They gnawed on the meat. It was perhaps a bit undercooked. Each chew resulted in a trickle of deep crimson blood running down their chins, and the meat was so tough that it made their jaws ache just to eat it.

The meat wasn’t that of ordinary animals; it was demon meat. Although it wasn’t something anyone in their right mind would enjoy, it wasn’t entirely unpalatable.

Over the years, such meals had become commonplace. By purging the Dark Power, which was lethal to regular humans, from the meat, the demon meat became edible, though still unappetizing.

They had learned various methods to improve the taste of demon meat, but this time they had opted not to use any special recipes. With limited time and resources, they couldn't indulge in elaborate cooking processes. Be that as it may, this didn’t mean they had to settle for bland meat, so they had added some simple spices like salt, pepper, and others to enhance the flavor of their meal.

Most of their spices had been taken from the demons. It wasn’t as if the land here was completely devoid of things for human consumption. In fact, demons had a culture of their own when it came to gourmet dining. Although the ingredients they utilized were vastly different, there were some ingredients and spices that were fit for human taste in the mix — plenty for humans to use.

“Is it good?”

“No. It’s quite disgusting, not really suitable to drink.”

“In spite of that, you’re continuing to drink it.”

“It’s been a long time since we’ve come across human alcohol, rather than the ones for demons. Well, you couldn’t really call this alcohol. It’s basically garbage, and it has no depth. Just strong water…. Even so, we were given it as a gift, so shouldn’t I have a proper taste of it?” the person grumbled while refilling their glass.

Despite their unfavorable circumstances, there were five extravagantly ornate drinking glasses on the ground. These were mementos from a previous adventure, repurposed for special occasions. The glasses were filled to the brim with a thick murky liquid.

“Well, then, let’s make a toast,” said Anise Slywood.

As an avid drinker, she took the lead and raised her glass high into the air. Despite being only a glass, it felt weighty, probably due to the dense liquid filling it.

They had acquired the alcohol from a trio of knights they had stumbled upon a few days prior. It was clear that...