Chapter 8 - Village Chief
I entered the village chief's house. He told me to take a seat and then disappeared into another room. I observed the interior of the house while waiting for him.
Although the interior is simple, this house is much bigger than the other houses in this village. There's a big table, so I guess this room is also used for meeting. Come to think of it, the village chief told the head of each household to gather in his house before.
The village chief is supposed to be the greatest person this village. However, he doesn't look strong. He looks rather weak. I wonder if even the weak could become a leader in the human world.
Putting that aside, what does the village chief want to hear from me? I would like to ask permission to stay in this village for a while. I hope he will allow it.
"Please have a drink."
While I was thinking by myself, a woman who was a little older than me entered the room and then placed a cup in front of me.
There's greenish liquid inside the cup, and it's also steaming.... a poison?
“Excuse me, but this is...?” (Fell)
"This is tea.... Oh, excuse me. Does the demon race not drink tea?"
Tea? I have read it in books. It's a kind of leaves to season drinking water. I've tried to make something similar using leaves grown in the demon world, but it turned into something that you shouldn't ever drink. I've always wanted to try the real thing.
"Oh, no problem. I will drink it." (Fell)
I gulped down the tea without so much thought.
"HOT!?" (Fell)
It's really hot. It seems I've burned my tongue. What a trap!
"I-I'm sorry! I will bring you some water now!"
The woman rushed into the next room and returned with a glass of water. I took a breath and drank it.
"Is this normal for humans to drink such a hot drink?" (Fell)
I have a cat tongue, so it’s like a torture for me. My tears even came out.... is this a harassment by any chance?
"Pl-Please drink the tea little by little as it cools down. I'm sorry, I couldn't control heating magic very well, so it always turns into boiling water."
I understand your feeling. Even though I only want to create some water to wash my face, a lot of water always gushes out and causing damage to the surroundings.
"Indeed, adjusting magical power is a difficult task. I'll drink the rest later." (Fell)
The woman lowered her head and then left the room.
I wonder how long how long it will take until this tea becomes drinkable. Because I can't use cooling magic, there's no other choice but waiting patiently. Maybe it's not as hot as before...
I took another sip of tea.
Hot!? The temperature has not gone down at all. I couldn't taste anything because my tongue has become numb. I really have no choice but waiting until the tea cools down on its own. No, maybe I can blow on it.
The village chief returned when I was struggling against the tea.
"My apologies, I've kept you waiting." (Village Chief)
"No, it's okay. There were a lot of interesting things here, after all." (Fell)
"I'm glad to hear that. Well then, let me say this once more, thank you very much for saving this village. If Fell-sama hadn't come, everyone would have become slaves somewhere. You are the savior of this village." (Village Chief)
"Think nothing of it, instead---" (Fell)
"---but I'm sorry. This village have nothing to offer." (Village Chief)
I was interrupted and the topic suddenly changed to my reward.
"I've told each house to bring something that seems valuable, but there just isn’t much here." (Village Chief)
In the first place, why did they build a village deep in the forest? I'm questioning their sanity. I mean, how do they live their lives?
"First of all, no reward is needed. Instead, I want permission to stay in this village for a while. There's probably no human settlement that will accept demon race, so letting me stay here would be very helpful." (Fell)
"Is that all you want?" (Village Chief)
"Yeah, I don't need anything else. I heard that humans conduct transactions using money. Unfortunately, I don't have it. However, I've brought various things from the demon world. I will be saved if I can exchange them with money." (Fell)
"Oh, that would very helpful for us, too. There's only one inn in this village, so please stay there. Let's see.... as a token of our gratitude, you can stay there free of charge for a while." (Village Chief)
That would be great. I hope there's a bath, too. Setting that aside....
"I want to confirm it once more. I'm a demon race, are you really going to let me stay in this village?" (Fell)
"Hahahaha. You saw it yourself, didn't you? There are even humans who want to sell their kind for money. Compared to them, Fell-sama is more respectable. You're many times better than such humans." (Village Chief)
The village chief seems to trust me a lot. Of course I have no intention of betraying him.
"I promise I won't harm the people of this village. I will also tell my subordinates to behave appropriately. However, I'm not familiar with the common sense of human race. If what I'm about to do is against the human law or custom, don't hesitate to stop me." (Fell)
“I understand. I will convey it to everyone in the village.” (Village Chief)
When I was talking with the village chief, I suddenly smelled something good.
"Oh, let’s eat first! My daughter made it herself, I hope it will suit your taste. The food in this village's inn is exquisite, but I can guarantee that my daughter's cooking is not inferior to that." (Village Chief)
I finally can eat something other than meat. Come to think of it, I haven't had breakfast today. The timing is really perfect.
However, the meal that came out was wild boar meat again.
Okay, calm down. I should not rampage here. I'm an adult who know self-control, after all....
Looking carefully, this wild boar meat looks tempting. It's somewhat different from the grilled wild boar meat that I usually made. The surface is not black and the texture seems juicy. I wonder what makes them different.
Next came out vegetable soup.
Isn't it whole vegetables soup? I can't believe there's a way to eat like this. I feel like I'm about to fly because of the excitement. Okay, let's dig in!
"HOT!?" (Fell)
I can't eat the food in front of me until it cools down.... is this a torture? I hope the village chief's daughter practices heating magic a little more, or maybe she can just use a normal fire.