Roger stepped forward with a hint of exasperation, scanning their surroundings. "I don't think there's a stream anywhere around here, is there?"
His gaze landed on the massive pile of luggage next to Erza, stacked so high it practically dwarfed him. He let out a long sigh, rubbing his forehead.
"And… why do you always bring a whole wagon of stuff whenever we go out lately? If I remember right, last time this pile only came up to my waist."
"Hmph!" Erza smirked proudly, holding up her thumb and forefinger in a V-shape under her chin.
"You wouldn't get it! This is called being prepared for anything!" With a flourish, she rummaged through the mountain of luggage and, like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat, yanked out a giant rainbow-colored umbrella.
"See this?" She popped it open and waved it around. "Last time we took that job in the swamp, it started pouring out of nowhere! We almost got soaked! But this time, no matter how hard it rains, we can sit back, eat cake, and enjoy the view!"
"=_= I seem to recall that rain wasn't even that bad," Roger said flatly. "Didn't I use my earth magic to whip up a little shelter? We were inside for, what, two minutes before the rain stopped?"
"Uh…" Erza froze, her confident expression faltering. She quietly stuffed the umbrella back into the pile. But in no time, she perked up again, diving back into her luggage to pull out a microphone, a feather fan, and an intricately carved bamboo flute.
"And these!" she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Remember that time we went to that seaside town, and the mayor invited us to perform at their Flower Festival? We showed up totally unprepared and looked so awkward!"
She clenched her fist, brimming with determination. "If we get another chance to perform, I'm going to blow the audience away this time!"
"=_=||" Roger stared at the fiery enthusiasm in Erza's eyes and decided to keep his thoughts to himself.
He still vividly remembered that "performance" disaster—Erza got so nervous she nearly brought the town's theater ceiling down with her requip magic. There probably wouldn't be any performance gigs for a while.
Not wanting to dampen her spirits, he just shrugged and sat down beside her.
With a flicker of thought, he pulled some neatly packed sandwiches, fruits, and snacks from his system inventory and laid them out on the picnic blanket.
Erza, meanwhile, eagerly dug through her "treasure wagon" and produced an elegant cutlery set. Her eyes locked onto a creamy cake topped with fresh strawberries.
She carefully sliced off a small piece with her fork and popped it into her mouth.
"Ahh~!" She let out a contented sigh, propping her cheek in her hand as her eyes curved into happy crescents, savoring the sweet, creamy flavor melting on her tongue.
She held up the cake plate toward Roger. "Roger! You've got to try this! It's the limited-edition strawberry cake from Wheat Time Bakery!"
"I had to wait in line forever to snag this! It's got this special strawberry jam inside—sweet with just the right touch of tartness! And the cake itself? They must've used some secret recipe because it's so moist and fluffy!"
"They sure churn out new stuff fast," Roger said, picking up a fork and taking a small bite.
The rich strawberry flavor, with its perfect balance of sweetness and slight tang, filled his mouth, cutting through the cream's richness just right.
"Yeah, this is a big step up from their last one," he said. "The strawberry jam's got a great aroma, and the tartness is spot-on. Definitely lives up to the limited-edition hype."
"Right? Right?" Erza beamed like she'd just won a gold star, happily sharing the cake with Roger while humming a little tune and swaying her head.
After finishing one slice, she reached for another, but both of them froze mid-motion, their bodies tensing. Their sharp gazes snapped toward the trees ahead.
Three seconds later, they relaxed, their shoulders easing.
"No magic fluctuations," Roger said quietly. "From the sound of those footsteps… probably just a kid."
As if on cue, a bright, energetic girl's voice rang out from behind the bushes. "Big brother Elf! Look over here! There's a huge full-belly mushroom! If we grab this, we won't have to forage for food for two whole days!"
Erza picked up her cake again, slicing off another piece. "Probably just some kids from a nearby village out picking mushrooms."
A few minutes later, the bushes rustled loudly.
A little girl with snow-white mushroom-shaped hair and big, watery blue eyes emerged, chatting over her shoulder as she backed out of the thicket.
"We gotta grab a bunch while no one's around! That way, we won't go hungry for days!"
She turned, still smiling, and locked eyes with the two strangers. Her grin froze.
Huh?! People?! I heard no one else was supposed to be out here today!
And… they're eating? In a forest with wild boars?!
And… what's with those four swords stuck in the ground?! They're like… circling them! Is this some kind of creepy ritual?!
So weird! These two… wait, are they even human?! What if they're monsters from the forest?!
The girl's face paled, her eyes darting nervously, avoiding direct contact.
She forced a shaky smile, her voice dry and trembling. "Uh… um, I-I just remembered! The mushrooms over there are way better!"
"If I don't hurry, the squirrels might beat me to them! I-I gotta go!"
Mumbling incoherently, she tried to control her wobbly legs, staring at the ground as she inched backward like a crab, desperate to escape this "terrifying scene."
Just then—
Clank!
Erza shifted her position, and the joints of her armor let out a sharp metallic sound.
In the quiet forest, it was like a thunderclap. The girl's heart nearly leapt out of her chest, and she stumbled back faster.
"You…" Erza started to say.
"WAAAAH!" To the girl, Erza's voice was like the call of a grim reaper. She shook violently, her scalp tingling, tears welling up uncontrollably.
They spilled over as she wailed, her voice thick with sobs. "Don't eat me! I'm all skin and bones! I'm not tasty at all!"
"Lisanna!" A boy with short white hair, slightly stockier, burst out of the bushes like a cannonball.
He threw his arms out to shield his trembling sister. Though he was shaking and pale himself, he mustered all his courage and shouted at the two strangers.
"S-stay back! W-we're demons! If you hurt us… we… we'll eat you! We're super scary!"
Erza stood, hands on her hips, looking at the quivering siblings who thought she was a man-eating monster. Her bold face showed a mix of exasperation and a touch of hurt.
"Why does everyone always think I'm some kind of cannibal?"
She sighed, picking up two katsu sandwiches from the blanket, softening her voice as much as she could. "I was just going to ask… want a sandwich?"
"These are probably a lot more filling than mushrooms."
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