The Rock Tortoise came to a stop and settled down to rest.
Luciel knocked on the door.
"Mino, come out for dinner."
"You eat first. I don’t have an appetite," came the timid reply from inside.
Luciel stood at the doorway, muttering, "Fourteen years old... could this be her rebellious phase?"
The soundproofing of a wooden shed door was almost nonexistent.
Suddenly—creak!—the door flew open.
Mino stood there, cheeks flushed, blue eyes glaring. With her hands on her hips, she declared indignantly,
"I’m not rebellious!"
"Yes, yes, not rebellious," Luciel chuckled, suddenly feeling as though he were raising a daughter.
He reached out, flicked her forehead, and said gently,
"Come on. Let’s eat."
Mino froze, her eyes widening in shock as she stared at the hall that looked completely transformed.
At some point, a tall square table and four benches had appeared. In the middle of the table sat a steel pot, while wooden bowls and chopsticks were neatly arranged opposite each other.
"What are you standing there for? Come eat," Luciel called calmly.
"You made all this this afternoon?" Mino asked, sitting down in a daze.
She ran her hands over the tabletop and bench, surprised by how smooth they felt. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoveI~Fire.net
"I did it while I was making the big tub," Luciel replied casually as he ladled broth into her bowl. "You can’t always eat sitting around the firepit."
"There’s a big tub?" Mino almost bit her tongue in shock.
"To store water—and for bathing," Luciel explained, pointing toward the half-person-sized wooden tub in the corner of the hall.
With his current strength, woodworking had become effortless. In the past, he had to saw through wood bit by bit. Now, he could simply cleave through massive pieces with ease.
"How much water does that even hold?" Mino ran to the tub, momentarily forgetting her meal.
"At least ten times your size," Luciel replied, sipping his broth.
"But... we don’t have any water." Mino sighed.
"It’ll be fine once it rains," Luciel said easily.
If it didn’t rain, he would find water at Bloodbeard’s base. A large bandit camp couldn’t survive without a source of water.
"I don’t know when that’ll be. It hasn’t rained in seventeen days," Mino muttered, sitting back down. Thinking of the smell clinging to her body, she lost her appetite, even for her favorite broth.
Luciel tore into his barbecue and urged, "Hurry up and finish eating. I’ve got something for you."
"What is it?" she asked curiously.
"You’ll see once you finish." Luciel gave a pointed look at the bowl in her hands.
"Then I’ll eat quickly!" Mino grabbed roasted meat in one hand and the broth in the other.
In less than ten minutes, she had polished everything off.
She licked the corner of her mouth, blue eyes shining, her rabbit ears twitching eagerly. She looked like a little girl begging her father for candy.
Luciel pulled out a drawing board and handed her a sketch titled Hometown.
"Be careful not to touch the surface. The charcoal will smudge."
"Got it." Mino accepted it, turning it to face her.
The moment her eyes landed on the drawing, they widened. Her small mouth parted in shock.
The familiar scene on the board struck her straight in the heart.
"So... beautiful." Her nose tingled, her vision blurring with tears.
"It’s called Hometown," Luciel said softly. He patted her head before stepping out into the courtyard, leaving her space.
The wilderness outside was pitch-black, not even a finger’s width visible.
Luciel’s thoughts wandered.
He thought of how he had come to this other world, fortunate enough to meet a kind-hearted girl who kept him from being robbed and abandoned in the wild.
He thought of how, after just six or seven days together, this girl already trusted him enough to follow him.
The least he could do was preserve her beautiful memories.
The sudden, piercing howl of a wolf shattered the stillness of night, dragging Luciel out of his thoughts.
He looked toward the sound and spotted faint white glimmers flickering in the distance—like stars blinking on a black screen.
"Luciel, hurry, come inside!" Mino’s panicked voice called.
She stood at the gate, eyes red, waving frantically for him.
"What’s wrong?" Luciel asked, stepping closer.
"It’s too dangerous out here!" Mino grabbed his arm and yanked him inside, slamming the door shut behind them.
She rushed to the firepit, pulling out most of the burning logs and leaving only a few glowing embers.
"Haa..." She finally let out a breath of relief.
"Because of that wolf howl?" Luciel asked calmly.
"The Moon Wolves," Mino whispered, trembling. "Cruel beasts... they’re terrifying in packs."
Just moments ago, she had been moved to tears by a painting. Now, she was shivering from fear.
"Did you forget?" Luciel chuckled. "We have our own fierce beast."
"Wooohh!" The Rock Tortoise bellowed warningly outside.
In the distance, the wolves howled back.
The cries grew faint, then faded altogether. The Moon Wolves had moved on.
"They’re gone?" Mino blinked in disbelief, her rabbit ears perking back up.
"Already gone." Luciel could understand the meaning behind beast roars now.
Translated into human words:
The Rock Tortoise had warned, "Leave. This is my territory."
The Moon Wolves had retorted, "We’ll be back. Just wait."
"Well, as long as they’re gone," Mino sighed, rekindling the fire.
Then she froze, as if remembering something.
"My painting!" Her face went pale. She looked around quickly—then relaxed when she saw it still safe on the table.
Earlier, in her panic for Luciel’s safety, she had abandoned it without a thought.
"Luciel, how should I preserve it?" she asked nervously.
"Just hang it on your room wall," he replied gently.
"Help me hang it, please." She clutched the drawing with both hands, looking helpless.
"Of course." Luciel couldn’t help but smile, amused by how much she cherished it.
For some reason, her joy made him feel a quiet sense of happiness too.