CH 158

I grilled some sausages and inserted them into the hot dog buns with the ends peeking a bit; yep, that’s the way to go!

It’s quite late for lunch.

「Anyone here who doesn’t like spicy~? 」

「Me! 」

En raised his hand.

「Alright, wait a bit. 」

A little bit of mustard, more ketchup and spread with a spoon — might be better if we have the proper utensils for doing this.

I also prepared some onions that had already been sliced back home, and cucumber and beet pickles, plus sauerkraut, easy melt cheese, and chili beans.

「Here you go. You can add other ingredients if you want. Melt the cheese over the campfire and put it on top, it’ll taste great. Grownups, help yourselves; be careful with this one, it’s spicy. 」

This stuff might look like it’s pickled cucumber slices, but no, it’s jalapeño, so I warned them.

Would be nice to have some cola, but we only have coffee. The bread crust is slightly crunchy outside and soft and fluffy inside. I piled the perfectly grilled sausage, ketchup, mustard, onions, pickles to the point of spilling, then took a huge bite.

Ahhh, bliss.

「This is nice, it’s fun. 」

Dinosso quipped while watching the kids happily piling stuff on their own buns, still spilling some even while being careful.

「It’s easy to consume, and that’s also pleasant. 」

「It’s more scrumptious than anything I’ve ever tasted! 」

Butler was finally revived, and Chris was exaggerated as usual with all those big gestures of his.

「Amazing, it’s the first time I saw a spirit having a solid body and eating, on top of that. 」

「Mm. 」

Dean and Ash gaped at X-Stick.

Hotdogs seem to fall into the junk food category that X-Stick loves so much, so I guess he can eat it. But what’s up with that mouth? It’s not sticking out of his chin? Is it similar to how whale sharks eat?

Maybe it’s just me, but that sight of him opening up and gobbling a hotdog bigger than his body diameter is kinda suspicious.

「Hey, if we consider this calmly, I can See him and swords don’t cut him, so he’s probably one of the stronger spirits. At least that’s what I think, but yeah.」

What you’re thinking? What do you mean by that, Dean?

「I’m actually unsure how to react with Jean’s spirits, be it that doggie or this stick. 」

「No need to bother about anything, you know. 」

Butler, on the other hand, was pressing his eyes for some reason.

The plan was to hunt monsters nearby after lunch, but I stayed behind as the first batch went out to hunt, to tend to the horses.

Brush Ruta then brush one of the other horses lightly, brush Ruta then brush one of the other horses lightly, brush Ruta….

「Dedicated, aren’t you, Jean. 」

Beside me, Ash was brushing the horse she rode on.

Well, can’t be helped, everytime I finish one horse, Ruta comes to me thinking it’s her turn next, so…

「I thought you’re a weird fellow the first time we met, but I didn’t have any idea that you’re such a gallant guy. You’d been quite crabby back then — well, I guess I know now that it was because of my lil sis. 」

Dean was also brushing the horses. Yeah, he’s really into animals, huh, just like that time with Riche.

Chris and Retze were also with us. Butler told us, ’I’ll be off to vent on the monsters’ with a pleasant grin on his face, then he joined the advance party.

「Yeah, I didn’t have any plans putting up with you guys immediately after she was released. Sorry ‘bout that. I’m actually glad that we met again in the forest that time. 」

I couldn’t trust them because of my Sis, after all.

「You… Well, it’s kinda weird hearing it from you with Ruta tousling you. So, now you’re putting up with me? 」

「Not really? I’m just living freely. 」

Ruta was still munching on my hair.

「I’m also glad that I saw you again in the forest. 」

「Thanks. 」

Ash is always straightforward, but it still made me blush a bit. Ah, but she has that Asura face on, so for an instant, I didn’t know what to say.

「I’m happy too, well, not counting that incident with that spirit thing. 」

Dean mumbled while staring at his hands.

「Oh my, oh my, is this because of youth, the springtime of life!? 」

「Nah, you should consider age when you say youth, right. 」

Chris’s voice boomed as if to drown Dean’s mumblings.

Chris and Retze were gathering medicinal herbs nearby and were sorting them out.

「Nope, I’m just apologizing back when I acted exasperatingly. The advance party is back. 」

We could already see Dinosso and the others even before Dean finished speaking.

「We’re back~ 」

「We’re back!

「We’re back! 」

The kids rushed towards us with Shiva behind them, followed by an exhausted looking Dinosso.

「Ash-sama, I have returned. 」

And Butler was the last, a smile plastered on his face.

「Do you feel refreshed? 」

「Indeed. 」

「Great, then. 」

Ash and Butler were talking as master and servant candidly, but Dinosso was glaring at them, as if he wanted to say it’s nothing great.

「You’ve worked hard, Dinosso. 」

「More than half of it is because of you, you know!! 」

「Eh, I didn’t even join you!? 」

Nonsense!