"Greetings. Welcome to Driftwood. I am Saba." A poor looking man greeted them in a poor excuse of a house. He approached the girls with an air of dignity. To appear to have some sort of control, look competent or at least respectable. But his clothes were well weathered. Torn in places and despite patched in several areas, still seemed to have more holes than patches. And yet...he already looked more presentable than most of the people in Driftwood. This camp, compared to any normal town, seemed like a camp of beggars. People in rags, living in tents, their possessions scattered about with no boundaries to stop theft because no one really seemed to have any more than their neighbor. Even this man, their supposed leader, while seeming to live in an actual house was a house made of exactly what their camp was named after; Driftwood. Pieces of wood piled or tied together in more of a framework of a home, so badly put together it was perhaps more drafty than their tents. To the princesses, the problem was clear. Among the survivors, there was no one with the knowledge or expertise to create proper homes. Or if there was, perhaps they didn't want to commit to new homes. Perhaps new homes would make it too easy to abandon their true home, Seawood. There was no way to know other than to question the man in front of them.
"Hello." Helena bowed politely, "I'm Helena. We've recently learned of the situation in Seawood and want to help."
"If you would help us, that container of salt would be of great help." Saba replied, "...If you're willing."
"Of course." Corissa said, placing the mildly used container of spice on the table, "In fact, if you want, I can-"
"But first." Helena said, motioning for Corissa to stop, "We need to understand what's going on. Start with the salt. Why do you need it so much?"
"I'm sure you've figured it out already." Saba said, picking up the container of salt with a grim determinism instead of any sort of hope, "Salt is the only weakness of those fleshy monsters."
"Salt kills these monsters?" Momo asked.
"Indeed. Even a small ring of salt around our camp is enough to deter them from attacking us for several days."
"Even though they could just step over it?" Momo frowned.
"It's a threat. If we have enough to waste on such a simple ring, then if they ever stepped into this town, they would easily be killed. No remorse."
"Right..." Helena scoffed, "And yet, according to your guard, you don't exactly have the supply to waste on random humans."
"He said that did he?" Saba scowled, "No matter. It's true, we don't really have enough supply to survive til the next season much less preform retaliatory operations against the monsters."
"And from why I can tell, you won't be able to with just this." Momo nodded, "There's way too many monsters for this one container to combat."
"I don't need you to tell me." Saba set the container down and leaned over as the stress of his situation seemed to nearly buckle him over.
"How much salt would you even need to combat a nest of monster this big?"
"I don't know." The man gritted his teeth, "But with those monsters blocking all deliveries of salt, all we can rely on is wanderers like you with small containers like this."
"I have another one." Corissa remarked.
"You do?!" The man looked up in shock.
"Yeah, I have several." Corissa said, pulling another container of salt out of her backpack, "Salt isn't really expensive or rare outside of here and this backpack is enchanted so I have several packages of salt like this."
"But before we give them to you." Helena cut in, stopping Corissa from handing over another container of salt, "We still have a lot more questions."
"Hmph." Saba pulled back, his enthusiasm cut short, "If it's just answers we can provide that at least."
"So how long have you been here?"
"We're not quite certain on when the invasion began since these bastards are sneaky as hell but we noticed them years ago and when it became clear we were outnumbered, everyone here moved out a few years ago."
"It's been years but you seem like you're barely holding on as a society." Kaguya remarked harshly, "I would think you'd have improved your quality of life by now."
"It's not a matter of time." Saba sighed, "If we had the skills and supplies, we could try to improve our livelihood but our hearts and mind are not into it. Our home is Seawood. Much of our families are still in Seawood even if they ARE monsters. We have a responsibility to stop them. It's just..."
"I know." Momo nodded, "I know it can't be easy for you to just do that."
"...Are you going to get rid of the monsters?"
"We can if you want." Momo replied simply.
"...Do you...really have that kind of power?"
"We absolutely do." Helena nodded, "It's just...kinda complicated at the moment."
"Did one of your own get captured as well?" Saba asked.
"Well...you could say something like that." Helena winced.
"My apologies." Saba shook his head, "From my experience, if it's been more than three days, the parasite will have fully incorporated themselves into their body. Once that happens, there is no removing them. If it's been more than that, I hope you're prepared to kill your own friend."
"I...think we can handle that." Momo gulped.
"Good." Saba sighed, "You're stronger than us if you can at least..."
A long awkward and bitter silence followed Saba's grim statement. Something that Corissa quickly tried to lighten up,
"W-Why don't we break for lunch?" She quickly asked, "If you want, I can cook for everyone in the settlement if you want!"
"You'd...do that for us?" Saba frowned.
"Of course!" Corissa nodded, "I've done it before and with way more people!"
"Corissa's cooking is one of a kind!" Momo grinned, you won't find better food in the entire world!"
"I'd like to believe that." Saba sighed, "But unless she can cook without salt, I don't know how good it'll be."
"Without salt?" Corissa mused, "It'll be a bit of a challenge but I think I can manage. It'll depend on what kind of ingredients you have lying around."
"Ingredients huh?" Saba sighed.
"What's wrong?" Momo frowned, "Don't tell me you don't have any food."
"It's not that we don't have ANY food per say." Saba winced, "It's just...we've been rationing for weeks now and even then most of our stockpiles are on the verge of spoiling."
"T-That's horrible!" Corissa yelped, "Don't you have anybody to get supplies for you?"
"Course not. All the supplies goes to Seawood." Saba scowled, "These monsters just borrow their host's knowledge to continue bartering and trading. In the face of that, what could we possibly offer? The truth? Would they even believe us?"
"I-I get it." Momo gulped, "I don't even know if I'd believe it if I didn't know."
"Why don't you grow crops?" Kaguya asked with only a hint of eagerness in her voice, "If you started years ago, you could've started developing an economy to fund your resistance."
"You think we don't know that?" Saba sighed, "But what do you think we do to survive?"
"Huh?" Momo blinked, "Uhhh...you mentioned putting a ring of salt around your camp right?"
"Yes but it's not just that."
"...You didn't..." Kaguya gasped.
"We had to." Saba gritted his teeth, "If we didn't salt the earth, how would we know if we've been infiltrated?"
"That's...that's insane." Momo gulped, "Being forced to salt your own earth..."
"...Right." Corissa nodded, "Don't worry. I still have plenty of supplies in this bag so I'll prepare a feast for everyone here."
"Ooo, Corissa's going all out?" Helena grinned.
"I can't even remember the last time she went all out like this." Kaguya smiled.
"Forgive me master but I must go all out...just this once." Momo said dramatically.
"...I feel like you folks might be exaggerating a tad." Saba sighed, "But even a good soup would bring tears to our eyes at this point."
"I can do better than that." Corissa nodded confidently, "Leave it to me! Where's your kitchen?"
"Well, we have a soup kitchen you can use I suppose." Saba replied unenthusiastically, "But if you're expecting proper stoves and such you'll be disappointed."
"I've got supplies of my own." Corissa replied, "Don't worry."
Saba raised an eyebrow but silently walked out of the home to bring them to said soup kitchen.
Like Saba had warned, their "soup kitchen" was little more than a few bonfires with pots over them. But like Corissa had said, she did indeed have her camping supplies to fall back on. And once she took stock of what supplies exactly she did have, she was well on her way to creating a feast for the ages. Such delicious and tantalizing smells began drifting over the depressed town that people began to gather and try to get a sneak taste of what was coming, forcing Saba and Corissa's company to form a perimeter to prevent anyone from interrupting their cook.
"This is ridiculous." Saba scowled as he literally used his body to stop his starving people from getting into the kitchen, "I've never seen these people like this."
"This is the power of good food." Momo grinned, scaring the folks in front of her by slamming her sheathed sword onto the ground loudly, "If I had been starving for days, much less years, I'd be among the people in the crowd myself."
"Hey, how come it doesn't work when I do it?!" Roland cried as he tried slamming his sword on the ground like Momo to scare the people on his side only for them to stare blankly at him.
"I dunno, maybe you just have the intimidation of a wet cat." Helena teased, her side fully blocked by a wall of ice.
"Hey, that's cheating!" Roland protested.
"..."
"Penny for you thoughts, madam?" Mikado asked, stepping in front of Kaguya to stop the starving folks from approaching her side.
"I'm thinking of ways I can continue to grow plants on salted earth." Kaguya sighed, "They clearly need some sort of infrastructure so if I can-"
"I believe you are overthinking it madam." Mikado replied, "There is perfectly healthy earth outside the bounds of this settlement. Simply bring it inside within pots and planters and you can begin a controlled greenhouse even with salted earth."
"Mikado." Kaguya smiled, "You're brilliant. I'll start drawing plans immediately. Can you handle it out here?"
"Of course." Mikado bowed even as Kaguya went inside without waiting to hear his answer, "Glad to be of help."
"Hey how come no one's coming close to Varis?!" Roland protested as Varis stood outside the main entrance with no starving people to contest his presence.
"He's just that intimidating I guess." Momo chuckled.
"That's bullshit! I'm so much cooler, smarter and more intimidating than Varis!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Oi!" Roland waved his sheathed sword at the starving people who were staring at him with clear doubt in their eyes, "What's with that look?! You don't know me!"
Let's go over to our specialist, Helena, for her comments on this situation." Momo smirked, "Helena?"
"0/3, wow." Helena smirked back.
"Hey! Can I get some support here?!"
"Damn, you hear that Momo? Roland can't handle the people over on his side, can you go help?"
"Well I guess I have no choice."
"I'm good with the people! I meant EMOTIONAL support!"
"I've never seen a man beg for emotional support before." Saba scoffed.
"Welcome to modern times old man. Men can be vulnerable now." Roland scowled.
"He do be right on that." Helena nodded.
"You CAN be vulnerable, sure." Saba said as he took out a cigarette and lit it before taking a long drag and releasing the smoke at the people to force them away, "But do you really think that's for the better?"
"This is why you're divorced." Roland scoffed.
"How'd you know?" Saba frowned.
"It's obvious." Roland replied with a sneer.
"Hm. I don't know what I'm wearing that would imply that I had to kill my own wife because she was captured by the monsters. Mind telling me?"
"..."
"Don't be shy now."
"Why can't I ever win?" Roland muttered.
"To be fair, you do be right." Helena nodded.
"E-Excuse me!" One young girl came up to the front of the crowd in front of Saba, "A-Are you cooking something big? Because I can help!"
"We're not taking helpers." Saba replied coldly, "Now scram."
"B-But..." the girl looked disappointed.
"Now now, with so many people to cook for, Corissa could always use the help." Momo nodded, "What's your name?"
"Elly." The girl replied hopefully, "I'm not a professional cook or anything but I helped with my mom in the kitchen when I was young so I can do simple tasks."
"You think that's good enough qualifications?" Saba scowled, "Anybody could do that."
"B-But..." Elly looked down, her confidence easily cowed.
"It's one thing to be able to help, it's another to offer it freely." Helena nodded as she joined Saba's side, "At any rate, it's up to Corissa if she'll take the help."
"You want to ask your little princess if she needs the help you go right ahead." Saba scoffed, "Not that I care. My only concern is that this girl only joined us recently and honestly she's still suspicious to us."
"I-I'm not..." Elly looked depressed by the accusation.
"It's fine, we can just throw some salt on her to test her out right?" Helena shrugged.
"Salt is one thing." Saba said, taking another breath from his cigarette, "But even if she's not possessed directly, she could be a religious fanatic spy sent by the monsters."
"I-I'm not!" Elly protested, "I told you, I was saved by a man right before I was attacked by the monsters!"
"Hold on." Helena blinked, "What did this man look like?"
"Ummm...he looked really mean and kinda tired?" Elly said, surprised by the interest, "I didn't really catch his name or get a good look at him."
"Did he have a silver and black uniform on?" Momo frowned.
"Y-Yes!"
"Does he look like a bitch?"
"What?" Elly blinked, confused.
"Does he LOOK like a BITCH?" Roland repeated.
"Don't mind him, he's violently envious." Helena shook her head.
"No I'm not!" Roland protested.
"Did he happen to be wearing a crown at the time?"
"A crown?" Elly frowned, "No, no he didn't."
"Did he say anything to you?" Momo asked.
"He...he told me to get out of the church." Elly explained, "And...told me to make better life decisions."
"That sure does sound like Roko." Helena nodded, "If Roko saved you then she's probably fine."
"I don't know who this Roko is." Saba frowned, "Care to explain?"
"Eh. Kind of a long story. I'll tell you over dinner."
"That said, if he didn't have the crown then that means this happened before he was possessed." Momo nodded.
"Possessed?!" Elly gasped, "You mean by the monsters?!"
"No, not the monsters I don't think." Helena frowned, "Apparently it was a demon that got him."
"A demon?" Saba frowned, "There are demons in Seawood?"
"Probably just the one I think." Helena nodded, "Maybe she was sent to capture Roko."
"Oh uh..." Elly looked around nervously.
"Yes? What is it?" Helena asked.
"He did say one more thing to me." Elly admitted.
"Oh? Is this important?"
"Maybe?"
"What did he say then?"
"Uhh...he told me not to make any contracts with any demons."
"..."
"..."
"So..." Saba frowned, "Does that imply that there are multiple demons in the town?"
"Oh god." Helena moaned, "Curse you, Roko!"