Chapter 160
Chapter 160
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Breakfast
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"Did something happen with the spider lady? The vibe around here has softened up lately."
"Oh, uh, well..."
I give Isaac an awkward smile in response to his question. It's not something to brag about— just a fleeting spat and reconciliation between Arachne and me.
"You've got some real talent. If I were thirty years younger, I'd have made a move myself."
"Ten years changes mountains, so thirty would remake the whole universe."
"Listen to this cheeky bastard. Hah..."
Maybe it's thanks to the clear sky and sunshine. Even inside our hideout, there's a bit of laughter and banter going around. Life together feels pretty routine now.
"Let's go eat. We're always the last ones."
We always have breakfast together. Usually, Nephyr or Amy cracks open preserved ration kits or whips up something light from yesterday's hunt, but unusually, Arachne stepped up yesterday and prepared some simple dishes herself.
That's probably why Isaac mentioned her changed attitude. She definitely feels a lot gentler than before. On the other hand, it seems like she's watching me closely too...
"Elder, Mr. Isaac, did you sleep well last night?"
"Yes... thank you."
Today's table is brimming with Nephyr's care. Thanks to her picking up the language so well now, she and Isaac can even communicate directly.
"Miss Nephyr's a real lady, unlike some women around here."
I can't deny Isaac's hushed whisper in my ear. Nephyr is polite and proper, always composed and refined.
"Elder, this way..."
But her excessive attentiveness toward me is what bothers me. She takes my hand and leads me to the sunniest spot, where a generous spread of hearty, thoughtful dishes awaits.
"She's doing it again. I told her just to give me the same as everyone else..."
"No, that won't do! How could we? Meals for you, Elder, must be infused with boundless care and noble spirit!"
She's incredibly rigid about this stuff. Nephyr wraps herself in a blanket-like ceremonial robe like a cape to suit the chilly weather, constantly tending to me and staying busy every moment. Watching her is heartbreaking.
"Alright. Thanks, I'll dig in."
"Eek!"
She even clutches her chest and sheds tears of joy every time I thank her.
"I could die without regrets... Heh..."
Then she forgets to eat her own food and just stares until I finish mine. Isaac, watching from the side, chuckles awkwardly with a tsk, while everyone else waves it off and ignores her.
"So, when are we heading to the sea?"
Aria changes the subject. She's poking just her head out from the lake water a bit away from the table, saying she only sips dew in the mornings or something.
"I haven't packed everything yet. I'd like to take as much as we can from here, so no rush. And honestly..."
I start to answer her but trail off,
glancing toward the one woman who still hasn't joined us for meals.
Most obstacles are cleared now,
but there's still one left...
"Jenny hasn't woken up yet. Let's wait a bit more."
Jenny made a cocoon.
After getting a stomachache from the Guide's Fruit, she quieted down for a bit, but now she's pupating quietly in a corner of the hideout like old times, growing.
"Amy, how much longer did you say?"
"By my calculations, two days."
Once Jenny wakes, we can head to the beach. We'll go to the Paradise Ship's projected landing site and search there.
First goal: survivors, naturally. Maybe a few are still alive. The Captain, Mr. Ries, even Isaac's wife...
And second goal:
scour the Paradise Ship wreckage.
If we can use Rophuk's legacy plus the ship's remains, our community's stability will skyrocket.
We're not hurting now, of course. Isaac's daily handy tools, Amy's ember gear...
But it could hugely help build an escape rocket too.
Watching Isaac nibble biscuits with his wrinkled lips, I keep mulling over the escape rocket.
A rocket like the Paradise Ship, loaded with him and his wife, and any other survivors...
Send it to headquarters...
Would that work?
"Joo-ho, you okay?"
Arachne waves her hand right in front of my face to check on me. Guess I zoned out.
"Nothing. I'm fine."
"Tea?"
She's been brewing me tea from carefully selected and dried leaves with extra effort lately. The irresistible sweet aroma has me lifting the cup to my lips without hesitation.
Slurp—
It scalded my palate and tongue a bit from gulping too fast, but I don't mind. Alraune and I shrug off minor burns like this anyway.
"Delicious as always. Thanks."
"Really...? G-good... Hng."
Arachne's face flushes red again. Surprisingly, she's weak to expressing emotions or hearing my affectionate words. In her terms, she overreacts to "embarrassing lines."
Still, Arachne's lips curve into a soft smile. It suits her face surprisingly well.
Her calm, softened smile accentuates her pale skin and hair. Especially her flushed cheeks.
When she's like this, Arachne habitually spins spider silk from her fingertips, knitting away. She makes clothes this way or crafts small trinkets.
After finishing Nephyr's food, I try mimicking her, drawing out a bit of silk from my fingertips.
It's not easy. Memorizing mentally and actually doing it are worlds apart.
Even with Alraune's thin vines helping handle the silk, our hands and vines end up tangled tight.
Arachne laughs at us,
Amy fusses about spitting acid solution from her mouth to fix it,
Isaac mutters "Here we go again..." and sneaks off alone,
Aria calls me over and dips my hands in the lake, scrubbing till they squeak clean.
Nephyr tidies my used dishes on the side, popping bits into her mouth,
and I yell at her not to eat off my dirty stuff.
In this short span of just tens of minutes, we bicker and bustle together. Not everyone can be best friends, but we're learning to compromise and endure bit by bit.
It's not bad.
Nothing like the family future I imagined as a kid, but I feel stability and belonging in this community.
Days of struggling to survive flash by. Those urgent scenes feel dreamlike now, making this warm, lively breakfast on the stone table before me all the more meaningful.
Good vibes.
Everything's going smoothly.
This universe is brutally harsh, but it also fills us with small, precious joys.
Not everywhere's hell. Even on this grueling path, tiny shards of happiness exist.
Yeah,
a little longer, and we might reunite with the Paradise Ship crew, sharing all we've been through.
That modest drinking party started with Dan and Mr. Ries
becomes a raucous off-world breakfast.
Even though Dan's gone,
Mr. Ries might still be alive.
Momentarily missing the Paradise Ship crew. Are they alive? If so, what are they doing now?
I hope they haven't suffered like I have. Maybe they're having a smooth, hopeful day beyond our trials.
That'd be nice.
Really.
What'll I say when we meet again?
"Great to see you"?
Or just hug silently...
"I-I'm fine! Really, I am—"
"Prove it."
"Eek... Spare me, please..."
"Prove you're you. Counting to five."
"Hic, heek... P-please... This is a joke, right...?"
"Five, four, three, two, one."
Bang!