“I was sleeping so soundly, and then this! What do you think you're doing?!” “Talking about how to burn down my house... are you trying to scare me to death?!”
I apologized immediately.
“Don’t apologize! Just listen and let it pass!”
“Eh? Let it pass?”
“Are you trying to kill me? An old woman with so few years left?!”
“I had no intention of doing that...”
“Then don’t apologize! Stand there with an arrogant look on your face and just let what I say go in one ear and out the other!”
“Uh...”
“Don't give me a reaction! Just ignore me!”
“But...”
“No ‘buts’! Listen, someone almost burned my house down, so I have every right to be furious! Right?”
“Y-yes, I suppose so.”
“Exactly! So I’m going to be angry, and you’re going to ignore it! That’s all! That’s all I want! I’m not asking for anything more than that!”
“However, if you're just doing it for show, then your anger doesn't really have a purpose...”
“I’m not trying to get some half-hearted reflection or an apology out of you! But if I just stayed quiet while someone tried to torch my home, people would think I was a pushover! It makes my blood boil! That’s why I’m angry!”
“I am truly, deeply sorry.”
“Stop apologizing! Don’t make me repeat myself! I’m only striking an angry pose to protect the tiny shred of pride I have left!”
“No, but still...”
“If you have a problem with it, take it up with that dragon! Her mood gets worse every time you say you're sorry! Look, she’s starting to gear up, clanking and shifting around... Ah, hey, don’t tell him that now! Read the room! Act according to the situation, for heaven’s sake!”
I had only just met the old woman who emerged from the house buried under the hill. Her name was Beanasista Chrome, and as it turned out, she was Beezel’s grandmother.
When I brought her back to the Meleo Breeding Ground, Beezel was utterly floored.
“Y-you were alive?!”
“Don’t start off with something so rude! Wait a second... are you really Little Beezel? I remember Little Beezel being a lot cuter than this.”
“How many years do you think have passed since we last met? It’s me, Beezel. Your grandson.”
“...Do you have proof?”
“Of course I do.”
Beezel proceeded to perform a very strange dance. It was truly bizarre.
“This is the Dance of Praise for Grandmother that I performed for your birthday.”
“Ah, right, right! That was the one! I remember now! You definitely are Little Beezel. My, you’ve certainly aged.”
“And you haven't changed a bit, Grandmother.”
“Hahaha! I’ll have you know I’ve put quite a bit of effort into looking younger with makeup.”
“My apologies. But your appearance is exactly the same as it was two hundred years ago... Oh? This makeup you're using... could it be?”
“It’s from the Aphrodite Cosmetics Shop.”
“My wife’s shop?!”
“Silkyne manages it, so the quality is excellent. I’m a loyal customer.”
“I... thank you for that... is what I should say, but...”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“You didn't seem surprised when I said it was 'my wife's shop.'”
“That’s because I already knew.”
“Grandmother, how do you know about my marriage to Silkyne? When I got married, weren't you still missing?”
“Hahaha.”
“You can’t laugh this off.”
“If you're going to push the issue, I’d have liked you to notice the moment I mentioned the shop. That place only opened about a hundred years ago, didn't it?”
“Ah.”
“You still have a long way to go. It makes me worry if you're actually fit to be one of the Four Heavenly Kings.”
“The Village Head told me you were in a house buried under a hill... but you haven't just been sitting there the whole time, have you?”
“Of course not. That was just one of my houses. Right after I built it, a dragon went on a rampage nearby and buried the whole place.”
“Then where are you living now?”
“Hmph, that’s a secret... Now, don’t make such a scary face. Fine, fine. I’ll tell you.”
“Well? Where?”
“Village Five.”
“........................”
“Did you not hear me? I said Village Five, near Shashato City. An old subordinate of mine invited me there. The work situation was convenient, too, so I settled down. When I’m not busy, I’m usually chatting away at a shop called Kuro and Yuki.”
“............................................................”
“Oh? What’s the matter? Why have you suddenly turned into a statue? Well, I suppose it is quite close to the Royal Capital. Maybe that’s why you’re so shocked.”
Beezel’s grandmother left her frozen grandson behind and turned toward me.
“Now listen here, you dragon tamer.”
“I’m not actually a dragon tamer, but...”
“Listen until I’m finished! The world is a vast place! There are mountains of terrifying beings out there that someone like you couldn't possibly hope to challenge!”
“Ah, yes... I try to keep that in mind daily.”
“For instance, the Village Head of Village Five where I live. He’s a prime example. You wouldn't stand a ghost of a chance against him! Don’t you forget it!”
“............”
“Hmm? What now? You’ve gone still just like Little Beezel. Is this some kind of new trend?”
“Ah, no, well... uh... how should I put this...”
“And you said you weren't a dragon tamer. What is it you do, then?”
“A-a bit of agriculture, mostly...”
As I answered, I locked eyes with Beezel, who had finally snapped out of his trance. I sent him a silent plea: What do I do?
Don’t just shake your head like you’ve given up! She’s your grandmother! Do something!
Look, now she’s starting to lecture me about how I should learn from Yoko. T-this is only making things worse.
To clarify: The old lady’s name was Beanasista Chrome. She was Beezel’s grandmother and the magic user who had taught him how to use teleportation magic. While Beezel possessed an innate talent for it, talent alone didn't mean he could use it freely from the start. Teleportation required deep study, but because it was so dependent on natural aptitude, records were scarce, and any that existed were closely guarded secrets. To truly master it, one had to learn directly from a practitioner. In Beezel’s case, that teacher was Grandmother Beanasista.
Furthermore, she was a member of the Four Heavenly Kings of Two Generations Prior. She had been the superior of the man who served in the generation before Beezel. It was that former colleague who had invited her to live in Village Five. There was a very real possibility that we had passed each other in the street at some point.
Her current profession was that of an illustrator. She drew things like book covers and internal art. While she usually worked in Village Five, she apparently retreated to that buried house whenever she had a large project that required total focus.
As for what kind of books she illustrated... It turned out she was the artist for Versa’s books. I recognized the art style immediately. It was so vibrant and youthful that I never would have guessed an old woman was behind it. Well, if it was her passion, I wasn't going to judge. I would have been happy to just wish her well and be on my way, but...
“You vanished without a word! What have you been doing all this time?! Don’t tell me you aren't aware of the chaos you caused!” Beezel was genuinely fuming.
“Are you listening? You aren't, are you?! Your habit of telling people to 'listen and let it pass' is still as strong as ever! I remember it perfectly! Well, let me tell you something: there are things you can ignore and things you can't! Like skipping my father's funeral... wait, you did attend? Eh? You were there? You're saying you haven't gone senile enough to miss your own son's funeral... and you've been in regular contact with my mother? You're lying!”
Meanwhile, Silkyne was already familiar with the illustrations.
“To think the pen name Bee-baa... was Grandmother... Oh, that drawing... and the one for that scene...”
Even the caretakers were fans.
“Silkyne-sama, I’ve brought a book for her to sign... please, you have to ask her!”
“If you want a drawing, wouldn't a separate sheet of paper be better?”
“I’ll go find some large paper right now!”
It seemed Versa’s books were becoming quite widespread. I wasn't entirely sure if that was a good thing.
“Village Head. I heard you're actually acquainted with Lady Versa... I’m a huge fan. If it’s not too much trouble, could you get her to sign this book? Also, I’d love to hear any stories you might have from when she was writing...”
One of the caretakers approached me, clutching one of Versa’s volumes.
“Ah, sure. I’ll ask her next time I see her. Just make sure your name is on the book so I know whose is whose. I’ll collect them all later.”
After giving that answer, I decided to take Hakuren and the Young Beast and head toward the site of the new dwelling. I was still in the middle of that project, after all.
Besides, Beezel’s grandmother... She hadn't made eye contact with me once since she realized that I was the very same Village Head of Village Five she had been praising. I figured it was best to give her some space for a while.