The queen alraune tried almost everything after the soup. Driven by her curiosity, not trying other culinary delights is futile. Just like Moritz and Cockatrice, the alraune queen seemed to reflect on their attitude. After one meal, she immediately took another food. The queen alraune seemed as though she hadn't eaten in a long time.
Although….
The queen alraune herself, forgot when was the last time they had a meal together regardless of status.
.
.
Until a few minutes, not all the food was finished except for the soup, which left the pot clean.
“Gah! I'm full!”
Cockatrice belly bulging, lying surrendered. He looked like a farm chicken ready to be slaughtered.
Moritz smiled satisfied with his lunch. Calmly, he lit another cigarette.
Meanwhile, the queen, in both hands had bitten two sandwiches filled with onions, cheese and roast beef flying. Her sharp gaze earlier has changed. Now her eyes are wide with tears like a child who enjoys fast food after a long time. Even the queen's lips were smeared with cheese and oil.
(Huh? Oh yeah I forgot!)
Moritz seemed to remember something very important.
From his backpack, he took out a pack of wet wipes. Moritz, who was sitting next to the queen, put the cigarette in his mouth and reached out.
“Ah, that's right! I should have brought another bottle of frozen oranges. Sorry, I completely forgot," Moritz said calmly, his right arm brushing the queen Alraune's cheeks which were covered with wet tissue.
Then the wet wipes are stacked on plates of former grilled clam satay with honey void sauce.
The queen alraune was silent for a moment. She was a little surprised.
"Hmm?" #Munchmunch “What are you going to do when it's already forgot? Next time-"
#cough!
The queen alraune choked. She pounded her chest lightly. The Peyote Patrons were confused, from their hands a cup was created from a tree trunk and then took water from the Pirn River.
However…
Moritz immediately took a bottle of cold tea from his bag. “Hey, hey you are so reckless queen!” After the bottle cap was opened, he handed it over to the queen. “Oh my, even a child knows that food must be swallowed before speaking!” Moritz advised her.
#Gluckgluckgluck!
The Peyote Patrons felt a little disappointed at being overtaken.
“Ahh…~” The queen alraune rubbed her lips. “My fault. Well, but how did you get food this good?” The queen alraune held her beard in thought.
“Fuuuuh….” Moritz exhaled his cigarette. “Well, I like to cook a bit. Besides that, the ingredients are indeed choices, thought!”
The queen alraune looked at Moritz's mouth. She was attracted to a white rod in the shape of an elongated tube that emitted smoke.
“Hey, can I try that? Was it sucked?”
Moritz reached into his pocket, then handed over a pack of cigarettes. The queen alraune took one stick, then returned the rest.
“Please make this smoky?” Alraune's innocent and curious expression made Moritz much more relaxed.
Moritz still seems to have forgotten the most important thing. "As you wish, Milady."
#Blam!
The small fire from Moritz's finger hit the end of the cigarette the queen was smoking.
"Have you ever smoked before?"
“Hm-hm.” The queen spontaneously shook her head.
"Yes then, suck it slowly, queen alraune black rose…." Moritz while blowing the smoke two more times in a relaxed and forgetful way.
The queen sucked slowly, then let it out slowly.
"Like this?"
“One hundred points for you, queen….” Moritz gave a thumbs up.
(Eh? Why does it feel like I forgot something important?)
Moritz looked around. All he saw was a sleeping chicken with bulging belly and a woman smoking with him.
He closed his eyes while enjoying his cigarette before flattening it into the ashtray.
(No way! Waiting for the sleeping queen alraune is indeed a long time! After all…-)
(Now, wait….)
(That bulging belly chicken doesn't smoke… but the lady…. But who is the lady?)
Now his eyes began to be noticed properly. The woman sits in the same way folding her legs. While relaxing enjoy a cigarette. It is just….
(Eh? Black roses? I've never seen dryads wear black roses, have I?)
(EHHHH~!?)
Moritz was aghast. He immediately pulled the bulging belly chicken that was lying away from the woman near him, the queen alraune.
“A-Alraune!? O-oi… don't try anything to me, you know!? Nepheles will-” Moritz looked around in all directions as if searching for something in panic. "Uh, why not there?"
"You're so calm huh? Your little queens have already left," she added. "Fuuuuh ....." The queen alraune was still relaxing while puffing a cigarette.
Now the Peyote Patrons are starting to approach Moritz and Cockatrice.
(Oi! Puffed chicken! Get up you idiot!)
Moritz moved Cockatrice's body.
Unfortunately, the clear balloon in Cockatrice's nose, which inflates and deflates, is proof he is deep in his dream.
Cigarette was put into the ashtray. Now Queen Alraune brought her hands together and rested her chin on them. Her eyes were now looking at Moritz seriously. But there was a smile on her lips.
"Tell me, human, what's the matter with meddling with the matter of the faction of nature?"
As fast as lightning the smile on Queen Alraune's lips faded. The queen alraune returned to her sullen face.
.
.
The atmosphere became silent, the wind began to blow quite hard. The swaying bushes, the swaying fir leaves, as if they were encouraging the queen alraune to chase Moritz away.
Moritz took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. Now he is much calmer.
#Blam!
“Fuuuhh….” Moritz puffed twice. Then the cigarettes are placed facing each other in the ashtray. "Miss, say, are you the one who ruined this place?"
“Your mouth is rough enough for a human?”
“Ehhhh~?” Moritz put on a very stupid face, while putting his pinky in his ear. "You are the queen yourself, but if you eat greedily like a slave?"
As if Moritz's words were heard by the forest, the moldrins started coming. That sassy words were enough to make four Peyote Patrons swing their staff.
Moritz's situation was like accelerating him into a predicament.
But on the other side….
“N-no harm, right!? Y-you also want to invite me to eat, thought!? So-so… Eh-ahem! As the queen, of course I still have manners!” the queen protested. She was awkward and a little embarrassed to hear Moritz's blatant comments. “Y-you! Now hurry up and take your words back!?”
The queen was embarrassed, her facial expressions resembled a high school girl who was bullied by her boyfriend. Moritz scratched her head in annoyance.
So….
"Forgive me." Moritz knelt to her. He spoke serious and sincere words. “Help me, my friends may be dying. If this complicated talk continues, I will only regret for the rest of my life seeing their corpses.”
“Y-you….”
Seeing Moritz whose attitude also changed drastically, much more polite, the queen alraune considered.
"Well, you've been asking me to have fun for a while. Besides… I feel like that talk too… there's no problem later. At least I can understand that since no Sturgeon Moldrin has been caught or killed."
“Sturgeon Moldrin?” Moritz looked up and turned to her. "You mean you released them into the nearest river?"
The queen alraune approached Moritz. Her right hand touched Moritz's chin then pushed up so that Moritz was level with her.
“Well, since you don't know what that means, I won't tell you. But… I didn't expect it to even be lured with worms?”
Then the queen alraune pointed at the well-fed sleeping chicken, Cockatrice. “Besides… is the basilisk beside you also your relative? I feel immense energy from both of you. No! All the inhabitants of the pirn forest must have felt it too!”
"It's a good thing your face and chest are equally good. If not, I would have burned it earlier," said Cockatrice suddenly.
"Hey, have you been awake?" Moritz asked.
"Stupid! Since when did I sleep?”
(Since that balloon in your nose popped!? Tch, you fried chicken!) Moritz looked annoyed.
The queen alraune was certainly not happy to see their familiarity. It was because she realized that his energy was multiplied compared to her.
“Tch! You two do have dirty mouths!” she added. "Why should I help if you guys are so much stronger?" The queen alraune looked reluctant, folding her arms and looking the other way.
“Are you envy? Geez, is this the menstrual phase?”
“W-WHAT DID YOU SAY!?” the woman in front of Moritz protested again with red cheeks. It gets awkward. “Tch! Y-you… ask for help but instead mocking me!?”
"Ah!" Cockatrice and Moritz knelt in unison. “Forgive us for our impudence. So, do you want to help?" They compactly looked up again after kneeling, as if the apology was made for fun.
The alraune with embarrassment and annoyance, she looked away. (Mmmmmm…. They're always making fun of me!?) The queen grumbled.
Then….
“Eh-ahem…. Sorry I can't." Now the queen alraune turned and looked at Moritz. The queen alraune finally got serious again. “As the queen of the realm faction, I can't meddle too deeply. Mixed faction matters in the union are beyond my line of responsibility. Most importantly the natural faction's constellation pillars in Yregalia staying safe is my priority right now. So… what I did already involved the overall affairs of the natural faction.”
(Woah! What a stingy woman!)
(*”Woah! This woman is so stingy!)
Moritz and Cockatrice put on stupid and disappointed faces.
“Why are you guys looking at me like that!? I-I know… you guys must be thinking 'This woman is really stingy!' YES, RIGHT!? YES, RIGHT?" the aura of authority was gone, the alraune returned to scold them again.
Moritz and Cockatrice then whispered to each other. Cockatrice's laughter irritated the queen again. They seemed to be planning something for the queen.
“Well, queen alraune? Instead, how about we eat some more?” Moritz opened a wide smile and was as friendly as he was. It's just that in the eyes of the queen alraune, he's just a man who likes to play around.
“YOU THINK I'M THAT CHEAP FOR FOOD!?” The queen alraune expressed her disapproval. Her face and voice were unmistakably resolute in refusing, it was just…
“E-eh… you’re not? But you drool like that?”
***
After that…
Although the queen alraune looked reluctant, Moritz still felt that there was a chance to persuade her. Moritz spoke at length about his familia, the dryads who had been helping him ever since he first arrived in Yregailia. Moritz said frankly that the mission given at this time was very heavy and full of risks.
"I knew you were an amateur!" said queen alraune arrogantly. She added, “I'm very concerned about the dryad. After all, she belongs to the realm faction. But still, I can't, sorry."
Moritz and Cockatrice looked at each other and nodded at each other. Their faces look at each other, understanding that this effort to ask for help has been maximized.
"I think we should catch up with the dryad soon?"
"You're right. I hope Bihice doesn't push herself,” said Moritz.
Moritz stood up and immediately took the dirty cooking and eating utensils into his backpack. Just about to cast a teleportation spell…
“W-wait! What was the name of the dryad just now?” The queen alraune tugged at Moritz's cloak.
ns 172.70.39.182da2
