A peaceful night breeze caresses my skin as I stood outside the perimeter of house of both Ben and Artina along with Alya and Nikita.
On a spot of the Ben residence, where there was a large, opened space where many wooden tables and chairs were set up beneath a giant tree that had many different branches extended from the side.
The villagers were lively as the sounds of laughter's and chattery sounded from here and there.
A beautiful melody played along with the constant sound of glass cheers rising from the many villagers gathered here.
On the many wooden tables lined up, there were many kinds of different foods placed there.
An appetizing scent waffled through the air as it was easily carried by the nights breeze reaching the nose of those outside, stimulating everyone's appetites.
However, before that the village chief, Artina claps her hands together, gathering everyone's attention.
She scanned her eyes around and once she notices that everyone's attentions were on her she smiled before opening up her mouth.
"Good afternoon, to those here, while tonight can be considered as both a good night and a bad night to all of us here."
She said in a soft tone before continuing. And for a moment a sad expression flashed across her face.
"While many of our fellow villagers have returned to us, there are still many who hadn't made it back...."
She said gently, following that the sound of sobbing resounded from here and there, I looked around my surroundings while secretly observing the villagers.
(Hmm! That guy from the forest, is he not here?)
I wondered confused, the bearded guy who was too scared to enter the cave was not among those present. I wonder if he made it back okay.
He didn't get attack by any monster, did he? Well even if he did, he was the one who chose to stay behind, his fate was left in his own hands.
While I was thinking that Artina's speech was reaching its end.
"But even so, tonight shall celebrate the safe returned of our loved ones, because as we are alive, we all have the right to celebrate that we are alive. I also want to take this chance to once again thank the brave adventurers for helping us in our time of need so... once again, thank you Sir Haruto, lady Alya and lady Nikita."
Artina said bowing her head deeply.
"Thank you!"
The villagers all shouted.
"It was nothing."
I said somewhat awkwardly. Alya wore a proud smile on her face, while Nikita bowed her head softly.
"Now that those formalities are out of the way, let the feast begins!"
Artina had signalled the beginning of the feast.
"Mm! This meat is really good."
Such mutter came from a beautiful woman, with long silver hair that shone dazzlingly beneath the silver moon, her nine silver fox tails swayed from side to side happily as she munched down on a piece of chicken leg, her mouth turning upwards into a cheerful smile. Sitting next to her was a fairy like beauty with long green hair that swayed gently in the night breeze, her eyes were like pure gemstone.
The spirit of wind, Alya nodded her head with a great amount of vigour.
"Yes! Though, it's not only the food, but the liquor here is also good."
She said as she gulped down the glass of liquor in her hand. I looked worriedly at her from the side, that was her fifth glass.
At the rate, she was going I was worried she might get drunk.
"H-Hey! Alya, I think you have drunk enough, don't you agree, Nikita?"
"Yes, save some room for the food too."
Nikita said somewhat exasperatedly. However, Alya simply tilted her head.
"What are you two talking about? I have high tolerance to alcohol you know. No matter how much I drank I won't get drunk."
She said puffing up her modest chest somewhat proudly. I see... won't get drunk, huh?
Well... I guess it's fine as long as she's not drunk.
But still, seeing a drunken Alya didn't sound too bad. I thought. Imagining seeing a tipsy version of both Alya and Nikita would probably set the hearts of any man ablaze.
(No! No! No! What am I even thinking?)
I shook my head as though to get rid of such thoughts.
Those two are already so beautiful, I don't even want to imagine them getting any more attractive.
Seeing my unusual behaviour Nikita looked at me questionably while tilting her head cutely, strands of her light silver hair flowed down to her shoulder, as her sweet scent entered my nose.
(As I thought seeing them get any more attractive would be scary)
My face turned slightly pale just by thinking about it.
"Is something wrong, master?"
"Ah! No, don't worry about it."
"You guys seems to be enjoying yourselves."
A voice sounded from my side, when I turned my head, I saw the figure of Ben with a cup of liquor in his hand.
"Hahaha... well they seem to be enjoying the food as well as the liquor."
I said while heaving a sigh, Ben's eyes was drawn to the cup in my hand.
"Hm, you hardly touch your liquor, could it be you don't like alcohol?"
"No, that's not it. It's just.... back where I'm from I would be considered too young to be drinking alcohol."
I explained somewhat tiredly. I was only sixteen after all, where I'm from you would have to be eighteen to be drinking alcohol. Even if I'm in another world I still find breaking the law of my original world extremely hard, so I've been only taking small sips of it.
".... I see, though, I'm curious which country you're from, after all here once your thirteen years of age you can drink as much as you want."
Ben explained somewhat troubled.
"Hahaha... well I guess it should be fine for me to drink a little then."
I said somewhat awkwardly. But just then... I felt the presence of someone drawing close to me from behind, curious I turned around.
The person who appeared was a familiar face, a beautiful girl with long red hair, seeing that she had stopped at a distance where we could easily converse, I straighten my posture.
"U-Umm.... good night, Sir Haruto."
She said somewhat nervously. It was the first time we had talked since I had saved her from the hobgoblin back then. If I remember correctly her name was...?
"Lady Camila, right?"
I ask tilting my head remembering the name Ben had said to me before. If I remember correctly, she also helped with the preparation of the dishes here.
"Y-Yes!"
For some reason hearing me say her name, her expression had brightened greatly.
Her pale cheeks were dyed with a faint blush. Although I had no idea why her mood had improved so greatly, I decided to ignore that, and placing my hand at my mouth clearing my throat I said.
"I wanted to thank you for preparing this meal for us, I'm sure you must have work very hard."
I said to her with a smile.
"Huh?! Oh, not at all... I'm very happy that you're enjoying the food I had prepared."
She replied, turning her face away embarrassedly.
How cute, I thought. Though, I couldn't help but find her behaviour quite strange.
Alya's emerald like eyes shone brightly as though she had thought of a great idea, she quickly got to her feet and shouted.
"Haruto! Why not make a harem?!"
"!!!"
Cough! While I was savouring the sweet taste of the alcohol Alya shouted out such things, taking me by surprise causing me to choke slightly.
The one who reacted first was the silver fox, Nikita.
"H-Hey! Why don't you keep such thought to yourself from now on? And why would you want master to have multiple wives in the first place? I thought you would want him all for yourself."
A red face Nikita said staring at Alya questioningly, as though to see through her intentions.
However, Alya simply shrugged her shoulders somewhat smugly.
"Isn't it obvious. My Haruto has too much charm, it would be impossible for there not to be many girls who fall for him, don't you agree?"
Alya ask staring at Nikita while speaking fervently.
(I don't think there is anything great about me, though)
I wanted to correct Alya's misconception but, when looking at her heated and earnest face I found myself having trouble interjecting.
First of all, the thought of having a harem has never once come to my mind.
Doing so would mean I'd be staying here in this world forever.
But my desire to return home has not decrees in intensity.
I clenched my fist as my brow furrowed slightly, seeing that Camila stared at me somewhat worriedly.
"W-Well I can't deny that master is very charming but, creating a harem.... isn't it strange to want to create something like that, after all you already likes master, don't you?"
Nikita inquired narrowing her crimson eyes faintly.
"That's a given but, it isn't a problem after all, no matter what happened I'll still be Haruto's number one."
Alya clench her fist softly as she said resolutely.
"Oh my, so confident."
Nikita sighed half exasperatedly, and half impressed.
"Having your own harem. Huh, what a blissful dream, you should go jump off a cliff."
Such mutter came from Ben who was shoving meat into his mouth with a lifeless look on his face.
Did I do something to him? I wondered to myself as my mouth corners twitches slightly.
***
Approximately 30 kilometres away on the southern most parts of the continent, far away from the four prominent nations that existed on the continent there was a desolate land. The land was dried up and the ground was upturned.
With no plant life or vegetation.
Thick smoke covered an area of roughly 30 meters wide.
There was also what seems like a strange aura surrounding the entire land. Somewhere in the middle of that strange aura there was a black dome shaped barrier there.
The mass of the barrier was roughly 500 meters wide in diameter and 200 meters tall. A man dressed in a black coat could be seen observing the barrier.
The hood of the coated man was down so his long white hair was freely losing and dancing in the strong wind.
The white-haired man clenched his fist angrily as he glared at the barrier.
"Tch, it won't be long now... soon you will all be free."
The white-haired man muttered. Soon the white-haired man shifted his gazed as he sensed the distortion of space, a vortex soon appeared, and a figure slowly came out of the vortex before it slowly closed.
The figure was a beautiful woman with long white hair and red eyes.
Seeing the woman who had appeared, the white-haired man snorted.
"Oh, this is a surprise your already here, Alister?"
The white-haired woman said raising her eyebrow. Alister shrugs his shoulders before turning his gazed back to the dome shaped barrier.
"Why is it such a surprise to see me here? Like you I also like to pay my race a visit from time to time."
Alister replied without much interest. Hearing his reply, the white-haired woman could only stare at him blankly, but then she remembers something that caused her lips to be upturned in amusement.
"If I remember correctly, before those heroes place a seal onto our race you had a lovely wife, didn't you? Could that be the reason why your so determined to break the seal?"
She asks curiously.
Although his feelings of wanting to free his lord is there, his true goal was most likely to free his wife who had also been sealed away for hundreds of years.
Her eyes curved slightly that her beautiful ruby-coloured eyes took a crescent shaped.
Seeing his true feelings being easily seen through, Alister's brow furrowed uncomfortably, but then a slight smirk appeared on his face as he turned and spoke.
"You are lord Lucifer's woman, right? Uh, well... I guess I should say you were. I mean it has been three hundred years already, hasn't it? Maybe he had already left you for your younger sister. Who knows maybe they're in bed right now as we speak."
"She was a real beauty; I still can't believe you two are related. It must be a shame to be the one who got the short end of the stick, I pity you."
He said somewhat mockingly.
However, the white-haired woman's face turns slightly ugly as she stared at him as though she wanted to kill him with her gaze, the snake wrapped around her body also glared at him dangerously.
"Hmph, you should teach that thing not to hiss at its superiors, I'm sure you don't want me to grab its tongue and tie it around its face."
Alister said with a cold sneer.
"Sigh, forget it... how is the seal holding up?"
The white-haired woman asked changing the subject before she could get anymore irritated.
"It seems to be getting weaker with time but, it still has a lot of power, the suppression is still going strong by my rough estimate it should last for at least five more years."
He explained frowning.
"I see.... as expected, if we want to free them then, we have to break the barrier ourselves. Waiting five more years would be nothing but, we have already waited long enough."
The woman said in a slightly annoyed tone.
"Indeed, you are correct but, once the Alberta Kingdom falls breaking this seal would be easy."
"Do you really think that the Zestril kingdom has a chance of winning?"
"Indeed, they will you want to know why?"
He asked, as his lips curved upwards into a wicked smile.
The white-haired woman nodded her head curiously. Although she was also a demon who had been working with them for many years now, she wasn't told anything other than the basic information.
She had always been working by herself as well, so she wasn't told anything more than the necessary information.
"Because they currently have the demon lord's favourite's artifact, the annihilation cannon."
He said with a devilish grin.