As Rosie and Katsuki made their way through the bustling market, her thoughts wandered to the evening ahead. "I think I'm going to make steak tonight for dinner," Rosie mused, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Maybe pair it with some roasted asparagus."
Katsuki, as usual, remained indifferent. "Whatever you decide," he shrugged, though Rosie knew he appreciated her cooking more than he let on.
Rosie scanned the stalls, picking out fresh ingredients and tucking them into her bag, which Katsuki, ever the silent companion, carried for her without complaint. It was an unspoken rhythm between them—Rosie did the planning and preparing, and Katsuki handled the heavy lifting.
"Make sure we have enough for a few days," Katsuki muttered as they finished gathering supplies.
Rosie nodded, grabbing a few more items. She knew Katsuki would likely hunt for fresh meat, maybe a stag or boar, but it was always smart to have extras. As the sun hung high in the sky, she glanced toward the town's central clock tower. "It's nearing lunch," Rosie smiled. "We should head to the Crimson Ogre Tavern. I'm sure Izuku and Uraraka will be waiting for us."
Katsuki grunted in agreement, adjusting the strap of the bag on his shoulder. "Hopefully, they found a horse for the ranger."
Rosie rolled her eyes playfully. "Her name is Uraraka. You should learn to use it."
"Why should I?" Katsuki shot back, a grumble in his voice as usual.
"Because we're a party now, and using people's names is part of working as a team," Rosie said, nudging him lightly.
They entered the Crimson Ogre Tavern, the warm atmosphere welcoming them as the chatter of patrons filled the air. The establishment was notably clean, considering its rugged exterior, and though busy, there was still a sense of order. As they walked past the bar, a hulking figure—half man, half giant—stood polishing glasses. His tan skin and dark hair caught Rosie's eye, and she gave him a friendly smile and wave.
The giant bartender grunted in return, but when Katsuki scowled at him, the bartender snarled back.
Typical.
Rosie had to stifle a laugh at the exchange. Katsuki seemed to enjoy ruffling people's feathers.
The pair found an empty table in a cozy corner. The menus were carved directly into the tabletop, each item etched in intricate detail.
"We really need to work on your people skills," Rosie remarked, sitting across from him. Her bright blue eyes glinted with amusement, though her tone held a hint of seriousness.
Katsuki leaned forward, resting his chin in his hand as he stared at her with that familiar intensity. "Why should we?"
"So you can have lots of friends," she replied, a pointed look crossing her features.
Katsuki's lips curled into a smirk. "Why have lots of friends when I can just have you?"
Rosie's ears twitched, her cheeks flushing pink at his comment. The heat rising in her face was unmistakable, and Katsuki, noticing her reaction, leaned back with a self-satisfied grin before glancing down at the menu.
Thankfully, at that moment, Izuku and Uraraka entered the tavern, saving Rosie from further embarrassment. "Hope we didn't keep you waiting," Uraraka said brightly as she slid into the seat next to Rosie.
"Nah, we just got here," Katsuki answered quickly, before Rosie could speak. His gaze flicked over to her, clearly enjoying the fact that she was still flustered from his earlier remark.
Rosie cleared her throat, forcing herself to refocus. "We should order quickly if we want to snag one of the new quests at the guild," she said, regaining her composure.
Katsuki nodded, "the best-paying jobs will get taken fast."
Izuku nodded enthusiastically. "Kacchan's right. With Uraraka in the party now, we can handle more difficult tasks and get better rewards!"
A waitress approached their table, a pretty human woman with blonde hair and striking blue eyes. She smiled as she took their orders.
"I'll have the sautéed meat with cheese and mashed potatoes," Rosie said, glancing at the menu. "And the special drink, please—the Margarita with pineapple slices."
The others followed suit, with Uraraka ordering the same as Rosie, while Katsuki opted for steak with roasted vegetables and potatoes. "And two pints," he added gruffly.
Izuku, always eager, mirrored Katsuki's order but added mushrooms to his dish.
As they waited for their food, Rosie turned to Uraraka. "Did you find a horse?" she asked, smiling warmly.
Uraraka's face lit up. "Yes! His name is Uravity. He's only three years old, so he's still pretty spirited, but I think we'll get along just fine. Thank you for lending me the gold to get him. I swear I'll pay you back."
Rosie waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. We're friends, right? Consider it a welcome gift to the party."
Before Uraraka could protest, the waitress returned with their food. Plates clattered onto the table, and soon the group was eating with gusto, eager to finish so they could claim a good job at the guild.
Rosie took a sip of her Margareta, savoring the fruity taste. She held the glass out to Katsuki. "Try it. It's really good."
Katsuki eyed the drink warily but took a sip. He handed it back almost immediately. "Not a fan of pineapples," he grunted.
Rosie chuckled and took another sip herself. "More for me then."
The rest of the meal passed quickly. Izuku, ever the gentleman, offered to pay for Uraraka's meal, despite her protestations.
"Keep your money," Izuku insisted. "We've got plenty after the mercenary job and still need to collect payment from the orc quest."
As they left the tavern, Rosie gave the bartender another smile, which he returned with a nod. When Katsuki growled at him again, the bartender snarled right back. Rosie elbowed Katsuki in the side as they walked out. "What is wrong with you?" she laughed.
Katsuki shrugged, not bothered in the slightest.
After leaving the tavern, the party made their way toward the town's guildhall. Inside, adventurers of all types were milling about, examining the quest board, chatting with each other, or waiting in line to collect rewards. Rosie spotted the fresh postings and pointed them out.
"There!" she said, leading the group over.
As they crowded around the board, Izuku's eyes lit up. "Look at this one!" He pointed to a quest that immediately caught everyone's attention.
The request was from a wealthy merchant seeking rare and unique items from several different locations as a gift for his fiancée. The items included rare gemstones, enchanted flowers from a far-off forest, and a legendary pearl rumored to be guarded by dangerous creatures near the East Ocean. The reward was substantial, promising not only gold but also rare items as a bonus.
"This could take us all over," Uraraka said, her excitement evident. "We'll get to explore new places!"
"And it pays well," Katsuki noted, eyes gleaming at the sight of the hefty reward.
Rosie smiled, already feeling the anticipation of the adventure ahead. "Looks like we've found our next mission."
Once the group left the town behind, Rosie took the lead, sitting tall on Divine as they moved down the dirt path. The rhythmic sound of hooves against the ground provided a steady, calming background to their journey. She had the map unfolded in front of her, eyes scanning the terrain as she began plotting their course to the Ishlamare Mountains—the first stop on their quest for the rare gemstones.
"The Ishlamare Mountains are southwest from here," Rosie explained, holding the map up in the light. "It'll take us about three days to get there. Maybe two if we push hard and keep our breaks short."
Izuku leaned over from his own horse to take the map as Rosie handed it to him. "Looks like we can take this trail all the way to Evermoore Forest and set up camp there for the night," he said, nodding in agreement with Rosie's plan. "We can wake up early, have breakfast, and ride to Markington by dinner. After that, it's only a half day's ride to the mountains."
Rosie grinned. "Exactly. We'll avoid most of the merchant roads too, which should keep us out of trouble." She glanced over at Uraraka, who was riding her new horse, Uravity. The mare seemed to be handling the journey well for being so young, but the ranger's careful handling kept the horse calm.
Izuku began to mumble softly as he traced the route with his finger. "If we cut through here, we can also bypass the valley… safer, faster…"
Katsuki's eye twitched. He could hear Deku mumbling to himself, his mind working through the details aloud, just like always. The nerd still had that annoying habit of talking to himself, not caring that it freaked people out. But when Katsuki glanced back at Rosie and Uraraka, they didn't seem bothered. In fact, they were too busy chatting with each other, laughing softly as they talked about the fruity drinks they had tried at lunch.
Katsuki rolled his eyes.What a bunch of weirdos.
The ride was long but uneventful. They passed through dense woods, open plains, and a few rivers, the fresh air filling their lungs as they kept a steady pace. The sun had just begun to dip below the horizon when Rosie finally pulled Divine to a stop at the edge of Evermoore Forest.
"We'll make camp here for the night," she called out, dismounting. "There's a clearing up ahead."
Uraraka and the boys followed her lead, sliding off their horses and tying them to a nearby tree. As they began to unpack, Rosie led Divine and the other horses to a small stream that ran beside their campsite. After making sure they had plenty of water, she fed them apples and carrots she had purchased at the market earlier.
While the men gathered their weapons to go hunt, Uraraka approached Rosie with a tentative smile. "Hey, can I help with the cooking tonight?" she asked. "I'm not very good at it, but I'd like to learn."
Rosie smiled warmly, gesturing toward the firepit she had just started. "Of course! I'll teach you the basics. It's not as hard as it looks once you get the hang of it."
Uraraka's eyes brightened. "Thanks! That would be great."
While the two women began preparing the campfire, Katsuki returned, hauling a large stag over his shoulder. His face and clothes were speckled with blood, and the raw power it took to bring down such a large animal was obvious. The deer had already been expertly skinned and cut into pieces.
"Got the meat," Katsuki grunted as he dropped the chunks of venison near the fire. "I'll clean the rest later."
Rosie gave him a nod of approval, immediately going to work on cooking the deer meat. She marinated the pieces with herbs and spices, carefully threading them onto sticks to roast over the fire. The smell of sizzling meat soon filled the campsite, mingling with the earthy scent of the forest around them.
Katsuki and Izuku, covered in blood from the hunt, left to bathe by the nearby stream, giving the girls time to finish the preparations. As Rosie flipped the roasting venison over the fire, she turned to Uraraka.
"Cooking meat is all about patience," Rosie explained, handing Uraraka a small strip of the stag meat to try. "You don't want to cook it too fast or it'll dry out. Slow and steady wins the race."
Uraraka nodded, eagerly taking a bite. Her eyes widened as the flavor hit her. "This is amazing!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe how good it is."
Rosie chuckled. "Well, you'll get the hang of it. Plus, having fresh herbs and spices really helps."
As they chatted and cooked, the sun disappeared completely, leaving the forest bathed in the soft glow of their campfire. Stars twinkled overhead, and the sound of crickets and night creatures filled the silence between their conversations. By the time Katsuki and Izuku returned, clean and refreshed, the food was ready. Rosie handed each of them a large piece of roasted venison, along with some wild vegetables she had bought.
Katsuki took a bite, his eyes closing as he savored the flavor. "Not bad, elf," he muttered, though the glint in his eyes showed he was impressed.
Rosie grinned. "Thanks. Though I think Uraraka deserves some credit. She helped with the seasoning."
Uraraka blushed slightly but smiled proudly as the group dug into the meal. As they ate, Rosie felt a deep sense of contentment. These small moments—sitting by the fire with friends, sharing stories and food—were what made the hardships of adventuring worthwhile.
After the meal, Katsuki glanced at the stars, his sharp eyes scanning the skies. "We need to get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."
Izuku nodded, yawning as he stretched. "Agreed. We've got a full day of riding ahead, and we'll need all the energy we can get."
With that, they settled in for the night, the fire crackling softly beside them. Rosie lay next to Divine, her head resting against the horse's flank as she drifted off to sleep, feeling the warmth of the fire and the peaceful rhythm of the night surrounding her.
"I'll take first watch," Katsuki grunted as he sat with his swords and whetstone