Eat eat eat

This Holy Maiden… could be a dog, Anyi thought dryly as Ariana's teeth grazed his neck. Her grip was less of a bite and more like a clingy child's embrace. Still, several marks were left on his skin as she hung from his shoulders, clearly starving. Behind him, Miruku hadn't bitten him, but her drooling was constant, like a faucet that wouldn't turn off.

Though neither had lost HP or Mana, their Stamina was depleted. Miruku's situation was particularly dire—her 40 points in Agility meant she could move with blazing speed, but it also drained her stamina in a heartbeat.

Ariana, on the other hand, had recovered just enough mana to barely regain the ability to move. It was a lesson learned the hard way: never completely deplete your Mana. When you're out, you're vulnerable. Even as a Hero, if you're struck down, death is still a very real possibility.

You could recover from most injuries—stab wounds, even damage to vital organs like the heart—given enough food and rest. But damage to the digestive organs? Starving to death was far worse than a broken heart.

Eventually, Anyi found a small house at the edge of the village. He rummaged around, finding some vegetables and fruits to feed the two starving maidens. He then relayed their location to Layton through the chat group, and soon enough, a crowd of villagers and believers arrived.

When they realized that Anyi and Ariana had rid them of the slime threat, they were overwhelmed. Tears streamed down their faces as they blurted out their gratitude, hardly able to form coherent sentences. 

For them, slimes had been an ever-present menace since childhood, and the idea of surviving such an overwhelming force was beyond comprehension. The heroes had saved them—how could they not weep in awe?

Anyi, however, met their tearful thanks with a calm, almost cold expression.

"You lot... can you go home and stir-fry some vegetables and bring them here?" 

The villagers blinked, dumbfounded.

"?"

Then, all at once, they erupted into a collective cry of understanding.

"Hero-sama has given us a mission!"

"Stir-fry the vegetables! Everyone, go stir-fry the vegetables!!"

"Hero-sama! Our cooking skills are exceptional! I'll start right away!"

The entire group scattered, hurrying back to their homes to prepare meals as though it were a sacred task. 

Once the villagers had cleared out, the believers remained, eyes wide with wonder.

"Sword Hero-sama, that golden rain of arrows earlier… was it truly—?"

"Yes," Anyi interrupted flatly, "it was the Holy Maiden's doing."

For a moment, the believers were stunned. They had assumed it was a divine act from Kami-sama.

Wait... could it still be divine?

"Of course!" one of them exclaimed, realization dawning. "Kami-sama sent down punishment through Holy Maiden-sama!"

With that, their eyes brimmed with tears once more. The air was thick with prayers and whispers of devotion.

"Great Kami, we thank you for your mercy! Humanity is saved!"

Anyi stood silently, blinking. "...Sure."

Then, one of the believers timidly stepped forward. "And where is Holy Maiden-sama now? Is she injured?"

"She's fine," Anyi replied. "Just exhausted from obliterating a large portion of the slimes. Let her rest. And don't bother her."

The believers nodded, looking around as if they might catch a glimpse of the miraculous Holy Maiden in her moment of recovery.

If the believers rushed into the room now, they'd be greeted with a scene that could ruin their reverence for the Holy Maiden—a frantic display of Ariana and Miruku devouring fruit as if their lives depended on it. Letting them be seen like this was far from ideal, so Anyi wisely kept them hidden while waiting for something more substantial. 

Gnawing on unprocessed fruit wasn't doing much good anyway. Without flavor or energy, it barely contributed to their recovery, even after an entire day of munching. Anyi had the foresight to send the villagers off to stir-fry vegetables, knowing that the better quality meals would speed up their regeneration.

Meanwhile, Layton, who had managed to replenish his Mana quickly after consuming a few slimes, was already back to full capacity. His low Mana limit meant he could use it up fast but also recover just as quickly. 

After about twenty minutes, the villagers returned, bearing well-fried dishes. Anyi set up a few tables, allowing Ariana and Miruku to start eating. Ariana, her face lighting up, proposed, "Let's move outside and enjoy the meal in the open air!"

So, they brought a simple table to the courtyard, arranging three chairs for the feast. Once outside, Ariana and Miruku made a conscious effort to eat with a little more grace, nibbling at the food instead of devouring it.

"As girls, we need to maintain our image," Ariana whispered, though her enthusiasm still shone through.

The villagers stood just beyond the courtyard gate, watching with quiet admiration. They had initially worried that their offerings wouldn't be enough to satisfy the Heroes, but those concerns quickly evaporated. It became evident that no matter how much food was set before them, the trio continued to eat, bowl after bowl. 

The villagers were captivated not only by how much the Heroes were eating but by how elegantly they did so. It was a spectacle—a beautiful, surreal scene that left them marveling.

"Even when they eat, they look so graceful!" one of the villagers whispered, half in awe.

Layton, feeling his seniority among the group, abstained from the feast, thinking it best not to intrude. He quietly watched as the younger Heroes filled themselves to the brim, seemingly enjoying every moment of it.

After a few hours, Anyi and Miruku had finally reached their limit, having fully restored their strength. Yet, Ariana continued, seemingly insatiable, taking bite after bite long after the others had stopped.

Finally, nearly three hours into the meal, Ariana sat back with a deep sigh, patting her stomach. "Ah… I'm full!" she declared, her eyes half-lidded in satisfaction.

For Heroes, the concept of fullness was more psychological than physical. Their bodies converted everything they ate directly into mana, so in reality, they didn't truly get "full." But still, Ariana savored the feeling as though she had.

As the villagers and believers began clearing the plates, they exchanged glances, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"She ate... that much?" one villager whispered.

"That's… not humanly possible…" another replied.

Then, as if struck by divine realization, one of the believers gasped, "This is the power Kami-sama has bestowed upon Holy Maiden-sama!"

"Yes! Eating so much delicious food—what greater blessing could there be?!"

"To feast like this, it's the ultimate grace from Kami-sama!" They fell to their knees, tears streaming down their faces once more. The power of faith surged through them, their devotion to Ariana deepening with every bite she took.

Just as the last of the plates were being cleared, a new commotion arose at the courtyard entrance. A group of villagers came rushing in, dragging someone with them. 

"Kneel before the Heroes!" shouted a burly man, shoving the bound figure to the ground.

It was Masi—the leader of the Slime Cleaners from earlier.

Everyone but Anyi exchanged confused looks. Wasn't this the same man who had been helping earlier?

"Hero-sama!" one of the villagers began, voice full of righteous anger. "We've received news that this scoundrel caused the slimes to gather!"

"What?!" The believers gasped in unison, eyes wide with shock.

The villager continued, pointing an accusatory finger at Masi. "He let his staff loose, attracting the attention of the slimes! He's the reason they gathered and attacked our village!"