Chapter 904: Withdrawal from Rennesto
After consulting with Dianne and Tetes, we decided to withdraw to Polka tomorrow. We concluded that since we’d already launched our attack on the Northern Frontier, a hotly contested area, there was no need to cause any more trouble. While checking on Kalwin wasn’t out of the question, we’re currently traveling with Princess Ran and the others, so we shouldn’t take any unplanned actions. As for spending the remaining few days sightseeing in the (relatively peaceful southern cities) of Renfangas or visiting the shores of Lake Valery……given the way things are going, that would likely only lead to trouble, so we decided to simply withdraw. Besides, Dianne wants to get a head start on leveling the ground for the planned city. An early return is probably just what she wants.
So, a few hours after that decision, dinner turned into a massive affair where we decided to lavishly use up all the ingredients Anzeros and the others had gathered.
“Is there really……enough for us to finish all this?”
It was enough to make me mutter that out loud. We gave up on serving individual portions and instead went with a buffet-style setup, bringing out one large platter after another. But seeing it laid out like that, it really hit me just how excessive the amount was for a group of only a little over twenty people. There were more than ten platters, each one so huge that I alone would be completely satisfied after eating just a quarter……no, a sixth of it. Even though many of the girls are soldiers and have hearty appetites, I couldn’t help but wonder if there wouldn’t be leftovers……this is a bit much. Even if it would go bad if left out, couldn’t they have just sold it instead of going to the trouble of cooking it? As I stood there, slightly dumbfounded, thinking this,
“No, don’t worry. We could easily polish off ten times this amount”
Leda gave me a reply that was almost too confident.
“Seriously……?”
“Dragons can store more nourishment than they appear to. Needless to say, we also maintain our dragon forms”
As Leda said this while carving the teriyaki meat with a large knife, Shario nodded in agreement.
“We can survive without eating, but eating builds strength. It’s faster to eat in dragon form, but we can store just as much food in human form”
“The same amount as in dragon form……how does digestion even work……?”
“I don’t really think about it, but maybe it just drops into my dragon stomach the moment I swallow. At the very least, this amount doesn’t make my stomach feel full”
Dragons are amazing. No wonder Laila can drink a whole barrel of wine without batting an eye.
“Ho. That said, don’t go overboard with the gluttony just yet. This is food for people. A dragon mustn’t be greedy”
“Of course”
Leda nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world at Laila’s warning, and the Black Collar Group nodded along while munching away. Come to think of it, I don’t always see them at mealtimes, maybe they’ve been holding back, thinking they didn’t need to eat. But if they’re in the mood now, I thought, I’d better not dawdle or it’ll be gone. Then I remembered my days in the Crossbow Corps, back when Dianne used to down a whole barrel of wine, too. The dragons are fine now that they understand how things work, but I wonder what’s going on inside Dianne’s stomach. Maybe it’s best not to think about it too much. And then there’s Neia, whose voracious appetite stands out in a subtle way.
After dinner, I announce our departure to everyone once more and we begin preparing to leave. Everyone is used to traveling, so loading the luggage is as easy as usual. This Celesta mansion is comfortable, but no one has been cluttering their rooms with extra personal belongings. Well, even if we wanted to buy something, it’s dangerous to go out anyway.
“Can Fiona walk, Sister?”
“Hmm, her bones are fine, so it’s not impossible……but it’s about the time the pain starts throbbing again once things settle down, so she might be a little miserable”
“Hmm. ……Laila, can you handle the transport?”
“Ho, leave it to me.”
If she were told to walk, she’d probably grit her teeth and do it, but at this stage, that would just be pointless suffering. She’ll be fine as soon as we get back to Polka, so there’s no need to get used to the pain. So, just like before, Laila carried Fiona in a princess carry and brought her to the 「Sexroom」.
“…It stinks”
“It’s medicine, so you’ll have to forgive me for that☆”
Even Dianne winced at the ointment’s stench. Well, how should I put this? To be blunt, it didn’t smell like medicine. It was a mix of offal, a pungent odor, and a grassy smell……honestly, an evil stench. If I didn’t know Hilda made it, I’d suspect some kind of deadly poison. Luna, whose sense of smell is sensitive, had already fled. She’s probably planning to ride in the carriage.
“Can’t you use magic to get rid of this smell, Dianne?”
“If I try to eliminate the medicinal scent directly, it might interfere with the potion’s efficacy……it might be better to use a sensory illusion that numbs the nose instead”
“On everyone riding with us……?”
“We’ll reach Polka by tomorrow, so it should last until then”
It feels a bit excessive, but we’re traveling at night, and we can’t exactly expect everyone to survive the night breathing through their mouths.
“I mean, does this actually work……? It’s not a failed concoction or something?”
Corti grimaces as she examines Fiona’s ointment-covered body. Dragons are supposed to have incredibly sensitive noses, so has she already numbed her own sense of smell, or is she just enduring it? And as for Fiona herself…….
“Once you get used to it, it’s not such a bad smell”
She’d already adapted. Or maybe she’d decided to trick herself with her usual grit. It is a rare treatment, after all. She couldn’t very well ask for a break.
“……You’re amazing, Fiona. ……!!!”
“Princess Ran!?”
Princess Ran is on the verge of throwing up. Yeah. That’s about what you’d expect. That’s how strong this smell is.
“I wonder if we need to add some ingredient to control the smell……”
“Actually, Hilda, didn’t you think this was bad while you were making it?”
“When you’re a doctor, you get used to smelling all kinds of things, so it’s hard to gauge what’s within the average person’s tolerance level, you know☆”
I get it, but I wish she’d realized a little sooner. And I really hope they don’t end up using this ointment.
The next day, even after arriving in Polka, Jeanne and Selenium recoiled the moment they opened the door to greet us, and Marone immediately collapsed sideways and passed out. So no matter how effective it is, the problems it causes are definitely way too big.