Ch 118 - Magical Energy and Flower Nectar?

"First of all, where did you encounter this Pixie Dragon?" Elland-san launched straight into asking about his favourite subject, Dragons.

"Dora-chan? I met Dora-chan near the forest of Ishtam." I said. Elland-san raised an eyebrow.

"Wh- why is the Pixie Dragon named Dora-chan?" he asked, looking confused.

"Eh well, because it appears you have to give your contracted monster a name to seal the contract." I didn't really understand why I had to do this to make a contract. Fer had told me that if the monster has submitted then the contract is formed when it's given a name and after that you are able to communicate with it telepathically. I don't understand that bit either but it seems to work so I won't worry about it.

"Even a Pixie Dragon is a real Dragon so why call it Dora-chan? If I were you, I would have given it a more dignified name, don't you think?" Elland-san looked up at the ceiling of his office, deep in thought. "Dora-chan is, well, not really, ummm, I wonder what I can say, it's not really up to me..." Elland-san muttered but I could hear what he was thinking. Dora-chan, it's a cute name, isn't it? What's wrong with it? Did everyone except me think it was a bad choice? Elland-san shook his head for some reason then returned his gaze to me.

"Since you encountered Dora-chan near the forest of Ishtam, does that mean there's a Pixie Dragon habitat nearby?"

"Well, I only came across Dora-chan." I explained. I had no idea what a Pixie Dragon's habitat would be like. Elland-san sighed and scored something off in the papers on the table before him.

"Then, what kind of things do Pixie Dragons usually eat?" he went on.

"What sort of things? We all eat the same things I cook." I stopped there, not wanting to say anything that might give away The Secret but I make it and we all eat it. Sure, Fer isn't fond of veggies and Sui doesn't like green tea but meat, kaarage, curry, stew, you name it they'll gobble it down and demand "Seconds!" right after.

"Huh?" Elland-san seemed confused (again).

"Yep, Fer, Sui, Dora-chan and I all eat the same thing." I indicated Fer who was lying by the chair pretending to be asleep as usual then I took Sui out of her bag and held her out for inspection. I nodded at Dora-chan who was sitting on the couch next to me, wings neatly folded and explained that everyone ate the same food. Elland-san's eyes narrowed.

"So it's true, Mukouda-san has a Fenrir and Slime as contracted monsters as well as the Pixie Dragon." Elland-san sighed. "But a Fenrir, a Slime and a Pixie Dragon can't eat the same things, Mukouda-san. Please don't joke about such things."

Hey, I wasn't joking! Why do you think I was making stuff up?

"A Fenrir is carnivorous," Elland-san explained deprecatingly, "And a Slime can digest pretty much anything but I know for a fact the staple food of the Pixie Dragon is magical energy and flower nectar." He held up his hands. "It's obviously impossible for those to be the same thing, isn't it? Ha ha ha!"

Huh? A Pixie Dragon's staple diet is supposed to be magical energy and nectar from flowers? Dora-chan usually eats meat. Well, he loves meat and eats it quite readily.

"I have never heard such an idea before." Dora-chan said telepathically, shaking his head.

"Where did you get the idea that Pixie Dragons only ate magical energy and flower nectar?" I asked, intrigued.

"From a book in the Royal Library of a certain country far from here." Elland-san went on. "That country has studied Dragons thoroughly because Dragon materials form one of the components of Elixir." His eyes took on a faraway look. "Since that book about Dragons and Elixir was a national secret I had to surreptitiously make my way into the restricted archives of that Royal Library just to be able to read it." So you broke in, Elland-san? Just how crazy are you about Dragons? It seemed Rodolpho-san was well aware just how obsessed Elland-san was on this subject.

But that was interesting to hear, that Dragons supply at least one of the materials to create Elixir. Fer had told me that healing mushrooms were certainly one of the other materials of Elixir. Could it be I actually had most or even all of the components of Elixir in my Item Box? I wondered what other materials if any might be needed. Elland-san was an Elf and had been around for a long time so he might know. I'd maybe ask him later.

"I don't know why such a book said that, but it's wrong about a Pixie Dragon's staple food being magical power and flower nectar... Dora-chan?"

"Oh. We Pixie Dragons will basically eat anything. Of course I prefer meat myself." So Dora-chan was omnivorous and whatever I cooked for myself, Fer and Sui he'd eat with gusto.

"As Dora-chan just said, a Pixie Dragon seems to eat basically anything but he himself prefers meat," I repeated to Elland-san.

"... Wait a moment please, Dora-chan told you this? How?" Elland-san shouted.

"Well, I just talk to Dora-chan with my thoughts and he replies the same way, telepathically."

Bang! Elland-san slapped his hands on the table and leaned forward.

"Mukouda-san, you can speak with Dragons telepathically?" he shouted. Wah, your face is too close, Guild Master-san. It's a handsome face, a beautiful face even but I'm a man and you're a man so please, not so close.

"Hey hey Elland-san, please calm down, no, I can not talk to Dragons. It's because Dora-chan submitted to a contract with me I can talk with him telepathically just the same way I can talk with Fer and Sui." Elland-san sat back, a stunned expression on his face as he absorbed what I had just told him. After a few moments he blinked.

"I've never heard of anyone being able to talk to a monster after they made a submission contract with them before." He paused. "It's not that I don't believe you, Mukouda-san but..." Elland-san was obviously doubtful of my ability to talk to Fer, Sui and especially Dora-chan.

"...Really? Is it not normal to be able to speak telepathically with a monster after making a submission contract?"

"I don't think so." Elland-san said after a few moments thought. "I've lived a long time, even for an Elf but I've never heard of that ability before."

Eh, really? Fer told me that monsters who agreed to a submission contract can communicate by telepathy so I thought that it was the standard thing to happen.

"Fer, what's going on?"

"Ummm, I've got no idea." Fer thought for a long moment, obviously rifling through his own memories. He had lived for a thousand years, even longer than Elland-san had been alive but he had spent hardly any time around humans and other races like Elves so what he took to be the truth about submission contracts between humans and monsters might not match Elland-san's knowledge. "My own experience has been that those monsters who make a submission contract with a human can share thoughts with their other contracted monsters. I don't know how it works any other way."

That's right. As Fer said, both Fer and Sui can talk to Dora-chan as well as me. I'd not run into anyone else who had contracted monsters before so I thought this was the way all submission contracts worked. Was I wrong?

"I'm trying to understand this but...," Elland-san concentrated for a moment, "Mukouda-san, you have submission contracts with these three monsters. That means you forced them to submit to you, doesn't it?"

Uh, what? Please don't make jokes like that. How could a salary-man like me force a Fenrir and a Dragon or even a new-born baby Slime to submit? I lost at arm-wrestling to my office-lady kouhai when we were out drinking one night after work, how could I...

"I've got no idea how legendary monsters like Fenrir or Dragons could be forced to submit. I'd like to see someone try to subdue a Fenrir or a Dragon by force." From a long distance away, of course. Safety first.

"Although Carerina's Guild Master and Rodolfo didn't get any details from you about how the Fenrir became a contracted monster, they told me that you subdued him with some kind of special secret method, Mukouda-san." Elland-san looked at me penetratingly with the eye of an experienced Guild Master used to evaluating the combat abilities of Adventurers. "Both of them and now myself would agree it's unlikely you used direct force or fought them to the point they would submit to you. That leaves the possibility that you employed some powerful technique or sophisticated method to make monsters submit that is unknown to the Guild." He shrugged. "Rodolfo thought for some reason that food was involved and mentioned that you might have mixed a special poison in their meals..."

Hey, why did Fer and Dora-chan suddenly look at me like that? I don't use poison, I've got no idea how to make them or anything of that sort, I told them telepathically but the suspicious looks didn't go away.

"Well, this is fascinating." Elland-san said, making more notes on the papers before him. "It appears the standard submission contract I know of and Mukouda-san's version of a submission contract are very different." He went on to explain that a normal submission contract involved putting a monster under control by force and making it yield to their will. It was basically the same as a slave contract imposed on humans, a monster who submitted had to follow the instructions of its owner implicitly. The job class of someone who forces submission contracts on monsters is Tamer. The higher the level the Tamer has due to experience and practice the stronger the monsters they can successfully Tame and they get a bonus boost as well from the levels of the monsters they already have under their control.

However it's necessary to Tame a certain level of monsters to qualify as a Tamer to start with and there are few people who can form a submission contract with monsters even at the lowest possible level. This means the Tamer job is very rare especially since many beginners who try to become a Tamer fail on their first attempt. Elland-san didn't have to explain to me just what the penalty for "failing to Tame a strong monster" would be.

A Tamer? I tried to imagine myself as a Tamer trying to force Fer into forming a submission contract against his will and shuddered. Hey, my occupation is still listed on my Status as "other-world-guy who got caught". I'm not a Tamer, not really. Even attempting to force Sui-chan as she is today to be my contracted monster would not end well for me. I remembered the Giant Centipede she one-hitted in the Forest of Ishtam, or the Wyverns she shot down in the grasslands near Carerina or... then again I couldn't imagine being able to Tame even a level-1 monster to start with.

"From what you've told me, Mukouda-san, your relationship with your contracted monsters and how you obtained them is unique. I've been informed about the Royal decree preventing any interference in your affairs so I can't demand you reveal to me how you achieved those contracts..." Elland-san sighed and sat back. "Your contracted monsters are a Pixie Dragon and a Fenrir and a Slime which, from what I've been told, is almost unbelievably powerful. These are monsters which would not usually submit to a Tamer no matter how competent and capable they may be."

I had learned that Fer, Sui and Dora-chan weren't bound to me by ordinary submission contracts as defined by the Guild. That was useful to know but it didn't really help me understand just how our contracts actually worked. The telepathy thing was special, for example.

"I understand that Mukouda-san's submission contract is different from the ordinary one and I'd really like to know more about the differences," Elland-san went on, his face lighting up, "but what I'd really like to know is how to form my own submission contract of the same type with a Dragon."

Are you trying to make a contract with a Dragon? You really are crazy about Dragons, aren't you? What could I say?

"No, I can't explain to you how it's done and even if..." I ran out of words and ideas and just asked Fer and the others for their opinions telepathically.

"What he wants can't be done." Fer said abruptly. "To begin with I'd never accept a submission contract with him since there's nothing he could offer me."

"Yeah. This guy can't cook the way you do, I'm sure of it." Dora-chan added. "You're the only one anywhere in this world that could make the food I like so much."

Dora-chan, I'm glad that you praised me, but I'm not actually a real cook, I just make dinner like I do at home.

"Yup, couldn't agree more." Fer added. "Long-lived species like us aren't easy to please but delicious food is one of the things that we really like." So food is important enough to you to make a contract with me?

"That's right - delicious food is very important~" Sui-chan chimed in. "I'm happy to be able to eat delicious meals~"

Sui-chan too... I knew you guys were attracted by my cooking and became my contracted monsters that way but I didn't really understand just how it worked for you. This gave me an idea how to deal with Elland-san who was getting more and more impatient as I communed telepathically with the Gluttonous Trio.

"Ha... Um, maybe you can cook, Elland-san?" I asked.

"Oh, cooking? Because I am always eat at restaurants, I do not cook, but..." his eyes lit up. "Are you saying that cooking is necessary for you to make your submission contract, Mukouda-san?"

"No, it's not actually necessary," I lied, "but my contracted monsters are gourmets and demand I make them delicious meals as part of the contract."

"Well, if that's the case, I will learn to cook! If I become able to cook, even I can make a monster contract with a Dragon!" Elland-san's excitement increased even further.

"No, it's not as simple as that but ..." I was at a loss to go on.

Fer interrupted me. "This isn't going anywhere. Let's eat something and maybe you'll stop rambling while your mouth is full of food."

"The big guy said it right. You're getting hungry like us. Let's have some food."

"Sui's also hungry-"

Ah that's right, I should distract Elland-san. If he's anything like the other people in this world the food I cook will do it.

"Excuse me, Elland-san, but everyone is hungry." I announced. "Can you let us eat here in your office? Please join us, we have plenty." Elland-san blinked at my odd request but nodded.

"Well, by all means. I'm intrigued and will happily steal a bite or two. Food that contracted monsters desire should be interesting to sample." Elland-san looked eager to eat some of my cooking.

"Ah Elland-san, are you OK with meat?" The Elves in stories and games in my world are strict vegetarians after all.

"Yes, meat is my favourite food." Oh, the Elves in this world seem to think eating meat is OK. That simplified things, I just made gyuudon beef bowls with ready-to-eat ingredients from my Item Box. I filled dishes for Fer and the others with warm rice, topped them with plenty of cooked shredded meat and finished off with a soft-boiled egg broken in the middle. The Gluttonous Trio dug in with a will as usual.

Watching with interest the way Dora-chan was eating his beef bowl, Elland-san said with a note of wonder in his voice, "I was totally wrong about the staple food of Pixie Dragons being magical energy and the nectar from flowers." Yeah, Dora-chan really loves meat doesn't he?

I made another beef bowl like the others and handed it to Elland-san.

"You should eat the egg in the middle with a spoon." I suggested.

"Yes, well..."

Elland-san broke the soft-boiled egg as I recommended and lifted the beef bowl to his mouth. As he tentatively took a bite I saw his eyes widen in surprise then he started to briskly devour the contents of the bowl. It appeared he liked the taste. I started in on my own beef bowl.

"Hey you, seconds here."

"Seconds-"

Fer and Sui chorused their demands for more beef bowl just as I took my own first bite. As usual.

"Ummm, could I have a second helping...?" Elland-san, not you too? I sighed and put my own bowl down to deal with the Three Gluttons. Dora-chan seemed full up with his first bowl but I had another freeloader on my hands now. I worried for a moment if I'd end up being forced to make a contract with the Elf-san now I'd fed him but shook my head. Nope. Not going to happen.

In the end 'seconds' became 'thirds' for the three freeloaders although I managed an extra bowl of gyuudon for myself while they were still eating. Success!

When the meal ended, Fer looked towards Elland-san and spoke. "Well, you've seen how it works first-hand now. No high-ranking monster will make a contract like ours with you if you can't provide food as good or better than what we've just eaten, and every day too."

"Ku... I have lived a long time and eaten countless wonderful meals but what I just ate now was the most delicious thing I've ever tasted. It is impossible for me..." Elland-san sat staring at the empty bowls on the table before him, dejected and lost for words. So the most wonderful thing he's ever eaten is a gyuudon beef bowl, the sort of cheap meal you could buy in a Japanese salaryman restaurant for five hundred yen (including sales tax)?

...oh, seasonings. I have the Net Super so I can cook with all the seasonings and condiments I'd normally use when I was in Japan, but in this world salt was about the only thing used to flavour food. There's pepper too but that was expensive and only enjoyed by rich people and nobility. No wonder what I cook is more flavourful than anything anyone in this world can make. Soy sauce, mirin, dashi and many other ingredients, they're all new to this world and I'm the only one that can obtain them.

"Ah well, cheer up please." I said. Elland-san looked up and nodded, his eyes brightening.

"That's right, I still have something else to ask of you, Mukouda-san!" Elland-san leant forward eagerly again. "I was told about 'that' by Carerina's Guild Master. Please give me 'that'."

That? What's that?

"That, the Earth Dragon!" Ah, that reminded me, I'd forgotten all about it. Haa, when will I be able to get out of here?

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