(Illustrations of the novel on my Twitter: @HectorAngelAlv2)

CHAPTER 3 - The Skill of a Hero. Part 2.

"I have finished my masterpiece! I should receive a gastronomic award for this!"

And my great masterpiece is...

"Instant soup with Orc meat...! Simple, but delicious."

Yes, I definitely need to learn how to cook. I got too used to others cooking for me, and in the past, I ate my enemies raw, so I never had an interest in cooking... Ah, yes, I was a monster, I know.

But now I have a friend who will live with me, I must learn to cook delicious dishes!

Where did I get the instant soup? It doesn't exist in this world, so I went to another world to buy it... Well, never mind.

Orc meat is edible in this world... In fact, Orcs are almost extinct, so it can be considered rare meat... Although it tastes like pork.

I don't think a simple sandwich will fill her up, so I decided to give her more food. She must be very hungry, she is very thin.

"Let's eat! Please eat with confidence, there is no need to be shy or nervous with me, don't worry. Just relax and enjoy."

She nodded. Good.

I sat at the table, and Yuik took the food and wanted to sit on the floor, but I stopped her in time.

"Hey, you're not my slave, you're my friend. Eat at the table with me."

Slaves are accustomed to being treated like objects or pets... And sex slaves have a worse fate because they are doomed to suffer for their owners' disgusting fetishes.

She looked at the chair nervously... Getting used to being treated like a normal human being is difficult for her after everything she has suffered. I went through the same thing. She still doesn't believe that she is finally free... I can see that in her eyes.

In my first life, when I was freed from my suffering, I still behaved as if she was still controlling me, and I continued like that for a long time. It will take time to get Yuik out of the slave mentality, but I can do it. She just needs what she hasn't had in a long time: freedom. Freedom to do what she wants and not obey someone else's orders. That's what she needs to feel like a normal, free human being again.

But for now, it would be best to let her behave as she wants. If she wants to eat on the floor, she will eat on the floor. I won't force her to eat at the table, because that would be giving her an order. I will let her do what she wants.

"It's hard to believe, isn't it? I understand you very well."

Too well...

"Well... The floor is comfortable."

I took the food and sat on the floor next to her. She looked at me, possibly not understanding my behavior and why I treat her the way I do, but she will gradually realize that I truly want to be her friend, and she will consider me a friend.

Yuik, no one tried to help me when I was a slave, I had to free myself, that's why I couldn't trust people, but I managed to save you, so you are still in time to trust people again. You are still in time to be happy again, being a free person again.

"Ready. We look like good friends eating together after a long day of school," I said, smiling.

It was like that with my old hero friends. After school, we would get together to eat and talk at one of our houses. It was quite relaxing and fun to be with them... Ah, I miss those days.

Anyway, it's not worth remembering people who betrayed my trust. They are in the past, and my past is something I prefer not to think about.

I started eating and she observed her food, analyzing its contents.

I wanted to prepare something better, but I don't know how to cook.

"I'm sorry... I always eat alone, that's why I don't know how to cook."

My daily food consists only of instant soups and Orc meat. I must learn to cook other culinary recipes.

"But I promise you, tomorrow I'll give you something more delicious."

She looked at me for a few seconds and then at her food.

... Yes, she picked up her fork. Come on, Yuik, I know you'll love it.

This food doesn't exist in this world. I want to see her reaction.

My former companions didn't like it, they said it tasted strange... Well, they were nobles and were used to fancy and expensive food.

Will Yuik like it? I hope so.

... She's not eating... She stopped when she was about to take some soup.

... She's trembling too much... I can feel fear... Too much fear in her... I think she's remembering something.

... I have a theory. Maybe she thinks I'm feeding her worms. Or that the food is poisoned or something like that. I've seen slaves being fed animal excrement, among other disgusting things. She must have been fed with very disgusting things, that's why she thinks I'm doing the same.

... Well, instant soup looks like very thin and long worms, but it's food... She's afraid to eat.

I have to do something to make her realize that it's food, and that it's safe to eat.

"Oh, right. Friends share food. Let's do it. If we're going to be friends, we should do things that friends do."

I took a bit of her instant soup with my fork and put it in my mouth.

I started chewing while Yuik watched my face attentively.

"Delicious! It's basic and cheap food, but it's delicious. Can I have some of your meat?"

She looked into my eyes and nodded slowly.

"Thank you."

I took a bit of her meat and put it in my mouth.

"Delicious! You should taste it while it's hot," I said, smiling.

With this, I am more than sure that Yuik stopped seeing the food as something disgusting, and now sees it for what it is: food.

•

•

After seeing Dreimo eat, Yuik's fear diminished and she decided to eat.

She took a little of the instant soup and put it in her mouth.

As she tasted it, she realized how delicious it was... It was very different from what she ate before she met Dreimo. She was eating edible and delicious food, and she couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe she was eating edible food, let alone such delicious food, considering what she always ate in the past.

She remembered the disgusting things she was forced to eat and the voices of the heartless people who made her eat those disgusting things. "Look at the bitch, eating dirt!" "Eat all the dog shit!" "You're going to drink all of our milk, bitch!" "Don't vomit the food, it's rude! Eat the vomit off the floor!"

The bandits forced her to eat very disgusting things and laughed watching her suffer and vomit, and when she vomited, they made her eat the vomit.

All those disgusting memories invaded her mind in that instant... And compared to what she ate before, eating delicious food after a long time made her cry.

She cried because she realized that she was finally free.

Finally, she was being treated like a normal person.

And all thanks to Dreimo, the person who saved her.

•

•

(Pov- Dreimo.)

S-she's crying... I guess she's crying out of happiness... I hope so... Is the food disgusting...? What if it tastes disgusting to people in this world?!

My old companions were in love with me... Maybe they told me it tasted weird to not tell me it tasted disgusting... Maybe they said that to not insult my favorite food... Uwaaaah! I messed up! I'm an idiot!

"I-I'm sorry! Does it taste disgusting?! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to force you to eat that! It tastes delicious to me, that's why I thought... Ah, I'm an idiot...! Huh?"

She started eating faster.

"Hey, if it tastes disgusting, don't eat it. Please, stop. I'll make you something else."

"Ah... Ah..."

She tries to speak and approaches me.

"Ah... Th-tha... Th-tha...nk you."

... Yuik's curse doesn't allow her to speak clearly, but if she tries, she can say a word... She must have tried too hard.

Her curse is very powerful. She shouldn't have been able to say that. She is the first person I've turned into a Vampire... Did she become too strong? I don't know.

"Wait."

I took out a notebook and pencil from my [Magic Storage] and handed it to her.

"Please write. Don't strain yourself too much."

She started writing and showed me the notebook.

It says: "Thank you for giving me delicious food and not something disgusting."

"... Is it really delicious? Please be honest, I don't want you to eat something disgusting."

She nodded and wrote: "It's the most delicious thing I've ever eaten. Thank you very much."

She liked it... Yuik liked my favorite food... She liked it...

"You liked it... Thank you... Well, let's keep eating!"

I started eating my food.

I was scared because I thought I messed up, but she liked it... I didn't ruin it! She liked my food!

... Wow. She's already finished... She ate extremely fast.

"Do you want more?"

She wrote: "Can I have seconds?"

Even the question is offensive, Yuik. Obviously, you can eat as much as you want!

"Hehe. You're talking to an instant soup addict."

I took out many instant soups from my [Magic Storage] and showed them to her.

"There are different flavors! Which one do you want?! I have spicy, normal, with lemon, extra spicy, and many more!"

Despite having the same expression, I can tell she's less scared of me... I'm slowly gaining her trust.

"You can eat whatever you want, as much as you want."

Slowly, she will regain her humanity. Slowly, she will feel free again.

And slowly, we will become better friends.

•

•

Wow. She ate six. She must have been very hungry.

I was going to give her more, but she told me she was already satisfied.

"All right, we're done with dinner. Come on, follow me."

I entered the bathroom and turned on the electric bulb. I made some secret modifications to my house. There's no electricity in this world, so I had to improvise. The electric bulb doesn't use electricity, it uses magic. I still call it electric out of habit.

The bathroom is very modern, unlike the bathrooms in this world, which are more medieval. Ah, how I hate these types of worlds, but it's what I got.

"I'll show you how to use the bathroom."

She's observing everything around her with nervousness and fear. Yes, I know, it's quite strange to see, I admit.

"Don't be afraid. Come here."

She hesitated for a few seconds, but finally entered the bathroom.

Well... Now I have to explain to her how to use it.

•

•

Ah... I finished explaining how to use the bathroom and she's already taking a bath.

"It's been a long day."

I climbed onto the roof of my house to observe the stars... Ah, this world is so different from my original world... The world of the Gods is beautiful, but this world is also beautiful. Although it has negative things, like the slave trade.

"I wish I could eliminate the slave trade."

"Fufu. And why don't you? Oh, right, the supposed hero wants to live a peaceful life and avoid problems."

Tsk. She came to bother me again.

"Ah... What do you want now?"

A woman appeared behind me and hugged me.

Santmanei, or simply Sant, the Goddess of Hell. Her long, messy blonde hair, combined with her dark circles, make her look strange... Although it's part of her charm.

I don't hate her, but she's very annoying.

"Why do you use that tone with me? We're very close. You should treat me better."

"If I could kill you, I would. You're lucky I don't hate you... I'll say it again, what do you want? Your presence always puts my normal life at risk."

"Ah... Sometimes I forget that you're difficult to conquer."

She stopped hugging me and moved away from me.

"Did you fall in love with that prostitute?"

"Don't call her that. And I'm not in love with her, she's just my friend... My only friend."

"It's true, you don't fall in love with anyone. Not even me, a Goddess, a being superior to you."

"Here we go again."

"Do you know how many men would love to be in your position? I'm one of the most important Goddesses and..."

"I'm a virgin. Blah, blah, blah. You are my first love. Blah, blah, blah. I want to have you all to myself. Blah, blah, blah. I've been hearing this for more than 8 years now."

"And I will keep repeating it until you get tired and accept to be with me."

"I don't hate you, but your mother raped and tortured me. Because of your mother, I became that monster."

"And should I pay for her sins?"

"No, but you look identical to her. Same appearance. I don't want to be involved with her descendants... Now go."

"Someday you will be mine."

She blew me a kiss while winking. Tsk. Stalker.

She disappeared and I sighed.

"I just want a normal life... It's all I want."

Is it so hard to get a normal life for me?

I know I don't deserve it, but... I really want it.