Arcadia's Secret Honey
The king of Arcadia, his face lit up with excitement, looked slightly surprised at the spread of food laid out before us.
"Whoa, did you go all out just because we have some special guests? My legs are gonna break from all this!"
"We put a bit more effort in than usual."
Legs breaking from this? Is he made of cornstalks or something? Well, in an environment where livestock is pretty much the only thing edible, I guess it's unavoidable. Plus, they can't slaughter animals every day, and it takes a good chunk of time for one to grow to size. A meager meal like this is probably just reality for them.
"I'm worried we might run out of food for ourselves after our guests leave."
"We'll figure that out when the time comes. Entertaining guests is a hugely important job, after all."
At the queen's firm words, King Makairodus's face fell into a pout. Looks like she's the real boss at home. Even a king of a nation is weak in his own household. That's husbands for you.
Not that it has anything to do with me!
The king cleared his throat lightly, found an empty seat, and started sampling the dishes.
"Mmm. Delicious as always. My wife's cooking skills are the best."
Hmm. It is pretty tasty. A bit rough around the edges, but that adds to the flavor in its own way. The Hero, who'd traveled the world with me and sampled all sorts of tastes, looked equally satisfied with the meal.
Come to think of it, cooking in this world is still pretty primitive overall. Bread's just hard, primitive loaves. They haven't advanced much beyond baking and boiling, so maybe it needs more time for cuisine to evolve here.
Anyway, this faint sweetness... if it's honey...
Has beekeeping started somewhere?
"There's a subtle sweetness to this food. Did you add honey?"
"Oh my, you noticed? Impressive!"
"Honey?"
The Hero tilted his head, looking puzzled.
Hmm. It's so faint, no wonder you wouldn't catch it. More like a hidden flavor.
"I don't know where you got the honey from, but that gentle sweetness blends in perfectly. It's great."
"You're too kind. And yes, we produce a little honey here in Arcadia."
In Arcadia? Here? Wow, that's surprisingly impressive. I figured it was just barren wasteland.
"His Majesty knows more about the honey. Dear, why don't you explain it to our guests?"
"Ahem, I've told you a bunch of times that the honey's supposed to be a secret, honey."
"But I didn't bring it up—the guest noticed first."
"Urgh..."
King Makairodus let out a small groan before speaking up.
"It should be top secret, but since it's the Hero and the Dragon Priestess, I'll let you in on it. Just keep it completely under wraps everywhere else, got it?"
"Sure. I'll keep quiet about raiding hives for honey."
My words left King Makairodus with a blank, stunned expression.
"Wait, you already knew?"
"Just vaguely aware of the concept."
I'd never actually raided a hive myself, after all. More like I'd heard stories.
"Ahem. Well, raiding hives isn't easy, so rumors might float around. But our honey is totally different from anything else!"
"Hmm? Totally different? Some special kind? Like harvesting from specific flowers to infuse floral notes?"
"Er, not exactly... but that's a good idea. Might try it later."
Hmm, not that, then what makes this honey so special?
"Our honey is made... using monsters!"
"Monsters?"
"Hehe, surprised? Most monster byproducts are things like hides or claws!"
Hmm, yeah, a little shocked. Using monsters like that? That's seriously dangerous. I'm curious how they pulled off something so risky.
"Using monsters, though... how'd you even think of that? From what I know, most monsters are vicious beasts."
"I thought the same at first. Ferocious things that attack on sight. But!"
"But?"
"Surprisingly, some monsters can be tamed by humans, right?"
Monsters tamed by humans? How? The kind that charge at people on sight? I'd never heard of such a thing, so I shook my head slightly.
"Don't lie to me. I've seen monsters for years, and I've never heard of them following humans."
"But it's true. I wouldn't believe it myself without seeing it."
But... hmm... could it really be? I just can't wrap my head around how that's possible!
And honey from monsters... plant-type monsters? Or bee-shaped ones? Either way, unbelievable.
"So, what monster? Bees?"
King Makairodus chuckled helplessly and nodded.
"Yes. Bees, to be precise—a queen bee."
"A queen bee... that's peculiar."
"It's late today, so I'll show you tomorrow. You'll believe it once you see for yourself."
Hmm. Still skeptical. But if he's showing us tomorrow, that'll settle it.
The next day, King Makairodus led us to a small tent a short distance from the village. Smaller than the living tents, but with a few guards posted, it was clearly under strict watch.
"This is?"
"Where the monster from yesterday is."
Even from a distance, I could hear a faint buzzing—like insect wings flapping.
"First off, a warning: you might be shocked when you see them, but don't make too much noise. It'll agitate them, and that's bad news."
As we approached the tent, the details came into view. A small hole at the top, covered by a conical flap of cloth. And through that hole... swarms of bees coming and going.
"Eugh..."
Honestly, not a great sight. Bugs. I hate bugs. Bees crawling all over the hole's rim. No—bee-shaped monsters. Fist-sized for a kid, with huge stingers like syringes on their tails. And for some reason, their front legs were sickle-shaped like mantis arms.
"Like a hornet crossed with a mantis."
Bright stripes too, screaming "hundreds of us will shred you if you mess up." Taming monsters that look this ferocious...? How the hell?
A couple was in dire straits with no food left—only a tiny puppy remaining. But they couldn't bring themselves to eat such a cute little thing.
The Puppy that Repaid a Kindness
With a small sigh, the couple prepared to work through the coming winter.
"Woof! Woof!"
If only the tiny puppy hadn't blocked their path out the door.
"What's up with this pup?"
"Beats me."
Puzzled, the couple watched the puppy. Noticing their attention, the fluffy little thing pushed the door open and bolted outside.
"Hey! You rascal!"
The couple chased after the suddenly sprinting puppy. It dashed ahead, glancing back to check if they were keeping up—slowing if they lagged, speeding up if they got close. Finally, it stopped in a forest, putting distance between them.
"Whew. Don't just run off like that!"
Exhausted from the sudden chase, the couple collapsed on the ground. The puppy gave them a quick look, then started digging.
"You're getting all dirty."
"Woof! Woof!"
Ignoring the wife's words, it kept digging furiously, as if something vital lay beneath. In the hole it made...
"Woof! Woof!"
"Underground fruit?"
"Whoa, amazing."
The soil was packed with fist-sized tubers.
"Woof!"
The puppy grabbed one and brought it to the couple, then scratched off the sprouted part with its claw. The sprout turned black and melted away.
"Eek!"
"Why dig up something so dangerous?"
Startled, they tossed the tuber in their hand.
"Woof! Woof!!"
The puppy barked loudly at them, then munched on the sprout-removed tuber.
"Woof!"
As if saying, "Tubers without sprouts are safe to eat."