CHAPTER 15: STEW & BELLS

Allen was still on the fallen log along with the rest of the soldiers, this time overlooking the food given to them which he currently held in his hands.

Well, I know in these times they are most likely going through a logistical hell but...

In one hand he held a rugged, squarish container made with a sheet of metal and a piece of hard bread in the other.

I can see it has been hammered into shape. The lack of modern CNC machines is apparent, Allen thought, examining the utensil in his hand.

Although what was inside it gathered his attention more. It was some kind of stew, or well, at least it was supposed to be.

But the consistency was so thin that it might as well be just hot water. There were small bits of vegetables swimming around in it along with some pieces of meat.

Hmmm. I can see potatoes and the meat clearly, no idea about the rest though. What the heck is this? Is it even edible?

He brought the container close to his nose and inhaled the smell of the stew, only to be repelled by it.

It smells like sulfur, he thought. Maybe because salt is the only seasoning they used? How did they even get the salt though?

If I’m not wrong, salt was supposed to be kind of rare in this time period due to the lack of technologies used to process saltwater and extract salt from it.

It also depended on how close you are to a saltwater source. But if they have enough salt that they can make the whole damn stew smell like it then... He took a moment to think about it.

It’s that either their place is located near a sea or they are somehow using magic to help them with the extraction process.

He sighed. There was really no use thinking about it. Right now, no matter what theories he came up with he couldn’t do anything with them.

Because he was weak. Even with a system, all he had at the moment was just a six-bullet pistol. He needed more than that.

And above all, he had grown quite hungry after going through all this. Hence even if it smelled like sulfur, there was no helping it.

"What happened? You not in the mood to eat?" Dean asked, jolting Allen out of his thoughts.

Allen turned to look at him and found him with a piece of bread stuffed in his mouth as he chewed on it. There was no disgust or hesitation on his face. He was simply having his meal.

This made Allen grow more aware of his surroundings and he realized that everyone was the same. They were eating the "food" without any problem at all.

In fact, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that they were enjoying it. All while laughing and talking amongst themselves about various things.

Of course...

"No no, I am gonna eat. The stew was too hot for my taste so I was waiting a little," Allen replied with a polite smile on his face.

"I see. Make sure to not let it get too cold though," Dean said and then shifted his attention back to his stew and bread.

Allen also turned his head and locked eyes with the stew in his container.

Let’s do this. Anything’s better than dying of hunger.

He held the bread and then dipped it into the stew, letting it soak for a few seconds to soften it. He then took it out and after a moment’s hesitation and staring at it, he took a bite.

As his teeth chewed on the piece, his expression grew visibly concerned despite him trying his best to not let it show.

Still, he went through with it and swallowed it, letting out a sigh afterwards.

It smells worse than it tastes,

he thought to himself, looking at the food in his hands. He had no choice, therefore he decided to stop wasting his time and began gulping it all down.

Others were using beer to wash it down but he didn’t want to drink, as that would make him put his guard down, so he decided to raw dog the whole thing.

Within a few minutes he was done with it, left with just an empty metal container in his hands.

I’m going to have to do this every day I guess... he thought with hesitation in his mind. After all, for the moment he wasn’t going anywhere and would stay at this outpost.

He looked up at the sky. The weather was slightly cloudy. It was past noon and the sun was on its way to set and let the night take over, yet for now it was relatively bright.

A gust of wind hit him, fluttering his hair and making his back feel cold when it hit the sweat.

With it came the sound of bells ringing. They weren’t in any particular pattern or rhythm. Just a single note being played again and again. As if someone was smashing it again and again like their life depended on it.

Wait... Fuck!

The realization hit him a second later. He looked around himself and saw that all the knights that were sitting with him just a moment ago had now been scrambled in all different directions.

Not just them. The entire area around him was now filled with knights running around.

He stood up to get a better look and realized the whole place had been thrown into a frenzy.

The camp which had been quiet mere minutes ago had now awoken to life.

Knights everywhere. Some rushing to put their armor on while some running to get their swords.

Yet despite the chaos there was a pattern. The knights weren’t randomly running around. They moved in a defined way.

Those who wanted to get their armor and weapons were on one side and on the other were those who were going forward toward the outer borders of the camp and gathering there.

This is the worst it can get, Allen thought to himself, his mind racing.

He quickly tried looking for someone he could recognize. He had an idea of what had happened, yet he still wanted to confirm the situation.

Soon enough his eyes fell on Zac. He ran up to him and grabbed hold of his shoulder.

"What is going on?" Allen asked.

Zac looked at him dead in the eye. The expression on his face was stern, completely different from the time he was enjoying his meal.

"We’re under attack," he said. "The enemy army was just spotted and they are closing in on us. Wouldn’t be long before they reach here."