188 - - a second encampment

The fire created by the magic was extinguished within a few minutes.

Swordsmen enter the swamp and go behind the charred spider, sticking knives into it and dragging out its organs.

"Oh, do the entrails taste good, too?　Tall girl."

"No, I don't think that's edible."

Barconia, standing beside him, immediately begins to explain the behavior of the men who throw away the unwanted parts of their bodies in a messy manner.

Yes, we are retrieving the outgrowth organ called the glans. The monster traps its prey with threads coming out of its abdomen, but these threads are very troublesome. They are easy to stick to and strong enough to be broken off with a silver weapon. Ah, you know it well, don't you, Sora-san?"

The girl wearing a robe woven of white spider silk spun around on the spot so that her clothes could be seen more clearly, smiling happily.

Then he almost lost his balance as if he tripped over something and asked Thor to help him up.

"Whoa, are you okay?"

"Thanks. Oh, maybe this is the string?"

Sola pulled her foot out of the mud and pointed to a white bundle wrapped around her leather shoe.

It was in contact with the mud, but there was no sign of wetness, and the spider silk was shiny and glossy.

Barconia quickly explained this too.

Yes, you are right. But unfortunately, you can't process it because it has been exposed to the air.

"Is that so?"

Yes, it is difficult to knit only with yarn taken straight from the glands. And you can only get a little bit of it, you know. So, just to make a piece of clothing, you may or may not have to kill dozens of those spiders.

While listening to Barconia's exaggerated shrug of her shoulders, Thor looked at the feet of the group of "bearers of the burning flame".

They have entered the swamp, which is lined with thread traps, and are continuing their work without a care in the world.

Staring at his boots covered in black mud, Thor called out to the flame-bearer, who continued to talk.

"Excuse me, may I have some of the spider's feet?"

"Oh, you seem hungry.　If so, don't worry, we'll have a wonderful lunch ready for you if you just wait a few more minutes--"

"No, I just wanted some crusts."

At Thor's brief response, which seemed to be interrupted, Balconia lifted both eyebrows wide.

He continued the conversation with a smile that seemed to overflow.

"You have noticed that in such a short time. You are right, we are safe from the strings..."

"Oh, everyone has something wrapped around their leather shoes. I see!　You mean a spider wouldn't get caught in its own threads?"

When the girl gives her answer as if to cover her face, Barconia now pulls her chin back in disappointment.

It seems that she was right to wrap the shoes in the skin of the spider that she had removed.

"Oh no, it's gone!"

Moe, who had been searing the burning spider by pressing an apple against it, dexterously maneuvered his sled back to it.

He looked up at Thor and Sora and proudly declared, "I'm going to be back.

"Moo, I've just realized something. Everything tastes better when I eat it!

"Well, some of them are delicious just as they are."

While the girl nods her head at the outrageous tirade, Barconia snaps her fingers.

"How dare you! You have discovered the truth of it!　You have a great talent, Mr. Moe. Yes, cooking is fire!　It is an art created by fire. Come on, let's hurry up. We're preparing them just in time for baking.

The campsite of the "Bearers of the Burning Flame" was a two-tiered structure just like that of the Thundercrowd.

However, the size of the camp was reduced by about 30%.

And there was a decisive difference that could be seen in an instant.

The second encampment had one layer made of stone.

It was made of square stones piled up with a wooden floor on top.

A triangular tent fluttered at the top, looking as if it were a small tower.

"Wow, it looks like a normal house.

"Yeah, I'm surprised it's made of stone."

The stone of the base has a peculiar reddish color, and combined with the black swamp and the blue tent, it is quite an eye-catching sight.

Those stones are special ones dropped by the red sand giants, and they were brought all the way from Zuma's home country. Yes, ordinary stones would sink down fast because of the loose ground. On the other hand, the stone is light, water-resistant, and heat-resistant. However, the price is a little ......"

"Mmmmmm!　Something smells good, To-chan!"

"Oh, it's true. I can smell it through the cloth.

Thor and his friends are led upstairs by a staircase of wooden poles protruding from the stone wall.

There, waiting for them were colorful platters lined up on a round table and two women in light clothing.

We have been waiting for you.

"It's just about ready to burn."

Upon closer inspection, the red-haired women had silver adventurer's tags gleaming on their chests.

It seems that these beautifully dressed women are also members of the "Bearers of the Burning Flame.

Thor and the others were led to one of the tents, where they were helped to unload their luggage.

When they were led to the table again, Barconia was waiting for them, holding a rare glass sake cup in her hand.

"I still have some work to do at noon, so I was wondering if you would join me for a light drink.　I've got a nice bottle of fire spirit for you."

The long tips of Euril's ears twitched at the invitation.

The ash-eared woman looked around the table and looked at the clear liquid in the glass, then silently turned back to Thor and shook her head after a moment of hesitation.

"...... It's not a bad idea to have a little drink to relieve your fatigue, is it?"

Taking off his hood and taking off the cloth that protects him from the supposed noxious gas, Yuril glanced at the women in their light clothing, relaxed his chest a little, and exhaled.

It seems to be quite hot here, probably due to the heat coming up from under their feet.

The men all fell silent at once at the sight of her silver hair swaying and her beauty exposed.

Obviously, Yuril is much less exposed, but she seems to attract the public's attention to a much greater extent.

The Red Tail women who made eye contact with each other silently turned back to their tents and came back, this time wearing their robes tightly.

"So, shall we drink a toast? To the flames of eternity!

"Glory be to you!"

The majority of the meal consisted of slow-roasted meats.

On the center platter was a large whole roasted horned mole, with herbs scattered around it, giving off an aromatic smell.

There were also large pieces of meat on skewers and piles of meat dumplings with sweet and spicy sauce.

At first, Moo's purple pupils narrowed like a cat's as he was served his meal, but after taking a bite, he found it to be delicious.

He is pushing the food into his mouth as if he is trying to hold on to it.

Next to her, Sola was also enjoying the juices that were overflowing.

"Gugugugugugugugugugugugugu, that's delicious, Sola!

"Yes, yes, this whole roasted fish is great at the skin!"

"I'm glad you liked it. The meat of this armored boar is aged for about ten days..."

"Wow, it's very tender. I see you don't mind using fire in your cooking.

"Ah, it seems that the food of some foodie lunatic didn't suit your taste buds. Don't worry. We have a special stone oven downstairs, so you can enjoy a warm and delicious meal any time of the day.

"Wow, that's nice."

You can live here forever!"

With the child beside him, Thor puts a thin slice of white meat in his mouth.

The taste is light, but the salt sauce gives it a delicious flavor.

After slurping down his cup, Thor exhales deeply as his gaze wanders over the gloomy landscape of the swamp.

The gap between the muddy bottom and the comfortable top is a little too wide.

"What do you think?　How does spider meat taste? This one is cooked over a long fire after a quick soak in hot water..."

"Yes, it's been a pleasure. The sake is good, too. I can't say enough good things about it. Now if we could only get a better view. ......"

Thor's gaze fell on a foreign object mingling with the familiar scene, a giant figure hovering in the distance.

The smile fades slightly from Balconia's mouth, as if she senses that the mud-poisoning giant has become the topic of conversation.

"I heard that we only get a chance to defeat it once a year or so."

"Yes, we would like to defeat them as much as anyone, but at the moment we have our hands full clearing a passageway for the "White Gold Flame". Therefore, I am very grateful for your words that you are willing to join us.

Thor scratched the bottom of his chin as Barconia firmly picked up on Mu's words.

"I wouldn't recommend it, though, because he's a lot of work to take care of.

"What do you think, how about you and Thor joining this 'bearer of burning flames'?"

Can we wait and see a little more about that?"

Yes, of course. Please take your time to look around and see what we have to offer. Oh, yes.

The Red Tail man, who had turned his reddish eyes around, continued to speak happily.

"How about it?　How about we change our plans for lunch and go flower picking?