* * *
“Haghagh, mughmogh…”
It’s currently around 8 o’clock in the evening.
And I’m currently in Sara-chan’s house, the Salar baronial family’s dining room.
It’s not a particularly large room, but the dimly lit interior illuminated by magic lamps hanging from the ceiling has a calming and tasteful atmosphere.
The tables, chairs, and everything else are simple and unadorned, but you know, there’s no dust accumulating in the cracks or anything like that.
It’s been thoroughly cleaned and is tidy.
There are flowers arranged by the window, giving off a sense of elegance.
It’s an element that was lacking during my time living with my master, decorating the room with flowers.
When you say “baron,” they’re nobles, right?
So I thought they’d be living in a gorgeous and extravagant mansion, but the place I was led to after saving Sara-chan and the others was just an ordinary two-story wooden house.
Well, since all the houses of the villagers around here are single-story, maybe a two-story house is considered great?
It also seems to have more rooms compared to a commoner’s house.
But I don’t really know since the only houses I have to compare it to are my trashy family’s home and my master’s house.
“Gulp gulp, munch munch munch, zuzu, zuzuzu…”
And what I’m currently eating is the feast prepared as a reward for saving the baronial family!
The dishes laid out in front of me are all vividly colorful and give off a wonderful aroma!
And you know, they’re delicious.
Every single one of them is simply delicious.
The stewed vegetables in the soup are melt-in-your-mouth soft and sweet!
Is this some kind of carrot vegetable?
It’s red and sweet, and so soft that I can crush it on my tongue.
And when I bite into it, a rich broth flavor overflows, seemingly extracted from various vegetables.
It’s completely different from the tough, bitter, and harsh grasses I usually eat.
Ahhh, delicious…!
And the bread!
This is the first time I’ve eaten bread since reincarnating into this world!
I’ve seen that trashbag dad and the villagers in the Trash Village eating something that looked like bread before, but this is my first time actually eating it myself.
The trashbag dad never shared food with me, and my master only made barley porridge.
It’s a little harder than the image I had from my previous life, but compared to chewing on tree trunks in the area, it’s definitely soft and delicious.
You know, tree trunks have a satisfying chewiness and fill you up, but they usually don’t have any flavor, so you don’t really feel like you’re “eating food,” you know?
This bread has a nice wheat aroma when you put it in your mouth, and the slight saltiness helps bring out the sweetness without being overpowering.
Ahhh, delicious…!!
And above all else, the meat!
The chicken-like meat with a crispy roasted skin on the outside is fragrant, and the inside is juicy and moist, making it super tasty!
It seems they seasoned it with herbs before roasting.
Is this what they call herb-roasted meat?
It’s completely different from the bloody, gory monster meat I haphazardly prepared.
It has the taste of civilization.
Ahhh, delicious…!!!
I wonder what kind of meat this is!?
<That’s probably a Topopolock, isn’t it?>
Topopolock?
<Ah? Emi, haven’t you seen one in your previous life?> It’s a Topopolock, you know?>
No, I don’t know what that is?
<You know, the one with spikes growing out of it, three eyes, and a “migyaaa” kind of cry…>
No, no, no, I don’t know! I have absolutely no idea what kind of bizarre creature that is!
<What!? There’s no way! You know, the Topopolock that has different elemental variants like the Fire Topopolock and Ice Topopolock!?>
I said I don’t know! There were no living creatures with fantastical features like fire or ice attributes on Earth!!
* * *
“Hahaha! Well, you sure do have a hearty appetite, don’t you!”
While I was conversing with Extra, I completely devoured the mountain of delicious food without pause, and the dashing, mustached Baron Martz Salar spoke to me.
He’s Sara-chan’s father.
Up until now, I was so focused on the feast in front of me that I hadn’t paid any attention, but now I realize I’m sitting at the table with this handsome baron, his daughter Sara-chan, and the baroness Emma, who I initially thought was just a beautiful older sister but is actually Sara-chan’s mother.
“To be honest, I would have liked to prepare a more sumptuous dinner, but for a poor baron’s family like ours, this is the limit. Please forgive us.”
The baron says this with a playful wink.
This guy’s every move is so suave and dashing!
And really, he’s being too modest again by saying “this is the limit.”
“Emi, you were really eating at an amazing pace! I’m glad you enjoyed it!”
Sara-chan, the beautiful pink-haired girl sitting next to me, smiles and talks to me.
“You were totally oblivious to everything around you while you ate! I tried talking to you several times, but you didn’t react at all…”
Sara-chan pouts a little as she says this.
Oh, I’m sorry. The food was just so delicious that I got completely absorbed in eating…
“Father here kept repeating the line ‘Hahaha! Well, you sure do have a hearty appetite, don’t you!’ because Emi wasn’t responding to him. This was the fifth time he said it.”
“Sara, there’s no need to mention that.”
I’m really sorry about that.
“Well then, young Emi. Allow me to thank you again for saving my wife, daughter, and servants. You may look around the same age as Sara, but to single-handedly defeat those bandits, you’re quite something!”
As the maid clears the table, the baron laughs and speaks to me.
“Could it be… that you’re the disciple of the famous ‘Golden Arcus’?”
Golden? Arcus? Who’s that? I tilt my head in confusion.
“…I guess not. Ah, you see, the ‘Golden Arcus’ is the name of a famous top-ranked adventurer… to put it simply, an incredibly powerful person.”
The baron chooses his words carefully to explain it in a way that a young child like me can understand.
I feel like this is the first time since reincarnating that someone has shown this level of consideration for me.
This person is kind.
Well, to be able to treat someone like me with this attitude, he must be a considerate person who can be mindful of anyone.
And with that handsome appearance too, he must have been quite popular in his younger days. He’s still youthful even now!
“This ‘Golden Arcus’ recently took on a disciple around your age and Sara’s, which caused quite a stir. And apparently, in just one year, that disciple achieved complete mastery, um, became incredibly powerful, and despite their young age, they’ve already gone independent, traveling to various places to save those in need after leaving Arcus’ tutelage.”
Woah, that disciple is a monster!?
To achieve complete mastery in just one year!?
And that person…
<There’s a high chance they’re a reincarnator with blessings, isn’t there?>
Yeah, exactly.
I don’t want to get involved with them if possible, it could lead to trouble.
Not that I know where they are.
“Father, it’s not fair for you to keep talking! I want to chat with Emi too!”
Here, Sara-chan interrupts the conversation.
This girl is bright, energetic, and a good kid, but she’s a bit forceful and willful.
And perhaps because I saved her life, she’s unusually close to me.
I’m just a wandering, black-haired, black-eyed child people consider cursed, yet this girl, a baroness’ daughter of high status, doesn’t seem to have any aversion towards me at all.
“Hey, hey! I want to learn more about Emi! Where did you come from, Emi? How did you become so strong!?”
“…”
Seeing my unchanged expression and lack of immediate response, the baron and baroness seem worried that Sara-chan might have asked something I don’t want to talk about.
But Sara-chan remains smiling without a care in the world.
No, it’s not that there’s a past I don’t want to touch on or anything, I’m just not good at speaking, so it takes me some time to get the words out.
So I won’t have to be worried about, I haltingly, but as best I can, talk about my history.
How I was persecuted for my appearance in the village I was born in and lived in the forest.
How the base in Naso Forest was stolen, and I set out on a journey.
But because of my appearance, I couldn’t enter any human settlements.
How I was saved by my master when being chased by monsters.
Then I trained with my master in the deep mountains.
And how my master died, so I came down from the mountain…
There’s no need to hide anything, so I straightforwardly talked about things like that.
Ah, I didn’t mention at all that I’m a reincarnator since that would be really difficult to explain.
Sara-chan was delighted to hear my adventurous tale, exclaiming “Amazing!”
The baron and baroness looked a bit disgusted when I mentioned about eating insects and grass to stave off hunger.
…After that, the baron introduced himself, the baronial family, their family members, and servants, and we had a casual chat before this dinner party came to a close.
Sara-chan threw a bit of a tantrum, saying, “But I want to keep chatting!” but she was dragged away to her room by the maid.
She seemed like she might come to play secretly at night, but apparently, she’s the type to instantly fall asleep the moment she’s thrown onto her bed. Seriously?
Sara-chan is a bit, you know…
She’s an adorably cute beautiful girl, but at the same time, you kind of get the feeling that she’s just an idiot, you know?
As for me, I was led to a small room.
It was an empty servant’s room with just a bed and a small shelf in the bare interior.
“My apologies, I’m sorry I can only prepare this kind of room for our benefactor,” the baron said with an embarrassed air, explaining that there were no larger guest rooms available.
But for me, this kind of humble commoner-style room is more comfortable, so I’m happy.
Well, you know…
<Excluding the six months you spent at your master’s house, you were mostly camping outdoors, weren’t you? Compared to tree hollows and branches, having a bed is like heaven no matter what kind of room it is!>
That’s right, you’re absolutely right!
This room has a bed!
Since at my master’s house, I slept on the hard floor with a Japanese-style futon-like mat, this will be my first time sleeping on a bed since reincarnating.
Woah, it’s s-so soft…
I immediately try lying down on it, and I’m surprised by how much more comfortable it is than I imagined.
Oh, this is dangerous. I’m getting sleepy…
No wonder Sara-chan falls asleep in three seconds…
With the kind-looking, mustached baron giving me an amused wry smile, I instantly lost consciousness.