Barbarian's Adventure in a Fantasy World-Chapter 52: Escort Request (2)

The next morning, Elene and Aron emerged from their tent with haggard faces. Taking turns on night watch meant they couldn’t sleep for long. Moreover, their distrust of Ketal made it impossible to sleep deeply.

As a result, they set off on their journey again without having fully recovered from their fatigue. Their steps quickened, fueled by a mutual decision to end this journey as swiftly as possible—for the sake of their own survival.

Yet, the accumulating exhaustion was inevitable. The tension they carried caused their bodies to tire even faster. Eventually, Elene raised her hand to call for a halt.

“C-can we rest for a moment?” she asked.

“I don’t mind. Let’s rest over there in the shade of that tree,” Ketal suggested.

“Thank you.” Elene staggered to the tree and slumped down beneath it. A gentle breeze cooled the strands of hair damp with sweat.

Growl.

A loud rumble echoed from Elene’s stomach. Her face flushed bright red as the sound betrayed her hunger.

“Are you hungry? Well, I suppose it’s no surprise since we haven’t had a proper meal. Very well, give me a moment,” Ketal remarked, without missing a beat. His eyes gleamed as though he had been waiting for this opportunity. “I’ll cook something for you.”

Among the duties of an escort mercenary, preparing meals was considered part of the job. Filling someone’s stomach had always been a surefire way to open their heart.

However, Aron quickly shook his head in rejection. “That’s not necessary.”

Barbarian cuisine? The thought alone brought an unpleasant memory. Aron had once sampled such food in the past—meat barely prepared, sometimes not even drained of blood, either grilled or boiled in the simplest of ways. It was food only in the loosest sense of the word.

Aron recalled the experience vividly and would much rather chew on jerky than endure that again.

“Don’t worry,” Ketal assured with a confident smile. “I’ll make it delicious.”

Ketal wasn’t one to back down this time. He skillfully gathered branches, built a small fire, and assembled a makeshift stand over it. He hung a pot and began boiling water. While waiting for it to boil, he picked up a flat stone, placed it nearby, and started laying out ingredients.

To Aron’s surprise, Ketal pulled out various vegetables from his pouch and began chopping them evenly with a dagger.

“W-what?” Aron stammered, his skepticism giving way to astonishment at Ketal’s precision. “Did you learn how to cook?”

“It’s a hobby of mine,” Ketal replied as he continued chopping.

In the White Snowfield, barbarians had little concept of cooking. They devoured raw monster meat, washing it down with the dark blood that dripped from within. Each meal was a repulsive experience, one that he could only endure while worrying about surviving another day. However, once life became more stable, he found it unbearable.

He began experimenting with the remains of monsters to create something edible. The challenges were immense—lighting a fire in the biting cold, the lack of proper ingredients, and his inexperience in cooking all worked against him. It was a journey of countless trial and error.

There were monsters that exploded when exposed to heat, others that revived mid-preparation, and many close calls where cooking nearly cost him his life. But Ketal never gave up. In the end, he perfected recipes using the limited ingredients of the White Snowfield.

My dishes were delicious, Ketal thought.

The same barbarians who mocked his efforts gradually began glancing his way during meal times. Even now, though he abhorred the memories of the White Snowfield, he missed the flavors he had created there. He had wanted to bring those ingredients with him, but without artifacts or special tools, it was impossible.

Though he enjoyed the cuisine of the outside world, he often found it lacking compared to what he had created in the White Snowfield.

Thanks to that experience, Ketal had developed the ability to make passable dishes even with basic ingredients. He drained the now-cooked noodles and discarded the water, then retrieved a bottle of oil.

“Oil?” Aron’s eyes widened. Oil was far from cheap—commoners would consider themselves fortunate to use it once a month. Yet Ketal generously poured the oil into the pot.

He added the vegetables, stirring them to the perfect level of doneness. As the vegetables sizzled in the heated oil, their aroma filled the air, blending into a tantalizing fragrance.

Before long, both Elene and Aron found themselves staring at the pot in a daze.

Ketal tossed the noodles into the mix, creating a dish that resembled pasta. It was a simple recipe, but it looked anything but bland.

“I wanted to cook the noodles separately for the best texture, but we lack the space for that. My apologies,” Ketal said with a casual shrug.

“N-no, it’s fine,” Aron stammered, still watching in disbelief. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

When the dish was nearly done, Ketal stirred it lightly and sprinkled in some spices for flavor. The aroma of a freshly cooked meal wafted through the forest, enticing and mouthwatering. Ketal retrieved a wooden fork and offered it to Elene.

“Would you like some?” he asked.

Elene stared blankly into the pot. It was a properly cooked meal. After surviving on dried provisions and half-rotten food, such ordinary fare felt like an unattainable luxury.

Her stomach churned with longing despite the oil-laden noodles exuding an aroma she wasn’t particularly fond of.

She almost instinctively said yes, but catching herself, she quickly shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I don’t really enjoy greasy food.”

Her distrust of Ketal remained unchanged. She couldn’t eat something prepared by someone she didn’t trust, especially when she couldn’t be sure what strange substances might have been added during the cooking process.

“This will suffice,” Elene said, pulling out a piece of jerky from her pouch.

Aron also came to his senses and refused, “I’ll pass as well.”

“Are you sure? Do you prefer jerky, then? That’s a shame,” Ketal said with a shrug as he began eating his pasta alone.

Elene bit into her jerky. Cold and hard, its texture felt like biting into a bundle of dried mushrooms. It lacked any of the natural sweetness one might expect from meat.

As she chewed, she found herself watching Ketal. His eating lacked elegance, but the food looked warm and appetizing.

Finally, she squeezed her eyes shut, caught between her pride and her hunger.

***

On the third day of their journey to the Denian Kingdom, Elene and Aron were visibly struggling. They spent sleepless nights, and meals consisted only of dry jerky. While they had grown accustomed to the tasteless meals, the lack of proper rest was taking a severe toll on them.

“Ugh...” Elene grumbled. That night, she sat inside the tent, rubbing her swollen feet, now red and inflamed.

Aron looked at her with concern. “Are you alright, my lady?”

“I can endure it. But what about you, Aron? You’ve been carrying so much of the burden. I feel like I’m making you take on too much.”

The three of them had agreed to take turns standing watch. However, they couldn’t trust Ketal. Even when it was Ketal’s turn to keep watch, one of them had to stay awake to monitor him. Aron had volunteered to shoulder that role.

As a result, Aron ended up standing watch for both his own shift and Ketal’s. He tapped his chest lightly. “I am fine, my lady. Old men like me don’t need much sleep. Don’t worry about me and get some rest.”

“Thank you.” Elene slowly lay down on the bedding. Soon, her breathing evened out into the rhythm of sleep.

Aron gazed at her with a sorrowful expression. Poor lady.

She was someone who had grown up receiving the love and adoration of all. Yet, here she was, enduring a perilous journey. Despite her hardships, Elene never once complained. Instead, she consoled and encouraged Aron whenever he seemed weary.

I must protect her. As her tutor and retainer, it was his duty to safeguard her, even at the cost of his own life.

Strengthening his resolve, Aron left the tent and leaned against a tree.

I’m so tired...

It was the third day, and he hadn’t slept more than two hours a night. Even then, he only dozed lightly, always half-awake, in case something happened. The accumulated fatigue of the journey suddenly weighed down on him. He had to endure, but he was so sleepy.

Hoping to ease his exhaustion slightly, he closed his eyes for just a moment.

Then, he opened them. The first sound he heard was birds chirping. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering golden rays.

“Huh...?” Aron muttered. When he closed his eyes, it had been the dead of night. But now, the sun shone brightly in the sky.

Morning had arrived. Then the realization struck him. He had fallen asleep the moment he closed his eyes. As the haze of sleep lifted, his heart began to pound rapidly.

“No!” he shouted as he sprinted toward the tent. He had to have slept for several hours. During that time, Ketal had been entirely unsupervised.

What a fool! he thought inwardly. Just the day before, he had sworn himself to protect the princess. Filled with grim imaginings, he flung open the tent.

“W-what?” Aron stammered, his eyes widened.

Elene was still asleep in the exact position he had last seen her. The sunlight streaming through a gap in the tent made her stir and mumble softly, but her expression was peaceful.

“Awake already?”

A voice from behind startled Aron. Turning, he saw Ketal sitting by the campfire, roasting something over the flames.

“Uh...,” Aron muttered.

“You seemed to be sleeping comfortably, so I didn’t wake you. It’s good to see you got some rest.”

“Th-thank you,” Aron said, though he was still flustered.

Why hadn’t anything happened? he wondered. Ketal had to have noticed that Aron had fallen asleep.

Ketal gave a crooked smile at Aron’s bewilderment. “I know you don’t trust me right now. I understand. I don’t exactly have a trustworthy appearance. But I am your escort.”

An escort was someone who protected their clients, not someone to be doubted and kept at arm’s length.

“I know you’re wrestling with this, but I’d appreciate it if you trusted me. I am a human too, you know. I have feelings and can get hurt,” Ketal continued.

“I see...” As Aron stumbled over his words, his gaze landed on what Ketal was roasting.

It was a deer’s leg. A venison haunch, perfectly roasted without a single charred spot, sizzled over the flames. The fat dripped onto the fire, producing an intense, mouthwatering aroma.

Aron’s mouth involuntarily hung open. As his nerves calmed, his hunger surged to the forefront.

Noticing Aron’s reaction, Ketal nodded as if he understood. “I caught a deer. I drained the blood and seasoned it with salt, so it should taste good. Want some?”

Ketal held out the meat by the bone. Aron stared at the golden-brown venison, as if entranced.

***

“My lady, please wake up,” Aron said.

“Mm...” Elene opened her eyes, blinking sleepily as she sat up.

“Did you sleep well?” Aron asked.

“Yes, thanks to you. What about you?”

“I’m fine,” Aron replied with a faint smile.

However, Elene’s expression turned apologetic. She knew Aron had been taking on extra shifts as a watchman for her sake. There was no way he wasn’t tired, yet he overextended himself for her.

“I appreciate it, but don’t overdo it. If you’re ever struggling, let me know. I can help shoulder the burden,” Elene said.

“Okay.”

“But,” Elene said, tilting her head curiously. “You look much better today. Your complexion seems healthier.”

“D-do I?” Aron flinched.

“Yes, and I think I smell something delicious. Maybe I’m just hungry and imagining it.”

“I see...” Aron forced an awkward smile.