The Abandoned White Magician’s Tea Life - Chapter 86 : Consultation (1)
Translator: Sunnyshies
[unedited]
Chapter 86 : Consultation (1)
Polk is a sprawling settlement protected by the Dragon Mountains and surrounded by lush grasslands. This region, which used to be overrun with demons and enveloped in sweltering heat, has become warmer since the disappearance of Yugo, the golden dragon, ten years ago, and the number of demons has decreased dramatically.
Amalia also occasionally sees demons when she is picking flowers and herbs in the fields. However, all of them are small and do not like to fight. Sometimes they attack her with their fluffy tails flapping, but when Amalia drops a sword on their heads, they just roll over and rush away.
Moreover, with Yugo here, the demons would not bypass him. Amalia does not know for sure, but according to Yugo, “demons can smell the scent of the strong”. Even in the form of a human child, they can tell by his scent and presence that Yugo is a light dragon of the strongest kind. That is why most of the demons run away just by Yugo’s presence.
“…oh? But until ten years ago, demons used to gather around the mountain where Yugo sleeps, right?”
Amalia asked while peeling beans in the kitchen, and Yugo, who was helping her while also exercising his hands, nodded.
“I was in my dragon form at the time, and I was sleeping. When I slept in my dragon form, the demons that sensed my presence would come close to me to suck out my magical power. That’s why there were so many demons around here until my mom came.”
“Sucking your magical power…”
“It seems that humans don’t have that ability. But we can take the power of the powerful and make it our own by eating demons or absorbing the magical power that flows from their bodies.”
Amalia was horrified by Yugo’s description―― imagining the scene of Yugo crunching down on a giant demon.
‘Yes, come to think of it, Yugo often goes hunting and eats the demons he kills…?’
His food source is not only boars, birds, and other things that even Amalia can eat. Perhaps it is not strange for Yugo, since he once ate a poisonous creature that made him sick.
“Is that right…so does Yugo also eat demons and take in their magical powers?”
“I am strong without doing so, so I decide what to hunt based on whether it is tasty or not, not on because it has magical power or not. Demons are more fulfilling because they are bigger, but they are worse than ordinary cows and birds. That’s why the food my mom cooks for me is the best!”
“Oh, thank you.”
Amalia smiles back at him as he smiles at her.
The beans on the table could be peeled quite well. The one Yugo was in charge of were somewhat smashed and crushed, but once he got the hang of it, he was able to peel them well, so she gave him a good compliment.
“Today, Leonardo seems to be coming home soon, right?”
“He said so. I heard he’s having a training session today.”
Amalia answered while soaking the colander with the beans in the water.
Guild members are divided into two types: adventurers and mercenaries. Both share the same role of taking on requests and defeating demons, but unlike adventurers, who are relatively free to form parties and have little responsibility for the fulfillment of requests, mercenaries are held together by their ability and trust.
Mercenaries are also entrusted with tasks such as escorting peddlers, assisting in the suppression of local rebellions, and guarding towns. Unlike adventurers, whose main interaction is between man and demon, mercenaries are expected to have a “people-to-people” relationship. Failure to fulfill a request or cutting corners may jeopardize the guild’s credibility.
Therefore, the guild regularly conducts training sessions for mercenaries to ensure that they acquire not only tactical skills, but also negotiation skills, minimum education, and survival skills. Adventurers could also take this training at their discretion, and Amalia had participated in a training session for white magicians. At the time, she remembered glimpsing mercenaries taking the course in the guild’s conference room, and remembering how serious the training was compared to that for adventurers.
This time Leonardo went for a half-day training. He left last night and should be able to come back this evening or so.
‘Today, I’m going to make a bean dish. I bought some chicken, so maybe a soup with pinelli would be nice.’
The beans she just peeled with Yugo are called ma-yu. It seemed that a woman named Mayu was the first to successfully cultivate it. It is a nutritious food that grows well even in cold climates.
She cut the vegetables into cubes and pan fry them with the chopped chicken. She added water, the mayu, the crushed pinelli, and the aromatic murum and ravi, then simmer to produce a brought sunset sky soup. This dish is often eaten in winter, and it would be cooled in summer.
While washing the mayu, she thought about the menu for dinner,. Yugo, who was cleaning the bean skins that had fallen around the table with a broom and dustpan, trembled and looked up.
“Oh, I think he’s home already.”
“Do you hear that?”
“I heard him stop his horse at the door.”
After saying this, Yugo quickly swept the floor and threw away the trash. Yugo has a very good ear, so he picks up even the faintest sound that Amalia cannot hear, and tells Amalia about it.
Soon after, there was the sound of the front door opening. Yugo immediately flew out, and Amalia, once she lifted the bean with a colander out of the water, wiped her hands and headed for the front door.
“Welcome back, Leonardo. You’re up early today! How was the training?”
“I’m back, Yugo. Today we had a training on rescue methods…oh, Amalia-san, I’m home.”
“Welcome back.”
When Amalia went to the door, Yugo was already climbing on Leonardo’s back. Leonardo was carrying Yugo on his back with no difficulty, even though he was carrying his luggage. Yugo seems to be happy to be able to look at Leonardo from a higher angle, and he likes having Leonardo carry him on his shoulders.
Amalia held out her hands, and Leonardo thanked her as he handed her his luggage. It was heavy, but since Leonardo was now dealing with Yugo, Amalia thought she should carry this much.
“You must be tired. I’ll make you some tea right away.”
“Yes, please…I’d be happy to talk to you over a cup of tea if you’d like.”
Amalia left his luggage in the living room and was about to head for the kitchen when she turned around with a start. She felt that Leonardo’s words were tinged with some kind of nervousness, and a feeling of uneasiness welled up in her chest.
But when Leonardo saw Amalia’s tense face, he hurriedly shook his head.
“I have some news for you. I have something I would like to talk to you about, or rather, discuss with you, or rather, make a proposal to you.”
“…okay, I’ve got it. Then, please wait there.”
After a moment’s pause to let her mind rest at Leonardo’s suggestion, Amalia hurried back to the kitchen to prepare tea and refreshments. There was some leftover nut cake that she and Yugo had eaten earlier during snack time, so she put the cake on the tray with the tea.
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Botanical Dictionary (16)
Mayu (マーユ- /Māyu/) – a broad bean-like plant. It is nutritious and can be used in a variety of dishes.
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