Chapter 51

Chapter 51

As soon as they stepped out of the warehouse, the two men saw Stephanie and Estelle sitting on a crude wooden sled, being pulled at high speed by Little Yi.

Estelle was ecstatic, her usually expressionless face now filled with excitement.

In contrast, Stephanie, her long hair whipped by the cold wind and her screams sounding genuine, almost made Lorant think she had been kidnapped.

"Ah! Stop! Stop! Ailu!" Stephanie screamed, calling out the new name she had given Little Yi.

Ailu means 'guardian' in Elvish.

It was a name Stephanie had carefully chosen with Estelle's help.

Little Yi, tongue lolling out, was overjoyed, choosing to ignore his unreliable owner's screams once he confirmed she wasn't in danger.

She wanted to play, and then she wanted to stop, but how could one just call it quits once it started?

Lennart and Leonristo, the brothers, watched enviously as the two ladies screamed and laughed on the sled.

Both towering at nearly two and a half meters tall and each weighing as much as five or six Stephanies combined, they dared not try it themselves.

If they tired out Stephanie's Ailu, they feared the witch would have them swimming in the snow tomorrow!

"Captain!" Lennart's eyes lit up when he saw Lancelot emerge from the warehouse. "What do you need from us?"

This morning, the Black Gold Yew Squad, who were training separately, had been summoned by Lancelot.

When they arrived, they were told that their captain had gone into the warehouse and hadn't come out since.

The shield knight brothers had no choice but to watch as the mage lady showed off her beast pet to the assassin lady.

Lancelot raised his hand to greet his long-lost teammates. "No rush, Lennart. It's already noon; let's eat first and talk while we dine."

Leonristo nodded and warmly greeted Lorant. "Shopkeeper, it's been a while."

"It has been, Leon. What brings you here?" Lorant looked at Lancelot, puzzled.

The reunion of the Black Gold Yew Squad seemed to suggest something was amiss.

"As I mentioned the other day, we're going out for a few days. That's what this is about," Lancelot said, putting his arm around Lorant's shoulder and guiding him forward. "Come, let's go eat."

Today, knowing the adventuring squad would be coming, Peter and two chefs had been busy in the kitchen since early morning.

Ruth and Silem had gone to Mauplan City—one to shop with Simon's mother, the other to play with Simon. They wouldn't be back until evening.

Speaking of Ruth, she had undergone quite a transformation.

She was increasingly accustomed to her newfound freedom, dressing up nicely every day to stroll through upscale shopping districts and savoring rich coffee she never used to indulge in.

The pure white down jacket Lorant had specially made for her was her favorite, and she couldn't wait to wear it to the busiest commercial streets and visit the academy.

Perhaps boasting is deeply ingrained in human nature.

The chefs Peter brought were from Earl's Castle, preparing large quantities of roasted meat, stew, and thick soups.

The soup paired well with crispy bread slices, making for a decent meal.

However, the choice of second- and third-tier beasts for the meat meant Lorant didn't particularly enjoy the taste.

Perhaps due to their wild growth, the beasts' meat always carried an indelible gamey flavor, which Lorant found hard to stomach.

"Captain, is it the same task as last year?" Leonristo asked between bites of thickly sliced roasted meat.

Lancelot moved the large pot of roasted meat away from himself and Lorant, replacing it with a bowl of Sarah's yellow fruits. "Yes, the winter cleanup in the Black Forest, but this year we'll stay near the outpost instead of venturing deep inside."

He noticed Lorant's pickiness and moved the beast meat away.

"Well, though it might be boring, it's nice not to suffer in the forest," Lennart shrugged indifferently.

"Try these." Lancelot pointed to the small yellow fruits in the Sarah bowl. "Cream fruits; they're delicious."

Lorant had always preferred the fruits of plant beasts, a preference Lancelot had observed and remembered.

Lorant picked up a fruit and popped it into his mouth. The rich creaminess exploded with a sweet aroma, free of any gamey taste.

"Delicious!" Lorant exclaimed, surprised by the small fruits.

Being a picky eater with high standards, Lorant usually cooked for himself whenever possible. Today, he had prepared himself for a less-than-satisfying meal, but this turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

There were still many interesting things Lancelot introduced him to, given the limited number of plant beasts he had encountered.

Over time, spending more time together, Lorant grew accustomed to the playful side of the Earl.

Only in moments like these did Lorant remember: "Oh, he's still a noble."

Seeing Lorant's enjoyment, Lancelot fetched a clean spoon and had the chef bring a bowl of freshly washed cream fruits.

"I want some too, Captain!" Stephanie gazed longingly at the bowl of cream fruits, realizing for the first time how considerate her captain could be.

Estelle also looked at Lancelot with a yearning expression.

Cream fruits are Level 4 plant beasts, and it takes hundreds of gold coins for just a few dozen fruits. Even Stephanie and Estelle couldn't afford such luxury to have "cream fruit freedom."

Now, seeing their captain being so generous today, both of them naturally wanted a bowl desperately.

Lancelot smiled gently. "There's enough for everyone, don't worry."

As he spoke, he took the original salad bowl and used clean utensils to portion some into Lorant's bowl, then pushed the rest towards Stephanie and Estelle.

"Here, it's all yours."

Stephanie: "?"

Estelle: "??"

The bowl contained ten cream fruits in total. Lorant had eaten one earlier, and Lancelot had taken another one just now.

Considering what others had eaten, there wasn't much left.

Stephanie held the bowl, looking foolishly at the pitiful three or four cream fruits inside.

She seemed dazed.

Just as she was about to say something, she met Lancelot's warning gaze.

"This... Th-thank you, Captain..."

She felt threatened somehow...

Lorant wasn't interested in the undercurrents between them. He skewered a cream fruit and tilted his head, asking,

"So, what's the mission?"

"It's the mandatory mission that the Knight Regiment issues every winter," Lancelot said while spreading the jam Lorant had made on a slice of bread. "They require registered knights to complete certain tasks before winter sets in."

"Last year, we were assigned to venture deep into the Black Forest and kill a Level 7 beast leader. It took us nearly a month to finish," Stephanie couldn't help but say. "I almost froze to death in that forest for a whole month."

"This year is better; we don't need to enter the Black Forest and search hard. We just need to provide support to the outposts whenever needed," Lancelot said, taking a bite of his bread to Lorant.

"I've discussed it with others, and we'll be responsible for supporting Outpost Five. So these days, Stephanie, you should prepare a few more houses near where you live for our permanent stay."

The twins exchanged a glance and sighed.

"What's wrong? Isn't it good that we don't have to enter the forest?" Lorant blinked, puzzled.

"Well, whether it's good or not depends on your perspective," Lennart explained helplessly. "If it's a hunting mission, you can finish quickly if you're lucky. Our situation last year, where we couldn't find the target, is rare."

"But a support mission is different," Leon Rist added. "This task spans the entire winter. If nothing unexpected happens, it's a boring and low-reward mission."

Stephanie rolled her eyes at the two battle enthusiasts. "Come on, what's wrong with this? Even the sharp-tailed moles know to hide in their burrows during winter. Who wants to go deep into the Black Forest to work like slaves!"

"There's nothing wrong with a support mission either. You don't have to do much, just treat it as a vacation." After Stephanie finished speaking, Estelle nodded vigorously in agreement.

It was a tie, and everyone's gaze turned to Lancelot.

Lancelot smiled. "I think it's fine too. We came back to the continent to rest and give ourselves some space. If we want to fight so badly, we might as well stay at Lopulo."

"You two, if you really can't sit still, you can patrol with the outpost," Lancelot lazily glanced at the opposite big twin brothers.

Lennart hurriedly waved his hands. "No, no, we don't have that intention..."

Patrolling dozens of kilometers in the snow during winter would be uncomfortable even for professionals.

The building Stephanie chose next to the Animal Pet Shop was relatively intact. It used to be the Knight Regiment's base in this town, located about five hundred meters from the Animal Pet Shop.

Moreover, it was spacious enough for the other three members of the adventuring team to live comfortably.

Although it didn't have the full indoor magical system like the Animal Pet Shop, the "Constant Temperature Torch" hanging on the wall kept the temperature from dropping too low at night.

At least they wouldn't freeze to death in the middle of the night.