A Token of Thanks
The mayor's banquet was held in the dining room of his residence, which was not very spacious but had been tidied until it was spotless.
Though not lavish, it was full of sincerity. The long table was laden with local specialties: a whole lamb roasted crisp on the outside and tender within, a mountain of mashed potatoes, a fragrant wild vegetable stew, and a great stack of thick, juicy Hamburg Steaks prepared especially for Frieren.
The mayor was a kind-faced middle-aged man. He raised his cup himself to express his deepest gratitude to Himmel's party, his words still carrying the excitement of having survived the ordeal. After several rounds of drinks, he signaled for an attendant to bring out two rather old-looking wooden boxes.
"Honored heroes," the mayor said, rubbing his hands together awkwardly, "our town is remote, and we really don't have any decent gifts to offer in thanks. These are the only two grimoires in our storeroom. They say one contains a spell that 'guarantees you can catch birds within five meters,' and the other is... a spell that 'guarantees scratching an itch will make it feel much better.'"
He gave a wry smile. "They do sound rather... frivolous, and I'm afraid they'll be of no use to your great undertaking. But they're a small token of our gratitude, so please accept them."
Before he had finished speaking—
"Whoosh!"
A breeze swept across the tablecloth.
Frieren, who had been hunched over her third Hamburg Steak with her cheeks stuffed full, was already standing in front of the attendant. Still holding a fork in one hand, she snatched the two grimoires with the other before anyone could react, her movements as smooth as if she had rehearsed them countless times.
Holding the books, she turned to Himmel and blinked her green eyes. She seemed to make an effort to find the right words, but in the end, she said only a few:
"Himmel, thank the mayor."
Without waiting for Himmel to respond, she "blinked" back to her seat and carefully placed the two precious—in her eyes—grimoires beside her chair, right next to herself. Then she bent over her plate and resumed cutting her Hamburg Steak with full concentration, as if everything that had just happened had been an illusion.
The table fell silent for a moment.
"Pfft—" Lowell couldn't help chuckling. Swirling the wine in his cup, he looked teasingly at the somewhat embarrassed Himmel. "Haha, looks like this should cancel out most of the grudge Frieren held against you for letting her go hungry while you were absorbed in posing for your statue this afternoon."
Himmel gave an awkward laugh, elegantly picked up his napkin and dabbed the corner of his mouth, defusing the awkwardness. "Hahaha... Is that so? Then that's wonderful."
He turned to the dumbfounded mayor, his smile once again flawless. "As you can see, Mr. Mayor, your gifts are excellent, and we're very pleased with them. In addition, we'll be staying in town for a day or two. If there are any more monsters around the town that need clearing out, or anything else you need help with, please don't hesitate to ask. We'll be glad to do our part."
Only then did the mayor come to his senses. He thanked them repeatedly and spoke many more words of gratitude before taking his leave, letting the hero's party continue enjoying their meal.
The atmosphere grew lively again. Ruby was scooping up a piece of honey-drizzled toast with a spoon, sweetness at the corners of her mouth as she ate. Perhaps she was eating too quickly, for her hand slipped, and the half-eaten apple beside her fell to the floor with a plop and rolled under the table.
"Oh!" Ruby cried regretfully, instinctively bending down to pick it up.
But Linié, sitting beside her, moved even faster.
The pink-haired girl snatched up the dusty apple, then put it to her mouth without a care. With a crunch, she resumed eating it as naturally as could be, her deep-blue eyes showing no reaction, as if this were the most ordinary thing in the world.
Ruby's outstretched hand froze in midair. Her lips parted slightly, and she stared in shock.
The chatter and laughter around the table came to an abrupt halt.
The cup Heiter had raised to his lips stopped. Eisen paused in the middle of cutting his steak. The smile on Himmel's face stiffened slightly.
Frieren raised her head and glanced at Linié, then at the dust on the floor. Her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly; she seemed to think it was a little unhygienic. But she said nothing and lowered her head to continue eating her meat.
Ruby came to her senses and hurriedly waved her hands. "Huh?! No, that's not... Linié, that's dirty! You can't eat it anymore! Throw it away, quick. There are fresh ones here!" She hurriedly took another, whole apple from the fruit platter and held it out.
Linié stopped eating and looked at the clean apple Ruby was offering, then at the half-eaten one in her own hand, as if weighing their relative value. Two seconds later, she reached out and accepted the new apple, but she didn't throw away the old one. She kept holding it, seemingly considering whether to eat both.
"Sigh..." Ruby let out a sigh, a little helpless and a little distressed. "Honestly... It's not as if there's nothing to eat..."
Frieren raised her head from her Hamburg Steak, glanced at Linié, then looked at the spot on the floor where the apple was now gone. She blinked, seemingly finding it perfectly reasonable, then lowered her head and continued eating.
Linié finished both apples, neatly placed the cores at the edge of the table, and sat quietly, gazing calmly ahead as if on standby. Mina, sitting diagonally across from her, watched it all in silence without reacting.
The banquet continued in a subtle atmosphere that gradually settled back into calm. Outside the window, the town's lights came on one by one, illuminating the brief peace.