Chapter 127 - Charge! Dinner on the Road 6: A Farewell Feast on the Brink of Death
This is the first bonus story from Anna's first-person perspective. I think it gives a good sense of her everyday, roundabout thought process (^^)
Um, right now, we're supposed to be preparing for Lef's farewell dinner party, right?
Holding my Bow and Arrow of Earth, which is making a rare appearance, I stood on the Traveler's Highway and vaguely thought about that. So why did things end up like this?
Standing on the Luciana border as dusk approached, I looked around. To my right were the ruins of a fortress that was built hundreds of years ago when Yuresla and Luciana were at war, and later abandoned.
The other side is a sheer cliff, and both the fortress and the cliff are super high, so it feels a bit claustrophobic like I'm surrounded by walls, but I can't complain about the location. It's just that I love wide-open places like highlands and plains, so it feels a little cramped.
But it's safe here because if we post a lookout, we won't get suddenly attacked by bandits or thieves. Ritz explained it to me so proudly, so I guess that's how it is.
Plus, when Ritz and Ed-san checked, the fortress well was still usable, so we decided to make camp here for the night. I mean, having fresh water freely available is rare in a mountainous area like this, you know?
There's a thin trail of smoke rising from over there, but as of this evening, there's no food there. Well, I mean, there is some food, but the main course for tonight isn't there yet.
Because I'm the one standing here to hunt down tonight's main course.
It all started with something Lef said.
"You've all done so much for me. Please, let me at least thank you."
We take turns making meals every day, and today just happened to be my turn, but I was at a loss when Lef said that. So, I looked up at Ritz, who was standing next to me, his face way up high. Ritz looked down at me, and our eyes met.
Lately, on the days I'm on meal duty, Ritz has been helping me because he says I'm too slow and he gets super hungry. In return, I help him on his days, so it's like Ritz and I are pretty much handling all the cooking.
See, Ed-san is surprisingly bad at cooking, and Ritz took over for him once when he couldn't bear to watch, and it just stayed that way. So the meal duty that should come around once every five times comes around three times for me and Ritz.
When I cook with Ritz, it's surprisingly fast. Ritz seems to have figured out that the reason my cooking is slow is because of how we did it at the orphanage.
You know how you have to teach everyone how to prepare the meal? So I'd be doing one task for about twenty people, like peeling potatoes forever and ever. Then I'd ask everyone, "Did you boil the water?" and since everyone has their own job, it all works out smoothly.
So when I try to do all those separate, delegated tasks by myself, I seem to have trouble figuring out which steps to do in what order. Ritz is used to cooking by himself, so he gives me good instructions. I think that's why it's so fast when we do it together.
Oh, I got sidetracked again. When I came to, Ritz was looking at Lef and talking.
"There's no need to thank us. We're making you escort us all the way here, after all."
That's definitely true, so I nodded over and over. I mean, right now we're near the border of Luciana and Yuresla. Lef has already been with us for two weeks from his home.
"That's right. You have to go back all by yourself, Lef. That's a really hard journey, so you don't need to thank us."
I really am grateful to Lef, and I'm very, very thankful, so that's what I said, but Lef wasn't convinced. In fact, he came up with something really amazing as a thank-you gift. As Ritz and I stood there stumped, Lef smiled and said this.
"In the forest just ahead of here, there are wild boars. And they're huge. I'll hunt one down and treat you all!"
"Huh?"
"Hey…"
Ritz and I were speechless, just staring at Lef. I didn't know what to say, but there was something I was curious about, so I asked.
"But boar meat is pretty gamey, isn't it?"
When I asked Lef that, Ritz sighed like he couldn't believe it and put his hand on my head. I love it when Ritz pats my head, but when he does it with a sigh like that, it feels like he's using me as an armrest.
"Anna, no. That's not the issue here."
"Huh? Is it not?"
"But the meat is tender and really delicious."
"Oh, really? That sounds tasty…"
"That's not the point, you two!"
Ritz took his hand off my head with a look of utter exasperation and crossed his arms with a loud sigh. I suddenly noticed Ed-san was next to Ritz. Behind him was Franz, looking pale and exhausted from the horse ride again today.
Franz has been riding his own horse lately. He got better at balancing, so we bought him a horse in the last town in Luciana. When I said I wanted to ride one too, Ritz shot me down. He said we don't have the money. Can't be helped, we're poor. Besides, he said I'm light, so it's not a burden for me to ride with him. Saving money is important, so I have to give up.
As I was getting sidetracked yet again, Ed-san's calm voice reached my ears.
"Lef, how do you intend to hunt this giant boar?"
With Ed-san's words, I finally understood what Ritz was trying to say. Oh, so how we get the boar is more important than how it tastes or how tender it is. That makes sense. I mean, hunting a boar with a bow and arrow is really hard. They're fast, and they charge at you, so it's dangerous.
Ritz was staring at me, and when I looked up, he gave me a silent "You get it now?" look, so I nodded. Come to think of it, I've been making eye contact with Ritz a lot lately. It's like he's looking out for me. If he's watching over me, that makes me a little happy. But if he's monitoring me because he doesn't know what I'll do next, that's not so great.
"Of course, I'll risk my life to catch it."
"Risk your life?"
"That's exactly what I mean. I owe you all that much."
Everyone fell silent at Lef's determined words. Looking at their faces, they all seemed very serious. So, I thought I'd ask Lef, just in case.
"Um… Lef, you're not going to, like, body slam it or something, are you?"
"That's right, Anna. I'll charge it from the side, and when it falls, I'll jump on it and finish it off…"
"Wait, wait!"
Ritz cut Lef off with a loud shout.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes."
"Calm down, Lef. What are you doing, betting your life on a meal?"
"But we part ways tomorrow, so I want to do at least this much…"
"Listen to me…"
Ritz ran his hands through his hair frantically.
"Jeez, why is it that everyone from Kenny to Lef wants to bet their neck or their life on a meal?"
I couldn't help but chuckle at Ritz's mumbled complaint. Come to think of it, Kenny-san did say he wrote his resignation letter just to make paella.
I got a light bonk on the head and looked up to see Ritz giving me a soft glare, looking genuinely exasperated. He seemed truly at a loss for how to persuade him. So I looked up at Lef and tried to persuade him with all my heart.
"You've really done so much for us already, so you don't have to repay us or anything. I mean, you treated us so well in the village, too."
"That's nothing compared to you saving my life and being so kind to me."
"That's not true!"
As I was trying to talk him out of it, a calm, exhausted Franz muttered.
"I just want to rest now."
Come to think of it, Franz was the type to choose sleep over food.
"So I'd rather keep it simple. We don't need anything extravagant."
Does that mean he doesn't want the boar? So Franz is also against Lef catching the boar. Even though Franz is fatally bad at persuasion, his words were a heartfelt plea, so everyone fell silent for a moment.
Lef also fell silent, as if thinking, so I thought maybe he understood, but in the next moment, I realized that was just wishful thinking. Lef looked straight at Ritz and Ed-san and declared his resolve.
"No matter what you say, I'm doing it."
Lef's determination seems really firm. I have no idea how to change his mind.
"…Alright."
Finally, as if giving up, Ed-san sighed.
"Alright, but take Ritz with you."
"Me?!"
"Of course. You're the sturdiest."
"Hey, even I'll get seriously injured if a boar sends me flying."
Ritz's words reminded me of the time he was sent flying by a monster and nearly died. I instinctively clung to his clothes. I don't want to go through that again. Ritz looked down at me quizzically.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't want you to be sent flying. No more serious injuries."
"Wha…"
For some reason, Ritz was momentarily speechless, then his expression softened into a happy one, and he patted my head. So I looked up at him and repeated my words.
"I don't want you to break your ribs and cough up blood and collapse like before. And Lef, you can't get hurt either, okay?"
Then I looked at Lef and stated it firmly. I heard boar meat is tasty and tender, but life is more important. Yep. No matter how delicious boar meat is…
"Anna, I'm not telling Ritz to body slam it, you know."
Ed-san laughed, looking troubled. Oh, that's not it?
"Fortunately, this is a fortress. And the Traveler's Highway is a single road. Therefore, it's very easy to formulate a strategy."
"A strategy?"
"Yes. In other words, we lure the boar here and pincer it."
"Pincer a boar?"
He's saying some difficult things. I don't get it. But Ritz, as expected, seemed to understand. I mean, they both fought in the civil war. Their conversation flowed over the heads of me, Franz, and Lef, who didn't understand a thing. The only thing I finally understood was about the boar.
"Finding the boar is crucial. We have to lure it to this highway first."
"But boars are creatures that chase rather than run away when they're pursued, you know?"
"That's right. Which means we need a diversionary unit. And one that's exceptionally fast on its feet."
"And the main force will take it down here on the highway."
"Yes, that's right. If we can set a trap and stop it in front of the fortress, we can take it down with projectiles. At that point, the diversionary unit can also turn around and join the counterattack. The risk should be reduced."
What's a yodo or a hontai? I don't really get it, but their conversation continued, and they reached a conclusion.
"Alright Lef, let's go find the boar. Just you and me."
Ritz said cheerfully.
"I'll be the decoy, so once we find the boar, you circle around ahead, hide behind the fortress, and take it down."
"Ritz, that's dangerous."
"Don't worry. I'm surprisingly fast on my feet."
Ritz said with a smile and, taking the still-reluctant Lef with him, quickly walked off toward the forest. Left behind, Franz and I looked up at Ed-san in confusion.
"Alright, let me explain. Franz, I want you to hide over there and be ready to fire Flame Arrows at any moment."
Ed-san pointed to the crumbling wall of the fortress.
"Ritz will act as a decoy and come running with the boar chasing him, so you'll shoot the boar. That should distract it and slow it down."
"What?!"
I couldn't help but shout. He just said he wouldn't let Ritz do anything dangerous. Franz also looked reluctant. He's our friend, so he's worried too, right?
"I hope I can actually hit the boar."
Nope, that was wrong. He was worried about what would happen if he missed, or hit Ritz. Oh dear. But Ed-san seemed to have already anticipated my concerns.
"Ritz said he would injure its hind legs when he first engages it. A boar's main source of power is its hind legs. That should buy us some time."
"Oh, okay."
In that case, maybe Ritz won't get sent flying into the sky without being able to get away. As I was thinking, Ed-san, seeming to believe I was convinced, continued.
"And Anna. I want you to set your earth arrows in the ground. In front of the fortress, within range of Franz's flames, trip the boar. If it starts thrashing, Franz will pin it with another Fireball, and Lef will deliver the final blow."
"…I see."
Franz nodded. I nodded too. That sounds less dangerous than Lef body-slamming it and risking his life… maybe?
"What will you do, Ed-san?"
"Me? I'll set a trap at the forest exit. I've already told Ritz, so I think it should slow the boar down a bit. Franz, I'm counting on you."
"Yes, sir."
And so, with our strategy for the day decided, we all took our positions nearly an hour ago.
And that's why I'm standing here.
Still, I'm getting hungry.
Looking up at the approaching dusk sky all by myself, I started to feel a bit down. This road runs along the top of a mountain pass, and the fortress is at its peak. This place is equidistant from the towns belonging to either country, so no one would be passing through here at dusk.
That's why I can stand here like this, but I feel a little lonely. It's strange. I never knew that feeling hungry makes you feel lonelier.
Just as I was sinking into the slightly melancholic mood of twilight, a tremendous sound came from the forest. Dogagagaga! In a word, it sounded like a landslide. And I could also hear the sound of trees being snapped and knocked down. Bakibakibaki!
I instinctively looked at the forest on the other side of the cliff, and a huge cloud of dust was billowing up from it. Ritz, Lef, and Ed-san are over there, but I wonder what happened.
I glanced at the wall where Franz was supposed to be, and he also peeked his head out from behind it. So Franz heard that sound too. What on earth was it?
Can he see it from his side? But the fact that he's looking over here means he probably has no idea what's going on either. Neither of us can leave our posts, so I guess we just have to wait patiently.
Ugh! I'm so bad at just waiting like this. I'm much better at being on the move.
As I was getting antsy, someone burst out of the forest. From that build, it's definitely Lef. But something seems off. A frantic-looking Lef ran behind the fortress wall, and right after, there was a huge BOOM at the forest entrance.
Following that was a tremendous sound of wood splitting. Merimerimeri!
"What, what?"
I strained my eyes and saw a huge cloud of dust and splintered wood burst out from the forest entrance like the landslide I saw the other day.
"!"
At almost the same time, two people burst out… Ritz, and Ed-san?
"BUGYAAAAAAAHHH!"
A tremendous roar echoed through the pass.
"What?"
Next to burst out, destroying and tearing through the forest, was a small mountain that looked to be at least twice Ritz's height. The mountain shot out onto the road at incredible speed, then pawed the ground menacingly at the fleeing Ritz and Ed-san.
Its eyes locked onto them. The mountain-like body and face glared this way. Then it roared again with a furious, incredible voice.
"GYAOOOOOOON!"
"No way!"
I couldn't believe what I was seeing and rubbed my eyes. Because, because, that mountain had a squashed nose and charmingly floppy ears. In other words, what I thought was a mountain was a ridiculously huge wild boar!
"That's way too big, Lef!"
While I was muttering in a daze, Ritz and Ed-san were running desperately toward me.
"You idiot! What 'strategy'?!"
"The initial data was wrong, it couldn't be helped!"
Ritz and Ed-san, being chased by the little mountain monster of a boar, were yelling at each other while running at full speed. They were only managing to stay ahead because they'd managed to injure its hind legs. But neither of them had a shred of composure on their faces.
But the boar behind them was not losing at all. It was chasing after them with a tremendous rumble that shook the ground. The ground beneath Anna's feet, even from this distance, felt like it was trembling. And its huffing was so loud I could hear it from here. It's too big!
Ritz had an expression on his face I'd never seen before, and Ed-san also had a ferocious look. I'd never seen the two of them, who always have an air of余裕, looking so desperate, so I was incredibly surprised.
Oh, so that's what a 'desperate look' is. I'd always wondered, but seeing it now, I was somehow very convinced.
"Ed, don't trip! You'll die!"
"I know. You'd better not fall either!"
Their shouts brought me back to my senses. That's right, if they fall, they'll definitely be trampled to death.
I can't watch anymore. My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it's going to burst.
I'm not kidding, it's clear they're in a very, very dangerous situation, but I can't do anything to help, so I'll just cheer them on with all my might, my hands sweating.
"Go for it, Ritz, Ed-san!"
Wah, help me, Water Spirit King! The moment I prayed, Franz's Flame Arrows were unleashed.
"Hit it!"
The Flame Arrows, released with Franz's shout, pierced the boar's body. But the boar was completely unfazed. If anything, it seemed even more enraged and was chasing after Ritz and the others.
"?"
Confused, Franz launched a second and third wave, and even though they hit the boar's hide and exploded, the boar's movements didn't stop at all. That means the boar didn't even register the existence of the Flame Arrows.
Ed-san… it's not working. It's not stopping it at all…?
Franz finally seemed to realize it too and looked over at me with a completely bewildered expression. Sorry, even if you look at me like that, I don't know what to do. Stop it…
"See! It's useless!"
Ritz and the others' voices were getting closer. I have no choice, it's my turn. I'm the only one who can make it fall. If I don't, Ritz and Ed-san will be flattened.
Come to think of it, I couldn't trip the giant snake before because it didn't have legs, but a boar has legs, so I can trip it! I put all my energy into my hands clasped in front of the earth arrow I had stuck in the ground.
The next moment, Ritz roared at the top of his lungs.
"Idiot! Move!"
"Huh?"
I realized the boar was incredibly close. Its hot breath felt like it was about to hit me. Ritz and Ed-san's desperate faces were also just a few meters away.
"Move!"
At Ritz's desperate words, I defied him with a split-second decision. My sense of duty and the desire to make Lef happy won out over my fear. So I shouted with all my might.
"Please! Trip the boar!"
The next moment, I felt the wind pressure from the boar, and at the same time, someone grabbed me and we were rolling. My body slid across the gravel of the road with incredible speed, and it was more hot than painful.
And right after that, there was a huge DODODOOM and a massive tremor.
I had no idea what was going on. Am I in serious trouble? I wondered, but after a moment of silence, Lef's shout brought me back to my senses.
"I got it! It's safe now!"
The strength that had been pent up in my body drained out with a whoosh. Thank goodness, it seems my earth spirit worked. Come to think of it, Lef has the blessing of the Earth Spirit King, right? Maybe I succeeded at the last second thanks to that?
With that thought, I tried to sit up, but my body felt heavy and wouldn't move. And my vision was dark. Uh oh, did I get trampled by the boar and I'm in big trouble? Just as I thought that, the heavy thing on top of me gently patted my head.
So that means the heavy thing on top of me is a person, and thankfully not a boar. I pressed my ear against them and heard them panting heavily. It seems I ended up pinned underneath them, held in their arms.
But I knew right away who it was. The same gentle hands as always. He protected me from the boar.
"Ritz, are you okay?"
When I called out, Ritz slowly pushed himself up, still breathing heavily. He then scooted back and lowered his face to my level. Our eyes met.
"How could, I possibly, be okay, you, idiot."
Ritz said, his words broken. That's right, he just ran for his life. Of course he's out of breath.
But what Ritz wanted to say wasn't about that, it was about me.
"Hey, why were you, standing, right there?"
"Huh?"
"You could have, tripped it, just as well, hiding somewhere, far away."
"Ah…"
I hadn't used it in a while, so I'd forgotten, but that's right. Why was I standing in front of the arrow? And in the direction the boar was coming from.
"That's right, huh."
"It's not 'that's right'!"
"Ehehehe. I forgot."
"You moron…"
Ritz collapsed powerlessly on top of me again. I hugged his head as it rested on my chest.
"I'm sorry."
"'Sorry' doesn't cut it."
"Well then, thank you."
"…Idiot."
I gently and slowly stroked the head of the cursing Ritz, and he just let me. I suspected it in the beastman village, but Ritz really does like being touched. It's kind of cute, and it makes me really happy. Wait? If I called him cute, would he get mad?
"Hey. How long are you, going to bask, in this happy situation?"
Ed-san, still breathing heavily, said as he kicked Ritz with the toe of his shoe. Ritz immediately shot up.
"Just taking a break, a break."
"That's what you say, but you were enjoying it, weren't you? You found a good place to bury your face."
"Shut up!"
I don't really get it, but they're arguing about something. Now that Ritz was finally off me, I stood up and was shocked when I saw the boar.
"Whoa…"
It was twice as long as Ritz is tall. And it was maybe as wide as four of me lined up side-by-side. Lef was standing on top of it, skinning it.
"I'll start cooking now, so please wait!"
Lef said with enthusiasm. It looks like we're going to have an amazing feast tonight, which makes me very happy. And I was also very, very happy that in the end, all five of us worked together to take down the boar.
Tonight's Dinner
A full course of wild boar dishes, Red Valley style. Served with mixed beans.
"Cheers."
After dinner, Ed-san said, and everyone raised their glasses. Everyone's glass was filled to the brim with brandy. It was a top-shelf bottle we got in Valerie, the first town in the Luciana Kingdom Federation. I'm just drinking water. It's fine. I can't drink alcohol yet.
Actually, Ritz, who's sitting next to me, let me have a little lick, but my head started spinning right after, so I decided to stop. I mean, it's Lef's farewell party, and I don't want to feel sick.
"Lef, thanks for everything."
Ritz said to Lef after downing about half his glass.
"Thank you as well. Even though I tried to kill you, you let me live in your house and helped my home village. I truly don't know how to repay you."
The atmosphere turned a bit somber. We met Lef during the attempted assassination of the king. More than half a year has passed since then. We've lived together for so long, so it's sad.
"You know, Lef, Ritz said he'll come visit again around the time you become chieftain."
Feeling a bit sentimental, I said that, and Lef smiled happily.
"I'd be happy to have you. I'll be waiting."
"Yeah. Wait for us, okay?"
Somehow, everyone fell silent. It's quiet. The only sound is the faint hoot of an owl from the forest where the boar was.
"Tomorrow is really our last day together, huh."
"Yes."
"It's sad, isn't it?"
"It is."
It's so sad, and I wipe away the tears that threaten to fall. Then, Ritz next to me gently put his arm around my shoulder. I leaned into him, letting him support me, and sniffled. The only sound in the quiet ruins is the crackling of the firewood.
As if trying to blow away the somber, sad atmosphere, Ritz let out a big sigh.
"It's not like we'll never see each other again. Let's at least have some fun and be loud."
With that, Ritz patted Anna's head and stood up.
"This gloomy mood is no good. Alright, Anna, you sing."
"Huh?"
"The songs I know are, frankly, not appropriate for this kind of occasion."
What kind of inappropriate songs does he know? I have no idea.
"Come on, Anna, sing something upbeat for us."
Urged by Ritz, I stood up.
"Okay! Then, I'll sing. The 'I Want to Eat Delicious Food' song."
I completely ignored Franz's complaint that all I think about is food, and to say goodbye to Lef in my own way, I took a deep breath.
Thank you for reading.
Next time, we will bring you the tenth volume of The Carefree Adventurers series, 'The Mist of the Lost Forest.'
The entire book will be a rather serious story about the Clan of Light and Ritz. The setting returns to the Yuresla Kingdom. Please look forward to it (^^)