Chapter 239 - Outlander

Michael took out his trusty trowel and started clearing the ground from the snow, and took out planks of wood from his [Storage] and laid them on the ground, before starting a small fire which started to grow big after putting some kindle on it, then he started to put a couple more firewood, successfully making a campfire.

He took out a huge chopping board, a large pot, a couple of carrots and potatoes, placing them inside the pot, before making his way towards a well he saw earlier on the way to Old Buck's home.

"Hi!"

Michael greeted all the villagers he met on the way, who just responded to him with a nod and stiff smile on their faces.

'Huh, it seems my fame isn't working here. Must have been because they were isolated for a long time that they never heard any news outside of Everwinter. Heck, I wouldn't even be surprised if they haven't heard of the Six Sages yet from just how Old Buck didn't seem to know the immensity behind the Dragon Master's name'

He just shrugged his shoulders and started to fill the pot with water from the well, with some of the villagers watching him curiously from the sidelines, especially the kids.

Michael started washing the vegetables for a few seconds before putting them inside his [Storage] and replacing the water on the pot with a new one.

"Hey, don't cause any trouble" Carter suddenly appeared beside him and warned him while wearing a ferocious look on his face.

Michael just looked at him and then shrugged his shoulders before making his way back.

"Hey, don't you dare do anything fishy, you hear me!?" Carter angrily yelled from behind him.

When he got back on his campfire, Michael noticed two kids wearing ragged clothing running away from the site and hid behind an abandoned log cabin, as they peeked their heads out and curiously watched Michael.

And the latter just shook his head and ignored them as he just went on his business of cooking food for dinner.

He placed the chopping before him and then took out the carrots and potatoes from his [Storage] and started peeling them, before cutting them into chunks.

Then he took out a couple of meat from a monster called Dire Bull, which he had killed many times before during his time in Sunrise Empire.

He sliced them into chunks before putting them inside the pot with water, and then he took two identical "Y" shaped tree branches and stuck them on both sides of the campfire.

He cooked them for a good ten minutes before transferring the chunks of beef on the chopping board and started cooking the carrots and potatoes in the same pot after putting some seasoning on it.

A few minutes later, the beef stew was done.

And this time, he now has a crowd of people looking at him with salivating mouths as they stared at the pot of beef stew after they smelled the delicious smell of what Michael is cooking a couple of minutes ago, especially the two kids earlier, where Michael slowly got to know them as they sat around the campfire, watching and waiting for the food to be cooked.

One of them is a nine-year-old blue-haired girl called Mara, and her six-year-old blonde-haired little brother called Ant.

Both of them are orphans that Old Buck is taking care of, and speaking of Old Buck, he is currently sitting on a stool just a meter away from Michael, waiting for the food...to be done.

Aside from Snow Village, there were also two other villages aside from the former, but they were burnt down after a group of monsters discovered them, and Mara along with her brother is one of the few survivors who were able to take refuge in this village after their escape from the disaster that destroyed their village and killed their parents who protected them on the way here, leaving them as orphans.

Michael looked at the people around him and thought, 'Good thing, I made a lot or else I wouldn't have dinner tonight with this many people'

"Let's eat?"

"Yay!"

Michael turned towards the two siblings, and the two kids quickly raised their hands in excitement as they stretched out their bowls towards Michael.

Michael filled their bowls plenty and gave Old Buck his own share, and then he turned towards the people around him who are looking at the two kids and Old Buck with envious gazes as they swallowed hard.

"Get your own bowls. I'm pretty sure you guys are already famished while waiting" Michael said with a laugh, which made the people chuckle with embarrassment, but their embarrassment didn't last long as they quickly went to get their own bowls from their own homes and came before Michael, and surprisingly for him, these villagers actually stood in line and patiently waited for their turn.

"Thank you so much!"

"This is so good! I've never had meat for so long already!"

"MEAT! No more vegetables tonight!"

The people who had already gotten their share started exclaiming in delight after they tasted the beef stew, even Michael was surprised that the food turned out great when his Cooking Skill is only at Level 1 at most.

Then Michael turned around and saw a familiar face before him, and the man coughed with embarrassment when he noticed Michael staring at him and said, "I gotta say, you're actually not that bad"

Michael scoffed with a laughed and gave Carter and his pregnant wife their portion, "Now, get a move on"

Carter gave his thanks and quickly made his way towards his pregnant wife who is already waiting for him at the front of their home.

"May! I told you to wait for me inside, you didn't need to come out" Carter looked at his wife with a stern look on his face.

His wife, May just smiled and said, "Come on, I was just excited because we hadn't had meat for almost a year now, and who would have thought it would come from an Outlander of all people?"

Michael on the other hand already knew that the people here refer to him as an Outlander.

A person who came from beyond Everwinter.