Story IV / Part XLVIII: The Red Dawn of Crimson Sky (XV) / The Wicked Fate That Awaits Us (VII)

"I will go to wake others again, Ayumi please wash the dishes. Oh, you can pick only one portion from each type and store them in your inventory. Perhaps, they will be enough for all 198 of us till next Eelvariash." I said that while walking out from the kitchen. After that, Ayumi quickly washed the dishes and returned to her seat again. She and The Dwarves are drooling in front of the foods.

"So, Boss allowed us to pick one from each? Does he mean we are allowed to pick any of them?!"

"Then, I will take this crab meatball!" Khazim picked the meatball, moreover the biggest one.

"I will take this Potato Doughnut!" Ayumi picked the doughnut.

"…and I will take this Karaage!" Igrei took the Karaage. Meanwhile, Dan is still confused what he wants to pick. Then, he picked the Takoyaki.

I walked to girls' area and entered the tent first to check them. Thankfully, most of them had awoken and they are preparing their gear. Only Luna and Rania who are still sleeping peacefully in their room. Of course, Rania sleeps on the ceilings with strange position again.

I poured a bucket of water on Luna and shot a big water ball to Rania. She fell and crushed onto ground beautifully. I quickly put the bucket on Luna's bed and escaped outside. On the way, I heard both of them are starting to fight.

I walked (ran) outside from the room quickly entered the boy's room. Well, most of them are awake right now and the ones who are still sleeping are Tim, Ello, Erick and Toval. Tim was the easiest one to wake up, but his sleeping face…was dangerous. He even clung to my hand and rubbed his cheek on it. It seemed, he dreamt about became a Cat Sith before.

For Erick, I need to dispose his traps, not just one…but hundred. Thanks to Yavia who came, she can dispose all of them at once. Ello, he was tough as hell even after I poured a bucket of cold and hot water at him, he was still sleeping. So, I need to call Yavia again and made her cast [Beast Call]. Well, I didn't ask her for wolves or bears, but something creepy bug with two antennas, six legs, brown-colored and can flying.

"Hmmngghh…?" Ello opened his eyes slowly.

But when he fully opened his eyes, he saw one big "demonic bug" on his bed that happily licking the wet blanket…and his face.

"GGYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…!!!!"

From there, Yavia and I quickly rushed to Toval's room because our time is short and we need to depart soon. But what he found on there, only a man that pretends to sleep.

"Ngghh…emm, Kaichou…?" Toval wiped his eyes and stretched his arms.

"Stop pretending. I knew you are already awake. Do not waste our time anymore. Otherwise, I will—"

"Gasp! Do you want to take my—HIIIIIIII!!!" Before Toval finishes his words, I glared at him.

"I'VE GOT ENOUGH OF YOUR FUCKING JOKE, NOW GET UP YOU TWAT, POUR A BUCKET OF WATER TO YOUR STINKY BODY, HEAD TO KITCHEN AND CHEW UP THOSE FOODS I HAVE MADE SINCE DEAD MORNING. IF YOU ARE LATE, I'LL TIE YOU TO MY HORSE AND DRAG YOU ALL THE WAY TO ENCAMPTMENT!"

"Y-YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS….!!!!" Toval jumped out from his bed and ran to his bathroom.

"Yavia-san, you can take your breakfast first. Don't worry about me, Go ahead!"

"Y-yes…excuse me…" Yavia bowed her head and headed to kitchen.

(I think she is afraid of me right now. Well, I'm sorry, it can't be helped Yavia-san. I need to act like this to make everything go as planned) I thought that while scratching my head.

After that, I walked to entrance and greeted my old comrades in Academy and now, they have become Claire's subordinates. I also met Jordan and Erica's men who always traveled with me for two Eelvariash on occasion when I started my career as an adventurer shortly after graduated.

"WHAT?! MY LIEGE COOKED A NEW VARIANT OF [CALORIE MEAL]?! I NEED TO TASTE THEM NOW!" said Jordan with burning eyes.

"E-eh MATTE ONII-SAMA…!!!" But it was too late, Jordan had disappeared from our sight.

I reassured Erica who kept apologizing and bowing down her head to me and asked them to eat first before me. I also asked all their subordinates to join. Of course, they ran inside without hesitation.

(I wonder how hungry they are…) I shook my head when thinking that.

(Now, I need to find Anna) I checked her name and the [Status Screen] showed me that she is on the cliff there.

I climbed the cliff on the top of base entrance and I found her. She was sitting on the rock while watching that "demonic scenery" from there. I slowly walked to her and touched her right shoulder. She was surprised and angry with me. However, she quickly hides her face after she knew someone who touched her was I.

"Anna?! What's wrong?! Why are you crying?!" I tried my best to calm her down.

After Anna calmed down, she told me that she is afraid to go "there" right now. It's not that she is afraid to die, but she is afraid if she dies, nobody will take care of her widowed mother, and her younger siblings. Even though her family lives in Midgardia, the Kingdom of Dark Elf inside Yggdrasil World that has stable politic and secured environment, if her family can't eat, they will slowly wither away.

I understand what she means. I know living in Elven Kingdoms is like "Irllina" for Humans because how peaceful it is inside the kingdoms, but the price for every item that sold there is very expensive.

Moreover, the rivalry between shops, products and work is really high in Elven Kingdoms. That isn't mean they would do underhanded tactics to "kill" their rivals, but The Elves are really love to create or invent something new that can satisfy themselves (their research) and their customers or you can say Elves love to make something new to fill their "boredom" of their long-living ability.

They are always trying to do that because The Maker blessed them with powerful abilities such as [Quick Thinker], [Smart Thinker], [Intelligence Brain] or [Quick Brain] and those powerful abilities are working in harmony with Elves' [RA] [Racial Abilities] such as [Immortality], [Quick Feet], [Independent Action], and [Independent's Will].

Meanwhile, Anna's father has passed away due to his [Core of Origin] destroyed on the [Third Rain of Chaos]. He wasn't killed by someone, but his body is destroyed from [Space Distortion] that suddenly came when the [Outer World] connected with [Abyssia]. She told me again, that she and her mother were the ones who witnessed his terrifying death. Moreover, her mother must kill him again because the demonic miasma and red rain almost converted his dead body into "them".

After that terrifying incident, Anna's mother started to work as a tailor to feed her three children. She worked very hard until Anna graduated from Midgardia Knight and Magic Academy. Fortunately, Anna received a scholarship for short-term education in Northlandia Knight and Magic Academy.

Basically, she was my upperclassman before and from that meeting, she agreed to join my party after I offered her a position in my newly made party. By joining our party, Anna can earn extra cash from adventuring as well as sewing ingredients for her mother.

Thanks to her long hard work and dedication, her mother's home industry can grow into well-known armor workshop. Aeiklvelt Company normally is creating armor for Mages and Rogues.

Well, even though the Aeiklvelt Company itself is well known in the capital city of Midgardia, Migerd but her family's business is still a small company and they can't profit much from local trade. Anna said her family's company becomes well known because they often make limited sale armors for Mages and Rogues with good STATs, even though the price isn't cheap.

"The adventurers and people who live near my house are nice, so I don't have to worry about leaving my family alone…" Then, Anna wiped out hear tears.

In the company itself, her mother only has five workers, excluding her mother and siblings and they can't afford to buy good materials that are imported from other Kingdoms. Even her mother can only buy local products once or twice in large quantity per Eelvariash if she has enough money.

Meanwhile, the demands for armors from her shop kept increasing due to their reputation and the rumors circulating around the adventurers in Midgardia Kingdom that their company is a legendary company that sells high quality "limited items" for a limited time.

She can't rival the big companies who have vast connection and large amount of. Moreover, other big companies have been trying to buy her company with the workers (including her mother). No, this isn't illegal Dark Elf trafficking, they just want to monopolize her mother company.

That is why Anna shoulders the burden of acquiring raw materials by becoming an adventurer. She has been collecting materials while adventuring with us and most of the materials she collected are always sent to her mother. She also sends few amounts of gold coins that she got from completing the quests.

"I just afraid, if I die here, we will live in poverty again…though, right now we already live in poverty itself. My mother's hard works have made me into this far, but if I die, here…I…uuuu…" Now, Anna is crying again loudly.

This is my first time I saw someone with strong dedication and high spirit like Anna crying like a weak girl. Every day she always stays positive and energetic. She won't complain with every orders, quests or missions that she received from guild, other people or me and she won't bother the details as long as she can get her reward. If I can say, her life is almost like a mercenary or assassin.

"No one will die, we will come back alive." Then, Anna suddenly is looking at me with teary eyes.

"Crying, feels afraid, and worried about your mother is fine, it's a sign that you still have a heart…" I patted Anna's head to reassure her and she is slowly stopped crying.

"But, feeling sad and afraid before a big battle only makes your blade rust and death soon will follow if your blade rusts. Remember Anna-chan, there is no good and evil in battlefield, there are only pure cutting and betrayal. So, you must survive in this battle no matter what and remember, for whom you are fighting for?"

After I said that, Anna quickly wiped all her tears and stand. She tidied her cloth and pants while equipping her claymore on her back. Then, she quickly grabs my hand and shakes it.

"Thank you, Haru-san…no, Kaichou…I'm sorry for showing my weak side earlier."

"It's okay! I only want to make feel better." I am patting her head.

"Ehe, Thanks! I'm sorry for taking your precious time. You came because you wanted to tell me that we will depart to battlefield, aren't we?"

"Yup, anyway it's better to fill your stomach. We can't fight with empty stomach after all."

"Oh, you are right. I feel hungry somehow. Did you cook something?"

"Yes, I did. I cooked my own creation of [Calorie Meal]."

"You created your own [Calorie Meal]?! I want to try that! Let's go Kaichou…!"

Anna pulled my hand and she released it before jumping down. After she jumped down, she ran inside and left me on the entrance. I rubbed my head while wondering how Anna can recover from her sadness so fast. Well, wondering that right now is useless. I need to go to kitchen fast and eat my breakfast.

I kept walking, passing through the corridors and rooms. When I almost reached the inner corridor that connects to kitchen, I heard Anna is screaming loudly. I quickly ran to there and I found her that has been standing in front of something.

"Anna-chan?!"

"Kaichou…Kaichou! Look at this!" Anna waved her right hand to me and she pointed at something with her left hand before she ran inside and left me alone.

Somehow, I feel uneasy but I put my courage and walk slowly to her. But when I reached there, I found my party members, as well as Jordan, Erica and Claire's men are laying on the floor with drooling mouth and spinning eyes while their bellies are swollen.

Seeing this, I quickly ran inside with Anna, when I almost reached the kitchen entrance, I found Jordan is laying on the floor. I lift his head while smacking his face lightly to wake him up. It took long time to make him gain his consciousness.

"O…oh…My Liege…Uh…"

"Jordan! What's wrong with you?! Why your belly swells this big?! Did someone poison you?!"

"Ugh…My Liege…if…you…want…to…torture…me, just go ahead…but…this…torment…is…too…delicious…"

"Jordan! Jordan! Jordan, answer me!" I shake his body and head.

"I see…my parents…" Then, Jordan collapsed.

"Kaichou! What's wrong with him?!" said Anna with panic voice.

I shook my head and left Jordan laying on the floor. I quickly ran inside the kitchen and when I reached there, I found a terrifying scenery. I found many people were laying on the floor. Anna who came after me was extremely shocked with this. I asked her to carry the girls who were laying on the corridor to the main hall.

She nodded and ran outside after that. I am walking around to check everyone fortunately none of them is in critical state. I turned my head to the left where I saw a woman is sobbing loudly. I rushed to her and wiped her tears that are flowing out from her eyes. She keeps sleep talking whenever I called her name loudly.

"…This is sweetness…of…parental…love…father…mother…"

"Erica, Erica! Can you hear me?!"

I shook Erica's body but I got no response. Then, I turned my body to where Tim lies. I lift his head and I slapped his cheeks a few times. He didn't response at all other than giggling.

"Sweet…sweet…bread…" Tim is sleep talking.

After I done checking Tim's condition, I moved to table where Khazim, Igrei, Dan and Ayumi sit before. I found the Dwarves were sitting on the chairs while grabbing something I don't know. I found Ayumi on the corner right of the table after I lifted her head from a bowl and I found the porridge is all over her face. I activated my lifestyle magic to clean her face and cloth.

"Mfufufufu…sweet bread…" Ayumi is talking to herself.

"Ayumi! Ayumi, wake up! It's me! Did you hear me?!"

"H-Haru…-san…" She weakly rubs my cheek.

"Mmu!" Then, she suddenly kissed my lips, which was surprised me.

(Right, she is completely drunk right now. But from what?) I slowly put her down.

When she kissed me, I taste something sweet from her lips…I lick my own lips to try to remember it.

(Wait…wait, don't tell me this is…!)

I quickly opened the food cover and I found the [Calorie Meal] that I cooked before had completely gone. Panicked, I opened Ayumi's hand and I found half-eaten apple fruit bread there, I moved to Khazim and I also found piece of Karaage on his hand.

"Don't tell me…" I buried my face under my left hand and shook my head strongly.

"What's happened here, My Lord?!"

Vania entered the kitchen again and asked me what happened. Then I begin to explain everything to her.