Randy and Liz were sitting on a cloth spread over the ground. In front of them was a burning bonfire, surrounded by the smiling faces of villagers. Right now, Randy and his companions were enjoying a feast in a small farming village.
The reason they were attending this feast had everything to do with the request they had taken earlier that day.
———
After classes ended and their afternoon free time began, Randy and his group, as usual, took on a request. The job was a magic beast extermination request issued by a nearby village.
The term "magic beast" was used broadly here, as the damage so far had only been to crops. Based on the manner of the attacks, the village chief speculated it was likely a boar-type or ape-type magic beast. However, since the damage was minor and the reward was too low, no one else had taken on the request.
Liz, however, strongly advocated for taking it. With their lodging expenses mostly covered and a chance to earn goodwill with the guild—since handling unpopular requests is appreciated—her reasoning convinced the others.
"Even if the reward is low, it doesn't mean we should overlook a potential crisis."
Randy agreed without hesitation. He was also concerned about the possibility of apes approaching human settlements, as it was rare for them to leave the forest.
Upon arriving at the village, they tracked down and defeated a Big Ape hiding in nearby bushes. While investigating the cause, they ventured into the nearby forest and ended up taking down some orcs as well.
"A stray ape leaving the forest, and now orcs in the outer layers of the forest. Something is definitely off," Ellie commented, frowning.
Randy nodded. "Yeah, something fishy is going on."
Ape-type magic beasts, such as Big Apes, typically live deep in the forest and rarely venture out onto the plains. They're omnivorous and will eat just about anything. While they can easily overpower an ordinary person, they understand that human groups pose a significant threat to them.
The fact that they leave the forest and attack a village strongly suggested it was being driven by something. The most obvious explanation would be the orcs they had just defeated, but there were no signs of higher-ranking species leading them. This implied that the orcs had also come to the outer layers of the forest individually, rather than as a coordinated group.
Orcs, like Big Apes, are omnivorous, but they are slightly more intelligent. Sometimes, under the leadership of higher-ranking species, they form settlements. With their rapid reproduction and short maturation period, an orc settlement can become a considerable threat.
For this reason, it is standard practice to exterminate orcs as soon as they are sighted. However, encountering a significant number of orcs in the outer layers of the forest was highly unusual—especially without any evidence of higher-ranking leadership.
"Even though they're not acting as a group, they're all moving to the outer forest layer at the same time. Chances are, they're being driven out."
"What could be chasing them?"
Ellie chuckled dryly, her gaze fixed on the path leading deeper into the forest.
"What should we do?"
"Time-wise, it's not an issue, but if we stay out too late, the villagers might worry," Randy replied.
Liz nodded in agreement.
"How about we return to the village and report first, stay overnight, and head deeper into the forest early tomorrow morning?"
"Sounds good to me," Liz agreed, and with Ellie offering no objections, the plan was set.
"As a gesture of thanks to the villagers for hosting us, why don't we bring some orc meat?"
"Great idea! Let's make it a big, hearty barbecue party while we're at it," Randy said enthusiastically, pulling out a knife to start butchering the orc.
"Which part of the orc meat is the tastiest, though?"
"I have no idea…" Liz admitted.
"Stupid. Just take it all." Ellie said dismissively.
Accepting her suggestion, Randy packed as much orc meat as Liz's item box could hold. With their spoils in tow, they made their way back to the village where they received the request.
And so began the orc meat barbecue party, with Randy and team as the guests of honor.
Fresh vegetables grown in the village.
Freshly butchered orc meat.
Despite the simple seasoning of just salt and pepper, the barbecue was a massive success, with Randy and Liz enjoying it thoroughly. Naturally, the villagers were delighted.
"Thank you so much…"
The village elder, an elderly man who introduced himself as the chief, bowed his head in gratitude. The village, located relatively close to the royal capital, generally enjoyed good security. As such, it seemed they were not well-prepared for situations like this.
It wasn't surprising. The area was free of bandits or raiders, and the village fell within the active range of adventurers and knights. For a stray magic beast to attack was an extremely rare occurrence.
"We can't even offer you a proper reward, yet here you are sharing meat with us," the elder said, watching the feast with a satisfied expression.
"Meals taste better when everyone eats together," Randy replied with a smile. The elder had no idea that the young man before him was actually the heir of a noble family.
Instead, he simply nodded contentedly, saying, "Indeed," before encouraging Randy and his companions to enjoy the feast. Then he rejoined the circle of villagers.
The joyful voices.
The bonfire.
The faces lit with a rosy glow—whether from the fire or the alcohol, it was hard to tell.
Liz, watching the lively scene, seemed restless and uneasy.
"Does this feel unfamiliar?" Randy asked.
"Yes, very much so," Liz replied with a smile, stealing a glance at Randy, who looked completely relaxed despite being a noble like her.
She seemed curious, perhaps even skeptical, about how he could be so at ease in such an unfamiliar environment.
Feeling her gaze, Randy turned toward the villagers and smiled warmly.
"My home is in the countryside, too."
"What?"
Liz tilted her head at the sudden statement. Randy chuckled at her puzzled look and teased, "Your face seems to ask if I was a genuine noble or not."
Liz hurriedly touched her face in a panic, which only made Randy laugh harder.
"Back home, we're really close with the villagers. Close enough to join in on festivals together."
Randy smiled and drank from his cup (filled with water). In truth, in his past life, he'd experienced more than enough festivals and barbecues to last a lifetime.
But he genuinely enjoyed lively gatherings like this.
Compared to his past life, the scale was smaller, and the food tasted simpler.
Yet, there was a unique energy in these moments, a sense of life in this world and its people, that he found captivating.
"Soon, there'll be a harvest festival in my family's territory."
"I'd love to see it."
"Of course you're going. It won't start without us, after all."
Randy laughed, and Liz's eyes sparkled with joy. She turned her glowing gaze back to the villagers and let out a soft chuckle.
"Being with you, Randy, makes me realize how much I didn't know. That's why… every day is so much fun."
"It's the same as me."
Randy shrugged, and Liz looked oddly pleased.
"Really?"
"Yeah. You and Ellie—because you're with me, I've been able to do and see so much. It's a win-win, isn't it?"
Randy raised his cup with a grin. Liz gave a small, wry smile as she clinked her cup against his.
"Another toast? How many are we doing?"
"The last one was for a well done job. This one's for the days ahead."
Randy laughed, downing his water in one go before refilling his cup from a nearby pitcher. He turned to Liz and asked, "Want some?"
But then he froze.
Liz's sideprofile, illuminated by the firelight, was breathtaking. Her delicate features were tinted red by the flames, and her soft smile reflected a calm joy as she gazed into the water swirling in her cup.
Randy couldn't look away. Her cheeks, gently flushed, gave her an air of warmth and allure that left him flustered. He quickly averted his eyes.
Noticing his sudden movement, Liz tilted her head and asked, "Randy?"
Randy, unable to meet her gaze, scrambled to change the subject. "I think I've had drink a bit too much…"
"What? Did you drink alcohol?" Liz frowned.
Randy couldn't bring himself to admit he'd only been drinking water. Instead, he tried to play it cool. "Just a little. No big deal."
"That's not okay," Liz said, puffing her cheeks in mild frustration as she moved closer to him.
But before she could say more, Ellie appeared out of nowhere, muttering to herself, "Wait, the boy's only been drinking water?"
"Shut up, you noisy old hag!" Randy snapped.
Ellie leaned in with an amused smirk, her face uncomfortably close to his. "What are you panicking for, hmm?"
"Back off!" Randy pushed her shoulders, trying to put some distance between them.
"You're surprisingly adorable," Ellie said, laughing heartily as Randy glared at her.
"Don't get carried away just because it's a party," Ellie teased.
"Who's getting carried away?" Randy shot back, pouting.
Ellie vanished as suddenly as she had appeared, leaving Randy to face Liz once more.
"So, what exactly are you drunk on?" Liz asked innocently, her words hitting like a bomb.
"A… a lot of things," Randy stammered, his face flushing.
"Your face is red, Randy," Liz noted, tilting her head in concern.
"It's the bonfire," Randy insisted, his voice faltering as the sound of Ellie's laughter echoed in his mind.
"Adventurers, the next batch of meat is ready!"
The village chief's timely call gave Randy the perfect escape.
"Let's go!" he said, cutting the conversation short and grabbing Liz's hand to lead her toward the villagers.
"Wait, I wasn't done talking—" Liz started, but Randy ignored her, laughing nervously.
"Meat! Let's eat!"
——-
"What? The beasts were defeated?"
"Yes," the village chief confirmed, nodding firmly in response to Catherine's surprised question.
"But for a Big Ape to appear here… it doesn't make sense," she muttered.
"They also took care of orcs in the outer forest," the chief added with a warm smile, cheerfully recounting the barbecue party they'd had the previous night with the orc meat.
"B-But orcs showing up so close to the edge of the forest—"
"They already went to investigate early this morning," the chief said with a nod.
Realizing how far behind they were, the entire group exchanged glances. As Catherine had said, the village had been under threat, but before they could act, someone else had already resolved the issue.
"W-Who were these adventurers?"
"It was a duo—a large man and a beautiful woman," the elder recalled, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "The woman was so elegant, she could have been a noble's daughter."
(Elizabeth. It's definitely Elizabeth!)
Catherine trembled with frustration, her shoulders shaking. Seeing this, Edgar called out softly, "Cathy…"
"I-I'm a saintess, you know! If anyone was injured, I can—"
"Oh, that would be most appreciated!"
The chief's face lit up, and Catherine internally breathed a sigh of relief.
Although the beast had already been defeated, she felt she could still make her journey worthwhile by healing the villagers and living up to her role as a saintess.
"Then let me—"
"Yes, please. Some of the villagers have terrible hangovers after last night's feast."
"Hang…overs?"
Ignoring Catherine's stunned expression, the chief began instructing nearby villagers to gather those suffering from hangovers.
(Hangovers? I'm a saintess, for heaven's sake…)
Whether it was out of anger, embarrassment, or disappointment, Catherine's shoulders shook as she prepared to help.
However, she couldn't refuse in front of everyone and diligently went about healing the hungover villagers one by one.
(Elizabeeeeeeeeth…!)
——
Drain your power stones for me!
Advanced chapters: patreon.com/medblare