Chapter 207 - Sprouting Hope and Despair
Hurry, faster. My stomach is gnawing at me, making my vision blur.
Ophelia tightens her grip on the reins, forcing me to focus on anything but the pointless thoughts swirling in my head. Our destination isn’t too far, but it’s not exactly close either. We’ve been pushing ourselves, hoping to catch up with the people who stole our food, but it’s not going as smoothly as we’d like.
After some time, the night begins to lighten. The sunlight is a welcome sight, but I can’t afford to revel in it. My mind is consumed with thoughts of food.
More time passes, and the night fully gives way to morning. My hunger has reached its limit.
Then, I see smoke rising in the distance. The gentle, steady smoke suggests a peaceful cooking fire, not a raging blaze.
A strong gust of wind hits us.
The scent of food wafts through the open windows of the carriage.
“It’s... meat!” Ophelia exclaims.
There’s no mistaking the smell of roasting meat. My stomach tightens in response.
We stop at a distance where we won’t be noticed, just like we did with the village. This is the final stretch of our patience.
From a distance, the first thing I see is the meat. A covered cooking area is set up outdoors, where large chunks of meat are being sliced and cooked with hearty vegetables and mushrooms. My mouth waters uncontrollably.
We aren’t just dealing with bandits anymore; all we can see is food.
“Onee-sama, I’m so hungry,” a sister with a fierce, predatory gaze pleads.
“I can’t hold on any longer,” the wild elf says, drooling unconsciously.
“Let’s take it,” the martial elf commands, dropping her usual calm demeanor and gripping her command stick with resolve.
Whispers of discontent and hunger fill the air. Everyone has reached their breaking point. We haven’t eaten in three days.
We don’t care who they are; we’ve decided to take what we need, no matter what.
“...Let’s go,” I whisper, and with that, we all charge forward.
Our goal is singular: to seize the food. And if anyone tries to stop us, we’ll knock them down.
We run straight toward the cooking area. The meal seems to have just finished, and large platters are being filled from a giant pot. Fruits and bread are also laid out on nearby plates, and bottles of water and wine are within reach.
We dash forward, our bodies lighter and faster than usual, probably due to our weakened state. It feels almost surreal.
The people there react to our sudden appearance, but we don’t give them a chance to do anything. Anyone standing in our way is knocked down without hesitation.
Reaching the cooking area, we ignore the surrounding chaos and grab the meat with our bare hands. It’s hot, but the desire to eat overwhelms the pain. I throw the meat into my mouth and start chewing.
Tears well up in my eyes.
It’s delicious. So, incredibly delicious. I never knew such a feast existed.
It took some effort to swallow, but the joy of eating after so long brings tears to my eyes. I’m reminded of how crucial food is for survival.
The amount of meat is substantial, enough to satisfy all of us.
We dive into the food, grabbing and eating it with abandon, while simultaneously fending off anyone who tries to interfere. I don’t even look at who’s trying to stop us; they’re all our enemies.
Eventually, the need to protect our meal becomes overwhelming, and we set up a barrier to isolate the cooking area. Now we can eat without worrying about interruptions.
We drink water and wine, eating the meat and bread, and occasionally biting into the fruits. We devour everything like ravenous demons.
After a while, I realize I’m the only one still eating. The others are lying on the ground, looking dazed and satisfied.
I finish the last of the soup from a large pot, along with the remaining bread and fruits. I might have overeaten a bit.
Following their lead, I lie down on the ground, too tired to move. Eating too much has its drawbacks.
I gaze at the light from a magical lamp, feeling a renewed sense of life. Eating is such a sacred act.
After a moment, I hear someone mumble about a stomachache, and I force myself to sit up.
“...So, what now?” I ask the others.
We’ve only been focused on taking the food; there’s no real plan. We’ve been so driven by hunger that we haven’t thought about what comes next.
“What do we do? Where are we?” Verone asks, suddenly aware of our situation.
“It might be the hideout of the bandits who attacked the village,” someone suggests.
“I only saw the cooking area. I have no idea what’s around here,” another adds.
Everyone seems to share the same confusion. A brief silence falls.
“...We might be suspicious for suddenly attacking a cooking area,” Verone points out. And we’re even more suspicious for fortifying ourselves with a barrier afterward.
“True. What’s the situation outside...” I agree. It’s not hard to imagine that we’re surrounded by now.
“Hey, the vehicles,” someone remembers.
“We need to check on the valuables. I’ll lower the barrier so some of you can go see,” I say. The loot from the dragon and our personal belongings are important. The thought of anyone touching my clothes is unsettling.
“What should the rest of us do?”
“Knock everyone out and gather information,” I decide. They’re probably criminals, and we need fresh intel about the western continent. This is our chance to put them to good use.
“Now that our stomachs are full, this will be a good warm-up,” someone says, eager to fight.
“I’m in the mood for a brawl,” another adds.
“Me too. I’m curious about why the village was attacked so strangely. We’ll get to the bottom of it.”
Everyone seems to be regaining their usual energy, especially the martial elf, who has shed her calm facade and is now brimming with enthusiasm.
“Let’s get started. Once we secure the vehicles and belongings, I’ll leave that to the Young Master. The rest of us will disable the armed forces without killing them.”
“Got it. Interrogation after that.”
Their enthusiastic responses bring back a sense of familiarity. We’ve been on the brink of death for a while now.
Alright, let’s do this to fully recover our spirits.
I raise my arm as a signal, then lower it. The thick barrier disappears in an instant.
The people around us are dressed like soldiers, not the bandits we expected.
Everyone is momentarily taken aback, but the group sent to check the vehicles charges forward.
Liliane unleashes a violent wind, knocking down the soldiers. Mira and Albert take the lead, clearing the way, followed by the Young Master. I leave the vehicles to them.
The attack begins without any hesitation. The enemy’s leader starts to speak, but Valeria strikes his throat, silencing him.
“First move always wins!”
I grab a soldier and swing him around, while Ophelia playfully scatters small flames. Behind us, Liliane’s strong winds toss enemies around, and Verone’s intentionally unbalanced Senses Enhancement Magic disorients them.
Graylease doesn’t join the fight but moves to gather information.
It’s fun to move again after being so weak for so long.
There are quite a few soldiers, but none of them are particularly skilled. This is a perfect warm-up. Despite their numbers, we handle them with ease.
Reinforcements arrive, but we take them out just as quickly.
The experience of fighting the dragon has made us more efficient with our magic and energy.
After clearing the visible enemies and securing the leader, we wait for Graylease to return. Mira and Albert also return to confirm that the vehicles are safe.
The base seems unusual for a bandit hideout. It’s too well-constructed, almost like a military outpost. The inner buildings are clearly expensive, and the overall layout suggests a powerful family.
We’re reluctant to get involved in complicated matters, but we can’t ignore our curiosity.
While waiting, I think about the injured enemies. Eventually, Graylease returns.
“Did you find anything?”
“Not much until we interrogate, but this place is likely the residence of a powerful family, not just a noble. It’s too poor to be a noble but too grand to be a bandit hideout. The uniform equipment suggests they control the area.”
That makes sense. The nobility doesn’t feel right, and the idea of a powerful family is new to me, but it fits.
“I see, a powerful family. So, the boss is trembling in the main house?”
“Yes, they’ve retreated into the house with their guards. We’ll need to investigate the house to find anything suspicious.”
“Let’s interrogate the boss directly once everyone’s back.”
Everyone returns soon after, reporting no significant findings. The only useful thing is the food storage. According to Graylease, they’ve hidden important things in the house.
Leaving Ophelia and Verone to secure the area and having Mira scout the surroundings, the rest of us head to the house.
The house is surrounded by a sturdy wall and a grand gate. We could break through in any way, but we decide to do it quickly.
“Valeria.”
The martial elf steps forward and uses Collapse Magic to turn the gate into a pile of dust. Liliane’s wind blows the dust away.
We cross the spacious, rural grounds and reach the house’s entrance without any traps. It’s anticlimactically easy.
We wait at the ornate, gaudy front door, but no one comes to greet us.
We won’t be turned away, even if they pretend not to be home. If they won’t invite us, we’ll invite ourselves. Let’s make a grand entrance.
“Albert.”
The wild elf steps forward, wielding a hammer. He swings it with a powerful gust of wind, blasting the door away.
The door flies into the house, taking some of the waiting soldiers with it.
“Liliane, silence them.”
Liliane’s violent wind quiets the shouts and screams, sweeping people and objects away.
Using my magic to sense the remaining enemies, I locate the leader upstairs, likely surrounded by guards and staff. There’s also an unusual presence.
“...Another basement? Graylease, you were curious about the basement, right?”
“Yes, it’s suspicious. Let’s check it out.”
“Liliane, go with her. You might need help.”
“Sure, let’s go.”
The two head to find the basement entrance. I follow Albert and Valeria, who secure the corridors and rooms.
The enemy’s resistance is minimal, and the house contains no traps. We easily reach the boss.
“Let’s go?”
“Yeah, give it to them.”
A grand entrance is best. Intimidate them, and they’ll talk more freely.
In this obscure foreign land, the power of the Qiqiao emblem is nonexistent. Women are often underestimated, so it’s important to show them the difference in our standing and strength.
We continue our journey to our destination, making detours for supplies and investigating things that catch our attention. The road ahead seems smoother than the Forest of the Underworld.
Next chapter: "The Entrance to the Dark Side."