"[Druids]?" Camilla finally said in response to the giant Elf.

"Yes, Miss Camilla," Stan smiled. "Joey has asked me to – as he put it – deliver on a few issues. One of our problems is the lack of people capable of growing the magical grain. And even though the soil of Amorium is full of Mana, the land has not been tended to properly. I can see signs of exhaustion from the land."

"[Green Mages] are tending to the fields," Amelia Saturnia, the oldest sister, spoke with a pointed voice.

"[Green Mages] cannot replenish the vital force of the land. They can only bring it forth, but there's a great need for the land to experience a shift. [Druids] can move the flow of Mana and redirect the energy into the land, instead of taking it out, like [Green Mages] do, and pouring it into the crops."

Laurealia felt anxious about what the man was saying.

"This means," she interrupted, "that those of you who'll accept will take on the role of growing the resources that we need."

Everyone looked at each other until Clodia decided to ask the most important question, "I think we should discuss what Joey did in detail, Your Highness... everyone is still confused about what happened with my mother. I know Joey said she got greedy, but what does that mean exactly?”

Laurealia gave Clodia a surprised look; the [Princess] had not expected the muscled woman to actually bring forth the issue, but it was something that needed discussing.

“You were almost out of money, and the ‘[Farmers]’ had hiked the prices. The land Stan is talking about... would you like to continue?"

Stan looked at [Princess] Laurealia and shook his head.

“I believe you are better suited for this job, Laurealia.”

The [Princess] nodded slowly and exhaled, “Joey suspects that Marcella Tullia Aureamanus, Clodia’s mother, is guilty of hiking the prices of our grain in order to—let’s just say that she colluded with the [Farmers], who are being interrogated right now by the Royal Guard and the Watch, as per Joey Luciani’s request. Since it was brought to my attention that such unfair practices have been purported and the evidence is currently stacked strongly against Marcella, I decided to use my authority to rectify the situation.”

“What?” Camilla frowned.

"What I mean, Miss Camilla," Laurealia smiled, "is that I have overruled the Gens Valeria and taken over the executive decisions of Amorium's law in the matter. The land has been seized and the fraudulent [Farmers] evicted.”

Many eyebrows shot up in the meeting room.

...

It hadn’t been clear how Joey had solved the grain price situation until Laurealia revealed that it hadn’t exactly been polite manners that did the job. Now, everyone was unsure about how to proceed.

“That’s... can you do that?” Flaminia asked.

“The [Princess] has the authority of the crown supporting her every claim,” Stan said slowly. “She must do right by her citizens. Such a blatant collusion of a [Merchant] with [Farmers] would never be tolerated by the Royal Family.”

“Isn’t your mother friends with the Royals?” Amelia suddenly asked Clodia.

“I thought so?” Clodia frowned, not knowing what to say next.

The big, strong woman looked lost. Even though she was clearly trying to act as if all of this was fair, Joey had indeed kicked her mother out of the business and potentially exposed her as a fraud.

“At times, [Merchants] lose the sense of what is legal,” Laurealia spoke up. “Your mother won’t be hanged, Miss Clodia. However, based on how deep the corruption runs here, she might suffer more repercussions, including fines and more of her property being seized.”

“Is that why Joey left you in charge, Your Highness? And may I also be so bold to ask: why are you here in the first place? This seems all too confusing at the moment,” Camilla asked.

Laurealia looked at the blonde with a pixie cut and sighed.

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“Yes,” Laurealia lied, knowing no one would be so bold as to check their truth-stone on the spot. And even if they did, it might only turn out as a half-lie. “I’m here because of the current situation. My parents, instead, sent me here because I hate Humans.”

The revelation chilled the room.

“Joey Luciani might not have explained it before to avoid causing problems for me—as you can see, not all Humans are bad. In fact, I do not dislike the odd man running this bakery. Any other question before we move on to [Druids]?”

No one replied.

“Good. Stan, if you don’t mind.”

The tall Elf stood up before talking, gently smoothening the creases on his robe. He took a big breath before putting on a kind smile and delivering the speech he had prepared for the people here, “like Quintus, Tiberius, and many of the others downstairs, I’ve had a troubled past. I had struggled to even feed myself before I met a good friend. Then, I had struggled to put my life together in any way before I met Joey; this Human, our Human, reminds me of the [Great Prince]. He cares in ways few others do, and that is why I offered him a token from the past I had thought was long gone from my memory.

“Namely, I have the skills and the authority to make new [Druids] out of you. A [Druid] tends to the earth to replenish its energies and restore the balance in the natural world. To those who’ll receive my offer and will accept it: you will be trained to draw upon the land's Mana, direct it in nurturing ways, and heal the scars left by those who took more than they gave.”

Everyone looked at each other with a big frown, but only Flaminia voiced a concern.

“Stan, are you really a [Druid]?” The pink-haired woman asked.

“I am.”

“I can vouch for him,” Laurealia added.

Flaminia was the first to speak, "I'm willing to try. If it can help the bakery, then it's worth the effort."

“Miss Flaminia,” Stan strained a smile, “I promised Joey he’d be the one choosing, and I have to admit, I think he chose extremely well.”

The pink-haired [Magical Chef] frowned, “I wouldn’t make a good [Druid]?”

“Stop acting like a child,” Clodia scoffed, still feeling worried about this ordeal that had involved them not only in antagonizing her mother but also in seizing the land and reviving a class she had never really heard of.

“[Druids] are people who tend to things and, therefore, get empowered by them. Joey selected the two best [Bakers] here who have shown a tremendous talent at dealing with people.”

Now, everyone turned toward Clodia.

“Yes, the first one is Miss Clodia,” Stan nodded. “But the second...”

Everyone frowned, Flavia turned to Amelia, and Amelia turned to the [Princess]. The muscled baker was speechless. Camilla stared at the [Princess] too but then turned toward Stan to find the gigantic Elf pointing at her.

“Her?!” Flaminia shouted.

...

“Miss Clodia has shown a remarkable talent for people. [Druids] deal with the land and all its offspring. A [Druid] doesn’t just take care of animals and plants, as some people hypothesized many years ago... no, a [Druid] takes care of people as well and can also draw their powers from them.”

“Joey’d make a great [Druid], then,” Flaminia commented with a certain waspish quality to her voice, still offended by the fact that she hadn’t even been considered.

“He would make a great many things,” Stan nodded. “But Joey must deal with Joey’s problem. This, here, is our problem. If Miss Clodia and Miss Camilla have any questions or want to refuse, I’m all ears.”

Stan smiled at the little joke as he looked at the two frowning girls.

“Why would I accept becoming a [Druid]?” Camilla frowned, but she looked like she just asked the question out loud more for her own sake than to get an answer. “I have two Classes that require my attention, and I’ve already stretched myself thin. Why, for all the roots in the fields, would I choose to become a [Druid]? Wouldn’t that make leveling impossible? And why did Joey choose me? I can see Clodia and her willingness to lose money on everyone, but why me?”

“Miss Clodia would most definitely get one or two skills related to dealing with people – magic capable of directing them to find themselves, inside or outside the bakery, Miss Camilla. But that doesn’t mean a [Druid] Class wouldn’t fit you as well. You are much more apt at leading with ideas and drawing inspiration from what you see. A [Druid]’s job is not just about connections but also about harnessing forces. You, Miss Camilla, have shown an exceptional ability to adapt and touch new ideas. If you accept the offer, you’ll see that a [Druid] has as many specialties as one could find in-between Classes like [Alchemist], [Warrior], and even [King].”

Camilla seemed to ponder this for a moment, her expression softening as she considered the words. "I see," she finally said, "but what about my current Classes?”

Stan nodded understandingly, a glint appearing in his eyes. "It is true that embracing a new Class can alter one’s path, but it does not negate your past experiences or skills. In fact, a few Classes with particular requirements, among which [Druid], might merge your old Classes with the new one. That’s why it’s not a decision to be taken lightly.”

The room fell silent as everyone absorbed the implications of Stan's offer.

On the one hand, it was crazy to change one’s Class this late in life, but on the other, the man had just offered them something incredibly valuable. Merging Classes was the hallmark of stepping up in terms of power and solidifying what one wanted to achieve.

While Camilla started feeling the tingles of excitement and adventure, Clodia was feeling something else altogether. Today, she found out what a piece of crap her mother had been in this venture and to what disgusting lengths she had been willing to go for her greed. So, now that she got offered the kind of power that would perhaps finally let her step up to the old crone, why not take it?

Finally, Clodia spoke up, her voice firm. "I'm in. If this is what Joey believes is best for the bakery and for us, I trust his judgment. He's never steered us in the wrong direction before—well, actually, let’s just say that at least he’s never created a problem he wasn’t able to solve."

Camilla hesitated for a moment longer before nodding. "Alright, I'll do it too. If nothing else comes out of it, it will at least be exciting.”