The interior of the warehouse was becoming illuminated. A face filled with greed held a torch, shining light into every nook and cranny, searching for items to satisfy their insatiable desire.
So intense was the anticipation and pleasure of seizing another's wealth that they forgot the unpleasant, fishy smell mixed with blood and rain, and the clammy dampness seeping into their cloaks.
Under the torchlight, faces bared their teeth in hideous smiles as they gradually closed in on Diverte, who was in the corner of the warehouse.
The torch was swung around hastily, and the man who locked eyes with Diverte called out to his other comrades in the warehouse.
Upon seeing Diverte sitting unexpectedly in the corner of the warehouse, the torch held by the dark figure approached Diverte.
Diverte's eyes, wide open with a blue glint, followed the unfamiliar figure approaching him.
Upon confirming that Diverte was leaning against the warehouse wall, appearing exhausted and breathing heavily, one of the men in the group drew his sword with a smile and brought it down.
There was a thud. Sticky blood and flesh fell to the floor.
Clang. The sound of the sword hitting the floor, along with a scream.
Diverte moved. The sword he had always treasured like a precious gem and kept close to his heart was now gripped in his hand.
The torch dropped to the floor, and Diverte seemed to melt into the darkness, vanishing from view... Before long, screams echoed. The squelching sound of bodies collapsing in rain-soaked cloaks mingled with the patter of rain throughout the warehouse and the echoes of terrified voices.
Following the sounds of flesh being sliced and waterlogged thin leather armor and cloth being torn, a figure with a blue glint in their eyes stood alone in the darkness, gazing down at the corpses sprawled in a pool of blood.
Once again, only silence filled the warehouse. No more screams from strangers, no groans of pain, no blood-choked coughs were heard.
The sound of heavy raindrops pounding on the warehouse's aged wooden roof and the muted trickle of water cascading down it filled the air.
The faint sound of a woman's laughter echoed softly.
On Diverte's lips was a smile of ecstasy, and with eyes full of affection, as if gazing at a beautiful lover, he looked at the sword in his hand.
His cloak stained with blood, he pressed his cheek against his sword, caked with flesh and fat, and Diverte's eyes fluttered shut.
With trembling lips, he grasped the fabric of his cloak with his fingertips and carefully wiped the sword.
From Diverte's mouth, the same word was endlessly repeated. Someone's name...
Rheabella. Rheabella... Rheabella... The more he called, the more his heart ached with love for the name Rheabella...
In the dim warehouse, amidst the relentless downpour... A new love blossomed between the two who adored each other so profoundly.
In the newly developed outskirts of Ves-Dinas, inside a recently constructed tavern where the scent of fresh bricks and wood still lingered, a dark-haired man rested his chin on his arms atop a reddish-dark brown maple table.
The man appeared to be waiting for someone.
The interior of the tavern was filled with the voices of many people.
The sound of laughter, and a waitress, holding a plate of food with both hands, loudly calling out to find the customer who ordered the dish.
The man, resting his chin, exchanged a few words with the approaching waitress, appearing to order food. After the waitress, with a cheerful smile, greeted him and headed towards the kitchen, the man yawned widely and surveyed his surroundings with eyes brimming with tears.
The man watched with a gentle smile as dishes steamed fresh from the kitchen, a plate with a pig's head that might seem grotesque to some, red wine, and customers laughing and raising their glasses to drink sweet mead, filling the restaurant hall with vibrant energy.
The not-unpleasant scent of cooking oil and the mouthwatering aroma of bread drifted from the kitchen. Customers, rubbing their hungry bellies and awaiting their orders, lifted their chins and stretched their necks to watch the waitress navigate the hall with plates of food.
An adventurer with a large build, placing a huge shield beside his chair, sat down with a tired sigh and ordered two large glasses of drinks.
A group of wandering merchants, who had just arrived in Ves-Dinas for the Grand Tournament, sat together, massaging their legs and shoulders after carrying heavy packs over rough roads.
The appearance of the man sitting alone was more attractive than anyone else's in the restaurant hall. With a graceful jawline, smooth face, and long, beautiful hands that were hard to believe belonged to a man.
Even though his seat was in the corner of the hall, there were waitresses who would glance at him sideways and, if they happened to make eye contact, would cover their flushed cheeks and quickly leave.
Shortly after, a waitress who had bowed her head came and went, leaving on the man's table an ash wood cup filled with red wine.
"Am I very late, Dragon Fly?"
Through the bustling noise filling the hall, a clear voice rang out, and Dragon Fly turned his head to look at the owner of the voice who had called him.
"Hmm?"
"It's not too late, is it?"
Tiger Beetle, having tapped Dragon Fly's shoulder with the back of the hand in a friendly gesture, sat down and spoke.
"Yeah. You're not too late."
"What about the food?"
"I ordered my food."
"Eh? What about mine? Mine~?"
Tiger Beetle spoke with wide eyes and a playful pout.
"How would I know what you like? I just ordered mine not long ago, so you should hurry and order yours too."
"Yes... By the way, what did you order, Dragon Fly?"
"I ordered baked barley bread and a dish of sautéed goat liver and potatoes."
"Heh... Goat liver, huh... Then I'll have..."
After briefly checking what dishes were on the other customers' tables, Tiger Beetle smiled at the waitress approaching.
"Would you like to order?"
The waitress smiled cheerfully and said.
"Do you have oatmeal porridge? And if you have wild boar dishes, please recommend one."
"Yes. We have oatmeal porridge with cheese, honey, and eggs. And we serve a wild boar thigh dish prepared according to Ruudite tradition."
"Ruudite tradition? Is that cuisine from the Cobalt Archipelago? Could you tell me what kind of dish it is?"
"Um... It's a dish where heavily salted wild boar meat is cooked with hazelnuts, mustard seeds, chopped leeks, wheat berries, sorrel, and oregano in a Ruudite iron cauldron."
The waitress, placing her index finger on her lower lip, recalled the ingredients in the dish and said.
"Oh? That's quite a detailed description."
"I also help in the kitchen when it's busy."
"Hmm... Then I'll have the oatmeal porridge and the Ruudite wild boar dish you just mentioned. Also, two baked apples and some wine, please."
"Yes~ I'll bring them right away."
"Isn't that too much food?"
"Oh come on~ It's still a while until sunset. If it doesn't interfere with work, I should eat plenty. Besides, I've only ever read about Ruudite cuisine in books long ago. I have to taste it for myself."
"You didn't need to order the oatmeal porridge."
"That's because... I decided before coming here that I must eat it today. I have a rule that if I eat something in my dream, I have to eat it that day."
"Hmm..."
"Ah! I also remember a passage about Ruudite cuisine from a book."
"What was it?"
"Let me see... 'The cauldron of the ancient king of Ruudite was large enough to hold 30 pigs, adorned with splendid decorations and carvings of every beast in the world, so beautiful that it was incomparable to any other work of art in this world.' Something like that... I think."
"You know it quite well."
"Hehe... I have a good memory."
Tiger Beetle shrugged and smiled.
After some time, the table was set with the ordered dishes and a nicely baked bread that Tiger Beetle had added to the order.
"How is it? That goat dish?"
"Hmm? It's delicious. Want a piece?"
After swallowing the food that was filling his mouth, Dragon Fly pushed his plate with the dish toward Tiger Beetle and said.
Tiger Beetle used the fork in hand to pick up a small piece of meat from the plate that was pushed closer and brought it to the mouth.
"Ugh! I really can't stand liver. This metallic taste... Now I'm certain. I hate liver."
"Really? I eat it because I like that taste."
"Is that so?"
With a grimace, Tiger Beetle chewed the goat liver and then took a bite of the sweet baked apple to cleanse the metallic taste from the mouth. Then, the conversation between the two continued.
"Even though it's a tavern on the outskirts of a newly developed city... There are many customers."
"Is that so? Now that you mention it, it's definitely more crowded than the usual taverns or restaurants."
"What if we had lived like those soldiers over there?"
After taking a big spoonful of wheat berries soaked in sauce, Tiger Beetle glanced at the soldiers dining in the distance and remarked.
"We would have stayed in one place, repeating a boring life until death. Why did you suddenly think of that?"
"Huh? Oh... I just get curious... I wonder, 'What would I be like in a different life?'"
"..."
"Ah. It's not that I'm doubtful about our current job or anything... Haha..."
As Dragon Fly narrowed his eyes and set down the wine glass he was holding, Tiger Beetle, who had been looking at the soldiers, quickly turned back to Dragon Fly and said hurriedly.
"Wouldn't it be nice to have a conversation for entertainment rather than eating in silence?"
"Hmm. If that's the case... Life as a soldier... The lifestyle..."
"Haha. Are you playing along?"
"Well, for now."
"I'm touched."
"For something trivial. Hmm... Then... Since neither of us is good at archery, we probably would have been scolded by our superiors for that."
Dragon Fly said, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his index finger.
"Hmm... Maybe. But if we had a capable commander, wouldn't they have provided us with easy-to-use crossbows? In fact, some soldiers here in Ves-Dinas carry crossbows instead of bows."
"Bows and crossbows... Isn't it just a matter of preference or something?"
"Crossbows are much easier to use."
"Is that so..."
"That's right."
"Then, since we would have been good with spears or swords, we might have become gate guards or gone around catching bandits, outlaws, robbers, or thieves."
"Hehe... That's much better than just guarding the walls."
"But still, it's a life rooted in one place. You'd get bored quickly."
"Perhaps so..."
"Ah! Then how about this? Living as wandering merchants like those people over there? You don't have to stay in one place, feeling stifled and bored. You can go anywhere on the continent you want!"
Looking at the wandering merchants sitting at a nearby table, Tiger Beetle, with a brightened expression, asked Dragon Fly about this new idea of life.