Chapter 66: Brothers and a Cold (7)
The young Greike was startled. Well, it made sense. His master’s woman, though her identity remained mysterious, always exuded an overwhelming presence.
In fact, when she had first visited the lord’s castle, she had been the one shouting orders in his voice, despite him being there. Clearly, she must be a magician like his master.
It’s no surprise then that she defeated those thugs.
“But I heard you’ve had a hard life. As your lord, I support citizens like you. That Latanda, who committed countless corrupt acts, has been arrested. If anyone like him ever bothers you again, come to me. Understood? By the way, it was the owner of the ranch where you work who tipped me off about Latanda.”
After saying this, the young Greike turned his back.
To Mate, he appeared dazzling, carrying the dignity of a lord more and more with each passing day. Though in front of El, he still acted like a child, constantly asking questions, he could be incredibly composed at moments like this.
Mate still couldn’t believe what was happening. The one who had tormented him, Latanda, was now captured.
“Th-thank you! Thank you so much!” All he could do was bow his head repeatedly in gratitude.
“Mate!”
From behind him, Linte came running, having risked everything to find his younger brother.
—
After that, Linte and Mate devoted themselves to working at the ranch as if they were prepared to die there.
Everything felt like a dream. No one tormented them anymore. They no longer had to scavenge through garbage for food, thanks to their wages. Everything was new to them.
The cheap inn Mate had arranged for them was a welcome comfort. It had been decades since they had slept on a bed, not since their parents were alive.
The first thing the two did was visit the public bath in Greike City to wash off the grime, feeling refreshed and determined to start anew.
“Brother, shouldn’t we formally thank Lord El, the owner of the ranch?”
“Of course. Even from what little we’ve heard, it seems like he’s involved in Latanda’s arrest. But regardless, it’s only proper to thank him for giving us the chance to work.”
El was the benefactor who had made them feel human again. Someone who had treated them as equals when they had been treated like nothing.
So, they asked Ment to arrange a meeting with El, wanting to show their gratitude through hard work.
“Ment, sir, we know it might be presumptuous of us, but it’s only proper that we thank Lord El in person, don’t you think?”
Mate asked, his eyes sparkling with sincerity, and Linte nodded eagerly beside him.
“It’s no big deal. Lord El is quite close by. Once we finish work today, I’ll take you to meet him. I’ll even buy dinner,” Ment replied, shrugging.
“Really?”
Miltein, one of Ment’s underlings, chimed in, grinning.
“You’ve finally become somewhat respectable, eh?”
“Oh, please, I’ve even got juniors now. I have to act like a proper senior!” Miltein scratched his head, proud.
“But shouldn’t we be the ones treating you to dinner?”
“Don’t worry about it. Can’t I at least treat my first juniors to a meal? Besides, I just got dumped again, so I’ve got money to spare! Haha!” Miltein laughed, though there was a hint of bitterness behind it. Who knew how many times he had been rejected recently?
Ment just shook his head. The guy had a good heart, but when it came to romance, things never seemed to go his way.
Later, after finishing their work at the ranch, Miltein led the brothers to El’s restaurant, just as he had promised.
“This place…”
“Yup, it’s a famous spot. Come on in.”
Miltein, shoulders puffed with pride, led them inside. The brothers immediately recognized the hilltop restaurant.
Linte and Mate whispered to each other outside the door.
“Isn’t this the place where we ate that awful food…?”
“They’re treating us; don’t say things like that, brother! It’s the first time someone’s ever offered to buy us food.”
“You’re right…”
“And besides, I really want to thank that lady.”
Even though she scared them, they meant it sincerely. With determined expressions, the brothers resolved to enjoy whatever food came their way.
What they didn’t know was that they’d previously eaten a stew that Rurin had thrown together with random ingredients.
“Welcome,” El greeted them warmly, already informed of their arrival by the young Greike.
“Huh?”
The brothers were shocked, their mouths agape.
“Wait, this… is your restaurant, Lord El?”
“Yes, it is. You wanted to thank me, right?”
“Th-that’s right!”
This was the restaurant of that terrifying woman?
Could she be his wife? Somehow, Mate thought they seemed like a fitting couple and immediately bowed deeply. Linte followed suit.
“Th-thank you so much for hiring us and taking care of us! We will repay you with hard work!”
“No need for thanks. I only hired you because I trust you. If you work hard, I’ll be the one grateful.”
El shrugged, then gave Miltein a knowing look. Miltein motioned for the brothers to stand.
“Lord El doesn’t like this kind of formal stuff. Just show your gratitude through your work. That’s enough.”
“Y-yes!”
Linte and Mate, still a bit dazed, took their seats with Miltein. El, meanwhile, prepared to serve them a dish of uba meat, marinated in aged whiskey.
*Sizzle*
The aroma of the sizzling meat filled the restaurant.
“Brother, this smells good, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah… what’s going on? Does it just smell good?”
The two whispered nervously, still scarred by their previous meal of discarded scraps.
“What are you two mumbling about?” Miltein asked.
“N-nothing!”
“By the way, Miltein, you seem like the type who’s popular with women. How come…?” Mate quickly changed the topic, trying to avoid suspicion.
Miltein scratched the back of his head.
“Women probably like you more. You’re cute enough that I thought you were a girl when I first saw you.”
“Yeah, he does look a bit like a pretty boy.”
“Brother! Miltein! That’s too much!”
At that moment, the plates of uba-bat meat arrived, perfectly grilled and served with vegetables.
“Enjoy, and keep up the hard work from tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir!”
As El nodded and stepped away, Miltein took the first bite. The tenderness of the uba-bat meat was unlike anything he’d tasted before.
“Wow, Lord El! How is this so tender?”
“I marinated it with a special technique.”
“I see…”
With each bite, the soft meat released a deep, refreshing flavor. It was extraordinary.
Miltein motioned for the brothers to dig in. Hesitant, they picked up the meat and took cautious bites. Mate chewed first and, with wide eyes, urged his brother.
“Brother! Try it! It’s amazing!”
“Huh? Oh!”
Soon, Linte’s face mirrored Mate’s. It was like nothing they’d ever tasted. Pure, delicious perfection.
“What… was that other stuff, then?”
“Miltein, this is incredible!” Mate exclaimed, and Linte nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, the two burst out laughing.
“So that other stuff was literal garbage?”
“Yeah, it seems so, brother.”
“What are you two talking about?”
“N-nothing.”
Laughing together, the brothers kept eating the uba-bat meat. As they continued, tears started falling from their eyes—tears of joy.
The people at the ranch, Miltein, Ment, and Seral, were all so kind. They had a place to stay and real food to eat now.
The joy of living like real humans again moved them deeply, and they cried.
“Brother… it’s possible to cry from happiness… I didn’t know that…” Mate sobbed.
“Yeah, me neither,” Linte replied.
“What’s going on? Why are you two crying?” Miltein asked, patting Mate’s back in confusion. Looking around for El, he realized the man had already slipped away.
—
After grilling the meat, I went back up to check on Rurin.
She had woken up around noon, and since then, I’d been tending to her. Claiming she was too sick to be left alone, she had been milking her cold for all it was worth.
“Come on, open your mouth. This banana is good for a sore throat.”
The dietary fiber and polysaccharides in bananas are known to soothe throat pain, especially during the early stages of a cold.
“Aaaahhhh!”
Rurin opened her mouth wide, exaggeratedly so, to eat the banana.
“Alright, alright, here you go.”
“What is this? I’ve never had it before.”
“You say your throat hurts, but you sure talk a lot.”
“Mmm.”
“You seem like you’re all better already.”
“No, I’m not!”
Rurin shook her head, though something seemed off. I reached for her forehead.
Just then, she started coughing loudly.
*Cough, cough, cough!*
It sounded suspiciously like the fake cough I had used before. Thinking back, she had looked like she was dying of a cold this morning, but after a nap, she had been quite lively.
I casually stepped back, then quickly pressed my hand against her forehead.
She was hot—too hot.
“Wait, is this a fever?”
“Y-yes, that’s right! I’m burning up! You have to take care of me! All day! Cough, cough, cough!”
“Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no way your fever should be this high from a cold.”
“Huh?”
Rurin’s expression faltered as she quickly turned away, still coughing.
I inspected the area around the bed and noticed a slight scorch mark at the foot of it. It looked like she had manipulated her temperature with magic, probably using a small fireball to heat her forehead.
“Well, that’s one way to recover quickly. Very much like you.”
“No! I’m sick! You were so kind earlier, what happened? I’m really ill!”
Rurin turned back, protesting with all her might, which only made me chuckle. I hugged her from the front.
“You silly thing. When you’re sick, I worry for you. And when I’m sick, you worry for me. That’s how it works. If you’re better now, just say so.”
Rurin stayed quiet, seemingly struck by my words.
“Really? You feel the same as me?”
“Of course. And after what you did yesterday, I owe you a tight hug.”
Rurin, as if in disbelief, continued to ask questions while clinging tightly to my back.
