The damp clothes clung tightly to their skin, making every movement uncomfortable. The thin fabric pressed against Boudica's chest, almost perfectly outlining the rise and fall of her curves. The queen's face flushed with embarrassment as she shifted slightly, unable to hide her unease.
Even more awkwardly, after so many temptations in a row, the Ancient Serpent himself was starting to lose control of his composure.
Samael simply shut his mouth and lowered his gaze. Instead, he began chanting Rune symbols, lighting a pile of firewood to raise a campfire. Sitting off to the side, he warmed himself while the heat slowly dried both their bodies and clothes.
The heavy silence gradually thickened with awkwardness.
Samael already felt guilty to begin with, and after the chaos of the entire night his stomach was completely empty. Hunger crept up on him. As his eyes wandered aimlessly, they eventually landed on the wyvern corpse floating in the stream.
As the World Serpent, hunger followed him like a shadow. To satisfy his appetite, he had developed rather respectable cooking skills.
"The night's still long, and we're not getting back to camp anytime soon. Since we're stuck here anyway, how about roasting something to eat while we talk?"
Samael took the initiative to break the silence and stood up, dragging the wyvern's corpse onto the riverbank.
He crouched down and began working with practiced ease. The scales were split open, the blood cleaned away, the bones removed. He carefully selected several of the most tender cuts of meat and skewered them onto sharpened branches.
Then he slipped into the forest and soon returned with a handful of berries that could be used as seasoning. Crushing them carefully, he squeezed out the juice and repeatedly brushed it over the meat.
Boudica remembered his cooking from before and quickly became interested. Gathering herself, she took a short knife and stepped forward to help break down the carcass and prepare the skewers.
Once everything was ready, Samael hummed a bold and ethereal tune while placing the skewered meat over the fire to roast.
As time passed, the aroma of roasting meat mixed with the sharp scent of the berry seasoning, spreading through the night air.
Samael picked up the first skewer that had finished cooking. After blowing on it lightly to cool it down, he looked toward Boudica with a smile. She had unconsciously licked her lips, clearly tempted.
"Here. Give it a try."
Perhaps it was the irresistible aroma of the food, or perhaps the warmth in Samael's smile. Either way, Boudica gradually set aside her embarrassment and restraint.
She lifted the skewer and gently bit down, tearing off a strip of the still-warm meat with her teeth. She chewed slowly.
The moment she did, juice burst across her tongue. The seasoning had removed the gamey taste completely, blending perfectly with the rich flavor of the meat. The taste exploded across her taste buds, leaving her unable to stop.
Her appetite awakened instantly.
Boudica abandoned all pretense and began tearing chunks of meat from the skewer, chewing and swallowing at an astonishing pace. The speed at which she devoured the food left Samael staring in disbelief.
Still, a cook always enjoys feeding someone with a good appetite.
Samael generously passed over each freshly roasted skewer as Boudica devoured them beside him.
In only a few dozen breaths, nearly seventy percent of the forty to fifty pounds of tender wyvern meat had disappeared into Boudica's belly, which remained perfectly flat.
Her pink tongue moved slightly as she breathed in through her lips. The spice had flushed her face a light red, yet her expression still carried a hint of lingering satisfaction.
Damn. That appetite is definitely a Celtic royal tradition.
Maybe Britannia's "royal stomach successor" already exists.
Samael chuckled to himself and casually handed her two mint leaves.
"Chew these. They'll clear the greasy aftertaste."
Boudica followed his instructions.
"The meat from a wyvern is pretty rough and hard to digest. But with the forest behind us and the stream in front, it's easy to gather fresh ingredients. How about we cook something else to balance things out? Come help me."
"Alright!"
Boudica nodded without hesitation.
"This kind of damp environment is perfect for matsutake and wood ear mushrooms. Both are delicacies. And these here are wild vegetables I've already tested. Meat and greens together always taste better."
The two crouched in the grass, one in front and one behind, searching for mushrooms and edible plants poking through the ground. Each new discovery added to the quiet excitement of their gathering.
Soon the ingredients were ready.
Besides the mushrooms and vegetables, their next dishes would include a foolish rabbit that had been running through the woods and a clumsy fish caught from the stream. A full feast from both land and water.
The utensils they used were crude tools carved from wood and stone. Not particularly elegant, but they carried a simple charm of their own.
Of course, the most flavorful sight was the occasional glimpse of the Celtic Queen's figure as she ran and leaped about gathering ingredients.
As for fetching clothes… well, you need a full stomach before running back, right?
Samael blinked and quietly chuckled to himself, stealing a few more glances.
"Earlier, the wyvern meat was thick and rough, so it had to be sliced thin and grilled slowly. But mushroom soup, rabbit meat, and grilled fish need to keep their natural flavor…"
Beside the fire, Samael flipped a piece of rabbit meat and a fish that had already turned golden brown while adjusting the seasoning of the mushroom soup. He gestured to Boudica, who was watching eagerly.
"Add the spicy berries."
Hearing this, the Celtic queen instantly perked up. Wanting to learn his cooking technique, she carefully crushed the bright red berries in her hand and spread the juice across the rabbit and fish.
The red oil sizzled against the golden surface of the meat.
Both of them swallowed involuntarily as the rich aroma filled the air.
Just as they were about to start eating, a faint rustling sound came from across the stream.
A tall figure stepped onto the riverbank like a ghost.
The young woman held a seven-colored sword in one hand and wore a thin veil over her face. Her silver-white hair flowed down to her waist like a waterfall. Her wheat-colored skin was healthy and sun-kissed, radiating strength.
Her outfit consisted of a clean white short skirt and a tight chest garment that barely covered her curves, emphasizing the natural athletic beauty of her body. On it was a star emblem that seemed to flicker faintly in the darkness, adding an air of mystery.
The incarnation of the Velber vanguard.
The King of the Huns, Altera.
Boudica's pupils shrank instantly. She instinctively raised the short knife she had been using to cut meat and took a defensive stance.
Meanwhile, the silver-haired girl by the stream stepped directly into the water and crossed over without invitation.
As the distance closed, the air between the two sides grew heavy and tense.
Finally, Altera stopped before the fire. She stared silently at the dancing flames, standing opposite Samael and Boudica.
"Grrrk…"
Just as the tension was about to snap, a suspicious sound came from Altera's throat.
Smack!
Samael quickly grabbed Boudica, stopping her from jumping up with her weapon. Then he slowly turned toward the infamous destroyer and forced a smile.
"How about… something to eat?"
"Enemies… must be eliminated…"
The King of the Huns frowned slightly as she murmured.
"Before a fight begins, we aren't enemies yet. And if we're not enemies, there's no need to fight. Besides, you can't fight well on an empty stomach, right?"
Samael spoke smoothly, smiling as he handed her a perfectly roasted rabbit leg, crispy outside and tender inside.
"Hmm… makes sense."
Altera sniffed the air and clearly wavered. After tilting her head and thinking for a moment, she accepted the skewer and sat down, nodding seriously.
Her teeth immediately tore off a large bite of meat.
After tasting it, she glanced toward the many skewers roasting over the fire. A faint gleam flashed in her eyes.
Samael quickly handed over more food.
Watching Altera chew happily with puffed cheeks like a hamster, Samael's mouth slowly curled into a sinister grin.
Heh… the remnant incarnation of the Velber vanguard is this easy to fool?
At this rate I could trick her into bed… ahem… I could fool her eight times over.
Time to show my real skills.