Chapter 117

The king, with an excited expression on his face, slightly changed his look to one of surprise upon seeing the prepared meal.

“Wow, they went all out for our esteemed guest? This spread is enough to break the table legs!”

“Well, we did try a bit harder than usual.”

This much and the table legs would break? Is it made of sugar cane or something?

Meh, in this environment where there’s little to eat besides livestock, it can’t be helped.

And besides, they wouldn’t slaughter their livestock daily, and it takes quite some time for them to grow as well.

It seems inevitable that their meals are modest.

“I’m worried we might not have enough food left after the guests leave.”

“Well, we’ll think about that when the time comes. Entertaining guests is incredibly important, you know.”

With the queen’s firm words, King Makai quickly turned glum. It appears the real power in the household lies with the queen.

Even the king of a nation is powerless at home. Such is the fate of a husband.

Though, it’s none of my business!

King Makai quietly cleared his throat, found an empty seat, and began tasting the dishes.

“Hmm. As expected, it’s delicious. My wife truly is the best cook.”

Hmm, it is quite tasty indeed. A bit rough around the edges, but that adds its own charm.

Our hero, who has traveled the world tasting various cuisines alongside me, also seemed highly satisfied with these dishes.

Looking back, most of the cooking here is still primitive. The bread is hard and basic, barely developed beyond baking and boiling. Perhaps more time is needed for this world’s culinary arts to truly flourish.

By the way, if this faint sweetness comes from honey… could beekeeping have started somewhere?

“This food has a subtle sweetness. Did you perhaps add honey?”

“Oh my, did you notice? You’re very perceptive!”

“Honey?”

Our hero tilted his head, clearly puzzled.

Hmm, it’s such a faint taste that even he couldn’t detect it. It feels like a hidden flavor.

“The honey adds a delicate sweetness that enhances the dish beautifully.”

“And honey is being produced in small amounts in Arcadia.”

Arcadia? Here? Impressive. I thought this place was just barren.

“But where does the honey come from? Your Majesty, please explain it to our guests.”

“Ahem, I’ve said many times it should remain a secret… my dear wife.”

“But I didn’t say anything! The guest noticed it first.”

“Ugh…”

With a small groan, King Makai began speaking.

“It’s usually a closely guarded secret, but since it’s you two—our Dragon Priestess and Hero—I’ll let you in on it. Just promise to keep it strictly confidential elsewhere. Understand?”

“Alright. We’ll keep the secret about raiding beehives to ourselves.”

At my words, King Makai looked somewhat deflated.

“No, no, you already knew about it?”

“I only had a vague idea that something like this existed.”

Actually, I’ve never personally raided a beehive; I’ve only heard stories.

“Ahem. Well, raiding beehives isn’t easy, so rumors may spread. However, our honey is entirely different from others!”

“Entirely different? Special honey? Do you only use nectar from specific flowers to infuse it with floral scents?”

“Um, not exactly… though that’s a great idea. We’ll consider it later.”

Hmm, if it’s not that, then what makes this honey special?

“Our honey production involves… monsters!”

“Monsters?”

“Hehe, surprised, aren’t you? Most monster usage revolves around by-products like their skin or claws!”

Hmm, I admit I was surprised. Using monsters is quite dangerous, after all. It’s intriguing how they managed it.

“How did you even come up with such an idea? From what I know, monsters are ferocious beasts that attack anyone on sight.”

“I used to think so too. They’re terrifying creatures that charge at humans, right? But!”

“But?”

“Incredibly, some monsters can actually be tamed by humans!”

Monsters tamed by humans? How? These are beasts that relentlessly chase after people!

I shook my head, hearing something completely new.

“That’s a lie. I’ve observed monsters for a long time, and this is the first I’ve ever heard of them following humans.”

“But it’s true! Honestly, I wouldn’t have believed it myself without experiencing it firsthand.”

Still… hmm… could it really be possible? Totally baffling.

Using monsters to produce honey… hmm, plant-based monsters? Or bee-shaped ones?

Either way, it’s hard to believe.

“So, which kind of monster did you use? Bees?”

At my question, King Makai nodded reluctantly with a smile.

“Yes. Bees. More specifically, queen bees.”

“Queen bees… that’s quite peculiar.”

“We’ll show you tomorrow since it’s getting late today. You’ll only believe it once you see it yourself.”

Hmm, still hard to believe.

Well, since they promised to show us tomorrow, I suppose we’ll find out then.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

The next day.

King Makai led us to a small tent located a short distance from the village.

Compared to the tents where other villagers live, this one was rather small, yet several soldiers were guarding it, indicating strict management.

“What is this place?”

“The location of the monster I mentioned yesterday.”

From afar, a faint buzzing sound could be heard—like the fluttering wings of insects.

“Let me warn you first. You might be startled when you see them, but please don’t make loud noises. Provoking them could cause trouble.”

As we approached the tent, its structure became clearer.

A small hole was cut into the top of the tent, covered loosely by a cone-shaped piece of cloth.

Through that hole, countless bees—no, bee-like monsters—were flying in and out.

“Hmm…”

To be honest, it’s a bit unsettling. Insects. Not my favorite.

The bees—or rather, bee-shaped monsters—swarming around the hole were roughly the size of a child’s fist, with large stingers resembling syringes.

Additionally, their front legs were shaped like sickles, similar to grasshoppers.

“A combination of hornets and grasshoppers, it seems.”

Their vivid stripes warned anyone nearby that hundreds of them could swarm and tear you apart at any moment.

Taming monsters like these… how did they manage it?

How on earth did they do it…?

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

The couple was running out of food and found themselves in trouble.

All they had left was a tiny puppy. Of course, they couldn’t bear to eat such a cute little dog.

Sighing softly, the couple decided to work harder to prepare for the approaching winter.

“Woof! Woof!”

That is, until their small puppy blocked their way as they tried to leave the house.

“What’s gotten into this pup?”

“That’s what I’d like to know.”

Despite their confusion, the couple looked down at the puppy.

The fluffy, adorable puppy confirmed that the couple was paying attention before pushing the door open and dashing outside.

“Oh no! Come back here, you!”

Following the suddenly fleeing puppy, the couple stepped outside their home.

While running ahead, the puppy occasionally slowed down to check if the couple was keeping up, speeding up again when they got closer, maintaining a safe distance.

Finally, the puppy stopped deep within a forest.

“Oh dear. Running off like that isn’t good, young one!”

Exhausted from the unexpected sprint, the couple collapsed onto the ground. The puppy glanced at them briefly before starting to dig into the earth.

“You’ll get dirty.”

“Woof! Woof!”

Ignoring the wife’s warning, the puppy continued digging persistently, as if something important lay beneath.

When the hole was finally deep enough, inside was…

“Woof! Woof!”

“Could this be… fruit from underground?”

“My goodness. Incredible.”

Buried in the dirt were fruits, each about the size of a fist, grown beneath the soil.

“Woof!”

The puppy picked up one of the fruits, brought it to the couple, and proceeded to cut off the sprouting part with its claw.

Suddenly, the sprouted section turned black and melted away.

“Oh heavens!”

“Why would you dig up something so dangerous?”

Startled, the couple threw the fruit they were holding.

“Woof! Woof!!”

But the puppy barked loudly at them before eating the fruit with the sprout removed.

“Woof!”

As if to say, “Fruits without sprouts are safe to eat.”

— A classic fairy tale: The Grateful Dog.