27: The Banquet

As evening fell, Gozuki and her group returned.

Each of them was carrying chunks of meat carved from the giant snake. Gozuki also had a few materials in hand—some of its scales, teeth, and other parts. After all, a creature with near Super-Class Danger Beast strength was practically a walking treasure trove. It was well known that the legendary Teigu of the Empire were crafted using materials harvested from such beasts.

What left Haruki utterly speechless, though, were the sisters Kurome and Akame. Each of them had a slab of meat slung over her shoulder that was even larger than her own body—but Haruki didn't doubt for a second that they'd finish it. He'd personally witnessed Kurome devour a slab of grilled meat several times her size, and the most baffling part was that her stomach didn't even bulge afterward. At this point, Haruki was convinced the sisters' stomachs were connected to another dimension. From this, he came to a firm realization: you absolutely can't use common sense when dealing with girls from the 2D world.

"Alright, everyone put the meat down. Nina, Gin—come help me prep it. Gozuki, you and the others get the firewood ready. Kurome, it's been a while since you've seen your sister, so you two can just take it easy and catch up."

Haruki gave out the instructions. Not long ago, Nina and Gin had finished washing the still-unconscious Tsukushi and Pony, and were now by Haruki's side.

Half an hour later, in the small courtyard, everyone was gathered around a massive grill. Red-hot charcoal blazed underneath, and the grill itself was packed edge to edge with skewers of meat. Haruki stood at the side, scarf draped around his neck, skillfully flipping the skewers to prevent them from burning, and adding spices to the ones nearly done.

Watching Haruki so focused on grilling, everyone—except for Nina and the girls who lived with him—was visibly surprised.

Based on Haruki's demeanor and the kind of unreplicable presence he carried, it was clear he had to be someone of high status in the Imperial Capital, likely a noble of considerable rank. Yet here he was, personally grilling meat for others. And judging from his practiced movements, this definitely wasn't his first time. That much was obvious from the rich aroma rising from the grill and the way the sisters were already drooling as they stared at the food, wiping the corners of their mouths with barely restrained hunger.

It was almost hard to believe—just moments ago, Haruki had effortlessly killed a giant snake, exuding overwhelming power. And now, he looked like an ordinary countryside man grilling food for his guests. The stark contrast left Gozuki's group reeling.

Only Cornelia, the de facto leader of the elite seven, kept her eyes fixed on Haruki the whole time.

At fifteen, she was the oldest among the girls—and in the Empire, that was already an age when most women married and had children. Cornelia was right at the age when one's heart first begins to stir. With her long golden hair and mature beauty, she was easily the most grown-up among the girls around Haruki.

Haruki was already remarkably handsome and had a kind of charm that drew girls in. Add to that his incredible strength and the fact that he didn't shy away from doing tasks even minor nobles would consider beneath them... To Cornelia, he was almost the perfect man. How could she not be moved?

Unfortunately, Haruki, fully absorbed in the task of grilling, didn't notice her staring at him at all.

Before long, the meat was ready. The moment Haruki placed it on the table, the Kurome sisters, who'd been holding back with great difficulty, immediately dove in and started wolfing it down.

The others weren't far behind. After all, Gozuki wasn't the kind to fuss over meals like Haruki did for the girls. Since training under Gozuki, they hadn't had anything that even came close to smelling this good. No way were they going to miss out on a rare treat like this.

The dinner carried on in a cheerful, boisterous atmosphere filled with eating and laughter...

Before anyone noticed, an hour had flown by. The drinks were nearly finished, and people had begun gathering in small groups, chatting quietly. The banquet was winding down.

Seeing everyone had quieted down, Haruki turned to Gozuki and his group.

"All right, that's enough for today. You can all head back. Consider this a day off—training resumes tomorrow. Akame, you'll stay here tonight and sleep with Kurome. I'll be taking her back with me in the morning."

"No problem, I'll take the others back now. Akame, be a good girl and stay here with your sister tonight," Gozuki replied. Still, he looked a little hesitant, like something was weighing on his mind.

Haruki noticed and spoke up.

"Gozuki, if there's something you want to say, just say it. No need to hold back."

"Well… all right. I know it might be a bit much to ask, but I still want to know how Tsukushi and Pony are doing."

Gozuki had seen how severe their injuries were and hadn't held out much hope. But after witnessing Haruki's miraculous abilities, he couldn't help clinging to the possibility of a miracle.

Hearing his question, the other members of the Elite Seven perked up and listened closely. After spending so much time training together, their bonds ran deep.

"I've already stabilized them. Their lives are no longer in danger. Now they just need time to recover. But this environment isn't ideal, so I'll be taking them to the capital tomorrow for proper treatment."

Haruki knew full well that Tsukushi and Pony would wake up the next day not only fully healed, but significantly stronger. However, he had no intention of sending them back to the assassination unit immediately. The last thing he wanted was for word of their transformation—and by extension, his secret—to spread. Unless he trusted someone completely, Haruki wouldn't share the truth with anyone.

"Thank you, my lord. As long as they can recover, that's all that matters."

Gozuki was visibly relieved. He didn't question Haruki's claim that their recovery would take time—after all, injuries that serious would naturally require a long period of rest.

The rest of the Elite Seven also breathed easier at Haruki's words.

Knowing that Tsukushi and Pony were resting, Gozuki and his group refrained from going inside to check on them.

At last, after thanking Haruki repeatedly, Gozuki led the rest of the Elite Seven away—everyone except Akame. This time, Haruki noticed Cornelia giving him a strange look. But he simply assumed she was still worried about Tsukushi and Pony's condition, so he didn't think much of it.

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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