50. The Forestfolk Siblings

A mysterious old man in a dud dungeon. The encounter had ended on a bit of a weird note, but as far as I was concerned, it hadn't been a bad detour. I’d come away with a Pandora Gift, after all.

The road to the Royal Capital was long, and as we trekked along, the light began to fade. It looked like we’d be making camp tonight. Traveling on foot meant there was no guarantee we’d reach a village by nightfall. Well, in today’s case, it was mostly because we’d wasted so much time on our little side trip.

"Alright, let's roast some meat skewers over the open fire! It’s fresh rabbit, courtesy of Halfa’s butchering skills."

"Heh-heh!" Halfa puffed out her chest proudly.

『Well done, Halfa!』 Shiroru chimed in.

I had a Simple Stove magic tool, but using it felt a bit like cooking on an induction heater. It was convenient, sure, but nothing beat the flavor of food cooked over an open flame. Since we needed the light anyway, I’d built a proper fire. It felt like a real campfire, which made the evening feel a bit more special.

I’d seasoned the meat with soy sauce and spices, so the flavor was bound to be better than anything you’d find at a typical roadside stall. As the skewers sizzled over the flames, they released an aroma that made my stomach growl. Watching the fat drip into the fire was almost too much to bear. I felt like I was about to start drooling.

『Is it ready yet? It’s ready, right? I can't hold back anymore!』

"I suppose so. It should be fine now."

『Finally! I'm digging in! Mgh... It's hot! Mnum, mnum... but so good!』

Shiroru used Telekinesis to deftly manipulate a skewer, stuffing his cheeks with meat. Without me even noticing, his control had become incredibly precise. I suppose even a Holy Beast’s skills could be sharpened by sheer gluttony.

"The soy sauce glaze is so fragrant, and you charred it perfectly! As expected of you, Tort!"

"No, no, it's all thanks to Halfa's prep work. The meat is as fresh as it gets."

"That looks delicious!"

As Halfa and I were busy praising each other, an unfamiliar voice drifted our way. I looked over and saw a young girl watching us with hungry eyes. There was no way I had any acquaintances out here; she was a complete stranger. The most striking things about her were her ears—unlike my rounded Commoner ears, hers were sharp and pointed. A hallmark of the Forestfolk.

『Who are you?』

"I'm Spira! Oh, the doggy is so cute!"

『Whoa, stop it! I am not a dog!』

The girl, Spira, gave a beaming greeting before lunging at Shiroru to rub his fur vigorously. Her touch was a bit rough, and Shiroru struggled in vain to escape her clutches.

"Spira, did you come here with someone? Do you know where they are?" Halfa asked gently.

Spira nodded enthusiastically. "I'm with Big Brother. ...Huh? Where is he?"

She looked back over her shoulder and tilted her head. Don't tell me she's lost.

Fortunately, she didn't seem particularly upset about being separated from her brother. I imagined her brother was the one doing all the worrying.

"Do you know which way your brother went?"

"Yeah, over there! He'll be here soon!"

When I strained my ears, I could hear a faint voice in the distance. Someone was definitely calling for Spira.

That was a relief. Even if they’d been separated, it sounded like they weren't far apart. I couldn't see much in the growing dark, but he had to be close.

"Big Brother! Over here!" Spira waved her hand toward the darkness. Wait, can she see him?

Then I remembered that Forestfolk possessed excellent night vision. Just to be sure, I cast <Night Vision> on myself. Immediately, the world brightened, and I spotted a man walking toward us.

The brother who appeared shortly after had the look of a young adventurer. I could tell from his aura that he’d already moved past the rookie phase; his leather armor and the short sword at his hip looked well-worn and comfortable.

He looked to be about twenty years old, but it was hard to tell with his race. Forestfolk lived longer than Commoners, and their aging slowed down significantly once they reached adulthood, leaving them looking the same for years.

Usually, Forestfolk were known for their magical aptitude, but the brother appeared to be a rare front-liner. I suppose it made sense; not every Forestfolk was destined to be a mage. There were bound to be warriors like him among them.

Aside from his ears, he didn't look much different from a Commoner. His race wasn't inherently more beautiful or anything like that, though they did tend to be on the leaner side since they had difficulty putting on heavy muscle.

"Spira! Thank goodness. You can't just run off like that."

"I'm sorry, Big Brother. It just smelled so good."

"Smelled so... Ah, excuse me. I’m Lowell. I’m this girl’s older brother."

Lowell scolded Spira lightly before introducing himself, seemingly remembering his manners. There was a bit of an age gap between them, but they clearly got along well.

"I’m sorry for the trouble she caused."

"Ah, don't worry about it. If you’d like, why don't you join us? We have plenty of skewers left."

"No, we couldn't possibly..."

Lowell started to decline, looking ready to head off immediately, but I stopped him. I felt bad letting Spira go after seeing her look at the food with such longing. Besides, Halfa had already started roasting a fresh batch, and Spira was watching the meat with absolute focus.

"Really, we have more than enough."

"...Alright. Thank you."

Lowell seemed to realize that dragging Spira away from the meat in her current state would be a lost cause, and he eventually accepted the offer.

We chatted as we ate.

It turned out Lowell was twenty and Spira was six. Since they were still young for Forestfolk, the gap between their appearance and actual age was minimal. As I’d guessed, he was an adventurer—and a C-Rank one at that. We were C-Rank at twelve, but that was an anomaly caused by the Black Wolf incident. Normally, reaching C-Rank by twenty was a sign of real talent.

Next, I introduced our group.

"I'm Tort. This is Halfa, and—"

『I'm Shiroru! Nice to meet you!』

I had wondered how to handle Shiroru’s introduction, but he didn't wait for my input, sending a Thought Transmission directly to our guests. Oh well. He’d already been "talking" to Spira, so there was no point in hiding it now.

Lowell looked genuinely startled by the voice in his head. Spira, meanwhile, didn't flinch.

"D-Did he just talk?"

『Of course! I’m a Holy Beast. Talking is easy!』

"A Holy Beast..." Lowell muttered, as if trying to process the concept. He looked like he needed a moment to wrap his head around it. Take your time, buddy.

"Even so... a Commoner, a Wingfolk, and a Holy Beast? That’s an incredible combination. Are you all adventurers too?"

"We are."

"We're C-Rank!" Halfa added.

Lowell had a point; we were an odd bunch. Wingfolk rarely mingled with other races, and Holy Beasts were usually the stuff of legends.

That said, adventurer parties were often mixed. Roles were usually clearly defined, with different races utilizing their innate strengths to help the group. It wasn't uncommon to see a sturdy Dwarf acting as a tank while a magically gifted Forestfolk served as a Magic Attacker.

Lowell had clearly suspected we were adventurers based on our gear, but he hadn't expected us to be the same rank as him. He looked stunned by Halfa’s boast.

"C-Rank at your age? Are you actually Grassfolk?"

"Ah, no. We’re Commoners. A lot happened recently that led to a sudden rank up. Honestly, I’m not sure if we’re as experienced as you are, Mr. Lowell..."

"Hmm? Oh, right. You don't need to use honorifics or formal speech with me. Adventurers usually keep things casual, and since we're the same rank, there's no need for the 'Mr.' I won't force you, but feel free to drop the formalities."

That seemed to be the way of the world for adventurers. Regardless of the rank difference, everyone was essentially an equal. We were all independent contractors, after all. While people might use polite speech for seniors they respected or during formal operations, the general vibe was peer-to-peer.

Anyway, Lowell seemed like a good guy, and since he’d insisted, I decided to take him up on it.