A Journey with Rat and Dragon (2)
Maybel set off so confidently, but….
“Um…. They said from the central square, go west and you’ll see a big tavern, then pass by it and there’s a good inn….”
“That’s south, though?”
“Ah, is it? Then if we go into this alley here….”
“That’ll take you east?”
“Th-that…. Then the other way….”
“The building we just passed leads back to the central square?”
“Ah….”
Maybel had gotten all sorts of directions from the priest, but it seemed she was not only a pathfinder failure but a complete direction idiot too. Even in a decent-sized village, she wandered around for ages without finding her target.
Hmm. Well, growing up in a tiny rural spot with barely any houses, she probably never even realized she was directionally challenged. As for the priest…. Did he not know she was this bad? Nah, if he did, he wouldn’t have let her go alone. If this kid had left the village by herself…. She probably would’ve wandered forever without reaching her destination.
After wandering for so long, Maybel finally stopped in front of a building.
“Th-this is it, right…?”
“Looks like it.”
After barging into a few wrong buildings and getting exhausted, Maybel hesitated a bit as she pointed at the structure in front of her.
Hmm. No proper sign, so it was a little confusing. But the location matched the description, so it was probably right.
“I didn’t realize I was this hopeless at finding my way…. I’d have been in real trouble if I was alone.”
“Hmm. Yeah, you would’ve.”
Rats usually conjure up images of small, nimble critters with quick wits…. But this kid was totally off the mark.
“Anyway, let’s head in.”
The building they entered was, thankfully, the inn Maybel had been looking for. So…. Should we crash here for the night?
“It feels kinda weird since it’s not my usual bed. And sharing it makes it even stranger.”
Maybel flashed a stiff smile. She was clearly super tense.
Well, of course she was. A girl from a rural village suddenly wielding a hammer as a weapon on a journey to find her long-lost mom? If she wasn’t tense, you’d suspect her nerves were made of steel wire.
“Sharing a room with the Dragon Priestess, no less…. Ugh…. It’s such an honor. Uuugh…. I’m so nervous….”
Ah, so I was the cause? Hmm…. Fair enough! The Hero’s tale seemed to be widespread as the first great hero story. The Dragon Priestess who appeared alongside him would be famous too.
Ahem. Kinda embarrassing.
“I’m not gonna eat you or anything, so why so tense?”
“B-but…. You’re the Dragon Priestess. And your true form is a massive dragon. No one would believe this story.”
“That’s why it’s not just any priestess.”
Well, it was a title that kinda stuck by accident.
“Anyway, keep it secret. It’d be a hassle if word got out.”
“Yeeess! I’ll take it to my grave!”
Pretty spirited reply. Her petite frame and cute looks made it adorable. Though her body was still trembling a little, despite her shouty voice.
Hmm. Let’s see. When someone’s this tense, a warm sweet drink hits the spot. I lightly snapped my fingers.
A teacup appeared in midair, steam rising gently. Inside was warm cocoa—a drink that hadn’t appeared in this world yet.
Hmm. Maybe it exists somewhere? I should look sometime. Or make it myself. Hmmm. Later. Later. I wanna take it easy right now.
“Like sweet stuff?”
“Y-yes? Yeah, I do. But honey’s a luxury we only got on special days. Usually fruit or….”
Honey. Hmm. Honey. Yeah, unless you had special monster bees tamed, it’d be rare—only from beekeeping.
No sugarcane or sugar beets discovered yet, apparently. Maybe somewhere? Hmm…. Or growing in some other form.
“If you like sweet, try this. Careful, it’s hot.”
“Ah, y-yes. Thanks, I’ll dig in.”
Maybel carefully took the cup I handed her and stared at the steaming cocoa for a while. Then, with a face like she’d made a big decision, she took a sip.
“Hot hot!”
The cup flew from her hands as she yelped, tongue burned. I said be careful. What a handful.
I snatched the falling cup, gathered the splashing cocoa with mana, and funneled it neatly back in. Not a drop spilled.
Hmm. Mana control like this was a breeze now. Barely any consumption.
“Told you it was hot.”
“I-it buurns….”
“Tongue’s singed, huh. Let’s see.”
I lightly touched her cheek with my left index finger, letting mana flow into her mouth. Not too bad. Easy fix.
“There. All healed.”
“Whoa…. It doesn’t hurt at all anymore….”
Maybel stuck out her tongue and poked it with her finger. Amazed the pain vanished instantly.
“Now drink carefully.”
“Y-yeah.”
She seemed even more tense now. My attempt to relax her backfired.
Taking the cup, she cautiously let some cocoa trickle into her mouth. And….
“…!!”
Her eyes went wide.
“Wh-what is this?! It’s so sweet! And unlike honey, there’s a faint bitterness that makes the sweetness pop even more!”
“You like it?”
“Yes! This sweet? Amazing!”
I smiled faintly watching her rave. Seeing her enjoy it made making it worthwhile.
“Alright, let’s review the plan again.”
Maybel couldn’t speak with her mouth full of cocoa, just nodding vigorously.
“Your mom sent the letter via the Life Goddess temple there, right?”
“Yeeah. Through the temple in Armen.”
Armen? Where’s that? Three hundred years later, and new names popping up.
“First I’ve heard of it. Whereabouts?”
“Ah…. You slept for about three hundred years, right? Umm…. How to explain….”
Maybel thought a moment, then spoke.
“You know the Akad region?”
“Of course. The kingdom before Arcadia, right?”
“Yes. It’s a city-state northwest of the Akad region from the Hero’s tale.”
Akad northwest? Hmm…. Just villages back then. They built a city-state there? Close to Arcadia too. Bold move.
“Close to Arcadia—risky spot. How’d they manage that?”
“Ah…. Well. Arcadia as a nation is gone now.”
“What?”
Gone? In just three hundred years? What the hell happened?
“About eighty years ago, the king died without naming a successor. Collateral royals fought a war over the throne…. And it splintered.”
Whoa…. Makairodus’s kingdom shattered like that. He’d be pissed in paradise.
“Now it’s city-states, each claiming Arcadia’s legacy and competing fiercely. Don’t remember details….”
“That’s enough.”
City-states…. Like Three Kingdoms or Sixteen Kingdoms. Human history gonna human.
Hmmm…. A faint pang of regret, but I didn’t wanna dive back into human affairs. Just watch from afar.
“If Arcadia splintered, what about Sirius, its old capital?”
Everyone claiming legitimacy would covet it. But named after the guardian god of the Pantheon—could others invade?
“Sirius is neutral. The Sirius Temple and Epona Cavalry say they’ll open the gates to the throne for a worthy heir. So Sirius is ruled jointly by the temple head and cavalry captain as a neutral city.”
Hmm. Complicated situation there. Makes sense without a legit heir.
But…. Sirius Temple and crown aside, Epona Cavalry? Wasn’t Epona the horse beastkin who shone in Arcadia’s war? The one who guided me and the Hero….
“Epona….”
“Ah, yes. As Dragon Priestess, you’d remember. Arcadia’s first cavalry captain. Honored for capturing the enemy king, so they named the unit after her.”
Indeed. Great deeds leave names behind. Humans live on through legacy….