Chapter 394: Since the Base for Humans is also Finished

By the time evening arrived, I was able to build a two-story fort near the pier. Well, it was barely in time. The area near the horizon was changing from orange to red, and most of the sky had turned dark blue. It was already nightfall.

After the fort was completed, everyone moved the luggage in earnest. During that time, I installed four ballistae each on the ship and the fort. Two on the front and two on the back of the fort. Two on the left and two on the right sides of the ship.

“Lord Van! The preparations are complete!”

“Yeah, thanks.”

In front of the fort, Dee and the others who had been preparing dinner were waiting for me. Everyone other than Dee was completely exhausted and sitting on the ground, but they should be able to rest properly after the meal.

“We are done here too~!”

“We roasted more than enough, didn’t we.”

Till and Pluriel, wearing aprons, were waving their hands with smiles. Looking over, I saw Panamera sitting in a prepared chair, elegantly enjoying fruit wine. In front of her was a mountain of meat roasted by the two. Meat dishes aside, to think she remembered the fruit wine that had been left loaded and forgotten. Was it Panamera’s sense of smell for alcohol?

Confirming the state of those three, I headed towards Largus and the others together with Arte.

“Thanks to you, our house is finished. Tomorrow, I’m thinking of using this place as a base to repel the magic beast. If you’d like, won’t you join us for a meal?”

I politely thanked them and invited Largus and the others to dinner. Then, Largus tucked his chin and agreed.

“Umu, let us share a meal then. We have also brought the meat of the magic beast that person over there defeated. It would be good to roast that as well.”

“Eh?”

Tilting my head at Largus’s words, I gave a half-hearted reply, raised my face, and looked toward the sea. Then, black glossy skin and white meat caught my eye.

It was the meat of the monster whale.

“……A-Ah, thank you.”

“Umu.”

I couldn’t reject their goodwill. My face twitched slightly, but I somehow managed to respond with a smile. I wonder why? I don’t know if it’s because I almost died, but I really didn’t feel like eating the monster whale. However, Dee, who had walked up from behind, accepted the meat with a smile.

“Ooh! The bounty of the sea, is it! We are grateful!”

Holding the meat in a good mood, Dee headed toward the bonfire Panamera had prepared. He was completely eager to eat it.

Thus, I was able to gather around for a meal with Dee and the others for the first time in a while. I was happy to be able to eat with everyone, but I was also honestly glad to eat food using seasonings other than salt. Truly, seasonings are great.

“Till, it’s delicious!”

“Thank you very much!”

“It really is delicious.”

“Ehehe.”

Being praised by Arte and me, Till showed a bashful smile—or rather, a smug smile. Seeing this exchange, Khamsin teared up again. He’s become incredibly easily moved to tears, but is he okay?

“It’s delicious, isn’t it, Khamsin?”

“Y-Yes……! It is, delicious……!”

I cautiously called out to him, and Khamsin strongly agreed, eating the meat as if chewing on the feeling itself.

While I was watching Khamsin bite into the meat with teary eyes, Rilda happily said, “It’s delicious.” Turning around at those words, I saw Rilda sitting on the pier, smiling.

Seeing the mermaid smile, her bright, translucent blonde hair swaying, I involuntarily nodded, thinking, So this is a mermaid princess. Perhaps because of the fantastical sky at the boundary between day and night and the calm sea in the background, Rilda’s figure looked like a painting. However, the mermaid princess was currently enjoying meat skewered on a stick about the size of her face. I felt like I was suddenly pulled back to reality.

Incidentally, there were also middle-aged male mermaids eating meat while floating on the sea surface like sea otters, making it feel even more realistic. For some reason, I had a preconception that mermaids were all beautiful women, but it seems I was wrong.

Giving a wry smile at the mermaids’ dining scene, I continued my own meal.

“It’d be nice if we can get along with the mermaids, huh.”

When I turned my eyes to Arte sitting next to me and said that, Arte gently smiled back and looked sideways at everyone’s happy dining scene.

“……I think it’s wonderful.”

“Hm? Yeah.”

I felt her reply was slightly off, but thinking it was close enough, I nodded. A space where everyone is having fun is wonderful, after all.

While I was in a good mood eating delicious meat dishes, Dee, who had been roasting the monster whale to a nice brown, came running over in excitement.

“Lord Van! This magic beast’s meat is also delicious! I intended to roast it thoroughly, but even so, the meat is plump and soft!”

“Ehh? Really?”

Since Dee came running while unusually making a voluble comment about food, I turned around half in doubt. But certainly, the skin of the meat Dee held was roasted crispy, and the meat was white and looked delicious.

“Then, just a little bit……”

Saying that, I tore off a small piece from the edge of the meat Dee was holding and tried it. Indeed, the fragrant skin was crispy, but the meat was plump and soft. Moreover, the taste had a refined umami characteristic of white fish……

Just as I thought that, I realized something.

“Eh? Couldn’t you make grilled eel (kabayaki) with this?”

I muttered that in astonishment and stood up.

I can’t just sit here. Soy sauce. I need soy sauce. And then sugar and sake? Wait, there is no sake. What am I supposed to do with this feeling?

Realizing the current situation where I couldn’t act even if I wanted to, I writhed in agony all by myself.