The samurai, An Legendary Adventure Tale Part 1

Chapter Twelve: Galra in the swamp

Shiro woke up feeling great, despite his initial struggle to fall asleep. He practically sprang out of bed, eager to start the day. "Good morning," he told Keith, who was still asleep.

As Shiro got dressed, he pondered his next move. Should he try to get home as soon as possible, or stay in this world longer and try to fight, to learn? But for now, he had more pressing concerns - a shower and a good meal.

Downstairs, Lian, Liem, Romelle, and Stats were waiting in the lobby. "Good morning, Shiro," Romelle said, dressed in pink pajamas, with Stats bowing his head in respect.

Shiro greeted them and followed Lian into the kitchen, where he expertly cooked three meals at once: buttered toast, bacon, and caramelized onion and goat cheese omelets. Shiro watched in awe as Lian multitasked, his knife moving with practiced precision.

Once the food was ready, Lian plated the omelets and asked, "Digging in?" Shiro and Romelle began eating, savoring each morsel. "How's the food?" Lian asked, and Shiro nodded in approval.

As they ate, Liem went upstairs, passing a portrait of Scarlett, whom he only knew through stories. He greeted her photo, saying, "Morning, My lady."

Meanwhile, Lian set the table in the dining room, and Shiro and Romelle opened the window shutters to let in sunlight. The room began to fill with people from all walks of life, turning the lobby into a rowdy and rough gathering place. Some began to help behind the counter, where Lian worked, as the morning bustle began.

Lian handed Shiro's plate to Billy, who eagerly took it and inhaled deeply. "Ah, balsamic mushrooms, meat-chunky-sun-dried tomatoes..." Billy's eyes widened as he tried to place the last flavor.

"And cardamom," Lian added with a smile.

Billy's eyes lit up. "Ooh, take a chance there, Chef."

Lian chuckled. "We've only got enough supplies to give to everyone here, but what's life without a little adventure?"

As they cooked, Shiro continued eating his breakfast, savoring the flavors. Romelle, on the other hand, gorged herself, eating everything in sight.

"Where's Keith?" Romelle asked, mouth full.

Shiro gestured to the empty chair. "He's nowhere to be found."

Romelle looked concerned. "Seriously, I thought he was with you."

Shiro shook his head. "He was always doing stuff like this, exactly like Coran told me."

Romelle marched forward. "Yeah! Coran told me all about him!"

Just then, the squirrel, Alice, leaned closer to the food. Shiro grabbed her, but she escaped his grasp and shouted, "Don't touch me!"

The great hall fell silent. Billy rose, wincing in pain. "Alice can be a bit mischievous, but she's not interested in eating your food."

Shiro apologized, realizing he didn't know much about this world. Romelle explained that it was taboo to harm an anima daemon.

Lian smiled and began to tell a tale. "A long time ago, Altara was once a separate land, humans and daemons lived apart, unaware of each other's existence. But then a lone human came to one of the villages where the daemons lived, and eventually, we began to know each other and twine."

Shiro's eyes widened, eager to hear more about this world's history.

Romelle had heard this story many times before, but Shiro was captivated. "And then that happened!" he exclaimed. "One human, a girl, manifested a creature, an animal, but it wasn't an animal at all - it was a daemon that could do magic."