Watching Glenn draw out a small bundle of bamboo skewers and neatly thread fresh meat and vegetables onto them, laying each finished skewer aside, Little Leaf, finding the process delightfully intriguing, raised her hand. “I want to try!”

  “I… I want to as well…” Little Mushroom added in her soft, timid voice.

  Glenn only chuckled. “Of course you can—but don’t overload a single skewer, understand?”

  The two nodded eagerly in unison and, imitating Glenn’s movements, began assembling their own skewers with adorable earnestness.

  They insisted on adding their own ‘creative touch,’ skewering anything they thought looked pleasing. The result was a riot of colors—two entire plates of it.

  When they had prepared enough, Glenn finally set his hands aside. The charcoal had reached the perfect temperature, so he began grilling his own skewers first.

  Little Leaf immediately clamored to grill hers, and Little Mushroom followed right after.

  Glenn accepted the skewers they handed him and placed them all on the grill together. As he brushed them with his homemade seasoning oil, he hummed a light, cheerful tune.

  This, he thought, is what life should feel like.

  Oil sizzled upon contact with the heat, releasing aromas that made the two little girls glance over again and again, their appetites thoroughly stirred.

  Why does something we eat all the time suddenly smell so delicious? Little Leaf wondered as she swallowed discreetly.

  Such is the charm of open-fire cooking.

  The rich, unmistakable fragrance of barbecue soon filled the clearing.

  The girls—both at the age of boundless appetite—abandoned their half-assembled skewers and crowded before the grill, starlit eyes fixed hungrily on the sizzling food.

  “Glenn, is it ready yet?” Little Leaf wiped away the drool threatening to spill as she urged him on.

  Little Mushroom, meanwhile, simply stood there in a daze, unbothered as drool slid down her chin.

  “Just a moment more,” Glenn said calmly.

  A short while later, deeming the food ready, he sprinkled chili powder, pepper, chopped scallions—ingredients quietly borrowed from Meiko’s magical kitchen, which held nearly everything imaginable, from Earth’s familiar seasonings to this world’s specialties.

  Looking at the now even more enticing skewers, the girls could no longer see anything else in the world.

  “Here—careful, they’re hot.” Glenn handed each of them three skewers.

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  Ignoring his warning, the two ravenous girls took enormous bites—and immediately yelped from the heat before chewing more cautiously.

  Then the flavor bloomed across their tongues—indescribably exquisite—filling them with the overwhelming desire to eat more, and more, and more.

  “It’s so good! I could eat ten times this! Glenn, give me another!” Little Leaf cried, cheeks bulging as she spoke through mouthfuls.

  “Me too!” Little Mushroom chimed in, refusing to be outdone.

  Still grilling, Glenn replied, “Finish what’s in your hands first.”

  So the girls began devouring their skewers at breakneck speed, each racing the other as though the food might run out.

  Of course, Glenn knew he had brought more than enough; the girls simply didn’t realize it.

  He lifted a freshly cooked skewer and took a bite. My skills haven’t dulled at all, he thought with quiet pride.

  After some time, Little Leaf and Little Mushroom collapsed onto the lounge chairs, rubbing their rounded bellies, bliss written all over their faces. Their half-finished fruit juices sat beside them.

  Only Glenn continued grilling and eating—his appetite, naturally, was in its own league. Every minute was pure bliss.

  “I’ve never eaten this much before… Barbecue might truly be the greatest thing in the world!” Little Leaf stretched her arms toward the sky as she proclaimed it.

  “I want to eat barbecue again next time…” Little Mushroom murmured from beneath her hat.

  After a brief rest, their youthful energy resurfaced, and they began chasing each other across the grassy clearing once more.

  Just as Glenn was savoring another skewer, Little Leaf suddenly called out, “Glenn… look.”

  He turned. The two girls stood together, staring toward the shadowed greenery—where a pair of faintly glowing eyes watched them from within the forest.

  The wind and the scent of barbecue had masked its presence, so Glenn hadn’t sensed it immediately. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t protect the girls—had it stepped even a little closer, his perception would have detected it.

  For now, it remained at a safe distance.

  “You two, come here. Don’t get closer. It might be dangerous,” Glenn instructed.

  Remembering Meiko’s firm reminder to obey Glenn, the girls quickly hurried back to him.

  The creature emerged little by little. Glenn narrowed his eyes. “A… wolf?” he murmured.

  “Wolf?” the girls echoed, curiosity lighting their gazes.

  And indeed, stepping out of the greenery came a white wolf—blue-eyed, emaciated, its fur shedding in patches, its gait uneven and frail, as though its protruding bones might tear through its skin at any moment.

  Terrified by its ghastly appearance, the girls hid behind Glenn.

  How is there a wolf here? Glenn wondered. Human settlements were close by—any beasts in the area should have long been hunted. Something about this wolf was off.

  Drooling, its blue eyes locked unblinking on the grill. Starving beyond reason, its mind clouded, the wolf staggered forward, driven by nothing but the irresistible scent of roasting meat.

  “Glenn… it looks so pitiful…” Little Mushroom tugged on his clothes, her voice thick with sympathy.

  Glenn glanced down at the girls—their eyes full only of compassion.

  With a quiet sigh, he took a handful of finished skewers and tossed them toward the approaching wolf.

  They landed right before it. The white wolf collapsed as though all strength had left its body and began devouring the meat directly from the ground.

  “It’s… crying!” Little Leaf gasped.

  Glenn saw it too. Tears streamed from the wolf’s eyes as it ate, its emotions palpable even without words.

  Another special creature, Glenn thought, intrigued by its origins and its suffering.

  The three of them watched in silence as the wolf finished every bite.

  When it rose unsteadily to its feet, Glenn expected it to beg for more. Instead, it lowered its head, eyes closed, nose brushing the ground—a gesture unmistakably filled with gratitude.

  Then it turned and left.

  “It’s not staying for more?” Glenn huffed, half amused.

  Little Leaf and Little Mushroom, experiencing their first excursion outdoors, were far more thrilled.

  “Oh my gosh! Glenn, did you see that? It was thanking us! We saved it! It has to be that!” Little Leaf waved her arms wildly, her face flushed with excitement.

  “Yes! I saw it too!” Little Mushroom beamed, her smile pure and radiant.