Chapter 205 - Midnight War

Midnight War

The caravan under the tree cleared a small area for us to camp in. We wasted no time in setting up some tents and building a fire. I had been keeping the food for the horses in the hollow bag, and so I took it out and fed them. I also created some water in a bucket and drank.

“They’ve had to run quite a lot today…”

“Surely they will be fine tomorrow?”

“Yes. The imperial capital is very close now. There should be no problem if we go at a moderate pace.”

After he said this, I looked to the east and saw that there was a light, warm glow. Perhaps it was the lights of the city. A city that never slept…

“Now, let us eat. I was kinda hoping to dine on the Grendel, you know.”

“Haha. But I have made quite a lot thanks to Mister Asagi.”

We had decided to share the money with him. Of course, Daniela was fine with it.

‘We are not exactly in need of money now. And he did run off so desperately. We might as well reward him a little?’

And so with Daniela’s blessing, I had relayed the news to Mister. I knew he would object with his typical modesty, but I sort of just forced it onto him. We both took two-hundred pieces of gold and now had a place to sleep. It was an all-round good outcome, I thought.

“It will be our last night together, so I’ll cook this time.”

I declared in front of the fire. Then Daniela stood up.

“Mister. Asagi is rather good with this cooking business. You should look forward to it.”

“I see. Well, I certainly will!”

“I’m so hungry…”

Mister, Daniela and the driver started to talk enthusiastically about their favorites foods while I prepared the pots. You always had to start with a pot. I would put water in it and put it over a fire to make some soup!

“…”

No, not really. Damn it…I wanted to join the conversation. I could tell them of the midnight beef bowls I used to eat.

“Beef bowls…I’d sure like that now…”

I muttered with a sense of nostalgia. Daniela overheard it.

“Beef bowl? What is that? Asagi.”

“It’s a dish consisting of boiled beef on a bowl of rice. It’s great.”

“Food from your old home…”

Daniela whispered sadly. Indeed, I was sad too. We had meat here, but not rice. No soy sauce either. Of course, I didn’t know anything about fermenting, so I wouldn’t be able to make it either. Now that would be a nice cheat to have.

“Well, I’m going to make something much better than that. So sit over there and drool with anticipation.”

“What kind of vulgar woman do you take me for!”

Mister tried to calm the agitated Daniela. I just laughed and refocused my attention on the food.

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Spicy meat skewers. Fresh fish grilled with salt. Vegetable soup. Bread. And fruit wine.

That might sound a little like fast food, but when displayed in front of us, it felt like a worthy last supper. There was so much that it didn’t fit on the low table I had made, and so we decided to spread a sheet on the floor of the wagon and place the food there where it could be enjoyed by the light of the lanterns.

“Let’s eat!”

The four of us put our hands together before reaching out to the food. I went for the fish. Daniela to the meat. Mister and the driver went after the soup. Personalities, eh…?

To me, the crispy, salted fish was irresistible. Its flesh would fall apart in your mouth and was very juicy.

“Mmm…! Hot! But good!”

Daniela was eating meat that was covered in spices I had bought from the market in Usk. I had tested various combinations before reaching this one. The more you ate, the hotter it became. Sweat would rush from your forehead. I was confident that it would sell very well at the street stalls.

“The vegetables and bacon work so well together in this soup.”

“The chunks are so big yet they are cooked through!”

I was also quite proud of the soup that Mister and the driver were having. I had made a lot of soups since coming to this world. And this was like its final form. A soup for vegetables. My only regret was not having any consomme.

“The meat also goes well with the bread.”

Daniela’s hands stopped when she heard those words. In the next instant, one of the buns vanished. Daniela had snatched one faster than the eye could see. She put the meat inside and pulled out the skewer.

“Hmm….! Mmmm…mm…mmm…gg… it is not bad!”

The others looked intrigued, so I offered them some bread too. They copied Daniela and bit into the bread. Then their eyes widened and they looked at each other before taking another bite and then another. Perhaps it was too good for words…I was quite happy to see it.

I sipped on some fruit wine and watched them eat. It really was fun to eat with others like this… No, I wasn’t great in larger, noisier places, but this was a nice way to have dinner. It would be even better if there was another cook whose food I could compare mine too.

Well, we would arrive in the imperial capital tomorrow. Vellefrost, the imperial capital of the Empire of Flugelnia. What kind of place would it be? Now, I heard about sweets and parades, but nothing we had seen up until now suggested those things. Perhaps it was a culture that was still spreading. Either that or Daniela’s information was wrong.

In any case, we’d have the pleasure of discovering the truth soon enough. It was decided that Daniela and the driver would take turns on the watch tonight, and so I went off to bed. Well, we were in such a large camp. Surely no monsters would dare come close…

“Asagi! Asagi, wake up!!”

“Huh!?”

My world spun.

I fell onto my nose before frantically peeling myself off of the floor. Apparently, someone had pulled my sheet from under me.

“What!?”

“Monsters! It is blood apes!!”

“Are you kidding me!!?”

I couldn’t help but shout. Those damned, bloody apes. Blood apes. My most hated monsters. Ambushes and Presence Block. And they came in such large numbers. I hate them.

I unsheathed Glampanzer and rushed out of the tent. The campsite was already a battlefield. I could hear the shrieking of the apes and the curses of the Adventurers as they fought.

“This looks bad.”

“Hah! Do not just stand there, Asagi!”

Daniela shouted as she thrust her rapier between a blood ape’s eyes. Ugh. And we’re so close to the capital… This huge tree had all the appearance of a tranquil resting spot, but it had really just been a bloody nest.

“Damn you all!!”

“Aye, that is the spirit!”

I swung my sword with rage and a blood ape’s head flew into the air. Then I generated an ice sword with my free hand and slashed at the closest monster. I couldn’t use Icicle Inverse or Frostheim when there were so many people around. Even Legs of the God Wolf would be too dangerous. This was not good. Just the thought of having to slowly cut through them one at a time made me want to vomit. No one got away with disturbing my sleep. You damned apes!

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Finally, the sun showed its face.

Finally. The sun. Showed. Its face.

“…I’m gonna throw up.”

“Me too…”

Without sleep, without rest, we continued until the battle was over. Everyone was either staring at the ground or the sky. It was the sky for me.

“Mister Asagi… You’re safe…”

“Yeah. You too, Mister…”

“Yes. There was a commotion and I was told to evacuate…”

The Adventurers had led the merchants into a tent where they were shut in until morning. Those who could not fight had to stay still. I wouldn’t have minded joining them…

“Stil.. this is quite the sight…”

Mister said weakly. Adventurers sat, hugging their swords. Others lay spread-eagled on the ground. Some leaned against the tree. And even now, there were some who remained alert.

But all of them were covered in blood. And the ground was littered with so many blood ape corpses that it was difficult to walk.

“They counted about five hundred earlier.”

“Five hundred…”

There were about fifty of us Adventurers, which meant that each had killed nearly ten… It didn’t really meet our salary. In fact, I was sure I had killed over twenty. I stopped counting after that…

“And about six Adventurers were caught off-guard and were killed.”

“I see…”

Deaths… Well, it was such a chaotic battle. I could not be surprised by the outcome. Luckily the four of our company were all safe. Still…this had been a rough morning. Or night.

We would have to bury the dead first. This was what I assumed, but no one moved.

The morning sun was shining down on the wet pools of blood. And yet no one rose to their feet.