8. The Calm of the First Night

8. The Calm of the First Night

The preparation for the village feast was in full display. Giant tables were quickly cut from felled logs and were arranged in the center of the village. Hunters returned with slayed hogs and hind, each with arrows or a blade still stuck within their pelts.

It was a rudimentary village with little noteworthy technology, other than the mechanical press which was used to make oil from olives and seeds, and a stove that was operated by a magical flaming stone.

Men worked on the giant wheels of the machine nonstop as they bottled the said oil in glass containers. These were delivered to the women residing within the central hut where Frost and the village mother held their meeting earlier.

Inside the hut, a dozen or so women could be seen preparing food for the village feast tonight. From smooth, timber kitchens to giant metal grills made from steel rods, and the magical stove – the village possessed a fantastic variety of cooking equipment for all of one’s needs.

The village was abuzz, filled with laughter and cheers for their beloved village mother who had looked after them for countless decades. Some of the elders even knew her since they were just children. The village was like one giant family, bound together by community rather than blood.

It was a warm place, and Frost couldn’t be any happier to have started her life in this world in such a special place. Currently, she found herself within the central hut helping out with the cooking.

Because of her skill Home Cook, she took the liberty to make herself in charge of manning the grill. No one protested at all. Rather, they seemed quite thankful for her help, even though they insisted on just letting her relax.

“It’s surprising to see a Blessed cook alongside people like us.” One of the women commented as brought Frost a batch of freshly bled and cleaned boar meat. “I would have thought your kind were more into exciting feats. Like adventures! Or dungeon subjugations!”

“They say the first battle starts with the stomach.” Frost said. “Eat good, then expect good things. Trust me. You feel much better after a good meal, no matter where you are in the world.” She took one of the cubes she had set aside for testing purposes and munched on it.

< Grilled Boar Cube >

< Temporarily gain 5 HP for 10 mins >

Unfortunately, eating more than one of the same foods did not provide additional benefits. In other words, the effects did not stack. The appropriate approach would be to consume a wide variety of meals... though that sounded like it would do more harm than good.

“Take one. Anything cooked by me gives some bonuses.” She offered a cooked cube to the woman who happily swooped it from her fingers directly with her mouth.

“Mm~ It’s delicious~!”

“Right? I’ve never had boar before, but I didn’t think it’d be this good.” Frost added as a few more women arrived and began to impale the meat into skewers.

It was sweet, savory, fatty and melted in her mouth like butter. She had been to several fancy restaurants back on Earth but never, never, was meat this delicious.

“It’s soooo good! You’re using magic to make it taste even better I bet!” A younger woman exclaimed enthusiastically, snatching a few from the basket set aside.

“It’s all thanks to my profession. You guys don’t have skills or professions?”

“Skills? Professions? What are those? Are they like Soul Ranks?” She curiously asked.

Ah, that’s right. These people don’t possess the Blessing so they wouldn’t have skills or professions.

“Probably not... by the way, what’s a soul rank?”

“Huh? You’re pulling my leg now, aren’t you?” The young woman poked Frost’s shoulder and sighed. “C’mon. We all have Soul Ranks. It’s kinda like our souls, but it defines how strong we are. It gets stronger naturally as we get stronger ourselves. And the stronger it is, the more awesome our magic becomes! It’s our own soul, after all! I can’t believe you don’t know about it.”

Oh... so Soul Ranks are basically levels. The Blessing just numerates them. That makes more sense now.

“Well, I did hit my head on the way here. And I got into a small fight in the Black Forest.” Frost lied, showing the woman her injured knuckles.

“T-The Black Forest? W-why would you enter that place?” The woman sounded shocked by this.

“I found the village children inside so I went to go get them out. Turns out there was something else in there.” Frost boldly stated, gathering the eyes of all the women in the hut.

“The skewered beast...?” An elderly woman uttered the name of the creature as if it were some sacred entity.

“No. Just another child from a different race.” Frost failed to bring up what exactly occurred with the village children and the child within. The reason was of because the atmosphere had sharply plunged into a heavy one as soon as the topic of the Black Forest was brought up.

“That’s... not possible. We’ve only ever heard of the crying voice. But never have we actually seen the source of it before. For 12 years it’s been like this. Blessed Frost, I don’t mean any ill intent in my words, but...”

“Surely the children weren’t asking me to kill a twig on the floor, were they?” Frost answered with a friendly, yet sharpened tone. “Whatever it was, it looked human, but it wasn’t human at all.”

“It could be a Demi-Human. Disgusting things.” A different elderly woman spat with immense spite. “Good riddance, and we thank you for ridding our lands from those filths.”

Yet she never felt satiated no matter how much she ate. Frost could have sworn she had at least eaten a quarter of an adult boar. Not only that, but she had not found the need to excuse herself to the bathroom. Something was awry with her body, and she did not know what.

But she didn’t allow it to stop her from laughing alongside these people.

“You can eat an awful lot!” One of the men remarked, laughing at her. “Maybe we should’ve gotten a boar just for you, Blessed!”

“A-Ah. Sorry if I’m eating too much.” She said after swallowing a mouthful of meat. “You guys worked hard for the hunt, after all.”

“No it’s fine! Right village mother!?”

“You shan’t need to worry. The woodlands are teeming with resources. Fill yourself away. It’s hardly much in comparison for my eyesight.” The old woman pleasantly smiled at her, honored that she enjoyed the food so much.

“Exactly!” Another man cried, causing Frost to grin.

“You don’t have to keep bringing it back up. Like I said, it’s part of my job.” She assured, munching on another skewer filled with sizzling boar meat. “You know, we didn’t have skies like this from where I’m from. You hardly ever saw a star.”

“Could you be a resident of Atlas? Or the Empyrean Rise?” The village mother asked, standing shoulder to shoulder with her as they both overlooked the cheerful village.

“A faraway land. So far away that there’s not really anything here I can compare it to. Other than the Nexus of course.”

“It sounds like a wonderful place.”

“I really was. My homeland was a culmination of thousands of years of civilization, buried somewhere I can never return to.”

She expertly wove a deep backstory of her homeland. This way none would be able to ask where this place was, which was important since she hardly knew what other lands existed in this world.

“... I’m sure you can find it again. The Nexus houses unspeakable miracles that magic cannot replicate, much like the teleportation miracle that was founded 50 years ago. Perhaps you may find it one day.”

“I hope so. Thank you for the kind words... um, village mother? Can I ask a question?”

“Please do.”

“What is the Nexus to the rest of the world? Like... how did something like that come to be?”

“That we do not know. All we know is that it is the second Advent after the first one emerged 350 years ago. The Nexus arrived only 150 years ago. In place of the annihilated gigacity of Atlas was the celestial heavens we revere as the Nexus. The cost of countless lives became the heavens we all yearn to reach. Even the Blessed were unable to access it until 100 years later when the first deity created the teleporting miracles.”

The world was rich in history, and Frost was awed that all of this happened not tens of thousands of years ago, or even just thousands – but in hundreds. Some people or even races may have seen this all from the very start depending on their lifespans.

It filled her heart with boundless marvel.

“For 50 years the Blessed have had access to the Nexus thanks to the teleportation magic. That’s incredible. The timeline’s really tight.”

“Hm?”

“Sorry. I was talking to myself. I was adventuring alone for a long while and ended up with a bad habit of speaking to myself.”

“You’re still young and have a rare gift for healing. If you so wished, you could offer your aid to any kingdom. Be it the murderous Insectids or the Demons; all will likely accept you with open arms. But I have a feeling that you aren’t bound to one place. Such is the life of an Adventurer.”

“Exactly.” Frost nodded, drowning in her comforting words.

She wished that this could go on forever. This feeling of tranquility under the night sky, submerged in the ambience of warmth and laugher. But in the end, Frost had seen enough for today and decided that it was time to leave.

But she could not say her goodbyes. Not yet. Because before she could utter another word, the voice of a familiar person called out to her.

“A surprise to see you once again.”

When she turned to the origin of the voice, a sudden pain engulfed her entire body again. The phantom pain instantly caused her to choke until it subsided. Something was undoubtably wrong with her.

The pain eventually subsided. Still clutching her chest, she looked up to the pale, feather-coated man with wavering eyes.

It was Iscario.