Chapter: 117
The delighted king’s expression changed to one of surprise when he saw the laid-out meal.
“Wow, you went all out for our special guest? The table is going to break!”
“Well, I did put in a bit more effort than usual.”
Really? A table breaking from such a simple meal? Is it made of sugarcane or something?
Well, in a place where there’s not much to eat besides livestock, what can you do?
Plus, they’re probably not slaughtering their livestock every day, and it takes a good amount of time for the animals to grow. So, yeah, their meals are probably going to be modest.
“I’m worried that if the guests leave, we won’t have enough food for ourselves.”
“Well, we can think about that when the time comes. Entertaining guests is very important!”
At the queen’s firm words, King Makai’s expression quickly turned gloomy. Looks like the queen wears the pants at home.
Even a king can be the weak one at home—especially when he’s the husband.
Well, that’s none of my business!
The king cleared his throat lightly, found an empty seat, and started to sample the dishes.
“Mm, delicious as always. My wife’s cooking is the best, I tell you!”
I have to say, it’s pretty darn tasty. A bit rustic, sure, but that adds some character.
The hero who’s traveled the world with me and tasted all kinds of food seems quite satisfied with these dishes too.
Now that I think about it, the cooking in this world is still pretty primitive. The bread is hard as a rock.
They haven’t made much progress beyond baking and boiling, so it looks like this world’s cuisine needs a lot more time to evolve.
By the way, if this faint sweetness is honey… have they started beekeeping around here?
“This food has a faint sweetness. Did you add honey?”
“Oh my, you noticed! You’re quite sharp!”
“Honey?”
The hero tilted his head, looking a bit confused.
Ah, it’s such a faint flavor that even he’s having a hard time with it.
“I’m not sure where the honey came from, but the subtle sweetness blended well with the dish.”
“You’re too kind. And yes, we do produce a bit of honey in Arcadia.”
In Arcadia? Here?
Wow, that’s surprising! I thought this place was just barren land.
“As for the honey, His Majesty knows more about it. Your Majesty, please enlighten our guests.”
“Tch, I’ve told you countless times to keep the honey a secret, my dear.”
“But I didn’t spill the beans; the guest figured it out first.”
“Ugh…”
King Makai let out a small groan and said,
“It was supposed to be a closely guarded secret, but since you’re the Hero and the Dragon’s Priestess, I’ll let you in on it. However, you must keep it strictly confidential. Got it?”
“Sure, I’ll keep the secret about raiding beehives.”
At my words, King Makai looked utterly dumbfounded.
“Wait, did you already know about that?”
“I just had a vague idea that something like that might be going on.”
I mean, I’ve never actually raided a beehive myself. Just heard some whispers, you know?
“Ahem. Well, raiding beehives isn’t something just anyone can do, so I suppose that’s why rumors get around. But the honey we make is totally different from what you find elsewhere!”
“Hmm? Completely different? Is there something special about it? Do you collect honey from specific flowers to give it extra fragrance?”
“Ah, not exactly… but that’s a clever idea! We should definitely try that later.”
Hmm, if it’s not that, then what in the world makes their honey so special?
“The honey we produce… is made using monsters!”
“Monsters?”
“Haha, surprised, aren’t you? When it comes to using monsters, it’s usually just for their byproducts like hides or claws.”
Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m a bit surprised. Using monsters? That sounds pretty risky!
I’m honestly curious about how they pulled off this dangerous venture.
“But wait, how did you get the idea to use monsters? Most of them are pretty scary creatures, right?”
“I thought the same at first—just vicious beasts that attack anyone they see. But!”
“But?”
“Surprisingly, some monsters can actually be tamed and domesticated!”
“Monsters that can be trained? How does that even work? Aren’t those beasts always eager to attack people?”
I shook my head slightly; this was definitely a first for me.
“Stop pulling my leg. I’ve been around monsters for ages, and this is the first time I’ve heard they might actually follow a person.”
“But it’s true! Honestly, even I found it hard to believe until I experienced it myself.”
But… hmm… could it actually be true? I just can’t wrap my head around how that’s possible!
Using monsters to get honey… so, did they use plant-type monsters or bee-like ones?
Either way, it sounds pretty unbelievable.
“So, what kind of monster did you use? Bees?”
At my question, King Makai nodded, unable to hide his amused grin.
“Yes, bees. Specifically, queen bees.”
“Queen bees, huh… that’s quite strange.”
“It’s getting late, so I’ll show you tomorrow. You’ll believe it once you see it for yourself.”
Hmm, I’m still having a hard time believing it.
But since he’ll show me tomorrow, I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The next day.
King Makai led us to a small tent located a bit away from the village.
Compared to the other tents where people lived, this one was rather small. But with a few guards nearby, it seemed like they were keeping a close watch.
“What’s this place?”
“This is where the monsters I mentioned yesterday are kept.”
From a distance, I could hear a faint buzzing sound, like insect wings flapping.
“First, let me warn you. You might be startled when you see them, but please try not to make too much noise. If you startle them, it could be disastrous.”
As we got closer to the tent, I could make out the details.
There was a small hole at the top of the tent, covered partially by a cone-shaped cloth.
And through that hole… a swarm of bees was buzzing in and out.
“Hmm…”
Honestly, it’s a bit creepy to look at. Ugh, insects. Not really my thing.
There were tons of bees—or rather, bee-like monsters—buzzing around the hole.
They were about the size of a child’s fist, and their stingers looked as thick as syringe needles.
For some reason, their front legs were shaped like sickles, kind of like a praying mantis.
“It looks like a mix between a hornet and a praying mantis.”
Plus, their stripes were so bright it almost felt like a warning—like hundreds of them would swarm if you made a wrong move.
They managed to tame such a terrifying monster…? How on earth did they do that?
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
A couple was in a tough spot because they ran out of food.
The only thing left was a tiny puppy. But they couldn’t possibly eat this adorable little creature.
The couple sighed softly, trying to think of ways to survive the coming winter.
“Woof! Woof!”
If the small puppy hadn’t blocked their way as they tried to leave, they might have managed to go out.
“Why is this little one acting like this?”
“Who knows?”
The couple looked at the puppy with confusion and curiosity.
The fluffy, cute puppy, realizing it had their attention, pushed the door open and ran outside.
“Oh dear! You little rascal!”
The couple hurried after the puppy that suddenly dashed out the door.
The puppy ran off, frequently checking back to see if the couple was keeping up.
If the couple seemed to be falling behind, the puppy would slow down; if they got too close, it would scamper away, maintaining a distance until finally stopping in a forest.
“Oh dear. This little rascal should not run away like that!”
Out of breath from the sudden chase, the couple sat down on the ground. The puppy glanced back at them before starting to dig in the dirt.
“This little one is going to get dirty.”
“Woof! Woof!”
Ignoring the wife’s protests, the puppy continued to dig furiously.
As if there was something important buried beneath the ground, the puppy kept at it.
Inside the hole it made,
“Woof! Woof!”
“Is this an underground fruit?”
“Wow, how fascinating!”
The ground was filled with fist-sized fruits that had grown underground.
“Woof!”
The puppy picked one up and brought it to the couple, then clawed at the sprouted part.
Suddenly, the sprouted section turned black and started to melt away.
“Oh my goodness!”
“Why did you dig out this dangerous thing?”
The couple gasped and dropped the fruits they were holding.
“Woof! Woof!!”
The puppy barked loudly at them, then started eating the fruit that had the sprout removed.
“Woof!”
As if to say the fruit without the sprout was safe to eat.
– Classic folktale, The Grateful Dog.
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