"My apologies, Chief Magris,"
Before anyone else could speak, Lewis took the initiative.
"I may have caused a bit too much commotion just now. Sorry for the disturbance."
Though he didn't say it outright, his tone subtly implied that the spectacle had been intentional.
Magris's gaze toward him immediately grew more serious.
"Not at all, Mr. Green. It is we centaurs who lack insight and failed to recognize your capabilities,"
Magris said with a wide, almost overly eager smile—like a blooming chrysanthemum, far more cautious than before.
"However, this is our sacred ground. Such an occurrence… if we do not understand it, it would be difficult to explain to the tribe. May we ask what exactly happened?"
"Of course," Lewis nodded. "After all, I did make use of your sacred site."
He spoke casually, as if it were nothing of importance.
"I simply borrowed your stone circle to receive a bit of Druidic inheritance."
The way he said it made it sound as though he had already been a druid, and merely used the circle out of convenience.
The role of the centaur relic was completely downplayed.
Magris, unaware of the nuance, was instantly captivated.
"Then… you are a Druid?"
"Of course," Lewis replied, patting Lurue's head. "Otherwise, why would she trust me so much?"
As if on cue, Lurue lowered her head and leaned gently against his shoulder.
To further convince them, Lewis raised a hand.
"Plant Growth."
Before their eyes, the grass surged wildly upward.
What had barely reached their hooves now grew taller than their knees in seconds.
"…This truly is the power of a Druid."
A wizard might enlarge fruit with magic—
but this… this was natural growth.
Undeniable.
Magris immediately bent his forelegs, lowering his head and placing a hand over his chest in a formal centaur salute—just as Firenze had done before.
"Honored Druid, we centaurs follow the ancient covenant. We are willing to gather beneath your circle and serve the balance of nature. We beg you—guide our tribe."
Lewis froze.
Behind Magris, every centaur followed suit, bowing deeply.
Even Bane showed no resistance—his gaze now filled with reverence.
The sight of an entire centaur tribe bowing before him sent a flicker of satisfaction through Lewis's heart—
but he suppressed it immediately.
He hurried forward to help Magris up.
"Chief Magris, please—this is too much," he said modestly. "I'm only a half-trained druid at best. I don't have the ability to guide an entire tribe."
"And besides, the age of druids has long passed. There's no need for talk of service… I see the centaurs as friends. Treating me like this only makes me uncomfortable."
After much persuasion, the centaurs finally rose.
Lewis wasn't ignorant of what this meant.
He understood it perfectly.
To gain the allegiance of the centaurs—
was to gain control of the Forbidden Forest.
To command them—
was to possess a powerful force of his own.
But he also knew—
he wasn't ready.
True alliances were built on strength.
With his current power—
Level 6 Wizard, Level 4 Psion, Level 5 Druid—
he could not truly command them.
Relying on some vague "ancient oath" to control them would only backfire.
This wasn't slavery.
Better to build goodwill now.
Strengthen ties.
And when his power grew—
that "ancient oath" would become unbreakable on its own.
Besides, he didn't need them yet.
He wasn't fighting wars.
And with Lurue and their goodwill, he already had access to the forest.
That was enough.
Under his gentle deflection, Magris didn't press further—
but he did explain the oath.
Long ago, when druids thrived, they formed alliances with intelligent beings connected to nature.
The agreement was simple:
Druids would guide and aid these beings—
so long as it did not disrupt the balance of nature.
And in return—
when that balance was threatened,
those beings would fight under the druids' command.
From then on, druids were recognized as leaders among them.
The oath had been passed down ever since.
"I see…" Lewis nodded.
He believed it.
After all—
why else would the druids have vanished completely?
If their extinction didn't threaten "natural balance,"
then those bound by the oath would have had no reason to intervene.
Still—
this raised a problem.
"Druids must guide and aid the children of nature."
That was the real reason behind everything—
the "child of destiny,"
the bows,
the emphasis on the oath.
They wanted guidance.
Help.
And honestly—
Lewis did owe them something.
He had awakened his power through their stone circle.
But he had his own plans.
His own goals.
He couldn't spend his days managing a centaur tribe.
Yet he also couldn't simply take without giving.
After a moment of thought,
Lewis smiled.
"In that case, Chief Magris… how about this?"
He paused, then said:
"I'll help your tribe cultivate a druid of your own."
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