The three idiots who couldn't become heroes are preparing a man's meal today as well. - Chapter 17

TLN: WarWind -> Wind of War

Episode 17: Group Action

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(Minami POV)

The Second Day of the Expedition

It was already past noon, and we were still being jostled around in the carriage.

“Airi-saaan, you okay? Sorry for leaving the driving all to you~!”

“No, no~ Since I’m exempt from night watch duty, this much is nothing~”

“Kita-kun, you should come down already~?”

A carefree voice echoed inside the carriage, but Kitayama-sama alone didn’t join in the conversation.

Sitting cross-legged on the roof of the carriage, he wore a sulky expression.

“Nah, I need to cool my head a bit more. Besides, after what happened earlier, I don’t want to let my guard down. I’ll keep watch just in case.”

“Master, I will assist you.”

With just those words, I leaned out the window and climbed up onto the roof.

I sat down beside my still-irritated Master, scanning the surroundings from a higher vantage point than usual.

I am a beastkin.

Unlike Master and the others, I’m still inexperienced at “reading presences,” but at least my ears are sharp.

I should be able to help, even if just a little.

“…Hey, Minami. Is ‘something like that’ normal around here?”

Master muttered, his tone quiet.

Though he still seemed annoyed, there was a certain sadness in his expression.

“I’m not exactly an expert on nobles… but yes, I’d say so. Many people crave noticeable achievements. That incident earlier… is something that happens quite often.”

Hearing my response, Master simply muttered, “…I see,” before refocusing on his watch duty.

Even though it had only happened just past noon, he was still dwelling on it.

(Kitayama POV)

The break had gone on for far too long.

Even if we needed to rest both the horses and the people, at this rate, we’d never reach our destination.

Just as I was beginning to grow impatient, the lead carriage finally started moving again.

That blonde girl… how many breaks does she need before she’s satisfied?

Grinding my molars in frustration, I glared at the departing carriage when—

“Kou-chan, your face.”

“Kita-kun, I get how you feel, but you’ll scare the horses.”

Snapped out of my thoughts by my two friends, I turned my gaze to the horses—

“Kitayama-san, you look terrifying when you’re angry… Haha…”

Not just the horses—even Airi-san was backing away in fear.

Damn it, what am I doing, ruining the party’s mood like this?

Taking a deep breath, I smacked my own cheek.

Alright, time to switch gears.

“Sorry, sorry. Let’s get moving! That blonde girl isn’t even giving a departure signal anymore. I’ll make her cry later.”

I let out a wry chuckle as I turned my gaze toward the lead carriage—

…and it stopped. Again.

Are you kidding me? What now?

She wouldn’t seriously call for another break, would she—

“‘Hearty Eater!’ It’s a magic beast!”

Kyle and the others, who were up ahead, grabbed their weapons and rushed toward the lead carriage.

So this time, it wasn’t an unnecessary break but an unavoidable accident.

The blonde girl hurriedly jumped down from the stopped carriage, meaning the enemy was already dangerously close.

“Azuma, Airi-san, stay with our carriage! Nishida, Minami, let’s go!”

“Got it!”

“Yes!”

The three of us sprinted forward, soon spotting the magic beasts attacking the carriage.

Three wolves.

Not a huge number, but they had the advantage of proximity.

Both our party and ‘Wind of War’ were still rushing to the scene, while the blonde girl’s party was panicking.

The only one in a combat stance was the blonde girl herself.

She held her sword at the ready, but her stance was clearly unsteady.

In that case—

“Nishida! Take the one on the right!”

“Gotcha!”

With just that brief exchange, we hurled our spears.

In front of us, ‘Wind of War’ was engaging, while the robed members of the lead party were running for their lives.

There were many obstacles—too many.

But…

‘This much is no problem.’

We were used to hunting with trees, vines, and leaves constantly obstructing us.

Although the fleeing figures were more distracting than stationary plants, we could adjust accordingly.

Shifting slightly left and right, we created a clear line of fire and threw our spears.

Then, without missing a beat, Minami handed us our spare weapons.

It was just like always.

“Wh-What the?!”

Seeing two wolves suddenly impaled by spears, the blonde girl hesitated, pulling back her sword and looking around.

That was a mistake.

Turning her gaze away while an enemy remained was the worst possible decision.

“Kyle!”

“I know! ‘Hearty Eater’!”

As expected, the wolf settled down before the blonde girl did and turned its fangs toward her once again.

We wouldn’t make it in time, so we relied on the leader of ‘Wind of War’ running ahead.

And the result—

“Nnngh! Riri, do your job!”

“I know!”

Kyle stepped in between the blonde girl and the wolf, holding his greatsword like a shield.

As the wolf lunged, the one called Riri—who had been called out—released an arrow.

“You can do it if you try.”

“Hey, Kyle, how long are you planning to treat me like some rookie?”

With that casual exchange, the wolf—its brain pierced clean through via its eye—collapsed onto the ground.

Impressive. That’s all I could say.

Kyle, despite his large build, moved well. And Riri could shoot with pinpoint accuracy without hesitation.

Damn, I want an archer in our party too.

That’s how well-coordinated they were as a team.

Our party consists of one tank, three melee fighters, and one support. We’re not struggling at the moment, but maybe we should add some ranged attackers.

As I was thinking about that—

“Hey! Don’t you know that stealing someone’s prey is bad manners, Rookie!?”

“…Huh?”

I couldn’t help but voice my genuine confusion.

“I could’ve handled that much on my own! You all swarmed in and got in my way, so I couldn’t even swing my sword! Do you really think you can earn favors with something like this!?”

…What is she even talking about?

Huh? Wait, is she serious?

We’re in a hurry, which is why we cleaned it up quickly.

In fact, it was the lead carriage that stopped, forcing all of us to stop.

You’re kidding me, right? How does someone this clueless even get put in charge of anything?

“Say something!”

“…Then hurry up and move the carriage. You’re in the way.”

I found it ridiculous to even entertain the argument, so I waved my hand dismissively and went to retrieve my thrown spear.

But apparently, even that pissed her off, and she glared at me even harder.

“Are you mocking me!? I am Eleonora Kreis—”

“I don’t care who you are. Just move forward already. This job involves people’s lives, doesn’t it?”

This was nothing more than a childish tantrum.

I had no intention of wasting my time on that.

And if the job failed, she’d probably just blame the ‘rookie’ anyway, right?

Screw that.

If we’re going to be insulted no matter what, at least wait until after we rescue the client.

“Wha—!? You—!”

“Now, now, now. Isn’t the job more important than arguing right now, Ojou-sama?”

“Don’t call me Ojou-sama!”

Kyle stepped in between us.

Honestly, I felt bad for making him do that, but I had no intention of sugarcoating my words.

Different common sense. Different status.

This isn’t the world we came from—our values are what’s strange here.

So, logically, I should just ‘understand’ that and play along.

Bowing to those of higher status is the quickest way to resolve things.

But…

“What a brat. Who the hell put her in charge of anything?”

“You—! What did you just say!?”

“Come on, come on, standing around arguing here doesn’t help anyone, right? Leader of ‘Hearty Eatery,’ let’s just leave it at that.”

Kyle was absolutely right.

If time was precious, I should’ve just kept my mouth shut.

And yet, I still spoke up—because she pissed me off too much.

Apologizing to Kyle in my heart, I turned back to my party.

In the end… I’m childish too.

How pathetic.

—

(Minami POV)

“You don’t have to force yourself to fit in, do you?”

“…Huh?”

Hearing the straightforward remark, I turned to see my Master looking at me with a surprised expression.

“I’m not particularly knowledgeable about the ways of the world either. But I don’t think you’re wrong, Master. Not today, and not before either.”

Different social classes, different ranks.

That’s just how this world works.

That’s why there are so few people who will openly voice what they believe is right.

Merchants bowing to nobles, slaves flattering their owners—

I’ve seen it countless times.

Hardly anyone dares to bite back against those in power.

That’s the norm. That’s just the way things are.

But these people… that kind of behavior didn’t suit them at all.

“Master, I think you’re fine just the way you are. It’s because you are who you are that I feel glad to have been bought by you. You give me work, you give me food, and you give me happiness. That’s why… I don’t want you to change for the worse.”

“I might cause trouble for you. You might get caught up in something messy, you know?”

“If that happens, we’ll just run away as fast as we can. Luckily, we can survive in the forest, can’t we?”

Looking up at Master with a bright smile, I saw him sigh and then place his hand gently on my head with a wry smile.

“I’m really glad you became our companion, Minami.”

“Slaves don’t have the right to refuse.”

“Want me to free you?”

“Absolutely not.”

As we exchanged those words, I enjoyed the scenery passing by.

It’s fine now.

Kitayama-sama’s expression had softened considerably.

I’m happy—happy that I became their slave.

I no longer go hungry. I no longer suffer.

And beyond just fulfilling those bare minimum wishes, they treat me as a ‘person.’

They probably don’t even realize how much of a privilege that is for a slave.

But precisely because of that, I want to repay their kindness in kind.

I may not be able to do much, but for these people who call me ‘comrade,’ I will repay my debt with everything I have.

“Alright! Let’s have some karaage today!”

“Yes! I’ve always wanted to eat as much of that as I can!”

And just like that, the second day of the expedition passed.

According to the plan, there was only one more day left.

By then, we should arrive at the site.

At the very least, I hope this journey doesn’t end with our Masters suffering.

With that prayer in my heart, I watched the sun sink below the horizon.

(Kyle POV)

The second night of the expedition.

Considering what had happened earlier that day, I expected the mood at the camp to be sour… but—

“Here, have some more! Eat up, all of you!”

The leader of “Hearty Eater,” who had been showing signs of irritation after that incident, was now serving food to his party members with a refreshed expression.

What the hell? This is still a camp, right?

I looked down at the disgustingly bad dried meat in my hands and let out a deep sigh.

“H-Hey, Kyle… How about we ask them to share? I’ll even pay for it. There’s no way I can be satisfied with just this dried meat…”

Riri’s voice trembled with desperation as he stared at them, drooling.

Each party was responsible for their own watch duty, food, and supplies.

That was the rule of this expedition.

Which meant we couldn’t just go and ask for a share… but still.

“Riri, don’t be unreasonable. We prepared this food ourselves, so we should eat it without complaint.”

Even as old man Zaz spoke those words, his eyes were locked onto their food, drool dripping from his mouth.

Elves were known for their long lifespans, which naturally led to a deep appreciation for food.

That must be why he was so interested.

Even in the middle of a camp, they were making such delicious-looking meals…

“Ugh… No good… No matter how much I eat, just the smell alone is making me hungrier…”

Poal, who had been stuffing himself with hardtack and dried meat this whole time, was now clutching his stomach and rolling on the ground.

His gaze, of course, was fixed on “Hearty Eater.”

At this point, should we seriously consider negotiating with them?

That thought had just crossed my mind when—

“You lot are far too relaxed! You’re in a camp, yet instead of staying alert, you’re busy cooking? What if something happens? Would you even be able to react in time?”

Our party’s problem child, the young lady, spoke up before we could.

Damn it… if this turns into another tense situation like earlier today, it’ll affect tomorrow’s work.

Just as I started worrying—

“You want some?”

“W-Who said anything like that!?”

The leader of “Hearty Eater” looked completely at ease.

Unlike earlier, he now wore an exasperated smile, as if humoring a child.

“Ooh! I want some!”

“H-Hey! Poal!”

One of our members finally lost control of their cravings and jumped into the conversation.

This just got worse…

If the mood turned hostile, I was planning to step in, but if I joined now, I’d become part of the problem.

While I desperately racked my barely functioning brain for a solution, “Hearty Eater” casually dropped a bombshell.

“We’ve got plenty of meat, so we don’t mind sharing… but this is magic beast meat. Still interested?”

“””””Wha—!?”””””

Multiple voices overlapped as everyone instinctively took a step back.

Not just the “Battle Princess” young lady, but even my own party members backed away in unison.

What the hell are they eating…?

“Hearty Eater.”

I finally understood the true meaning behind their party name…