Chapter 8: Meals and Stars

  Injan eyes filled with immense satisfaction at the abilities of the adventurers he had selected.

  “Focus, teamwork, and individual skills. Excellent!” Injan claps loudly.

  The four adventurers replied with a beaming smile, not hiding their pride in themselves. This was normal. They were top-ranking adventurers in the Silalai town. Confidence automatically came with skill and experience.

  “Of course. It might sound arrogant, but among the Emerald adventurers in this town, there are very few who can compare to us. Even in the capital, we are confident we are not inferior to adventurers of the same rank,” Arun grinned.

  “Prai is strong enough to directly withstand attacks from devil beasts, allowing the back line to attack effectively. Combined with his ability to control his two hands in various ways, he can both attack and defend against numerous devil beasts simultaneously.”

  “Ratri, in addition to her highly effective long-range attacks, can also accumulate power for a finishing blow when the opportunity arises. That doesn't even include the chances she created by the flash arrows, like just now. It's incredibly effective in its first use."

  "Fah’s underground movement abilities are perfectly suited for surprise attacks and decisive blows. Especially since your Word of Power already enhances your offensive capabilities, you can engage as a front line and do surprise attacks, expanding our combat options."

  "Arun can defend from all directions, and his reaction speed is excellent. He's a reliable rear guard."

  Injan analyzed and praised each individual. Although much younger than the other adventurers, his commanding skills far surpassed his age. This was likely due to the training from the Uthumpohn family, as well as Injan's own effort and abilities.

  "From now on, I will further develop our group's battle strategy based on everyone's abilities. And of course, you don't need to tell me what your Word of Power is." Injan remained firm in his promise.

  It was customary among adventurers that those working together wouldn't inquire about their teammate's Words of Power. Knowing roughly what their teammates were capable of was enough. Fate scripters wouldn't reveal their Words of Power to strangers.

  Even though this was the custom. Many employers include clauses in contracts regarding the disclosure of the Word of Power, especially high-ranking nobles who are paranoid about their own lives. These nobles wouldn't want unknown threats.

  Most adventurers wouldn't accept this type of work, so nobles often choose to cultivate their own followers and rely solely on those they've known for a long time, building trust over time. Elder Grai, as a bodyguard from the Uthumpohn family, falls into the latter category.

  "P’ Nitaan is impeccable as well. Accurate detection, wide observation range, and even able to pinpoint the ambush." Injan smiled at Nitaan.

  "I didn't sense that Alpha at all, even though I was almost right next to it," Fah added, frowning as she recalled the Alpha that had ambushed Prai.

  "It was my fault as rear guard to let it get so close," Ratri said, her face clouded over.

  "It's not your fault. It completely suppresses its sound with Word of Power. Not only you, I didn't even notice it was right behind me!" Prai laughed as if his near-death experience had never happened.

  "It's me who should be surprised. Nong In hasn't even performed the Engraving Ceremony yet, and you managed to deal with the thorny-tailed wolf," Nitaan praised back.

  "Thank you very much. But it's a pity. The fire-breathing deer took the opportunity to escape. Fire-breathing deer meat is truly a high-class delicacy. I was planning to celebrate our first success with it tonight. It's a shame. Could you try tracking its location again, P’ Nitaan?" Injan sighed regretfully.

  "No worry." Nitaan replied with a smile.

  "Then let's rest for a while and recover first. We'll track it later," Injan said to the others. Everyone nodded slightly before dispersing to find places to rest.

  "I mean, no worry. There's no need to track it. It didn't escape in the first place," Nitaan grinned widely. Looking toward the forest…

  “Woof!”

  Nitaan, Nitaan, a delicious deer!

  Kiita, who had disappeared at some point, emerged from the forest, dragging the fire-breathing deer by the neck along the ground. Its eyes were wide open, but it was lifeless. There was a large bite mark on its neck. Kiita wagged its tail, showing no visible wounds, only blood around its mouth.

  Everyone stared at Kiita, their mouths slightly agape. Elder Grai stares blankly, his forehead furrowed.

  “A…a fire-breathing deer. When it uses its trait, it can run faster than most Learner level devil beasts. Probably on par with the Alpha before,” Arun said, his voice trembling.

  Injan and Elder Grai turned to look at Nitaan, their faces still frozen in shock at the sight before them.

  “I told you, Kiita is a pretty good dog.” Nitaan smiled as Kiita wagged its tail and walked towards the group.

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  That night, the whole group camped in the forest. Each had prepared their own shelter. The four adventurers' tents were ordinary triangular tents with wide entrances, suitable for dealing with sudden ambushes.

  Injan's tent was special. He took three pieces of cloth from his bag. Each piece was as large as a high-quality tablecloth. When Injan stacked the three pieces of cloth, they expanded. The top piece floated up to become a triangular roof. The second piece wrapped itself into a cube shape and sat under the roof. The last piece expanded, transforming into a thick, soft rug that could be used as a bed.

  Nitaan and the other adventurers exchanged envious glances.

  rich Insanely rich… How did he turn camping into a vacation? How much did that cost anyway?

  And we have to wake up with a sore back… Nitaan grumbled.

  "This is a portable camping shelter," Injan explained. "It's an Enchanted artifact that can be used 12 times before it turns back into ordinary cloth. It can repel insects and blends in with the surroundings."

  “If I remember correctly, it costs 6,000 Gaia. My friend who went on a mission in the capital told me,” Prai said.

  6,000 Gaia, for 12 times... That’s equivalent to 500 Gaia per night. My monthly salary is only 20,000 Gaia…

  “This is not even considered a treasure.” Injan shook his head.

  “Chao Phraya Uthumpohn once told me that during the Great Extermination war, the Empire gave a high level Engraved artifact, the Thunderclap Lamp, to a Path Seeker to use temporarily. When the lamp was lit, it unleashed a massive roar covering over a thousand kilometers, killing three Path Seeker devil beasts at once. Chao Phraya Uthumpohn said that if that lamp were auctioned, it would fetch around 2 billion Gaia.”

  That’s enough to buy Kiita a lot of snacks. Nitaan thought.

  “Path Seeker? I probably can’t go that far in my journey as a Fate Scripter. Just becoming an Enlightened is enough. I would have nothing left to regret," Arun said admiringly.

  "Even the initial stages of Enlightened, like the Third word Engraver, are very rare. There are even fewer intermediate stages, the Fourth word Engraver, and the final stage, the Fifth word Engraver, which might not exist even among millions of engravers," Fah continued.

  "Path Seeker are even higher beings. Thinking that far ahead now is nothing more than a daydream. First and foremost, one must become an Enlightened," Ratri said with a determined look.

  "I don't know the details very well, but from what I know, fundamentally, Path Seeker are essentially Fifth word Engraver. I just don't know the specific differences," Injan explained, glancing at Elder Grai.

  "If Young Master hasn't yet performed the Engraving Ceremony, I cannot disclose the information. Chao Phraya Uthumphon said that knowing some things prematurely, if it doesn't bring good results, can lead to bad consequences," Elder Grai replied.

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  "There are many more details about beings at that level that we, mere Learner, will never truly understand," Fah sighed.

  "Anyway, deer barbecue is ready, everyone. Let's eat first." Nitaan sprinkled more pepper on the tender deer skewers, which were lined up with various vegetables such as tomatoes, pineapple, bell peppers, dried oranges coated with honey, and roasted coconut.

  The fragrant aroma of the oiled grilled vegetables paired with the slightly fatty deer meat spread throughout the camp, making everyone's mouths water. As an orphan who had been alone since childhood, Nitaan's cooking skills were indispensable. Over time, his abilities had become even more refined.

  Ratri was the first to gaze intently at the barbecue by the campfire. Her green eyes fixed on the large, fragrant pieces of deer meat. The fat from the meat mixed with the sweet, juicy vegetable juices, dripping onto the fire and releasing an enticing aroma.

  "Try some. It's my special recipe," Nitaan offered a barbecue skewer.

  Ratri was the first to quickly rush to receive the barbecue from Nitaan's hand. Oil was still dripping onto the ground even in Ratri's hands. She carefully inhaled the aroma of the barbecue, closing her eyes, her face blissful.

  With her first bite, the juices from the well-marinated deer meat spread throughout Ratri's mouth. The warmth radiated from the meat into her mouth, along with the fragrant aroma that filled her nose.

  As her teeth sank into the meat, a firm, chewy texture filled her mouth. Deer meat is naturally somewhat tough, but with skillful marinating and kneading, even tough meat becomes incredibly bouncy.

  Ratri chewed more and more, enjoying it immensely. She opened her mouth and took another bite, this time with a dried orange coated with honey from the end of the skewer. The sourness and sweetness created a contrasting flavor, causing Ratri to purse her lips from the sourness, yet the sourness perfectly balanced the salty, rich taste of the deer meat.

  The next bite was roasted coconut and tomato. The mild sourness of the tomato cleansed the greasiness of the deer meat. While enjoying the sourness, she bit into the roasted coconut. The fragrant aroma of almost charred coconut meat instantly spread throughout the air.

  Ratri has a small smile on her lips, though her cheeks continued to puff out as she chewed. The large skewer of barbecue steadily dwindled as she took one big bite after another.

  She really does love to eat. Will she eat other people's share? Nitaan tried to suppress a smile.

  "Absolutely delicious!" Arun exclaimed, his mouth still full of food.

  "It tastes incredible!. How come you're such a good cook, Nitaan?" Prai asked while his mouth was still full.

  "Finish chewing before you speak," Fah retorted.

  "It's alright. When I go on patrol in the forest, I usually stay overnight. If I have the chance, I like to buy ingredients and try making things." Nitaan replied, picking up a piece of barbecue to eat.

  Nitaan tossed a large piece of simply grilled meat, without any marinade or seasoning, to Kiita.

  Yay!

  Kiita jumped and caught it accurately before lying down to enjoy his dinner.

  “I’m so jealous! Most adventurers just eat tasteless dried food, prepared dried meat, or plain oatmeal when they camp in the forest,” Arun said enviously.

  “And don’t you have any problems with leaving traces? Masking your scent is incredibly difficult. If you don’t, devil beast might follow the scent. Unless in a large group like this, it’s practically impossible,” Ratri wondered, her eyes sparkling. If it was a technique she could master, she would gladly learn it.

  She could finally say goodbye to dried food!

  “There will be no traces left,” Nitaan smiled, implying that it was his secret.

  With Word of Power ‘Fade,’ he didn’t need to worry about devil beast following his scent at all. Any lingering scent would be so faint that it would be almost undetectable unless someone specifically sought it out. Or, if a devil beast came within range, Kiita would detect it immediately.

  With ‘Fade,’ Nitaan could sleep in the forest where devil beasts were abundant without worry.

  Ratri nodded, understanding the implied meaning Nitaan was trying to convey.

  “The deer meat is tender and chewy, the dried oranges soaked in honey create a sour and sweet that contrasts with the salty taste of the barbeque, and the roasted coconut adds an aroma that spreads throughout your mouth as you chew. Absolutely fantastic,” Injan praised.

  He really likes to describe and explain things. Like a teacher. Nitaan thought to himself, though he maintained a smile.

  “It’s nothing compared to the finest chefs of the Uthumpohn family,” Nitaan teased.

  “In terms of ingredients, that’s true, but good food is more than that. It’s about creativity, flavor pairings, and so much more.”

  Noted, teacher. Nitaan chuckled.

  While everyone was enjoying their meal, Nitaan noticed there was still one skewer of barbecue left. Elder Grai’s skewer remained untouched. Elder Grai stood outside the campsite, arms crossed, keeping an eye on his surroundings.

  Nitaan thought for a moment, then reached for the last skewer and placed it on a clean leaf. He stood and walked towards Elder Grai. After only a few steps, even though Nitaan was still far from Elder Grai. He quickly turned to Nitaan, as if the entire campsite was under his watchful eye. He raised an eyebrow, a mixture of surprise and suspicion on his face.

  “Here’s yours,” Nitaan offered Elder Grai a fragrant piece of barbecue.

  “Just a few days’ mission. I don’t need to eat,” Elder Grai said, his face expressionless.

  “Neither do I, but it’s delicious. I like delicious food, so I eat regularly. Eating delicious food makes me happy.” Nitaan shrugged.

  Elder Grai snorted, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

  “Hmph, delicious? A border boy like you probably doesn’t know that the Uthumpohn family has a bunch of seasoned chefs who create exquisite savory and sweet dishes for every meal. They use rare and luxurious ingredients like seven-sage mushrooms, Grey Mour beef, and…”

  “Yes, yes. Just ordinary food from a cocky country boy, made with common ingredients like fire-breathing deer and wild vegetables. It can’t compare to the food you eat regularly,” Nitaan interrupted.

  “But it’s delicious. Besides, your young master paid me a lot. If I were to cook and share the food with the whole group except you, others would spread bad rumors and leave me with a bad taste. So just bear with it." Nitaan shoved a piece of barbecue into Elder Grai's hand.

  Elder Grai looked at the barbecue in his hand, his face still expressionless. After a while, he picked up a piece and took a bite.

  Nitaan secretly observed Elder Grai's emotionless expression. Nitaan saw his pupils widen slightly, and his cheeks began to slowly chew the food.

  Nitaan shrugged and smiled before walking away.

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  Late at night, Nitaan, on guard duty for the night, still sat leaning against the hammock. Beside him, Kiita, who was also awake, kept sniffing around.

  Nitaan brushes Kiita's fur while lost in thought. He glanced towards Injan's tent. Elder Grai was still standing beside it, his face expressionless, performing his duty like a temple guardian. Elder Grai seemed to sense Nitaan's gaze, turned to look at him, and then averted his eyes.

  The night sky was full of stars. Nitaan looked up at the sky, reminiscing about his childhood when his parents used to take him stargazing and teach him about the different constellations. He gazed at the eastern sky. Six stars were arranged in an irregular circle, with three more scattered inside.

  This was the Clock constellation, his mother's favorite. She said she loved watching it float motionless in the sky amidst countless other stars. It was as if time stood still, with just her and the starlight filling the night sky.

  Nitaan looked up towards the north. A large constellation lay there, with thirteen stars. Six of them on the right were arranged in the shape of a four-legged animal, and the other seven formed the shape of a round, legged animal, like a four-legged creature chasing another round animal. This constellation was called the Wolf and Sheep constellation, his father's favorite. Nitaan once asked why he liked it so much. His father laughed before answering:

  "What man wouldn't like a wolf chasing a sheep? It's so cool!"

  Young Nitaan's eyes lit up as he nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

  Nitaan smiled as he recalled this. While he was lost in thought, time passed. After a while, someone emerged from the tent—it was Prai.

  Prai looked at Nitaan, circling his finger as a signal that it was time for the shift change. Nitaan nodded slightly and then climbed into the hammock with Kiita.

  Nitaan didn't sleep in the tent like the other adventurers. He preferred to make a hammock from soft blankets and sleep in a tree. Kiita was curled up inside, serving as both a pillow and a blanket for Nitaan. Nitaan took out a comb and began brushing Kiita's fur, as he always did.

  He didn't need to worry about insects or poisonous creatures. With his Fade, unless an insect intentionally tried to bite him from the moment it left its nest, no insect could find him.

  Nitaan hadn't fallen asleep yet. Nitaan had had trouble sleeping since childhood, and it worsened as he grew older. He experienced a lot of nightmares, to the point that he even feared sleeping for a while.

  Fortunately, the problem wasn't so severe that he couldn't sleep at all. This was largely because of Kiita.

  When Kiita was first adopted, he usually slept on the floor bed Nitaan had prepared for him. But one day, Kiita, who usually fell asleep first, noticed that Nitaan was having trouble sleeping. Young Kiita climbed onto Nitaan's bed, licked his face, and played with him until he finally drifted off to sleep.

  As the days went by, Kiita climbed up and curled up next to Nitaan more and more often, until Nitaan became attached to sleeping against Kiita's soft fur. From a small puppy who loved to sleep snuggled against his chest, he had now become a giant dog whom he could use as a pillow. Nitaan loved to lie down and listen to Kiita's heartbeat, the rhythmic sound of Kiita's breathing, and the faint, sweet scent, like the ink in an old book, emanating from Kiita made him relax.

  He felt peaceful. He felt the love. He felt the warmth, and it comforted him. With Kiita by his side, he felt he could close his eyes and fall into a normal sleep like everyone else.