Chapter: 173
Maybelle set off confidently, but…
“Hmm… I’m pretty sure the priest said if you go west from the central square, there’s a big tavern, and right next to it is a nice inn…”
“But that’s south, isn’t it?”
“Ah, really? Then if I turn into this alley here…”
“Going that way is heading east.”
“T-Then, uh, let’s try the other way…”
“If you go around the building we just passed, you’ll reach the central square, right?”
“Ah…”
Maybelle had gathered plenty of information from the priest, but it seems she was both directionally challenged and hopelessly lost. Even in this modest village, she roamed around for quite a while without finding her destination.
Well, living in a tiny rural spot like this, it’s not like being directionally challenged mattered much. She probably didn’t even realize she was bad with directions.
Did the priest… not know this girl was so hopelessly lost? No, if he did, he definitely wouldn’t have sent her off alone.
If she had set off on her own, she probably would have wandered around like a lost puppy for ages without finding out where to go.
After a fair bit of searching, Maybelle finally stopped in front of a building.
“Is, is this the place…?”
“It seems to be.”
Maybelle, already tired from walking into the wrong buildings several times, pointed hesitantly at the structure in front of her.
Hmm. It’s a bit confusing since there’s no proper sign. But roughly matching the description, this might be it after all.
“I didn’t realize I was this bad at finding my way… If I had been alone, it would have been a disaster.”
“Yeah, you would’ve been in big trouble.”
When people think of a mouse, they usually imagine something small, nimble, and clever. But this girl? She’s a far cry from that image.
“Let’s just go inside for now.”
The building we entered was, thankfully, the inn that Maybelle had been searching for.
Well then… I guess we’ll be staying here for the night.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“This room feels a bit strange since it’s not the one I usually sleep in. And sharing it makes it even weirder,” Maybelle said with a somewhat stiff smile. Her nervousness was pretty obvious.
Well, it’s only natural to be tense. A village girl who somehow finds herself on an adventure armed with a hammer, searching for her long-lost mom? That’ll do it.
In this scenario, if she wasn’t nervous, I’d think she was made of steel or something.
“And to be in the same room as the Dragon’s Priestess… Ugh, so nervous…”
Oh, so I’m the reason for her nerves?
Hmm… I get it! Since the hero’s tale is widely spread as the original heroic story, the Dragon’s Priestess appearing alongside him must be well-known too.
Ahem. That feels a bit awkward.
“I’m not going to eat you, you know. Why are you so tense?”
“B-But you’re the Dragon’s Priestess! You’re a giant dragon! No one’s going to believe this kind of story.”
“Being called the Dragon’s Priestess isn’t without reason, you know.”
Well, it’s just a title that got stuck on me, really.
“For now, let’s keep it a secret. It might get a bit troublesome if others find out.”
“Understood! I’ll take it to my grave!”
That was quite a lively response! Her small stature and cute appearance make for a delightful sight.
Despite her energetic voice, her body was still trembling a bit. Hmm, let’s think.
In moments like this, a warm and sweet drink would really hit the spot.
I snapped my fingers lightly, and a steaming cup of cocoa appeared in the air.
Cocoa! A drink that hasn’t appeared in this world yet. Hmm, I wonder if I could find it somewhere. Should I scout for it? Or maybe just make it myself? Well, I’ll think about it later. For now, I want to just chill.
“Do you like sweet things?”
“Yes! I do like them! But things like honey are rare, so I save them for special occasions. Usually, I just have fruits…”
Honey… Hmm, right. Honey itself can only be obtained through beekeeping.
Unless you’re taming beelike monsters, it’s a pretty rare item.
And it seems sweet plants like sugarcane or sugar beets haven’t been discovered yet.
Maybe they’re hidden away somewhere. Hmm… Perhaps they’re sprouting in some other form?
“If you enjoy sweetness, try this too. Watch out, though! It’s hot.”
“Okay! I’ll enjoy it!”
Maybelle carefully grabbed the teacup I offered her and stared at the steaming cocoa for a good while.
Then, with a look of determination as if she was about to conquer the world, she took a sip.
“Yowch, it’s hot!”
Startled, as though she burned her tongue, the teacup flew from Maybelle’s hand.
I warned her it was hot! Troublesome little one.
I quickly caught the teacup before it hit the floor and used my magic to gather the spilled cocoa, guiding it back into the cup without so much as a drop lost.
Hmm. Using magic like this is pretty easy now. It barely uses any power.
“I told you it was hot, didn’t I?”
“It burned…”
“Looks like you burned your tongue. Let’s see.”
I gently touched Maybelle’s cheek with my empty left hand’s finger and allowed my magic to flow into her mouth.
Seems like it’s not a severe burn. This should heal in a flash.
“There, all healed!”
“Whoa… I can’t believe the pain disappeared so quickly…”
Maybelle stuck her tongue out and lightly pressed it with her finger.
Hmm. Seems like she’s surprised that the pain vanished instantly.
“Now, be careful and drink it.”
“Y-Yes!”
She looks even more nervous than before. Maybe trying to ease her tension actually backfired.
Maybelle, with the teacup in hand, carefully poured the cocoa into her mouth.
And then…
“…!!”
Maybelle’s eyes widened in shock.
“What’s this?! It’s so sweet! Plus, there’s this subtle bitterness that makes the sweetness pop even more!”
“You seem to really enjoy it.”
“Yes! It’s sweeter than I expected! Awesome!”
I couldn’t help but smile softly as I watched Maybelle devour the cocoa with pure delight.
Seeing her enjoy it so much makes the effort totally worth it.
“Alright, let’s go over our travel plans again.”
With her mouth full of cocoa, Maybelle could only nod hesitantly.
“First, we’re heading to the Temple of Life where your mother sent the letter from, right?”
“Right! The letter was sent from the Temple of Life in Armen.”
Armen? Where the heck is that?
Hearing a name I haven’t come across in 300 years is strange.
“I’ve never heard of that place. Where is it?”
“Ah… You’ve been asleep for about 300 years, right? Hmm… How should I put this…”
Maybelle paused momentarily before continuing.
“Do you know the region of Arcadia?”
“Of course! Wasn’t that the nation that existed before Arcadia?”
“Yes! Armen is a city-state located northwest of the Arcad region.”
Northwest of Arcadia? Hmm… I thought there were only small villages that way.
So they managed to build a city-state there? Close to Arcadia, huh? That’s quite an achievement!
“Isn’t that a bit risky being so close to Arcadia? They actually established a city there?”
“Well, the thing is, the country of Arcadia has vanished.”
“What?”
The country disappeared? In just 300 years?
What on earth happened?
“About 80 years ago, the king died without naming a successor. At that time, the collateral royal families fought for the throne… and the place ended up splitting into pieces.”
Whoa… The country fell apart like that? Bet the guy in paradise is feeling pretty miserable right now.
“Now it’s split into city-states, all claiming to be the heirs of Arcadia, fiercely competing with each other. I don’t remember the details, though…”
“Yeah, that’s enough.”
Several city-states… feels a bit like the Three Kingdoms, or even the Sixteen Kingdoms?
This is also the tale of humanity, I suppose. Hmm…
A slight twinge of regret bubbled up, but I’m not in the mood to jump into human history again.
I think I’ll just keep my distance.
“So if Arcadia has splintered, what’s going on with Sirius, the capital of Arcadia?”
If all the city-states are claiming legitimacy, then Sirius must be a hotly contested city.
No, considering it’s named after the guardian deity, can the other cities even dare to invade it?
“Sirius is… said to be neutral. The Sirius Temple and the Epona Cavalry both said they would open the door to the throne of Sirius if a rightful king of Arcadia appears. So right now, Sirius is ruled jointly by the Sirius Temple and the Epona Cavalry.”
Hmm. They’ve got their own complicated issues over there. Well, without a legit successor, it makes sense they can’t act freely.
But… aside from the Sirius Temple or Arcadian throne, what’s the Epona Cavalry doing?
Epona was definitely that horse-like beastman who shone in the Arcadian war, the one who guided the hero and me…
“If it’s Epona…”
“Oh yes! You remember her, Dragon’s Priestess. That’s the name of the first cavalry commander of Arcadia. She captured the king during the war, hence the cavalry bears her name.”
I see. Her name still echoes due to her impressive deeds.
Humans do leave their names behind after they’re gone…
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