Archmage's Restaurant - Chapter 42: The Northern Forest and Chestnuts (3)
Her mother.
Rurin’s mother, who had passed on her lair to her daughter.
But even her mother’s lair was destroyed in the Dragon War. It seemed that Rurin was thinking of her mother, as her eyes welled up with tears.
I didn’t want to remind Rurin of the past, which is why I kept her close by.
The five orbs in my hand.
But what good is it to become stronger now? As a retired man, these are useless to me.
“If you hate these things so much, let’s just destroy them.”
“No… I don’t want that. I think they’re something you need. Didn’t you say you wanted to meddle in dimensional travel? These could elevate your mana to another level, which might change something.”
Ah.
That’s true. Why is she so clever at times like these? Of course, a dragon would know more about mana and magic than anyone else.
So, Rurin is right. If these orbs increase my mana, it might give me the ability to use near-godlike spells, like dimensional travel.
Even if it doesn’t go that far, it could broaden the range of summoning magic, which is essential for the restaurant. And naturally, even if I don’t need it, being able to use stronger offensive spells would certainly be possible.
For example, right now, I can only summon one meteor—by increasing my mana, I could summon more.
I looked at Rurin.
Her eyes were clear and unwavering.
“But how do you use this? It’s not something you eat like a dragon heart, right?”
“Mother said you need to keep it close and slowly absorb the mana within it. Just like how humans gradually advance through the stages when learning magic!”
“Really?”
Nod, nod.
Rurin nodded her head.
“But Rurin, didn’t you say you hate this thing because it feels like a grudge?”
“Yes.”
“That’s all the more reason to use it. Dimensional travel aside, this is actually something you need more.”
“Something I need? But I don’t like it…”
“The real enemy isn’t these orbs, is it? It’s the ones who plotted evil because of them. If you don’t want to end up like your mother, you need these orbs. No, even more, if you want to lure those enemies out and take revenge, you need to be stronger. You said you wanted to stay in your human form, didn’t you?”
Nod, nod.
This time, Rurin looked at me with intense eyes.
Finding Rurin’s enemies is impossible. Her mother, treated as a disgrace by the Black Dragon clan, harbored deep resentment.
But these orbs might open the path for Rurin to get her revenge.
Now that the word “revenge” has come up, it’s no wonder Rurin’s eyes have turned so fierce.
“Then you need to be strong enough not to lose to a dragon even in your polymorph state. To get your revenge, you need to be stronger than you are now. So, let’s both get stronger, together.”
“But…!”
“We’ll each use two orbs, and we’ll keep one in reserve to lure in our enemies when you’re strong enough to face them, Rurin. After you’ve become strong enough to deal with those other dragons. Understand? If we lure them out now, you could get hurt, and I don’t want that. If not, I’ll throw them all away.”
“Really… Can I really get my revenge? Are you… Are you going to help me?”
“Of course, I will.”
I patted Rurin’s head.
She then leaned into me. Her eyes were very red, but she didn’t shed any tears.
“Then I’ll follow you. I’ve always followed you because you’re everything to me.”
Although Rurin didn’t cry, she hugged me tightly around my waist.
Naturally, I couldn’t push her away.
We stayed like that for quite some time.
Honestly, dimensional travel isn’t as important now. What matters more is living here. Of course, I’d like to visit my parents once, but…
What’s most important is the present. So, if my mana amplifies enough to strengthen my summoning magic, that’s enough for me.
If Rurin and I both become stronger because of the orbs, it might also lift the heavy burden that’s been weighing on her heart, the burden of not being able to trace the footsteps of her enemies.
Besides, I’ll die before Rurin. Even though I’ve eaten a dragon heart and will live longer than a normal human, there are limits.
I don’t want Rurin to be left alone, to be tormented by those damn dragons again.
Rurin needs to become stronger.
Yes.
To be completely honest, Rurin is more important to me than dimensional travel.
***
After making the unexpected discovery, Rurin and I used magic to restore the northern forest and returned to the restaurant. The dragon’s treasure buried there wasn’t mine.
It belonged to the Grayke family. It was buried in their land.
The fact that the area was kept a secret was likely because an ancestor of the Grayke family knew the dragon’s secret. If not, they would have already taken the treasure.
Maybe they feared the repercussions of meddling with a dragon’s belongings.
As the lords of Grayke City for generations, the ancestors of the Grayke family must have known about the dragon that died in the northern forest.
But there’s no need to worry. I understand the ancestors’ concerns, but this treasure is something the young Grayke heir should use.
That is, as long as no descendant of the dragon that died in the northern forest comes forward.
However, according to Rurin, the fact that the dragon didn’t pass on its lair and died alone, and the fact that it didn’t return to the sacred place in the end, are proof that it was a very lonely dragon.
So, there’s no reason to think there are any descendants. It was a solitary dragon.
That’s exactly what I’m concerned about. I don’t want Rurin to meet such a lonely end.
But the young Grayke boy has the makings of a good lord. So, such a vast treasure might be a curse rather than a blessing for him right now.
After he gains more experience and forms a solid conviction as a lord, it might be best to reveal the treasure to him so he can use it for the benefit of his domain.
Until then, it’s better to leave the dragon’s treasure buried underground.
If the Grayke boy grows into a proper man, it could become a great asset to him.
As for the dragon’s orbs, well, it’s not like my mana increased overnight.
When I meditate on the bed, I can feel the mana flowing from the orbs. Little by little, I can feel the mana being absorbed.
After returning from the northern forest, Rurin and I have been repeating this practice every night.
“Whew!”
But Rurin couldn’t last an hour before she laid her head on my thigh.
“This is hard, Ellesion!”
“Of course it is. You’ve been at the 9th-class level since you were born, so you’ve never had to train your mana like us humans.”
“Hehe, that’s true. That’s why it’s hard. But I’ll do it because you said you’d help me get revenge. But it’s still hard! And I think I’m absorbing it faster than you! Hehe, I’m a dragon, after all.”
After making a big deal about how much she’d absorbed today, Rurin rubbed her forehead against my thigh.
“Are you going to sleep?”
“I’m done for today, so yes, I’ll sleep!”
Well, she’s a dragon, so she’s probably right. The speed at which a dragon absorbs mana from these orbs is probably very different from mine. Rurin didn’t seem to have any intention of moving away from my thigh and just pulled the blanket over herself.
“I’ll protect you while I sleep. Hehe.”
“Phew, it’d be more helpful if you’d move away.”
Rurin didn’t respond. She just hugged my waist and started snoring softly. Her black hair peeked out from under the blanket.
I left her alone and continued my training.
There was definitely a change.
The mana within the orbs interacted with my dragon heart and began to form a certain image.
An image that seemed just within my grasp but still eluded me.
If I can surpass this, I might be able to use even stronger magic.
As someone without a dragon’s talent.
Just like when I first arrived in this world, I persistently repeated my meditations.
***
The orbs weren’t the only thing we brought back from the forest. The original purpose of the trip was to gather bonin. So, naturally, the kitchen was piled high with bonin.
Since we already had roasted bonin, it was time to make candied bonin. My favorite way to cook bonin, hands down, is roasting, but candied bonin is a close second.
In this world, where there aren’t modern snacks, candied bonin is a fantastic treat.
Even in a world with snacks, it’s still a competitive treat. At least, I really like it.
Plus, once you make candied bonin and store it in glass jars, you can keep it for a long time.
Since we have a lot, I plan to give a jar to each of the regulars at the restaurant, and the rest will be for Rurin and me. That’s the plan.
So, the kitchen was about to embark on the grand task of making a large batch of candied bonin. [1]
Of course, calling it a grand task is a bit of an exaggeration. It’s not that hard.
First, soak the freshly harvested bonin in warm water for about half a day. This makes it easier to peel the shells.
“Rurin, instead of just holding that broom and pretending to work, why don’t you come help?”
“I did work! It’s a misunderstanding! A conspiracy!”
“What exactly did you do?”
“I held the broom.”
“You held the broom? And then?”
“Well, isn’t holding the broom working?”
“Then you don’t need to eat since you watched me cook?”
“Ugh! That’s different!”
Declaring her surrender, Rurin tossed the broom into the entryway and walked into the kitchen. She sat down next to me.
“What are you doing?”
“Look, you take a knife, and you peel the bonin like this. Hold the bonin tightly with your left hand and slice the shell with your right, peeling it off like this.”
“Okay.”
“When you peel it, you’ll see a layer that looks like fur. You don’t need to peel that off.”
That outer layer, the shell, should stay on for making candied bonin. If you peel it off, the bonin inside will turn soft and won’t hold up when candied.
“What exactly are we making?”
“It’s a treat you’ll really like.”
“I won’t like it. It’s covered in fur.”
“Really? I’m confident you’ll love it. Want to bet?”
“A bet?”
Rurin nodded confidently at my suggestion.
“Alright. If you lose, you have to cling to me all day!”
“What?”
Is she suggesting we close the restaurant for the day? Well, I’m confident I won’t lose, so I guess I’ll take the bet.
“Then if I win, you have to make a meal. Got it?”
“What? I don’t know how to cook! My job is to eat!”
“That’s why it’s a bet.”
“A bet, huh? Alright. I can’t lose. I’ll just say it’s bad! Hehe.”
She sounds like some kind of spoiled prince.
Rurin nodded and started peeling the bonin.
***
Footnotes:
[1] Bonin is this world’s version of chestnut.