Chapter 12

Inside the swaying carriage, Flamm, Milkitt, and Sera were munching on their lunch.

The soft, chewy white bread had a slit, and inside, it was coated with a spicy sauce and filled with vegetables and meat.

The natural sweetness of the bread mellowed the spiciness of the sauce, making it a friendly taste even for children.

Milkitt had gotten up early to make it before they left the capital.

She had wrapped it in paper and brought it along for lunch.

"Delicious..."

Sera said with her mouth full.

Seeing her puffed-up cheeks, Flamm almost burst out laughing.

"I'm glad you like it."

"Milkitt, you can cook too?"

"It's nothing special."

"Really? It's really delicious. Did you make the sauce from scratch?"

"Well, yes, but..."

Her cooking skills were probably honed during her time as a slave.

While Flamm was also a good cook, this was quite impressive.

She wondered what ingredients were used and seriously considered asking for the recipe as she bit into the bread.

"By the way, what kind of town is Enichide?"

"Phew, it's a real hick town. It used to thrive on herbs, but..."

"Flamm, you can chew and talk at the same time, you know."

Flamm laughed and warned her, and Sera's cheeks wobbled as she chewed the bread and swallowed it in one go.

It seemed like it might have stuck in her throat, but she showed no signs of it.

Flamm was once again left feeling a bit hurt by her youthful resilience.

"It's a pretty desolate town, apparently. It used to be prosperous with herbs, but..."

"Even before we were born, right? The crackdown started after the Human-Demon War, I think."

The Human-Demon War took place 30 years ago.

One day, demons suddenly attacked to seize human territories.

The royal army rose to defend against them, suffering significant losses but ultimately repelling the invaders.

The clergy of the church also participated in the battle, and due to their contributions, the church gained strong influence over the kingdom.

While the Origin religion was indeed the dominant force in the kingdom, other religions were still practiced at the time.

However, 30 years later, almost no churches of other religions exist within the kingdom.

"Why do they hate herbs so much?"

"Does the church not teach the reason?"

"The church says that taking medicine weakens faith and reduces the effectiveness of healing magic, but I don't believe that... Still, some kids do believe it."

If you're taught that from a young age, some children will believe it.

Sera, however, didn't seem to have been influenced by it—when the carriage swayed, her body tilted.

Flamm noticed a strange blue tattoo on the back of her neck.

"Hey, Sera, what's that on the back of your neck?"

"Oh, this?"

Sera touched it with her fingertips and explained.

"My hometown... it's gone now, but it used to worship a god other than Origin. My parents were devout followers, so they branded me with a mark of faith when I was still young. It's made with a special paint that won't come off, so it's still there."

The special paint was probably similar to the one used for Flamm's slave mark.

However, the fact that her hometown no longer existed—she hesitated to ask but Sera continued on her own.

"By the way, my hometown was destroyed by demons. It happened 8 years ago, and I was only 2 years old, so I don't remember much."

She smiled weakly.

"Maria-sama was the same. Maybe that's why she was so kind to me."

"Maria...?"

They had never talked about their backgrounds, so Flamm didn't know she had such a history.

Her strange behavior around demons was likely due to the resentment over her hometown being destroyed.

Perhaps, more than anyone, Maria had a strong commitment to the quest to defeat the Demon King.

From her perspective, Flamm, who couldn't fight and was of no use, must have been a hindrance.

"Demons still come to human territories and cause destruction."

"Really? Even now?"

"It's not widely publicized, but many towns in the countryside have been destroyed."

The capital's newspapers wouldn't have published such information, so it must be a closely guarded secret known only to the church.

Considering the location of the herbs, Sera seemed to be skeptical of the church's current policies.

"Luckily, no one has died, but it's absolutely unforgivable! I'll definitely defeat any demons I come across!"

Sera's tone grew more intense.

She doesn't remember the destruction of her hometown, but the hatred is clearly etched in her.

Even after the Human-Demon War ended, the demons continue to wreak havoc, and Flamm can understand Sera's anger—yet, it's a strange situation, and she tilted her head.

Why hasn't anyone died?

Flamm had seen the strength of the three Demon Generals with her own eyes.

With that power, they could turn a small town into a sea of fire in an instant.

...Is it because they don't want to?

Given Sera's history, she couldn't voice this hypothesis openly.

But if that's the case, who is really to blame?

"But before that, we need to get stronger to be able to defeat demons."

"By the way, you caught those thieves so easily. How strong are you, Sera-sama?"

"Flamm-onee-san, you can just call me Sera. 'Sama' makes me feel itchy."

"That's not appropriate..."

"Sera-chan, if she doesn't like it, just do as she says."

"…If Master says so. Then, Sera-san, it is."

Milkitt corrected herself, and Sera nodded contentedly, then bit into her bread.

"Try it, it's good."

"Alright... 'Scan.'"

She learned how to use Scan last night.

Reading and writing were put on hold, but since it would be used frequently, she spent the whole night teaching her.

Milkitt was unusually tense for her first magic use.

However, Scan doesn't require much control and is a simple spell that even a child can use easily.

Once you get the hang of it, even the clumsiest person can use it.

Sera, who initially doubted her ability, learned it in about an hour.

After learning to use Scan, she excitedly checked the status of Flamm and her equipment multiple times.

It took a few hours to teach her the meaning of the displayed text and the reference values.

It was just a matter of explaining simple words and numbers, but Milkitt seemed to enjoy it, and Flamm couldn't help but smile watching her.

Milkitt stared intently at the text and information displayed in her vision.

Seeing her lean forward, Flamm covered her mouth and chuckled, then decided to check Sera's status as a precaution.

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Sera Ambilen

Attribute: Light

Strength: 285

Magic: 301

Health: 123

Agility: 227

Senses: 133

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She was surprised.

This is the status of a 10-year-old, with a total of 1069, equivalent to a lower C-rank adventurer.

There's still room for growth given her age.

The church might be lenient with her because they recognize her talent.

Feeling a sense of urgency at her unexpectedly high status, Flamm quickly used Scan on the emblem floating in her palm and the gauntlet beside her to check her status.

--------------------

Name: Soul Devourer Zweihänder

Quality: Epic

[This equipment reduces your Strength by 320]

[This equipment reduces your Magic by 99]

[This equipment reduces your Health by 297]

[This equipment reduces your Agility by 183]

[This equipment reduces your Senses by 111]

[This equipment melts your flesh]

--------------------

--------------------

Name: Bloodstained Steel Gauntlet

Quality: Rare

[This equipment reduces your Strength by 82]

[This equipment reduces your Magic by 101]

--------------------

The total value is 1193—she sighed in relief, still not outmatched.

The Soul Devourer's reduction values had increased slightly, probably due to the influence of killing Anzoo.

However, the change was minimal.

To achieve a significant status increase, she would need to slay a large number of monsters.

Whether her growth rate would catch up to the talented Sera was uncertain.

It's not like they were competing.

But since she's now called "onee-san," she wants to be someone Sera respects.

"The clothes you two are wearing are Common quality, with no enchantments."

Sera used Scan on their clothes.

Common quality equipment has no enchantments, meaning it's just ordinary gear.

"You could buy Rare quality clothes if you didn't care about the design, but..."

"True, good-looking and high-performance clothes are a bit out of reach, aren't they?"

While "Common" refers to the quality of the equipment, the Scan can't determine the quality of the clothes as clothes.

"Still, your clothes are so cute, Flamm-onee-san's... If I wore them, I'd look like a kid."

Sera looked at her developing limbs and hung her head.

But she quickly perked up and praised Milkitt's clothes.

"But, Milkitt-onee-san's clothes are something I aspire to. The frilly lace and the ribbon at the chest, they're so cute. I'd like to wear something like that sometimes."

"I picked this out myself. It really suits me, and seeing it every day makes me happy."

"I understand, I'd like to have one too."

"No, no, this one is my exclusive maid."

Saying that, Flamm pulled Milkitt's arm.

Praised by both of them, Milkitt, who wasn't used to compliments, blushed and looked down.

"Are you two teasing me?"

"Hehe, caught us?"

"No, Milkitt-onee-san is sharp."

"She's my pride and joy maid, after all?"

"Stop saying things like that, it's embarrassing..."

She puffed out her cheeks.

Even through the bandages, Flamm could see the change in her expression.

Including such gestures, Flamm genuinely found her cute.

And Milkitt, who used to immediately deny any praise, was gradually starting to accept it with a sense of joy, though she was still embarrassed.

Their time living together, even if only for a few days, had definitely brought them closer.

"Really, I aspire to that."

Sera said, watching the two of them playfully interact.

The image of Maria, who was like an older sister to her, came to mind.

She hadn't seen her much recently.

The loneliness of not seeing her often resurfaced when she watched the sister-like bond between Flamm and Milkitt.

◇◇◇

The boring carriage ride passed quickly with the three of them chatting.

They stayed overnight in a town along the way, enjoyed the local specialties, and got back on the carriage the next morning.

Depending on the weather, road conditions, and the horses' state, they might have had to stay another night, but they arrived at their destination, Enichide, by nightfall.

The carriage dropped them off and moved on to another town.

The next carriage would come in three days.

If they hadn't finished collecting herbs by then, they would have to wait for another one, but they were confident they would be done by then.

The three of them stood still, looking at the scene before them.

There were indeed several houses, but only a few had lights on.

The main street, without a single streetlight, was almost completely dark, and they needed to use the lanterns they prepared for cave exploration to move forward.

"Is anyone really living here?"

"There might only be a few dozen people left."

"Is there even an inn in such a place?"

Every town should have at least one place to stay.

They searched but couldn't find an inn, and there was no one to ask for directions.

They might have to ask a town resident for a place to stay.

Or they might have to consider camping—such thoughts crossed their minds when,

"There it is, isn't it?"

Milkitt spotted a sign that looked like an inn.

However, the building was dark, and the entrance was locked.

Flamm brought the lantern closer to the door and saw a notice with parts torn off.

She read it aloud.

"‘If you need the inn, please contact Stued at the neighboring house’... So, it's usually not open unless someone comes?"

"That means no one comes, right?"

"It must have been bustling when herbs were being collected. It's sad to think it's like this because of the church..."

The three of them felt a bit melancholic, but there was no point in dwelling on it.

They immediately went to the neighboring house, and Flamm rang the doorbell.

A sleepy, fat middle-aged man appeared. He must be Stued.

When Flamm said they wanted to use the inn, he was surprised, saying it had been years.

The group became anxious, but he assured them that the place was clean, and when they were given the key and entered, it was indeed quite clean.

They chose a double room from the available rooms, and Flamm received the key from Stued.

"There's no food service anymore, but the kitchen is still functional, so feel free to use it if you want to cook."

"Is that okay?"

"Yeah, no one uses it anyway. You can do as you please. You can buy ingredients at the shops on the main street, and there's a restaurant nearby if you want to eat out. If you have any problems, come to the neighboring house. I'll help if I can, and if not, you can move to another room. Do as you please."

After giving a rather casual explanation, Stued left.

The three of them stared at his retreating figure for a while, but this was the kind of place, and there was no point in overthinking it.

They were glad to have found a place to stay under a roof, so they decided to be grateful for that.

Once inside the room, Flamm and Sera quickly put their bags in a corner.

Facing the bed, they looked at each other, nodded, and took a light run-up—then, with their hands up, they jumped face-first onto the bed.

Plop!

"…?"

Milkitt stood alone, watching this strange ritual.

However, Flamm, buried in the bed, was patting the space next to her, inviting her to join.

"Come on, jump in," she seemed to be saying.

She couldn't disobey her master's command.

Milkitt took a light run-up and modestly plopped onto the bed.

It was a bit strange, but a little fun.

"…What's the point of this?"

Milkitt asked, her face buried in the bed.

"Seeing a fluffy bed makes you want to jump in, doesn't it?"

"It does."

"Exactly."

"…I see."

In the end, she didn't really understand.

But if it was fun, a reason wasn't necessary, she concluded.

After that, the three of them chatted for a while, and when they got hungry, they took bread from their bags—plain bread with nothing in it—and had it for dinner.

When they realized the inn's bath wasn't usable, they asked Stued, and he said they could use the bath at the neighboring house.

Sera, trying to act grown-up, suggested they talk about love, but since none of them had any experience, the conversation didn't go far.

After a few more events, they went to bed relatively early, lying in a row on the same bed.

Just before sleeping, Flamm insisted that Milkitt, who said she would sleep on the floor, lie on the bed, which goes without saying.

◇◇◇

The next morning, Flamm was woken by Sera's noisy "Wake up!"

She was used to a regular schedule from living in the church and woke up very early.

Milkitt, who was also used to waking up early, naturally ended up being the last one to wake up.

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she got ready and went out.

She went to the street to buy food for the day and gather information.

The town of Enichide, seen in the morning light, looked even more desolate than the night before.

There were probably many shops on the main street in the past.

But now, there was no sign of them.

The remnants made it look even more abandoned.

The three of them looked around as they walked, searching for an open shop.

The first one they found was the restaurant Stued mentioned.

The