2nd Day (8) | A Little Trip to "Heaven" (2)

When the seemingly simple yet otherworldly chowder touched their tongues, their vision... shattered.

A burst of golden light engulfed their sight, as if the very heavens had descended into their taste buds!

The warmth of the thick broth wrapped around them like a silken embrace, melting into their mouths like liquid stardust...! And the rich, creamy texture danced along their tongues—smooth yet impossibly light, carrying a taste so deep it felt like they were being pulled into an endless abyss of flavor...!

Anastasia swore she could hear the distant chime of celestial bells... as if the gods themselves were singing praises to this divine creation...!

And her loyal knight, Martha... was utterly overwhelmed by a vision conjured by her mind—an image of both Anastasia and the knight herself kneeling before a radiant mushroom deity, basking in its blinding, holy glow...!

On the other hand...

"L-Lady Anastasia...? Miss M-Martha...?" Bella called out hesitantly, slightly unnerved by the sight before her.

They were... in a trance. Their eyes stared blankly at the empty space in front of them... and yet, they gleamed with awe and wonder. They were still holding onto their bowls of chowder, though.

"U-uhm, h-hello? M-my lady...?! Martha?!" She continued, waving a hand in front of their faces, panic starting to creep into her as she failed to get a response from them.

The maid had expected some praise for her cooking, considering she had used a rather rare ingredient and all... but she hadn't expected her mistress and her fellow aide to be stuck in this trance-like state.

"Oi~! You ladies already start breakfast~?"

"A-ah! That voice! S-Sir Sebas!"

Bella instantly recognized the voice! She turned toward it—

"Sir Sebas!!! Please help!!! Lady Anastasia and Miss Martha—ehhh?!"

As her eyes finally landed on the butler, she saw not just him casually approaching the campsite... but also the massive, thick tree log resting on his right shoulder!

This wasn't just any log—it was colossal, both in length and width, almost the girth of a full-grown adult...!

She knew the butler possessed otherworldly strength, but even so, she couldn't help but be astonished by his feat...!

However, the maid quickly shook her head, snapping out of her stupor—there was a more urgent matter at hand!

"S-Sir Sebas!!! Please help...!!!" she shouted once more, her voice laced with desperation.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" he asked from a distance, wondering by her call for help.

However, upon seeing the evident distress on the maid's face... his sharp gaze narrowed.

THUD!

Without hesitation, he dropped the massive log onto the ground and rushed toward the campsite! Upon reaching the frantic maid, his gaze swiftly landed on the two women—both completely frozen in a trance...!

"What happened to them...?!" he demanded, brows furrowing in concern.

Bella flailed her arms, her words tumbling out in a panicked mess. "S-Sir Sebas! T-they—! I-I don't know! They just—! The chowder—! And then—!"

Before she could spiral further, a firm grip landed on both of her shoulders.

"Calm down."

Sebas's steady voice cut through her panic like a blade, his sharp gaze locking onto hers. Bella was startled—her breath hitched as she gulped nervously.

"Now... what happened?" he asked again, his tone patient... but firm.

She didn't answer... or rather, she still couldn't answer in her panicked state.

Instead, she weakly lifted a trembling finger—pointing straight at the pot of chowder on top of the campfire... which still shimmered ominously with its otherworldly glow.

Sebas followed her gesture, his own eyes landing on the pot.

A long silence stretched between them as his expression went blank.

He stared... and stared at the pot... before coming to a realization.

"...Oh."

A small chuckle escaped him. Then, he shook his head, amusement flickering across his face... before letting out a hearty, full-bodied laugh.

"H-huh...? S-Sir Sebas? What's so funny???" Bella stammered, utterly baffled by his reaction. "This is serious, Sir Sebas! What's wrong with Lady Anastasia and Miss Martha?!?"

"Oh, sorry, sorry. I shouldn't be laughing here," he said, holding back his laughter before it could grow even louder. "Well, not to worry. They're not in any danger... just a little bit 'entranced.'"

"E-entranced...?"

Sebas then turned and approached the two 'entranced' ladies, with Bella following hastily. He glanced at the bowls in their hands, which shimmered with the same eerie radiance as the pot.

"Hmm, it's a good thing they only ate one spoonful of this stuff," he commented casually.

"W-what? W-what do you mean, Sir Sebas...?"

The butler then gently took the bowls from their hands—despite their complete lack of response—and handed them to the still-confused, utterly bewildered Bella.

"S-Sir Sebas...?"

"Wait here."

"O-okay...?"

She watched as he promptly walked toward the tent, leaving her standing awkwardly with the two entranced women. She fidgeted nervously, glancing back and forth between them and the tent... until finally, Sebas reemerged.

In his hand was a small, clear bottle.

"S-Sir Sebas? What is that?" Bella asked, eyeing it warily.

He approached the two entranced ladies, holding up the mysterious bottle—

"Wait... is that smelling salt?!"

Her realization only made Sebas grin.

He uncorked the small bottle with a quiet pop—a sharp, almost acrid scent immediately spilling into the air. Without hesitation, he held it beneath Anastasia's nose first.

For a moment... nothing happened.

Then—

"Hck—?!"

Her entire body jerked as if struck by lightning, letting out a sharp, gasping choke as her eyes went wide!

"Wh-what?! Where am I—? I—I heard bells—?!"

Sebas gave a satisfied nod before moving on to the next victim: Martha.

The knight, still deep in her delusion, barely reacted as the bottle was placed beneath her nose... but then—

"Guh—?!"

The same violent jolt racked her entire frame. Her eyes shot open like a warrior waking from battle!

"The gods—!" Martha clutched her chest, trying to calm her racing heart. "I—I saw—! The divine mushrooms—!"

Both of them were in a state of disorientation... before their eyes landed on the smiling Sebas and the visibly relieved Bella.

"P-praise the gods..."

"Welcome back, you two~."