Mia felt like the distance they traveled today was further than yesterday, likely thanks to the little donkey she was riding, Amia.
Since getting a name, Amia’s pace seemed to have lightened considerably.
Kalé didn’t understand the meaning behind the name; he just thought it was a bit perfunctory.
After all, in his eyes, Amia was just Mia with an extra syllable.
“At least it’s better than having no name.” Mia retorted.
In the evening, the three of them settled down in a dilapidated, deserted village.
Mia was certain that such a location didn’t exist in the game.
But now The Lands Between had become a real world, and the map size was far more exaggerated than in the game.
It was reasonable for a few inconsequential locations to be added.
Tonight, they could finally sleep in a place with a roof.
More importantly, Mia saw a cluster of golden light in one of the houses in this Ruined Village.
That was a grace.
Creeak— Pushing the door open, a thick, musty smell wafted toward them.
Only she could see the light of the grace.
Looking around the dilapidated house from the inside, it lived up to its name; almost none of the furniture was intact, and everything was covered in dust.
Not to mention the bedding.
The stone walls were still relatively intact, but a third of the roof had collapsed, and the floor in that area was covered in broken tiles and rotting wood.
“Not bad.” Kalé also looked over the house Mia had chosen.
It felt more secure than the Church of Elleh.
At least there were walls on all four sides and a roof.
Kalé led Amia inside; the door was just wide enough for the little donkey to pass through.
“Let’s clean up a bit.” The three of them piled the fragile furniture into the roofless corner and used it as kindling to light a campfire.
Mia and Kalé shared the rabbit and squirrel from this morning, along with berries picked along the road during the day.
Wilden was still gnawing on the dried meat he had carried since leaving the Church of Elleh.
“Wilden!” Mia handed the still-steaming rabbit meat to Wilden.
“Do you want to try some?” Some of Kalé’s spices had been added.
It didn’t cost anything; he said it was a reward for Mia finding a shelter and lighting the campfire.
A merchant is also one who barters.
Mia felt that the roasted meat with spices was much tastier than the jerky, even though the wild rabbit caught in the trap didn’t have much fat and was full of chewy muscle, and it didn’t sizzle impressively while roasting.
But it still smelled quite good.
The aroma drifted far out under the night sky, along with the smoke from the campfire, through the leaky roof.
Wilden took the rabbit leg and took a bite.
“How does it taste?” Mia stared at him expectantly.
She wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but Mia felt that Wilden’s withered skin looked a bit fuller.
“…” Wilden nodded.
“Very good.” In truth, he couldn’t taste anything.
“Hehe.” Mia smiled and shared some more rabbit meat with Kalé.
She even held a rabbit leg in front of the donkey.
With a mischievous grin, she asked, “Do you eat rabbits, Amia?” This was probably Mia’s first decent dinner since arriving in The Lands Between.
Although limited by the environment, the taste wasn’t amazing even with spices, but Mia still ate quite happily.
“Did you guys hear something?” Kalé’s ears twitched.
Of course, under his hat, no one saw.
“What?” Mia and Wilden looked at him together.
“It seems like something is…” A whoosh, whoosh sound.
It seemed like the unnatural sound of wind made by something flapping its wings.
Now, Mia and Wilden heard it too.
The Soldier stood up with a solemn expression.
They heard another noise besides the wind—a rustling sound that was getting closer and closer.
“What is that?” Mia reached out and grabbed the spear appearing from thin air.
Kalé drew a sword from his instrument.
He listened intently.
“It’s rats!” he growled in a low voice.
“Quick, seal the doors and windows!” Rats?
Mia was taken aback.
No, that’s not right.
Do rats make the sound of flying creatures flapping their wings?
But now was not the time for overthinking.
Mia and Wilden ran quickly to the doors and windows of the ruined house; from the window, the young girl saw countless red eyes moving in the overgrown village lane outside.
Those were rats!
There was definitely something else hidden behind the sound of those rats moving!
Mia closed the window, which was still in relatively good condition.
But the door was different.
Wilden tried to reinforce the already shaky door, but the flimsy door couldn’t withstand Wilden’s strength and fell over directly in his hands.
“Block the door!” Kalé shouted.
Amia was already braying in terror, and the merchant desperately pulled on the reins, trying to calm the beast.
Wilden raised his Greatshield and pressed it directly against the doorframe.
The rats arrived.
The hungry beasts wanted to break into the house full of life.
Wilden, with the giant shield against his shoulder, blocked them outside.
Mia heard the thumping sound of bodies slamming into the Tower Shield.
Those are all rats…
Mia swallowed nervously.
It was actually quite embarrassing.
Mia had never seen any other rodents in her life, except for those in pet markets.
Including the kind of rats that “steal oil to drink.” She had never seen one.
Just looking out from the window and seeing the dense cluster of red eyes made her skin crawl.