19. The Spicy Fish Stew Tastes Awesome
19. The Spicy Fish Stew Tastes Awesome
6 AM reveille.
The moment I woke up, I started packing my bags to move out.
"Huff...damn salt, seriously."
Filthy and sticky as hell.
I learned well that beach vacations are nothing but suffering unless you've got money to burn.
I chewed on a chocolate bar as a breakfast substitute while organizing my luggage. My preparations to leave were complete.
"Roughly figuring the location..."
I should just keep heading up from here and then turn west once, right?
The more I thought about it, the tighter my schedule became. And no wonder—I was planning to climb a mountain, after all.
"...Let's figure it out on the way."
They say most worries before taking action are useless worries anyway.
...
..
.
The mountain's midslope.
A clear river flowed alongside, and small flora and fauna grew near it.
Where there was water, life naturally gathered. As such, food was more abundant than in other areas, and...
"Kkiyat──hoo!"
Clear water was flowing.
That was the most important thing.
Clear water. Uncontaminated water continuously supplied.
I threw away any thought that there might be people around and plunged my body into the river with all my might.
"Hiii...this is fucking amazing!"
The sensation of the grime, my salt-and-sweat-encrusted filth, being swiiish washed away.
I even tossed the clothes I'd worn for days into the water to wash them, which made me feel this must be what civilization was all about.
In truth, my life was closer to that of a wild man than a civilized one, but anyway.
"Lots of fish too. I can even see things like crayfish."
Changing locations had apparently been the right call.
Right now, with Present Sight alone, the food I could spot was abundant.
Though my desire to catch and eat them immediately was burning fiercely, regrettably, I had to secure a shelter first.
I can always find food whenever I want, but...
A house, if not built in advance, would leave you wandering later.
Just like a bitter young professional who, shuddering at Seoul land prices, bought a house far out in the nearby metropolitan area, only to end up with a 4-hour round-trip commute on an extreme hell course.
Though it was a hassle now, staking your claim early was a gain for the future in many ways.
When that hadn't actually been possible in my previous life, I'd felt my head splitting apart in all kinds of ways──no, wait, why was I rambling like this?
"A decent place to sleep...there it is!"
A place near the river, not too damp, and reasonably suitable for sleeping.
I quickly picked a spot, set down my luggage, and gave my surroundings a sweeping glance.
"Sure enough, I can see traces of people having lived here."
Traces of having lit fires, traces of having slept—these caught my eye here and there.
I should probably avoid this spot just in case. Still, out of curiosity, I checked who had stayed here using Past Sight.
"...Minerva?"
Minerva and several other cadets appeared.
Judging by the situation, it seemed Minerva had taken a leadership role and guided the group.
Projecting the surrounding objects with Past Sight, it was striking how Minerva showed up in every single one.
"Hmmmmm...Minerva, huh."
I concluded that setting up camp here wouldn't be a bad idea.
I roughly gathered nearby wood, completed my usual shelter-building.
For the remaining time, I caught fish from the river, and then...
"So the time has come to use this."
****************
Around this time, in the case of Minerva's group.
"I'm sorry, captain..."
"The resistance was, too fierce..."
"...No. It was largely my own inadequacy."
The result of the Mars subjugation.
Regrettably, they had let Mars slip away.
She had been stronger than expected, so the plan of pinning her down and having the others swarm her from all sides had fallen apart.
I'm certain I remember her not being this strong before...
The weight felt from her sword had changed.
It was a little heavier, a little stronger.
In just a month or so, Mars had once again taken another step forward.
This unexpected growth had, inversely, led to damage to the group.
"Because I'm...inadequate..."
As expected. I was still weak.
Minerva tightened her grip on her sword and bit her lip.
...No, get a grip, Minerva.
A stinging pain.
Simultaneously, the light of reason returned to her eyes.
"First, we return to our base. After restoring our stamina there, we'll proceed with the subjugation again."
Mars' condition wasn't normal anyway.
She looked like she hadn't been eating—her face was gaunt and the dark circles under her eyes were dark.
Even when crossing swords, there was no hint of leisure in her.
Proof that they weren't the only ones in a hurry.
Rather, if they calmly, slowly tightened the noose like pressure, victory would naturally fall into their hands.
Minerva regained her composure and comforted her group.
But then...
"Captain...there's a stranger at our house...!"
"A stranger?"
Before they could even fully regain their composure, urgent news followed.
"First off, it's not one of our guys. Looks like they came from somewhere else but...sniff...sniff sniff...huhhh?"
"...This smell is."
At the same time, a sharp aroma they could never have smelled in the forest swirled around their noses.
A spicy scent that made their stomachs growl, a smell that gradually drew them—hungry and exhausted—closer.
"First...I'll take the lead."
"......Gulp!"
Minerva cleared the path ahead of her salivating squad members.
Clutching her empty stomach, she slowly advanced forward.
If we encounter them...
What should she do?
Ambush? Or coaxing?
Or maybe bartering?
Hunger gnawed away at reason, and exhaustion made the mind sluggish.
Ultimately, before she could even judge anything, her body was already drawn by the smell, moving her steps forward.
"...Chrono?"
"You came?"
Why was Chrono at their camp.
"I've been waiting for a while, and you're only showing up now."
"What...in the world..."
For what purpose exactly.
For what reason had he come here.
"I boiled up some spicy fish stew, want some? I made plenty just in case!"
""""...........""""
That was no longer important to her, or to her squad members.
"But here's the problem—I don't have any bowls, you see?"
So, make some bowls and come.
""""......Uoooooohhhh!!!!""""
Bowls!
Gimme the bowls!
Wooden bowls! Stone bowls! Clay bowls—whatever!
"Me! I brought a bowl!"
"Shut it! Do you intend to insult the Spicy Fish Stew with such a dirt-caked bowl?! Please, instead, in my wooden bowl, I beg you! Truly!"
"Aahh...I can't make bowls because I'm a wind-type...!"
The howls of hungry ghosts exhausted by hunger and fatigue.
Chrono smiled a grin, and then─
"─Don't you know the order of elders first, you sons of bitches!"
"""Thwack──!!"""
He pulled out his dagger and smacked their heads with the pommel.
Of course, he didn't smack them hard enough to actually hurt.
Chrono snatched the bowl right from the cadet in front of him who was holding a wooden bowl, ladled in the spicy fish stew, and said,
"Ain't it only natural for these things to be served, eung? Starting with the captain first and all?"
""""Oh right...!!!""""
Exhausted by hunger, tainted by fatigue.
These were the ones who had charged forward thinking only of themselves.
Minerva accepted the spicy fish stew Chrono handed her, silently looking at him.
"....Huh? Why? Something wrong again?"
Why is he...
Why was he treating her so well.
Did he have some kind of motive?
While she was agonizing and agonizing again, Chrono spoke.
"Ah...now that I think about it, there are no spoons, either."
"............"
"No spoons, I said."
"..........?"
"Wanna get smacked and then go make 'em, or just make 'em?"
"Ah...!"
At some point, Chrono had begun to take control of the cadets.
In this cold and hungry moment, Chrono, who had lit a fire and was sharing food, appeared just like 'that one figure' who fed the multitude with five loaves and two fish.
"Kkieeeek! The freshwater fish grilled in gochujang is here!"
""""Kkiaaaaaaaahk!!!""""
Their morale exploded in an instant.
Though they had filled their stomachs by gathering herbs every time, the quantity was never satisfying, and their diet had been nothing but bitter roots, piled hardship upon hardship.
Amidst that, the stimulation of 'deliciousness' they had barely tasted was enough to make their brains go utterly, completely haywire.
And on top of that, the portions were generous.
The broth was thick and rich too.
After eating, their bellies were full, the fire was warm, so it was truly a paradise on earth like no other.
"Chrono, it's late to say this, but welcome to our group!"
"A talent like you is always welcome!"
"Wow...so this is what that 10kg is worth?"
Before anyone knew it, all hostility had vanished, and only goodwill remained among the group.
Chrono mingled among them, exchanging words and telling the story of his journey so far.
"So like that, eung? Do you guys even know about the rabbit night sky's fur? I also did fireworks at the beach, and the only thing left was the mountain, so that's why I came here."
"...Is this for real?"
Listening to Chrono's stories, they mostly wondered if he was even taking the same exam as them, but they glossed over that part.
"Chrono."
"Fwah~~~ahm...what?"
Minerva spoke calmly, with all her heart, to Chrono.
"Thank you."
"...Hnngg."
I shouldn't be like this.
Chrono murmured quietly.
Soon he stood up from his spot and shouted out in a loud voice,
"Anyone who wants to watch a movie, raise your hand!"
"Me!"
"Me me!"
"Me me me nu-na-na me me!!"
An impromptu movie theater.
Chrono's phone that he'd brought along was hard at work again today.
...
..
.
Around this time, in the case of Yuno.
"...Mars?"
"!,...It's Yuno."
A person she happened to run into while stepping out for a moment for business.
"Mars...how did you end up so..."
"...What's it to you?"
Mars.
Her condition didn't look good in many ways.
Blood was flowing from various parts of her body.
A hideous purplish bruise was also visible.
Her expression looked extremely exhausted, and the greatsword in her hand looked more like a walking stick than a greatsword.
"Mars. Come with me. I'll tell Ter."
"...No thanks."
"Mars."
"......Sorry, but, not right now."
Mars shook her head.
Yuno's offer was deeply appreciated.
The fact that it was a hand reaching out for her—she was immensely grateful.
But because of that, precisely because of that, she absolutely couldn't approach.
If I mess up...the harm will spread even to Yuno.
Taking the disgrace was enough with just her alone.
Mars gathered her fighting spirit again and tried to move her steps——but at that moment, she suddenly turned her head toward Yuno at the strange vitality welling up within her body.
"Yuno, you..."
"You'd definitely go even if I told you not to, right?"
Yuno, having brought her hand toward Mars' body.
Hera's Blessing was imbued in Yuno's hand, faintly restoring Mars' body.
"Go. Go on, you idiot."
"...I'm not an idiot, y'know?"
"No. You're definitely an idiot."
Chrono, too.
You, too.
You're both just the same idiot idiots.
[Yuno? Where are you?]
"!,...Go quickly."
"......Thanks."
Mars immediately vanished from the spot.
Her retreating figure, fading away shrouded by the darkness and the forest.
"Yuno, so you were here?"
"Sorry, Ter. My stomach hurt a little...hehe."
Yuno turned her head, pretending nothing was wrong, and smiled.
I hope, I really hope they both survive until the last day and meet again.