Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf!, Volume 1, page 7
What? If she didn’t need to eat it, there was no need to sample it either. But she kept glancing at my bento with the same look in her eye that Marie had from last night.
Y-Yeah... If she wants it, I don’t really mind...
“Wh-What is she saying?” Marie, who had hidden behind me long ago, whispered into my ear.
Ah, maybe I shouldn’t tell her the dragon wanted the katsudon. Well, that was the truth, so there wasn’t much that could be done about that in the end.
As we whispered back and forth, the dragon seemed to mistake our conversation for a debate on whether or not to give her the bento. She suddenly had a flustered look on her face, then raised her index finger.
“H-Hm. Yes. I did not say you would go unrewarded. No, I would not presume such arrogance. How about I bestow one of my scales to you? Not one of the scales on the ground that has run out of magic, but one still on my body.”
“Oh, are you sure...? Marie’s been wanting one, so that would be fantastic.”
“Yes. It will grow back in no time. In any case, I will have the lizardmen clean my sleeping place once my eggs have hatched.”
The beautiful woman thrust out her hand with her palm up, as if to say the deal had been made. I couldn’t refuse, so I handed her the bento and the draconian smiled in response.
I’d found myself in a strange situation. There, in front of me, the dragon was sitting on the back leg of her true form’s remains and placing beer and a bento on the front leg.
How had we gotten to this point? I’d thought we were on a life-or-death mission until just recently. But I did prefer to not die, so I gladly served the arkdragon like a waiter. I poured the golden beer into a glass I’d brought with me, the arkdragon peering into it without blinking all the while. Despite all that she must have seen in the thousands of years she’s lived, the fine bubbles fizzing on the surface seemed to interest her greatly.
“Hmm, so this is the so-called glass of recent days. I see it allows one to enjoy this beautiful, golden view through the container.”
“Yes, it’s glass specifically for beer. I believe drinking it after taking a bite of the food is the best way to enjoy it.”
I was right to bring a fork in case Marie needed it. As a side note, it was strange that glassware and chopsticks would return to my pillow when I woke up, but that was something I’d have to look into later.
As advised, the dragon tossed the cutlet into her mouth first. It was nice and steamy from the residual heat of the ground, and juices full of umami seeped out of the fragrant pork meat. The dragon’s eyes widened immediately, and I watched speechless as the humanoid dragon’s tail slammed against the ground. She then let out loud “Mmmmmm!!!” writhed around for a bit, then began digging into the food at full speed.
“Hng! Nng! Good! So gooooood!”
Seeing a black-haired beauty stuff her face like that was quite the sight. The scene of her mealtime was far more intense than we imagined, and Marie and I could only stare without uttering a word.
As the dragon happily chewed her food, she finally remembered the main event. She looked at the bubbling beer glass and let out an audible gulp, her obsidian eyes glimmering with anticipation. Finally, the amber liquid was poured down the dragon’s throat. The savory katsudon being washed down with the chilled beer made a fantastic combination. The bitter taste of barley did take some getting used to, but that was no issue for the arkdragon, considering her love for beer.
The bitter taste would quickly turn to delicious flavor, and you couldn’t help but tilt the glass and drink heartily. The carbonation included from the brewing process made it all the more refreshing. If you let out a contented sigh, the aroma of would barley pass through your nose. This could be the reason why a beer tasted so good after a long day’s work.
“Urrrgh. This is! H-Hm...not bad. A passing mark, I would say... Do all humans eat such treats as this?”
“Oh, no. The cooking was homemade, and the alcohol is from Japan. I don’t think you’d find these things sold normally here.”
Upon hearing my response, her nicely shaped eyebrows drooped sadly as she muttered, “A shame. I was considering conquering a human habitation...”
Th-That was close... I nearly got some settlement annihilated.
Well, I was still glad she seemed to like it.
Marie, who’d been watching the events unfold, asked me a question as I put a hand to my chest in relief.
“Did she like it? She must have, considering how good your cooking is. So, what were you discussing with the draconian earlier?”
“Oh, she said she’s going to give us one of her scales as thanks. You’ve been wanting one, so I thought it’d be nice.”
Marie’s eyes widened in surprise, then she whispered, “A bento for a scale of the arkdragon?!”
From what I heard last time, a dragon’s scale seemed to be extremely valuable. Though I personally didn’t know much about that.
“It’s incredibly valuable. In fact, a mage would probably give everything they have to get their hands on one. A magical item that can supply you with magic can increase the limits of your capabilities, so people will pay as much as they can.”
“Yup, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
It was hard for me to visualize such a vague price when all I was interested in was traveling and seeing the sights. Maybe this was the result of having the mindset of, “I’d rather go around enjoying this fantasy world than dealing with other people.”
Clang!
A melancholy sound rang out. I turned to the source and found a draconian looking at an empty bento box, seemingly on the verge of tears.
Ah... That dragon was really easy to read when she was in humanoid form. It was making me sad just looking at her.
“It’s all gone...”
“Oh, I do have another one.”
The beauty whirled around to face me, then swiftly extended her hand out toward me. Suddenly, she seemed to realize something. She raised an eyebrow and picked up a rock from the ground.
“I will, of course, repay you appropriately. How about this rock? I admit I do not understand their worth, but humans seem to think highly of these.”
“Umm... Marie? Are you okay trading for that rock?”
The remaining bento was supposed to be Marie’s so I thought I’d ask for her input. I showed her the blue stone the draconian gave me, and Marie peered at it curiously.
“What is this blue rock... It looks like it changed to this color. No, it’s more like... something seeped into and solidified inside it... Kazuhiho, could you ask her what this is?”
“Excuse me, what is this rock?”
“A rock that has been soaked in my blood. As you know, I have laid my eggs. The blood from then has since been absorbed into the surrounding rocks.”
Huh, so dragons have blue blood...
Hardened blood, or a katsudon. I had no idea which was worth more. I asked Marie for her input again, and, for some reason, she became expressionless and very still.
“Huh? Marie? What’s wrong?”
“...ly...”
“Come again?”
“G-Give her the bento for that rock. Quickly...”
Marie’s eyes gleamed eerily. Unable to refuse her intense, somewhat scary pressure, I nodded enthusiastically and told the draconian we would take her offer. The dragon’s face lit up with a brilliant smile in response.
“Yes, yes! I knew you two would understand! We have a deal then!”
As I handed her the other bento, the draconian embraced it against her ample breasts as if it were a gift from a lover, then gave it a tender kiss. Immediately after, she demonstrated her far-from-ladylike appetite as she devoured it, and I was again taken aback by the extreme difference from her outward appearance.
I was admiring how intense a dragon’s mealtime was when I heard Marie mumbling something to herself.
“Dragon’s... Dragon’s blood... Dragon’s blood...for a bento...”
She was staring at the rock she’d received with a blank expression on her face.
Uhh... Yeah, she has a weird intensity of her own, I thought to myself.
And so our mission was complete, though I had no idea we would end up with gifts of dragon blood and a dragon scale instead of running for our lives.
“Child of man, you are welcome to return. And next time, you will bring more of this ‘bento.’ Three...no, four of them,” the arkdragon told me as the iron gratings were opened. Her eyes were full of intellect, despite her rather silly comments...but I decided not to dwell on that too much.
“Then I’ll see you again. Thank you for your hospitality.”
I waved goodbye, and our meeting with the dragon came to an end. But as we left the ruins, I noticed Marie was staggering around haphazardly.
“What’s wrong? Are you hungry? Hold on to my hand, I’m afraid you’ll hurt yourself.”
“Yes, thank you...”
She took my hand without hesitation. It was like we were lovers, and I couldn’t help but feel happy about it. I was thinking about how it was a bit of a shame that we were the same height in this world unlike in Japan, when Marie spoke to me in a quiet voice.
“They say dragon’s blood can cure any illness... This and the scale are so valuable that I don’t know what to do...”
“I-I see... Then maybe you should just sell it somewhere or share it with some sick person.”
“...That’s the problem.” Marie shook her head. “They’re both worth a fortune, but people will definitely raise questions about how I acquired them. It would be impossible to keep it a secret. That’s just how valuable they are.”
She seemed incredibly troubled for someone who had just obtained objects of such value. I thought it was strange, and looked up to the ruins in the darkness. Then the answer hit me.
“Oh, I get it... Then people will find out about the magi drake’s sleeping place.”
Marie nodded.
I heard magi drakes only appear once every 1,000 years, when it’s time to lay their eggs. Someone powerful could see this as their opportunity to attack. But this was the legendary arkdragon we were talking about; anyone who challenged her definitely wouldn’t go home unscathed. But would she be able to fight and protect her eggs at the same time...?
“Ah, so that’s it. I finally understand why this place was reduced to ruins.”
“Hm...?”
I must have piqued her curiosity, because her eyes turned toward me.
“Once every 1,000 years, the arkdragon lays her eggs. The people of these ruins must have tried to get their hands on them then.”
“So the persistent dragon pursued them down to their underground city, the residents fled, and she’s stayed there since... It would normally be eerie to think about, but considering the city was wiped out 1,000 years ago, it all lines up.”
Something I said must have helped her make up her mind about the dragon’s gifts, because she suddenly seemed to regain her usual demeanor. I watched in confusion as she unclasped my bag and put the items inside.
“Then it’s settled. We’ll decide what to do with this item after the magi drakes are grown and leave their nest. And it’s definitely safer for you to hold on to it.”
“What? I hope I don’t lose it...”
Marie giggled, then hugged my arm. Compared to when we were in Japan, however, her breasts were pressing against me at a much higher position.
“If it happens, it happens. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t get angry at you. Some day, we could brag in some pub and say: ‘We’ve met the legendary arkdragon before.’”
“Hmm, but all we did was watch her eat katsudon... Well, I guess we could at least brag to the kids.”
Her smiling face froze with my comment, then her face turned red. I had no idea why she reacted that way, but I thought she looked very attractive.
By the time we’d gotten outside, in each other’s arms no less, the sun was already beginning to set. Then our stomachs growled audibly, and I realized we hadn’t eaten anything all day.
“Why don’t we go to Sissle? They’re well known for their light meals. So much so that you could eat as much as you want and never get full.”
“Yeah, that might be nice once in a while. Oh, what about lodging for the night? I’ll be going back to Japan, but don’t you need to worry about where to stay?”
I peered over at her face as we walked toward the town. There was something I couldn’t ask her the previous night...
Will this be goodbye?
I spoke to her casually, but I was actually feeling quite nervous. But the elf girl’s ears perked up as she laughed cheerfully.
“No, I don’t need to worry about that either. I’m going to your country with you after all. And just like you promised in the beginning, I’ll have you teach me your language. I mean Japanese, of course.”
I was taken by surprise, but a part of me expected it too. For some reason, I had a feeling we would be spending much more time together. For example, I’d come home from work and an adorable elf would be waiting for me, making some bento. Then we’d depart to another world together. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful life?
A grin spread across my face as we walked toward Sissle, but Marie had a perplexed expression while she bombarded me with questions. Before we knew it (possibly because my footsteps felt so light), we’d arrived at our destination much earlier than expected.
Chapter of Magic Stone: Prologue
One night...
A child of the Neko tribe returned to his underground home. It was too dark to even see the moon, but, to a half-beast like him, it may as well have been the middle of the day. Sure enough, hanging from his waist was an entire bird. Its feathers had been plucked clean as soon as he caught it of course.
The Neko tribe was incredibly weak as a species. They didn’t stand a chance against monsters, and they absolutely avoided humans. That was why they circled around areas far from their home before finally returning to their hidden cave. If a predator discovered their home, it would certainly cause grave consequences.
“Oh, you’re back. That’s a nice bird you’ve got there.”
As the boy entered the cave and walked into the hall, his grandfather greeted him with a smile. The child laughed happily as his grandfather praised him and pat his head.
Their skeletal structures were too similar to humans to describe them as bipedal cats, and they were too animalistic to describe them as humans with fur. Nimbleness was crucial when it comes to hunting, so even an adult was about the size of a human child.
They meowed as they rubbed their faces against each other and exchanged scents, then began preparing for dinner. They cherished their peaceful, uneventful life, which was what they’d always fought to protect.
But that night, their life was about to come crumbling down around them...
As they sat surrounded in the glow of broken lanterns after their meal, the grandfather produced a single rock from his bag. That object was the most wondrous thing he’d ever seen. The rock glimmered in fascinating colors as light reflected off it, and the child let out a “wow” in awe.
He’d also had wine for the first time in half a year, so his mood was particularly good that night.
“Well now, why don’t I tell you of the olden days before we go to bed. This is our story that’s been passed down through the generations.”
The child still had a mouthful of bird meat as he peered into the elder’s outstretched hand, and his eyes glittered as he noticed the large object sitting there. It wasn’t very neatly cut for a jewel, but, depending on the angle, one could see all the way through it. There was something distinctly ancient about it as his grandfather said, and he couldn’t help but touch it with his little clawed paw. Then, the spot he touched glowed faintly. Seeing this, his grandfather’s mood improved further, and the elderly man laughed with a face full of wrinkles.
“Ohoho, it seems the rock likes you. Yes, our people once handled what’s known as a Magic Stone at Ujah Peak. This was hundreds of years ago.”
“Magic Stone... Hundreds of years ago...?”
The child recognized a hint of bitterness in his grandfather’s voice and looked up. Before proceeding with the story, the grandfather pushed the Magic Stone with a furry paw to change its angle. Bluish-white lights were scattered all around the cave, like stars in a night sky. The unbelievable sight made the furs on the child’s body stand up in surprise. But as he watched in amazement, his puffed up tail eventually began drooping.
“This Magic Stone is particularly special. And, sadly, it’s also the very one that led to the demise of our village...”
The child nuzzled up to his grandfather upon hearing the disquieting words, as he always did whenever he was scared. His little heart finally seemed to calm down after having his head pat.
“Legends say a monster awakened because this was discovered. Our ancestors were scattered, driven out of their homes, and humans aimed to take the few remaining Magic Stones they had.”
The reason the catastrophe occurred was still unknown. However, it was said that the ancestors had discovered the Magic Stones deep underground and took them home. Fortunately, the monster wouldn’t pursue them once they left Ujah Peak. Ever since, the Neko tribe had lived far from the land that was once their safe haven, spending their days like they were still fleeing from something.
The child couldn’t stop thinking of the folk tale, even as he lay in bed. His room, which was made of grass and fur twined tightly together, warmed up as soon as he curled up there, but the story he’d just heard was looping in his head.
Why did his grandfather still keep that Magic Stone? And just what exactly was it?
It gave off a radiance full of life, and was brimming with energy when he touched it. The desire to touch it again, as well as the horrifying image of the monster, kept him from drifting off to sleep.
