Chapter 11 - Enchanted Elixir Brew

Yana was amazed by the strange dishes brought to the table by the servers at the Inn. There were fruits aflame, shimmering and changing colors, and she hesitated to eat them because she felt they might burn her mouth. There were dragon skins, boiled wild boar horns, and rhinoceros horn.

Instead of feeling tempted, her stomach turned upside down upon seeing them. A whole dragon head was even served on the table, which filled her with intense fear as it was her first time encountering such bizarre foods.

"What are you waiting for? Eat." Riyugi impatiently said to Yana, clearly annoyed.

If Yana didn't need to eat, Riyugi would have preferred to continue their journey to the depths of the sea to decipher the Inscription on the large stone near the gateway.

Yana couldn't immediately express her dislike for the food because she was afraid of Riyugi. Riyugi had a strange aura that seemed to suggest he wouldn't hesitate to end her life when angry. She remained staring at the strange dishes on the table as more exotic foods arrived.

Banki noticed Yana's expression and approached the leader, whispering,

"Leader, I don't think this person eats our food in this world." This made Riyugi furrow his brow. He stared at Yana, his patience wearing thin. He wanted to shout at her.

"You better eat! If you don't like it tonight, it will also end your life!" Riyugi shouted at Yana and waved his katana blade sword in the air.

Yana nearly fell from her seat due to intense fear at Riyugi's anger when he shouted at her. It was as if flames of anger were coming out of him, and a demonic presence emerged from his body and soul. That's how Yana would describe Riyugi's intense anger and his evil aura.

In fear and panic, Yana looked around the table and examined the food. She searched for the least offensive-looking one to eat, fearing that Riyugi might kill her in his intense anger.

Until she noticed a boiled broth in a bowl. It had no strange ingredients, so despite her trembling hands, she quickly stood up from her seat and hastily drank the broth from the bowl on the table. She spilled the broth on the floor and her clothes as she drank it hastily due to her hurry and extreme trembling.

He placed the rough stone on the table after he finished it.

"I-I've finished it." Yana nervously said. Riyugi furrowed his brow as he looked at her, then lowered his katana sword blade.

The Ronoru around them murmured amongst themselves while they also dined.

"It's been ordered by the King that those who trespass into Ronoru territory are not to be killed." one Ronoru said.

"I wonder why?"

"I don't know either. Just look at that human! she must be killed because she resemble the Aruha."

Upon hearing this, Riyugi decisively slash his katana sword blade across the Ronoru who suggested Yana should be killed for resembling the Aruha.

Out of fear, the other Ronoru scattered out of the Inn. The servers and Ronoru women inside also screamed. Yana covered her mouth in shock and fear when she saw Riyugi's eyes turn blue, trembling with terror but managing to stifle her scream, fearing she might also be swiftly struck down by the katana. She stepped back in fear.

"Leader, perhaps what you did was excessive." Banki said to Riyugi.

"Anyone who threatens the fulfillment of the King's objectives deserves to have their life ended. They have no place in this world. As Ronoru, it is our duty to obey the King's orders." Riyugi explained.

The Inn's attendants quickly disposed of the Ronoru's body Riyugi had slain. They cleaned up the blood on the floor, as if such occurrences were commonplace in the world of dreams.

Meanwhile, Yana suddenly felt a strange emotion, her body feeling warm. Her earlier overwhelming fear was overcome by bravery and a feeling of floating. Earlier, she had unknowingly consumed a potion known in the world of dreams as the Enchanted Elixir Brew.

It was a concoction of herbs and elixir water from an ancient lagoon made by shamans, causing anyone who drank it to become intoxicated and exhibit strange behavior. They gained courage and audacity, laughing uncontrollably even when nothing was funny. Euphoria was one of its effects, a mix of intense joy and jumbled emotions experienced by anyone who drank the Enchanted Elixir Brew.

Banki was surprised when Yana suddenly grabbed his blade sword lying at his side. Unprepared for Yana's actions, she successfully seized Banki's blade sword.

"Don't come near me!" Yana shouted, pointing the blade sword at them. Riyugi frowned deeply, his patience wearing thin. If they didn't need Yana to read what was inscribed on the large stone, he would have already ended her life earlier.

"That person is really testing my patience." Riyugi said, his eyes turning blue, a sign of his intense anger.

Yana suddenly burst into laughter uncontrollably, as if she was not herself. It was then that Banki realized what was happening to Yana.

"Leader, please calm yourself." Banki restrained his leader Riyugi.

Banki immediately called one of the chefs in the Inn, who approached him. Banki asked about the soup served on the table earlier. They found out that the chef had made a mistake in serving the soup.

He had accidentally switched what he had prepared; the ordinary soup meant to be served at the table and the Enchanted Elixir Brew.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to. Please forgive my mistake." the chef repeatedly apologized to Riyugi and Banki.

Riyugi's patience was exhausted; he also wanted to kill the chef, but Banki restrained him. He advised him to forgive the chef.

"Hey! Who do you think you are? Why? Are you the King of this world? You're such a grumpy creature!" Yana yelled at Riyugi and charged towards him to attack using Banki's blade sword that she had seized.

Riyugi attempted to block the blade sword aimed at him with his palm, causing his palm to bleed from the impact of the blade sword.

"Leader, your palm is bleeding!" Banki exclaimed in surprise.

Riyugi managed to grab the blade sword from Yana with force and threw it to Banki, who caught it. Riyugi immediately subdued Yana in his arms, restraining her from rampaging as she clearly wanted to hurt him and end it.

"Let go of me! I'll go back to my world. I don't belong here! You beasts! And you, you're so evil! You're really beasts, heartless creatures!" Yana shouted again.

The chef handed Riyugi a rope, which he caught. He lifted Yana and tied her to a bed in one of the rooms at the Inn because she continued to rampage and scream, and soon she was laughing. She was clearly not herself due to the effects of the Enchanted Elixir Brew she had drunk.

"You're handsome, and strong And what's your name? Riyugi? Hey, Riyugi, you're so mean! Qrolo is better; he's handsome and doesn't have a bad temper like you! Your good looks are useless if you don't know how to respect women and if you're heartless in killing!" Yana shouted while struggling, her body tied to the bed by her hands, feet, and body.

Riyugi just stared at her. He suppressed his anger. If it weren't for the King, he would have hurt her earlier.

"Leader, she said you're handsome." Banki sarcastically remarked to Riyugi.

"Don't joke with me, Banki, unless you want my katana to end your life." Riyugi's serious reply.

Banki suddenly turned pale with fear. He seemed to regret his joke. He forgot that his leader couldn't be joked with, and that his only thought was to fulfill the wishes of the King, whom he had served all his life. For Riyugi, his life was only for fulfilling the goals of the King. And there he saw his worth.

"Forgive me, Leader, for my blasphemy." Banki sincerely apologized for Riyugi's irritation at his joke.

"Qrolo! Help me! I know your power is stronger than these evil beings! Defeat him and teach him a lesson for his evil ways! Qrolo, please save me!" Yana shouted again.

And now she was crying. She showed various mixed emotions quickly and quickly. The effects of the Enchanted Elixir Brew she had drunk.

"Tsk, Qrolo? No Aruha can ever defeat me." Riyugi quietly murmured and walked out of the room where Yana was.

Banki followed him, and so did the chef and one of the Inn's stewards.

"Hey! Where are you going? Don't leave me here! Let me go!" Yana shouted.

But they ignored her. The steward locked the door to the room where Yana was.

"How long will that woman be mad?" Riyugi asked the Chef.

"I-I think it will take more than a week for the effect on her because she finished a large amount of Enchanted Elixir brew. I'm sorry, it's my fault." The Chef said in fear. He was afraid that Riyugi might kill him with a sword out of anger.

"More than a week? That's not possible. We need to leave tomorrow because the King has an important mission for us, and I cannot afford to disappoint the King." Riyugi explained unbelievably. He was very angry at the things that were happening.

They couldn't take Yana to the Deep Sea to read what was written on the big rock, as she wasn't in control of herself right now.

"Leader, what should we do now? It's too long for a week. Our time will be wasted." Banki reminded him.

Until a Ronoru man, a traveler resting at the Inn, heard their conversation. And he immediately approached them.

"Aren't you Riyugi, the leader of the Venera of King Merif?" He asked when he approached.

"Yes, why?" Riyugi's authoritative response.

"As far as I know, you are the one who fulfills the missions and goals of the King, right?"

"You have so many questions. One more question, and your blood will spill in this room." Riyugi threatened with intense irritation at the man's successive questions.

"I heard your conversation. I know a healer in a town in this area. I think he can help you immediately remove the effects of the Enchanted Elixir brew from that human." He said.

Riyugi raised an eyebrow at what he heard.

"Where can we find that town? And who is the healer you are referring to?" Riyugi asked.

"That town is located on an island in this area. But as far as I know, the waves are high now, so there are no boatmen bringing passengers now. If you can swim the sea to that island, you can take your chances if you want to visit the healer." He said.

"Leader, isn't swimming across the sea to the Island very dangerous?" Banki asked hesitantly.

"Nothing is dangerous to me if what I'm going to do is for the King. We'll go to that Island tomorrow. And if there are no boatmen, we'll swim across the sea to the Island." Riyugi replied seriously and determined.

Banki just swallowed his saliva in fear. But he could do nothing. Whatever the orders and desires of his leader, he would follow them no matter what happens. As a member of the King's Ten Veneras, he is also loyal to the leader of the Venera, Riyugi.

"When you arrive safely on that Island, ask the villagers about the old healer who can heal and remove the effects of Magic and Elixir in anyone's body." The traveler reminded them again.

"We will fetch the old healer from the island and bring him here to remove the effects of the Enchanted Elixir brew from that woman." Riyugi said determinedly.

With no choice left, Banki had to obey the leader's command.

The next day, Riyugi and Banki made early preparations to head towards the sea of this town. They left their horses with the caretaker at the inn. Yana was still asleep when the two of them departed. It was still too early for the sun to rise when they set off towards the ocean.