"Huh? Is that true!?"
Asdena's voice echoed across the campsite.
Among the reconnaissance units that had set out from the campsite, Asdena's group was the last to return.
...In the end, they hadn't found any Dragonias bases, any Dragonias that had split off from a nest, or any previously uncontacted Centaurs. There was no real intelligence to speak of... but it wasn't as if they had returned empty-handed.
That was the boar — somewhat smaller than a Centaur, but undeniably large by any general standard.
Honestly, Rei found himself wondering how a boar of such massive size could sustain itself on this grassland, or even whether boars were fundamentally mountain-dwelling creatures. But then he reminded himself that this was another world — not Earth — and found himself accepting it.
In a world where Centaurs existed, where magic existed, where monsters existed, having boars that lived on the grassland was perfectly ordinary.
Or perhaps it wasn't just this world — even in Elgin, having boars that lived on the grassland wouldn't be particularly strange.
At present, the people at the campsite were butchering that boar, and in the meantime Asdena was reporting his reconnaissance results and listening to what came next.
(Well, just because they didn't find anything doesn't mean it wasn't a worthwhile result. Even just confirming there was nothing in the direction Asdena's group searched is a significant harvest. ...Though I doubt he's very happy about it.)
Thinking this as he listened to Asdena's report, Rei turned his gaze toward Zai.
"So, what's the plan? Everyone's back now... are we heading out right away? It's already afternoon."
Since Zai was the one leading this reconnaissance unit, the decision was ultimately his to make.
That was why, when Rei asked what they would do next, Zai thought for a moment... and turned his gaze toward those butchering the massive boar.
The butchering taking place there was not something that would be finished quickly.
Given that, rather than immediately heading toward where the Dragonias headquarters was located, it would be better to eat the boar meat, rest up, and depart tomorrow morning.
That was what he thought... and then he decided.
"Departure is tomorrow morning. Today, we eat the boar meat Asdena's group brought back, rest up, and prepare for tomorrow's actions."
At those words from Zai, everyone listening raised a cheer.
Seeing a boar this size, it was only natural to want to eat its meat today.
Rei was no different, so he had no objections to Zai's decision.
(Well, even if we're delayed by a day, I don't think the Dragonias headquarters is going anywhere. ...Though depending on how things go, another nest-splitting might happen? If it does, we can just annihilate that base too.)
Rei convinced himself with a slightly forced rationale.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't worried about Anastasia and Fana, but considering Anastasia's skill in Spirit Magic, he believed a discrepancy of about a day wouldn't make a decisive difference.
In fact, the Dragonias — enemies driven by hunger that ignored evasion and simply tried to devour their foes — were well-suited opponents for Anastasia, who used Spirit Magic.
For those who could only fight in close combat... or even those whose only ranged option was an ordinary bow, Dragonias were a poor matchup.
Moreover, Anastasia had confirmed she could use magic in this world, and above all, Rei had heard from Damran — who came from the same settlement that had temporarily taken in Anastasia and Fana — that she used Spirit Magic. Damran himself hadn't understood the distinction from ordinary magic, but that was beside the point.
If that was the case, then even if she were attacked by Dragonias numbering in the hundreds, while killing them all would be impossible, escaping should be manageable — or so Rei predicted.
"Gurururu, gururu, guruu."
Watching the boar being butchered, Set purred happily.
Set liked any kind of meat, but even for him, boar meat was probably one of his favorites.
Had it been meat like Goblin's — the sort that was a genuine struggle to eat — it would have been a different story.
"Asdena brought back a pretty good souvenir too."
As Rei muttered this while watching Asdena talk with Zai, Vihera, who had been watching the boar butchering with interest beside him, nodded.
"That's true. Whether as a celebration of finding the Dragonias headquarters... or as a morale boost before the serious battles ahead, this worked out nicely."
"There's not enough meat for everyone to eat their fill, though."
The boar was quite large, but the Centaurs were large too.
Rei ate more than his appearance suggested, and Set, who measured over three meters in length, went without saying.
Even if the boar Asdena's group had brought back was large, it would amount to roughly one plate per person... or perhaps a slightly larger portion distributed to everyone.
After all, once you accounted for the organs, skin, and bones, even a large boar didn't have all that much edible meat.
Even so, having some was better than none, and the Centaurs' morale at the campsite had genuinely risen.
"Anyway, tonight's dinner should be a proper feast. Dishes using the boar meat, sure, but if we're doing this, we might as well prepare other good food too."
"True. But... in that case, wouldn't it be better to eat while we're still hungry? They say hunger is the best seasoning."
She's actually quoting that.
Hearing Vihera's words, Rei nearly said it aloud.
(Wait, was it me who said that before? ...It's possible.)
It had been quite a long time since Rei started traveling with Vihera.
In that time, they had naturally had all sorts of conversations, and he didn't remember every single one.
So whether or not he had said something about hunger being the best seasoning — he simply couldn't recall.
If it had been a particularly memorable conversation, he might have been able to remember.
"So, whose training are we doing today?"
"Yours, Rei."
"...Me?"
"Yes. You haven't had a mock battle with me recently, have you? So I'd like to have one with you for the first time in a while."
Rei could accept that reasoning.
Lately, Vihera had been satisfied by the battles against Dragonias, and outside of that, she should have been satisfying her battle lust through training with the Centaurs.
But stronger opponents were always better. In that sense, fighting Rei was what excited Vihera the most — that was an undeniable fact.
"Well?"
Vihera, inviting Rei with those words, cast an extremely seductive sidelong glance at him.
If someone who knew nothing saw Vihera like that, it wouldn't be hard to guess what she was inviting him to.
It wouldn't even be strange to think she was inviting him to that kind of act.
But Rei, having been with Vihera for a long time, naturally understood the meaning of that invitation.
...No, even without a long relationship, anyone who had fought a mock battle with Vihera and managed to entertain her reasonably well would understand what such an invitation meant.
(Still, what should I do?)
Rei didn't particularly mind having a mock battle with Vihera.
In fact, a mock battle with Vihera was highly stimulating, and from the standpoint of improving his combat techniques, it wasn't a bad idea at all.
The problem, in this case, was that Vihera could get too absorbed in the fight.
If Vihera became too engrossed in battle, there was a real possibility she would become intoxicated by the pleasure of combat.
If she were fighting against Dragonias or Centaurs, that would be one thing... but the fact that her opponent was Rei was significant.
It went without saying that Rei was a special existence to Vihera, and on top of that, in terms of pure strength, Rei stood above her.
Because of that, Vihera fighting Rei... while a light mock battle would be one thing, if they went all out, there would be not only battle lust but a pleasure akin to sexual desire mixed in.
And Vihera couldn't stop herself... no, wouldn't even try to stop herself, surrendering to that pleasure and continuing to fight Rei.
That could no longer be called a mock battle — it would be a real fight.
That was what would happen if he fought Vihera now, and Rei could easily imagine it.
"Isn't fighting in this situation a bit problematic? If Elena or Marina were here, fine, but it's just you and me, right?"
"That's..."
Vihera must have understood what kind of state she was currently in.
At Rei's words, Vihera — who had been brimming with battle lust — visibly took on a disappointed look.
"Ah... right. Look, calm down. Once we get back to where Elena and the others are, you can fight me."
"Really?"
The Vihera who asked that showed no trace of her normally dangerous demeanor.
Even Rei, who knew Vihera's true nature — or rather, what could be called her proclivities — found himself drawn in by her charm.
Somehow suppressing that feeling within himself, Rei nodded.
"Yeah. Besides... tomorrow we head for the Dragonias headquarters. There might be enemies in there that satisfy you. But if you fight me here and now... your battle lust would be sated, wouldn't it?"
"I don't really mind if it gets sated, honestly."
The way Vihera said that, Rei felt she genuinely meant it.
But from Rei's perspective, Vihera's battle lust was clearly stronger in her current state.
The difference likely came down to whether she was starved for battle or not.
Even if fighters of equal skill clashed, the outcome could change based on their mindset and feelings.
(Continuing this conversation might be a bit unwise.)
Thinking this during his exchange with Vihera, Rei noticed that — with perfect timing — they had begun roasting the butchered boar in his line of sight... and his eyes went wide.
He had been told they would make dishes using the boar meat.
That was why Rei had assumed they would cut the butchered meat into portions and cook it. But what was happening before his eyes was the skinning of the carcass down to the meat, the removal of the organs, the stuffing of salt and herbs inside the body cavity, a spit driven through from mouth to rear, and the whole thing being rotated and roasted over fire.
"This is... quite the picture-perfect whole roast."
The sight of the massive boar being rotated and roasted had a certain bizarre intensity.
An intensity more than enough to captivate everyone nearby, and indeed many of the Centaurs standing around the roasting area were spellbound.
"Yeah. It's incredible."
Vihera, following Rei's gaze, saw the same sight and murmured in agreement.
The sheer force of it blew away even the desire to fight Rei that she had held moments ago.
Of course, it wasn't just the spectacle — the smell of roasting meat mingling with herbs created a scent that fiercely stimulated the appetite.
Vihera's composure was probably also largely due to the stimulation of that aroma.
(But with a cut of meat that size, won't the outside be burnt by the time the center is cooked? Ah, wait. Come to think of it, I saw something on TV back when I was in Japan. Shish kebab? Doner kebab? I think it was something like that. Turkish cuisine... right?)
What Rei recalled was a dish where — exactly like what was being done before his eyes — a massive cut of meat was roasted, and the cooked parts were shaved off and served in bread or wrapped in a thin, crepe-like flatbread.
It wasn't exactly the same, but the cooking method being performed was similar.
...Whether herbs were also stuffed inside the meat for doner kebab, he wasn't sure.
"Alright, it's ready! Everyone who wants to eat, line up. But the amount of meat per person is fixed, so please keep that in mind."
The woman in charge of cooking announced this while slicing the roasted meat with a knife and plating it.
From where she cut, the fat dripped down into the flames burning below, sending another appetite-stimulating scent wafting through the air.
Gulp.
One of the Centaurs who caught that scent swallowed audibly.
No — it wasn't just one. The others were the same.
Many had their eyes captivated by the boar meat... and thus they enjoyed their feast before setting out for the Dragonias headquarters.