I'm A Sucker For Extras - Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Brody waited nervously for dinner.
 
“I… I don’t really know how to do this.”
 
It was understandable. It was her first time, although she vaguely remembered trying something similar back in school in her previous life.
 
Still, it’s completely different from this, isn’t it?
 
‘Yeah, more like a school opening ceremony. Something similar. But back then, I just drank without any excitement…’
 
And while she was just an ordinary student back then……, but now she is the spotlight.
 
“My Lady, we’re planning a welcome party tonight. Would you like to join?”
 
Brody’s troubles began with Connie’s invitation.
 
She and the other captive women had asked her to come to the party because they wanted to welcome her.
 
It was fine to stand out in a crowd, but only when it came to work. Just work. As long as there was a clear task at hand.
 
‘What does one do at a party? If she just stayed as a wallflower, it would be fine, right? But what is the host of the party supposed to do? ’
 
“It’s so hard to have fun.”
 
Brody sighed heavily.
 
But she didn’t want to turn down Connie’s invitation.
 
She was curious and worried about how the women here were doing and if they were doing well. They had formed a bond through shared camaraderie and struggles.
 
“Well, I’ll consider it seeing their faces. Just saying hello should take up enough time. Don’t be nervous. Don’t be… Why am I more nervous than when I explained the potato cultivation?”
 
While she was fidgeting, it was almost dinnertime.
 
“Are you leaving?”
 
Brody looked at Aidan, who was talking to her again.
 
Fortunately, the awkwardness between them had somewhat diminished due to the promise with the women.
 
“Yeah, you said you were going to eat with the warrior knights, right?”
 
“Mmm.”
 
Aidan seemed to be asking if he should accompany her.
 
‘Hmm, I see. You had every intention of speaking to me.’
 
Brody chewed on his unspoken question as an unspoken answer, though she knew he was worried about what might happen.
 
‘Anyway, don’t worry.’
 
At least Brody was confident he wouldn’t die, even in the worst-case scenario. If someone attacked with a weapon, he could bind them with vine-like plants. If they tried to poison her, she could simply dispense the antidote in her mouth and chew it up.
 
It was hard to imagine anyone among them being a more skilled assassin or an herbalist. If there were, they would have acted when she was still a prisoner.
 
Even if she were discovered to be a plant mage, she could hide it with a bit of effort.
 
Brody’s dear friend, the useful ‘dream spot’ leaf.
 
So she wasn’t too worried.
 
In fact, she was more worried about how to play.
 
“Then I’ll come back.”
 
However, Brody did not reveal such anxiety to Aidan.
 
It wasn’t that she didn’t want him to worry; it was just the way she was.
 
But Aidan still couldn’t shake the worry and wanted to go along.
 
“Okay, I’m going with you…….”
 
“So you’re going to be the only man among the women?”
 
“I’ll just stay in the corner quietly. Like a dead rat.”
 
“…….”
 
Brody imagined the Duke observing over 60 former female prisoners in the corner of the banquet hall and couldn’t help but laugh.
 
Aidan slumped his shoulders at Brody’s expression, as if she were scolding him for not making sense. Because he wasn’t so clueless that he didn’t even know that.
 
After leaving the room, the two split up and headed to their respective places to eat.
 
Brody goes to the banquet hall in the building where the large women’s quarter is located.
 
Aidan went to the banquet hall of the building, where the large men’s quarters were located.
 
Although it was actually a banquet hall, it was actually a large hall built to be used as a multipurpose space. Usually, the hall installed on the first floor of the official building was left empty, but when needed, it became a banquet hall, a conference room, and other various public spaces.
 
It would be modest in size for a small town with a small population. It was more like a village hall than a fancy banquet hall for nobles.
 
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
 
Brody took a deep breath as she reached the door.
 
After a few moments of tension, she put on a calm face, but with her eyes narrowed, and knocked on the ballroom door.
 
‘Hmm? Why is it quiet? ’
 
But the door, which she expected to open immediately, was firmly closed and unmovable.
 
After a few moments of waiting, Brody raised her hand to knock again, but the door creaked open and slowly swung open.
 
“Connie?”
 
But it was pitch black inside, and she couldn’t make out a human figure.
 
What the hell is this? Before she could figure it out, a hand shot out of the darkness.
 
“Aah!”
 
The strong hand yanked Brody back into the darkness, dragging her along with it.
 
She felt her back snap again, and she heard the door slowly close.
 
A bang.
 
“Hey……, Connie, everyone……?”
 
She couldn’t see anything, her eyes still unaccustomed to the darkness.
 
Brody swallowed dryly and rolled her eyes silently.
 
Then it happened.
 
Boom!
 
Brody flinched at the loud sound, as if an air gun had been fired.
 
A gun? No way, a gun?
 
Unfortunately, she didn’t think of a way to prepare for the gun.
 
But it wasn’t bullets that soaked her; it was droplets. Slightly sour and sweetly scented.
 
Pow!
 
And almost immediately, the surroundings began to glow brightly.
 
It rumbles from near to far.
 
A candle on a candlestick lit up.
 
Brody’s dilated pupils flickered in the light, and she looked around at her suddenly brightened surroundings.
 
“Waaaaaah!”
 
It was a sudden shout that greeted her with a panoramic view of the interior of the hall.
 
Numerous women were standing in front of candlesticks, lighting them simultaneously, and several, including Connie, were popping open bottles of bubbling water and shooting it around them, including Brody.
 
As if in slow motion, droplets of water—no, droplets of liquor—scattered the light before Brody’s eyes.
 
Brody stared at the sight, dumbfounded.
 
“Welcome, My Lady!”
 
“Welcome home!”
 
“It’s a pleasure to see you again!”
 
“Waaaaaah!”
 
Before she could think, Brody was being led by several hands to a seat in the middle of the ballroom.
 
It was decorated with green coniferous leaves, red berries, and white winter flowers, as if Brody’s seat had been reserved for her in advance.
 
The atmosphere in the ballroom instantly became electric as the women gathered in a circle around her, clapping and cheering.
 
Brody blinked and looked at each one of them with difficulty.
 
They greeted her warmly.
 
Brody’s cheeks quickly flushed from the stares.
 
Gradually, the cheers died down, and people began to stare at her.
 
Gradually, Brody began to feel nervous.
 
‘Gee, this must be it; I have to say something’
 
Brody swallowed hard and finally managed to speak.
 
“Uh, well, thank you for, um, accommodating me. Everyone?”
 
‘Thankful for being accommodated? ’ No, it’s not like she is being bullied. Why did she say something like that?
 
“Hahaha”
 
Brody just laughed awkwardly.
 
Then, Connie, who was standing next to her, popped and slapped Brody on the shoulder.
 
” “Thankful for accommodating?” Why would you say such a greeting? Everyone, isn’t that something we should say?!”
 
“It is!”
 
“It is!”
 
The women cheerfully agreed with Connie’s exclamation.
 
“Now, there’s no need to talk much. Let’s have a toast! We’ve worked hard so far, so let’s have fun today! ”
 
“Gee, Chief! What’s the matter? Can we have some fun today?”
 
“Yes, I don’t care what happens tomorrow, but not today! Let’s scrape the bottom of the barrel!”
 
“Oooh, come on, y’all play when Connie gives you a chance; she says there’s no tomorrow!”
 
“Yeahhh, there’s no tomorrow~.”
 
Listening to their chatter, Brody slowly looked around the room.
 
The hands raising their drinks were rough.
 
Some had something smeared on their cheeks, as if they’d been plastering a building.
 
There was no one whose skin was not tanned, and most had their hair tied up tightly to make it easier to move.
 
Still, their clothes were clean and pretty, as if today were a special occasion.
 
To have clothes other than the ones they wore as prisoners of war, she supposes, is a sign of progress.
 
Brody smiled softly to herself, both grateful and pleased.
 
“Come on, My Lady, let’s make a toast!”
 
A woman next to Brody put a glass in her hand as well. She gulped down the drink cheerfully until it overflowed.
 
As Brody watched the liquid run down her hand, the woman pouring the drink suddenly said,.
 
“Oh, right. Before that, My Lady, could you please name our village?”
 
“That’s right, it’s a temporary barracks, so it doesn’t have a name, and I’d be honored if you’d take this opportunity to give it one.”
 
Wait, a name all of a sudden? Brody raised her glass in a toast and narrowed her eyes.
 
“Uh, do you mind if I name it?”
 
“Who names a village with a potato field if not you? I don’t suppose the Duke would object.”
 
Brody quickly began to shake her head at their momentum.
 
Then a word flashed through her mind. Wouldn’t this be a good one?
 
“Potato…….”
 
“Potato…… what?”
 
“Potato Village, how is it? “
 
Wouldn’t that be easier to call it, and just plain pretty? Brody asked, watching their eyes.
 
Knowing that she had no sense of naming, Brody was prepared to take no for an answer.
 
“Potato. Poteto.” They nodded as they recited the name.
 
One of them asked.
 
“Does it mean anything?”
 
‘Ah, that makes sense. So, what should I say about this? It’s just a shortened pronunciation of ‘potato’ in English… … .’
 
As she pondered, Brody suddenly had an idea.
 
“Oh, that’s the scientific name for a potato, so it means potato. It’s easy to pronounce and pretty, isn’t it?”
 
‘Wow, maybe I’m not that bad with quick thinking.’
 
She laughed calmly and repeated her answer.
 
“Oooh! Potato! Scientific name!”
 
The women began to giggle. By the looks on their faces, they seemed to like it.
 
‘Well, since it was a world without potatoes, there would have been no scientific names or anything, but that’s the case starting today, well. I just have to make it anyway, haha.’
 
Connie summarized the situation.
 
“Great, that’s perfect; I can’t think of a better name for our village.”
 
“Great!”
 
“Okay, Potato Village, Potato!”
 
“Potato!”
 
“Potato!”
 
“Now, Chief Potato, if we delay any longer, we’ll run out of booze, so go ahead and make your toast; do it!”
 
Connie felt completely ready now and stepped up onto the stool, raising her glass halfway.
 
They watched her mouth in anticipation.
 
“Now, first of all, to the long life of the village of Poteto, cheers!”
 
“Cheers!”
 
“Cheers!”
 
The women raised their glasses coolly.Brody joined them and raised her hand.
 
“Let’s be the first granary in the North!”
 
“Oooh, let’s be rich!”
 
They were genuinely enthusiastic. They wore their growing ambition on their sleeves. You could feel the hope leaping noisily through the crowd.
 
It filled Brody’s heart with a quiet joy.
 
The flickering yellow candles, the scarlet fruit wine, and the flush that circled each cheek. A musical murmur.
 
It was all so dreamy.
 
She hadn’t expected this; she hadn’t thought it would happen.
 
It was just something she did to keep from dying in that moment.
 
It seemed like the effort of overcoming the pressure and sharp eyes at that time and feeling anxious every day was worth it.
 
‘I guess hard work pays off in more ways than one.’
 
She gulped down her fruit wine, trying to blame the alcohol for the way her nose was twitching.
 
A merry chorus of oohs and aahs erupted around her.
 
“K…….”
 
Brody scrunched up the bridge of her nose, feeling more alive than she’d ever felt in her life.
 
They refilled her empty glass.
 
Connie laughed deeply at the sight of her. She opened her mouth to recite a second toast, this time in a calmer voice.
 
“Now, for the second one.”
 
As her voice trailed off, there was an eerie silence as the room fell silent.
 
Connie’s echoes began to fill the empty air.
 
“Second, let’s hear it for our lady.”