Chapter Five: A New Morning. A Hungry Morning
So, it’s 5:30 in the morning right now. The surroundings are already bright, but there’s still a faint mist lingering, giving it that quintessential "early morning!" atmosphere. You might be wondering why I’m awake at this time, right? Well, I truly am awake.
To be honest, I didn’t sleep very well, but once sunrise came I decided to go for it and try catching some morning milk trout. Well, at least that was the plan…
“I’m so sorry! Please accept my gratitude!”
“Oh, no, it wasn’t that big of a deal, so don’t worry… Um, excuse me. It’s a bit awkward for me, so could you please lift your head?”
When I got off Campy with my fishing rod, Mr. Oni was already awake and he bowed deeply, almost like a prostration. Please, no need for such formalities! I didn’t do anything that great!
On the contrary, thanks to his eating, I look forward to enjoying some fishing today too! So please lift your faceeeee!
Upon my desperate plea, Mr. Oni finally lifts his body, and yes, indeed, compared to yesterday, there is much more vitality in his face. Yup. Nutrition and rest are important for outdoor activities!
…the only thing that concerns me is that thing he’s holding in his hand… is it bark?
“Um… what’s that wooden wrapped thing…?”
“Ah, this. It’s big leaper meat. I happened to come across it so I hunted it down. I thought it could be my token of gratitude for a meal and a place to sleep…”
Mr. Oni held something wrapped in a paper-thin sheet of wood. As I tilted my head in puzzlement, he slowly unravels the wood before me. Inside was a pale pink… meat?
“Big… what?”
“Big leaper. You know, those huge rabbits, though you probably haven’t seen them? The meat’s tender and tasty… I thought it would make a good gesture of gratitude…”
To my perplexed expression at the unfamiliar word, Mr. Oni further explains.
Oh! It’s rabbit meat! I’ve wanted to try rabbit meat at least once!
…But, can I accept this…?
It was not that I wanted to be thanked by him; I just couldn’t ignore someone in need… Yet, getting such apparently delicious meat as a thank-you gift feels a bit too much.
“Hmm… is something the matter? You seem lost in thought… did you not like the big leaper meat?”
“Ah, no! It’s not that, I just wasn’t thinking about any gratitude from you so… Um, really, don’t worry about it.”
“No, I have to. You lent me valuable food and even a place to sleep. While I don’t think this is enough to repay saving my life, won’t you accept it?”
“Uh… okay, then I’ll accept…”
Half persuaded by Mr. Oni’s earnest expression and half feeling like it would turn into a pointless argument if I resisted any longer, I accepted the meat. The contrast between the clean pink-colored flesh, devoid of any signs of being gamey, and the thin layer of fat on it made it look undeniably delicious.
Well… I have food and bedding already! If anything, I feel like I am inconveniencing him…
“Come to think of it, how did you end up like that?”
“Well… it’s a shameful story I’m reluctant to reveal…”
As I place the meat in the tackle box so that it does not get warm from my body heat, I casually ask something that has been bothering me. Since it seems like a long story, we both sat on suitably sized rocks. It’s exhausting to stand still, right?
According to Mr. Oni, while he was bathing, small monsters called ferretta playfully snatched his bag containing food and scattered contents around…
He managed to recover the camping equipment covered in mud but the food was ravaged and ruined. In desperate hunger, he unsuccessfully tried picking fruit from a tree at the water’s edge, fell into the river below, and then was carried by the stream.
Also, the camping equipment he had recovered ended up getting washed away while he drifted in the river. The only things left were his ID and travel funds which he had securely tucked inside his undergarments and the light armor and weapon he had equipped…
You are so unlucky, Mr. Oni.
“Wait… Do ferretta such a dangerous monster?”
“No. They look cute, aren’t very strong in attacks, and are basically docile… But they’re extremely curious, act in groups, are nimble, and quite clever. They tend to snatch unfamiliar items and run off…”
“Ohh…! So you just run into their mischievousness?”
“It’s no joke for the victim though…”
Mr. Oni heaved a deeeeeeep sigh, with an expression like he’d just swallowed a bitter bug. Well, almost dying as a prank does warrant that I suppose…
Hmm? Eh? Then…
“…Does that mean you are now without food or camping equipment and left with just the clothes you wearing?”
“Well, that’s how it is…”
Mr. Oni’s shoulders slump. Ah! Sorry! I didn’t mean to poke at it! I just got a little curious…
“I thought you’d ask me about this first…”
“Eh? Ah! That! Personally, there’s been so much going on so I haven’t paid much attention!”
“…How do I put it… I’m relieved not to be needlessly feared, but I think a little wariness wouldn’t hurt, you know…?”
Perhaps still not fully recovered from the shock, Mr. Oni, still slumped, glances up at me with upturned eyes and points his finger toward the horns protruding from his forehead.
…
…Ah!!! That’s right! Mr. Oni isn’t human! But honestly, with everything that’s happened since yesterday, something like horns doesn’t faze me much anymore, or rather, how to say it… It’s not that I’m not surprised, but compared to Campy and Survival it’s a weaker shock, kind of…? Something like that…
“…Well, whatever. I’m Ville, a dragul. Draguls are… let’s see… you could think of us as a kind of demi-human race similar to elves or dwarves.”
“Mr. dragul Ville! I’m Rin! A human!”
Oh! Mr. Oni’s name is revealed. Mr. Ville, is it? Somehow, it suits him. Draguls, elves, dwarves… it’s really becoming a fantastical world…
And I deliberately didn’t give a family name.
See, in medieval-esque fantasy settings, "surnames" feel like something only nobles, powerful merchants, and other prestigious folk have… I mean, even though I’m a bit of an ignorant girl—albeit with some backbone!—having a surname will be suspicious, invite more questions, and I want to avoid complications…
Smiling, I offer my hand for a handshake, but Mr. Ville sighs, looking somewhat troubled.
“…As I mentioned earlier, shouldn’t you be a bit more cautious?”
“Hmm… Just amateur thoughts, but if you were a bad person, I don’t think you’d have brought thank-you meat, explained your circumstances, told me your name, right? ”
“…Is that so?”
“If you wanted to steal, you could have taken my belongings and fled before I woke up. And in a secluded place like this, if you planned something like abduction, you could attack without me noticing, and there wouldn’t be any evidence left…”
That right. Even if he told me to be cautious, someone who brought me a thank-you gift, explained his circumstances and took his time to do all that wouldn’t suddenly try harming me…
If he had such intentions, I feel like he would have done something already…
But, considering that in this lakeside area of Rhielle Lake, where as far as the eye can see there’s no one around, even if Mr. Ville were to commit a crime—sorry for my vivid imagination—finding the perpetrator would be as difficult as looking for a needle in a haystack. What’s more, no one would even find the body in such a deserted place, so there won’t be a crime scene either.
As for gaining my trust to steal something from me… it would be more cost-effective to part ways with me, who currently has nothing, and find another target instead of wasting his time.
And most importantly…
“Besides… You don’t seem like a bad person to me, Mr. Ville…”
“W-Well… I swear to heaven I have no intention of harming my benefactor…”
In the end, the biggest reason is that, right now, Brother Ville in front of me, with a complex expression and a slight frown, somehow doesn’t seem like a bad person. It’s not like I have such great insight into people, but he seems better than the folks at the saint summoning place, yup!
There might be an option to not trust him, but given my current situation, I can’t afford to do something like that right now.
“So um… I have a request if you wouldn’t mind hearing me out, Mr. Ville.”
“A request? If it’s something I can help with, I’d be glad to cooperate…”
“Well… the fact that you can travel alone suggests that you’re quite strong, right?”
“Hmm? Ah, yes, though I made a blunder here, I’m still a decent adventurer.”
I correct my posture on the rock and gaze directly at Mr. Ville’s face once again. Perhaps sensing the change in the atmosphere, his eyes look back at me with more intensity. I thought it might be a good opportunity. I will go with Mr. Oni to the nearby village or town, and along the way, I can provide food and lodging and in return, he will guard me and share information about his world. It could be a win-win situation!
“You are an adventurer! So there really are people like that!”
“Ah, yes. Most towns and villages of a certain scale have a guild or branch… What’s wrong?”
“Nothing… It’s just due to some circumstances I didn’t have an opportunity to see one…”
Oh! So, there really is something like an "Adventurers’ Guild"! It’s like a world straight out of a fantasy TRPG.
To capture the attention of Mr. Oni, who wore a skeptical expression, I continued to weave my words.
“Well, you see… um… I don’t mind providing food and lodging until we reach your destination, so could you share with me the details about the town and other things?”
“Huh…? Oh, no… From my perspective, it’s a desirable offer, but will you be okay? You don’t seem to have much luggage…”
“Oh. I have, how should I say, um… various skills like being able to identify edible things, so I can procure things locally.”
“Really!? For a big eater like me, those skills are enviable!”
I’m not lying. Survival tells me whether something is edible or not, and among the "various skills" there is even Campy…
For a brief moment, Mr. Oni forgot to blink, but then he burst into hearty laughter.
You’re right! Survival is so useful! Though completely useless for combat.
When I went out for a walk before bed, suddenly a bright red alert popped up. It turned out that the grass at my feet was a poisonous plant with sharp, thick thorns. So, Survival even gives me an automatic warning about things that I do not notice.
…Campy is amazing but Survival is also great! Since there’s no warning alert, it should be safe to trust Mr. Ville, I think.
But, well, the thing is… If I’m allowed to accompany him, I don’t think I can keep quiet about Campy, so I plan to bring it up when the time is right. Until then, I’m thinking of trying to manage somehow…
“So, that’s the situation. If it’s not too much trouble, I would be grateful if I could accompany you. I have some circumstances, and my knowledge in this area is quite limited…”
“No problem. If it won’t inconvenience you I’d consider it a blessing. Counting on you!”
A smiling face and a firm, hearty handshake are universally recognized signs of camaraderie, aren’t they!? Anyway, despite the refreshing and lively scene of our newly formed alliance, Mr. Oni… Mr. Ville’s stomach managed to disrupt it. So, let’s settle his hunger and chat in detail!
Fun fact from the translator
Rin actually called Ville "鬼ぃさん" (Onii-san), which basically means Mr. Oni, but can be read as "brother" (for which "ぃ" is purposely added between "鬼" and "さん").
Love him
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