food and drink still need to be replenished nearby.
"Why is there a red mark?"
Duncan noticed a red dot flashing on the boundary of the map, but before he could switch his view to examine it, it disappeared.
He went back to fetch the witch, and the two of them, stepping carefully, moved toward the wooden house.
The wooden house was unoccupied.
However, inside were some basic living supplies. Duncan did not stand on ceremony, finding some firewood to set alight, and the two of them huddled by the fire to warm up. Duncan skewered some jerky with his longsword, grilled it over the fire until it sizzled with oil, then handed a piece to the witch.
The witch gingerly took it and whispered, "Thank you."
Duncan put a piece of jerky in his mouth to chew on, his Northern Land war bow resting on his right side, ready for battle at any moment. He hadn’t eaten anything decent on this journey, and even the meal at the inn was barely passable.
He should seize a chance to catch some game for a feast.
This must be the Druid’s hermitage, as there were many mysterious symbols inside the wooden house, along with some strange and peculiar beast bone crafts that might be used for rituals.
Time passed uncertainly.
Outside, the sound of light footsteps reached them, and the witch turned to glance at him. Duncan also picked up his war bow and stood behind the door.
—Druid (Two-Star) [Neutral]!
Outside the door was a man with a bushy beard and hair resembling tree roots. He was tall and burly, draped in animal skins and wearing a deer antler helmet on his head. He held an oak shield in one hand and a one-handed hammer in the other, with a dagger hanging from his waist. His leg seemed injured, with faint traces of blood seeping through.
Duncan’s nose twitched, catching a distinct smell of rot.
The witch gestured to Duncan that there was no problem, then walked out of the wooden house and said, "Severus, you’re injured?"
The Druid approached the wooden house with a wary expression, but upon seeing the witch, his demeanor relaxed significantly. He bowed and said, "High Priestess Triss."
After the empire conquered Gaul, the belief in the forest deities was absorbed into the worship of Diana’s sect.
While the two were not subordinate to each other, they shared some connection, and later, Druids also appeared in the sect serving Diana.
Two-star unit, but not a silver-gray mark.
Less dangerous than the Eagle Shooter.
Probably not an elite creature.
So far, Duncan had encountered two people with different marks, one being the Demon Hunter-George, with three shining gold stars, and the other being the Eagle Shooter, with two silver-gray stars.
The witch softly asked, "What happened?"
The burly Druid set down his oak shield, hooked his one-handed hammer to his waist, took a deep breath, and said, "Ghoul."
"Those things used to appear mostly in Mesopotamia, so I have no idea why they’re near the Alps."
At this, Duncan’s ears perked up, the thrill of anticipation rising within him.
The witch also frowned at this, saying, "Did you deal with it?"
The Druid shook his head and said, "It got away."
"The village at the foot of the mountain requested me to find the creature desecrating graves. I’ve been tracking it for days, but somehow it still managed to escape."
With that, the Druid drew his dagger, cut away the rotting flesh from his wound, and wrapped it with herbs.
He spoke solemnly, "I owe a debt to the village."
"Lady Triss, I’m afraid your matter will have to wait until I’ve dealt with this creature."
At that moment, Duncan, who had been silent until then, suddenly spoke up, "Let us help you deal with it."
Monsters are far more rare than humans.
This chance must be seized actively. Duncan also wanted to know if defeating a monster could grant him any abilities.