NOVEL WEB Chapter 114 - Herbal Tea
Herbal Tea
The inside of the house was surprisingly simple and modest. It wasn’t unexpected, because the village itself had a tranquil atmosphere, but still…
“It’s sho quiet…”
That’s right, it was too quiet. So quiet that it felt like no one was living here. The entire village. And the High Elf who’d invited us in, she had no sense of… life about her, it made me wonder if she actually lived here. I could hear the rustling of her clothes as she walked, but even her presence was faint. It felt like she was detached from humanity. It sounded nice to call her mystical, but it was a bit creepy. I’m sorry!
“I have teacups somewhere, but they’re probably covered in dust since I always use the same ones. Dillon, would you wash them?”
『As you wish.』
The Water Spirit, who’d been instructed, flicked its tail, and a sphere of water appeared. The teacups clinked gently as they were washed inside the sphere, without bumping into each other. So skilled.
“Sharon, dry them, please.”
The moment the teacups were clean, the water sphere turned into wind. A pale green light danced, so I figured that one was a Wind Spirit. The teacups were quickly dried and then neatly placed on the table by the Wind Spirit.
“Fuwaa, sho amazing.”
I couldn’t help but to exclaim this, it was like a magic trick! I’m sure we’d be able to do it with practice, but… I’d probably end up breaking a few teacups.
“Ufufu, really? I’m flattered.”
The High Elf chuckled, her voice sweet. She was so beautiful that it was almost intimidating, but seeing this side of her made her seem cute.
Could she really be a member of the exclusive High Elves? That question filled everyone’s minds.
“Well then, please enjoy. This herbal tea will soothe your hearts.”
The High Elf said this, serving us the tea she’d brewed herself, and then took a sip. It was probably to show us that it wasn’t poisoned, as it was from the same pot. Kron-san then took a sip, and then we all had some. It was a perfect temperature, not too hot. The fragrant herbal tea warmed my body. Ahh, delicious.
“Well then, where to begin. Ah, yes, my name. I am Martinelshiela. I’ve lived here, without ever leaving, for… five thousand years, I think.”
I almost spit out my tea. Fi-Fi-Five thousand years!? That’s an incredible amount of time. I see, that’s why she has this otherworldly aura!
“And I’m the current patriarch’s older sister. You know the patriarch, right? A mischievous little rascal.”
She said this calmly, as if it was nothing special. Huh? The patriarch’s sister… so that means she’s the older sister of that Schelmelhorn guy? And she’s calling him a mischievous little rascal? I wonder… are we misunderstanding something?
“But you see, you can’t disobey the patriarch. It’s a sort of… curse, you could say, that’s been placed on High Elves.”
“A curse…?”
She lowered her eyes slightly as she said this. The Demon King frowned.
“When you live this long, it’s hard to break the habits you’ve formed. I was raised to always obey, so even if I wanted to, I couldn’t disobey. And it’s not magic, you see? It’s quite strange.”
She continued, a troubled smile on her lips, her tone as calm as ever. And she seemed… a bit sad? Maybe I was imagining it.
“But Yennaliearl, she was able to do it.”
“Yenna…! Is Yenna here!?”
The Demon King reacted immediately to Yenna-san’s name. He was even releasing a bit of his pressure. Ugh, how scary!
As I clung to Gil-san, seeking comfort, Martinelshiela, unfazed by the pressure, simply smiled. Was I the only one who found her unreadable, terrifying?
“…Meg, you achieved your goal, didn’t you?”
“Eh…?”
She muttered this, ignoring the Demon King’s question. I couldn’t help but stare at her, dumbfounded. And what goal? What was she talking about?
“I asked you if Yenna is here! Please answer me!”
The Demon King asked this again, releasing even more pressure. Calm down! Even Kron-san was trying to calm him down, but he didn’t seem to be listening.
“For me to tell you that, you need to calm down.”
She glanced at the Demon King and then said only this, taking a sip of her herbal tea. But it was the Demon King who couldn’t calm down. He finally stood up.
“Why? Why won’t you tell me? I’ve been searching for her for so long! Please, I beg you…! I want to see her! Tell me!”
“Zahariash-sama, please calm down!”
The Demon King was starting to lose his temper. I understood. His beloved, who he’d been separated from for so long, might be right here. But he needed to calm down, as Kron-san had said. I didn’t know what to do, so I just fidgeted nervously.
“Oh, my. You’re a troublesome one, aren’t you? …But in your current state, I can’t tell you anything. Would you please calm down?”
“How can I calm down!? I can finally see her!? Why won’t you let me see her!? Is there a reason you can’t!?”
I understood how he felt. I would have probably been the same if Dad was nearby, but I couldn’t see him. But I was getting nervous about this situation. Because we were at the High Elf Village. And while this woman seemed calm, who knew when she might snap? I couldn’t even imagine what she’d be like if she got angry.
Martinelshiela listened to the Demon King’s words, and after taking a deep breath, she spoke:
“Alright, I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you, but first, you need to calm down. You’re not here to pick a fight, are you?”
She said this gently, as if trying to comfort him. Her words seemed to snap the Demon King out of it.
“…My apologies. It seems I’ve lost control.”
He sat down, took a sip of the herbal tea, and then let out a long sigh. He then began speaking again, his voice calm and composed.
“I apologize. I’m fine now. This herbal tea really does soothe the heart. You see right through me. I’m impressed.”
“Oh my, it’s just wisdom that comes with age.”
The atmosphere relaxed once again. I finally let out a sigh of relief. Th-That was scary!