Chapter 5

"Phew... I slept well."

The next morning, she woke up feeling refreshed.

Even though the campsite had been warded against monsters, it was her first time sleeping soundly in the wild.

Moreover, she had slept in the same tent with a girl she had just met.

(Maybe it was better not to be alone?)

While thinking about such things, she went to the river to wash her face and fetched some water for Mina.

Leda started preparing breakfast, being careful not to wake the girl who was still snuggled up in her blanket, breathing softly.

"I feel bad for Mina, but I'll keep it simple."

She planned to walk to a nearby town today, so she decided to make a hearty but simple breakfast.

"Well, then. There's some stew left from yesterday, so maybe I'll make a sandwich."

If she were alone, she would have just soaked some bread in the leftover stew, but she wanted to serve something proper, even if simple, for Mina, who had enjoyed her meal so much yesterday.

She took out the ingredients from her item box and started by slicing the bread a bit thinner than usual.

She generously spread butter on it and added extra mustard for her own portion.

Layering lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, ham, and cheese, she then placed the bread on top and pressed it down.

After shaping it neatly, she cut it diagonally with a knife to complete the sandwich.

"There, done."

Licking the butter off her fingers, Leda nodded in satisfaction.

The appearance of the sandwich is important.

Since a girl is going to eat it, it's better if it looks nice.

She then heated the leftover stew over the fire.

While at it, she also put a pot of water on to make tea.

"Um, hmm..."

After a while, as the pleasant smell of the stew spread across the riverbank, Mina started to stir.

She slowly sat up, looking dazed, but then she noticed Leda by the fire and was startled.

Wearing the coat Leda had given her and barefoot, she came out of the tent and approached.

"Good morning, Leda."

"Good morning, Mina. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah. The blanket and you were warm."

"That's good. Breakfast is ready, so let's eat."

"Really?"

"Of course. I'd be sad if Mina didn't eat."

"O-Okay, then, thank you."

Mina sat down next to Leda, took the plate, and her eyes lit up.

She took a small bite of the sandwich and chewed it.

It seemed to suit her, and her cheeks puffed up like a squirrel's, which looked very cute.

Leda couldn't help but smile.

"Here, I'm sorry it's just the leftover stew, but it's heated up."

"Mm... thank you."

Mina put the sandwich plate on the ground and took the wooden bowl filled with stew.

She blew on it to cool it down and then gently brought the spoon to her mouth.

The warmth of the stew spread through her cold body.

"Mm, it's delicious."

Mina's face lit up with joy again.

Leda, watching the girl, started eating his breakfast.

The sandwich was well seasoned with the ham.

The crisp lettuce, juicy tomato, and mayonnaise went perfectly together.

The bread was fresh and soft, with a nice wheat aroma.

The spicy kick of the mustard added a good accent to the taste.

He quickly finished the sandwich and then ate the stew, more for the warmth than the flavor, and let out a satisfied sigh.

Mina, who was eating slowly, started to hurry when she saw Leda finish, but he chuckled and told her to take her time as he started preparing tea.

He took the nearly boiling water off the fire.

He put tea leaves into a teapot he had taken from the item box and poured the hot water over them. After letting it steep for a while to adjust the temperature, the good aroma of the tea leaves spread.

The tea after the meal looked promising.

He took out two cups from the item box and poured the tea for both of them.

"Here, it's still hot, so be careful."

"Okay."

Leda placed the freshly brewed tea in front of Mina and took a sip of his own.

"Oops, I almost forgot."

While the tea was good straight, Leda preferred it with sugar.

When he asked Mina if she wanted sugar, she said she liked it sweet, so he added a bit more.

Enjoying the sweet tea, Leda took out a map and started looking at it.

(...If I move with Mina, it will be a bit slower... but yeah, we should reach the town by night.)

It wasn't their final destination, Amrus, but a town called Morleria, known for its crafts and agriculture.

It was a relatively safe place, and the monsters in the surrounding area were said to be weak, making it a good place to stop with a child.

(First, I need to buy her some shoes and clothes. My size won't fit her, and it's too cold for her to go barefoot.)

Unfortunately, the only spare shoes he had were heavy boots with metal plates.

They were too big for a girl and could cause her to trip, so he decided not to force her to wear them.

"Mm... Thank you for the meal."

While he was thinking, Mina finished her meal.

She immediately started getting ready for the journey.

Leda had Mina wash her face with the water he had fetched, and while she did that, he cleaned the dishes.

After packing up the tent and putting everything away, Mina, who had finished getting ready, was waiting.

"Shall we go?"

"Okay."

When he picked up the girl, she looked surprised.

"Eh? Eh?"

"Since you don't have shoes, I'll carry you to the next town."

"B-But, I'm heavy?"

"Hehe, a little girl like Mina can't be heavy. You're as light as a feather."

Leda smiled at the blushing Mina, who then shyly but firmly wrapped her arms around his neck.

Leda and Mina set off for the town of Morleria.

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