Scroll 66: Solace in the Storm

Alaster was almost home. Night had fully fallen, wrapping everything in darkness, though the roadside lanterns provided more than enough light for his eyes.

In the distance, he spotted the property nestled among overgrown greenery. It looked slightly different than he remembered—the weeds and wild foliage had been cut back significantly. Since it was so late, however, the full extent of the work wasn't entirely visible.

He climbed the short porch steps and reached the heavy wooden door, instantly greeted by the rich aroma of seared meat and the crackle of hot oil. Exhaustion weighed heavily on his shoulders after the grueling mana-draining session hours earlier.

Crossing the threshold, he walked through the living room—which also served as a dining area—and headed down the side hallway toward the kitchen.

There was Pina.

She stood at the stove, piercing a thick cut of meat with a large two-pronged fork. She wore short shorts, no shoes, and a light sleeveless blouse. Her dark hair was tied back in a loose ponytail as she hummed a soft tune, completely lost in her own world, swaying gently to her own rhythm.

Alaster paused for a second to watch her, then stepped forward without making a sound.

Pina glanced toward the window and muttered under her breath, "He's taking so long... Is he going to be okay?"

The elf smiled faintly and replied in a calm voice, "I'm sure he's fine."

Eyes still fixed on the pot of vegetables, the girl didn't register the voice right away. "I mean, Master is probably—"

She cut herself off mid-sentence. Spinning around like a startled cat, she brandished the heavy serving fork like her life depended on it. She slashed wildly at the air with her eyes squeezed shut, screaming:

"No! Stay away, you ugly goblin!"

Alaster raised an eyebrow, still smiling. The girls in this town are really on edge, he thought.

"Hey," he said. "I'm not doing anything. Just put that down before you hurt the potatoes."

He broke into a genuine laugh. Hearing his chuckle, Pina peeked open one eye timidly. She saw the elf standing a few feet away, leaning casually against the counter as he laughed at the scene. A deep blush rushed up her neck and flushed her cheeks crimson.

Not only did I jump like an idiot... how long has he been standing there?! she panicked internally. Oh no! Did he hear me singing? This is so embarrassing!

Her mind was a whirlwind of panic, but as her eyes focused on him, she froze. The blush intensified. She took in the dark hair framing his impeccably sharp features and that effortless posture that radiated a strange mix of warmth and confidence.

Pina slowly lowered the fork, stammering, "N-no... I... you just startled me, Master Alaster."

He smiled, taking in her cute, flustered face. Is it the heat from the stove? I guess she's just really shy. My appearance usually intimidates her a bit—she's still at that teenage, hormonal age, after all.

Alaster studied her closely. I have to admit, she looks so innocent and sweet that you just want to protect her like a puppy... a very busty puppy.

He shook his head slightly to clear the thought. I need to stop thinking with the wrong head. I'm getting distracted from my goals, and honestly, I don't have time for more relationships. Jinneth, Mila, and now Deinderatrix... One more girl, and I won't know how to split my time between them and advancing my magic.

Putting those dilemmas aside, his stomach gave a loud rumble, demanding food. He took a few steps toward the stove.

"Smells incredible, Pina. Did you cook enough for me too?"

He glanced down at the pan where the meat was browning alongside fresh vegetables. It was a generous portion—plenty, even for two people. Alaster reached out to take the fork Pina was still holding.

Standing right beside him, her eyes darting everywhere in sheer shyness, the girl caught her breath the instant his fingers brushed against hers.

Alaster noticed her subtle flinch. Now what? Did I scare her? I don't think so... It must just be her shyness. I'll handle her gently. After all, the town was under siege for months, and she's been healing the wounded non-stop. It's no surprise she's still high-strung.

Inside Pina's head, however, an entirely different storm was brewing. He smells like wild herbs and woodsmoke... And how can his face be that handsome?

Pina stole a sideways glance at his profile, having to look up quite a bit given their height difference. She was completely spellbound while he asked casual questions, answering him with mechanical nods.

"Right..." she murmured automatically.

Alaster looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She had her hands clasped tightly in front of her, a dead-serious expression on her face.

"I ran into a bunch of goblins today," he remarked, "but it turns out mastery combat skills are way stronger than I thought."

"Yeah..." Pina replied, unable to tear her eyes away from him.

"Though my movements... felt pretty amateurish," the elf continued. "I almost tripped when I cast Multi-Cut for the first time. It was pretty embarrassing."

She just watched his lips move as he flashed small, slightly cynical, self-deprecating smiles that sparked a sudden, desperate urge inside her to kiss him. She licked her naturally pink lips, dry from anxiety. A bold thought crossed her mind.

"B-but... did you kill them all?"

Alaster speared a nearly done piece of meat with the fork. "Yup. Took out about thirty today. I'm exhausted, Pina, and starving."

He lifted the freshly cooked steak straight from the pan and took a bite. The aroma of spices and rich, juicy meat filled his senses. He closed his eyes, savoring the moment.

"This is amazing, Pina," Alaster praised. Man, this girl really knows how to use the spices I brought back from Sibar, he thought.

When she didn't reply right away, he added, "Want a bite?"

He turned and offered the same piece of meat to her. Pina's eyes were half-lidded, her face soft, her lips slightly parted in a sweet, gentle expression.

Alaster held the food up to her mouth. Pina didn't take a bite. Instead, she pressed her lips softly against the warm meat, her reddish tongue peeking out delicately for a split second to touch it.

Alaster stared at the scene, bewildered by what looked like the most delicate, bizarre attempt at a bite he had ever seen.

For Pina, however, reality slammed into her like a bucket of ice water. In her head, the elf had asked if she wanted to taste his lips, and she had mentally surrendered to a kiss. The savory taste of seasoned meat snapped her back to her senses.

Her eyes went wide as saucers as she realized what she had just done. Flushing bright red, she scrambled a step backward.

"What's wrong? Is it too salty?" the elf asked.

Pina furrowed her brow slightly, frustrated with how easily she had let her emotions take over. Why is this elf so dangerously charming?! she scolded herself internally. I went and stared at him like an idiot again! What do I even say now?!

Mortification instantly turned into sheer panic.

"Uhh... it's... it's hot!" she blurted out, trying to sound composed while clenching her delicate little fists.

She wasn't lying—the meat was hot, though not enough to burn. But her eyes widened in disbelief as she watched the elf casually take another bite from the exact same spot her lips had just touched.

Eating from the same piece like that... to her, it felt like an indirect kiss, making her face burn even hotter.

Steeling her courage, she tried to pull herself together. Come on, Pina, she rallied herself. Tell him to sit down. He's acting just like Dad used to—starting to eat before everything is served and getting in the way while I cook.

She offered a small, warm smile. Alaster was still chewing by the stove, picking piece after piece straight out of the skillet.

"Seriously, Pina, this is delicious."

He turned to look at her and caught her tender gaze. She was now holding her hands clasped against her chest.

"M-Master Alaster... you're eating it all. Are you even going to let me serve dinner?" Pina asked with a tiny pout.

The elf's hand paused mid-spear, his jaw halting for a second.

"And you're only eating the meat... Please, just sit down and let me serve you."

Alaster handed over the fork, and she took it firmly. Guess she gets bossy when people mess around in her kitchen, he thought, walking over to the table.

Pina filled a wooden bowl with vegetables and placed the meat on a wooden plate, setting everything down in front of the elf, who had already made himself comfortable.

Truth was, he was ravenous. Draining almost his entire mana pool—1,800 MP—down to a meager 60 MP, waiting twenty minutes for it to regenerate, and repeating that grueling loop inside the alternate domain had taken a heavy toll on his body.

Alaster speared a chunk of boiled potato, tasted it, and then went back to the meat, marveling at how she balanced the spices. It was far superior to anything else he had tasted in this world.

Looking across the table, he saw Pina sit down with her own wooden bowl. She really has a natural talent for cooking, he acknowledged silently.

He watched how quickly she ate her meat, accompanying every bite with a happy smile. Her pure joy in eating the dish was undeniable.

Then Alaster paused. He was fairly certain the pork he had brought out from his spatial inventory had run out earlier.

"Was there still pork left?" he asked.

Pina, who was chewing with satisfied little hums while swaying gently in her chair, opened one eye she had kept closed in sheer delight.

"Umm, no... M-Mr. Norde brought this over a little while ago."

Alaster ate another piece of tender meat along with some buttered potato. "Norde's a good guy. This meat is top quality."

Pina nodded enthusiastically. "I know! The ice kept it so fresh!"

Alaster stopped his utensil halfway to his mouth. "The ice?"

Noticing his confusion, Pina offered an innocent smile. "You don't usually see these monsters around here, so I'd never tried it before," she said cheerfully, continuing to eat and hum.

Alaster's pupils contracted. "M-monster? This isn't pork?"

Pina looked at him for a moment and shook her head. "No, Master Alaster. This is Orc. The meat stays much fresher this way."

The words hit the elf like a physical blow. He stared down at the piece on his plate, immediately recalling the warriors he had faced in the forest: swine-like faces, massive limbs, grayish skin.

No... wait, what? Why?! Are we eating a humanoid?! he cursed internally.

And the absolute worst part was that, much to his horror, it was delicious.

"Is it... normal to eat Orc?" he asked, setting his fork aside.

The girl pulled one leg up onto her chair, resting her bare knee above the edge of the table right against her chest.

"N-no, it's not common... It's really expensive meat. Rich merchants eat it because it spoils fast and doesn't salt well, but Mr. Norde used the ice magic from his attack to keep it fresh."

Alaster relaxed a fraction. Eating a humanoid creature is slightly less traumatic when you're not the only one in the region doing it, he told himself, finding odd comfort in the explanation.

A short while later, Alaster finished two bowls of vegetables and meat, washed it down with fruit juice, and stood up from the table.

It was only then that he noticed the shift in the weather outside. Rain was beginning to pour steadily against the windowpanes. Pina moved quickly to shutter the wooden blinds.

The elf gathered his dishes to bring them to the wooden sink, which consisted of a pair of buckets. Pina did the same with hers. Alaster conjured a small flame in his palm to light their path, while the girl blew out the remaining lanterns on the ground floor and picked up a simple oil lamp.

They made their way up the stairs, the elf leading the way with Pina's bare footsteps padding right behind him. Same habit as Jinneth, Alaster thought. Walking around barefoot inside.

Reaching his bedroom door, Alaster turned back to face her. The flickering, dim glow of the flame in his hand illuminated her soft face and wide eyes.

"G-goodnight, Your Excellency," she whispered.

Alaster smiled and replied gently, "Just Alaster."

He let out a quiet sigh. It was exhausting having to correct everyone all the time, though he was finally getting used to the town's formal demeanor.

"Get some rest, and thanks for dinner. It was amazing—really delicious."

Pina's face lit up at the praise. She bid him goodnight again, and Alaster stepped into his room, closing the door behind him without locking it.

An hour later, around eight in the evening, rain drummed steadily against the house's wooden frame. Blue flashes of lightning trickled through the tiny cracks in the window blinds, illuminating the dark room in sudden bursts. Thunder rolled loudly, making the floorboards vibrate softly beneath his bed.

It was a productive day, Alaster mused, lying back on the mattress. That Alternate World spell is incredible—the applications are practically endless. Even time moves differently inside: two hours in there is only one hour out here, and that's something I might learn to manipulate further.

As he drifted in thought, letting his body recover, he heard two faint knocks on the wood.

Knock, knock.

Alaster turned his head toward the door. "Is everything okay?" he asked, his voice slightly raspy from exhaustion.

Pina's voice drifted through the hallway in a trembling whisper. "The thunder is really loud..."

Her tiny voice betrayed her terror. Isn't she a bit old to be scared of thunder? Alaster thought, snapping out of his daze. I guess no matter if the girls in this world are powerful warriors or mages, they're still just girls.

"Come in," he said.

The girl opened the door, slipped inside, and shut it behind her at lightning speed, as if something were chasing her. Alaster shook his head at the sight; her fear was plain to see.

A flash of lightning illuminated the room for a split second, revealing her attire: a soft, somewhat form-fitting cotton nightgown, her dark hair pinned back, and her eyes glossy as she stood at the foot of the bed.

Alaster lifted the heavy blanket, clearing a spot beside him, and patted the mattress in a silent invitation.

The girl murmured a faint "thank you" before stepping closer. The blush on her cheeks burned like hot embers in the dim light.

Internally, Pina was a complete mess. I can't believe I'm doing this! Is he really letting me into his bed?! Gods, this is so embarrassing! She had always been terrified of storms, but tonight's thunder was unusually intense.

For his part, Alaster, who slept in comfortable clothes, felt the cool touch of her skin against his leg. A massive crack of thunder rattled the windows, and Pina let out a soft whimper, clinging to him like a lifeline in the middle of a storm. Her hands were ice-cold, as were her legs, and the elf couldn't help but feel the firm, soft pressure of her body pressed against his side.

He swallowed hard. She was a pretty, fragile, terrified girl—and overwhelmingly sweet. Pina buried her face right against his chest.

"Shh, it's okay," he whispered softly. "You're safe."

He felt her grip on his clothes tighten. Alaster wrapped an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. Feeling his gentle touch, her tense body slowly began to relax.

The elf lay there, quiet. Pina had been an orphan for about a year now; he wondered how many times she had cried alone in a corner of her house during storms like this.

He looked down at her. The girl shifted slightly to meet his gaze, and another flash of lightning lit up the room, revealing her tear-stained cheeks.

Alaster's heart twinged at the sight of those huge, innocent eyes. For a moment, he remembered the women he had rescued earlier that day, the little girl who had almost suffered horrors at the hands of the goblins, as well as Jinneth and Mila.

This world is brutally harsh and unforgiving. I need to get stronger... the strongest, he concluded silently, feeling Pina's trembling stop completely as she drifted into a peaceful sleep at his side.

The next morning, Alaster felt movement beside him. Sensing the soft rhythm of quiet breathing, he cracked one eye open to peek.

Pina was staring at him intently, her face mere inches from his.

"Feeling better?" he asked without opening both eyes.

The girl jumped so hard she tried to scramble backward all at once, losing her balance and tumbling clean off the bed. A sharp gasp preceded the heavy thud of her hitting the floorboards.

A short while later, breakfast proceeded peacefully: fresh bread, fried eggs, and butter. Pina looked anywhere except at the elf's face, navigating the morning between her overwhelming shyness and his easygoing jokes.

When they finished, the elf dedicated the entire day to studying and practicing the Disruption spell. He had a clear goal for tomorrow: turning his army of spatial spiders into a reality was finally going to happen.