Chapter 488 - 487: Call of the Ancestors

Chapter 488: Chapter 487: Call of the Ancestors

「The next morning.」

Colin got up and quickly washed his face.

He then poured himself a glass of golden mead and went to the small window in his room to look outside.

The atmosphere in the castle was noticeably more cheerful.

From there, he could see many of the castle’s servants handling food like ham and bacon. Most of their faces bore the joyful look of survivors.

A few Rangers were busy patrolling the surrounding hilltops, but judging by their demeanor, the Orc Tribe had no intention of launching another attack.

Just then, a now-awake Kase also walked to the window.

"Want some?" Colin took a sip of the local private-brew mead. After the initial sweetness came a hint of spice. Just one sip was enough to warm his entire body.

Kase held up a bottle of mead and shook it. "Got my own."

"You... alright then." Colin took another sip of mead, noticing that Kase was staring intently at the mountain peaks to the East.

"Colin, my friend, my ancestors’ homeland is just over one of those peaks," Kase said out of the blue.

"Do you want to go take a look, Kase?" Colin asked.

Kase was silent for a moment, then said, "No. I can feel that place doesn’t welcome me. It’s not a good idea to go over."

’That’s about right.’

Beyond the Sunset Mountain Range was a completely lawless land, filled with monsters, Barbarians, and war-hungry Orc Tribes.

Currently, there were indeed some Adventurers active west of the Sunset Mountain Range. However, a very high percentage of them were evil. The reason the Orcs frequently attacked the East was partly due to these individuals provoking them.

"But..." Kase spoke again. "I have a feeling we’ll go over there one day. I think when the tribes left that place, they must have left behind a lot of Ancestor Stones. Maybe coming into contact with those stones could help me."

After speaking, he sniffled. "I need to get stronger."

"Then let’s wait for that day to come." Colin downed the rest of his mead in one go and asked, "How about it? Want to go get some breakfast?"

"I’m starving, actually." Kase chugged his mead, GULP, GULP, finishing it off, then followed Colin to the door.

Just as they opened their door, the one across the hall creaked open a crack.

Ale and Orelia’s two small heads poked out from the gap, one above the other.

The Tiefling had distinct sleep marks on her face, as if she had just been dragged out of bed.

Ale blinked her platinum-blonde eyes a couple of times and asked, "Are you guys going to get breakfast?"

"Then let’s all go together," Colin nodded.

The group made their way to the kitchen on the ground floor of the main keep.

Several women of varying ages were bustling about. The older head chef was barking orders, while nimble-fingered young women prepared ingredients for that evening’s feast.

A quick glance revealed marinating goats and suckling pigs. It looked like the evening’s feast would be quite a spread.

"We’d like to get some breakfast, if that’s alright. There are six of us, and one has a rather large appetite," Colin stepped forward and asked.

He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but as he spoke, he could see the busy girls in the kitchen stealing glances at him.

This kind of attention made Colin a little uncomfortable.

"Oh, of course you can, you strapping young lad!" The head chef waved her wooden spoon and yelled to the girls behind her, "My little sparrows, hurry up and bring some hot breakfast for these heroes who saved our lives! Quickly, quickly, stop blushing!"

Soon, a few young, aproned girls came over, holding plates laden with food, and approached the group.

The one in front of Colin was a maid with freckles on her face.

She blushed as she handed him the plate, speaking in a thick Northern accent while trying her best to imitate the dialect of Thousand Masts City. "This is for you, Mr. Big."

On the plate were some flatbread, sausages, and mushroom soup. It looked quite good.

"Thank you, Lady Good," Colin accepted the food without a second thought and led the others back.

To carry breakfast for Mog and the others, each of them had to take two plates.

After walking upstairs, Colin kicked lightly at Mog’s door.

A bleary-eyed Dorn opened the door, complaining, "Why are you guys up so early at a time like this? Isn’t this supposed to be our time to relax?"

"Now it’s time to enjoy your breakfast, Dorn," Colin teased.

The group sat in Dorn’s room, eating and chatting.

Since they were all genuinely tired from the past few days, Colin didn’t plan on practicing his Swordsmanship or anything else. The group just sat in the room, chatting idly.

Ale and Orelia were reading a novel about Knights, while Dorn and Kase were reviewing their infiltration of the Orc camp a few days prior.

Amidst the warmth and relaxation, time passed, minute by minute.

Around two in the afternoon, there was a soft knock on the door. A youthful voice called from outside, "Honored heroes, the victory banquet has begun. Please make your way to the great hall on the ground floor."

"We’re on our way."

In response, Colin stood up and stretched.

The group then opened the door and followed the attendant downstairs into the spacious great hall.

The scents of meat, wheat, and the sweet aroma of mead mingled together, rushing straight to their noses.

Three long tables were set up in the hall. Smoked meats, roast goat, roast suckling pig, steaming hotchpotch stew, towering stacks of rye bread, pickled cucumbers, small sweet cakes, and honey-preserved wild berries—all this food was spread out across the three long tables.

In addition to these, the main attractions of the feast—several barrels of ale and mead—were placed in a corner of the hall.

"Honored heroes, please sit in the seats closest to the fireplace," the attendant said, pointing to an absurdly large fireplace. "Aside from the head seat, you may sit wherever you like, but the master said it would be best if you sat near the head of the table."

"I like this kind of feast much more than the ones in Thousand Masts City. There’s not so much annoying pomp and circumstance," Ale said. "And I don’t have to wear a troublesome formal gown."

"On that point, I must profess my unequivocal agreement," Colin said, deliberately using a few long, formal words.

Ale was amused by this, covering her mouth with her hand and giggling softly.

"You guys have been to banquets?" Dorn asked, surprised.

"That time was..."

"Never mind, you don’t have to tell me about it. Let’s eat first."

After saying that, Dorn led the way to the long table in front of the fireplace and climbed onto a long bench padded with Beast Hide.

Colin and the others also took their seats, sitting around the head of the table just as the attendant had suggested. Other attendants soon brought them mead in drinking horns.

On the table in front of each seat was a cloth, a plate, and a dining knife.

Colin copied what the others were doing and draped the cloth over his shoulder.

A short while later, the other guests for the feast began to arrive in the hall one after another.

The few nobles who had greeted the disguised Albert—who was pretending to be Mikhailo—the day before also came over and sat down confidently at the head table.