A Strong Body Makes for a Weary Mind
"I suppose it's about time to head back."
I muttered to myself, organizing the records tucked inside my coat as I walked toward the carriage. The incidents in Zenith, the investigation of the Baba tribe's village, and so on. The reports I had been writing were finally finished, and there was nothing left for me to do here.
Just as I was about to board the carriage, the hulking figure of the Baba tribe chief stepped forward to block my path. His massive hand gripped my shoulder, while Soraka, who had clung tightly to my back, suddenly wrapped her arms around my neck. My shoulder felt heavy, but my neck felt even heavier.
Crack—?!
A sound that definitely should not have come from my neck echoed in the quiet air.
On the outside, Soraka looked like nothing more than a little girl. She had soft, pinkish hair, plump cheeks, and wide, clear eyes. To anyone looking, she was the very picture of an adorable child. If you met her on the street, you would instinctively want to hand her a piece of candy.
But one must never be deceived. She was, without a doubt, a member of the Baba tribe. In the future, she would even become a semi-legendary hero known as an S-grade legendary NPC. To dismiss her strength as that of a mere child would be a fatal mistake; in reality, she possessed such monstrous strength that she could swing an orc around like a toy.
So... Soraka, you do realize my neck is about to snap, right?
"If I were to let you leave like this without offering proper hospitality, I would have no face to show my ancestors!"
The chief thumped his chest, seemingly taking my sudden halt as a sign of agreement. In truth, my throat was simply being squeezed so hard that I couldn't make a sound. At his booming voice, the villagers began to gather in droves. Seeing this, the chief spoke up.
"Prepare the feast!"
The chief commanded, his face completely natural, as if this were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Though it is a custom that had faded over time, we have a tradition of hosting anyone who stays in our village, even if only for a brief moment. And when that guest is our benefactor, we must serve them the most precious meal possible," he said politely.
This was no mere formality. The atmosphere carried the weight of absolute law. Pleased by the chief's words, Soraka loosened her grip, and I was finally able to squeeze out a few words.
"Then... perhaps just a simple cup of tea..."
At my words, a murmur rippled through the gathered crowd. At the mention of the word 'tea,' everyone's expression turned dead serious.
"Tea? That sounds like quite the ordeal."
"But it is what the Prophet desires."
Suddenly, warriors wielding massive axes in both hands stepped forward.
"Chief! We shall go retrieve it!"
"...'Walks-With-Pigs,' is your body well enough?"
"Father, I cannot laze around forever. A mere punctured intestine is nothing a little spit can't cure. If I rest over something like this, 'Beautiful Spring' next door will laugh at me for being a weakling."
"Indeed, you speak the truth! Just a joke, my boy! Bwahahaha!"
"Father, your sense of humor has improved greatly! Hahaha!"
...I will never understand Baba humor. That was a joke, right? The man's abdomen was wrapped tightly in bandages. Yet, the current atmosphere felt as if they were preparing to hunt a dragon. Did I make a mistake? Did I accidentally say, "Please slay a dragon for me"? No, I was absolutely certain I had only asked for a cup of tea.
Regardless of my inner turmoil, the conversation marched right along. Ten male and female warriors, their faces painted with black soot, knelt on one knee and bowed before the chief.
"That giant lizard. The herbalist said its name is a drake. Bring the flower guarded by that beast to the Prophet."
"Without fail!!!"
"Upon our lives!!!"
A drake. A subspecies of dragon. While they lacked magical abilities, when it came to raw physical prowess, a drake possessed monstrous strength equivalent to half that of a true dragon. If an ogre was the king of the forest, a drake was the lord of the mountain.
...Are they serious? This didn't look like a joke. Just because I said I wanted a cup of tea, they were going to harvest a flower guarded by a drake to use as tea leaves. I watched the scene unfold in a daze before turning my head.
"Shouldn't we... stop them? Is that your brother? Your father?"
"He's my brother."
"Your brother might die today."
Soraka patted my back and whispered, "Crow. The tea made from that flower is delicious. You should drink it."
"...No, that's not the point..."
"It's fine. No one will die."
...And how on earth do you know that?
And so, the operation began. An 'operation' I had never even requested.
At a signal from the chief, a massive warehouse door ground open with a heavy rumble. From within, fully armed warriors marched out in a single file line. Every single one of them was shirtless. There wasn't a shred of armor in sight. The only difference was that the axes they held were of much higher quality. Their bodies were covered in scars, and their eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
The chief declared with a pleased smile, "It is the Prophet's will! Today, we shall sever the drake's head and offer it to Ifrit!!!"
"Uryaaaa!"
"Uraaaa!"
"That drake will never open its eyes again!"
I turned to the chief. If there was any misunderstanding, I wanted to correct it right now.
"...Did I perhaps make some sort of mistake?"
"Not at all! You spoke beautifully. The Prophet's words are like a divine revelation to us."
What did I even say? I literally only said I wanted some tea.
Meanwhile, supplies were already being packed before my eyes. Massive chunks of jerky, water skins, iron climbing claws, and... a sack to hold the drake's head.
"Chief, we are ready for departure."
"Prophet, as soon as we harvest the leaves, we shall brew them for you immediately."
"Well... now that I think about it, I don't really need to drink it."
"We of the Baba tribe have a tradition of offering our guests the most precious things we have."
"Ah, you really don't have to go to such lengths..."
"That is impossible. Tradition is the heaviest thing in the world, second only to muscle."
Just how on earth do you measure that weight...
That night, the warriors who had headed into the mountains returned to the village in just three hours. A brief rest, a surprise ambush, and a concentrated charge. The start of the battle was loud enough for even me, back in the village, to hear.
Kroaaaaar—!!! Boom! Crash!
The mountains shook, and the earth seemed to tear apart. The sounds, which had continued relentlessly for three hours, finally ended with the mournful death rattle of the drake.
In the distance, the warriors came into view. Every single one of them was covered in wounds. Behind them, they dragged a headless, house-sized lizard by its tail. One of the warriors stood before the chief and reported, "We have safely retrieved the tea leaves."
I simply nodded. Asking any questions felt dangerous. The freshly severed head of the drake rolled to a stop in front of the chief. Right next to the aggrieved-looking ogre's face, the drake's head was newly hung at the entrance of the village.
The tea... was actually delicious. The petals floating in the teacup swayed gently. A warm energy carried by the breeze enveloped my body. A brief silence fell, and the villagers watched me with bated breath.
"It's delicious," I said.
The moment I spoke, everyone cheered in unison.
"Ooooooh—!!!"
"It's a success!"
...What is?
It was delicious, to be fair. But to be completely honest, I felt a slight sense of disappointment. It wasn't because of a lack of professional brewing equipment; expecting that would be greedy.
My disappointment was psychological rather than culinary. Since it was a tea leaf guarded by a drake, not just any monster, I had expected some sort of legendary, mystical flower. But this was just a Mandelin Flower. A cheap tea leaf that you could buy for a single copper coin in the Elium Kingdom. Of course, it was indeed rare in this region. Since this was a mountainous area thick with mana, normal plants couldn't grow here. However... once you left these mountains, it was nothing but a common weed.
By the time I finished the tea, it had grown too late. In the end, I decided to stay the night in the village. The herbalist had warned me that wild monsters and carnivores roamed the area at night, making it dangerous. But that wasn't the only reason I chose to sleep here. I simply felt pity for the wild animals that would be hunted down by the Baba warriors if they tried to escort me back in the dark.
Lying down and pulling up the blanket, I couldn't help but think: I said I wanted a cup of tea, and a perfectly fine drake ended up dead. ...Next time, I'll just say, "I would like to be treated to a meal."
The next morning. Soraka stood before me, carrying a pack that was practically as large as her entire body. Behind her, the 'drake slayers' who had hunted the beast yesterday were kneeling in a neat row.
"What is the meaning of this...?"
The chief replied nonchalantly, "Ah, did you not express great concern regarding your escort, Prophet?"
"When did I do that?"
"Therefore, I have ordered one of our great warriors, ten of our finest elite warriors, and Soraka to accompany you on your journey."
...The only person who had brought up the topic of an escort yesterday was the herbalist. My gaze drifted to the very back of the line, landing on the herbalist, who was standing there with a smug smirk. It was painfully obvious how this information had leaked.
"I spoke with the chief last night. I told him that the Prophet seemed deeply concerned about his safety," the culprit confessed directly.
The safety I was worried about was the wild animals' safety, not mine!
"The chief did say that the scent of the drake's blood would scare away all the wild animals and monsters in the area, making it safe, but..."
Why are you only telling me this now?
"Still, there is always that one-in-a-million chance, is there not?"
"What kind of one-in-a-million chance?"
"...Well... a dragon?"
Feeling like I was about to lose my mind, I voiced my question to the chief. "Then what about Soraka?"
"Soraka has always possessed an exceptional ability to sense danger beforehand. Besides, she herself expressed a strong desire to follow the Prophet."
I slowly turned my gaze to Soraka. Her eyes sparkled as she spoke.
"Don't worry! I'll protect you, Crow!"
Her voice was bright and cheerful. She had the kind of expression that made you think she was about to pull a toy rabbit out of her pocket. ...Of course, beneath that exterior lay a terrifying, monstrous strength that could easily crush someone like me with a single hand.
Still, even if she flexed her muscles with that appearance, it was hard to take her seriously. She just made me want to buy her another glass of milk.
"Do you want some milk?"