After the Toast Tyrants' bizarre retreat, Kazuya's group trudged toward the horizon, their footsteps squelching from the ridiculous amount of butter coating their boots. Quackleton perched smugly on Kazuya's shoulder, letting out an occasional triumphant quack, which only served to irritate everyone.
"I can't believe we're letting a duck lead us into the next disaster," Ravynne grumbled, wringing melted butter out of her cloak.
"Hey, he just ended a battle with nothing but his quacks," Kazuya defended, patting the duck on the head. "That's more than most of us can say."
Sylvara rolled her eyes, walking slightly ahead of the group. "I don't trust that bird. He's hiding something. I just know it."
"What could he possibly be hiding?" Kazuya asked.
"I don't know," Sylvara said, glaring at the duck. "But I swear he's plotting something. Look at his smug little face."
Quackleton quacked loudly, as if in agreement, and fluffed his feathers.
The Suspicious Village
Their trek brought them to another small village nestled in a valley, the buildings quaint but slightly… greasy. The smell of butter hung heavily in the air, and villagers darted back and forth with nervous glances.
"Anyone else getting the feeling that something's… off here?" Kazuya asked, scanning the village.
"It's probably another carb cult," Sylvara said flatly.
"Not everything is a carb cult," Kazuya shot back.
"You sure about that?" Sylvara gestured to a massive sign hanging over the village square that read: "WELCOME TO DAIRYVALE: SPREADING PEACE AND BUTTER"
"Well, I stand corrected," Kazuya muttered.
A villager hurried up to them, his eyes wide with fear. "You must leave at once! The Margarine Marauders will be here any moment!"
"The what now?" Ravynne asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The Margarine Marauders!" the man repeated, wringing his hands. "They've been attacking our village for weeks, trying to replace our sacred butter with their… their imitation spread!"
Sylvara pinched the bridge of her nose. "We're really doing this, aren't we?"
The Margarine Marauders Arrive
Before anyone could respond, a rumbling noise filled the air, followed by the sound of… slippery squeaking? The group turned to see a gang of riders sliding into the village on slabs of margarine, their helmets shaped like tubs and their weapons resembling sharpened butter knives.
"By the gods," Kazuya muttered. "It's real. It's all real."
The leader of the group, a tall woman wearing a golden tub-shaped crown, stepped forward. "Citizens of Dairyvale! I am Lady Velveena, Empress of Margarine! Surrender your butter reserves, or face the wrath of the spread superior!"
Sylvara crossed her arms. "I'm sorry, is this real life? Did we just get caught in a battle between butter and margarine?"
"Yes," Ravynne said, drawing her rapier. "And we're about to fight the fake butter mafia. Just roll with it."
Butter vs. Margarine: The Greasy Showdown
The battle erupted in a flurry of slippery chaos. Villagers hurled sticks of butter like grenades, while the Margarine Marauders retaliated with tubs of spread that exploded on impact. Kazuya found himself sliding across the ground, unable to get a proper grip as he tried to swing his sword.
"This is the dumbest thing I've ever been a part of!" he yelled, narrowly avoiding a flying tub of margarine.
Crustopher, however, was in his element. With his bread sword in hand, he charged into the fray, slicing through margarine tubs with a battle cry of, "FOR GLUTEN AND DAIRY!"
Quackleton, meanwhile, was perched on a roof, watching the chaos unfold with an air of superiority.
"Is the duck seriously just watching?!" Kazuya shouted.
"He's probably plotting his next power move," Sylvara said, firing off a fireball that roasted several Margarine Marauders.
The Rise of Quackleton
As the battle raged on, Lady Velveena spotted Quackleton and froze. Her eyes widened in shock.
"It cannot be!" she gasped. "The Chosen Duck!"
"Not this again," Kazuya groaned.
Lady Velveena dropped to her knees, bowing before Quackleton. "Oh great and powerful Chosen Duck, forgive us for our transgressions! We did not know you were present!"
Quackleton puffed out his chest and let out a commanding quack, which the villagers and marauders alike interpreted as divine judgment.
"He says to end this pointless conflict and share the dairy wealth," Lady Velveena said reverently.
"That is not what he said," Sylvara muttered under her breath.
Peace (Sort Of)
Thanks to Quackleton's inexplicable influence, the battle ended, and a tentative truce was struck between the villagers and the Margarine Marauders. The two groups agreed to unite their resources and create a new spread that combined the best qualities of butter and margarine.
"Did we… just broker peace through a duck?" Ravynne asked as the group prepared to leave the village.
"Yep," Kazuya said, shaking his head. "This is our life now."
As they walked away, Quackleton perched proudly on Kazuya's shoulder, looking every bit the smug deity he clearly believed himself to be.
To Be Continued...
With another bizarre adventure behind them, the gang set off once more, wondering what other culinary horrors awaited them on their journey. One thing was certain: life with a Chosen Duck was never going to be boring.