3 bar menu

Return of the Fallen Volume 2 Chapter 36

 

---

Author: Blue_Rat

---

ch36

After a while, Shin and Asuna returned. In their hands, they carried dozens of prey.

Birds, squirrels, rabbits, There was plenty of meat to go around.

Preparing the food, Kazuki wanted to ask Danny to do it since he was the best cook but with his arm and hand still healing, he glared at Kazuki and grumbled.

“Do you think I can cook like this? Hmph, you still got two good arms, why don’t you cook for once.”

Kazuki couldn’t understand why Danny seemed so mad until Nunully came over and whispered in his ear.

“He felt used when you risked his life on the cliff.”

“What, when did I ever risk his life.”

“He said that you and Mei had a standoff and that he was one of the hostages used against you but you didn’t show any concern for his safety whatsoever.”

“Hmm, that’s what’s got him so upset.”

Kazuki made sure to whisper so Mei and Tsura wouldn’t hear him.

“Tell him it was a bluff. I had everything under control and was prepared to make a move at any given moment if I sensed any danger about to befall him. I would never risk a friend’s life so casually and had thought a few steps ahead. Tell him that for me. would you?”

Nunully raised a brow.

“Why don’t you just tell him that yourself?”

“I would if I could but it’s embarrassing. Tell him I said that as well, please.”

Asuna couldn’t stand seeing Nunully and Kazuki so close to one another and got in between the two of them.

“What’s going on, why are the two of you whispering to one another?”

Nunully and Asuna exchanged a silent look between each other before Nunully shrugged her shoulders and walked away.

Shin’s laugh came from the sidelines.

“Hahaha, Asuna, are you jealous? Hehehe, if you don’t try harder you’ll wind up losing to Nunully. After all, she is prettier than you.”

A rock came whizzing towards Shin’s head but with a small tilt of his head, the rock missed him by a hair or two and disappeared into the forest behind him.

“Keep throwing shit at me and I won’t always be so polite.”

Asuna snorted.

“Hmph, you may be able to dodge what I throw but don’t expect to be able to counter me with a blade. I’d like to see you laugh after that.”

“You two are like cats and dogs. They hiss and bark at one another but because I can’t understand them, I could care less about what they do. You two, on the other hand, I can understand just fine and you’re both annoying. Can you do everyone a favor and just shut up for a bit.”

Asuna and Shin went completely silent for a moment but immediately after their anger flipped and turned toward Kazuki.

“Why should I shut up, if anyone is annoying it’s you. Acting like you know everything. Some leader you are. We’ve been traveling for weeks but we’re basically nowhere near our goal to that Rin place or whatever.”

Asuna piled on as well.

“How could you call me annoying, especially when I seem to be the only one who doesn’t question your every move. If anything, your recent attitude of ‘I don’t give a fuck’ is the real annoyance.”

Kazuki felt a headache coming on. He knew he probably shouldn’t have said anything but the two were really getting on his nerves. He began to plot in his head.

(Fine, they want to pile on me, just wait, I’ll burn every single piece of their meat.)

This petty revenge popped in his head but it was quickly averted by Tsura.

“Um, you all seem to be upset. It may not be my place and I know it won’t solve your issues but if it will take away a bit of stress from the situation, I wouldn’t mind cooking for you all.”

Asuna and Shin both chimed in at the same time.

“No way!”

They couldn’t be sure Tsura wouldn’t poison them all and escape with the map. What fools they would be to fall for such a thing.

Danny, however, perked up a bit.

“Wait a moment, don’t turn her down right away, her food is actually delicious.”

Everyone turned and looked at Danny oddly.

“Danny’s right, you know. While we were being held hostage by her, she made us a delectable soup. It was so simple and yet it was almost heavenly the way it tasted.”

Sam and Kimi had just returned and Kimi began praising Tsura’s food.
Kazuki seemed to be the only one who noticed Kimi’s cheeks were flushed with red and she was smiling from ear to ear with a faint glow about her. Sam as well, held a satisfied expression and his eyes were as peaceful as the sea.

Kazuki discreetly gave Sam a thumbs up which caused Sam’s calm expression to crack for a split second before it returned to normal. Kimi was completely unaware and continued to smile from ear to ear.

Kazuki looked at the small amount of firewood Sam held in his hands, as though he had just remembered what his goal for going into the forest was, and with a rush he gathered whatever he could on the way back.

(Gone for nearly half an hour and you only bring back that much firewood. Sam Sam Sam, hehehe.)

While Kazuki’s thoughts were clearly elsewhere. Everyone else slightly lowered their guard with the two’s recommendations and a few stomachs began to growl.

They all felt the same way. After traveling for nearly a month, their food was bland beyond compare. The fact of the matter was, no one really knew how to cook beside Danny and there was very little he could do without spices or herbs. Sure, there were plenty of plants and vegetation in the forest, but this being a different world Danny didn’t recognize a single one and didn’t want to take the risk and end of poisoning everyone.

Nunully and Kazuki had spotted dozens of familiar vegetation that they knew were used in cooking but the two never cooked properly for themselves, so the one time Nunully pointed out a few things Danny can use, the food ended up in disaster. The reason being, although one can use those ingredients in cooking, not knowing the proper way ended with parts of the plant tasting horrible or coming out underdone. The experience became traumatic when everyone got the runs.

“Alright, but don’t try anything, the consequences will not be pretty.”

Tsura nodded and asked if she could go nearby and gather a few ingredients.

Kazuki agreed but made Sam and Nunully follow her. Sam because of his strength and Nunully because she would recognize the ingredients Tsura picked out and would be able to tell whether they were dangerous or not.

Several minutes later, Tsura returned with a few odd-looking plants here and there.

Setting them down on a big clean leaf she asked for a knife to skin the rabbits and squirrels.

Asuna handed one over without worry and Tsura got to work but she quickly ran into a problem.

“Um, do you all not have any cookware?”

All eyes turned to Sam. Sam sat down in front of Tsura and his ring began to glow.

Several clumps of earth rose up from the ground and with a thought from Sam, they began to mold themselves into the shape of a stone pot and several other dishes such as bowls, spoons, cups, etc.

The stone pot that would be used over the fire was made slightly different from the rest of the dishes so that it would not crack or break apart under the heat of a flame. Sam had done this repeatedly over the course of their journey. They didn’t have dishes when they escaped from Treia and even if they did it would be annoying to have to carry them all around constantly and take care of them. This way was much simpler and easier.

Every time they came to a new spot, Sam would simply remake what they needed. The time it took him to do this was literally a few seconds and the cost of magic it required was insignificant. Not only that, when they were through with the dishes, Sam could simply reshape them into rocks and leave them be. Sam didn’t mind this as it gave him plenty of opportunity to train.

Tsura and Mei seeing this were absolutely amazed. When the adventurers used magic against their village, it was all destruction that they caused. Not for a single second did they imagine magic could be used for creation. Mei got up and came over curiously but with a glare from Kazuki, she paused her steps and retreated back to her seat in a pout.

“Big bro is so mean, I just wanted to watch.”

“Little Mei Your eyes are as good as mine if not better. I’m sure you can see everything clearly from there, correct?”

Little Mei pouted some more but stayed where she was at. Kazuki turned away to do something else but he could tell Mei had stuck her little tongue out at him in protest.

Tsura was excited and praised.

“Wow, how incredible. I never knew magic could be used in such a way. Tell me, are there lots of people that can use magic like that outside or do they have to be adventurers or warriors like you all?”

Sam wasn’t much of a speaker and he didn’t really know how to talk with the person that had held his girlfriend hostage but Kimi placed a hand on his shoulder in reassurance.

“Hmm, there are lots and the number that are stronger than us, is enormous. There are some that are so strong that they can even lift mountains.”

Tsura and Mei were shocked.

Tsura laughed uneasily.

“There’s no need to scare us from the outside world anymore, we have already surrendered to you. Your teasing is a bit much.”

Everyone grew quiet but eventually, Nunully walked over and spoke.

“Sam isn’t lying to you. The one who helped train them could do such a feat. His power is legendary among the inhabitants of the continent. Tell me, have you ever heard of the great Mage, Master Garn?”

Tsura froze in place before she blurted out.

“You mean to tell me Garn is real? How can that be? Every few years or so a few wandering travelers would make their way to our village and that Garn person was one of the figures they would speak of but everyone in the village believed him to be a myth, a story to entertain the children. You mean to tell me, that person is actually real and that he taught you?”

Nunully gathered a bit of power into her hand and began to fill a cup of water before slowly sipping on it.

“Every word I spoke is true. Garn truly is real and is capable of more than just that. Not only that though, Garn more than anything hates non-humans. Were I to stay in Treia, I would already be dead. It’s not just him though, nearly all who occupy Treia hate non-humans and would attempt to kill you on sight, were you to be in your Mangshi state that is.”

“The strength of Garn and his absolute hate for beasts and monsters is terrifying. He, however, is not the only one. Upon the Feya continent, there are a handful or so that are near his strength. This world is so big, I don’t doubt there are those that are even stronger residing in its corners. Don’t tell me you thought once you and Mei escape this forest, that once Mei grows, her strength would allow her to be untouchable. How naive. To stay inside a forest that the outside powers have no interest in, it’s probably the closest thing to peace one might find in this world. If only it could have stayed that way.”

Tsura didn’t know why but she felt haunted by Nunully’s words. More and more she was regretting her and her husband’s decisions and knowing now that the outside world was full of humans who were so powerful and hated her kind, a fear invaded her.

(If only I’d known sooner. If only I would have listened to the Chief and convinced my husband, none of this would have had to happen. Dear, what have we done..)

---

 

---