Chapter 493: 494 Chapter Lakeside Camping_1
Lamia gathered the dead branches and piled them up, while Qiqimora chanted a spell, took a deep drag of her cigarette, and then blew a big puff of smoke onto the kindling.
The ignition magic took immediate effect, and white smoke blew into the pile of kindling, sparking several flames and igniting the wood.
Soon, a bright campfire sprang to life by the lakeside, with Aiden and the two witches settling themselves around it.
Aiden took out a small knife and began preparing the fresh fish Lamia had caught from the lake, arranging them on a leaf-strung bed, with mushrooms and a variety of wild vegetables and fruits arrayed beside the campfire.
Having a bite to eat before the strategy meeting was Qiqimora’s suggestion, after all the activity, they were all a bit hungry, except for Lamia, who had just eaten. The three of them hadn’t brought any dry food. With some time still left before dawn, they simply used what was available, grilling whatever they could find to curb their hunger.
"Who would have thought, after escaping death, we could still have a cookout in such a scenic place," Qiqimora leaned on a tree, leisurely smoking her cigarette.
"The scenery’s nice?" Aiden skewered the fish and looked over the lake following her gaze.
All was silent, a crescent moon hung high in the night sky surrounded by twinkling stars. The lake mirrored it all like a polished glass. Occasionally, the night breeze would stir the water, creating ripples, breaking the starlight into shimmering fragments across the water’s surface.
Honestly, as a fishing and camping site, it was indeed a great spot.
But not long ago, Aiden had just battled a monster that seemed straight out of a horror movie, and the remains of a horse, which had been a victim, were likely still at the bottom of the lake.
Many bloody horror films took place in camping sites like this, and to him, the serene lake and woods seemed to be fraught with dangers, as if monsters might leap out from the water or trees at any moment.
"Hey, guess what I’ve caught now," Lamia’s voice suddenly rang out from behind Aiden.
Before he could turn around, he saw a dead snake dangling in front of him from above. Fortunately, after his close encounters with Lamia, he was no longer fazed by such scares.
"First, don’t bring dead prey close to my face, second, don’t put your arm around my shoulder, and lastly, don’t press your chest against my back," Aiden grumbled at Lamia who was leaning on him from behind.
"How strange is that? Aren’t men supposed to like these lumps of fat?" Lamia giggled.
"Having seen your unleashed beast form, how many men do you think would still have a physical reaction to this disguise of yours? Plus, your flirting is not sexy at all," Aiden said, frowning. "And lastly, you seem to be completely unaware of your own weight, so get off!"
"So heavy, if this girl were to be on top, she’d probably squash the man to death," Aiden heard the avenging goddess complain in his head.
Lamia’s body was unbelievably heavy; even just resting half of herself on Aiden’s back made his shoulders feel like they were going to collapse, and the weight he felt was also perceived by the avenging goddess.
"Lamia, can’t you find something to wear?" Qiqimora also voiced her concerns to Lamia.
"Oh? You’ve never mentioned this to me before." Lamia said as she stood upright, finally giving Aiden some relief.
Qiqimora was taken aback and hesitated, saying, "It’s okay when we’re in the summoning space, but now, face to face, with a man here, it’s not really appropriate."
"What can I do, I tore up my last piece of clothing in a fit of loss of control. I do wish our gentleman would be chivalrous enough to lend me his outer garment, but sadly he’s not willing," Lamia said, her hand casually on Aiden’s shoulder, with an insinuating tone. "Maybe our warden actually prefers seeing me bare."
"As a man of normal orientation, I must admit, if asked whether I like watching beautiful women running around naked, my answer would be yes," Aiden responded unflinchingly as he skewered the fish on sticks, "However, the reason I don’t lend you clothes has nothing to do with that. Firstly, you’re too big, my clothes won’t cover you. Secondly, it’s really cold now, and since you can go into the lake to catch fish without clothes, I guess you’re not afraid of the cold.""It seems the only one with an objection is Qiqimora. Are you worried our jailer won’t be able to restrain themselves?" Lamia looked at Qiqimora with interest. "Or are you feeling irritable yourself? Hm?"
"Don’t joke around with me. Suit yourself," Qiqimora, sensing that she was about to be teased again, quickly changed the subject and looked away.
"We’ve just suffered a defeat, and here you are, taking it easy," Aiden commented.
"The most important thing now is to adjust our state of mind. It’s not a bad idea to relax a bit before we talk serious matters," Lamia said.
"That’s true," Aiden agreed with this remark, casually placing the skewered fish near the campfire.
Before setting off here with the excuse of a vacation and parting with his subordinates, he had never imagined that he would be camping by a lakeside in the wilderness with two witches.
"Aren’t you gonna deal with that snake too?" Lamia picked up the snake and shook it.
"I’ve never prepared a snake before," Aiden refused.
"Just remove the head, and it’s edible... Of course, for you, it’s better to peel the skin, scoop out the guts, and cook it thoroughly," Lamia suggested.
"Do you always eat it raw?" Aiden glanced at Lamia.
"Of course."
"Then deal with this one for me too," Aiden sighed. He really didn’t want to eat his grilled fish while watching Lamia chew on a raw snake next to him, telling him it "tastes a bit like chicken."
"Don’t look so troubled, snake meat is delicious," Lamia responded.
"How about we slice off a piece from your monstrous serpent tail then?" Qiqimora quipped.
"I don’t mind that, it grows back anyway..." Lamia laughed hoarsely. "But whether you live after eating it is another story, I don’t even have an antidote for the poison in my body."
So ’Dirty Blood’ is your masterpiece as well, Aiden thought.
It seems that Meiruki’s transformation of Avansa into a creature with poisonous bodily fluids was also based on her master’s research results.
"We don’t have salt, spices, or even oil right now, so let’s not fuss about the taste and just focus on filling our stomachs," Aiden said.
"I have a solution for that," Lamia suddenly suggested, pointing to her neck. "My glands can secrete a fragrant digestive fluid that contains salt and fat—it’s for making food taste better usually. I can guarantee it’s not poisonous, why don’t you use it?"
"Absolutely not!!"
"No way, do you think it’s like spreading butter on bread?"
Aiden and Qiqimora both rejected the offer at the same time.
