Meal

As I entered the village, I was greeted by all sorts of sounds and smells.

The murmur of people, the neighing of horses, and the clanging of hammers from the distant blacksmith.

It was a small village, but it was full of life.

“Wow… There are so many people!”

I couldn’t help but be amazed.

The streets were bustling with a market despite the cold weather, elderly men sitting in a circle chatting, children playing in the snow, and the village was lively.

However, the expressions of the villagers changed in an instant when they noticed me.

At first, they seemed to shrink back in surprise, but soon their eyes filled with awe as they stared at me.

Their gazes shifted between me, Miel on my head, Cecilia on my shoulder, Rote floating around me, and Glacia following behind.

“That girl is the owner of Michel’s fragrance…”

“As the wizard said earlier…”

“She’s friendly to us…”

Whispers began to circulate among the crowd.

‘Huh, looks like I’m a celebrity.’

The guard’s words came to mind.

I remembered when I helped save the village from Michel.

It felt rewarding.

“Lycoris,”

Ryandel approached me cautiously.

“How about we go to the inn first? We can discuss the details there and have a meal.”

“Meal?”

My eyes sparkled suddenly.

“You mean eating food?”

“Yes, of course. This inn, called ‘Moonlight Rest,’ is especially famous for its local soup.”

Meal…

Thinking about it, I hadn’t had a proper meal yet.

As a flower, I could only feed on blood and sunlight, and occasionally alcohol brought by humans.

“Real food!”

I was excited and playfully touched Miel’s wings, who fluttered more energetically, understanding my mood.

Cecilia on my shoulder spread her wings brightly and flickered a small flame.

Glacia, usually calm, wiggled her antennae busily, expressing her anticipation for food.

Rote, as usual, floated silently…

No, Rote was just floating as usual, expressionless as always.

‘Poor thing… only able to eat minerals…’

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me.

‘Wait, can I eat…?’

I was human now, but originally a plant.

Could a flower eat human food?

‘Well, I’ll find out by eating!’

“Okay! Let’s go to the inn!”

I replied energetically, and Ryandel smiled in relief.

Under the gaze of many villagers, we headed toward the center of the village.

“There it is.”

Levi pointed to a large wooden building.

The ‘Moonlight Rest’ inn looked cozy and spacious.

The wooden building had a warm atmosphere, with a crescent moon sign swaying in the wind at the entrance.

The walls were covered with climbing vines with purple flowers, and large and small ice sculptures decorated the sides of the door.

As the inn door opened, warm air rushed out.

The crackling of the fireplace inside created a cozy ambiance.

“Welcome… Oh my!”

A large woman at the counter greeted us, her eyes widening in surprise before she smiled.

“Oh, you must be Seraphina Bloom!”

I tilted my head in confusion, and she quickly added,

“Ah, should I call you Lycoris instead?”

“Yes, Lycoris is my name.”

“Okay, Lycoris. I’m Helga, the owner of this Moonlight Rest. Shall I prepare a meal for you?”

Ryandel stepped forward.

“Yes, please. Make it a grand feast.”

“Of course! I’ll prepare it right away. The dining area is this way.”

Helga guided us deeper into the inn, leading us to a spacious dining hall.

There, Rodrick, Karl, Terry, Torben, and Elina were already seated at a table.

“Here you are.”

Helga led us to the largest window table.

Outside the window was the village square and, beyond that, the majestic view of the Sia Kalt Mountains.

The snow-capped peaks glistened like a silver carpet under the sunlight.

The Ace Quartet naturally took their seats.

Miel settled comfortably on my hair, Cecilia perched on my shoulder, Rote floated slowly around me, and Glacia lay on the floor as usual.

“The food will be out soon,”

Ryandel said.

He pulled out parchment, a quill, and a small ink bottle from his bag.

Then, he began to mutter something, holding his staff over the parchment.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m making a certificate. You can take it to James’ Shop and receive 500 gold coins.”

I leaned forward, intrigued, and examined it closely.

“Oh… Writing with magic?”

Ryandel smiled and nodded.

“It’s basic magic learned in the Magic Tower. Such magical documents can’t be forged, so they’re widely used in financial transactions.”

When he finished, blue light flashed on the parchment before disappearing.

Ryandel handed it to the humans sitting across the table.

“Take this to any branch of James’ Shop, and you’ll receive 500 gold coins. It’s guaranteed by the Golden Spire’s credibility.”

The humans accepted the parchment with gratitude and carefully placed it in their bags.

“Thank you. This is a significant amount.”

“Of course. Thanks to you, we could obtain the Frost Ether safely.”

Terry chuckled at Ryandel’s words.

“I’ll finish the research on the Frost Ether!”

Oh! Listening to them reminded me of something.

“Oh no! I didn’t bring any money!”

Everyone looked at me.

“But there’s plenty of gold in your treasure hoard!”

At my words, the humans stiffened for a moment before Ryandel quickly regained composure.

“Don’t worry, Lycoris. I have enough travel expenses.”

“Yeah! Lend me some!”

Ryandel looked taken aback but soon smiled.

“Of course… Though I’m not sure if it’s a loan or a gift…”

“The journey will be over soon, and I’ll repay you fully! There’s so much gold in your treasure hoard!”

“Haha, alright. Don’t worry.”

He hesitated for a moment, then asked carefully,

“But… After arriving in Deathmere, will you need to return to Sia Kalt?”

“Hmm…”

Yes.

To give the reward, they would need to come with me.

“Well, since you’ll be with the master, returning will be quick. The master once caught a flame lion and brought it back!”

“Just a moment.”

At that moment, Helga arrived with large trays.

“Here, this is our inn’s special feast for our special guests!”

The table was filled with various dishes.

Roasted meats, steamed meats, boiled meats…

And various vegetable dishes and purple soup with a fragrant aroma.

The meat dishes looked delicious.

The juicy roast meat glistened, making my mouth water.

However, when I saw the vegetable dishes and the purple soup, a strange feeling arose.

‘These are… my kin…’

I hadn’t realized being a plant would make this so uncomfortable.

Carrots, cabbages, and this soup…

It all came from plants.

It felt like being a cannibal with human meat laid out.

Helga began explaining the dishes.

“This is roasted wild aurochs from the Sia Kalt Mountains and smoked pork. On the side, we have a salad made from valley greens and our inn’s specialty, Nifi Lavender Soup, made with fragrant petals.”

At the mention of petals, I instinctively shrank back.

“Take these and those away.”

I pointed to the vegetable dishes and the purple soup.

Everyone looked at me in surprise.

Helga stood there, unsure of what to do.

“Excuse me… Does this mean you don’t eat plant-based foods?”

Ryandel seemed to understand my situation.

“Ugh… Yes.”

Ryandel nodded in understanding.

“Helga, could you move the vegetable dishes and the soup to another table?”

“Ah, yes… Of course.”

Helga, looking somewhat confused, moved the vegetable dishes with her staff.

Now, only the meat dishes remained on the table.

Feeling more at ease, I carefully pierced a piece of roasted aurochs meat with my fork and put it in my mouth.

“Mmm!”

The rich, savory flavor filled my mouth, and my eyes widened in surprise.

It was completely different from blood.

Blood had a metallic taste, but this was richer and deeper.

“Delicious!”

I enthusiastically began eating the meat.

Fortunately, in my human form, I could digest it well.

Glacia also got up and joined the table, eating the meat with her large mouth.

Though her way of swallowing whole pieces looked intimidating, Helga continued to bring more meat without complaint.

At the other table, Cecilia was eating the vegetable dishes with her small mouth, and Miel was sipping the lavender soup like nectar.

‘Instead of me…’

It felt a bit sad seeing my kin being eaten, but watching them enjoy their meal made it bearable.

Meanwhile, Rote floated silently in the air.

‘Poor thing…’

Suddenly, I thought of alcohol.

“Oh! Bring some alcohol too!”

At my request, Karl looked at me with an examining gaze.

Like he was checking my height or something!

“Excuse me… How old are you?”

“Six years old.”

I replied with meat juices dripping from my mouth.

Everyone at the table stopped eating and stared at me.

Levi coughed, choking on his water.

“Y-you’re six? Then, may I ask if you can drink alcohol?”

‘Wait, combined with my past life, I’m in my late twenties…’

“Of course. I’ve drunk plenty of alcohol before, and I’m not even human.”

I replied nonchalantly.

The humans didn’t say anything else and simply nodded.

Helga brought over a transparent golden liquor in a jug and glasses.

“Niffy Whiskey. It’s our village’s specialty, made by fermenting lavender petals and then distilling them.”

The mention of lavender made me flinch slightly, but the fragrant aroma from the bottle eased my tension.

I poured myself a glass and took a sip.

“Hehe. It’s delicious!”

Enjoying the delicious meat and alcohol, Ryandel pulled out his staff and drew a map in the air.

“To get to Deathmere, we need to fully cross the Solhan Pass first, then go through either the Genes Kingdom or the Afron Kingdom, and reach the Heshet Empire. From the southern port of the Heshet Empire, we can take a ship to the Deathmere Trench.”

A blue line marked the travel route on the map.

“Which route would you prefer? Through the Genes Kingdom or the Afron Kingdom?”

The name Genes Kingdom sounded familiar.

It was the kingdom where Brian had said Edgar’s knight order was from.

‘Oh, I can take revenge on the way!’

“Let’s go through the Genes Kingdom. I have a score to settle.”

At my words, the humans froze for a moment.

Especially Rodrick, who gulped and looked at me with a worried expression.

Ryandel nodded slowly.

“Al… Alright. We’ll go through the Genes Kingdom.”

Then, the inn door burst open, and a man rushed in.

He wore thick armor under a fur cloak, and his beard made his face look rugged.

He looked around the inn, and his gaze fixed on our table.

“Are you… Lycoris?”

He approached me and bowed deeply.

“I’m Evan, the Guild Master of this town’s Adventurer’s Guild. It’s an honor to meet you!”

‘Oh! The Adventurer’s Guild!’

I waved my hand excitedly in greeting.

As a flower, I had heard about adventurer guilds through Brian and Arthur’s party.

In an isekai world, the adventurer’s guild was a must!

Evan, sweating profusely, continued,

“If you have the time… Could you please visit our guild? There’s much to discuss…”

Since we had finished eating and set our schedule, it seemed fine to go now.

“Yes! Let’s go now!”

I stretched my arms and stood up energetically.

The Aces immediately moved.

Miel flew to my hair, Cecilia perched on my shoulder, Rote began circling me again, and Glacia remained lying on the floor as usual.

Ryandel and Levi quickly stood up, and the other humans followed, though they were in disarray.

“Let’s go! To the Adventurer’s Guild!”

At my level, I should be recognized as a National Power Level adventurer, right?

Even stronger than Seraphina or Beatrice!

“Haha!”