Chapter 52

Al had been hiding behind some objects for a while, observing the situation. It seemed quite unlikely that the two people were dangerous types like thieves. They probably just fled from the Kingdom of Tempest. Al, who wanted to prepare a meal for Orson in the kitchen here, hesitated for a moment but decided to speak up.

"Hello."

Al's voice startled the two women so much that they jumped up from their seats. Joanna, the one in armor, stood protectively in front of the girl, her hand on the hilt of her sword. Al stepped out from his hiding place, keeping a distance and showing his hands to indicate he meant no harm.

"Don't worry, I'm not a thief or anything. I'm Al, an adventurer."

Joanna continued to stare at Al. While considering whether calling out had been a mistake, Al smiled lightly and waited.

"Joanna... he doesn't seem like a bad person."

The girl, who had been hiding behind Joanna, whispered in a small voice. Joanna glanced at the girl and nodded lightly.

"I'm sorry. I was a knight of the Kingdom of Tempest... no, that's not right, I'm a knight serving the House of Quenner. I... got caught up in... a battle, and I fled with the princess... no, the young lady. Are you the master of this facility?"

Joanna's explanation was quite hesitant, but Al decided not to press the matter. He felt a sense of danger in getting involved in the affairs of nobles.

"This is a hot spring resort owned by the village of Clarence at the foot of the mountain. A friend of mine was trapped deep in a cave after an earthquake. I just managed to rescue him. He hasn't eaten properly for a while and is quite weak. I want to make a meal for him, so can I use the kitchen?"

"O-Of course, you can..."

Given Orson's condition, he probably couldn't eat solid food immediately. Al entered the kitchen in place of the two women and started preparing a soup with the herbs he had on hand. As the pot began to simmer, a pleasant aroma filled the air.

"Could we have some of the food as well?"

After a brief, hushed conversation, Joanna spoke up. Al, who had expected them to demand the food forcefully, was surprised by their polite request.

"Sure. Do you eat meat?"

"Is that okay?"

"I'll give this to my friend first, so please wait a moment."

Leaving the two women, who looked pleased, Al returned to the cave entrance and gave the soup to Orson. Orson seemed to be regaining consciousness, though his body was still unsteady. Al dimmed the light from a light spell and decided to let Orson rest in bed for a while. His condition should improve by morning.

"Thanks. I owe you one."

Orson sipped the soup and sighed deeply.

"Did you talk to Cody? He was probably running out of materials for his work, right?"

"Yeah, he said to get it as soon as possible. But I never expected this. It's hard to believe. And an ancient ruin... Oh, I shouldn't have said that."

"Ah, right."

Orson smiled wryly. Al told Orson about the two women he had met in the kitchen outside.

"You're too kind, Al. From what I've heard, they seem okay, but don't let your guard down. War can make people do strange things."

Al nodded. It seemed Orson was out of immediate danger, but it would take some time before he could walk on his own.

"Sorry, but can we stay here for a while? In this state, it would be difficult to descend the mountain."

"Hmm, but we need food. We could use a transportation spell to carry Orson to the village."

This place was a hot spring resort, and waiting here for recovery was an option. They could buy food in the village at the foot of the mountain, but there was no guarantee that barbarians or monsters wouldn't appear. They also needed to deliver the alnite to Cody as soon as possible. They decided to discuss it again in the morning.

"For now, get some rest. I'll introduce you to the two women when the time is right, but I think it's best to prioritize your recovery."

Orson nodded. Al closed the curtain around Orson's bed and left the cave.

-----

"Here you go."

While preparing the meal, the women had swallowed their saliva multiple times, probably because they hadn't eaten properly in a while.

"Thank you. We are grateful to the gods and to Lord Al..."

The dinner Al prepared was simple—soup, roasted venison, and hard, black bread. After a brief prayer, the two women started eating hesitantly at first, but then with enthusiasm. The girl had said she wasn't hungry, but it was probably out of consideration for Joanna, who had prepared the meal.

"There's no more bread, but I have a little more meat. Do you want some?"

Al smiled at the girl, who was staring at her empty plate. She opened her eyes wide in delight, thought for a moment, and then shook her head, biting her lip.

"I'm sorry, but I have nothing to offer in return..."

The girl suddenly started crying. She wiped her tears with her sleeve.

"Oh, I'm sorry..."

The girl looked down. Al silently brought out the remaining meat, cut it thinly with a knife, sprinkled a little salt, and grilled it. There seemed to be plenty of deer in the area, so it wouldn't be hard to replenish the supply.

"When you're hungry, you tend to feel weak. Here's some more."

Al placed a few slices of grilled meat on wooden plates and set them in front of the two women. Although he didn't want to get involved, he couldn't just leave them. He thought that if they went to the fort, they would probably be protected as refugees, but without money, they wouldn't receive much help. He couldn't abandon them. Al made up his mind.

"I have a sister, about your age... I can't just treat this as someone else's problem. I can't do much, but would you like to tell me your story?"

Thank you for reading.

I plan to post twice a week, on Monday and Friday at 10 AM. Thank you for your support.

Thank you for the corrections. I always appreciate them.

I would be very happy to receive likes, ratings, and comments. Thank you very much.