Welcome to Hell! - Chapter 278: Farewell Feast

The farewell feast was a great success. We feasted on fish we had caught and nuts and fruits gathered by Gora and the others, all meticulously prepared by Mika and the others. Mika usually prioritizes nutritional balance and the amount that satisfies our hunger, but at the feast, he focused on flavor and variety instead.

Most popular with Button and the others was a bread-like creation made from nuts. Mika and the others peeled the nuts, ground the insides into flour, then soaked and stirred them in water. They discarded the top layer of impurity and bitterness, added fresh water, and stirred again. Repeating this process while using spiritual arts resulted in the creation of a fine white powder.

This powder was mixed with other finely chopped nuts and dried fruits, along with water, and then slowly baked over a low flame. The texture and aroma of nuts, the sourness and sweetness of dried fruits, and the gentle texture that brought them together in harmony were all irresistible. Button and the others devoured it as if in a contest.

Interestingly enough, the nuts used for this flour were not normally consumed by Button and the others. The simple reason was that they didn’t suit the palates of the creatures here. They said that they were so bitter and grassy to the point of being inedible.

In this forest, there was never a shortage of food, and no one bothered with fruits that required patience to eat because they were inedible. As a result, there was an abundance of such fruits that remained untouched. It was Mika who, upon discovering this surplus, took the initiative to gather them and had been making and storing them daily since the day we arrived at the flower garden.

The feast today used about half of the flour made from these fruits. While it seemed like a considerable amount, Mika assured everyone that there was enough flour left to make an amount of bread roughly equivalent to what had been consumed during their journey. If Mika, whom everyone trusted, said so, there could be no mistake.

“Chomp, chomp… Indeed, there appears to be some merit in the wisdom of the human race.”

The one who said that was Button who had transformed into a human form and was eating with great relish. Personally, I also found the gentle sweetness of the dried fruits to my liking. I decided to ask Mika to make this occasionally.

The bread-like creation was immensely popular, but Mika seemed to have anticipated this and ensured there would never be a shortage of it. As expected, Mika was highly capable.

“No, no. The taste is all thanks to the bounty of this wonderful forest.”

“That cannot be denied. The forest’s bounty is indeed a grace bestowed upon us by our lord.”

Mika was humble, but Button showed no such humility. Surely it was because the “Mountain God” had been praised. It was only natural for one to be proud when the object of their worship was praised.

The most surprising aspect of the feast’s preparation was that several demon foxes were involved in the cooking. It seemed that they had developed a keen interest in the act of cooking itself. Their reasoning was simple: if cooking could enhance the taste of food, there was no reason not to participate.

After preparing a sufficient amount of food, the demon foxes who enjoyed the meals were eagerly learning from Mika. The content was about cooking tips and some of the easiest recipes Mika knew, and the demon foxes listened intently.

But Rinne, who was sitting next to Mika, watched him with half-closed eyes. Even I, with my limited understanding of emotional nuances, could tell that her gaze was tinged with a hint of jealousy.

“Now, Antares. Even after tomorrow, as long as you’re within our lord’s domain, you won’t have trouble with travel as you did coming here. In fact, arrangements are being made to escort you beyond the mountains.”

Button, who had been enjoying the meal, suddenly proposed something astonishing. To escort us beyond the mountains? Could such a thing be possible? The power of the “Mountain God” was unfathomable, and it seemed a task of this nature could be managed with ease.

“Thank you.”

“And, there’s a matter I’d like to discuss… Would you consider taking Woodsorrel and Gardenia with you?”

“Woodsorrel and Gardenia?”

Without turning my head, I used the compound eyes at the back of my head to observe Woodsorrel and Gardenia. Woodsorrel, in human form, and Gardenia, still in demon fox form, were both lying on their backs and snoring. Judging by their swollen bellies, it appeared that they had both eaten their fill and fallen asleep. It was typical of Woodsorrel, though Gardenia also seemed to have indulged a bit too much.

But the proposal was confusing. Woodsorrel and Gardenia were supposed to be the guardians of the forest. Taking them with us might leave a gap in their defenses. Button seemed to see through my concerns, and she had a terrifying smile on her face.

“I am here. Do I need to say anything more?”

“Yeah, I don’t think so.”

In terms of unfathomable abilities, Button was on par with the Mountain God, and it was possible that she alone could protect the forest. If that were the case, the absence of Woodsorrel and Gardenia might not be a significant problem after all.

But Button who was still in her human form sent me a telepathic message after scanning the area. The careful attention she paid indicated that she probably wanted to discuss something she preferred not to be overheard by others.

[In all honesty, there are two reasons for this… The first is to maintain a connection with you. Our lord has taken a particular liking to you, it seems. We would like you to visit at least once every few years.]

The first reason was both flattering and somewhat troublesome. Being favored by the “Mountain God” was an honor, but the thought inevitably brought back the intimidating presence I felt during our talks.

Moreover, it is tiring to have to go see him every few years. Well, many of the people in this flower garden including me were very fond of the foxes and the others. Thinking of visiting them could perhaps lighten the burden.

[The second reason is that we wish to introduce new blood into our lineage. The beings of the forest are good, but having only males of the same species would concentrate our blood too much. This applies even to spiritual power.]

This was in line with what I had heard before about the demon foxes’ breeding method, which involved absorbing the spiritual power of males. It seems that relying solely on the beings of the forest for spiritual power would result in overly concentrated bloodlines. By the look of things, I looked like a friendly stallion to them.

Before this revelation, I was taken aback to learn that Button intended for Woodsorrel to bear my child. Perhaps this aligned well with both her personal desires and the broader needs of the demon fox race.

However, one lingering concern remained: the matter of Gardenia. It was puzzling why Button would instruct to bring not only Woodsorrel but also Gardenia along. Button preemptively addressed this question as well.

[Wouldn’t it be insufficient to introduce new blood solely through Woodsorrel? Besides, that girl seems to have taken a liking to a certain young man amongst you.]

[There’s someone she’s interested in?]

[…You’re really slow when it comes to this. The young man Gardenia is starting to take a fancy to is your son.]

What! Was Gardenia interested in bearing Chirik’s child? But it seemed not to be an immediate plan, as Button had said she was “starting to take a fancy to him”.

More pressing than anything was Button’s reference to Chirik as my son. After what Chirik had confessed about how he really thought about me, part of me didn’t want to deny that connection anymore. Diving into the details would be time-consuming, so I chose not to elaborate fully, but it seemed necessary to at least clarify the main points to avoid any misunderstanding.

[Physically, Chirik is indeed my son. However, my soul does not belong to his real father.]

[Hmm… I see. But it seems your heart has already taken the role of a father more than that of a teacher. You should relax a bit more and be yourself.]

“I’m not impressed with your half-hearted wisdom,” After saying that last part, Button released her transformation and departed with a swift grace. Her final words of advice seemed to pierce me more deeply than any other words I had heard.