The First Step: Survival (5)

"T-that's right!" the maid Bella suddenly exclaimed, quickly stepping forward and confronting the butler face-to-face...!

"Woah-!?"

"What should we do with water and food, Sir Sebas?!" she asked directly toward his face; her expression was serious, almost frantic. Her directness was such a surprise to him that he had to step back.

He looked toward the other two and found that they were also worried about their water and food situation... though not as desperate as Bella was right now.

Anastasia's entourage had brought their own water and food rations on their journey to the Garden of Hell, but it was obvious to them that these supplies wouldn't last for a long, long time...

"A-alright, alright, Miss Maid. I was just gonna elaborate on that matter," the butler replied with a slightly nervous chuckle, gently pushing her shoulders to calm her down and give himself some breathing space.

"*Cough*, okay, now let's talk about the 3rd and also the 4th principles of our 'Rule of Threes,' shall we?"

All three women nodded (with Miss Maid, in particular, nodding a bit too enthusiastically), granting him permission to continue. He held up his right hand once more—raising three fingers to emphasize his point.

"3 days without water... and 3 weeks without food," he started his explanation, his expression turning serious. "As you might already know, all living beings require both water and nourishment to live, and we humans are no exception to that universal rule."

The three women nodded again, understanding the importance of both resources.

Sebas turned around once more and pointed back at his campsite.

"Right now, I have brought enough clean water and food rations for at least a week, and if we divide it among the four of us... hmm, we could probably go for 3 days, at most."

"... They would not suffice for a longer period of time," Anastasia chimed in; a worried expression etched on her face.

"Exactly, Lady Ana," Sebas affirmed, raising his clenched fist. "If we are to survive in this perilous region called THE Garden of Hell... we need to immediately find steady sources for our water and food!!!"

"I-Indeed, Sir Sebas," Anastasia responded, a bit taken aback by his usual 'unusual' outburst. "I am aware that some water could be accessed through digging a well, but..."

"... how do we even find the water beneath the ground to begin with, right, my lady?" Her loyal maid Bella added, finishing her mistress's thought.

"I do have knowledge of water well construction, my lady," the knight Martha added as well, recalling her days serving in the kingdom's army.

"I've once supervised the construction of one, but... even if I and the butler start digging for one, I'm not confident we could finish it under three days... especially not with the constant threat of unknown dangers..."

"..."

They all fell silent, realizing that they had just dampened their morale.

"Haha, well, Rome wasn't built in a day, ladies," Sebas quipped, drawing their attention back to him with a reassuring smile.

"Rome...?" the three of them echoed, confused once again by his odd choice of words.

"Building a well will be put on hold for now, so we'll look for another alternative, which is... you know what it is, right?"

"... A river or a lake, isn't it?" Martha answered his question, slightly irritated by his teasing tone.

"Yup! And luckily, I know where we could find a clean river nearby that we could use as our source of water."

"Truly...?" Anastasia gasped, her hope rising once more at the prospect of crossing another item off their survival list—a sentiment her aides clearly shared.

"Truly so, my lady. But..."

"But...?"

Her rising hope faltered at the butler's sudden pause.

"As I said before: 'all living things require water and nourishment'... and monsters are also living things."

"..."

His reminder cast a heavy silence over the group, dampening their spirits further. Monsters would also naturally be attracted to water sources just like them... and they would have to fight for access to it.

"But not to worry, my lady. That's why Miss Knight and I are here to vanquish the monsters~," Sebas reassured them with a playful grin. "We'll have access to clean, drinkable water in no time~! Isn't that right, Miss Knight?"

"Y-Yeah, of course!" Martha stammered, flustered by the sudden shift of attention to her. "Don't worry, my lady! I will make sure that no monster will ever come close enough to threaten you or your path!"

"... Thank you, Martha," Lady Anastasia said softly, ever so grateful to her loyal knight. Then she turned toward her butler with a serious expression. "Sir Sebas... what about our food problem?"

"Hmm..."

He didn't answer immediately, instead opting to gather his thoughts, seeming as if he was trying to come up with a proper way to answer her inquiry.

"There are a few ways to gather our food, my lady," he began thoughtfully.

He raised his hand as if to count their options.

"We could try foraging for edible plants, fruits, berries, and even mushrooms. The wilderness of this place is teeming with these natural food resources... but it is also teeming with NOT EDIBLE stuff, so we would have to be careful with that option."

"I see..." Anastasia nodded, clearly understanding his implication. "What other options do we have?"

"Fishing could be a good option, considering that we are trying to access the river. Of course, the risk is the same as I've said for it."

"I understand," she acknowledged, mentally steeling herself of that future endeavor. "Anything else, Sir Sebas?"

"... Hunting."

"So, we are resorting to that option, huh..."

"I understand your hesitation, my lady, but... hunting is the simplest and honestly the most practical method for food resources," Sebas explained, trying to convince the noble young woman to see his reasoning. "In fact... I already hunted us some pretty good meat for the day~. Many of them too~."

"Oh, really?" Anastasia's interest was piqued. She, along with her two aides, leaned in slightly, intrigued by the butler's promising words. "Is it the meat that you are currently cooking, Sir Sebas?"

He nodded, a wide smile etched on his face.

"Could it be... a wild boar?" Martha guessed, her eyes glinting with curiosity.

"O-or maybe... a deer? I heard they're a delicacy in some parts of Florentia..." Bella chimed in, clasping her hands together in growing anticipation.

Sebas shook his head, the same smile still plastered on his face... which slowly began to unsettle the three ladies. Without a word, he turned to the side and pointed in a particular direction...!

Their eyes followed his gesture... and landed on the pile of grotesque, lifeless monster carcasses that the butler had slaughtered...!

"We can eat those~."