Chapter 207: Spending a Night at the Campsite
As evening approached, a delicious aroma began to waft throughout the camp. Shortly thereafter, several men and women, carrying large pots and dishes, arrived and placed them on the largest table at the center of the camp.
“Dinner time, everyone!”
“It’s dinner, It’s dinner!”
“Ah, I’m starving.”
A man with hair that appeared gray due to the mix of black and white strands slicked his hair back and announced in a clear voice that dinner was ready. He seemed to be the oldest of the people carrying the pots, so Chris figured he was probably the head of the cooks.
No sooner had he made the announcement than people from all corners of the camp began to gather. They formed a line in front of the pot, receiving plates of food served to them.
The pot contained a thick soup filled with wild vegetables, mushrooms, and game meat. Chris suspected that the large boar Leo had hunted was also part of the mix.
“It looks like dinner is ready. Let’s get in line.”
“Yes. Young lady… is she already lining up with the children?”
Antares and Chris stood up to join the queue. Chris had intended to call Lieselotte, but she was already lined up with Lappy and the other children. That likely happened during that brief moment that passed when Chris nodded in response to Antares’s words.
Chris regretted having taken her eyes off her young lady even for a moment. But once she saw Lieselotte laugh with joy, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was better that she hadn’t spoken up. While she was lost in these thoughts, it soon became her turn.
“Please, eat it before it gets cold.”
“Thank you.”
Chris received a bowl and a spoon from a woman standing next to the aforementioned man. The aroma rising from the bowl greatly stimulated her appetite. During their travels, when camping, they also cooked with whatever ingredients they had on hand. It was enough to satisfy their hunger and provide nutrition.
However, despite their efforts, their cooking was nothing compared to this soup. The quality of the ingredients and the variety of food were incomparable, but more importantly, the skill of the cook was in a different league.
“Hyaa~! This looks delicious!”
“The food Mr. Mika and the others make is the best, right, Mr. Decius?”
“Yes, it’s something I look forward to every day.”
“Thank you.”
While Chris was amazed by the quality of the soup, Leo and Hilda returned from treating Weiss. Accompanying them was a man Chris had never seen before.
The man, whom Leo called Decius, seemed to be slightly less skilled than the others in the group. However, Leo appeared to trust Decius, which meant he must possess some commendable qualities as well.
“Hilda, Chris, come over here.”
“Yes, young lady.”
“Everyone, please join us.”
“Of course!”
Seizing the opportunity, Lieselotte invited everyone there to join their circle. Knowing Lieselotte’s nature of not taking no for an answer, Hilda and Chris exchanged a bitter smile. Leo, upon being invited, readily agreed and sat down near her.
Decius also joined the dining circle, but Antares alone turned his back, not joining in. Lieselotte was about to call out to him when Decius intervened.
“Young lady, have you not heard? The lower half of his face bears scars he’d rather not show to others.”
“Yes, but such things don’t bother me.”
“It’s him who cares. He doesn’t want to make others feel uncomfortable during meals. Please understand his kindness.”
“Kindness that spares others concern… I understand. I lacked consideration.”
“No, young lady. Your natural inclination to invite him is a sign of kindness and generosity to be treasured. I will explain this to Antares.”
Decius brought up the matter of the scars hidden on the lower half of Antares’s face, urging Lieselotte to reconsider her invitation. While she initially declared such things didn’t concern her, she was persuaded to understand that Antares’s preference to eat alone was an act of his kindness, leading her to relent.
Seeing this, Hilda was amazed at how effortlessly Decius managed to persuade the usually stubborn Lieselotte. She also thought to herself that she might use his approach as a reference for persuading Lieselotte in the future.
“Oh my, you seem a bit lonely over there.”
“Eh?”
While Hilda was admiring Decius’s persuasiveness, she suddenly noticed that Chris looked lonely. It didn’t seem like she herself was aware of it, and the change in her expression was subtle, but to Hilda, who had known her for a long time, it was distinctly clear.
“Even though you’ve been unresponsive to every man’s advances… what is it about that man that you’ve fallen for?”
“Fallen for!? N-No, that’s not it. It’s just that being with him feels somehow calming and nostalgic… That’s all there is to it.”
“Hmm? The fact that you’re getting defensive… Well, let’s just leave it at that.”
Seeing Chris all flustered like that, which was a rare reaction for her, Hilda couldn’t help but grin. Chris’s beauty had become famous among the nobility across the country as she traveled to various places as Lieselotte’s escort. Many noblemen had tried to woo her, but she had never shown interest in any of them.
Yet, here she was, beginning to let her guard down around a man she had met for less than a day. And she was visibly shaken when this was pointed out to her. Hilda couldn’t resist a mischievous grin at the sight of this new side of Chris, whom she had always treated like a younger sister.
“M-more importantly, how is Weiss doing?”
“About that, thanks to a skilled hand, his wounds have completely healed. There were other horses too, so he must not have been lonely.”
“That’s good to hear…”
Chris forcefully steered the conversation in a different direction, but Hilda didn’t object since she had planned to report on that matter anyway. In fact, Lieselotte had been worried too, and she felt a wave of relief upon hearing that Weiss was safe.
“…This is delicious. It feels like the best meal I’ve ever had.”
“It really is delicious. It’s amazing how such a dish can be made with limited ingredients.”
Despite some initial disturbances, the meal proceeded in a harmonious atmosphere, now that their worries had been alleviated. Lieselotte and Hilda were deeply impressed by the taste of the soup, thoroughly enjoying every sip. Lieselotte maintained her manners, eating gracefully even in these relaxed circumstances, while Hilda ate heartily, almost devouring her portion.
However, Chris didn’t seem as moved as the other two. It wasn’t that she found the soup distasteful, but rather that she seemed to have less of a fixation on food in general.
The soup was hearty, it was filled with plenty of ingredients and was quite satisfying. Just one bowl was enough to leave them feeling content, both physically and emotionally.
“That horse, Weiss, seemed quite fatigued. Was it a long journey?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes, it was quite a journey. We came from Harlasia… What’s wrong?”
The moment Hilda mentioned the Kingdom of Harlasia, the atmosphere at the campsite subtly shifted. Initially, she thought it was her imagination. Decius continued to smile, and the children were even asking Lieselotte about the country.
However, Leo’s behavior unmistakably changed. More precisely, he kept glancing in the direction Antares had left. There might be some connection between Antares and their homeland. Such thoughts crossed Hilda’s mind.
“The Kingdom of Harlasia? It’s located in the central part of the continent. I heard that since the current king ascended the throne, the country has been thriving.”
“We’re in the middle of a war, so it’s hard to say… but he’s managing better than other countries, that king is.”
“Hilda, that’s disrespectful to His Majesty.”
King Carl of the Shwetz Dynasty in the Kingdom of Harlasia had garnered immense support from his people. As a fundamental premise, he had been popular among the citizens even before his accession to the throne. The reasons were his martial prowess and his handsome features. In particular, his innate appearance endowed him with strong charisma.
Just before his ascension to the throne, he had demonstrated extraordinary military achievements. After leading an elite force into battle against the Republic, he returned from the front lines with unprecedented speed when a coup d’état occurred in the kingdom, and then he swiftly suppressed it with minimal casualties.
After suppressing the coup, he purged the nobles who were involved. He quickly brought the situation under control. Yet he spared the soldiers who had simply followed the nobles and his brother, the prince, who was touted as the figurehead of the coup, showing his merciful nature.
Subsequently, while sending troops and supplies for the war against the Republic, he diligently worked to prevent any decline in the kingdom’s strength. Thanks to his and his advisors’ efforts, the Kingdom of Harlasia was not as exhausted by the war as other nations.
After the war, it was widely anticipated that the kingdom would enter its most prosperous era under this illustrious ruler. His ability to lead troops on the front lines in battles against the Republic, his political skills that kept the country stable during wartime, and his charismatic beauty—he possessed all the qualities desired in a king. He was already being referred to as “Great King Carl” by many.
However, from Hilda’s perspective, who had met King Carl as Lieselotte’s escort, she couldn’t bring herself to respect him. Indeed, his features were fine, but he had a clear flaw.
“As you say, but that king’s love of mischief is nothing but a trouble to us.”
This flaw was his penchant for mischief; it was a rather detrimental hobby for a ruler. For those who had to endure it, as Hilda said, it was incredibly troublesome. Moreover, the fact that he enjoyed their reactions only made it worse.
Although the king’s fondness for mischief was well-known, it was irrelevant to the majority of the citizens. In fact, those who did not interact with him personally often viewed this trait as a positive aspect of King Carl’s personality.
“An esteemed ruler who loves mischief; how interesting,” Decius noted.
“Maybe from an outsider’s perspective… And where are you folks from? Your names sound like they’re from the Empire.”
“That’s a correct guess. Well, the empire as we knew it no longer exists.”
Decius shrugged nonchalantly, showing no particular concern. It was unclear whether he truly was indifferent about his homeland or if he was hiding his true feelings. His expression gave nothing away.
The meal progressed serenely, and by the time everyone had finished eating, dusk had settled in deeply. The sky was adorned with a beautiful full moon set against a backdrop of a star-filled sky. Despite being in a campsite, they had the leisure to enjoy the beauty of the moon; this was a luxury afforded by being guided to Antares’ camp.
“Yawn… mmm…”
“Heheh, even your sleeping face is cute.”
“Young lady, you should also sleep soon. It’s been a tiring day.”
After clearing away the dishes, Lappy and the children were dozing off on Lieselotte’s lap, their heads nodding back and forth sleepily. Lieselotte, stroking Lappy’s head, must have been tired herself.
Hilda and Chris had already set up the tent they had brought out and urged Lieselotte to enter it. Lieselotte wanted to play with Lappy and the others a bit longer, but she seemed to be aware of her own fatigue. After entrusting Lappy to an adult nearby, she changed into her nightwear in the tent prepared by the two and then lay down to sleep.
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