-Where is food?

-Wahh…this place is so big! It even has a second floor and a rooftop!

-Not bad there is even a smithy and a workshop here if he properly utilize this place we could save money by repairing our own items in the future.

-Hehe…yeah right…

Loads of noise started the moment the 4 women entered the Humblewood general store back in the alley, just like Cornelia they inspected the entire place with much curiosity all focusing on different aspects or reasons even.

Already Cornelia felt like she didn’t know what to do, Avian hadn’t given her any instructions either before telling her to lead them back here.

Actually in a situation like this it would normal to assume that she was the leader and would need to tell them what to do while Avian was absent, but Cornelia was no leader, on top of that she didn’t want to do it either as she didn’t think she could control anyone other than Deborah who seemed the most ordinary.

Furthermore, she knew that if she tried to do something like that, she would be immediately challenged by someone else as the eagle eyed Gabriella would constantly glance back at her with her fiery gaze, Cornelia was already at her wits end and really wanted Avian to come back already so Gabriella would stop already.

Fortunately, Cornelia didn’t need to endure for too long as Deborah who looked at everyone momentarily and hesitantly raised her hand before speaking.

-Ehm…since we all just met each other and are likely to spend a lot of time with each other…how about we introduce ourselves?

-Excellent idea, I was about to suggest so myself dear Deborah.

-Ah…that’s a good idea yes.

-Will there be food?

-You can have my rations if you want Ogra.

-Yay!

And just like that everyone was gathered as the 4 women sat in a circle inside an empty kitchen on the first floor.

Ogra was now munching through Cornelia’s rations that she didn’t eat while everyone else looked at each other sitting with different postures.

Gabriella obviously sitting on her knees with her hands crossed and back straight while Cornelia and Deborah sitting on their bottom with their legs laid out horizontally, only Ogra was sitting with her legs crossed as she was eating without any restraint at all.

For a while the 3 sat silently while looking at each other awkwardly while the sound of Ogra eating was on the background.

It couldn’t be helped really, they had just met and their circumstances of meeting wasn’t exactly ideal to form a conversation, half of them were slaves that just bought while other half was Avian’s recent travel companion/object of looking after and the other one being a [Knight] who had chosen Avian as their master.

Once again it fell to Deborah to connect these people as she pretty much started to figure out her role here.

-How about…I start first? Ahem…my name is Deborah, I am 18 years old and I used to live in a farm before my pa sold it off to pay his debts, I ended up as a slave when my pa suddenly disappeared one day to get money before debt collectors came to demand the money, when they didn’t find my pa they turned me into a slave to pay the money.

-that’s…harsh…I understand you, I don’t have a great father either.

-Your father is a scumbag, your lucky master bought you.

-Ham…Ham..Ham…

-Hahaha.

Deborah made a forced laugh, feeling a bit hurt inside before turning to Cornelia who looked to be the easiest to talk to. Cornelia took the clue and understood what Deborah wanted, she cleared her throat before beginning.

-My name is Cornelia Me…actually I am just Cornelia, I am here because my fa…my grandfather Marco died to a bandit raid a week prior…on his dying breath and with me not having a place to go my grandfather entrusted me to Lukas who promised to take care of me for 3 years in exchange of this store…I’ve been with Avian for a week ever since.

A brief silence enveloped the space between everyone as they finished listening to Cornelia while also hearing Ogra still eating the dry and salty rations which they basically started to get used to at this point.

Cornelia felt a bit pressured as she realized mid-introduction that there were some things she couldn’t really say before catching herself and changing them.

Much thinking went on for both Gabriella and Deborah before they started speaking and asking questions.

-Didn’t you say you had a father a few seconds earlier? What happened to him?

-Ehm…let’s just say he doesn’t want me…its complicated

-The way you act is also not one I call like a commoner, I’ve been around nobles enough to know that you act like one, and isn’t this place pretty big and expensive? How come your grandfather had a deed to a place like this and in Alimdal out of all places?

-Eh…I don’t know my grandfather had connections I guess…

-…

-…

-…

Both Deborah and Gabriella instantly knew that Cornelia wasn’t speaking the truth at all, but they weren’t about to pressure her to talk as they still didn’t know anything about each other or were really close enough to do something like that, they decided to let this go since everyone had things they wanted to hide.

Next was Gabriella, she too cleared her throat before telling her story, she didn’t particular have anything to hide as she spoke truthfully.

-I am from Theoram and come from a minor knight house that as a vassal to a certain noble house whose Lady was very dear to me, one day my lady for the sake of our people decided to end the tyranny of our queen, unfortunately my lady failed and for that she was put to death, everyone else too either followed the same fate as her or was captured as a prisoner and sold as a slave just like me, eventually I ended up and then as you know I became the knight of sir Lukas my current master who promised that he would rescue the daughter of my lady once he was strong enough which caused me to make him into my master as I saw the truth in his words.

-…

-…

Another round of silence began as the two women couldn’t help but feel Gabriella had the most compared to the two of them, she was a noble and attractive [Knight] as well which is why they couldn’t help but look up at her perfectly trained and sharp body, Cornelia who had been only training her body recently understood how difficult it was to get to where Gabriella was with her body, she also felt the same sensation of power exuding from Gabriella which she felt from Avian, in a way Cornelia truly envied that as she recently wanted to get that very same power just like her and Avian so she wouldn’t be helpless next time when they fought bandits.

Deborah thought similarly, but instead of being envious she really admired Gabriella as she once helped her when they were inside the slave tent, she had been there for 2 months, but not many people wanted to buy her because there were a lot more flashier slaves for sale, but there was one person who intended on buying her which was a very fat merchant who looked to buy a mistress to comfort him at night, Deborah remembered how absolutely terrified she was for being bought by such a horrible men and likely having to spent a night with him losing her virginity, it was then that Gabriella rescued her by glaring and barking at that man who instantly become terrified upon being glared by a [Knight] such as her, the man ran before he could even buy her and never returned since then.

Deborah talked with Gabriella for a bit after that thanking her, but Gabriella shrugged it off as nothing special which was likely true for someone like her, but not to someone like Deborah who was a simple farm girl.

Now with Gabriella’s introduction out of the way there was only one person left to introduce themselves.

Ogra who was just about finish her last ration gulped down everything that was left making a loud burp and patting her stomach in satisfaction and glee, the 3 who watched her and utter dumbfounded, especially since she was such an exotic beauty which didn’t fit with her eating habits at all.

They wondered if Ogra had been listened at all until now, but surprisingly Ogra turned to everyone before speaking.

-Is it Ogra’s turn now? Okay!

And as such she began her story, since Ogra talked a bit strangely it was slightly difficult to understand her, but overall it wasn’t that bad as Ogra began.

-Ogra come from orc tribe far away. One day Ogra very hungry, but there no food, Ogra see big lizard in our tribe hall, chieftain always say Ogra no eat the lizard as that our God who give us power, but Ogra very hungry and no listen, so Ogra eat big lizard and happy! But Chieftain and Ogra’s friends very angry of what Ogra done, Ogra then kicked out from tribe and walked long way before find bad humans who capture Ogra and put into cage! Lucky Ogra not killed or eaten by bad humans but send to slave man who sell Ogra to small human, Ogra very hungry then and small human give his small sausage to Ogra, Ogra eat small sausage with a lot of blood and small human start crying attacking Ogra, Ogra no like the taste of small sausage and spit out before beating small human and looking for food to eat, eventually Ogra find a horse which Ogra kill and eat and then…Ogra captured again! Ogra then put in cage and given little food! Sad time for Ogra! But one-day new master find Ogra and tell Ogra that we go hunt monster and if Ogra kills lots of monster Ogra eats lots of meat! Now Ogra here eating salty meat and very happy!

-…x3

A very deep silence enveloped everyone as Ogra finished telling her story with a big smile on her face, everyone thought Gabriella’s story was the most engaging, but a second thought Ogra easily took it away.

Deborah and Cornelia were slightly scared in fact as Ogra easily admitted to eating human flesh, but spitting it out right after, they didn’t know if they should feel glad or terrified at the moment and wondered if they tasted better before immediately chucking that thought out of the window and inching backward father away from Ogra.

Only Gabriella looked unfazed as she soberly raised her hand and put it onto Ogra’s shoulder who looked at her with a bit of confusion.

-Ogra…I can see that you are a splendid warrior, but please in the future refrain from eating any strange or human meat, your master, our master would be very disappointed and may abandon you if you eat human meat, also try not to eat our comrades, food is good and all but there are some things that are more important than food.

-Hah?! Knight lady mean! Ogra no eat humans! You all Ogra’s new friends and not food!

Ogra’s sudden outburst only served to make Deborah and Cornelia even more scared as they swiftly jumped off their feet and got away, Ogra feeling hurt from having these two run away from her also jumped trying to catch them for no good reason, this only served to make Deborah and Cornelia to feel even more scared as they started running away with tears in their eyes.

-NOOOOO DON’T EAT ME!

-I AM NOT TASTY AT ALL!

-Ogra how many times say!? Ogra no eat friends! Stop running from Ogra!

But no one would listen and just like that a game of tag or rather a game for their lives began as Ogra relentlessly chased after Deborah and Cornelia inside the store while looking like a mad devil, unfortunately or fortunately Ogra couldn’t catch up with either of them as they were simply too nimble and fast both having blessings that focused on agility and speed while Ogra who had the [Barbarian] blessing had only strength and constitution.

Gabriella ended up the only one left in the end as she sighed at her 3 new companions.

As first impressions went, she didn’t dislike them, but she hoped they would get better as time went on, them getting stronger would benefit her master and once they all got strong enough, her master would definitely do what he promised and save her deceased lady’s daughter, for that too Gabriella had to become stronger.

-(Yes, I have to become stronger, and I will become the strongest among master’s slaves, one day master will give me the key to the store instead of that lass, I just need to become stronger!)

As if encouraging her firm will and desire, the dark golden shield and sword by her side responded in kind with their owner’s wishes glowing a dark golden light.

In the end this is how those 4 spend their time waiting for Avian, while Avian finished shopping as he bought a pack monster and a suitable carriage.