Chapter 101: Xyltosia Folklore (2)
"It's said that after a famine, the early residents of this valley had to eat the plants and weeds in desperation. Among them was a hungry mother caring for her bedridden child. One day, when the valley ran out of water and their crops and trees could no longer bring food to the table, the mother foraged through the valley woods in fraught, but could not find anything edible but the yellowing leaves and drying branches", Savella pensively retells. "Rather than go home empty, she resignedly grabbed a few weeds that survived the severe drought and went home to feed it to her child. The stalks have a lot of water, letting the plant survive even hot weather. It was actually a good find as the weed both alleviated their thirst and hunger. For the next days, they survived the famine while eating those weeds. Seeing that the weed wasn't poisonous, the other residents threw their cautiousness and took home a few plant stalks. Very soon, many people started looking for them too, even planting a few in their yards to pass through the drought. That plant was later named as xyltosia, after the child's name."
"…You sound as if you were reliving that story."
Savella laughs cheerfully, "How could that be ah? Wouldn't that mean I'm so old? Impossible ah!"
"…" No, well, aren't you?
"Xyltosia used to be classified as a useless weed that grows in the valley. Who would've know that someday, something so useless would become something everyone wanted? Even becoming a staple food and then an important potion ingredient?" She shakes her head. "Eating it again and again for years and years during droughts, the residents eventually realized that they'd become aware of the plant's side effects. They became too honest. That was how the Faerie-kind came to be. Eating too much of it led them to eventually not being able to lie. On the up-side, they can easily tell whose lying. It's cool isn't it?"
I give a monotonous hum, while thinking, wouldn't being too honest be annoying instead?
Remembering something I tell Savella, "You're the Priestess here, right Savella", I ask in a matter of fact tone.
"Nothing you don't already know ah."
"If there's something missing, can you find it?"
"What kind of request is that? Well, it depends. Did you lose something? Your favorite toy perhaps, little brother~?"
"...No, great, great grandmother."
"Grandma—", she turns to me, stupefied.
"Not my toy, but Obrecht's", I callously interrupt. Savella's been selling herself like crazy. I'd be a fool not to realize why. Since Tukare's pretty much impregnable despite her advances, I don't see the need to butt in. "Somebody stole his sword."
"Hmmm." She studies me. "You don't seem to be lying, but it sounds like you aren't saying the truth either." I glance at her twitching downward ears.
Obrecht, "That's because we lack evidence."
"Obrecht uses the heavy sword", I quip. "There are very few people who can lift that up alone. That alone should be evidence that it was stolen."
Obrecht, "When we arrived, all our baggage was placed inside the house we were lent. I don't know since when, but it wasn't there when I checked before coming here. I also noticed that the arrangement of the bags was slightly different than earlier."
Savella, "You even remembered that..."
"That house is too small to misplace something as big as Obrecht's sword", I say.
Savella contemplates, her only hand fisted and touching her chin. "Hmm, let me take a look tomorrow then. I'll try a tracking spell to find it. You have any suspects?"
I tell Savella what happened from our arrival up to now. Obrecht filled out the parts when I wasn't there. We describe each of the handful of people and places we've encountered. Savella says she'll keep those people in mind.
"So what's in it for me?" Savella asks.
"..."
Obrecht, "What do you want?"
"Hehe, maybe I can take a picture of Videre in other dresses?" Savella rubs her hands eagerly.
"Not allowed", Obrecht says.
"Just because you can't get Tukare to wear your dresses doesn't mean I'll wear them for you to delude that I'm her in the pictures", I say. Never thought there'd be a day I'll be asked to cosplay my sister.
"If I don't delude myself that you're Tukare, can I still take a picture?"
Obrecht, "Not allowed."
Savella, "I'll give you all the copies too!"
Obrecht, "Fine. Just three—no, two dresses. And I want two copies each."
Savella, "Deal!"
"..." Wait for me to report this Priestess for corruption and bribery.
For the rest of the night, Savella kept pointing out the people we should memorize their faces. We've also met two of the Faerie-kind's princesses. I understood after meeting them why Savella called them spoiled.
One had multiple relationships at the same time while the other gambled away her mother's money. The third princess is a shut-in who doesn't get along with people and hates social events such as this. With their own interests, the three of them didn't leave any face for their mother and left three empty seats. I can say Afzal really is the most behave out of them. At least he still follows decorum and the Queen's orders.
The party went on until late into the night. By that time, we were all starving.
I press my palm on Obrecht's flat abdomen, feeling the vibrations of his stomach's hunger call.
So cute. Like a cub crying for food.
"I'll go cook something", I volunteer after checking that the small cob cottage did have a kitchen, although half of it was outside, including the sink.
"Little brother, cook me something too." Laris spinelessly lay on the chair, half of his body nearly spilling to the floor. Though he was talented enough to dodge most of the food and drinks, he couldn't deny the wine the Queen, herself, had poured for her guest. Thankfully, the wine was safe of xyltosia-based truth potion, and it proved that the alliance was as good as done. Unfortunately, just one cup was enough to get him drunk. Apparently, the Queen's a bit of an alcoholic who doesn't get drunk in the face of a barrel of wine.
"...Don't want."
"Little brother, please? Big brother worked really hard tonight."
"...If you don't disturb us later, then I'll include you a portion."
Laris mumbles, "...Never mind, I can starve—"
"He said yes", Obrecht shouts over Laris' voice.
I gesture a thumbs up and leave to the kitchen, Laris softly cursing Obrecht.
There was food in the cabinets and counter tops, but we brought our own food along as well. It's just that eating dry rations has become tasteless. There is a clay pot of flour and a basket of tomatoes on one of the cabinets. I take out some of the meat we've dried and the two eggs in the neat of the beasts we've hunted. Each of them were a size bigger than my hand.
"What are making?" Obrecht follows me to the kitchen, watching me go about for utensils.
I hand him one of the tomatoes. "Take a bite." Since Obrecht said before that he didn't have any secrets, there should be no harm in ingesting any food with xyltosia.
He obediently bites the plump tomato, the red juice staining the corner of his lips.
"...Is it safe?" I unconsciously swallow.
"It tastes alright. A little ripe."
"...Say you hate me then." I want to hear if he can lie. If he can then it's safe.
"I love you", Obrecht stubbornly says, obviously not wanting to say such a statement.
"..." In the end, is it safe or not?
Blushing, I watch him eat the rest of the tomato like he was eating an apple instead.
"Obrecht is ugly." I tease with a flat voice.
"I'm obviously handsome", he argues, taking his stance.
"...If you repeat what I said, I'll let you sleep on the bed later instead of the floor."
"I'm ugly. Very ugly", he sincerely tells me that I start laughing. "But my husband is very handsome. So handsome."
"Flatterer", I call him out, but as I turn my back to him, a smirk can't help but show itself.
At least I know that the tomatoes are safe.
Clanging the metal pots, I had Obrecht bring me some water from the outer kitchen and began to hand-make some noodles with the flour. I boiled the meat and added a few spices that we've picked along the way. When I fish out the meat, I deep fry them unto another pan as I make the noodles. I had to personally cut those noodles but it didn't even take a minute to do so. Shadow blades are quite useful at times like these, but I didn't use them.
I grip and ungrip the knife in my hands. It's been a long time since I've fought with a blade in my hands. I must really be out of practice by now.
The meat of the beast we hunted was delicious. Frying them made the smell waft around the house along with the boiling soup base I've made. Very soon, there were two more heads poking into the kitchen as Obrecht restlessly hovers behind me, like a dog guarding its food.
You can say that I simply made an imitation of the tomato egg drop soup, what with the available ingredients, but it tasted alright to me. I took the big pot and borrowed a few bowls in the cabinet. Too bad there weren't any chopsticks here either.
Quietly, I look at Obrecht as he eats a mouthful. I know it's not as tasty as his Ama's cooking—
"It's delicious", he says. His eyes tell me that he'd guessed my thoughts yet again.
"It really is", Laris exclaims. He had slipped in and grabbed a bowl for himself as Obrecht and I ate. Tukare was whisked away by Savella before she even had the chance to argue.
"Thank you. Please make sure to clean after yourselves and not disturb us later", I say, drinking the rest of my portion of soup before getting up.
"Wait—", Laris freezes at the look I give him and my food he's eating. He looks at me pitifully, but it won't work.
"If you eat my food, and then that means you agree. Unless your words and promises are as fragile as eggs."
Biting his spoon, Laris watches as we exit the kitchen and head upstairs.
On one side, Raguk silently lowers his head as he carefully slurps his noodles.
Little did I know that in Raguk's heart, the hierarchy in this house had been formed.
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