Chapter 345

Chapter 345

After breaking up a minor food fight,

"Lets eat!"

As I picked up my spoon and shouted, the others also lifted their spoons, chiming in, Lets eat-!

"Wow, the New Years stew from the southern regions is pretty spicy."

Junior, who took the first sip, grimaced and stuck out her tongue. Indeed, a complex mix of spices burst forth, and it was a bit spicy.

The hearty warmth was comforting, and I smiled as I swallowed.

"Junior, youve traveled all around the world. Hows the food elsewhere?"

"In the North, where I was born, we just add salt and keep it simple. In the East, since its near the ocean, they use fish meat instead of meatballs."

Fish cakes, huh? Now that she mentions it, Im craving fish cake soup...!

This time Lucas chimed in.

"In the Imperial Capital, they roast meatballs separately and place them atop a vegetable stew."

"Why make it so complicated?"

"Im not entirely sure, but the Lord said that such unnecessary steps are in the spirit of the Imperial Capital."

Ah, hearing that, it sorta makes sense...

"Also, my lord enjoys spicing up this New Years stew with a shot of strong alcohol. He considers it a New Years Day pleasure."

Lucas grinned as he lifted a bottle of wine from under the table.

"Care for a drink?"

"Sure, pour it."

Trust Lucas to know his stuff.

...Huh? When did I start enjoying alcohol this much?

Was it because of that damn Ash? Or maybe because Ive been drinking so much at feasts after every defense battle?

As I pondered how my alcohol tolerance had improved, Evangeline, who was spooning her third bowl of stew, chimed in.

"Hey! What are you doing, drinking this early on New Years Day? You bunch of drunks!"

"Its meaningful because its the first morning. Heh."

"Senior, youre still recovering!"

"Its okay, Im all better."

Lucas filled his own glass, mine, and Juniors. Junior grinned as she received her drink. I became curious.

"Junior, didnt you dislike alcohol?"

"Ah, that... I got used to it because of a certain group..."

"A certain group...?"

Then, Evangeline frantically waved her hands.

"Never mind that! Come on, lets all toast!"

Damien is of age but doesnt enjoy alcohol, and Evangeline is still underage even after her birthday this year, so no alcohol for them.

Instead, Aider prepared a sweet beverage for them, mixing pickled fruit and milk jam. He even placed a thin layer of ice on top.

"May you have a prosperous New Year!"

"May this year be filled with good things-!"

Cheers!

We toasted. Evangeline, who gulped down her New Years drink, squinted her eyes and shivered.

"Kuh...! I hate winter, but this drink is absolutely killer...!"

The wine, which was said to be buried in winter snow and just recently unearthed, was as cold as ice and tasted fantastic.

Hot stew and ice-cold wine. Quite a powerful combination.

We enjoyed a cheerful morning, eating and drinking.

***

Having eaten a full breakfast and feeling slightly lethargic, my party members dressed me in my outdoor gear.

Evangeline put fur boots on my feet, Junior buttoned up my coat, Damien wrapped a scarf around my neck, and Lucas placed a fur hat on my head.

Did you guys practice this beforehand? Why are you so skilled?

Wobbling around like a penguin in my thick outdoor gear, I belatedly asked,

"Whats going on? Why are you dressing me up like this?"

Damien answered with a wide grin.

"On the first day of the New Year, we must visit the temple to pray for the goddesss blessings!"

Ah, I see. So this neighborhood has such a custom.

"Normally, the temple operates a bit restrictively, but today, being the first day of the new year, its open to all visitors."

"Hmmm."

Usually, only the medical facilities within the temple were open to the general public, while most other areas remained off-limits.

But today, even the central hall housing the largest statue of the goddess was open.

It was said that you could receive the years blessings from the goddess here.

...Wait a minute.

Isnt that statue in the central hall the one I destroyed last time? The one disguised as a communication device...

As I broke out into a cold sweat, Damien, who had noticed my discomfort, whispered in my ear.

"...Theyve carved a new one, so dont worry too much."

"Is that so? Im not cursed, am I?"

"As for divine retribution... you might face it in the afterlife, but for now, the temples operations are unaffected. So dont worry!"

Damien said with an angelic smile. Come on, cant you watch over me in the afterlife too?

...I better make a generous donation.

"May you all have a prosperous New Year."

"May the World Trees fortune be with you as well, Your Majesty and everyone else."

Returning their Elven New Years greeting, I asked,

"Are you all fully recovered now?"

"Yes, nearly. The Saintess said we could stay another day or two, but seeing how busy the temple is due to the New Year celebrations, we thought wed check out early to lighten the priests workload."

I see, thats considerate of them.

I glanced at Damien beside me.

"But if the temple is busy, are you sure its okay for you to be out here?"

"The Saintess assigned me the task of accompanying you, Your Majesty... Hehe. I have to return to help with the temple duties in the afternoon."

Damien grinned awkwardly. This kid has learned to be quite savvy.

I turned back to the trio of elves.

"Did you three have New Years stew?"

"Yes. It was served for breakfast at the temple. It warmed us up a bit."

"Do elves traditionally eat New Years stew, too?"

"No. The Elf Kingdom uses a different calendar, so today is not the first day of the New Year for us. Theres a few days difference."

Godhands face looked slightly wistful.

"And for our New Years food, we drink warm tea with sunflower honey in it."

"...Along with cookies made from sunflower seeds?"

"Oh, how did you know?"

Its because Ive just learned that you belong to a hamster-like species thats crazy about sunflowers, nuts, and fruits.

While engaging in such frivolous and New Years Day-appropriate conversation

"Ah!"

Turning towards the familiar voice from a distance, I saw Lilly stop momentarily in her wheelchair. She was holding a tray filled with something.

I quickly waved my hand.

"Lilly, Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year to you too, Your Highness. I wish everyone good fortune for this year!"

Lilly, still seated in her wheelchair, bowed her head respectfully and came closer after swallowing her saliva nervously.

"So, Godhand? I remember you mentioned something before, so I tried baking..."

When Lilly lifted the cover from the tray, the aroma of warm pies filled the air. They were filled with nuts and dried fruits.

"Im not really good at cooking... so they might not be tasty but..."

Some were slightly burnt, and a few had broken edges. Lilly stammered, her face flushing with embarrassment.

"Still, would you take a bite, considering the effort?"

"..."

Godhand blinked in surprise before quickly taking a bite of the pie.

Bodybag also took a bite with a smile, while Burnout removed her mouth gag, shoved a pie into her mouth, and replaced the gag.

"Wow, this is delicious!"

Bodybags eyes sparkled as she quickly took another few bites.

Nodding vigorously, Burnout, her cheeks full, seemed to agree.

"..."

Only Godhand silently chewed on the pie, his gaze far away, as if recalling some distant past.

"...Um, Godhand?"

Lilly cautiously asked, sensing his distraction. Godhand suddenly snapped back to reality and grinned.

"Its really delicious, Lilly. Thank you for taking the time to make this."

"Oh, well, I just had some free time..."

Flushing, Lilly turned her head away and made a fuss.

Ah, here it goes again. The pink mood is getting thick...

Just how annoying can this couple be on New Years Day? Should I just knock them over? Unconsciously, I found myself pondering.

Reaching for the pie, my two knightsno, my two greedy hounds appeared. Those rascals!

Smack!

After slapping their hands away, I quickly led my party into the temple.

"Alright, lets go to the temple to receive the Goddesss blessings."

"Aww, why! There looks to be plenty, just one bite!"

"I am curious about the taste of pies made by elves, My Lord!"

"Damn it! Read the room, you muscle-headed oafs!"

Even if I dont like couples, I know when to be considerate.

So after overcoming various hurdles, we finally entered the temple

"..."

From the entrance, it was visible.

Far in the center of the temple stood a large statue of a goddess.

Carved from white marble, the figure embodied the typical goddessa benevolent face and white wings sprouting from her back.

...Come to think of it.

Only then did I start to wonder.

Who exactly is this Goddess?