"Drake, what’s wrong?"

His two lackeys sidled up to him. What was Drake looking at?

"You guys see that person over there? Doesn’t she look a little familiar to you?"

Drake stared in Stella Sterling’s direction without turning his head, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

’I couldn’t get a good look at that woman before. Why does she seem more and more familiar the longer I stare?’

The two of them looked in the direction Drake was staring and scratched their heads. "Drake, isn’t that just the woman who was mowing people down with that gun a minute ago?"

’Of course she’s familiar, we just saw her.’

’Has Drake lost his memory or something?’

The man had barely finished speaking when Drake smacked him on the back of the head. "No shit, Sherlock! Of course I know it’s her. I mean she feels *really* familiar, like I’ve seen her somewhere before!"

Hearing this, the two men looked back toward Stella Sterling, confused. "I don’t see it. Her face is covered. How could anyone tell what she looks like?"

Hearing this, Drake began to doubt himself. ’Maybe I really am just overthinking it.’

’Besides, I’ve met so many people. It wouldn’t be strange to run into one or two old acquaintances.’

Just as he was thinking this, the woman’s gaze shifted toward them. Their eyes met.

Drake’s heart skipped a beat as fragments of a memory flashed through his mind.

"It’s her!!!" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

He finally remembered who she was. She was the woman who’d clashed with them before—the one who had injured him.

Seeing her looking at him with a faint smile, his heart leaped into his throat.

’Don’t tell me she recognized us, too. Is she going to try to get revenge?’

Drake immediately turned his head, avoiding Stella Sterling’s gaze.

’We only met her briefly a couple of times back then. And we look a lot different now. It’s possible she won’t recognize us.’

He forced himself not to look over again and pulled his two lackeys back down to their seats.

His two men were confused by this series of actions, but Drake offered no explanation. He only said, "We’re keeping a low profile from now on."

’It’s best not to attract that woman’s attention. The weapon she’s carrying is way more powerful than ours. We can’t afford to mess with her. We really can’t!’

’We already flashed our guns, so ordinary people won’t dare to mess with us. As long as we don’t go looking for trouble, we shouldn’t draw any attention.’

"Since they’re your enemies, aren’t you going to take care of them?"

Louis Grant said teasingly, noticing her gaze was fixed on the three men.

"I’m not some homicidal maniac who kills people at the drop of a hat."

Stella Sterling shot him a glare. "Just focus on roasting your fish. Don’t forget, I’m paying you for this!"

’Isn’t she, though?’

Louis Grant retorted silently. ’When she started shooting just now, she didn’t even blink.’

But he didn’t say anything else, focusing on roasting the fish in his hands.

"It’s a shame there’s no seasoning. Otherwise, this would smell even better!"

The aroma of the fish was gradually wafting out, and Louis Grant couldn’t help but swallow.

’Finally, a decent meal today.’

Stella Sterling was much calmer. ’It smells good, but it’s definitely missing something,’ she thought. She reached into her backpack, felt around for a moment, then pulled out a seasoning bottle and handed it to him. "Add this."

Louis Grant’s eyes lit up. He immediately took it and sprinkled it on the fish.

Instantly, the aroma became incredibly fragrant.

He looked at Stella Sterling in amazement. "You even have this in your backpack?"

"You have to be fully prepared when you’re on the road. The essentials for a good meal are a must."

"That makes sense. I used to be a real foodie myself. But now... it’s a blessing just to get a full meal. I don’t ask for anything more."

Stella Sterling didn’t reply, her eyes fixed on the fish in his hands.

Once he was almost done cooking, she took the fish, left two for him, and then turned and walked away.

"She said two, and she meant exactly two. After all the bonding we did over roasting fish together... she’s completely merciless, isn’t she?"

Louis Grant muttered to himself, but Stella Sterling was already long gone, completely out of earshot.

Muttering fiercely, he took a savage bite of the fish, as if he were tearing into a big chicken drumstick. But this was a fish, a fish full of tiny bones.

And so, unsurprisingly, he got a bone stuck in his throat. His face turned beet red.

He spent a good while digging around in his mouth with his fingers before finally spitting it out. "Almost lost my life just eating a fish. I’m not sure if this deal is worth it or not."

’Not bad. Say what you will, but his fish-roasting skills are pretty good.’

Back inside her tent, Stella Sterling placed the fish on a plate. She then retrieved a few other items from her spatial storage to complete her dinner.

She critiqued the meal as she ate.

She hadn’t prepared many pre-made fish dishes, but she had stored plenty of fresh fish that she’d killed earlier in her storage space.

’But roasting it myself is a bit of a hassle.’

’Having someone else roast it is pretty nice. All it costs me is two fish. It’s a good deal.’

「The next day.」

Just as before, Stella Sterling gave the fish she had scooped from the water to Louis Grant.

Louis Grant was stunned for only a moment before taking them. "Same payment as yesterday? Two fish?"

"Mhm."

Stella Sterling nodded, and Louis Grant seemed pleased. "Looks like my fish-roasting skills have earned your approval!"

Stella Sterling sat down on a piece of foam and turned to look at him. "It’s not bad. Barely edible, I suppose."

’It wasn’t as good as when she cooked it herself, but the convenience of not having to do it was a definite plus.’

"Haha! To get your approval is an honor in itself."

Louis Grant laughed happily, his movements deft and quick as he roasted the fish.

Stella Sterling didn’t ask where he got the fire. It was a transaction: she paid him, and he provided the labor. It was a fair trade, and neither of them owed the other anything.

Louis Grant was the type to warm up to people quickly. He could strike up a natural conversation with a complete stranger.

’Besides,’ he thought, ’we’ve known each other for a few days now. We’ve even roasted and eaten fish together. That’s practically a deep friendship.’

’So that basically makes us buddies, right?’

As a result, his tone became even more natural, and he was much chattier today than he had been yesterday.

"So, beautiful, what’s your name? I’m Louis Grant."

Louis Grant asked while roasting the fish, turning his head to look at the woman beside him who was staring out at the water.

Glancing at him, Stella Sterling casually gave a name. "Quincy Sterling."

’Quincy Sterling?’

Hearing the name, Louis Grant’s mouth twitched. ’What kind of name is that for a woman? It’s obviously fake.’

But he didn’t call her out on it. "So, your family name is Sterling. That’s a fine name."

"I know someone who’s also a Sterling. She’s the daughter of a wealthy family in Mirefall, actually. I guess you could call that fate, couldn’t you?"

"Everyone, look! What is that?"

Before Stella Sterling could reply, someone’s sudden shout echoed in everyone’s ears.