Everyone began eating at the table. The first bite of meat was juicy, with simple flavors that were nevertheless extremely delicious.
’’Mila, this is delicious!’’ Luza exclaimed, her eyes widening.
’’Thank you, Luza.’’ She smiled. ’’I wanted to make something more elaborate, with more side dishes, but we’ll have to make do with this for now,’’ she said, sounding a little disappointed.
She always wanted to do her best for her lord and show off her culinary skills.
’’Don’t worry about that. With what you had available, you made something I couldn’t have managed even in my wildest dreams,’’ Hugo said, his mind drifting back to his days as a mercenary.
Back then, he lived on dried meat or whatever he could hunt locally. The food was tasteless, simply thrown over a fire until it became edible.
Compared to what he used to eat on his adventures, the dish before him was practically gourmet food.
’’He’s right, dear,’’ Hugo’s lover said as she savored a piece of meat prepared with a sauce made from its own juices.
The meat had a smoky, aromatic flavor thanks to the firewood used. The trees around the fort gave off a very pleasant fragrance, which transferred to the meat and gave it a wonderful taste.
’’How did you learn to cook, Mila?’’ Tina asked as she wiped her lips with a napkin.
’’My mother taught me,’’ she replied, her memories carrying her back to the past.
She let out a small sigh and smiled. ’’My mother was the head chef for the royal family of the kingdom where I lived. When we were at home, she taught me. During meals, I helped her prepare the food while she explained how everything was done.’’
’’Oh, I wish I could try her cooking. It must have been amazing!’’ Luza exclaimed, her eyes widening as she imagined the feast.
’’Yes... it was amazing,’’ Mila agreed with a nod before returning to her meal.
The atmosphere around the table was quite pleasant.
The mercenaries reminisced about their days traveling through different kingdoms, sharing their experiences fighting monsters and, of course, the difficult moments they had faced as well. Doran, Reiner, Mila, Tina, and Luza listened to their stories with enthusiasm.
A little farther away, a trio sat quietly, enjoying their meal.
Doriana ate with a faint smile on her lips. She couldn’t tell whether it was because of the food or because of the time she had spent with Aster on their way back.
Aster ate in silence, watching the others interact. A satisfied smile rested on his face.
’We’re not exactly in the best conditions, but no one seems to mind.’
I nodded and took another bite of the meat.
’I hope the meat from those monkeys tastes as good as this boar.’
He seriously doubted it, but he wanted to hold on to a little hope.
Turning to the side, he saw Hera eating slowly as she stared at her plate. At times, she seemed lost in thought, her mind wandering far away. She would spend a while simply looking at her food before returning to her meal.
’’Hera...’’ I called softly.
’’Hm?’’ She raised her head and looked at me.
I leaned closer to her, looking into her eyes.
’’Is the meat not to your liking?’’
She shook her head.
’’No... the meat is very good,’’ she murmured.
’’Then why are you sitting there looking so downcast? I’ve lost count of how many times you’ve just stared at your plate with your mind somewhere else.’’
She let out a very quiet sigh.
’’It’s nothing.’’
I narrowed my eyes.
I slipped my hand beneath the table and reached for hers, resting in her lap. Her fist was clenched. Perhaps she hadn’t even noticed it herself.
I placed my hand over hers and gently caressed it.
’’What’s wrong, Hera?’’
Her eyes shifted to her hand, which was beneath Aster’s. Then she looked back at him.
’’It’s just that...’’ She paused, wondering whether she should talk about it. ’’It’s just that moments like this... remind me of home. Of my family,’’ she replied, her expression melancholic.
’’I try not to think about it too much, but... every little moment like this brings the memories back. No matter how hard I try to avoid them.’’
Aster’s expression turned bitter.
’’I understand. I also lost my only family before coming here. But do you remember our conversation?’’ I asked.
She gave a slight nod.
’’Yes, I remember.’’
’’Then don’t worry. I’ll do everything I can to bring your family back... I promise.’’
I squeezed her hand, showing her that I was there with her and trying to offer her a little comfort.
’’Thank you, Aster,’’ she murmured very softly.
[? Hera’s Trust increased by 10%! ?]
I smiled with satisfaction and withdrew my hand. My expression grew somewhat distant.
’At least you still have a chance to see your family again,’ I whispered, as my mind drifted toward a place I didn’t want to revisit at that moment.
Hera looked at his expression.
’He lost someone, too,’ she thought. ’She was a mortal with no connection to mana and, consequently, no connection to the Roots... He can’t bring her back.’
She gripped her dress tightly.
’If everything were normal, I could ask one of the goddesses of the dead for help. Especially that idiot’s daughter. There were the angels, too... Everything depended on each person’s beliefs. If she had none, her soul would go to one of those realms with jurisdiction over souls, death, and reincarnation, so her destination would be random. In that case, I’d have to search for her... There were the Hells as well, but I highly doubt she would be there, considering how highly Aster regarded her. It was impossible that she was someone who deserved to be punished after death... But, of course, all of that would only be possible if the cosmos hadn’t been destroyed along with its patrons. With the gods dead, unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done.’
The man who could bring her family back couldn’t do the same for his own. Hera wanted to help, but she was powerless.
’’Don’t dwell on it too much!’’ Aster interrupted, pulling her out of her thoughts.
He had noticed her turning things over in her mind and could only imagine what she might be thinking about. He didn’t want to burden a woman who was already suffering so much.
Hera looked at Aster, who had returned to eating as though nothing had happened.
She would leave the matter alone for now and enjoy her food before it grew cold.
Doriana caught a glimpse of everything from the corner of her eye. She noticed their interactions and touches, but said nothing. She merely gave a small, mischievous smile. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
After they finished their meal, Mila and the maids began clearing the plates.
’’Phew!’’ Aster leaned back in his chair with a smile. ’’I’m satisfied.’’
Hera, who was drinking water to cleanse her palate, looked at Aster.
’’So... what about the monster you found?’’
Everyone stopped talking. Their laughter died away, their expressions grew serious, and their attention shifted to Aster.
Seeing everyone looking at him in silence, Aster realized it was time to give his report.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin and straightened his posture.
’’Well... I’ll explain everything.’’
He began by explaining that they hadn’t found anything during the first two and a half kilometers. There had been nothing but the same dense, lifeless forest.
Only after covering that distance had they come across an open area filled with bushes bearing small red fruits.
Doriana had suspected that it was a feeding ground for some animal or monster.
After deciding to go a little farther, we found a cave.
He continued explaining how he had asked Doriana to stay there with him and observe for a while because he suspected something was inside the cave.
They had stayed there for almost an hour.
’’Until it appeared,’’ I said, remembering the monster.
’’The Class A monster?’’ Hugo asked.
I nodded.
’’Yes... that one.’’
’’And what kind of monster was it?’’ Hugo’s companion asked.
’’Well, it was quite different from the ones I knew, but I’m almost one hundred percent certain it was a salamander,’’ Doriana replied.
’’That monster is quite exotic. Its body is covered in metallic scales similar to a dragon’s. It has sharp crystals scattered across its body. Its tail is long and pointed, with crystals embedded in the ends. It’s quite slow, but its defenses seem powerful,’’ Doriana explained, describing its characteristics.
Hugo furrowed his brow.
’’Salamanders usually have rough scales like sandpaper. And they aren’t that big, except for kings and queens. Even those are about two meters long... From the way you’re describing it, this monster is bigger than that, isn’t it?’’
I nodded.
’’Much bigger... This monster is easily over three meters long, possibly reaching four, and stands about two meters tall.’’
’’Gulp.’’
The mercenaries swallowed nervously.
Hugo’s eyes widened.
’’That’s pretty big!’’