The girls is strolling a few steps behind Ryūta, who is walking in front of them.
Ryūta is a little hesitant to ask the girls their names, wondering, 'Why are they walking behind me?'
' I think they don't feel at ease around me. Did I make a mistake? I don't want to make them feel uncomfortable, but I do want to ask their names. Other than my mother and my cousins, I haven't spoken to any girls in my past life.'Ryūta is still thinking about how he regrets not trying to chat to the females in his class in the past.
....
After a while, they arrive at a tiny settlement with no more than ten or fifteen residences.
A shabby wooden entrance gate that droops loosely on its bolts marks the lonely location of this settlement, which is encased in a decomposing fence made of aged, rotting boardwalks.
Two small mountains with soft, unassuming slopes tower over the settlement, their peaceful presence enveloping it. One tree, a lone sentry guarding the peaceful view below, spreads its twisted branches towards the sky from the top of one of the rocky cliffs that top these hills.
The so-called houses are a depressing sight as soon as one enters this lonely community, their buildings more like skeletal remnants than homes.
A number of doors hang limply, completely disconnected from their frames, swaying slightly in the cold breeze like desolate sentinels, while the worn wood, splintered and rotting, fights to keep its erect position.
Their gaze is pulled to a single pole that defiantly stands against the suffocating atmosphere as they traverse the barren clearing at the center of the settlement.
An eerie shadow is thrown over the scene by a ragged flag that flutters atop it. The flag's dark crimson fabric is ripped and damaged, and it bears the menacing shape of a half-formed beast.
"Is anyone there?" Ryūta said, his voice resonating into the silence as he looked around the ruins that had once hummed with activity, in a last-ditch effort to entice any remaining beings out of the gloom.
But all he could hear as he called was the wind's whispering, moving like a specter across the empty alleys. With wide, inquisitive eyes, the girls gazed at the decaying outer walls of the abandoned homes, their faces displaying a mix of astonishment and anxiety as they looked at Ryūta.
Ryūta gave them a clumsy, uncertain smile in reply and said, "It looks like this village is abandoned," his voice little more than a whisper.
Ryūta looked thoughtfully at Eveline and said, "It seems we'll need to stay here for the night, as the sun has begun its gradual descent," in a calm but somewhat inevitable voice.
Eveline raised her head, her gaze following the path of the sun as it sank elegantly behind the rocky outlines of the two imposing mountains in the background. The sky was painted with a soft palette of oranges and yel0lows as the golden rays changed into a warm, orange color. With an attitude of acceptance, Eveline nodded to Ryūta, aware of the approaching twilight.
"We have to stay," Eveline told the girls.
"I will gather firewood for heat," Althaea responded immediately after Eveline.
Following that, Lilly remarked, "I will inspect the nearby houses to find some food that we can all eat."
After hearing their conversation, Ryūta hurriedly remarked, "I have all the supplies in my storage spell; you don't have to worry about food or firewood."
Eveline said, with a trace of worry in her voice, "Are you certain?" She doubted that he had enough food to feed eight people, including himself.
"Yes, it's no big deal." He said while giving an assuring smile.
'I mean, I am literally a god; I can just produce anything out of thin air, but I don't have to go overboard; otherwise they will think I am suspicious.' He thought while giving a very big smile.
One of the girls, Scarlett, became suspicious of him after noticing his excessively broad smile.
"Why... mew would you share your food with... common slaves like us?" Scarlett asked him in response.
Scarlett's black hair reaches her shoulders, and her eyes are brown. It is evident that she has a larger bust when compared to other girls. Her cleavage is partially visible at the top of her clothing. The two cat-like ears that have emerged from beneath her black hood indicate that she is a neko girl.
"How about you all share your names and then I'll tell you all my secret?" he said.
Scarlett was very surprised by his very simple demand, and she can only respond with a "yes" in her cat-like voice.
"Let me then prepare a large feast for everyone to enjoy tonight in honor of your freedom."
'I am going to astonish you all, and you will wonder how this is even possible.' He thought to himself, he had a big plan ready in his mind.