第２８７堀：和気あいあい (Part2)
"Thank you very much!!!"
The three soldiers bowed their heads in unison.
"N-no, it’s quite alright. The sky happened to be clear of clouds today, so I just thought you might be able to see the view from above."
"I see. Indeed, one cannot see such a sight from the mountaintop. Perhaps it was due to the heavy cloud cover."
"Besides, the trees on the mountain get in the way, and there are many monsters, so there likely hasn't been an opportunity to look properly."
"That stands to reason. However, flying through the sky is truly incredible. The scenery is completely different. It’s magnificent. Dragon Knight Amanda-sama. Ah, I must also express my gratitude to Amanda-sama. Even if it was Yuki-dono’s suggestion, it was Amanda-sama who actually flew the dragon. Men, let’s go!"
"Yes, sir!"
With that, they immediately turned on their heels and ran toward Amanda, who was checking on Wai-chan, to offer their thanks.
"Thank you very much for providing us with such a valuable experience!"
"Eh!?"
Amanda was startled by the sudden approach and the outpouring of gratitude.
...What kind of athletic club is this?
As I thought that, Jessica muttered, "As expected of Vixen-dono. He is a knight who earns one's favor."
"Indeed. He expresses gratitude honestly and is adored by his subordinates. He is a fine man."
Samantha seemed to agree as well.
Well, yeah. I understand that if they didn't thank her properly, it might be considered rude to Dragon Knight Amanda. But even so, that looked like gratitude from the bottom of their hearts, didn't it? To me, he’s starting to look less like a fine, middle-aged knight and more like an easily moved old man.
But putting my impressions aside, the sun had set, and it was now completely night. The villagers also offered us their thanks before returning to their homes. It’s a shame we couldn't take everyone up. I’ll stop by on the way back and take the rest of them then. It would be a hassle if a quarrel broke out over who got to ride and who didn't.
While I was thinking about that, most of the villagers returned home, leaving only us and Vixen’s group in the square. The village chief then approached and guided us to his home.
"Thank you very much for providing such a valuable experience today. We will pass down the story of being taken into the sky by the Dragon Knight to our descendants for generations to come."
"N-no, it’s... it’s not that big of a deal..."
"In return, though it may be humble, I would be honored if you could enjoy our village’s cuisine today."
"H-humble? Not at all! The meat... that must have been a lot of trouble to get, right?"
"Haha, thank you for your concern. Indeed, the bird meat on the large platter today is not a prey that can be caught easily. However, you gave us such an experience. Please, if it suits your palate, do eat. The villager who hunted it today insisted that we use it."
Ah, I remember now. There was a young man who jumped out of the basket right after the flight ended. While I was talking to Vixen, he was running by carrying some kind of bird. Was that it?
Well, that aside, Amanda seemed to resign herself after being pressed so hard, and she reached out for the meat and took a bite.
"...It's delicious!"
"I am glad to hear that. Now, please, everyone else as well. As you can see, this bird is quite large, so it will not run out anytime soon."
Yeah, it’s huge. There’s a whole roasted bird the size of a full-grown adult sitting in the back. Only the villagers or those used to seeing it would find that appetizing. It’s probably similar to the "exotic" food often eaten in the countryside.
Well, since Amanda acted as the guinea pig and tasted it for us, we reached out and started eating without hesitation. The juices spread across my tongue, followed by the rich flavor of the meat.
"Delicious!"
Everyone, including Vixen and his men, exclaimed. Wow. There are no spices, just salt, and yet it tastes this good. Amazing. Even Eris, who usually prefers salad over meat, was prioritizing stuffing the meat into her mouth.
I was doing the same, enjoying it so much that I kept popping pieces into my mouth, but when I bit into a crispy part, I felt like I remembered something.
...What was it? What was I trying to recall? It’s similar? To what? The taste? Hmm, have I eaten this flavor somewhere before?
Just then, I heard the voices of Aslin and Firia, who were eating the meat nearby.
"It’s delicious, isn't it? It tastes just like the food at the innkeeper's place."