Chapter 26

The village chief pointed out a sunny spot deep in the village, and the gathered villagers nodded in agreement. It was said that the founder of the village once had a house on this site, and no one had ever thought of building a house there before.

"Really? You're giving me such a place?"

"Lord Kena, you've done so much for this village even though you have no connection to it. We can't rest easy unless we do something like this for you."

The villagers around the chief nodded in unison. Kena, who couldn't refuse such a generous offer, gratefully accepted it. She also took the opportunity to ask the women for a list of necessary household items. She memorized everything with Key and planned to gather them after building the house. Among the items was a goat, which every household needed, and she would have to buy it from somewhere.

There was a problem, though: whether she could make something in the village and share it with the villagers. The villagers assured her that the bathhouse had a bath, so she didn't need to worry about that. However, she couldn't rely on that alone, so she decided to keep it in mind.

The easiest way would be to take high-paying quests from the guild and bring the money back to the village. However, Kena was becoming somewhat famous in Feluskeiro, and the disadvantage was that she might easily earn the resentment of other adventurers.

"I need to think about something..."

"Then, let's go hunting together. That way, we can eat rare meat and have a wider range of things to sell."

"That's a good idea. I'll go hunting with you for a while, Lotul."

Kena was grateful for Lotul's suggestion and accepted it.

"Of course, it'll end up like this!"

That evening, in the inn's dining room, which turned into a bar at night, a banquet titled "Welcome Kena to the Village" was held. The Lax family, who were unaware of the circumstances, and two royal court mages from Outarokus and their four adventurer guards were also invited.

The villagers set up tables and chairs outside the dining room, and Kena, who was forcibly seated at the head of the table, was surrounded by adults offering drinks. The atmosphere was lively with villagers singing and linking arms. Kena, realizing it was better to give in, went with the flow. She used a wristband with the effect of "Poison Immunity" to prevent herself from getting drunk, thinking she might get scolded by Maleer later.

Occasionally, she felt a strong gaze of hostility, which traced back to the cat woman who had confronted her earlier. When their eyes met, she frowned and turned away with a displeased look. Kena couldn't understand what was so bothersome to her.

As the banquet progressed and more people became drunk, Kena stood up. She wanted to entertain the villagers who had gone to such lengths for her. Maleer, reading the situation, clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention to Kena.

"Look, everyone. Kena has something to say!"

"Thank you, Maleer."

"That's fine. Go ahead and say it."

"Thank you all for setting up this wonderful banquet for me today."

Kena bowed deeply, and the villagers applauded and whistled. Some people, who shall remain nameless, turned away with a look that seemed to say, "How rude."

"I want to return a little of the kindness I've received from all of you. Please join me for a small performance."

On the table, she placed flour, fruits, and eggs, among other ingredients before they became food. The villagers, who lived in the village, finally understood that Kena had the ability to create "finished products" from "ingredients" without any complex processes. The guests from Outarokus, who had just arrived and hadn't met Kena, glanced at the materials and returned to their conversation, uninterested. However, their expressions changed to astonishment when they saw what Kena did next.

"I'll create a dessert that nobles eat right here."

As she said this, she used the skill "Cooking: Cake." Orange fireballs formed between her hands, and several ingredients from the pile on the table were sucked in. Instantly, a cake appeared in Kena's hands. Between the two fluffy sponge layers were red berries and cream, and the top and edges were decorated with white, fluffy cream. It was generally classified as a whole cake, but to those who had never seen or heard of such a noble dessert, it was a work of art. The sweet scent of fruit and cream was so alluring that everyone felt drawn to it.

Kena, using knowledge from TV, asked Maleer to warm a knife and wipe it with a cloth to cut the cake into eight pieces. She offered the first pieces to Maleer, Litt, Gatt, Luine, the village chief, the chief's wife, and Lotul. Litt, who ate it without hesitation, froze with wide eyes after taking a bite. When Kena, worried, asked if it didn't suit her, Litt shook her head and emphasized, "No, it's delicious, really delicious!" with a smile.

The inn family and the village chief, who were trying the sweet cream and fluffy sponge for the first time, also took a bite with wide eyes. Everyone said, "Delicious!" in unison, so Kena used the pre-prepared ingredients to make more cakes and pies one after another. They were eaten up as soon as they were made.

The guests from the southern lands, who were seated at the end of the dining room, also received some. They ate it with wide eyes and open mouths, and Kena thought they were sufficiently surprised, even though she didn't understand their political system or the existence of nobles.

...However, it would have been better if they had remained surprised, as a person who couldn't read the festive atmosphere stood up.

"I will not recognize it!! ...Mmm!?"

The woman, who was about to continue, was silenced by her brother, and she started to struggle and mumble. The concentrated glares from the villagers, who were enjoying the party, caused her brother to act. He dragged his sister, who was now in a headlock, upstairs.

"What was that all about..."

Lotul's words, spoken with wide eyes, expressed the thoughts of the villagers.

The party, slightly dampened, continued as the villagers savored the sweets they usually couldn't eat and made a lot of noise.

In any case, the storm Kena thought she had avoided returned when the party ended and the villagers left. Kena was helping Maleer and the others clean up. The only ones present were Litt and Luine, who were rubbing their sleepy eyes and carrying dishes, Maleer, who was doing the dishes, and Kena, who was wiping the tables for some reason.

"Sorry, Kena. You were the guest of honor, but I had to ask for your help."

"That's fine. I'm now part of the village, so it's mutual, right?"

Kena, who was approached by Luine, who was trying to break the world record for carrying dishes, responded with a wry smile while wringing out the mop. Litt, who was tugging at her skirt, was also given a smile.

Kena, feeling a sense of happiness from Litt's sudden smile, felt it was cheap but tried not to mind.

However, the happiness didn't last long.

Kena's gaze, drawn to the warning from Key, saw the cat woman running down the stairs. She rushed up to Kena and glared at her with a hostile gaze, as if she wanted to continue from earlier.

"I will not recognize it!!"

"What a troublesome woman."

Luine, who expressed Kena's thoughts, was glared at by the cat woman. Luine, a civilian, was intimidated by the adventurer. Kena, who stepped between them, handed the mop to Luine and activated several active skills, glaring back at the cat woman. She was angry that her friend, with whom she had a good relationship, was intimidated, and she didn't want to expose the Lax family to such a confrontational person.

The cat woman, intimidated by Kena, took a step back and was shocked by her own behavior. She couldn't believe that she, with such high pride, could be intimidated.

Kena, seeing the expression, chuckled. The cat woman's gaze became even stronger.

"Why can a lowly person like you use the same ancient techniques as the queen!?"

"Ah, I see. You're probably an adopted child, right?"

Kena's casual attitude, which seemed to hit the mark, made the cat woman snap.

After a moment of silence, she directed even stronger hostility at Kena. Kena herself found it too troublesome to talk.

"So, what are you going to do if you don't recognize it?"

"I challenge you to a duel!!"

"......Huh?"

Kena, taken aback by the statement, processed the information and immediately realized the critical fact.

"Sorry, I don't have a hobby of bullying the weak."

"Who said I'm weak!?"

Indeed, a level 1000 versus a level 70 was like an ant challenging a nuclear missile. It was a natural reaction. However, the cat woman didn't see it that way and became even more upset at being treated as weak.

She tore her handkerchief in frustration. Even Kena, who was usually calm, found the situation annoying.

"I'll make you kneel before me!"

"Ah, sure... I don't think that's going to happen."

Kena, who was told to knock her down, sighed deeply. The cat woman, who was already determined to fight, didn't need Kena's consent. Kena finally gave up on her.

The cat woman, in a good mood, disappeared into her room, and her brother, Crof, appeared from the shadows of the stairs. He approached Kena with a weary expression and bowed his head.

"Sorry, my sister made an unreasonable request."

"Ah, ...no, it's fine. But it seems like it's already considered accepted... What was that all about?"

"Again, I'm sorry. She reveres the queen and thought your use of the technique was an insult to the queen. Well, you don't need to hold back, so please knock her down."

"That's not what you should say, Crof. I'm Kena, and you are?"

"I'm Crof, and she's Crophia. Well, it would be nice if you could get along with her..."

Kena and Crof sighed in unison. The reason was obvious.

The next morning, the duel was held on a road near the village. Crof and Lotul, who happened to be passing by on his way to hunting, were the witnesses. The duel was held outside the village because Crophia's weapon was a bow, and Kena's main attack method was magic. They also didn't want to cause trouble for the villagers.

Crophia's tension was at its peak, while Kena's was at its lowest. It was understandable.

The duel began silently with Crophia's rapid-fire arrows, but they were all stopped by Kena's "Barrier" and fell to the ground. Next, magic was cast, but it was also blocked by an invisible wall in front of Kena and dissipated. Finally, Crophia drew her sword and charged, but she was stopped by the invisible wall and fell to the ground.

Kena, who had seen this coming, sighed deeply. Crophia's expression twisted in humiliation.

"...So? Are you still going to fight?"

"Ugh...!"

Crophia's face, twisted in humiliation, began to tremble, and large tears formed in the corners of her eyes. She wiped them away with her arm, stood up, and ran away, her back to Kena, in the opposite direction of the village.

"Ah..."

Kena, who had already given up, sighed deeply again. Lotul, who patted her shoulder, waved and went hunting. Kena, in a hurry, bowed and said, "I'm sorry for the trouble."

When Lotul's figure disappeared down the road, Kena turned around and was shocked to see Crof kneeling on one knee, as if he were a vassal to a noble, facing her.

"Eh, eh...?"

Even Kena, who was usually calm, was taken aback. She took a few steps back, realizing that more trouble was waiting for her.

"Wh-What are you doing, Crof? Why are you kneeling on the ground?"

"Yes. Your kind and gentle nature, as I heard, is true. I, Crof, am deeply impressed."

"Eh? But you told me to knock her down, right? How is that kind?"

"Even so, you didn't finish her off, and you didn't chase after her when she ran away."

"What kind of monster am I!?"

Kena, taken aback by the comment, realized something strange in the conversation.

"Eh, you heard about me? From who?"

"From our queen, Sahara Shade. We received a secret order to come to this land."

"Hmm? That name sounds familiar..."

Kena, who remembered the name of the queen of Outarokus, tilted her head. She thought back to a conversation with Key.

"Big sister, big sister, I also registered as an adopted child."

"Really, Sahana? You made the relationship a child?"

"Yes, a female of the same race named Sahara Shade. If you meet her, please take care of her."

"But how can you take care of an NPC...?"

"Please don't tell Eternal."

"...Okay."

"Ah, that's right. Sahana's child had that name..."

Kena remembered that Sahana, a member of the High Elf community and a player with a squirrel-like character, had an adopted child with that name. Eternal, the oldest member of the community and the only male High Elf player, was registered as a brother.

Kena, who remembered the small community of only six members, realized something.

(No, wait. If Sahana is my sister, then her child is my niece... which means I'm treated like a member of the royal family!?)

Kena, feeling even more troubled, understood why Crof was kneeling. High Elves were a category of the Elven royal family, and it was natural for them to show respect, but it was strange for a cat person to do so.

"Secret order?"

"Yes. A while ago, a hermit reported to the various countries that an adventurer named 'Kena' had joined Feluskeiro. The queen was very concerned about this information and sent us to investigate in detail. Of course, we were not spying on you, but gathering rumors from various places. After evaluating the information, the queen was convinced that you are the real Kena and sent us here."

"Wow... I can guess what you want to say, but is your sister one of those hermits?"

"No, she's not. She was just accompanying the adventurers and the two mages for a public reason."

The real reason was to recruit Kena. Kena was amazed that a country's leader would go to such lengths. She didn't want such trouble brought to her, especially since she had important events like exploring the Dragon Palace and building a house.

"Ah, then please tell the queen. I have no intention of going to Outarokus."

"Yes, ...