Feast at the Moonlit Haven
As I stepped into the village, a barrage of sounds and smells greeted me. The murmur of people, the whinnying of horses, the distant clang of a blacksmith's hammer on anvil. It was a small village, but brimming with life.
"Whoa... so many people!" I couldn't help but exclaim in awe. Despite the chilly weather, the market stalls were open, old folks sat in circles chatting, and kids frolicked in the snow. The place buzzed with energy.
But the moment the villagers spotted me, their expressions shifted in an instant. At first, they all flinched in surprise, huddling back. Then their eyes filled with reverence as they stared. Those gazes darted back and forth between Miel perched on my head, Cecilia on my shoulder, Lote hovering around me, and Glessia trailing behind.
"That girl's the owner of Michael-nim's flower scent..."
"The mage was talking about her earlier..."
"They say she's friendly to us..."
Whispers like that floated from all around.
Hehe, guess I'm kind of famous. I remembered what the guard had said. The time I'd saved the village after receiving my trait from Michael-nim. It made me swell with pride.
"Ricoris-nim," Liandel approached cautiously. "Shall we head to the inn first? We can plan our itinerary there and grab a meal."
"A meal?" My eyes lit up instantly. "You mean actual food?"
"Yes, of course. This village's Moonlit Haven inn is famous for its local specialty soup."
A meal... Come to think of it, I'd never really eaten proper food before. As a flower, it had only been blood, sunlight, and the occasional booze humans brought.
"Real food!" I tickled Miel's wings in excitement, and she caught my vibe, flapping harder. Cecilia on my shoulder spread her wings bright and sparked a little flame. Glessia, uncharacteristically, wiggled her antennae busily to show her anticipation. Lote just floated blankly... well, Lote never had expressions, but she orbited in her usual pattern.
Poor thing, only able to eat minerals now... A sudden doubt hit me. Wait, can I even eat human food...?
I had a human body now, but originally, I was a plant. A flower. Was it okay to eat people's food?
Whatever, I'll find out by trying!
"Sounds good! To the inn!" My enthusiastic reply brought a relieved smile to Liandel's face.
Bathed in the stares of countless villagers, we headed toward the village center.
"There it is." Levy pointed ahead to a grand wooden building. The Moonlit Haven looked bigger and cozier than I'd imagined. The warm wooden vibe radiated from it, with a moon-shaped sign swaying gently in the wind at the entrance. Purple-tinged vines climbed the walls, and ice sculptures of various sizes decorated the door.
The moment I pushed open the inn door, a rush of warm air hit me. The crackle of the fireplace sounded so comforting.
"Welcome... oh my!" The woman at the counter was a hefty auntie type. Her eyes widened at the sight of me and the Ace quartet, then she broke into a beaming smile. "Well, I heard the rumors just now! To think Seraphina Bloom-nim herself would grace us!"
I tilted my head, and she quickly added, "Ah, or would you prefer Ricoris-nim?"
"Yeah, Ricoris is my name."
"Understood, Ricoris-nim. I'm Helga, owner of the Moonlit Haven. Shall I prepare a meal?"
Liandel stepped forward. "Yes, please—a lavish feast if possible."
"Of course! Right away. The dining hall is this way."
Following Helga inside, a spacious dining area opened up. Roderick, Karl, Terry, Torben, and Elina were already seated at a table.
"Right here." Helga guided us to the largest table by the window. Outside, the village square stretched out, with the majestic Sia Kalt mountains beyond. Sunlight reflected off the snow-capped peaks like a silver carpet.
The Ace quartet settled into their spots naturally. Miel nestled comfortably in my hair, Cecilia warmed my shoulder, Lote slowly orbited me, and Glessia sprawled on the floor as usual.
"Food will be out soon," Liandel said. He pulled parchment, a quill, and a small ink bottle from his bag. Then he held his staff over the parchment and muttered something.
"Whatcha doing?"
"Making a certificate of authenticity. Taking it to any James Trading Company branch will get you five hundred gold."
A blue glow emanated from his staff tip, and letters and a magic circle etched themselves onto the parchment.
I leaned in close, fascinated. "Ooh... writing with magic?"
Liandel nodded with a smile. "Basic magic taught at the Golden Tower. These magical documents can't be forged, so they're widely used in financial transactions."
Once finished, the parchment flashed blue and dimmed. Liandel handed it to the humans across the table.
"Any James Trading Company branch will honor this for five hundred gold. Guaranteed by the Golden Tower's credit."
The humans folded it carefully into their bags, faces grateful. "Thank you. That's a huge sum."
"It's only right. Thanks to you all, we secured the Frost Ether Ore safely."
Terry grinned at Liandel's words. "I'll wrap up the Frost Ether research!"
Oh! Listening to the humans jogged my memory.
"Ah! I forgot to grab my money!"
Everyone stared at me.
"Master's treasure vault is full of gold coins!"
The humans froze for a second before Liandel recovered. "No worries, Ricoris-nim. I have plenty for travel expenses."
"Yay! Lend me some!"
Liandel looked bemused but smiled. "Of course... though is it a loan or a gift...?"
"I'll pay you back big time after the trip! Master's vault has tons of gold!"
"Haha, got it. Don't worry."
He hesitated, then asked carefully, "After reaching Desmeer... do we head back to Sia Kalt?"
"Hmm..." Yeah, to pay him back, he'd have to come along.
"Probably quick with Master. She flew when catching that fire lion!"
"...Pardon?"
Just then, Helga arrived with massive trays. Staff followed with more trays piled high.
"Our inn's finest feast for our special guests!"
The table filled with dishes: roasted meats, steamed meats, boiled meats... colorful veggie sides, and a purple-tinged soup.
The meats looked divine, juices dripping from fresh roasts. My mouth watered.
But seeing the veggies and soup stirred something odd.
These guys... they're my kin... Who knew being a plant would feel this awkward? Carrots, cabbage, and that soup—all plants. Like cannibals served human flesh.
Helga began explaining. "This is wild reindeer roast and smoked pork from the Sia Kalt mountains. Mountain greens salad from the valley, and our pride: Nipi Lavender Soup. Extracted from flower petals—exquisite aroma and flavor."
"Flower petals" made me flinch instinctively.
"Take these and this away." I pointed at the veggies and soup.
The humans looked baffled. Helga stood frozen.
"Perhaps... Ricoris-nim doesn't care for plant-based foods..."
Liandel got it. "Ugh... yeah, no way..." He nodded firmly. "Helga, could you move the veggies and soup to another table?"
"Ah, yes... of course."
Helga, looking puzzled, had her staff clear them to an empty table.
Now only meats remained. Much better. I tentatively speared a reindeer roast and popped it in.
"Mmm!" The savory, rich flavor exploded in my mouth. My eyes widened. Nothing like blood—this was deeper, fuller.
"So good!" I dove in eagerly. Good thing my human body digested it fine—felt like it was handling it perfectly.
Glessia hopped up, claimed a spot on the table, and chomped whole chunks with her massive jaws. Intimidating, but Helga held her surprise and brought more meat.
At the side table, Cecilia nibbled veggies daintily, while Miel slurped the lavender soup like honey.
Eating for me...? Kinda sad seeing kin devoured, but they enjoyed it, so okay.
As everyone ate heartily, Lote just floated blankly.
Poor thing...
Then booze crossed my mind. "Oh yeah! Booze too!"
Karl eyed my height suspiciously.
What's with my height?!
"Pardon, but... how old are you?"
"Six."
I answered with meat grease smeared on my lips. Everyone stopped eating to gawk. Levy choked on water, coughing.
"S-six? Can you... drink alcohol?"
With my past life, I'm late twenties...
"Duh. I've chugged tons already, and I'm not even human."
They just nodded, saying nothing more. Helga soon brought a pitcher and glasses of clear golden liquor.
"Nipi Whiskey. Fermented and distilled lavender petals—our village pride."
Lavender made me twitch, but the fragrant aroma soothed me. I poured and sipped.
"Hehe. Delicious!"
While savoring meat and booze, Liandel pulled out his crystal staff and projected a map in the air.
"To reach Desmeer, we must cross Set Hanryeong fully first. Then through Jenes Kingdom or Aphron Kingdom to the Heshet Empire. A ship from their southern port gets us to the Desmeer sea inlet."
A blue line traced the route on the map.
"Jenes or Aphron—which way?"
Jenes Kingdom sounded familiar. Brian mentioned it—Edgar's knight order was from there.
Oho, chance for payback en route?
"Jenes Kingdom. Got some debts to settle."
The humans froze. Roderick swallowed hard, looking worried. Liandel nodded slowly.
"U-understood. Jenes it is."
Then the inn door slammed open. A burly man burst in, clad in heavy armor under a fur cloak, his chin beard rugged.
His eyes scanned and locked on our table.
"You're... Ricoris-nim, right?"
He approached and bowed deeply. "I'm Evan, head of the village's adventurer guild. An honor to meet you!"
Ooh! Adventurer guild! I waved excitedly. I'd heard about them from Brian and Arthur's party as a flower. Isekai essential!
Evan, sweating on his brow, continued. "If you're not too busy... could you visit our guild? Much to discuss..."
Food done, plans rough-set—why not?
"Sure! Let's go now!" I shot up, arms stretched.
The Aces moved quick. Miel flew to my hair, Cecilia to my shoulder, Lote resumed orbiting. Glessia lounged lazily.
Liandel and Levy jumped up, the others scrambling after.
"To the guild!"
They'd recognize me as national-power level adventurer, right? Way stronger than Seraphina or Beatrice!
"Hehe!"