episode_0069

Fairy Village Chief Akada

“Hmm~ I see….”

“…. Yes.”

“The Saintess next to Sir Zeke is quite stubborn, isn’t she?”

“…. I am sorry…”

“Why are you apologizing, Sir Zeke?!”

It’s because of you, Aria… The reason I’m sighing with my head bowed like this goes back 10 minutes. Having arrived at Akada’s residence, we sat at the table as Akada instructed. Akada smiled as she took teacups from the cupboard and spoke.

“Since guests have arrived, I should offer you some tea, shouldn’t I? What kind of tea do you like, if any? Oh, have you heard from Saphia about the types of tea we drink in Karizan?”

“Ah, I haven’t heard yet. I was just about to seriously learn, but the Village Chief-nim caught me, so I stopped….”

“Oh dear. So I was interrupting. Hmm… Still, if you’re going to enjoy it, wouldn’t it be better to experience it with your shrunken body rather than your giant one? Surely you didn’t taste the Peronel either.”

“Peronel?”

“Oh dear. Have you not tried it? I thought Saphia had taken it… The one that looks like a ball of yarn…”

“Ah! I ate that… Well, it didn’t even touch the sides…”

When I scratched my head and said the Peronel was too small to taste, Akada chuckled and put her hand in the cupboard, saying.

“That’s good then. Now that your body is small like this, you’ll be able to properly taste it, won’t you? Let’s see… what tea would be good… Oh?”

“…. Are you trying to serve tea to Sir Zeke right now?”

The moment Akada was about to take out the tea leaves from the cupboard, Aria, having stood up at who knows when, snatched Akada’s arm, which was in the cupboard, in the blink of an eye, and spoke. Her voice was tinged with barely suppressed anger, to my dismay…

“A-Aria, what are you doing?!”

“I asked if you were trying to serve tea to Sir Zeke.”

“Uh… Oh dear… Shouldn’t Sir Zeke learn about Karizan’s culture…?”

“That’s that… Only I can serve tea to Sir Zeke. You should step aside…”

“Pardon… Pardon me? Th-Then Karizan’s tea culture…?”

“My lemon tea is enough, so step aside…!!”

“Uh… Hmm…”

“Uwaaaaaaah!!! Aria!!!”

I sighed deeply, recalling the memory of Aria grabbing Akada’s arm and insisting on serving the tea herself just a moment ago. As a result of that small commotion, Akada ultimately couldn’t serve me tea. So now I’m drinking the lemon tea Aria brought and sighing deeply… Sigh… If Aria keeps doing this, how am I supposed to experience the culture…?

“This… Sir Zeke must be troubled…”

“Nonsense! How could Sir Zeke be troubled when I’m here…?”

“…. Hey.”

When I said that, barely suppressing my anger, Aria finally realized I was troubled and cringed. Then a single tear fell from her eye… Oh, wait, tears?

“Uh… Sob… Sir Zeke… you don’t need me anymore…?”

‘….. Uh… My temples…’

“Hohoho… Please don’t be like that. Wouldn’t it be better if the Saintess brewed various Karizan teas and served them to Sir Zeke?”

“….? Me, you mean…?”

“Yes. I will teach you how to brew them, so don’t be gloomy.”

“Th-That’s right! Merzel-ssi taught you how to brew lemon tea before, didn’t she!”

That’s right! This method existed! If Aria learns the culture and lets me experience it, there’s no problem, right? Aria just wants me to receive something she made… This way, Aria’s desire will also be fulfilled! Aria seemed to think the same thing, and hearing Akada’s advice, she stopped crying.

“Karizan has a variety of teas. There are even teas you haven’t seen outside. How about you try making something by following my example? There are many teas good for your health…”

“Let’s do it right now. How do you make them?”

As Aria suddenly rolled up her sleeves, burning with enthusiasm, Akada and I let out hollow laughs, trying to hide our embarrassment. Isn’t her mood change a bit too fast…? Then, to prepare to brew tea, Akada began taking out a teapot, various tools, and tea leaves from the tea cabinet.

“Outside, black tea is famous, right?”

“Well… it’s basic. You know that too, Aria?”

“As for black tea, I’ve had a lot of it in Esrad. I don’t need such basic teas. I want to give Sir Zeke something special.”

“Then that’s fortunate. Karizan teas are made using plants that bloom in the Kriton region. Come here. I’ll tell you everything.”

“Understood.”

As Aria approached, Akada began introducing various tea leaves, and I listened in from my seat on the chair. Hmm… To think there are 10 types of tea… Is it because they’re fairies who live in harmony with nature? Let’s see… I haven’t taken notes in a while.

Karizan, the Fairy Village. The fairies of the Kriton region are as small as the actual size we imagine fairies to be. Therefore, Karizan is also a very small village by human standards. However, Karizan possesses a special power, which it uses to welcome outsiders. This power causes any race larger than a fairy to shrink to the size of a fairy when they step foot in the village. To date, no outsiders have set foot in Karizan, so its residents are completely unaware of this power. Only the Village Chief, who created this power, knows of its existence in Karizan. Karizan has developed a culture that coexists with nature, and in particular, a culture of creating various goods and food items using materials obtained from nature.

“Oh… So this is Black Herb? Where did you say it was good for?”

“It’s good for preventing drowsiness. Especially Black Herb, its efficacy is so good it’s even used as medicine.”

“I see… Then this is…”

Perhaps because they use materials obtained from nature, their culture of medicinal development has also flourished. Furthermore, their cosmetic culture for enhancing appearance is highly developed, far more so than human cosmetic culture. Surprisingly, the fairies of Karizan are friendly towards humans, much like the Melodian fairies of the Magrion region, and…

“Hmm? Now that I think about it… Village Chief-nim? I have something to ask.”

“Yes? What is it?”

As I was writing about the Melodian fairies, I remembered something I had completely forgotten. It was that, unlike the history of the Melodians, the Karizan fairies were also friendly towards humans. Well… our first encounter was quite terrifying because of Aria, but…

“I had met the Melodian fairies in the Magrion region before… Their history stated that they were the most human-friendly group. But the Kriton region’s fairies are also friendly, so I’m not sure which is correct…”

“Ah~ You mean that? I visited that area briefly a long, long time ago, so I understand what you mean.”

“…. You’ve been there?”

“Yes. Hmm… How do I explain it… They insisted they were the most human-friendly fairy group because they followed humans, you see? Well… knowing that, I just let it be, you know?”

“…. That’s all?!”

“Yes~ That’s all there was to it. It was a bit embarrassing, seeing their overly proud history… But if they said that, what could I do? So I just came back.”

Thinking of the Melodians, who wrote their history strangely enough to cause misunderstandings, or rather, to an excessive degree, I decided not to think about it any further. And with a deep sigh, I continued my notes.

Like the Melodian fairies, they are friendly towards humans, and if help is needed, they will assist, so learning their culture in Karizan might be a good idea.

“That’s done… But Village Chief-nim, why are you wearing a witch’s outfit?”

“Hmm? You mean this outfit?”

“Yes. Witches are treated as villains among humans. As beings who play nasty tricks or use strange magic to tease or trick people.”

“Ah~ That’s certainly true. But ‘witch’ can also refer to those who develop medicinal ingredients or use magic, can’t it?”

“Yes, certainly true… Wait. Do you mean… that perhaps… Village Chief-nim, you too…?”

“Hohoho… Would you follow me for a moment? Saintess-nim, too?”

“Huh? You were just telling us something, where are you suddenly going?”

When I guessed she was a witch, Akada let out a small laugh and headed somewhere. Leaving the reception room, we followed Akada to the kitchen, where she stopped in front of a certain cupboard. Hmm… it’s just an ordinary kitchen…

“Why did you ask us to come here, Village Chief-nim? It’s just an ordinary kitchen.”

“On the surface, yes. But… what if I press this?”

“Press what… Huh? Whoa whoa whoa whoa!?”

When Akada opened the cupboard and pressed a certain glass teapot, the cupboard… began to move aside by itself…!! Then a passage, hidden beneath the cupboard on the floor, appeared before our eyes, and I couldn’t hide my astonishment.

“A se-secret passage?!”

“Now, it’s stairs from here, so you must come down carefully, alright?”

“Huh? L-Let’s go together, Village Chief-nim!!”

“Hehehe… Sir Zeke, you can just hold my hand and go down, so don’t worry.”

“Th-That’s true, but… Hmm…”

Seeing the stairs Akada was descending, I felt uneasy going down because the passage was dark. Then Aria took out her staff and began to emit a small light from its tip. Then she took my hand and said.

“This should be fine, right?”

“Uh… Yeah. Let’s go down too.”

“Okay~”

I began to descend, holding Aria’s hand, relying on the small light emanating from her staff. But I wondered if the Village Chief-nim was alright… It was so dark that it wouldn’t be easy to go down without Aria’s light… I knew she was fine because I didn’t hear any loud noises from below, but…

“By the way, it’s quite deep, Sir Zeke. If that woman tricked us, I’ll tear her limbs off…”

“Don’t say such scary things… A simple apology would be enough, do you really have to go that far?”

“If someone deceives Sir Zeke and wastes Sir Zeke’s time, I will punish them without mercy.”

“Sigh… Every time you do that, my heart… Huh?”

The moment I was voicing my complaints about Aria, a light began to appear below. Aria and I descended more quickly, and when we opened the attic door and stepped inside, an astonishing sight unfolded.

“G-Good heavens… Th-This is…”

“Welcome. This is my workshop.”

Akada’s workshop… It was truly like a witch’s house. In the center of the room was a giant cauldron, and around it, various books were stacked on bookshelves. Furthermore, next to the cauldron, various elixirs and medicinal ingredients were placed on a desk… And that staff…?

“V-Village Chief-nim. That wooden staff on top of that bookshelf…”

“Ah~ That’s called an Old Tree Staff~ It’s a tool most witches use.”

“…. Then is it true that Village Chief-nim, you are also a witch?!”

“Yes. ‘Witch’ can refer to a woman who uses magic regardless of race and can handle medicinal ingredients. Allow me to reintroduce myself, Sir Zeke. And Saintess-nim. I am Akada, the Village Chief of Karizan, and in ancient times, I was called a witch. While brewing medicinal ingredients to uncover the secret of immortality, I was cursed by the World Tree to never grow old or die, and I have lived until now. Hmm… I am probably 1,543 years old now.”

When Akada introduced herself as a witch, I couldn’t hide my astonishment. I had never seen a real witch before… To meet both a fairy and a witch here… Who could have predicted that…?

“So that’s why you wear a witch’s outfit. If you were a bad witch and tried to harm Sir Zeke… I would have killed you on the spot.”

“Oh my~ How chilling… But neither of you seem surprised about my age? Have you already met someone who has lived as long as I have?”

At Akada’s question, I sighed deeply, remembering Estur again. Akada tilted her head, wondering why I had sighed, and I answered her.

“…. Yes, well… I also heard that living a long life is immense suffering… Is that also true for Village Chief-nim?”

“Hmm… Yes, that’s right. Because of that curse, I’ve had to bid farewell to the Karizan residents I grew close to. Many times. But… Hohohohoho!!”

“Huh…?”

When Akada suddenly went from gloomy to laughing, I flinched, and even Aria twitched her body as if embarrassed. Well, I couldn’t have predicted that reaction, so it’s understandable…

“But thanks to that, I’ve been able to conduct many studies, so it’s somewhat of a good thing, isn’t it! Isn’t it even better to actively use this body!!”

“…. So that’s why you’ve been continuously researching medicinal ingredients all this time… That means… all the secrets came from Village Chief-nim… And the cosmetics and medicinal ingredients that Rubaea and Saphia brought earlier were all…”

“Yes! They are all my creations! What do you think?!”

“…. Aren’t you a bit too positive…? But earlier, the power spread throughout Karizan… you said that power was also your creation, right? How did you…”

“Ah~ It’s simple. I just maintain the power from here.”

“…. What do you mean by that?”

When I didn’t understand her words, Akada let out a small laugh and took out a book from the bookshelf. Then she opened the book and showed me a page. Aria looked at the page and immediately asked Akada.

“The glowing pattern on this page… This is the source, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. You truly are the Saintess! To recognize it at once…”

“What does that mean, Aria?”

“Simply put, this small pattern in this small book is the source of the power that envelops all of Karizan, Sir Zeke. The power emitted from this pattern surrounds the entire Karizan.”

“What?! But to do something like this, shouldn’t it be in the center of Karizan?!”

“When we passed through the passage, we were already transported somewhere. There was a magic circle in the middle of the passage that summoned us somewhere… Is that why you made the passage dark?”

“That’s also correct. My workshop is a hidden room, so I’ve set up various devices. And to think you knew even that… You are truly no ordinary Saintess-nim. It’s a magic circle device that cannot be seen even with light.”

Hearing Akada’s exclamation, I immediately stared at Aria with a stunned expression. Hearing that, I was even more dumbfounded, unable to gauge the extent of Aria’s power. As I kept staring, Aria said shyly.

“Oh, come on… Praised in front of Sir Zeke… Hehehehe… Still, I’m happy Sir Zeke is looking at me…”

“Hohoho… You are an interesting Saintess-nim. Anyway… At first, I also succumbed to despair because of this curse. I wanted to follow my precious ones, even into death. But… I didn’t remain subdued. Expecting that there would be much I could do with this body, I immersed myself in research. For the prosperity of Karizan and to prepare for any potential invasions, I spread this power throughout Karizan, and I did not neglect medicinal development.”

“But why did Village Chief-nim introduce this space to us? Isn’t this space the core of everything that can be said about the Village Chief-nim and Karizan?”

“Because you defeated the World Tree. Even if I hadn’t succumbed to despair, I still hated the World Tree that cast this curse upon me. Moreover, how could I not hate the one who tried to devour the world? Even if you didn’t fight for the sake of the world, you are saviors who saved it. So, can’t I trust you?”

As Akada stated her reason with a smile, I also smiled like Akada. But Aria’s expression became serious, and she spoke to Akada.

“…..Or is it just that you met outsiders after a long time and, in your excitement, accidentally brought us here?”

“Oh my~ You caught me? Hohohohoho!!”

As Aria saw through her thoughts, Akada broke into a sweat and tried to hide her embarrassment with a laugh. And seeing this, I began to genuinely worry about Karizan’s security.