Tenkomori: The Homecoming Club Conquers Another World

Chapter 45: Traveling to Selene - Until We Meet Again

We loaded up the back of the carriage with food, barrels full of water, and the skins of the Gousas, which had been prepared in a great hurry. The skins were still in the process of being tanned, and I was to ask Seren's artisans to continue the process.

I greeted the village chief, Neil, and the other villagers in the spring sunshine.

"Chief, thank you for taking care of us."

"What do you say? I don't know what would have happened to this village if Alter-sama hadn't been here. We have been indebted to you so much that we can't thank you enough. Will you stay with us for a while longer?"

"I would like to, but I don't have much time. I have to be in Seren by the time the formalities are closed. Oh, and watch out for bandits. You can't escape them, but it would be troublesome if they took hostages. Do not approach them carelessly."

"Yes, sir."

Even as he says this, the village chief looks anxiously at the forest.

It seems that he is still concerned about Ovech. He probably wants us to stay behind until the survey team arrives. I wanted to take care of the bandits at least, but there is only one village ahead of us, so we will have to hand them over to Seren. We can't take care of the bandits that far. We have given the bounty to the village, so we will ask them to do their best until we hand them over to the guild.

"Contact the guild as soon as possible. The guild will not be unaffected by a report of a noble's son and two groups of C-rank adventurers."

"Thank you very much."

The village chief bowed deeply.

He saw Ronnie and Miranda running from the inn.

"Thank you for waiting. This way please."

Ronnie held out a small barrel and a leather bag.

Roland and Marchant take it.

It seems to have been brought to them as soon as it was ready, and Miranda is still in her apron and her arms rolled up.

"I'm sorry I asked for so much."

"No, this is not the best way to thank you. Besides, I don't often handle such ingredients."

The contents were Ovech dishes.

Ovech had caused some commotion, but after breakfast, I remembered that I had not dismantled it and went in a great hurry to retrieve it. Then, with the help of Danil, Efurd, and the villagers, I processed it.

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This Ovech was unique not only in appearance but also inside.

Its entire body was covered with muscle fibers like a net, with widely spaced bones, and if I looked closely, each bone was composed of multiple bones. The tentacle part was almost entirely muscle, with a single highly flexible muscle running through the center.

The unusual structure of the bones was quite promising, but all the parts deteriorated rapidly as soon as they died and would fall apart in less than two days. In addition, we could not find any magic stone, so it was a monster that was not worth defeating.

The only saving grace is that the meat is said to be tasty, but people rarely hunt it because of its ugly appearance.

Not wanting to waste our catch, we brought it to the inn and asked Miranda to help us.

"The barrel is Ovech soup. It is highly salted to last a long time, so adjust the flavor as you add water. The bag is herb-roasted or fried uncooked and cut into bite-sized pieces. These may be damaged quickly. Please eat it before dinner."

As I listened to the explanation, I smelled something delicious.

I looked and saw that Markant had opened the bag and was peering into it. He swallowed hard and looked as if he was about to put his hand out, but as expected, even Markant held back. Don't mess with it as soon as you leave.

Then Ronnie, Miranda, and Tess lined up and thanked me again.

"Thank you so much for saving Tess."

"I would have liked to have served you properly, not with a hastily prepared meal."

"I'm sure I've been thanked enough. I'm rather sorry about that."

Ronnie and Miranda were still not convinced.

I turned to Tess, who was squirming next to me.

"Take care. Tess."

"Um, Alter-sama. My name is Tessaria!"

"So you're Tessaria. But it's a woman's name, isn't it?"

"Just because it's prettier that way, my mother said ……."

I glanced over and saw Miranda smiling at me.

Wow, she's sure of it. The fact that Tess isn't angry at his mom is also weird. Come to think of it, it's not strange for him to say "no" when a man confesses his feelings for his. And before that, his real name is also feminine. Well, it's a family story. It's not for a stranger to interfere.

I looked at Tess again.

He was chased by monsters, used as a shield by bandits, and almost eaten by wolves. Not a day has passed since then. He looks fine, but somewhere in his heart, fear must be smoldering.

"Tessaria, don't hold back. If you get scared, turn to your parents. If you want to cry, cry. Leave the skinny dipping to adults. It's a child's prerogative."

"Yes, I'll cry all over! And please call me Tess. I don't feel comfortable using my real name."

Then I wouldn't have to say my name, but I don't know.

Anyway, when I agreed, she glanced up at me, still looking up at me as if she wanted to say something.

Yes, he was mocking me.

"Um, Alter-sama, …… will you come to the village again?"

"Hmm, well – in three years at the earliest, five years at the latest. I will return to Reedwald. I'll stop by again then."

Tess's face clouded for a moment at the thought of several years, but she quickly smiled.

"Well, I'll do my best to entertain you! Be sure to come by!"

"All right. I'm looking forward to it, Tess."

◇◇◇◇

The carriage drove through the meadow and into the woods.

Ronnie and the others followed us to the edge of the meadow and saw us off.

Tess waved cheerfully and Miranda bowed graciously. Then, as if remembering, the farce was replayed, "Take care, little brother!" "You too, brother, be well!" and with moist eyes, Markant bid his brother farewell. You guys forgot about that, right? That's the setup.

Once through the forest, we returned to the streets for the first time in three days.

Immediately, Markant spread out Miranda's cooking. The delicious aroma makes me and Valerie reach for a piece of the fried food.

We throw it in our mouths and are convinced. It was just as delicious as it sounded. The taste is unimaginable from the grotesque appearance. The meat is similar to chicken meat, but it has a different flavor from any other meat. I would like to try it with salt only. I wish I had secured some in raw form.

"Leave some for everyone."

"I know."

Roland is on horseback, Pidosios is on the governor's platform, and the others are on foot, setting up a perimeter around the wagon. They rested in shifts, so now Markant and Valerie were riding together.

Markant reaches into his leather bag again.

Perhaps because he knows there are many gluttonous eaters, Miranda has prepared a large quantity. Still, there is a limit. If left unchecked, she would eat it all by herself.

As I was paying attention to the food, Markant opened his mouth as if he had just remembered.

"By the way, do you know?"

When Valerie tilts her head, Marchant makes a crisp face.

"If you want to cry, go ahead and cry. It's a child's prerogative, remember?"

Poof, Valerie blows Ovech out of the water.

This guy, what's he going to say?

Staring at him, Marchant excuses himself.

"No, for what it's worth, you don't cry or sulk at your parents. Where's your child's privilege?"

That stuff has been revoked since birth.

When I couldn't argue with him, Roland slinked up to the back of the carriage.

"That's a misunderstanding. The little boy doesn't cry, but he's very picky. Sometimes he persuades Urban, sometimes he soothes Henriette. He is very, very, very desperate."

"Isn't that …… something different?"

He ducks the stupefied gaze of his passenger and drives Roland away.

The first thing I did was to take away the skin bag so that I wouldn't be able to eat any more of it.

I think these guys are taking me too lightly. I'm the son of an employer and a lord.

Well, it's easier than being bothered by them.

Suddenly, I looked in the direction of the village of Verene.

They were interesting people, too.

Those people had no contact with the locals along the way. We usually stayed only one night in one village. This was the first time I had stayed there for three days. There is life in the towns and villages we passed through. If we had had time to interact with them, we might have had other encounters.

But – I don't think there was one like that.

I think back on the events of the past three days.

How many years will it be before the next time?

How will I be different then, and what will they be doing?

I have more to look forward to.

Ronnie, Miranda, and Tess. I will buy souvenirs for them, too.

I thought about what would be good for them.

Then I realized that Tess's souvenirs in my mind were all women's things, and I laughed.