“Do as you’re told, and this won’t be the last time I cook for you. I expect you all to work like you mean it!”

The slaves continued eating and nodded in response. They could just consider it celebration in advance, since things were going to get busy from here on out. They needed to be well-nourished or they wouldn’t last.

After finishing our meal, we set out into the night with the slaves, the slave trader, and his assistant in tow, making our way through the castle town and then departing for the territory.

Chapter Five: The Seaetto Territory

We made our leisurely march through the night with Filo pulling the carriage, and we reached the part of the territory near Raphtalia’s village by morning.

“Master, we’re heeere!”

According to the queen, Eclair and the others were not staying in the village that Raphtalia had lived in, but rather in a neighboring town. We kept going, and after a short while, we arrived at a town that looked a bit run-down.

“Oh!”

A Melromarc solider . . . The same young soldier that had asked to join me during the second wave, actually, was standing near the entrance to the town.

“Shield Hero!”

“Long time no see.”

“Indeed! I was there during the Spirit Tortoise incident but didn’t get a chance to talk to you.”

I had to give him some serious props for making it out of that alive. It was a close fight with heavy losses, so the fact that he had been there made me shudder.

“We received word that you would be coming. I assume you want to meet with Lady Eclair and Princess Melty?”

“Yeah. I figured I should at least say hello before anything else.”

“This way, then.”

We followed the soldier into the town. It had been reduced to ruins. The streets were lined with a variety of buildings, including houses that had been destroyed—perhaps by the wave—as well as others that still looked usable. It didn’t seem like it had been a very big town. Even the town mansion looked pretty average and wasn’t as big as the ones I’d seen in other towns.

The young soldier said something to the gatekeeper, who then opened the gate without hesitation.

“Ya! Hiya!”

I could hear some kind of shouting coming from the mansion courtyard. I climbed down from the carriage and made my way in that direction. Eclair, the old lady, Keel, and three other kids that I didn’t recognize were training in the courtyard.

“Mr. Iwatani!”

Noticing she had guests, Eclair stopped the training and waved to us.

“Ah! I smell Mel-chan!”

Filo let go of the carriage and ran off into the mansion.

“How is everything?”

“Bubba Shield! Long time no see! I heard all about it! You went to another world and defeated the bad guy, right?”

“Yeah, we took him out. I’ll tell you all about how he died later.”

“Ugh . . . I wanted to be there, too!”