227 - - a banquet at a fort

It was dusk when the fierce battle was over.

A lively banquet was being held in the hall of the fortress of Mu.

However, the amount of food they could carry to the swamp was limited, so they had no choice but to use their usual portable meals or local ingredients.

So, we had a small dinner, each of us bringing our own small dishes.

And tomorrow, we will be back in the city for the triumphal parade and a mountain of treats.

No one objected to the idea of giving our exhausted bodies, minds, and stomachs a little rest today.

Thor, who had carefully cleaned off the mud in the bathroom, headed for the hall with Garudo, his hair still wet.

Water and fuel are precious, but today was a special day, so they prepared a hot bath by using all the rain crystal stones and redwoods they had left over.

Cleaning up after the bath made them a little late to join the party.

"I've been thinking for a while now that you've been using me too conveniently. I thought I was going to die today.

"We can't start without good shieldmen. You'll have to give up that part of your life."

d*mn it. If that were true, I'd be retired with my daughter in my arms right now.

"I'm sorry. You're the reason I can do the crazy things I do. Thank you for everything.

"You should tell that to little miss Sora once in a while..."

They stopped talking there.

As soon as they entered the room, everyone stopped moving and started staring at them.

As Thor and the others were puzzled by the silence, a round of applause slowly began to roll in.

As they looked around, each of them looked at the other in awe.

It seemed that they were waiting for the two who had done so much for them.

Thor and Garudo looked at each other and lightly bumped their fists together, the edges of their lips lifting.

"Hey, it's a little early to retire, isn't it?"

"Maybe ......."

The hall has a large table in the center with a large pile of dishes and kegs of sake.

Apparently, there are not enough chairs, so people are free to plate up whatever they like and eat it wherever they like.

As Thor wonders which to start with, a small weight is suddenly added to his back.

Then, a childish voice sings in his ear.

"Moo no moo wa muteki no moo ♪"

"You're in a good mood again."

"I'm not afraid anymore, Moo-chan."

"I don't care if you talk about the old days like that. There's nothing to be afraid of anymore!

"Oh, you're so brave. Mumu-san.

Yuril, with his usual smile on his face, offered me a plate of whitish meat.

A savory smell, as if it had been smoked, wafted through the air.

"The meat of the swamp spider is grilled with pine nuts," he said.

"Oh, it's delicious!"

"Don't you have any more?　Grandma Yu."

"Well, I see you like it. This one is almost steamed, so the tenderness of the meat is not lost and the flavor is mellow. How do you like it?　Isn't the aroma of pine nuts wonderful?"

The man who interrupted me with a flowing speech was Barconia, a well-known talker.

He is already drunk, and his neck is already stained red.

Smiling, the captain of the "Bearers of the Burning Flame" turned his gaze past Thor to the child on his back.

"Excuse me, I know it's very tactless of me to eavesdrop, but I'd really like to congratulate you. Mr. Mu, I hear you're no longer afraid. Yes, congratulations indeed. I am very envious of you. At my age, I'm still afraid of everything.

"Really?　Then how about I tell you something good about Moo?"

"Oh, I'd love that!"

"Well, let me hear you say it."

The child's face moved closer to Barukkonia's ear, and she suddenly put her lips to his cheek.

"Here is your reward. You worked very hard today."

"Well, well, well. It is a great honor to receive a kiss from a lady.

"Have you lost your fear?"

Yes, I would like to say that I am full of courage, but unfortunately, it's not so easy for adults.

"I see. It's tough being an adult."

Moe, his face a little thoughtful, points to his own head and continues speaking.

"Moo is scared, he's gone from here when he's gone from here.

"Inside?　Does that mean you tried not to think about it?"

"Well, all I could think about was To-chan and Kurosuke."

"Well, what about me?"

"So much for Sora-ne-chan."

Clinging to Thor's back, Moe dexterously held out his hands.

Sola laughed happily and poked Moe's cheek with her finger.

"Mmmm. Not much smaller than a black bear, is it?"

"That's not true. Kuro-suke, this much..."

"It's almost the same!"

They began to exchange pleasantries, and Barconia nodded happily.

Then he looked a little thoughtful and lifted his cup in his hand in a gesture of farewell.

"Well, I think I'll be going now. I look forward to seeing you again, ladies and gentlemen. ...... Hmm, another way to fill your thoughts. It's not a bad idea to try it."

Replacing the laconic flame wizard who had left the venue was Chiru, his usual sharp gaze slackening.

As soon as he approached, he grasped Thor's hand and shook it vigorously up and down.

"You did a great job today, Mr. Hero of the Mud Hunt," he said. No, I don't think I deserve the name. Would you prefer I call you "Hero of the Mudbugs"?

"Suit yourself."

"You still don't care about the name. It's hard for us to believe, but it's also very much like you, Hero.

After taking a breath, Chiru continued to speak with a satisfied look on his face.

"I am truly proud to have made my mark on this glorious battle. It was a great pleasure, Mr. Hero.

"Was old man Haney there?"

"Archers shine only when they lie down. It would be a shame to be caught.

Then Moo will give you a reward.

The leader of the Storm Peak Alliance puts his face in a good mood as he beckons to the child.

Chiru, who had received Moo's kiss on the cheek, grinned and quickly pressed her lips against the child's cheek in return.

"You're a little girl!　Don't do it."

"You get screwed, you get screwed back. That's our code."

Chiru then turned a little serious and looked straight into Thor's eyes.

"We fought together this time, but next time we will compete with each other. I hope we can be good foes.

"I see. Next time we're going to jail."

I look forward to seeing you inside. By the way, Mr. Yuril, this is our national drink made from horse's milk. It has a strong flavor, but I assure you it tastes good. Drink it if you like."

"Thank you very much. I am very much looking forward to it."

When Yuril thanked him happily for handing him the bottle of sake, Chiru's eyes relaxed and he gave a small nod.

The hawk-eyed man left, and a giant man with purple eyes was next.

He is accompanied by his second-in-command, a woman carrying a large deep dish with a lid.

"May I have a word?　Lord Thor."

When Thor nodded, Sorrugum paused for a moment before asking, "What do you want?

"The end of the witch. If it didn't end there, do you still have a plan?"

"Yes. I was going to put the fence back up then and just keep chopping and chopping.

"......I knew you were thinking that far."

As Sorrugam fell silent, Moe, who had been sitting on Thor's shoulder for some time, leaned forward and pressed his lips to his cheek.

"Big old man, you get a treat, too!"

The thunderclap leader's eyes widen in surprise at the unexpected kiss.

Then, his stern face suddenly fell and he let out a muffled laugh.

The vice-commander, too, rolls his eyes and lets out a startled mutter.

"Wow, I think I may have never seen the Commander laugh before.

"Hmm, I can't remember the last time I laughed either."

"You have a nice smile on your face, don't you?"

"I see. It's not bad to laugh once in a while."

Sorrugum, the furrow between his brows removed, offered his fist to Thor.

They bumped into each other, and he broke his face again.

"You've made me aware of this. I thank you."

"Thanks for everything you've done for me."

Sorrugum nodded his head and turned his attention to the second-in-command next to him.

The woman with a good look on her face who came forward took off the lid of the deep dish to get a better look at it, as if she knew what it meant.

"Since you taught me how to make this, I have made some improvements to make it even tastier. Please enjoy the dish.

Sitting in the dish was the head of a large snake.

It seemed to be a dish in which the head of a blue-striped serpent was stewed in its entirety.

The aroma of the dish was perfect, but the problem was its appearance.

Moe clung to Thor's head as if frightened by the grotesque monster's face that seemed to be staring at him.

"Come in, Master Moo!"

"What?"

"This eyeball part is excellent, sir."

"Well, I don't know if he's hungry.

"Blind?"

"Let's see, three percent."

"Thirty percent?　Then it's not enough!"

"Help me, To-chan."

Moe had developed a new fear.

The party was almost over, and Thor, his stomach growling, let himself be cooled by the breeze coming in through the large window.

As he gazes out over the blackened swamp face, a dark-haired girl comes up next to him.

Thora, who had been staring in the same direction as Thor for a while without saying a word, asked him as if she remembered him.

"Speaking of which, what is the true identity of a witch?"

The Witch of the Swamp, who was even said to be an existence of folklore, had been placed in the fire until her last breath, so that she was charred and her original form was completely lost.

"Yes. It looked a lot like ivy, so maybe it's some kind of plant."

"I heard that some aquatic creatures have tentacles like that."

In a calm voice, Yuril joins the conversation.

In his arms, a sleeping Moo was cradled in his arms.

"It's a swamp, maybe that's it."

But some plants, like the red tree, have unusual roots.

"Well, the mystery only deepens..."

"Hmmm. I guess we'll never know how or why or what happened.

There the conversation was interrupted, and again Thor turned his attention back to the swamp.

Although he could not see it from here, the image of an old building beyond the darkness floated into his mind.

"......Next is finally a fixed dungeon leading to a large miasma hole. Will you follow me?"

"Of course!　Tall girl."

"Yes, I'll go with you wherever you want."

"Unyamu."

Thor nodded deeply in reply to his companions and looked up at the sky without saying a word.

A beautiful half-moon was shining in the night sky when the fog lifted.