Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 32: Claw Druid
Hunched over, carefully studying the ancient paladin’s The Book of Aery, and then running his fingers lightly across the pages, Marlon finally let out a long, slow sigh and straightened his back.
“Is… it really priced at one hundred thousand Lants?”
Amid the eager, expectant gazes of the onlookers, Marlon did not reveal whether he had actually uncovered the secrets within the The Book of Aery. Instead, he turned directly to the elderly paladin and asked the price.
“Yes, young man,” the old paladin replied with a nod, his voice calm and firm. “It is indeed priced at one hundred thousand Lants.”
“Could… it be cheaper? Perhaps… ten thousand Lants? Would you sell it for that?”
Marlon bit his lip, beginning to haggle—and he didn’t hesitate to slash ninety percent off the asking price in a single blow.
Even so, the surrounding crowd, who had been straining to hear his words, erupted into a clamorous uproar the moment they realized what Marlon had just proposed!
Among the spectators, there were plenty of sharp minds. They could immediately discern that Marlon’s silence on other matters, combined with his willingness to ask the price and offer ten thousand Lants, almost certainly meant he had already seen through the secrets of the The Book of Aery.
“Hey, hey, little guy! Tell us first—what secrets does this The Book of Aery hold?!”
Some impatient voices shouted from the crowd, though whether it was genuine curiosity or ulterior motives remained a mystery only the heavens could answer.
“Yes, yes, tell us what you’ve discovered, young man! If you behave well, I’ll take you to buy candy later—big, soft, creamy sweets!”
A “quirky older sister” among the crowd added her teasing, her words eliciting a knowing, mischievous laughter from everyone around. After all, in this otherworld, there were no rigid rules forcing women to restrain themselves from playful teasing.
Marlon, feeling an unfamiliar and intense pressure, had never before been so openly flirted with.
Just as he was about to retort, the crowd suddenly erupted into another commotion. Shouts filled the air—angry, incredulous, and laced with panic:
“Damn it! Whose damn bear is this, groping my backside?!”
“Move, move! Do you think this is a steam tram?! Wow, a bear—a huge bear!”
“Ah! My foot! Who the hell’s big dog bear is this? Tie it down, you idiot!”
Big dog bear?
Marlon’s eyes widened in confusion. There had been no such character in his “Triple Win Plan.”
Yet before he could process further, the frenzied crowd was violently parted, opening a path roughly two people wide.
And then, at the center of the chaos, Marlon finally saw the creature that had sent the spectators into uproar—a massive black bear with a golden V-shaped patch across its chest, just as the crowd had shouted.
But this was no ordinary zoo bear or TV-screen animal. Its small, glossy black eyes sparkled with the intelligent glimmer of a higher-order being.
Marlon’s suspicions seemed confirmed as the bear, after clearing the crowd, let out a low, resonant roar, causing everyone to instinctively straighten.
Then, the massive black bear began to glow with a faint green light across its fur, and its body began to shift rapidly toward a humanoid form.
“Wow! That’s a Great Druid! And a rare Claw Druid at that! I saw one when I was a child—over forty years ago!”
One spectator, clearly keen to show off his knowledge, spoke first.
“Claw Druid? Around White Sand City, in the northwest Tidewood Forest, there live two raptor druids. I visited them before… but where did this Claw Druid come from?”
A more knowledgeable, presumably higher-ranking spectator chimed in.
“Mom, what’s a druid? Can you eat it?”
The small child’s curiosity, unmistakably tagging along with his mother, cut through the tense atmosphere.
Meanwhile, the Claw Druid, now fully transformed into a stout, muscular middle-aged man wearing a traditional bear-head hood yet still resembling a wild bear in features, ignored the chatter. He pointed to the The Book of Aery held by the old paladin crouched before him and, in a deep, commanding voice, said simply:
“Give it to me.”
The words were concise, leaving no room for defiance.
“Great Druid, I respect those like you who guard the natural order, but the natural order does not extend to bullying an elderly human, does it?”
The crouched paladin, undaunted by the druid’s imposing presence, responded with quiet dignity, matching authority with authority.
“So you refuse to give it to me?”
The bear druid’s round eyes widened in anger, his frustration evident.
“Nature has its rules, and so do I. Before this The Book of Aery is sold, everyone… may only view one page.”
The old paladin’s reply was flawless—calm, polite, and unyielding.
Marlon watched in awe, admiring the paladin’s composure. Truly, this was Oscar-worthy acting—a performance of impeccable skill!
Indeed, this elderly paladin selling the The Book of Aery for a staggering one hundred thousand Lants, stirring such a sensation in the streets, was none other than Trist Rem.
In the preceding days, though minor mishaps occurred, everything had proceeded according to Marlon’s carefully devised “Triple Win Plan.”
But the sudden appearance of this Claw Druid was entirely outside Marlon’s plan. Yet even under the druid’s pressure, Trist Rem, posing as the frail old paladin, maintained perfect composure. His imitation was so complete, and his speech so flawless, that any doubt of his skill seemed absurd—if he weren’t a master actor, who else could pull this off?
Marlon could only marvel as the Claw Druid, frustrated by the verbal fencing of Trist Rem, could do nothing but follow the rules laid out by the “old paladin.”
As before, Trist Rem casually flipped open the The Book of Aery, gesturing politely for the druid to read.
But this Claw Druid did not dive into the text as previous readers had. Instead, with astonishing speed unmatched by his stout frame, he sprayed a deep indigo liquid across the slightly yellowed pages.
And then, something magical happened—
Under the sunlight, the liquid revealed lines of chaotic golden… little dots across the pages of the The Book of Aery.
“Paladin, I buy this The Book of Aery! I am Conchita Bowden, and I will, of course, abide by your rules—not a single copper less!”
The Claw Druid, now identified as Conchita Bowden, produced an ancient coin pouch embroidered with elvish runes. Pulling the drawstring and tipping it upside down, a glittering cascade of gold coins poured forth with a musical clatter.
“One hundred and ten thousand Lants! I bid—one hundred and ten thousand Lants!”
Marlon, momentarily dazed by the dazzling torrent of gold, finally understood why in stories, thieves would kill each other over treasure—gold had a power that could intoxicate the mind, a compulsion to claim it all.
But he quickly snapped back to focus, raising the price higher. He could not allow the Claw Druid to buy the The Book of Aery in front of everyone. That would mean total failure for Marlon’s carefully orchestrated Triple Win Plan…