Army of the Damned

VOLUME 5 Chapter 7

 A crate opens, revealing a bunch of guns as the sound of beef sneering on top of a hot pan enters his ears. "Nice." he stands up and turns around. With a little camp set up by a flowing river, Jackson hopped out of the wagon and checked on Alana. "Ohhh, that's some nice marbling too on that." she had an intense look on her as she was already preparing the sauce. "Thank you, M'Lord. I'll be sure to make some extras for Bahamut." His eyes lit up as he looked to the river.

Elizabeth was there with a basket full of clothes and gowns as Bahamut stood on the side of a tree, perfectly vertical as her claws dug deep into the bark. Walking towards them, the Queen was busy rinsing the clothes with her hands. "My Lord, this is no task for a proper Lady like me." he then massaged her shoulders. "Ah, don't worry. You're doing great!" she shrugged, prompting him to look at the rest of the clothes. "Here, let me help."

"Don't you have to maintain the wagon?" he shakes his head as he takes the soap and begins rinsing the linen shirt. "It's fine. I got the entire night if I have too and it's just a hub. If it's the entire axle, then yeah. We'd be in trouble." Wiping her forehead, the blonde woman sighed as she laid her hands away from her. "My Lord, can't I just use magic? This has been extremely inefficient."

"No. Preserve your Mana and just work with your hands. It also feels way more rewarding for later. Believe me." She squinted at him as he obediently got to washing the clothes. A man with such a large and burly stature was squatting down next to her with a pair of soapy hands that's handing her a shirt. "My Lord, I just don't understand this. If you had me and the Countess just use our magic, this work could've been finished instantly and look at her, it looks uncouth for such a beautiful girl to be working with her hands."

"From where I came from, everyone had to pull so no. And learn to take things slowly. That's the whole point in this. I teach this to Bahamut too." Crawling to a branch that hangs above them, the Dragon looked down on the two with a smile on her face. "Master does and I don't mind it. I get to do things with Master longer and help him." Cleaning the soap off the shirt, she then throws it into the basket of finished clothes. "I still do not understand it. Laundry for example, the Dragon's fire magic could easily-"

"Ahem. Elizabeth, have you ever tried to feel the difference between magically dried clothes and ones that sat in the sun for long?" she shakes her head as she lifts an eyebrow. Her manicured facial hair unbothered by the task she's been doing. "No, and why would I need to? It's the same., My Lord." Jackson then looks at Alana who then picks up the white sheet hanging on a string next to the one that's almost dried out. "Your Majesty, may you please come here?"

She then uses her magic to dry up the sheet which she then gave to the Queen who had her hands dried up already. "Mm. Perfectly fine." She then gestures for the one almost ready to dry and Elizabeth could notice a different softness to it and the aroma of it bathing in the natural sun was leagues ahead. "Oh?"

"It also has an aroma to it, Your Majesty. One only the sun's light could make." Taking a sniff, the Queen's eyes light up. "Indeed. But then again, why? Does this help one sleep better?" Alana shifted her head as she curiously stared at her. "Your Majesty, didn't your servants also do it with their hands?" She shrugs her head as she flays the sheet back onto its hanger. "Nay. It's a waste of time. The amount of dresses I also had made it inefficient and I was always on the move."

Walking to her, Jackson lays his hand on her shoulder. "Well, you don't have that now and as I said, Elizabeth. Take it slow. There's no war or people coming after you or a Kingdom to manage." Although still reluctant, she went back to her duties with Jackson in tow. Alana then quickly got back to cooking their lunch as the two squatted by the river. "After this, I'll show you how to use a gun, alright?" with such a slender figure and long neck. Looking at her sideways with her golden hair over her side seemed as if she's a floating head with a neck. Making Jackson slightly giggle.