Chapter 68 — A Druid?

After the farce just now, he had a rather serious distrust of this little old man with the hermit aesthetic.

But the little old man only smiled faintly, drew an unremarkable seed from his bosom, and tossed it carelessly onto the ground. Then he took a cup of water from the nearby table and poured a little onto the earth, and began to mutter an incantation. Moments later, a ripple of green light spread out from where the seed had fallen.

The seed sprouted at a speed visible to the naked eye—only a tiny sprout, but it opened Gao Yang's eyes wide.

"See, see! He is a druid!" Amber immediately began hollering. "Now let go of me! It hurts!"

Gao Yang released the half-elf's ear, dazed, then looked at the little old man with a strange expression. "So you really are a druid... but what was all that about being an antique appraiser?"

"I truly was a druid in my younger days, of the true Heart of the Forest school," the little old man said, puffing out his chest slightly with pride. "But antique appraising is my profession as well. You might say that across the whole southern realm, there are scarcely a few antique appraisers better than me."

Gao Yang felt utterly baffled. "A druid who studies flowers, birds, fish, and insects, and an appraiser who studies antiques—how did you manage to combine two professions that have nothing to do with each other?"

"Mainly, no money," the little old man said, spreading his hands. "Being a druid pays too poorly, so I took up a side business. And I'll have you know, my abilities don't stop at those two—if you're short a cook around here, I also know a thing or two about roasting and making soups..."

This time Gao Yang's mouth was not the only thing twitching; even the corner of his brow gave a couple of involuntary jerks. "So as long as the price is right, you'll do fortune-telling too?"

The little old man stroked his beard. "That depends on how much you're paying. If the price is right, I can learn it on the spot."

Gao Yang looked to the heavens and sighed, thinking to himself that this was exactly what one would expect from someone Amber had brought back. Developments like this were simply logical and inevitable. He had neither underestimated Amber's integrity nor overestimated her character. This "agricultural expert" fit Amber's standards of conduct to perfection.

A fellow with not a single dependable bone in his body, and yet a genuine druid all the same.

"So... he's passable, isn't he?" Amber watched Gao Song's reaction nervously and only dared to speak after a long pause. "At least the druid part is real."

"Better than nothing," Gao Yang sighed, then lowered his gaze to the little old man. "From today on, you are the druid of the Cecil Territory, and I will pay you appropriately... What rank are you?"

"A third-rank druid of the Heart of the Forest school, and a third-rank enchanted herbalist as well," the little old man said with a cheerful grin. "And a rather good barbecue chef besides. Are you sure you won't reconsider?"

Gao Yang's mouth twitched. "No. I already have a maid who cooks well. I will pay you at the standard rate for hiring a third-rank formal spellcaster, but only on the condition that you first refine a batch of growth-promoting potions to prove yourself. We will provide the materials and tools."

The little old man nodded repeatedly in satisfaction. "Of course, of course."