Chương 31: Bonus story : The Druids' Guild: Part 1: The Druids' Sanctuary

Emma met Aldric outside his hotel late that morning. As usual, they set off for a walk through the streets of Paris. The knight used each of these outings to observe the city and ask countless questions. They had already wandered through several streets when Emma suddenly came to a stop.

"Damn..."

"Something wrong?"

"I just remembered I'm almost out of food for dinner." She pointed to a small grocery store on the other side of the street.

"It'll only take a few minutes." Aldric looked up at the storefront. It looked nothing like the modern shops he had visited so far. The facade was clad in pale wood, climbing plants framed the display windows, and bunches of dried flowers hung beneath the awning. Several wicker baskets filled with fruits and vegetables stood outside the entrance, alongside a number of chalkboards covered in neat white writing.

"We're stocking up here?"

"Yeah. For three or four things, it's more than enough." The knight followed her, curious to discover yet another type of establishment in this world. His gaze eventually rose to the sign above the entrance: Nature, Wellness, Harmony.

"A sanctuary..."

"It's just an organic grocery store." Emma finally pushed the door open. A small bell chimed overhead, immediately followed by soft music that contrasted with the noise of the street outside. The air carried the scent of fresh herbs and essential oils, mingled with the smell of polished wood. All around him, the shelves were built from unfinished timber. Green plants hung from the ceiling, bouquets of dried flowers decorated the corners, and small messages had been written on chalkboard signs.

His attention then shifted to the employees. Every one of them wore linen or cotton clothing beneath beige aprons.

"We've entered a guild of druids."

"Not even close."

"Look around you."

"I am looking. It's an organic grocery store." But Aldric no longer seemed to be listening. His gaze wandered through every corner of the shop, taking in the smallest detail. The longer he observed the place, the more convinced he became that his first impression had been correct. Everything radiated nature. Plants filled every empty space, and wood dominated the entire interior. In his former world, druids lived far from cities, deep within vast sacred forests.

They built their sanctuaries from the materials nature provided, cultivated medicinal herbs, and welcomed those who came seeking their advice or remedies. True, this shop stood in the middle of a modern city, but the similarities were far too numerous to be mere coincidence. Emma picked up a wicker basket near the entrance.

"Coming?" Aldric nodded absentmindedly without taking his eyes off the shop. In his mind, there was no longer the slightest doubt that he had discovered something exceptionally rare. A genuine guild of druids. His gaze first settled on an elderly woman holding a bundle of thyme. She raised the leaves to her face, inhaled their fragrance deeply, then closed her eyes for a few seconds before setting the bundle down and picking up another.

She repeated the exact same movements with a level of concentration that earned Aldric's respect. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. In his former world, experienced healers could judge the quality of a medicinal herb by its scent alone. They distinguished the most potent herbs from ordinary ones without ever needing to taste them. He watched the woman compare several bundles before finally choosing the one that satisfied her.

"She's testing the potency of her medicinal herbs..." A little farther away, a man was studying a shelf of herbal teas. He picked up one package, read every line on the label, put it back, then reached for another. Aldric followed his every movement. Memories resurfaced of the long evenings he had spent beside the kingdom's apothecaries. Before preparing a decoction, they always examined each ingredient with the same patience, carefully studying its properties before deciding which ones to combine.

The man eventually placed two different packages into his basket.

"He's carefully selecting the ingredients for his remedies..." A few feet away, two women stood talking in front of a shelf filled with dried herbs.

"This one's better for sleep," the first explained.

"I prefer the one that relieves stress," the other replied.

"It works much faster for me." He was about to continue on his way when an employee approached a customer who seemed unable to choose between several packages.

"Can I help you find something?"

"Yes. I'd like to strengthen my natural defenses." The employee thought for a moment before pointing to one of the herbs.

"This one works very well. A lot of our customers swear by it." Natural defenses. Aldric knew that expression. The healers of his order often spoke of the body's natural defenses when trying to prevent illness from taking hold. His gaze swept across the entire shop. Herbs for sleep. Others for emotional balance. Some strengthened the body's natural defenses. Others seemed to restore energy. Since entering the store, he had heard nothing but discussions of healing, remedies, and plants.

Emma eventually returned to his side.

"What are you looking at?"

"Do the druids of your kingdom teach their knowledge to everyone?"

"Aldric... they're still not druids."

"But..."

"No." She was about to continue when a man walking past turned to his companion.

"Honestly, this place has the best natural products in the whole city." Aldric immediately turned toward him. The knight placed his fist over his chest before inclining his head respectfully. The man, caught off guard by the unexpected salute, burst into laughter.

"Nice costume!"

"Thank you," Aldric replied. The customer gave him an amused smile before continuing his shopping. Emma resumed her shopping, moving from aisle to aisle while Aldric followed at a slower pace. By now, however, his attention was no longer on the products themselves. For several minutes, what had truly fascinated him was no longer what filled the shelves, but the people working in this unusual shop. Not a single employee seemed to hesitate when a customer approached for advice.

They all responded with the same calm confidence and, above all, an astonishing knowledge of herbs, oils, seeds, and herbal infusions. They seemed capable of recommending the right product without ever consulting a single reference. In his former world, only the most experienced druids possessed such mastery of botany. Young apprentices spent years memorizing the properties of hundreds of plants before they were allowed to prepare even the simplest remedy.

Here, every employee possessed that same knowledge with effortless ease. His gaze settled on a young saleswoman helping a customer who seemed unable to decide in front of a shelf of herbal infusions.

"Hi, I'm looking for something to help with fatigue," the customer explained.

"I've been completely exhausted lately."

"If it's just temporary fatigue, I'd recommend this one. It contains several energizing herbs. On the other hand, if you're having trouble sleeping, this one would probably be a better fit. You can also pair it with this evening infusion." The customer asked several more questions, all of which the saleswoman answered with the same precision. She explained the differences between the blends, recommended the best time of day to drink them, and even pointed out which ones could safely be combined.

"An experienced healer..."

"She's just a saleswoman."

"A saleswoman who couldn't distinguish the properties of her herbs would quickly put her customers in danger." A man then approached another employee.

"Have you received the new harvest yet?" The employee nodded with a smile.

"Yes, it arrived yesterday morning. We just put it out over here." He gestured toward several crates filled with vegetables. So they cultivated their own plants. It was exactly what the druids of his world did, tending their own medicinal gardens to ensure the quality of every species they grew. Meanwhile, Emma calmly picked out a few vegetables. Another customer walked past them while chatting with a woman.

"I only buy local."

"You're right," she replied.

"It's always better."

"Local..." In his world, druids avoided using plants gathered from distant lands. They preferred protecting the forests surrounding their sanctuaries in order to preserve nature's balance. His gaze wandered across the many signs displaying the names of local growers. Many came from villages located only a few dozen kilometers from the shop, and several even specified the exact place where the vegetables had been grown.

"Coming?" Emma asked. The knight nodded absentmindedly before continuing on his way.

"Emma... are there many circles of druids in your kingdom... or is this guild the most prestigious one?" Emma closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let out a long sigh.