The Meal and The Rifle

The burning crimson flames slowly consume the small sticks and twigs gathered around it, dancing swiftly like it was filled with energy and life. Turning the hard and rough body of the wood into bits of radiant charcoal, illuminating like small candles.

Above the burning flames is a steel pot filled with carrots, potatoes, and a few chunks of beef, with the water already boiling.

It was now ready to be served as everything looked cooked, and the aroma of the sourness and sweetness of the stew were spreading around the trenches. The soldiers gazed with every attention they had to the chefs cooking the meals, craving for it, as some started to drool.

"Line Up! Breakfasts is ready!"

The cook finally yelled, trice banging the wooden spoon to the body of the pot.

The soldiers waiting did not hesitate and quickly form a line, as some struggled to be first just to get their share of the meal as quickly as they can.

It didn't take long as the soldiers were given their share, as they started to dig in and eating the beef stew that they were given. However, not all were in a hurry to gain the food the was being served.

Kazuto was still sitting in his exact position, leaning to the walls of the trenches since Otto had left him. his hands gripping to his legs as he still pushed them closer towards him, while his head leaned to his knees, hiding nearly most of his face.

He didn't look particularly hungry, nor interested in the meal that was being served.

He even took a glimpse towards Hanz who was sitting next to Adolph, as he seemed to be enjoying the meal in the flat tin can, where the stew was placed.

Each sip Hanz consumes from his spoon, he would cherish the flavor as he would give out a small smile. Kazuto didn't look jealous, he didn't even drool once.

But Inside, He was beyond hungry. He was starving. He could have just walked forward and asked for some stew from the soldier chefs, but he doesn't have a plate to place it on. In fact, all of the soldiers who were eating didn't use any plates. They were using flat tin cans that looked like they brought them since the beginning of the war that was individually theirs.

Kazuto couldn't ask them for a single tin can. It seemed like that there was none who would be too generous enough. Instead, he just looked away, trying to distract himself from the things that he can see or hear.

All of sudden, he could hear noises from his left, as the two soldiers were gazing to the open fields, eating with their fine stew.

Their heads were completely exposed to headshots, but there seemed no snipers in the area. In fact, it had been quite peaceful since the invasion was a success a few hours ago.

The next terrain after this trench was no longer that rough and hard to move on. It didn't look muddy or filled with broken structures, nor have any craters of artillery shells that can be seen, unlike the battlefield, Kazuto had crossed. But rather it looked clear. The area was nearly covered with green plains of grass and a few trees.

"It's been so long since I saw such green valleys before. It almost feels like home." The soldier said.

"Yeah, we could finally enjoy some scenery for once."

"Oh, wow!! You can see the city of Mettis from here!! It looks beautiful. Even more beautiful than the pictures of the newspapers they have given us back home," One of the soldiers said to the other in amazement.

With one word of the city, Kazuto's thoughts became blank other than the flash of the memory of what the girl in white had told him in that soothing place. "Someone is waiting for you there in the city of Mettis."

'Someone is waiting for me, huh.' Kazuto thought to himself, gazing away from the soldiers.

'Only a few more miles forward, and soon I'll meet the person who had been waiting for me,' Kazuto thought to himself with a stern expression of determination.

However, his determination hurriedly faded away as a single question flooded his thoughts.

'But I still don't even know who the person is, and I don't even know what I will do if I even meet him,' Kazuto pondered.

It had been five minutes since the meals were given to the soldiers. Kazuto's body finally had enough of waiting and started complaining.

A loud rumble can be heard in trenches, as the soldiers in every corner stared at him. Even Hanz and Adolph who had been talking for a while had noticed.

Kazuto eyes widened as he had realized, with his solemn expression slowly becoming bright red.

'Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!! How embarrassing! Why does my stomach have to yell out that loud!?' Kazuto thought to himself, as he closed his eyes and completely hid his flustered face further to his legs.

Kazuto was shaking, his eyebrows furrowed down, twitching. He remained like this for the last minute, until someone finally called his name. It wasn't Otto, the voice was much more deeper than before and more serious than Otto will ever be.

He slowly raised his head, still discouraged as to what his stomach had done, as he could see Gunther and Otto standing in front of him.

Otto's right shoulder had been bandaged completely, as little blood can be still seen staining the bandage, while he was carrying a flat tin can filled with the stew on his left hand.

While Gunther's right and left hands were holding two flat tin cans, both releasing a hot transparent smoke, as the delicious aroma can be smelled.

Kazuto, who had been persevered for the past hour had been holding his hunger inside of him. This time, he could no longer hold back. He had to give in, as Kazuto didn't even realize that he had been drooling.

"Uh.. your mouth," Otto said, pointing his finger towards Kazuto.

Kazuto gazed down, as he could see his saliva hanging only a few centimeters away from falling to his pants. Kazuto hurriedly looked away, spiting his saliva to the ground, as he gazed back towards them.

"Here, this is for you. Most of the soldiers had been taking a few glimpses here and there, all worried as to why you weren't eating," Gunther informed him, as he slowly gave Kazuto the other tin can.

"Ah! Thanks!" Kazuto said in gratitude, taking the flat tin can away from Gunther's hand. Not even making a single scene, like his quenching for food was nothing but a light problem.

He soon opened his mouth, reaching the spoon full of the stew. With each second, he could smell the divine aroma of the stew reaching his nose, begging to be eaten. Until a single drop had fallen to his tongue.

His eyes widened open, glossing. He could taste it. The sourness, the saltiness, the sweetness. It was a mixture of great flavor. Kazuto could never taste something so simple yet so divine.

He looked down to the stew, eating as quick as he can. It was so good that he could no longer describe anything until he didn't even realize that he has finished it with not a single drop wasted.

"Wow, Walter. I didn't know you're that hungry. Though you can't have doubles, only one plate of the meal per person," Gunther informed him.

Kazuto didn't look glum after what Gunther had said to him, but rather he looked like he understood the situation. Besides, food isn't cheap to find on the frontlines, and thus it should not be wasted.

"I understand," Kazuto replied. putting the tin can to the ground next to him.

However, as he placed it down. He had just realized that the weapon of the elf he had killed was left behind. Everyone in the division had noticed it, yet they didn't even seem to bother to place it in a much more proper room, like the ammunition room.

But now that Kazuto had a closer look, his eyes don't seem to go away other than to stare at the blue illuminating glow around the rifle.

"It's magic," Otto suddenly said, with a small smile on his face gazing at the rifle.

"Magic?" Kazuto questioned.

"Yeah. Though it acts more like a spell or rather a curse," Otto informed him.

Kazuto was left with a more curious expression, wanting to know more about the effects of such a spell. Otto had noticed as he sighed, placing his tin can to the ground as he walks forward towards the rifle.

He soon held the gun, as a reaction suddenly occurred, sparking with crimson flames. Otto hurriedly let go of the rifle, as his only functional hand right now is burned. If he touched it longer, his hand would have probably been too wounded that he had to be deported.

"Your hand!?" Kazuto said in concern.

"Pfft!! It's merely a scratch," Otto scoffed.

"You know if you put yourself further in harm, you will definitely be deported," Gunther said.

"Nonsense, that won't happen. I just touch the weapon in less than a second. Nothing bad can happen from that," Otto replied.

"Though the point I'm trying to make is that the spell is meant to repeal us, humans, to holding their technologies. Even if you use a glove, a towel, or anything that can touch the weapon using other than our bare hands, it would still detect if you're human or not." Otto informed him.

Kazuto closed his eyes and nodded, as he understood everything that Otto had said. he soon opened his eyes, as his pupils had wandered somewhere else.

He could see hundreds. No. Thousands. Probably more than that, as they were wearing the same uniform as them in the horizon of no man's land they had crossed, complete with cavalry and artillery.

It would seem that reinforcements had arrived, or to be more precise, a certain man and his army had arrived.