Chapter 23
Camping in the Sacred Land
“Kyaaa! Ahahaha!!”
Their laughter echoed through the valley as Ai and the others cheered—if you could call it that—for the men heading toward the river.
“Hahaha! You’re so slow! Look, it got away!”
“Shut up! Stop yelling! It’s your fault, ah damn it!”
Everyone tried their best to keep the mood bright, and Kian finally seemed to have shaken off his earlier shock.
Before the sun went down, they made makeshift wooden spears and watched Zarel catch fish in the river. Everyone tried it themselves, but it didn’t go well.
“Yoshii! You suck! Zarel, you’re awesome!”
While the girls cheered from the riverbank, Lilith tended to the campfire.
Unlike Zarel and Yoshii, who were standing in the water catching fish, Kian was stretching awkwardly from the riverbank, trying to grab one without getting in.
“Kian! Get in the water already!”
“Fool! I’ll get cold if I get wet!
Lilith! Why don’t you catch some too?”
“I am in charge of the fire, Your Highness. Please, do your best.”
Grrr! This is no fun at all!
Lilith, light on her feet as if she had wings, easily climbed the cliff to gather edible plants, nuts, and firewood.
Among the men, the only completely useless one was Kian.
For some reason, it really stung his pride.
“Lilith is a mage—of course she can do anything! And Zarel’s a warrior, so naturally he can catch fish!
I’m a prince, you know!”
Kian still hadn’t caught a single fish.
“Kian, shut up or you’ll scare them away!”
“Grr! I’m a prince! My job is to eat the food, not catch it!”
Kian stomped his feet in frustration.
“Kian, you’re so lame!”
“I don’t care about looking cool! I’m hungry!”
Throwing down his spear, Kian finally plunged his hands into the water.
“Ah!”
“Ah!”
When he slowly lifted his hands, a fish was flapping wildly between them.
“I—I got it! I got it!!!”
“Wow! Congratulations, Prince Kian!”
Lilith stood up and clapped her hands in delight.
“I did it! I did it! I—ah!”
But as Kian jumped up in triumph, the slippery fish slipped from his hands and escaped.
“Ahhh, it got away.”
“Told you—so lame!”
The fish that got away was a big one. And with that, Kian’s popularity with the girls hit rock bottom.
As night fell, the group sat around a bright, crackling fire by the riverside. Most of the fish had been caught by Zarel, and Lilith skillfully grilled them.
The way she arranged the firewood and tended the flames showed just how seasoned a traveler she was.
“Huh, I heard green wood doesn’t burn—but it actually does?”
“Yes, if you know how to make it work.
In some places, dry wood isn’t available.”
Lilith handed the first cooked fish to Kian.
“Would it be all right if the ladies go first, Prince Kian?”
“Eh? Ah, um… yes, that’s fine.”
“Thank you. Then, Lady Yoko, please.”
Lilith offered the fish, and Yoko accepted it.
It seemed that even in this world, ladies first was a thing.
“I’ll start!”
Yoko took a big bite, while Kian watched with an annoyed, sulky expression.
“Mmm, delicious! If only we could take a bath now, it’d be perfect!”
“Seriously. I want to soak in a hot spring again.”
Ai and Yoko sighed wistfully.
Lilith handed Ai a fish and smiled gently, as if to comfort her.
“When traveling, it’s hard to find time for baths.
When I return from journeys, my master sometimes doesn’t even recognize me at first because I’m so dirty and thin.
I get scolded terribly every time.”
“Ah, so that’s why you’re so small!
You need to eat more, you know. Growing girls have to eat.
Unlike Kian, who eats too much.”
“What?! Yoshii! How dare you!”
Kian puffed up, but his belly stuck out so much he could barely bend forward.
“See? You should’ve just gone to the hot spring when we had the chance.”
“You’re right. I’ll try next time, though convincing the villagers might be hard.”
“Yeah, being the unpopular ones must be rough!”
“Indeed it is.”
Their laughter echoed through the valley again.
Even though the fish were only grilled with salt, they tasted incredible. It made Yoshii realize what real nature tasted like.
“I wonder if my mom’s worried about me…”
Ai murmured softly.
“Yeah… I wonder if they’ve found out about the fake yet.”
“Even if they did, what can we do?”
“True…”
Tears welled up in Ai’s eyes.
“Annoying as parents can be, once you’re away from them, you miss them. Yoko, you must worry about your siblings too, right?”
“Yeah, but… this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
I’ve always wanted a trip like this, so it helps keep my mind off it.”
Yoko gently patted Ai’s back.
“Lady Ai, if the clay dolls made by Lord Guashram are standing in for you, you have nothing to fear. They are extremely well-made.”
“Lilith, you don’t get it! They’ll notice!”
“Huh? Really?”
Lilith looked puzzled.
“Yeah. Parents can tell when something’s off.
Even if you look the same, they can feel it’s not you.
Your master’s probably the same way, Lilith.”
“But… my master…”
He’s not my real parent.
Lilith lowered her gaze in thought.
“He knows, Lilith. Your master knows how you feel.”
Yoshii said firmly.
“How would he know that? They’re not even related by blood!”
And there Kian went again—ruining the mood.
“You’re such an idiot! You’d never understand!”
“What?! How am I an idiot?! How dare you speak to me like that!”
Yoshii sighed heavily.
“Forget it. Just shut up, Kian.
Anyway, we’ve got each other here, but Kawahara’s all alone… I wonder how he’s doing.”
“Yeah.”
Yoko gazed blankly at the night sky. Ai patted her on the back.
“He’ll be fine! He’s smart—he’ll figure something out.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he will.”
“Right! Of course he will, right, Kian?”
Yoshii tried to sound cheerful.
“Hmph. My uncle isn’t the kind of man who would harm someone without reason.
He’s surely keeping him safe and well protected… probably.”
Probably?! That didn’t sound very reassuring.
Ai forced a laugh and quickly changed the subject.
