Rest had successfully deployed the monster-repelling barrier, securing the campsite’s safety. However, that didn't mean his mission for the day was over. One final, daunting hurdle remained: actually eating the dinner Yuri and Urula had prepared.
"Hey, Rest! Dinner’s ready," Yuri called out, walking over to where he was still supplying mana to the barrier. "Should I bring yours here, or are you coming to the table?"
It’s time... It’s finally time...!
Rest swallowed hard. He knew they had been cooking, and he knew the primary ingredient was the Worm they had slain earlier. He had tried to tune out the sounds of their "culinary experimentation," but the suspicious noises had drifted across the camp to his ears nonetheless.
I really don’t want to do this. I’m genuinely terrified...
Though he had never actually tried it, he imagined this was how a person felt right before sampling Surströmming for the first time. For the uninitiated, Surströmming is a canned, fermented herring from Sweden, widely considered the most foul-smelling food on the planet.
Herring is one thing—at least that’s technically food. But a Worm? That is definitely not food. There might not be a single person in recorded history who has ever willingly eaten one.
Recalling that massive, mud-caked body and the revolting fluids that had leaked from its carcass, Rest found it impossible to muster even a shred of appetite. If it were permitted, he would have vanished from the spot that very instant.
"Rest?"
"Coming... I’m coming."
Urged by Yuri once more, Rest stood up with a heavy heart. He poured a surplus of mana into the magic circle at his feet, ensuring the barrier would remain active for a while even after he stepped away.
"This way! Follow me."
"Right..."
Dragging his feet as if they were made of lead, Rest was led toward the makeshift dining area. A table and chairs had been arranged on the grass. Urula was already there, as was her attendant, Arlie.
And then there was Ostray. The veteran soldier sat with an expression usually reserved for a condemned criminal awaiting execution.
"Count Clover..."
"Lord Ostray..."
Though they had only met that day, a profound sense of understanding passed between them. It was a bond that transcended social status and time—a certainty born of shared peril.
(We are brothers-in-arms... Let us fight together and survive!)
(Indeed... I pray for your victory on this battlefield, my Lord...!)
Through a strange, instinctive telepathy, the two men exchanged these silent vows before taking their seats.
"Alright, everyone! Don't be shy, dig in!" Yuri cheered.
"A feast," Urula added.
With everyone gathered, the girls began serving the meal. The first dish placed on the table was skewered meat. Having been seared over the fire, the flesh had turned a deep brown and was glazed in a savory sauce that gave off a surprisingly pleasant, aromatic scent.
Next came a bowl of green soup. The liquid resembled a green curry, with various vegetables and chunks of meat submerged within.
"It... actually looks appetizing?"
Against all odds, the presentation was decent. At the very least, it looked like something a human could physically consume.
"We have dessert coming afterward, so save some room!" Yuri added with a grin.
"Dessert..."
Rest felt the last of his hope wither. He didn't want to know that after surviving the main course, a final "boss" was still waiting in the wings.
N-No... dessert shouldn't have anything to do with the Worm. There’s no way they could turn a hunk of monster meat into a sweet... right?!
(In other words, we only need to survive the dishes currently in front of us, Count Clover!)
(Yes. Let’s believe that... We mustn't abandon hope now!)
"What’s the matter with you two? Why aren't you eating?" Yuri asked, tilting her head as the two men sat there in a telepathic trance. "It'll get cold if you wait too long."
"Please... partake?" Urula urged.
To Rest’s ears, the word "partake" sounded ominously like an invitation to his own funeral. He desperately hoped he wasn't about to be "served up" to the heavens.
"It's fine... I can neutralize any poison with magic. It’s been cooked thoroughly, so there shouldn't be any parasites..."
Muttering to himself to bolster his courage, Rest reached out and took one of the skewers.
"Heaven help me...!"
Steeling his resolve, he took a bite of the fragrant meat.