This chapter is equivalent to chapters 18-32 of the web version.
Volume One, Chapter Two
“Oh… oooh… oooohhh…”
“Are you alright, Rin? Your mouth is hanging open…”
“Bwuh! B-but, this is…!”
After driving for about thirty minutes using the brute force method of racing along the side of the road, we finally reached the city of Ellarge. I’m currently confronted with an incredibly high wall (literally) standing before me.
Mr. Ville’s hand touches my jaw as I stare with my mouth hanging open involuntarily. …It’s not some romantic chin-lift or anything like that. He simply pushes my jaw up with his palm to correct my gaping mouth.
I wonder what that was about? Did it look like my jaw had come unhinged? That’s how captivated I am by the scene before me—enough to make Mr. Ville worry about me like that.
At the entrance to the city connecting to the Large Highway, a massive arched gate made of brick towers above, with people who appear to be guards stationed on either side… It’s a scene straight out of a fortress town that I’ve only seen in games and manga. Around the gate—which probably doubled as a checkpoint—stand tall buildings forming a kind of barrier around the city, adding to its “fortress town” feel.
And more than anything, what overwhelms me is the sheer size. The structure towered over twenty meters tall, thick enough to serve as a defensive wall in a crisis, and wide enough for two carriages to pass side by side—its massive presence pressing down with an odd sense of weight.
It’s like everything before my eyes is a massive wall… It must be the work of this extraordinary feeling.
“…Hey! Rin! Let’s go!”
“Huhh?! Um, okay, but go where?”
“To the place we’re using as our base. It’s not far from here.”
“No, I don’t mind going, but what about entry procedures?”
“We just finished that… Come on, we’re in the way, let’s go.”
Mr. Ville’s voice cuts through my thoughts as I stare at the structure before me, endlessly thinking things like "Man, that’s huge" and "I wonder how long and how much it cost to build?"—meaningless things, in a way.
When I look up, Mr. Ville, who somehow already passed through the gate, jerks his raised thumb toward the bustling city with a puzzled expression. Ehhhh… I don’t mind going, but in these kinds of situations, aren’t you supposed to show identification, or if you don’t have ID, pay money to get a temporary ID issued, or at the very least get a status check at the gate to make one…?
Seeing me tilt my head in confusion, Mr. Ville’s brow suddenly furrows tightly. Though rather than angry or confused, he looks more rushed, worried, or apologetic—is it just my imagination that various emotions seem mixed together? With that indescribable expression, he walks back to me with somewhat long strides, grabs my wrist, and starts walking toward the city.
“I’ll show you around the city properly later, but for now, let’s go see the others. If I let you walk around alone right now, it doesn’t seem like you’d ever reach the place.”
“Ah, yes. Sorry for the trouble.”
“It’s not trouble. I just thought you might be tired since you were spacing out so much.”
“Ahh. Everything is so new and fascinating, I got a bit carried away…”
Yup. I feel bad for making him worry about me. I’m just distracted by everything being so novel, sorry about that!
As he leads me by the hand, there are waterways and canals branching off in multiple directions, flowing toward the harbor, a number of piers proportional to the waterways, and warehouses made of firmly baked brick lining them… It’s overflowing with exotic atmosphere. Plus, most of the people passing by look like elves or dwarves, some with animal ears and tails, or scales, making me secretly squeal with excitement at seeing species (?) I have never seen before. Even the clothes they’re wearing are all new and exciting to me, and though it might be rude to say this, they’re so interesting to look at!
But yup, that’s why I’m acting like a total country bumpkin right now—so Mr. Ville’s way of handling me is definitely the right one. It’s really embarrassing, but even if he lets go of my hand, I can only see a future where I get distracted by my surroundings and get lost!
“Well then. This is the house we’re renting… You could call it our base.”
“Whoa! It’s pretty big!”
“Apparently, it used to be a wealthy man’s villa, but the owner died under mysterious circumstances, so we could rent it cheaply. There’s even a courtyard where you can use your skill, Rin.”
After turning several corners and making our way through various intriguing buildings and crowds… as we continue walking, Mr. Ville suddenly stops. We’re not at the city center but not quite at the edge either… We’re in front of an elegant building facing a street with moderate foot traffic.
I see… this must be the place where the adventurers gather!
…Wait, the owner died mysteriously… doesn’t that make it a haunted property? Ah, but they have a priest, so the purification and all that is probably perfect, yup.
When I step inside the building, I hear lively voices coming from somewhere in the back.
…Right, of course. The residents—the party members who’ll be taking care of me—must be inside…
“Ah… they’re not the antisocial type, so don’t be so tense.”
“Um, right… okay…”
Perhaps noticing the tension in my shoulders, Mr. Ville, who chuckles softly, tightens his grip on my hand.
Well… I’m not particularly shy myself, but thinking about meeting people for the first time does make me a bit nervous. Mr. Ville, still not letting go of my hand, leads me through a door to what appears to be a living room.
Inside is a large table with one woman and two men already seated.
“Hey. I’m back!”
“Mm?”
“…Ehhhh…?”
“Oh? You’re back rather early.”
The residents respond in three different ways to Mr. Ville, who calls out while still holding my hand.
…Ah. Could these be the party members he told me about…?
Three people are seated at the table lined with mugs of what appears to be alcohol and snacks.
Sitting against the far wall is a red-haired, energetic-cute type handsome guy, and across from him is a golden-haired elf-eared orthodox handsome guy. Next to the red-haired man sits a beautiful woman with an incredibly voluptuous chest.
Uwahhhh! My eyes!! My eyessss!!!
This is violence! Visual violence! I can’t stand being in a space full of these handsome men and a beautiful woman with my plain, below-average appearance! It makes me want to apologize for not fitting in!
And yet, the residents’ curiosity-filled gazes are piercing right through me… Stop…!
Don’t look at me! Don’t look, I’m getting nervous!
“What the hell, you’re back way earlier than scheduled! I was planning to flirt with Aria a bit more!”
“My bad. I ended up having all sorts of unexpected incidents like getting swept down a river and racing in the Camping Car.”
The first to speak is the young man with sunset-colored hair. His face is well-proportioned overall, but because his expression changes so readily, he looks somewhat young. Combined with his fiery red hair, he has quite a lively atmosphere.
While clinging to the beautiful woman next to him, he pouted his lips and complained to Mr. Ville.
Mr. Ville, seemingly not paying any attention to the man’s rather childish protest, pulls over a chair from a nearby seat to create a "birthday seat" for me, then sits in the remaining seat of the four-person table.
I feel like he’s telling me with his eyes to "just sit down," so I’ll obediently take a seat here.
I get to sit next to the pretty lady, ehehehehe…!
I feel out of place surrounded by such good-looking people, but getting to watch a handsome guy hugging a gorgeous woman up close is honestly delightful.
A feast for the eyes, a true feast for the eyes…
“…What about… souvenirs…?”
“Sorry, I dropped them! But I have something else instead.”
The beautiful lady who asked that question makes no move to shake off the redhead clinging to her.
…How should I put this? I knew phrases like "pale as porcelain" or "white as snow," but the beautiful woman before me is exactly like that! With her platinum blonde hair that looks almost white, her porcelain skin, and ice-like pale blue eyes… despite being composed of such pale-colored features, she doesn’t give off a cold atmosphere, probably because her facial features retain a certain loveliness. The loose, relaxed half-up hairstyle suits her incredibly well.
“We’ve accepted one request for tomorrow. You just got back, but will you be joining us?”
“Perfect timing. I’ll join.”
The last to speak is the elf man. With his slanted eyes, straight nose bridge, and thin lips forming classically well-proportioned features, plus honey-colored long hair and blue eyes—he possesses an almost artificial beauty as if he stepped out of a story.
Eh… could this incredibly beautiful person be that appearance-fraud elf who holds grilled meat in both hands and chomps away!?
That’s appearance fraud at its finest!? Ehhh!?
…Even so, though it’s not directed at me, watching a terrifyingly beautiful person talk while smiling pleasantly—it’s bad for my heart!
…Well, Mr. Ville, who receives the elf’s smile head-on and seems completely fine, is also a handsome guy, albeit a rough-looking one…
Somehow… I feel like I should apologize for being here…
Mr. Ville’s tone is quite casual too, so these must be companions he can be himself around… And I wonder if it’s really okay for me to be included in this…
No, I’ll work hard to be accepted, though!
…Anyway.
Once the initial greetings are over, everyone’s gazes pierce me without reservation.
“So then, what is your relationship with this young lady whom you’re treating so well as to lend her equipment?”
The moment I think the conversation has paused, the elf man’s smile turns toward me.
Gyah! What’s this? It’s scary! Even the stray shots while he was talking to Mr. Ville were bad for my heart, but having it actually directed at me is even scarier! He’s too beautiful, it’s scary!
Uh… to escape reality for a second, let me admit—I’m still borrowing Mr. Ville’s cloak.
According to Mr. Ville, "Your outfit would stand out quite a bit, Rin."…
…Does it really stand out that much?
It’s typical outdoor attire with a roll-up long-sleeve shirt and thick shorts. Plus, long-sleeved innerwear and leggings made from cooling fabric, it’s a pretty standard outdoor outfit.
Sure, the khaki and black color scheme is plain, but since I mostly fish and only camp on the side, I prefer to avoid flashy colors, okay?
Besides, since I’m solo, there’s no one to show off to…
…Well, outside, most women wear ankle-length dress-like outfits, so yup, maybe I do stand out.
Thanks to the borrowed cloak being long, my outfit is completely hidden, though the high-cut sneakers are visible.
While my thoughts start spinning round and round, Mr. Ville stares intently at the three of them.
“This is what you’ve all been wanting—someone who can cook and carry luggage.”
In that instant—
There’s a loud clatter! and everyone except Mr. Ville and me jumps up from their chairs.
“…R-Really, Ville…?”
“I actually tasted it, and it was delicious. That’s why I desperately recruited and brought her here.”
“…I can’t believe someone actually came…”
When Mr. Ville responds to the red-haired man’s trembling voice as he peers over from his half-standing position, the elf squeezes out his voice like a groan.
Suddenly feeling my hands go cold, I realized the bombshell beauty had turned to fully face me at some point and was tightly gripping my hands.
Fhyoh! The beautiful woman’s hand is so soft! But so cold! …C-Could she have poor circulation…?
“…Can you… cook…?”
The illustration’s description: Aria is holding Rin’s hands.
“Y-Yes, well, to a certain extent…”
“Can you grill meat? What about fish?”
“Both are fine. And I can cook them in ways other than grilling.”
The beauty’s voice as she tilts her head is cool and sweet, like the rolling of a bell.
Being stared at by this beautiful woman with eyes framed by lashes so rich they seem like they’d make a fluttering sound when she blinks—I wonder why I feel embarrassed even though we’re the same sex… There’s seriousness and a sense of desperation in the way she looks at me; it’s not just my imagination, right…?
“Ah! If you still have room in your stomachs, shall I make something with meat? It’ll probably turn out more like a snack, though.”
Instantly, eight eyes lock onto me. Different colors, but all burning bright with the fire of hunger and expectation.
…Ohhh… that much, huh… That much, is it…
“Rin… are you sure about this?”
“Yes. It would be painful for both sides if, after being accepted as the cook, it turns out our taste preferences don’t match… Isn’t it best to have them actually eat my cooking?”
“That’s true, but… aren’t you tired?”
“I’m fine! I’ll be using my skill, so could you show me to the courtyard?”
“…Hmm. If you’re good with it, Rin, it’s more than I could ask for. Please.”
It’s not exactly a practical test… but wouldn’t it be tragic if, after things become "let’s work together from now on," it turns out "I prefer lighter flavors" or "I don’t like the taste of the cooking"?
In that case, having them actually eat my food as part of an entrance test is the quickest way.
The somewhat worrywart party leader ultimately gives in at the end.
The courtyard is right next to the living room. It seems this house is built in a way that surrounds the courtyard. Through the large windows facing the garden, the three of them peer at the courtyard… at me, with faces full of curiosity.
…Should I cook where everyone can see? I don’t intend to poison anything, but there might be people who worry about such things…
I manifest the Camping Car in a corner of the courtyard and take out the portable grill from inside…
When I come back outside, everyone except Mr. Ville is looking at me with eyes like they’re seeing something indescribable. As he listens to their murmurs, wrinkles gather quickly between Mr. Ville’s brows.
Eh? Huh? Did I do something wrong!?
As I feel anxiety churning in my chest, Mr. Ville, who was calming down the flustered trio, walks toward me. The expression on his face is something indescribable—confusion and shock mixed together and divided by a wry smile.
“…Ah, um, Rin… from an outsider’s perspective, that looked kinda weird…”
“Eh? R-Really?”
“Apparently, if someone didn’t know what was going on, it looked like you suddenly vanished into thin air and then popped out again.”
“Oops! That’s—yup, that’s definitely the kind of thing that causes a commotion!”
Perhaps unsure how to broach the subject, he scratches his head roughly while squeezing out those words, and I suddenly realize what happened.
A line from the Camping Car’s manual comes to mind. “The vehicle is equipped with a barrier function that prevents anyone not approved by the caster from boarding. Additionally, the vehicle has a concealment function, making it invisible to anyone other than the caster and passengers.” That part.
Mr. Ville, who’s registered as a passenger, can see the Camping Car, so he wouldn’t feel anything off—but to everyone else, yup, that must’ve looked totally bizarre!
I mean, I literally disappeared into thin air and reappeared from nowhere!
“I explained to them that it looks that way due to your skill, and they seemed to accept it.”
“I’m so sorry for the trouble. I’ll think more carefully about where to deploy it from now on.”
“Well, don’t worry about it too much. Just learn from it for next time.”
“Thank you very much.”
Mr. Ville’s palm lightly pats my back as I bow my head, as if to comfort me.
…Yup. There’s nothing I can do about what I messed up! Let’s move on!
That being said, the first thing I need to accomplish is the joining test—well, basically, making food… But what should I do about the fire for grilling the meat?
I don’t know how to get fuel for the fire in someone else’s house that I’m unfamiliar with. Since I’ve already caused trouble, let’s not hold it all in alone and consult with those around me.
“Um, Mr. Ville. Do you happen to have any firewood or something I can use for fuel?”
“If it’s just firewood, there should be some lying around the kitchen. I’ll bring it over.”
“Thank you again! That really helps!”
Mr. Ville blinked his strawberry-colored eyes at my question, then flashed me a grin and disappeared for a moment—only to return carrying a bundle of firewood.
…Alright, now I’ve secured the heat source!
While thanking Mr. Ville, I take the firewood, select thinner pieces, and stack them carefully in the portable grill so air can flow through.
Next, I use rolled-up tissue as a fire starter substitute to transfer fire to the thin firewood, then use that as a base along with the extinguished charcoal remaining in the ash container to nurture the flames. Once the fire gains some momentum, I add more logs from Mr. Ville to keep the flames at a level suitable for cooking.
“By the way, what are you going to make?”
“I’m thinking of making skewers with that phantom fowl meat. It’s sweet and savory, so I think it’ll go well with alcohol.”
Maybe because the phantom fowls themself were fairly large? There’s enough thigh meat for five people to eat their fill.
On the folding mini-table I took outside the vehicle, I cut the thigh meat into bite-sized pieces, mix them in a small bowl with soy sauce, sugar, cumin and coriander seeds, and let the flavors meld a bit…
I’m so glad I have my spice box in the Camping Car…!
When the fire has stabilized, I skewer the chicken on metal barbecue skewers. One per person, so five skewers should be good, right? I place a wire rack over the now-settled fire and line up the meat on top… and when I suddenly notice, the other members who should have been drinking in the living room have gathered in the courtyard.
Dripping fat falls into the flames and pops and crackles, while a good aroma of roasting soy sauce wafts around. Soy sauce and miso are familiar seasonings for Japanese people, but being fermented foods, I hear some people who aren’t used to them find the unique flavor off-putting. If soy sauce flavor is okay, I think my cooking will be fine too. I added sugar to make it a teriyaki-style sweet and savory flavor, so I want to think there’ll be less resistance! Normally, I’d want to add grated onion to the marinade, and when eating, I’d want to add tomatoes and lettuce, but I don’t have those prepared, so I’m skipping it! Can’t be helped!
Brushing the leftover marinade on as I grill, the smoky, savory aroma grows even stronger around us.
“Mm… it smells… so good…!”
“It’s food… real food! Someone in our party is actually cooking proper food!”
“Such smooth, excellent movements! Completely different from Ed and Ville’s handiwork.”
“You’re one to talk, Xenon!”
Being stared at with sparkling eyes makes me feel incredibly, well… guilty or sorry somehow. I mean, I’m just cutting meat and grilling it, you know? And yet all this praise! Is this okay!? Is something like this really okay!?… Is what I want to say…
Despite my complicated feelings, the meat finishes grilling smoothly.
“It’s yakitori, or rather simple grilled meat, but… if you’d like, please help yourselves.”
“Thank you!”
“Thanks! I’ll take this one!”
“I’ll have some, thank you very much.”
“…Sorry about my people… I’ll have one too, thanks.”
When I put the grilled meat on a plate and hold it out, arms extend from three directions, and the meat disappears in an instant. I hear Mr. Ville’s very apologetic voice, and a hand extending from the side grabs a meat skewer and vanishes.
What remains is one skewer. That’s my portion!
I blow on it to cool it down, and just as I’m about to bite into it wholeheartedly… my hand involuntarily stops at mysterious cheers that suddenly erupt from beside me.
“So good! This is sooo delicious!”
“Wow, you made something this good so fast!”
When I turn toward the source of the cheers, I see the beautiful woman with sparkling eyes, not caring that the sauce is dirtying her mouth as she stuffs the grilled meat into her cheeks.
The red-haired man, attentively wiping the beautiful woman’s mouth, is also grinning broadly and giving me a thumbs-up.
As for that orthodox-handsome elf man… while maintaining very refined manners, he’s devouring the grilled meat at tremendous speed.
O-ohhh… they’re responding even better than I expected…
They aren’t saying much, but judging from how they can’t stop eating and the happy looks on their faces, I’m safe to assume the reaction is positive.
At least, it doesn’t seem like it didn’t suit their tastes, so I’m relieved!
“W-Well, at any rate, I should eat mine too, yup.”
Watching the meat skewers being devoured in no time by people laughing with satisfaction and happiness, I feel like some kind of pressure I’d been feeling somewhere has suddenly vanished. Relaxing my shoulders that had somehow tensed up, I bite into the grilled meat I’d been holding. Instantly, meat juices gush into my mouth.
I thought it might be tough since it was freshly caught meat, but that’s not the case at all. Thanks to the spices, there’s not even a hint of gaminess—only rich meat juices infused with the sweetness of sugar drip out the more I chew. Just as I’m thinking I ate it up more easily than expected, something like a soft, sweet fragrance brushes past my nose… and the next moment.
“…Love…”
The beautiful woman, who apparently finished her meat in the blink of an eye, is hugging me tightly.
Wh-whoaaaa…! Her chest! Her very indecent chest is touching me!
She smells good and is so soft… th… th… this is unbearable!
“…So delicious! Can’t wait to try more of your cooking…!”
“Ah, yes… I’ll do my best…”
Is there any response other than nodding when she turns such a blooming smile toward me? No, there isn’t.
The red-haired man gently pulls the beautiful woman, who’s sniffling emotionally, into his arms. When the lady separates from me, she buries her face in the man’s shoulder. And the red-haired man gently strokes her head…
…The sight of beautiful people really makes quite a picture…! Unbearable!
“…Come to think of it, I haven’t introduced them yet. Those two hugging over there are Aria and Ed, and the one casually drinking ale there is Xenon.”
“I-I’ve heard so much about you all… I’m Rin, recruited as the cook. I’ll do my very best, so please take care of me!”
“The pleasure’s ours, Rin. That grilled meat you made was truly splendid…”
“…I’m Aria… I like my meat rare… I like sweets too…”
“So you’re Rin! Nice to meet ya! I’m fine with meat, fish, vegetables, whatever!”
With a meat skewer in hand, Mr. Ville made straightforward introductions. Seeing that everyone who heard it doesn’t seem offended, these kinds of exchanges must be normal.
They say, “A self-introduction is the foundation of relationships!” So, while I attempted greetings based on that, receiving responses about food preferences must mean expectations are high…
Mr. Xenon with his unwavering smile… yet with extraordinary intensity in those blue eyes; Ms. Aria, who blushes faintly and smiles shyly; and Mr. Ed, who gives a thumbs-up with a wink that almost sounds like a drumbeat…
Does this mean… I passed the test? I’ll work hard when accompanying them on tomorrow’s request…
“Oh, right! If we’re going outside the main gate, you will need identification, Rin.”
“…Now that you mention it, yes. I was added to the party, but I haven’t taken care of any of the official stuff yet…”
Mr. Ville, having finished his meat skewer, looks up as if remembering something.
…Come to think of it, I don’t have any ID yet! If I go outside for a quest in this state, it’ll be troublesome to get back in again.
“It’s better to have the guild issue identification now. They should still be open.”
“Understood! It looks like we should hurry.”
“…Are you leaving already? Wouldn’t registering before departure tomorrow be in time…?”
“No, sooner is better. Knowing Ville, he might forget in his rush tomorrow.”
“Rather, it’s a miracle he remembered now while eating!”
Mr. Xenon called out to Ms. Aria as she gave a light tug on my borrowed cloak. Was it just me, or did his glance toward Mr. Ville seem a bit icy…? As for Mr. Ed, depending on how you hear it, he’s being pretty harsh too… or rather, does Mr. Ville have a forgetful side? It’s natural when you think about it, but it’s the first time I’m learning this!
I check on Mr. Ville, who’s been thoroughly disparaged by the men, but apparently, it doesn’t bother him at all. Laughing through his nose, he turns back to Mr. Xenon.
“What’s tomorrow’s schedule?”
“Six o’clock in front of the main gate. It’s a gathering request in a nearby forest. There won’t be particularly strong enemies, so you don’t need much equipment.”
“Got it. See you tomorrow then!”
Keeping each other informed is essential, isn’t it?
Mr. Xenon, who properly conveys the meeting time, destination, mission content, and precautions without being asked, must be quite capable… A handsome and competent guy—what’s with that? It’s unfair! Isn’t heaven giving two or three gifts too many!?
Having obtained the necessary information, Mr. Ville once again holds my hand, and we leave the base together.
…I wonder… somehow… I feel the party members’ lukewarm gazes… It’s to prevent me from getting lost! There’s no other meaning!
Street lamps dot the darkening city here and there, brilliantly illuminating the surroundings. Though foot traffic has decreased considerably compared to the bright hours, the city is still bustling.
But unfortunately, I don’t have the leisure to look around. Just trying not to fall behind Mr. Ville’s brisk pace is quite difficult. This is why people with long legs…! It’s more like jogging than walking at this point.
My usual lack of exercise is catching up with me, and Mr. Ville finally notices me starting to wheeze. With an apologetic look, he slows his pace.
“Sorry about that. Seems I was rushing too much.”
“I… it’s… okay… if we’re… in a hurry…”
“No, it was my mistake for not considering your pace. My bad.”
As I gasp for breath, barely able to talk, Mr. Ville gently pats my back.
Ahh… but this isn’t really good. Setting aside being the cook, being a luggage carrier means I’ll have to walk quite a distance with everyone, right…? Yup. I really need to build up my stamina… I should seriously exercise.
“For now, Rin, let’s go with you being an ordinary person who came from far away… alright?”
Timing it for when my breathing settles and there are no people around, Mr. Ville lowers his voice to ask how we should handle the story. That said, I can’t think of a good excuse…
“I’ll leave it to you. I don’t understand this world, so I wouldn’t be able to talk about it well…”
“Got it. Let’s say… You were left on your own and set out on a journey, hoping to use your cargo-carrying skill to make a living—and that’s when you met me.”
“It’s a bit rough backstory, but it’s far better than honestly saying ‘I was summoned from another world as a saint’!”
So we’re going with the setting Mr. Ville created: A civilian with “the ability to freely take out and put away a large box” who became a luggage carrier to make use of that skill…
There’s a high possibility of being told, "Wouldn’t that ability be better for being a merchant?" but I just came from the countryside, I’m not young anymore, I wanted to work where I have connections… I’ll try to somehow dodge with things like that. White lies, white lies.
Ah, right. Speaking of white lies…
“By the way, how did we get through the main gate today?”
“I showed my identification and got you in, saying, ‘This one here wants to become an adventurer.’ That’s why it’s bad if we don’t make an adventurer’s card soon.”
Ahh. So if I cause any problems, Mr. Ville will also get some kind of penalty—he became like a guarantor or sponsor for me. That clears up the mystery a bit. Indeed, in that case, we need to make my ID quickly, or it’ll become "You said you wanted to become an adventurer, but you still haven’t registered?”
Yup, we really need to hurry.
Since the pace has dropped to where we can talk while walking, I ask various things about the guild and registration. Instead of the common “status check” thing from manga and such, apparently, something called a truth verification is performed. It’s a kind of magic cast on both the application form and the applicant, to determine whether the written information is true or false. Even if someone else fills it out for you, it can still detect the truth accurately—pretty advanced stuff.
…Ah, I get it now. So that’s why we came up with that backstory. "Came from far away," "left on your own," and "thinking to make use of a skill suited for carrying luggage"—none of it is a lie. Far away… I came from another world, I became alone, separated from family and friends, and the Camping Car can carry luggage too! That’s actually a perfect cover—how clever!
While having such conversations, it seems we’ve arrived at our destination.
It’s too dark to make out the finer details, but judging by the lit windows high above, it’s clearly a large building. When the heavy door made of thick wooden planks swings open, a world both familiar and foreign spreads out before me.
The interior itself actually resembles a bank the most. There’s a reception counter in the back, with simple desks and writing tools in front of it. Instead of posters or ads, request sheets are posted on the walls, and instead of sofas, plain chairs and tables line the room.
If that were all, it could be dismissed as "a slightly unusual bank," but before me are adventurers of various races clad in weapons and armor. Naturally, if such characters were in a bank, it would cause a huge uproar, wondering if it’s a bank robbery.
“Good evening, Mr. Ville! Do you have business with the adventurer’s guild?”
“Ah, Sheila. I’d like to register someone new.”
“Of course! Please fill out the application form at that table!”
As I look around curiously, a voice calls out from one corner of the reception. It’s a slightly lisping, adorable voice like a child speaking earnestly. When I turn toward the voice… eh… a dog? There’s… a white doggie wearing a blue apron dress and headdress standing there… huh? C-Could it be… the dog talked!?
“She’s a kobold. First time seeing one?”
“In fiction… I’ve seen them in stories and such, but a real one is… certainly a first…”
I’m taken to the writing desk, not understanding what’s going on… Even though I tilt my head at the strange letters that I somehow can read, I manage to fill out the document.
Honestly, even though it’s an array of characters I’ve never seen before, I understand the meaning, and though I’m writing in Japanese, what’s actually written is that mysterious character string… if I think about it carefully, that should’ve been terrifying, but the shock of seeing a real kobold blows all that away!
Because! I’m looking at the doggie receptionist from the corner of my eye, and she’s so adorable! Her pure white fluffy fur, perked triangular ears, curled tail, round jet-black eyes, and nose—they’re just so cute, so cute…! Even the little patch of black fur above her eyes, resembling tiny eyebrows, adds to her charm.
“Finished filling it out? Then I’ll do the truth verification!”
“Y-Yes, please!”
“Alright! Ei!”
When I submitted the completed document to the kobold—apparently named Sheila—Ms. Sheila beckoned me over. Standing where she indicated, I was told to place my hand over the papers—likely necessary to cast the spell on the document and applicant. When I complied, Ms. Sheila’s cute face tensed up with determination as she swung her paws down with an adorable shout. Then, several grains of light drifted softly from her pink paw pads and were sucked one after another into me and the papers… and in the next moment, the document emitted a blue glow.
“Truth verification complete! There were no lies, so I’ll register you as a luggage carrier, Ms. Rin!”
“Ah, yes! Thank you very much!”
“I’m happy to help a new person after so long! Mr. Ville’s party are good people, so please do your very best!”
The illustration’s description: Smiling Sheila with papers in her hands.
It seems I’ve been safely recognized as a member of the adventurers. Through Ms. Sheila’s efficient movements, my adventurer’s ID is completed in no time. On a thin metal plate, my name, simple status—in my case, luggage carrier—and the name of the guild I registered with are written.
I shouldn’t recognize these characters, yet no matter how many times I see them, I can read them… write them… understand them. It’s an absurd experience that should probably call for a sanity check… but no, I’m skipping that one!
While handing me the adventurer’s card packed with such complicated feelings, Ms. Sheila smiles, her jet-black eyes like black candy, narrowing happily. Her wagging curled tail is also adorable…
“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to consult the guild.”
Ms. Sheila waved her hand and said those words to me. She proved to be an excellent receptionist, providing top-notch support for newcomers.
“Sheila is a veteran with 20 years of service, you know.”
“Twenty years?! ”
“Kobolds don’t change much in appearance, and many of them tend to look a bit childish due to their race.”
I-I honestly thought she was barely an adult dog at best!?
This world really is full of surprises!
What interrupts my thoughts pondering the world’s mysteries is the rumbling and growling of Mr. Ville’s stomach. When I involuntarily turn my gaze that way, Mr. Ville is pressing around his stomach area while looking around wearily.
Ahh. Come to think of it, since eating cookies as a snack, all we’ve had are those skewers earlier… Anyone would be hungry by now, not just Mr. Ville.
“Alright. Since we’re in town, let’s eat something. Rin, keep me company for a bit.”
“Huh? Eh? Wait, Mr. Ville!? No, money! I don’t have money!”
“Think of it as thanks for feeding the Gourmands earlier without saying anything. Besides, as a cook, it’s better to know the taste of food made by others, right?”
“I didn’t make anything that impressive! But thank you for your consideration.”
Perhaps having reached the limit of his endurance from the cooking smells drifting through the alleys, Mr. Ville strides forward through the night road while gripping my arm.
I thought he should go alone if he’s going… but I couldn’t shake off my grabbed arm and ended up being dragged along!
It was too conspicuous to resist any longer, so I gave up and decided to just go along with him, yes indeed!
“If you’re really concerned about money, I’ll cover it for today, and you can pay me back from your share of tomorrow’s request.”
“Ah, is that okay? Then I’ll pay my portion once I get money tomorrow!”
Mr. Ville must’ve sensed my reluctance to be treated, and knowing how empty my wallet was, he offered a kind of flexible split-the-bill arrangement.
Right! If I work hard on tomorrow’s request, I’ll get paid too, so that would be… okay, maybe?
“Just my opinion, but when it comes to eating out, the Wildcat Pavilion has the best food.”
“This place? It’s quite a large building.”
“Yeah. It’s close to being a dining hall, bar, and inn combined. People other than adventurers use it often too.”
The place we arrive at is a brick building that has clearly stood for years. You can call it old-fashioned—or more kindly, full of character.
On a sign made from a single plank, the characters for "Wildcat Pavilion" and the silhouette of what appears to be a cat are drawn entirely in black ink.
As we step inside, we are greeted by the light chime of a doorbell…
Just as Mr. Ville says, inside the shop, various people are spending their respective time—people eating peacefully, groups happily drinking together, a merchant-looking man sipping what appears to be alcohol while studying a list-like document.
“Let’s just go with the ‘chef’s recommendation’ for today… Rin, is there anything you dislike or can’t eat?”
“I’m not picky, so most things are fine.”
“That’s good. The adventurer business is such that you can’t do it unless you can eat anything.”
“…Ahh… I can kind of imagine that.”
While ordering today’s “chef’s recommendation” from a passing waiter, the conversation turns to what Mr. Ville has eaten during his past adventures.
That said, Mr. Ville’s party apparently had terrible luck with cooking—even with good ingredients, the results were usually dreadful and blasphemously grotesque.
Ugh… a pitch-black soup with something wriggling ominously in it? I don’t even want to see that! I mean, that’s not food—that’s a sanity check from sheer terror! Just imagining that inky soup rippling from the thing’s writhing made me shudder—at that perfect moment, as if reading the air, the waiter arrived with our food and drinks.
Mr. Ville has ale, and I try fruit water. I like alcohol too, but I’m still a bit nervous, so I don’t have the composure to add alcohol! Once I’m used to things, though, I’ll definitely try some local booze—no, I will!
Incidentally, the dish we ordered is the Wildcat Pavilion’s specialty called “Random Fry.” It’s apparently a dish where ingredients obtained that day randomly come out fried.
Indeed, on the large plate, there’s a mountain of various types of fries—meat, fish, and vegetables.
“It’s truly a fry of everything! But they all look delicious!”
“Adventurers who don’t have cash but have ingredients bring them in instead of money for drinks. They get to eat, the shop gets cheap supplies, and the other customers enjoy good, cheap food. Everyone wins.”
“Truly a three-way beneficial relationship. I think it’s wonderful!”
“Take and eat what you like. There’s plenty.”
“Thank you very much! I’ll take you up on that!”
Encouraged by Mr. Ville, who moistens his mouth with ale, I decide to reach out before the fries get cold. I chose something called “Curse Shrimp,” which looks like fried prawns, and a fried red turnip.
You eat these with the Wildcat Pavilion’s special sauce, juice from a lemon-like fruit, or roughly grated rock salt.
“This is my first time eating food from here! Itadakimasu!”
Having my first meal in another world be fried food—one of my favorites—feels like a good omen!
Curse Shrimp is basically just fried shrimp. When I bite into the golden-brown coating, slightly rare, plump meat bursts with shrimp juice, releasing a savory aroma.
The red turnip has natural sweetness; the outside melts while the inside stays crisp—perfectly cooked. Its thin, firm batter locks in flavor and gives a crisp, crunchy texture.
Deep-frying tends to make things oily, but the Wildcat Pavilion’s fries have thin, light batter, and thanks to the lemon’s acidity and refreshing aroma, you don’t feel the oiliness, so it seems like you could eat endlessly.
And then, you know… when you gulp down cold peach fruit water… it feels like this is what I’m living for! You forget all the worldly troubles.
The Wildcat Pavilion is also known for its “Wildcat Salad,” the chef’s daily creation, but… having both fried food and salad as their specialties feels oddly fitting.
…Wait. Using perfume that smells like milk cream or vinegar and spraying it on someone as an ingredient? That’s not a thing, right? They don’t make a fried platter from a customer who dashes out without paying or coleslaw from someone who got drunk and went wild, right? That doesn’t exist, right? …Nah, let’s just not think about it anymore. I’ll just enjoy this deep-fried “Death Fish”, sip my fruit water, and scrub those thoughts from my mind…
…Later, I found out the Wildcat Pavilion’s owner is an actual wildcat beastkin. For the record, when I shouted “What is this, Miyazawa Kenji!?” nobody got the reference.
“Oh, right—about your lodging, Rin. We’ve got plenty of empty rooms, but no bedding…”
“Ah, it’s okay! I’ll sleep in the Camping Car’s bed.”
“You can sleep inside that car! That’s convenient!”
While mindlessly attacking the mountain of fries together, we discuss immediate matters. I’d thought it was too much for two, but talking made it vanish in no time.
I’ll work hard on tomorrow’s gathering request!
◆◇◆
After that, the two of us clutched our full bellies and somehow managed to make it home. Mr. Ville headed to his room, and I tumbled into the Camping Car and slept like a log, slept and slept… until Mr. Ville woke me up, and before I knew it, we were heading to the site!
The job Mr. Xenon, Mr. Ed, and Ms. Aria took on this time is apparently a mission called a "gathering request," where you collect items that have been requested for delivery and complete the quest by turning them in to the guild. They’ll apparently buy any surplus from us too, and the difficulty varies from beginner to expert level.
Once we arrive on site, everyone’s supposed to spread out moderately and gather, so my main objective is to team up with Mr. Ville and practice the ins and outs of gathering. Right now, we’re in a forest area a little ways from Ellarge—it’s gathering practice, the return!
“Mr. Ville, Mr. Ville, will these tille mushrooms sell?”
“They’ll sell, but not for much… about five iron coins per 100g. It’s better to focus on finding the ‘ruby fungi’ we’re after; that’ll fetch us some gold when we have extra.”
“Understood! I’ll try looking for them!”
I thought it might be risky for us to spread out so much… But apparently, there aren’t many seriously dangerous monsters around here, so there’s no need to worry too much. In the first place, adventurers frequently come through these forests near Ellarge for requests, so there aren’t many strong monsters, magical creatures, or packs of beasts… Well, some do exist, but they avoid people and hide deep in the forest, so encounters are rare.
If that’s the case, why not just take monster or beast subjugation requests instead of gathering requests…? But with Mr. Ville—their main vanguard—absent, if they happened to encounter anything big, they’d be underpowered and unable to take it down.
Well, it’s always better to have a safety margin, right?
Mr. Ville suggested that while collecting the requested items, we should also gather things we can sell for extra funds, so I’m using Survival to search. Of course, since I don’t know the buying prices, I’m gathering while asking Mr. Ville, my senior adventurer, for advice. Also, just in case monsters appear like yesterday, I’m being careful not to get too far from Mr. Ville…
For reference… if you try to stay overnight without meals at a nearby tavern, one night costs about two copper coins… and you can apparently eat a light meal for five iron coins. The currency system uses iron, copper, silver, and gold coins—up to large gold coins, though those are rarely seen. The counting system is decimal, so ten iron coins make one copper coin, ten copper coins make one silver coin… and so on.
There are also debased coins below iron coins, but those aren’t officially recognized as money. Above large gold coins, there are platinum coins, but those don’t circulate much—they’re only used for really large transactions.
In other words, with the tille mushrooms I found earlier—a thick mushroom with a flat, wavy cap that spreads wide—if I gather 100g, I can eat a light meal, and if I gather 400g, I can stay one night… that’s how it works.
The "ruby fungi" Mr. Ville has recommended is a mushroom with a ruby-red cap and yellow stem. The coloring and appearance look poisonous, but it’s actually non-toxic and has a great aroma and flavor, making it a luxury mushroom. So if you get 400g of these, you can not only stay at an inn but also eat a slightly fancy meal!
From what I can see with Survival, the tille mushrooms look plenty delicious too, but apparently their plain appearance, mild taste, and aroma lose out to the ruby fungi with its impactful looks and rich flavor.
So let’s enjoy the low-profit-margin tille mushrooms ourselves!
I didn’t exactly say, “If it’s going into my own stomach, I’ll give it my all!” but afterward, I did manage to find a fallen log covered in tille mushrooms. And as a bonus, I even spotted a few ruby fungi later—lucky me!
Oh, right! "g" is a unit of weight. The unit of length is apparently "m.”
…Somehow, it’s subtly similar to Japan. Even time units, such as seconds, minutes, and hours, work normally here.
“Ah! There’s something again!”
In the corner of my vision, Survival’s blue frame sparkles.
When I use it consciously, Survival is incredibly useful for finding edible things. Just as it automatically warns me when danger is approaching, it also alerts me when something edible is nearby.
[Black Mugwort (Edible)
Often treated as a medicinal herb rather than food. Mature ones have tough fibers and strong bitterness.
Tender young leaves are edible. Sometimes used in sweets.
Also used as an ingredient in medicinal potions and ointments, among various other applications.]
Oh… ohh! Ohhhhhhh! Mugwort! Isn’t that mugwort!
Our acupuncturists’—especially moxibustion therapists’—reliable partner, mugwort plant, the raw material for moxa!
I can’t… I can’t overlook this! As a moxibustion therapist, I absolutely must secure this no matter what! I don’t expect to be able to make premium-grade moxa, but I should be able to manage something around normal to poor-quality grade moxa, right? I know the procedure thanks to making it with classmates during vocational school as part of extracurricular activities! It might not work for direct moxibustion, but it could probably be used for indirect moxibustion, warming moxibustion, or moxa heat pads!
Suddenly! My motivation! Is surging!
Since it can apparently be used in sweets too, I want to collect both young leaves and mature ones.
“Mr. Ville, Mr. Ville! Will ‘black mugwort’ sell?”
“It’s used to make antidotes and ointment, but it grows everywhere, and anyone can pick it. It’s not worth much… maybe pocket money for a kid.”
“Seriously!? I can use it without worry!”
Then it seems like I can gather black mugwort to my heart’s content!
The moment I turn on my heel to go gather it without overharvesting, a red frame jumps into the corner of my vision.
Ugh!! Again!? Again!?!?
Just as I’m about to panic, Mr. Ville, who’s nearby, gently supports my back.
…It’s okay… It’s okay! Mr. Ville is here too! It’s okay… It’s okay…!
As I grit my teeth to endure the urge to scream, I hear the sound of leaves and branches rustling from the thicket in front of me.
[Big Frog (Edible)
A gigantic frog-like magical creature. They move sluggishly and are not terribly dangerous unless provoked.
Secrete a milky white toxin from glands behind their ears and warts on their skin. Causes mild inflammation if it gets on the skin.
The meat is non-toxic when skinned, but has poor flavor and is not good for eating.]
…Uwehhh… a-a big frog… a toad-like thing about the size of a shiba inu came out!
I’m not particularly afraid of frogs and I’m fine touching them, but the fact that it’s quite large and its unreadable eyes are bulging… is a little… scary…
And you’re not even that tasty!? I’m disappointed!
I’ve heard that frogs recognize moving things as prey… and apparently, if you don’t provoke it, the danger level isn’t high, so I just stay completely still and silent on the spot.
After staring at each other in silence for a while, its large inorganic eyes move restlessly, and then the giant frog lumbers off somewhere just like when it appeared.
Cold sweat runs down my back. I know Mr. Ville is by my side, and I understand that we are dealing with a creature that isn’t particularly dangerous… but scary things are scary!
“…Whew… that frog… was huge…”
“That thing isn’t good no matter how you cook it… Considering the effort to defeat it, I don’t want to bother. As long as it doesn’t attack, I think it’s best to ignore it.”
“It’s poisonous too… By the way, yesterday’s bird was a ‘monster,’ but that frog was listed as a ‘magical creature’… is there some difference?”
“Let’s see… ordinary animals that become infused with magical power are called magical creatures, and when they start using that power to employ skill-like abilities, they become monsters.”
Mr. Ville pats my back as he explains, while I can’t help but let out a deep sigh.
It’s probably not that simple, but I guess it’s like a progression—ordinary animals → magical creatures → monsters, or something along those lines.
According to Mr. Ville’s explanation, while magical creatures may not possess skill-like abilities, they’re significantly stronger or larger compared to normal animals.
Now that I think about it, the super delicious milk trout was also labeled as a "magical creature." Ah! So that’s why the milk trout was so big too… wait, no… even in my world, there were big ones like rock trout and steelhead, I think…?
Well, I’m definitely convinced that the frog is a "magical creature" given its size!
More importantly, mugwort! Mugwort!
The raw material for moxibustion therapists’ tools exists here, and it seems like I can gather it freely—that’s just awesome!
This scores major points!
Mr. Ville watches me with a look that says "even though the profit margin is small…" as I stuff the surrounding black mugwort into my largest convenience store bag, but just wait a moment for now! I’ll explain properly later why I’m harvesting this… but for now, please let me bask in the joy of possibly being able to practice acupuncture and moxibustion…!
Ahh… I wonder if there are any acupuncture needles lying around… like in sizes 1.3, 1.6, or even 2.3… If they were stainless steel, I could even make moxibustion needles…
…Of course, they’re not just lying around! Someone, please give an acupuncturist some needles!
“Are you alright, Rin?”
“Huh? Ah, yes! I’m fine!”
“I see. You suddenly stopped moving, so I was worried.”
Mr. Ville’s concerned voice brings me back to my senses. When I look up, his palm is waving in front of my face with a worried expression.
Seeing me regain focus and movement, Mr. Ville lets out a relieved breath.
…Oops! Triggered by the discovery of mugwort, I apparently got swept up in a whirlpool of thoughts.
Looking at my watch, it’s about time I need to start preparing food. Since this is my first time cooking for a large group since coming to this world, I decided to prepare with a bit of extra time.
I pick up the bag stuffed with the mountain of black mugwort I gathered and call out to Mr. Ville, who’s been keeping watch nearby.
“Mr. Ville, I’m going to start preparing food soon.”
“Ah, is it that time already? Do you have enough ingredients?”
“Yes! I have the meat you gave me before, and I have ingredients on hand, so I’ll manage with those.”
I mustn’t forget the two types of mushrooms either, and we also need to head back to where everyone split up this morning.
Since everyone’s gathering separately today, we agreed to meet back at the morning spot at lunch time. Luckily, that spot is out of sight and spacious enough to set up the Camping Car.
Unlike around Rhielle Lake, this area is more like grassland with not many places where the soil is exposed. It can’t be helped, but today I’ll have to cook inside the Camping Car… Even with a portable grill, if there isn’t enough visible soil, stray sparks could start a fire, which would be terrible. But the weather’s so nice and the air’s so fresh, I’d like to eat outside picnic-style once it’s done.
Well, in the first place, Mr. Ville himself said I don’t need to mention that people can board the Camping Car this time… so we’ll inevitably be eating outside anyway. In that case, using plates and cutlery outdoors is tough, and something you can eat without side dishes… that’s it! I’ll make takikomi gohan—rice cooked with various ingredients!
For ingredients, I have the tille mushrooms I just gathered, and I’ll use the Almiraj meat Mr. Ville gave me yesterday too!
“To-day’s lu-unch is ta-ki-ko-mi go-ohan♪”
I inadvertently hum an improvised tune, and Mr. Ville, who boards the Camping Car still with a tense expression, looks at me with an odd look…
Oops!
“Uh… what is takikomi gohan?”
“It’s seasoned rice cooked together with other ingredients… It’s a convenient dish because you can eat the rice even without side dishes!”
“Like a pilaf, huh? Perfect for adventurers!”
Perhaps noticing how flustered I look, Mr. Ville tactfully moves the conversation along without touching on the humming. What a good person… Mr. Ville is such a good person…!
But I won’t forget that moment when you looked away from me! Absolutely not!
…No, I’ll probably forget soon… I’m forgetful enough to go to the kitchen to get soy sauce and think "Why did I come to the kitchen again?"…
“Anyway, I should start preparing the ingredients first.”
“What’s going in it?”
“I’m going to use the tille mushrooms I just gathered and the Almiraj meat you gave me yesterday.”
First, I’ll prep the mushrooms… wash away the dirt and fallen leaves on the caps carefully. They say washing mushrooms with water reduces their aroma and flavor, but isn’t it better than eating dirt?
When I lift the faucet lever and water gushes from the tap, Mr. Ville backs away with quite a startled expression.
Well, yup. It’s an unfamiliar sight, sure.
Once the dirt is off, I’ll tear them into appropriate sizes by hand with snapping sounds and drain them in a colander. I could cut them with a knife too, but I feel like the flavor soaks in better through the torn surfaces. Just a personal preference, I guess?
Thanks to keeping it in the fridge, the Almiraj meat shows no signs of losing freshness at all. Looking at the somewhat elongated piece with a nice amount of fat, I’d say it’s from around the back? I’ll cut this into bite-sized pieces and massage in a marinade of soy sauce, alcohol, and sugar for flavor.
“I think it’s easier to pre-cook the ingredients first for takikomi gohan…”
“Really? I thought it would be easier to just cook it all together…”
“If you add them raw, they’ll release moisture… so it’s easier to control the water amount if you remove the moisture first!”
I heat oil in a frying pan and stir-fry the torn tille mushrooms over high heat. The cheerful sound of sizzling oil echoes inside the car. As I continue heating it, mushroom essence begins oozing out from the thick tille mushrooms and pools at the bottom of the frying pan.
This! This mushroom essence! It’s delicious, but if you cook it raw in the rice, it’s what makes the rice watery… And I feel like the flavor doesn’t soak in either… But if you cook it like this and remove the moisture, you can cook the rice in the broth full of umami-rich mushroom essence, there’s less moisture released from the ingredients, so the rice doesn’t get watery, and the ingredients themselves absorb flavor and taste delicious—it’s a win-win-win takikomi gohan!
Once the mushrooms have softened, I toss in the marinated Almiraj meat along with all the marinade into the frying pan. Mmm, the aroma of soy sauce and sugar simmering, mixed with the slightly wilted tille mushrooms scent and the irresistible meaty umami… Bliss!
When the meat is about 80% cooked, I turn off the heat and let it cool while soaking in the broth. I could separate the ingredients and broth at this point to prevent carryover cooking, but personally I prefer letting the flavor soak in…
While it’s cooling, Mr. Ville and I secretly sample a piece each of the cooked Almiraj meat and tille mushrooms. Sneaking bites… I mean, tasting is a cook’s privilege!
“…Yum! The meat’s delicious! And the tille mushrooms are better than I expected!”
“I knew Almiraj was good, but tille mushrooms cooked like this absorb the flavor and taste good too.”
“Ahhhh… This is… I’m almost afraid to imagine how good the finished takikomi gohan will be…!”
Technically, the Almiraj meat falls under wild game, yet it has no unpleasant odor at all. I’ve heard that rabbit meat is mild and similar to chicken… but Almiraj meat is quite different from chicken. The meat is softer and chewier than chicken, and each bite brings a faint sweetness that clings to the base of my tongue. Unlike chicken, which can be dry in some parts, it has an overall moist texture.
And the tille mushrooms, said to have a weak aroma and flavor, are actually quite something… It’s absorbed the meat’s umami and its own concentrated essence, making it delicious enough that it’s pitiful how it’s treated poorly. The firm, crunchy texture that remains even after cooking is really pleasant.
…So this… this is going to be cooked together with rice… that’s terrifying—in a good way.
While my heart skips a beat at the lunch’s unexpected potential, I pour an appropriate amount of rice from the PET container into the rice cooker pot with a rushing sound and wash it vigorously. …Rice washing water is apparently good fertilizer, but I don’t have anywhere to pour it…
By the way, not measuring the rice is normal for me. In the first place, when I was living alone back home, I didn’t have a rice bin, so pouring straight from the rice bag was the default!
“I can adjust the water amount without measuring anyway, so it’s fine…”
“…Rin… who are you talking to?”
“…I just kind of felt like making a point… My apologies.”
Apparently, my inner voice leaked out unconsciously, and Mr. Ville gave me a puzzled look and called me out on it. I don’t know who I’m talking to either, but I felt like I had to say this! …I really wonder why?
…Anyway, enough overthinking—let’s hurry and make the takikomi gohan!
I put the contents of the frying pan into a colander placed over a bowl, separating the broth and ingredients. First, I add the broth to the washed rice… if there’s not enough, I add water, adjusting it so that when I put my index finger in, the water level reaches about the first joint. Since I expect a bit more moisture to come out from the ingredients, I stop just below the first joint level.
Water measurement using your body—it’s convenient to remember! You can use it for camping, and even when you have more than one cup but less than two cups of rice left, that awkward amount!
Now I just put the ingredients on top of the rice and leave it to the rice cooker! I press the switch while praying "Be delicious~☆"… and since there’s time until it cooks, I’ll make a rolled omelet with the remaining phantom fowl eggs. If I add minced wild parsley, it’ll have a nice color and bulk things up too!
“Impressive handling.”
“I guess it’s just practice, practice… Ah… but I wish I had a square frying pan…”
As I roll the beautifully yellow-and-green omelet in the pan, Mr. Ville praises me!
In essence, it is a rolled omelet, but using a round pan inevitably gives it that ordinary omelet shape. Personally, I prefer rolled ones… but even the well-equipped Camping Car didn’t have a square frying pan for such omelets.
Well, it’ll taste the same either way. So be it!
Making the omelet doesn’t take much time, and there’s still time before the rice cooks. I’ve finished washing the used utensils too… so what’s left… right… I wonder if I can find something to gather near the Camping Car.
Thinking that, I walk around the vehicle and find an unexpected treasure.
“Yup. A big haul, a really big haul!”
“Hey, Rin. What are you going to do with these leaves?”
“I’m thinking of using them as a substitute for plates.”
Right now, my hands are full of leaves called "zeeram" that look like bamboo grass leaves enlarged twice over. Geez, if you made a leaf boat out of these, it would be huge!
I gathered these leaves—which are non-toxic but unsuitable for eating—simply because I thought they’d be just right for wrapping rice balls and omelet. You know, those rice balls and pickles wrapped in something like a bamboo sheath that you often see in Japanese folktales, they just look delicious on their own, don’t they?
And then… I’m pretty sure I have a picnic sheet from the 100-yen shop. If I spread that on the ground, we’ll have a place to sit. Maybe I can also set up a little foldable aluminum table for the drinks like barley tea…
Since we’re eating outside anyway, I just wanted to be particular about the atmosphere, yup.
Besides, this zeeram can apparently be used as an ingredient for medicinal herb tea if dried, so after the meal, I’ll wash and dry them and make my own blend of herb tea—that’s my plan!
I politely declined Mr. Ville’s offer to "cast cleansing magic on the zeeram" and washed them thoroughly with water so the dirt would come off and they’d absorb more moisture. If they contain moisture, the rice balls won’t stick when wrapped, and they absorb less oil too.
As I wipe the moisture from the leaves with kitchen paper, a melody from the rice cooker chimes in, singing, "Your rice is ready☆." Is this tune "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"…? Come to think of it, there were brands of rice called "Seven Stars" and "Starry Dreams"…
Oops! I got lost in thought again!
If this were rice cooked in a pot or mess tin, I’d let it steam for a while—but with a rice cooker, that’s unnecessary! Time to fluff it up right away!
When I open the rice cooker lid, pure white steam rushes out along with the sweet aroma of cooked starch, the savory smell of heated soy sauce, and the bittersweet fragrance like sugar burning into caramel, all hitting my nose at once.
Mixed in with that is a faint mushroom aroma resembling the smell of wood…
“…This looks delicious…”
“Just the smell alone is already irresistible…”
Being careful not to mash it, I fluff the rice by cutting through it lightly with the rice paddle. If you let the excess moisture escape here, the rice won’t get sticky and will taste good even when cold!
When I flip up the bottom, there’s nicely colored crispy rice too—amazing!
I lay a sheet of food wrap in the large bowl I found in the Camping Car’s cupboard, and begin to heap a generous portion of piping hot, freshly cooked takikomi gohan into it. All that’s left is to shape it into rice balls… but… it looks really hot… But I have to do it!
“Ouch! Hot! So hot!”
“A-Are you alright, Rin? Should I help with something?”
“No, it’s hot but… I have to do it while it’s hot!”
Eek! Hot! I expected it, but it’s incredibly hot! While bouncing the rice in my hands, I’m desperately forming rice balls! The rice is hot, but the steam leaking through the gaps when I grip it is also scalding hot! Mr. Ville watches me with a worried expression as I form rice balls while gasping, but I can’t really let him help with this. I think it would be bad to burn the palms of someone in a vanguard position.
Besides, I’m sorry for the huge prejudice, but if I let Mr. Ville form rice balls, he’d probably compress them with full force… What I want to make are rice balls, not rice cakes…
While occasionally cooling my hands with water, I somehow manage to form two regular-sized balls and four sets of two large ones. Even so, there’s a tiny bit of takikomi gohan left over…
“Mr. Ville, Mr. Ville. Let’s split it!”
“…It’s quite black…”
“That’s the crunchy crust part! This is what’s delicious!”
Freshly made crispy takikomi gohan rice is delicious. It absorbed moisture and softened as it cooled, but I think that’s tasty too. When I toss the still-warm crust in my mouth, the chewy texture hits my teeth. The crust is slightly bitter because it’s technically "burnt", but even more so, the rice tastes sweeter! Maybe it’s the contrast effect?
When I glance at Mr. Ville, he seems to be captivated too, and the moment our eyes meet, he nods vigorously.
“This is different from a pilaf.”
“Pilaf has the rice fried before cooking, so it’s fluffy.”
“This one, on the other hand, is moist and has just the right amount of oiliness. It feels really filling.”
“I didn’t fry the rice itself, but I did pre-cook the other ingredients in oil. With the meat mixed in too, it should be quite satisfying.”
Once the rice balls I made cool down a bit, I arrange them on the zeeram leaves I gathered earlier. I shaped them quite large, but the leaves are big enough that they don’t stick out. Wonderful!
I cut off the edges of the omelet with wild parsley and roughly divided it into four equal parts. Since it’s omelet-shaped, there were thick and thin parts, so I cut them at different widths to make them roughly the same size by eye.
The edges are for me, of course. The edges of dishes like omelet and pound cake are delicious! Mr. Ville looks at me with eyes that say "That looks delicious too…" but there are no leftovers of this, so no sneaking bites! Too bad!
I nestle the omelet quarters beside the rice ball sets and fold the zeeram leaves over them into tidy packets. If one leaf isn’t enough to cover, I layer another leaf on top.
Finally, I take out barley tea from the fridge, and set out some cups…
“We’re back… hungry.”
“Man, we got a lot! We harvested more than the delivery quota!”
“I’m glad you two had no incidents as well.”
Just as most of the setup was finished, Ms. Aria, Mr. Ed, and Mr. Xenon returned. Everyone’s carrying large bags, but their clothes and bodies don’t look dirty.
Apparently, if you have magical power, you can use basic life magic, so maybe everyone used cleaning magic before coming back?
But well… in any case, first I’ll greet them with a smile!
“Welcome back! Food’s ready!”
When I hold up the barley tea pot, the three of them immediately quicken their pace. Ms. Aria’s movement is closer to the expression "rushing over.”
“Amazing! Looks delicious! I’m so hungry!”
“Having food ready when you get back is really great!”
“Yes. It’s truly appreciated. Rin, thank you.”
Perhaps noticing the food on the table, everyone’s smiles deepen. Not only that, my right hand is held by Ms. Aria and my left by Mr. Ed, and together they lift me up with a cheerful “Yay!”
Mr. Ville and Mr. Xenon watch our hand-in-hand “curtain-call” celebration of lunch with amused yet faintly exasperated smiles.
Gnnngh… but I’m glad they’re so happy!
Well then, since everyone’s gathered—let’s eat!
Unfortunately, the picnic sheet couldn’t fit everyone, but apparently, they has little resistance to sitting on the ground, and with "It’s fine as is (according to Mr. Ed)," everyone sits under cool-looking trees and such for lunch.
I wonder if we don’t need to keep watch… but Ms. Aria just said, "It’s okay—I’ve set up a net around us. More importantly, the food is what matters!”
Trusting those words, once I distribute the wrapped rice balls and cups of barley tea, my job is pretty much done.
Now, everyone, please help yourselves!
I’ll eat without holding back too!
“Mmm… Delicious! Rin, this is delicious!”
“Ahh… it hits the spot… right in my empty stomach…”
“I’m glad to hear that. If it’s not enough, please tell me and I’ll make a bit more next time.”
The illustration’s description: Ed and Aria are eating the rice balls.
The first voices come from Ms. Aria and Mr. Ed, who are sitting and eating side by side. As soon as they bite into the rice balls, their eyes sparkle.
Carbohydrates do hit differently when you’re hungry, right? I get it.
Ms. Aria devours the first one at a pace that seems to have sound effects, then puts the omelet in her mouth and writhes in delight again. Mr. Ed takes care of her attentively—and so very happily—at a slower pace, offering her tea and picking rice grains from the corner of her mouth. They’re flirting so much it’s strange I don’t feel like saying "happy couples should explode," but since their atmosphere says "We’re happy!" I guess it’s fine.
“It’s an unusual pilaf. I thought it would be more fluffy.”
“I didn’t fry the rice itself, and the rice variety itself might be different.”
Mr. Xenon is examining the rice ball from every angle after taking a bite.
From what Mr. Ville said earlier and what Mr. Xenon is saying now, rice probably circulates in this world too. And I think it’s indica rice. After all, in my world, that variety accounted for 80% of global rice production. I think it might be the same in this world.
Since it has little stickiness and a fluffy texture, and is often used in dishes with strong spices like pilaf or paella, I bet it’s used for pilaf and such in this world too.
I think simple fluffy pilaf eaten with stew or braises full of spices would be delicious. Curry would be good too, but I wonder if there’s a so-called Japanese-style "curry" in this world…
By the way, the rice in the Camping Car’s fridge is japonica rice, so it’s sticky and chewy. If I can get indica rice too, I’ll make pilaf. I think biryani-style pilaf with lots of spices would be delicious.
Seeing everyone enjoying their meals in their own way, I feel a bit relieved. I guess I somehow fulfilled my role as cook.
Well then, I should eat too.
I slowly unwrap my zeeram package. The string tying the package is made from thinly torn zeeram leaves. The leaves themselves were thick and sturdy, and the leaf veins ran parallel, making them easy to tear.
…Parallel veins mean it’s a monocot—fibrous roots, and a scattered vascular bundle pattern!
And its counterpart is net venation—dicots with taproots and lateral roots, and ring-shaped vascular bundles! I still remember all that!
But I digress.
…That said, even though I made it myself and wrapped it myself, opening a lunch package still makes your heart flutter! When I peel back the green leaves, I see brown rice balls and the yellow omelet… it looks even more delicious with the atmosphere!
“Yeah. Inviting you was the right choice, Rin!”
“I’m glad I could meet your expectations.”
While I’m getting excited by myself, Mr. Ville, who’s already finished his first rice ball, smiles broadly at me while holding his second rice ball.
…And judging by the way he’s eyeing my omelet, he clearly wants it—but nope! This one’s mine! Not sharing!
But well, I’m glad everyone seems pleased.
While savoring the sense of accomplishment, I bite into the rice ball in my hands that’s still faintly warm. The plump, chewy rice grains come apart and spread in my mouth, and at the same time, a moderately sweet-salty flavor spreads as well.
The slightly large-cut Almiraj meat is still tender even after cooking, bouncing back against my teeth with a chewy, moderate elasticity. The flavor has thoroughly soaked in, and the more I chew, the more umami oozes out.
In contrast, the tille mushrooms—perhaps because they were slowly cooked—retain their firm texture while having gained a softly clingy elasticity. Of course, the addictive mushroom essence is still there, making it difficult to stop the loop of biting, chewing, and swallowing.
I nearly choke from eating too eagerly and wash it down with barley tea, but even the sensation of the pressure in my throat smoothly dropping to my stomach is unbearably delicious.
I pick at the omelet with wild parsley as a palate cleanser, and the wild parsley’s fragrance and refreshing texture neutralize the rich egg flavor that could almost become heavy, elevating the taste to the point where I even feel elegance.
“…I think I made this pretty well, if I do say so?”
“I have absolutely no complaints about the taste. The only regret is that there could have been a bit more.”
“Eh!? Really? Hmm, seems like you’re serious…”
When I finish my barley tea and look up, not just Mr. Ville but Ms. Aria, Mr. Ed… even Mr. Xenon have already finished eating.
Moreover, everyone kind of has faces that say "I want to eat more"…
I thought I cooked quite a bit of rice, but it wasn’t enough…!
Fortunately, the rice cooker can make up to two shō—approximately 3.6 liters—so next time I’ll cook a bigger batch. Or maybe add a soup and a side dish for variety…
…But first, what I need to do right now is distract the hungry party that keeps glancing at my remaining rice ball.
They won’t PK me and eat my corpse if they fail a willpower check, but self-defense is important!
“…So, who wants to have some baked cookies for dessert? Raise your hand!”
“Sweets!”
“That thing from before!? There’s no reason not to eat it!”
As I casually covered my remaining rice ball with another zeeram leaf, I raised my hand too as I made the announcement.
Ms. Aria, who had introduced herself as a sweets lover, responded quickest. And Mr. Ville had already tried both the berry and spice cookies before. The rest of the men, with faces saying, "Sweet treats!" raised their hands a bit belatedly.
…Good, good. I successfully distracted them.
As Mr. Ville enthusiastically praises the baked cookies, the other three listen attentively. Meanwhile, I stealthily hide the zeeram-wrapped rice ball under my clothes.
Whew… I’m glad I made spice cookies again…
Truly, the power of sweets was great. Ms. Aria hugged me tight with a joyful “I love it!”, and though my face ended up buried in her scandalously soft chest, I have no regrets. Mr. Ed and Mr. Xenon seemed happy too, so even if the cookie container was almost empty, I’d say it was worth it.
While listening to the conversation buried in Ms. Aria’s chest, I hear they harvested a bit more ruby fungi than the delivery quota, so the plan becomes that we should head back to the city of Ellarge a bit early. "There’s no point in being greedy," according to Mr. Xenon. For this request, the client agreed to purchase any surplus at the same rate as the required amount, so we made quite a bit of money. Apparently, they urgently needed a sizeable quantity, exclaiming "Sometimes, the occasional supply just isn’t enough!”
I think it’s pretty good terms. Mr. Xenon really snagged an awesome request there… Amazing!
Now then. I somehow escape from Ms. Aria’s arms and gulp down the remaining barley tea.
The sun is still high, but we have a walk ahead of us to Ellarge. The sooner we move, the better.
“Alright, let’s sort what we’ve gathered and head back quickly!”
“Got it! I’ll clean things up over here too!”
With Mr. Ville’s voice, everyone starts sorting what they gathered by type. I also turn on my heel to wash the used rice cooker pot and frying pan… when something… something like a human voice flies into my ears.
A hoarse, desperate voice comes from the direction of the Large Highway, the person’s feet seeming to tangle.
Wondering what’s happening, I go out to the open area, and someone approaches at a speed that can only be described as staggering.
Their entire body is dyed red, even though they’re not illuminated by the sunset.
“Pl-please… help me…! A fi… a fire bear! A fire bear appeared…!”
“A fire bear!?”
This is… an emergency situation… it seems…!
The person seeking help—a beastkin boy with cat-like ears and tail—sees people… sees us, and perhaps the thread of tension snaps as he collapses on the spot… or would have if Mr. Ville hadn’t caught him.
“Xenon!”
“I know! O Lord, have mercy!”
Before I realize it, Mr. Xenon is holding up the slender staff he had hanging at his waist. With a few words, pale blue light bursts from the staff and pours down on the cat boy’s wounds. Before my eyes, the bleeding stops, flesh swells up, closing the wounds…
O-ohhh… magic… it’s magic… healing magic… A-amazing… I don’t understand the principle, but it’s really amazing… Usually with deeper wounds, scars inevitably remain due to the healing mechanism, but here, not even scars remain…
However, while wounds can be healed, stamina probably doesn’t come back easily. Still supported by Mr. Ville, the cat boy’s body crumples down.
“Hey, pull yourself together! Where!? Where did it appear!?”
“N-near… the Big… Lone… Cedar…”
“That area isn’t too deep into the woods! Why would something as big as a fire bear appear there?!”
“Reasons later, Ed! Hey, are there still other people there?”
“My… comrades… the rest of the party is still…!”
While firmly meeting the eyes of the cat boy clinging half-desperately to his arm, Mr. Ville spoke. At the words told by the cat boy, whose face still shows deep fatigue, Mr. Ed let out a scream-like voice.
Huh? What’s with that reaction from Mr. Ed!? Does that mean something above an average level appeared!? And there are still people at the scene…!
I hear Ms. Aria gasp, and she’s pulled into Mr. Ed’s embrace. Mr. Xenon is also gripping his staff so hard that his fingers turn white.
…Before I realize it, Mr. Ville is looking at me. He’s probably thinking the same thing. When I nod back in response, his gaze moves to Ms. Aria, Mr. Ed, and Mr. Xenon, and all three nod back silently to Mr. Ville.
Seeing that, Mr. Ville closes his eyes once, then opens them and calls out to the cat boy, who stands up while staggering:
“Your party… how many remained at the scene?”
“Th-Three! A grappler, a sorcerer, and one priest… the party name is ‘Lucky Clover’! Please, help them!”
“Understood. You go straight to the guild and tell them ‘Gourmands are heading for the rescue’!”
“Th… thank you!!! I’m forever in your debt!!!”
The cat boy’s face contorts as if about to cry at Mr. Ville’s response, bows deeply, deeply, then springs out as if shot. The wounds healed, and his body can move now.
Still in tattered equipment, he runs down the Large Highway toward the main gate.
While watching his white-tipped, pin-straight tail disappear, Mr. Ville takes a deep breath.
“Rin!”
“Got it! I’ll set boarding permissions!”
I nod at the blood-colored eyes that have sharpened and strongly will to permit all party members to board. Instantly, the three people other than Mr. Ville stiffen—I catch that in the corner of my vision.
…As expected, no matter what emergency it is… no, precisely because it’s an emergency, they’d react like that.
“It’s Rin’s skill! Get on! We’re hurrying!”
“R-Rin’s skill!? Ville, just what exactly…!?”
“I told you, didn’t I? I scouted ‘a baggage carrier who can cook’! Now get on! Get on!”
Even Mr. Xenon furrows his brow as if to say, "I don’t understand," but Mr. Ville pats their backs, pushes their bodies, and practically shoves the three of them into the cabin of the Camping Car. Without watching to the end, I also get into the driver’s seat and start the engine. When I search for "Lone Cedar" in the navigation, it instantly sets a route. It’s a path that goes through the Large Highway, taking a bit of a detour.
…Still, time is of the essence. Which means…
“Let’s go, Rin!”
“Yes! I think cutting through the forest will be faster, so please guide the way!”
“Understood! We’re taking the shortest route!”
“Got it! Everyone, please hold on to something!”
At Mr. Ville’s words as he practically dives into the passenger seat, I realize in a corner of my mind that he was thinking the same thing after all. Rather than taking a detour, if there’s someone who knows the way, cutting through the forest is faster!
Calling out to the cabin area separated by a flip-up counter, I pressed down the accelerator as hard as I could.
Probably no one except me is wearing a seatbelt, but honestly, I can’t worry about that. Japanese traffic laws don’t apply in this world anyway. When I glance back, not a single person lost their posture from the sudden acceleration. What impressive physical ability! Now I just need to be careful not to mess up and cause an accident.
Following Mr. Ville’s guidance, I turn the steering wheel right, then left. Even the Camping Car can’t completely kill the momentum, and the vehicle’s body bounces hard occasionally. I can only pray it doesn’t break!
“Rin, it’s almost time. Can you open the door while still on board?”
“Yes, that’s possible!”
“Good… Aria! When we reach the scene and Rin opens the door, first get the Clover’s members to fall back! Xenon, immediately start healing them!”
“Mm. Got it!”
“Understood!”
“Ed and I will hold off the fire bear! Ed, prepare the formation!”
“OK, OK! Leave it to me!”
Everyone in the cabin responded firmly to Mr. Ville’s instructions. I can feel on my skin how the air inside the car is tense.
“…Hey, Rin. I did say to keep your abilities hidden, but I’m sorry things suddenly turned out like this. However…”
“Please don’t worry about it. Saving lives is the top priority! I’ll hurry as much as possible!”
Mr. Ville’s eyebrows droop slightly as he turns a pained face toward me.
This is Mr. Ville we’re talking about—kind through and through, caring, and with a strong sense of responsibility. In today’s gathering quest too, we proceeded with "Let’s try doing it together a few times first, and if it doesn’t work out, we can consider you leaving, so keep your skills secret for now…"—yet before we knew it, everyone ended up boarding, and he’s probably worried about that.
But having people die while hiding abilities is far, far worse than saving someone’s life, even if it gets exposed! If I let someone die, I’d absolutely regret it to death later! Even if this causes people to say things or if the country that summoned me tries to take me back, I’ll face it with confidence and pride, chest out!
Besides, if they try to take me back, I’ll jump into the Camping Car no matter what and escape! In the first place, I became a medical professional because I wanted to help people! Emergency rescue, bring it on! Don’t underestimate an acupuncturist!
“…Sorry… If this causes you any trouble, I’ll protect you with everything I’ve got.”
“Please don’t worry about it! First, let’s think about saving the Clover’s members!”
…So let’s not say things like that!
I understand those words came from a sense of responsibility, and there’s absolutely no hidden meaning, but it’s still bad for my heart!
Suddenly, a view opens up ahead, and I stifle the scream that almost escapes. A single large, thick tree. One person lying down, one on the knees, one barely standing. And an unusually large, bear-like beast with fiery red mane-like fur…
While cutting the steering wheel, I step hard on the brake. With an ear-piercing brake sound, the rear of the vehicle swings around considerably, unable to kill all the momentum, but the Camping Car stops without hitting anything or anyone.
At the same time, I press the door open/close button on the console, and the cabin door opens wide, right in line with the collapsed person.
“Let’s go! Operation starts!”
Mr. Ville jumps down from the passenger seat and runs while drawing his sword from his waist. Behind him, Mr. Ed follows, his dark navy cape fluttering.
Before I know it, my fingers are interlaced as if praying, as if clinging.
…Ah… It’s not like I can do anything special, but please… please let this go well!
Beyond the window, which cuts off the scenery, the massive red-furred beast lets out an ominous roar.
The giant bear’s claws swing down at the older man, who is barely maintaining his posture. I imagine the red thing that would splatter around and reflexively close my eyes.
But.
“Lucky Clover, right? At your member’s request for rescue, we Gourmands are here to help!”
“I see… Lent made it… in time…!”
I don’t know when he caught up… but beyond my fearfully opened vision, Mr. Ville is protecting the man at his back, blocking the bear’s arm with just his sword. As he deflects the bear’s arm, its massive body staggers back as if repelled.
My raging heart is saying, "Brilliant! Amazing!! So cool!!!"—while another, calmer part of me is thinking, "So the cat boy’s name was Lent?" Somehow, the two sides manage to balance each other out.
The older man, covered in wounds, crumbles to his knees while still protected by Mr. Ville.
“Bind!”
“O Lord, have mercy!”
With Ms. Aria’s clear, piercing voice as she soundlessly leaped from the cabin, something like a silver-shining net appears. It instantly enveloped not only the collapsed beastkin and the girl on her knees—she looked like an elf too?—but also the older man breathing heavily, and the next moment transported them to Ms. Aria’s feet.
It’s like… a casting net…
I could hear them groaning and see them moving, which meant they were still alive.
And Mr. Xenon, who had already finished preparations, held up his staff, and just like with the cat boy earlier, pale blue light poured down, quietly healing wounds.
When Ms. Aria’s casting net disappears, the three collapse on the ground, leaning against each other.
Mr. Xenon speaks to the beastkin, whose wounds and fatigue seem particularly severe, as if persuading her, and the beastkin, who hasn’t yet grasped the situation, slowly raises her face.
“Your wounds are healed, but I cannot heal fatigue. Please rest for a while.”
“…Wh… who are you…?”
“…Mm… The Gourmands. The cat boy asked us to help.”
“Ah, Lent did! Thank you, thank you so much!”
The elf girl widened her eyes at the sight of an unfamiliar party, but when Ms. Aria briefly explained, she blinked tearfully and smiled with relief.
Perhaps the thread of tension snapped—the elf girl gently strokes the back of the beastkin, who limply leans against her while shedding tears, and the older man embraces both of them together.
This side seems to be okay now…
Before it was too late, the realization that we somehow made it in time wells up from deep in my chest, filling my heart. The lips I’d been biting without realizing loosen, and a sigh of relief escapes. It seems I was putting in enough force to taste the faint flavor of iron on the tip of my tongue… This habit of biting my lips really won’t go away…
‘GuuaaaAAauaaauuuuu!!!!’
My brain, that had begun to relax, is struck by the thick beast voice.
While eerily shining its dull golden eyes, the red-furred bear raises a roar loud enough to shake the glass. Is it irritation at having its hunt interrupted, or perhaps joy at the prey increasing…?
At the beast’s roar that resonates in the pit of my stomach, all the hair on my body stands on end.
Fear incomparably greater than from those birds from before races through my entire body.
That I somehow manage not to scream is perhaps thanks to Survival’s mental control, or is it the advantage of being inside the sturdy Camping Car?
That’s right! Mr. Ville and Mr. Ed are still fighting!
When I look around, the huge bear, its eyes blazing with anger at having its prey stolen, is rampaging. Every time its arms—thick enough to fell a person with one swing—are swung around, red sparks dance up. The flames falling to the ground and singeing the grass beneath its feet are no illusion. It’s unmistakably flame with heat and substance…!
But why would a bear produce fire…?
My clenched palms are damp with sweat. But without even the luxury to find it unpleasant, in my field of vision, each time the bear swings its arms and rampages, the sparks that fly increase, gradually forming several large fireballs.
…Don’t tell me… that bear can use magic too!? Come to think of it, what did the cat boy… Lent call that bear? …Right, yes…
A "fire bear"…
In the corner of my vision, I feel like the gray bear with a red, crest-like mane sneer, its dull-colored eyes twisting with wicked amusement. At that moment, countless fireballs that have grown easily larger than basketballs fly not only at Mr. Ville and Mr. Ed but also toward us with the momentum and speed of bullets as the bear swings its arms.
“Like hell I’ll let you!”
With a grin filled with murderous intent that could kill with a glance, Mr. Ed’s arms swing. In an instant, ice walls are erected in front of Mr. Ville and Mr. Ed, and surrounding the Camping Car centered on Ms. Aria. The walls, transparent and delicate like glass, receive countless flames yet show no signs of even their surface melting.
‘GAAaaAAAaauUUUaaaAAAaaaA!!!!!’
“Huh, what? You call that magic? Are you dumb or suicidal? Even a flint’s more useful than that!”
‘GYAaaaaaAAAAAAaAAAgyyAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!’
At the flames that are blocked by the ice walls and disappear anticlimactically, the fire bear continues to scream as if stamping its feet in madness. Even the sparks the fire bear scatters around are shot down by the glittering ice crystals resembling stardust that Mr. Ed releases. At Mr. Ed, who ridicules and provokes without hiding his contempt, the angry fire bear swings down its claws repeatedly, but the sharp claws—as long and thick as an adult’s fingers—never hurt Mr. Ed. Because Mr. Ville’s sword, moving between Mr. Ed and the great bear, deflects and repels them all.
“I bear you no grudge, but if we leave you like this, you’ll harm other adventurers.”
‘Gya!!! GRuuuaAaaaaaAAAA!!!’
“Curse yourself for coming out to a place like this!”
Mr. Ville smiles with the corners of his lips lifted up, not even holding his sword in a stance. Then, in a single step, he closes the distance, kicking off the ground with a battle cry as he leaps into the fire bear’s reach.
A silver flash sears through my retina.
The rampaging bear stiffens its body for an instant, staggers one step, two steps… and a red line like a collar encircles its neck.
…What’s that…?
In sync with me tilting my head, the bear’s head also tilts. Before I can think "huh?" the bear’s head… falls off.
“…Huh?”
In the time it takes me to blink, the fire bear’s body—having lost its head and spouting fresh blood like a fountain from the reddish-black cross-section—collapses with a thud and tremor. That mountain-like body turns into black ash-like particles and disappears, just like those birds from before.
The head, covered in red fur, also turns to dust like the body and is scattered by the wind.
“…Strange… There was less resistance than I expected.”
Mr. Ville, who had landed after leaping over the bear’s body, swung his sword as if wiping off blood, then sheathed it at his waist with the sound of the guard and muttered quietly.
By the time the beastkin and the elf got tired from crying and fell asleep, and the older man was able to stand up, the sun had completely set and was gradually being enveloped in dusk. Honestly, I didn’t know what face to make when going out there having done nothing, so I watched from the driver’s seat as Mr. Ville and Mr. Ed returned carrying drop items. Well, if it’s okay to stay silent because it’s not good for others to know about my abilities, then I suppose that’s fine.
…That said, do large-bodied monsters drop multiple items? In Mr. Ville’s hands are what look like claws and what looks like fur.
“Ah… I truly thank you for saving us. Without you all, we would have been wiped out!”
“We’re just glad we made it in time. We were fortunate to encounter that cat boy.”
“Lent was the fastest runner in our party, so I sent him to call for rescue.”
Mr. Ville stops the older man, who bows deeply to express his gratitude, waves his hand as if to say "let’s sit," and sits down somewhere nearby. Following his lead, Mr. Ed, Ms. Aria, and Mr. Xenon also settle down in their respective spots.
Seeing them, the older man also takes up a position beside the beastkin and the elf who fell asleep leaning against each other.
I also quietly stand up from the driver’s seat and move to the cabin through the flip-up counter. From here, I’ll be able to hear the conversation that becomes quiet because there are sleeping kids…
“My name is Rayer. These children are Rion and Aida. At a church on the outskirts of town, I formed a party called ‘Lucky Clover’ together with orphaned children.”
“A church? So you’re the priest that cat boy mentioned?”
“Yes. I retired after injuring my knee, but I once adventured as a priest warrior.”
According to what the older man… Mr. Rayer tells us, he—a church priest and former adventurer—formed parties in rotation with the lion beastgirl Rion, the half-elf Aida, the werecat Lent, and other children at the orphanage, taking on simple requests to cover daily living expenses.
Today, they had also accepted a gathering request in a nearby forest when they somehow encountered that fire bear. Knowing the fire bear’s obsession with its prey, Mr. Rayer attempted to hold it off mainly by himself while sending Lent running to request rescue… and that brings us to now.
“You didn’t think to have those children escape too?”
“Both Rion and Aida had enough ability to avoid the fire bear’s attacks… I could not stop it alone and would have been quickly defeated. If I fell, the bear would catch up to the fleeing children… I had them remain to divide the fire bear’s attacks and act as decoys.”
“You prioritized buying time rather than defeating it. With you as a priest warrior, providing at least basic healing, it may have been better than scattering and risking someone becoming a sacrifice.”
It’s a difficult problem…
Even if everyone were to flee together, the difference in strength is clear, and it’s evident that Mr. Rayer, with his bad leg, would be caught up by the bear. "Run while the fire bear devours me!" That kind of self-sacrifice isn’t really practical, especially with the kids depending on him. Besides, after half-killing Mr. Rayer so its prey wouldn’t escape, the fire bear might go after the children.
In the first place, "throwing away your own life"… I don’t think that’s something you can do so easily. On the other hand, even if they scattered to escape, it was certain that whoever was caught would be killed.
Considering that, after sending Lent running for rescue, if the three could buy time by avoiding the fire bear’s attacks until help arrives, the probability of all four surviving would increase. If there are three targets, the fire bear’s attacks would also be dispersed, so even if someone gets injured by chance, there would be time to recover…
But if rescue was delayed, it’s certain all three would have been taken down after a long battle of attrition…
We somehow made it this time, but it was really close…
“Still, why would a fire bear appear in such a shallow area? It should be a monster that appears much, much deeper in the forest, right?”
“Yeah. And it was too weak for a fire bear. Normally, they should be much smarter and tougher.”
“Is that so? It was a sufficiently terrifying monster for us…”
Mr. Ed purses his lips and kicks a pebble at his feet toward Mr. Ville. Mr. Ville, who flicked away the pebble that flew at his feet with his toe, also seems to be pondering something with his hand on his chin.
Mr. Rayer tilts his head at those two, but honestly, I can only come up with the same impression as Mr. Rayer. Mr. Ville and Mr. Ed defeated it super easily, but to me, it was a really intimidating and scary monster!
“In any case, we need to return to the guild once to report on this incident, contact the adventurers, and discuss rewards.”
“…Mm. The reward doesn’t really matter, but we have to contact and report…”
Ms. Aria follows Mr. Xenon, who stands up and brushes dirt off his coat.
Report, communicate, and consult—the basics of a working adult!
When irregular situations like this happen, it’s especially important! If a monster appears that’s outside the expected level range, adventurers need to prepare accordingly with their gear and supplies, and the guild needs to spread the word too.
“Yeah. It’s already getting dark—we should hurry.”
Before I realize it, while they have been talking, the surroundings have been completely enveloped in darkness. In the dimly darkening evening air, Mr. Ville’s strawberry-colored eyes capture me.
When I nod, somehow sensing what he’s thinking, he nods back.
“Rayer, was it? Even though protective charms are applied to the Large Highway, the night road is dangerous. If you’ll accept our conditions, we have a safe and quick arrangement to transport you to town—what do you say?”
“I’m grateful for your generous offer. We are indebted to you for saving us… We will follow you. These children won’t complain either.”
“It’s nothing major. We’ll just have you sleep until we reach town. Xenon!”
“Yes. Let the sheep sleep.”
Mr. Rayer placed his hand on his chest at Mr. Ville’s words and bowed respectfully. Mr. Xenon, who apparently grasped the intent just from that, held up his staff, and blue light overflowed from the tip, enveloping Mr. Rayer… and Rion and Aida as well. By the time the light disappears, everyone is breathing quietly in sleep.
Ah, I see. This way, they won’t find out even if we load them into the Camping Car!
After I complete their boarding settings, Mr. Ville lifts up Mr. Rayer and the children as if carrying rice bags and carries them inside nimbly. …Wait, the Large Highway has protective charms…? That’s why it was selected as the main route in the navigation, and the cat boy… Lent ran that way too?
If he tried to cut through the forest and encountered other monsters or beasts, it would take even more time.
I’ll also return via the Large Highway. That way, the vehicle body won’t shake as much, and the Clover’s members lying on the floor won’t roll around either.
“I see. Rin certainly is ‘a baggage carrier who can cook’!”
“The ‘baggage’ includes us as well, it seems.”
“…Ville, good job…!”
The excited voices from the cabin reach the driver’s seat.
Yes, well, that’s right. I’m an acupuncturist & care worker who can cook and provide transportation!
“Hey, Rin. Can this boarding setting be cancelled?”
“Hmm… I haven’t tried it, so I don’t know, but I think it’s probably possible.”
Mr. Ville, having loaded the Clover’s members, gets into the passenger seat.
I think you could probably do it like deleting a registered location in navigation. After all, it’s such a capable camping car! I have full confidence in its functionality too!
…That said, my heart aches at the current situation where I haven’t really been able to use it as a "camping car"… But there will be more opportunities to go on adventures from now on…!
Even though Mr. Ville casts cleaning magic, I still want to take a bath in a bath!
As I quietly drive down the brick-paved Large Highway, my thoughts wander to the days of unknown adventures ahead.
“…Rin. There’s a high chance we’ll be stuck at the guild tonight. We may not be able to come back to this car.”
Mr. Ville looks at me with a pitying expression.
Seriously!? Just when I was thinking of using it more and more going forward…!
“This time was unplanned, but regarding your abilities, I’d like to keep them concealed as much as possible going forward. Is that alright?”
“Yes. But when lives are at stake or it’s an emergency, please feel free to work me hard without worrying!”
Yup. Aligning our opinions is important. I think Mr. Ville is pretty solid about these things. While I’m grateful he’s being considerate, if it’s something I can do, I want to cooperate and want him to rely on me… that’s also how I feel…
Hey! Laugh if you want to laugh at my strong desire for approval!
…No, well, I’m self-aware about it, okay?
I’m self-aware that I was caught up in some incomprehensible conspiracy called saint summoning, lost my livelihood, and in the midst of anxiety about what will happen going forward, I jumped at Mr. Ville without a second thought when we met!
Because if Mr. Ville abandons me, I’m certain to be lost on the streets in another world where I don’t know left from right, you know!? Right now, I still have food and daily necessities, but I don’t know what will happen in the future! …That’s why, even if the conditions or environment were akin to those of a black company… I decided to latch on for the sake of survival.
But Mr. Ville properly listens to my opinions too. He’s considerate so that I can live the life I want. Ms. Aria, Mr. Ed, and Mr. Xenon too—though I haven’t been with them long—are concerned about me. What’s wrong with wanting to be useful to such kind people?!
“We owe you for today, Rin. Thanks, truly.”
…That’s why, just being told that… just being smiled at as if to say "well done"… makes me incredibly happy!
I’m glad I could be useful!
The approaching city lights threaten to blur, and I end up secretly wiping my eyes.
In the slightly sentimental atmosphere, everyone gets out of the camping car just before the city and wakes the members of the Lucky Clover. After all, we can’t very well unload people from what looks like empty space right in front of the gate guards, right?
Ah. I’m still in the Camping Car, hiding my form while slowly driving down side roads following behind. I mean, if a baggage carrier who wasn’t there during combat or the on-site discussion suddenly appeared, it would cause confusion.
“Teacher! Rion! Aida! You’re safe, thank goodness… thank goodness!”
“Lent!”
“Leeent!”
The cat boy… Lent, who had been waiting beyond the main gate, dashed toward us the moment he saw us—so fast the gate guards couldn’t even stop him.
Whoa! That’s certainly fast!
Aida, the half-elf, and Rion, the lion beastkin, catch Lent’s body as he leaps at them with that momentum, working together. Among the three, Lent looks quite mature, but apparently, beastkin have rapid physical growth, and age-wise, he’s still far from adulthood…
But well, how beautiful friendship is… Probably he was worried sick, but the guards stopped him, so he couldn’t wait outside, and when he saw everyone while anxiously waiting, he couldn’t hold back anymore and rushed out… something like that probably…
The three crying loudly while hugging really tugs at my heart… And the kindness, the kindness in Mr. Rayer’s eyes watching them… It makes me tear up too.
Mr. Ed seems to be sniffling too, so maybe he’s a softie?
“Welcome back, Lucky Clover and Gourmands! I’m so glad you’re all safe!”
From behind the Lucky Clover, celebrating each other’s safety, Ms. Sheila in her apron dress appears with a slightly lisping high, sweet voice.
She must have been waiting near the gate too. She holds a mysterious floating lantern emitting a faint bluish phosphorescence, either to light her feet as she is about to lead us to the guild, or as a marker so we don’t lose sight of her.
“I suppose the guild has already been informed?”
“Yes! The guildmaster is waiting too! I know you must be tired, but please, everyone, come to the guild!”
“Understood. We’ll prepare some things and follow. Guide the Clover’s members first.”
“Of course! Since we were originally planning to speak with Lucky Clover separately, please come when you’re ready.”
At Mr. Ville’s words, glancing at me, Ms. Sheila nods with a smile. She then waves the mysterious lantern and walks toward the guild, leading the Lucky Clover’s members.
Mr. Ville, seeing them off, taps the driver’s seat window and guides me to a somewhat inconspicuous spot.
“Did you hear our conversation?”
“Yes. We’re going to the guild, right?”
“Yeah. However, since I spontaneously mentioned preparing first, going empty-handed would be… Should we bring those drop items from earlier…?”
“Got it. I have something suitable to wrap them in.”
It’s really convenient, so I have furoshiki wrapping cloths. Specifically, a green one with an arabesque pattern. If I wrap the fire bear’s fur and claws that were piled on the floor in the furoshiki and carry it slung over my back, it looks like a burglar returning from a heist… well, in the broad sense, it does look like "a person carrying luggage," right? I get out of the Camping Car while blending in with Mr. Ville and the rest, then cancel its manifestation.
The concealment effect means the shape and form shouldn’t be visible, but precisely because it’s invisible, wouldn’t it be bad if something bumped into someone?
The gate guards give me looks like "Was this person here?" but because of my height being significantly lower compared to Mr. Ville, Mr. Ed, Mr. Xenon, and Ms. Aria, it seems to be dismissed as "Must have just missed her.”
…What is this… this unsettled feeling of both relief and frustration…
As always, I’m being led by the hand by Mr. Ville to the guild, where smiling Ms. Sheila is waiting for us.
“Welcome back, Gourmands! The guildmaster is waiting in that room!”
“Ah, right—Sheila. I’m depositing the drop items. Since we don’t know how the rewards will be handled, we can’t keep them on hand.”
“Yes! The guild will keep them safe until an official decision is made!”
With her pawed hand, Ms. Sheila pointed to a certain room, while Mr. Ville gestured towards the package I was carrying. As I approached, I handed the package to Ms. Sheila, who accepted it with a smile.
I see. Until the reward distribution is officially decided, we can’t claim it as "ours," and continuing to possess them would be problematic too.
Beyond the polished amber-colored door, a burly bald… I mean, a sturdily built uncle settled solidly on the sofa directly across from the entrance. With a rather deep cross-shaped scar on his right temple and a black eyepatch over his left eye, he definitely has an intense appearance. He looks like an ordinary human, but perhaps he belongs to a different race…?
“Yo, Ville. Good work on the rescue mission!”
“I’m not a villain who’d leave someone to die.”
“True enough. First, as the head of the guild, I thank you for saving our affiliated adventurers!”
“We’re all based in the same town, after all.”
“Indeed!”
Despite an appearance that makes you expect a hearty "Gahahah!" laugh, the guildmaster surprisingly has a refreshing smile. Bald, muscular, with an eyepatch and scarred brow—an intense character. Watching their quick, easy banter, I couldn’t help thinking Mr. Ville and he must know each other pretty well.
“Well then, let’s get right to it. I’ll brief you on the guild’s stance regarding the appearance of the fire bear.”
After laughing thoroughly, the guildmaster strokes his smooth head, tightens his expression a bit, and sits back on the sofa.
I wonder how this whole incident will be resolved… Unconsciously tense, I slowly release the fists I have been clenching and exhale softly.
He gestured for us to sit on the sofas arranged around the solid-wood low table. As I move to take an open seat, my eyes meet the guildmaster’s. His brown eyes gaze at me, blink several times, then turn to Mr. Ville.
“Come to think of it, who’s that little miss? I haven’t seen her before…”
“She’s the Gourmands’ precious cook and baggage carrier—Rin.”
“Ah, yes! Nice to meet you, I’m called Rin. I’m inexperienced, but I’ll do my utmost, so please provide your guidance and encouragement!”
…I’m not exactly young enough to be called “little miss,” but it’d take some guts to deny it outright here.
Mr. Ville, responding to the tilting-headed guildmaster, called my name while lightly patting my back. Since sitting down felt wrong emotionally, I turned my body toward the guildmaster while standing up, and after a simple self-introduction, I straightened my back and bowed sharply. My target angle is 30 degrees, the proper courtesy angle.
After waiting about one breath and slowly raising my head, the guildmaster somehow has a face as if he’s seen something terrifying…
Huh? Did I do something wrong?
“…Seriously!? Ville, where the hell did you catch such a sensible person!? You didn’t kidnap some young lady from a good family, did you!?”
“I didn’t kidnap her! I properly recruited her!”
The guildmaster glares at Mr. Ville with momentum as if about to grab him, and Mr. Ville looks at the guildmaster as if he’s annoying.
…What does he mean by "sensible person" just from a self-introduction? As I tilt my head, Mr. Ed quietly tells me, "There are a lot of rough adventurers, you know.”
Ehhh… But isn’t it normal for everyone to introduce themselves…? Right?
Leaving my puzzled look aside, the staring contest between the guildmaster and Mr. Ville continues for a while… when the guildmaster suddenly changes the subject with a click of his tongue.
“…Tch! I’d like to grill you about various things, but that’s for later. Right now we have to deal with this fire bear matter…”
He waves a thick stack of documents in his hand, and Mr. Ville—who’d looked ready to punch him a moment ago—grimaces bitterly and sits back down.
“Ahem. First off, regarding the bounty for this subjugation—we’ve decided the guild will cover it.”
“Oh? Since it’s a rescue request from the Clover, I assumed they would cover it…?”
“A fire bear appearing in a beginner-level hunting ground is unexpected as can be. I’m not so cruel as to make them pay the subjugation costs.”
Sipping the tea Ms. Sheila served, Mr. Xenon spoke up. The gesture of his white, slender fingertips quietly returning the teacup to the saucer looks incredibly elegant… Beautiful people are scary! Handsome people are scary!
At Mr. Xenon, whose every casual movement is picturesque, the guildmaster shrugs his muscular shoulders. …The deltoids are amazing, but the trapezius and sternocleidomastoid are also amazing… I’d like to have him lie face down and insert my fingers while lifting or rolling up the trapezius…
…Ahem, so the guild is paying the reward!
Certainly, the Lucky Clover seems to be adventuring to supplement their living, and they didn’t seem to have money to spare. I was thinking, albeit rudely, that it would be tough for them to pay the request fee.
And the area around the city is a guild-authorized beginner hunting ground.
“Considering the difficulty and urgency of this subjugation, the reward is five gold coins. You can also take all the drop items. How’s that?”
“Well, that’s reasonable. Let’s settle on that. By the way, why did a fire bear appear in such a shallow area? Are there past similar cases?”
“Hmm. About that… certainly, there have been several times when high-level monsters appeared in beginner hunting grounds in the past, but at most, they were monsters borderline intermediate level. There’s never been a report of a monster close to an advanced level appearing.”
Whoa, so this was quite an irregular case then…?
In other words, while in the past there had been several high school baseball players invading a plaza where friendly elementary schoolers were playing catch… this time it’s like a Major Leaguer or Olympic representative descended?
That’s brutal! And seriously, how did we even manage to win!?
Looking at Mr. Ville and Mr. Ed, who actually fought, they have quite difficult expressions. The guildmaster, too, frowns as he flips through the documents, lips pressed into a line.
No matter how you look at it, the atmosphere reeks that this isn’t a story that ends with "The bear was defeated. Case closed!”
“…That fire bear may not have been much in terms of stats.”
“What!?”
“The appearance and skills themselves were those of a fire bear, but its actual stats should have been low. There was far too little resistance.”
“You can’t possibly mean…?”
“Yeah. It felt like a normal bear was forcibly made up to be a fire bear.”
“…Eddie’s ice wall didn’t even crack…”
…Ah. This is already beyond my capabilities. It’s getting too complicated. What does he mean by "forcibly made up"? Someone modified a regular bear into a fire bear!? "Didn’t even crack"… wait, does that mean some fire bears have managed to crack it before!?
The guildmaster looks stunned, and honestly, everyone—including me—seems just as shocked.
For a while, silence dominates the room.
Still, the first to recover is the guildmaster.
He tightens his expression sharply and slowly looks around at Mr. Ed, Ms. Aria, Mr. Xenon, Mr. Ville, and then me.
“… Did any of you actually check its stats?”
“I didn’t expect it to turn out like this. We defeated it before even appraising its stats. My apologies.”
“I figured.”
The guildmaster strokes his smooth head again. A habit when troubled, perhaps?
“…For now, we’ll strengthen patrols of the surrounding forests and beaches for a while. It’s an official request from the guild. Can you cooperate?”
“Is it fine if we do it while completing other requests?”
“Of course. However, due to the nature of the ‘patrol request,’ I’d like you not to take requests that take you too far from the city.”
“We don’t have other pressing matters right now. We’ll move centered on Ellarge for a while.”
Ohhhh…! The conversation is progressing rapidly!
But it makes sense. If incomprehensible things like this keep happening, patrols are important.
…That said, being asked to patrol directly by the guildmaster… Considering how easily they defeated that fire bear, isn’t Mr. Ville’s party quite strong…? Huh? Do they need me in such a strong party? Wouldn’t it be easy to poach someone more skilled than me?
“Alright! It’s decided! It’s already late tonight. I’ll lend you the nap rooms for guild staff.”
“How generous of you, guildmaster!”
“I’m planning to have you start patrols tomorrow. For today, rest your bodies in the nap rooms.”
“Sounds good. We’ll withdraw for today then…”
Starting with Mr. Ville, who nods greatly and stands up, everyone follows and stands, heading to the nap rooms under Ms. Sheila’s guidance.
“Ah. Ville and baggage carrier miss, could you two remain for a moment?”
Just as I bowed and started to stand to follow, the guildmaster stopped me.
…Um… I can feel Mr. Ville’s mood plummeting rapidly, but will it be okay…?
“Now then, little miss. Rin, was it? Allow me to reintroduce myself—I’m Tori. I’m the guildmaster of this city of Ellarge!”
I shake hands with the grinning guildmaster… Mr. Tori, and sit down next to Mr. Ville across from him.
…I just realized now, but this sofa is quite comfortable to sit on. At least compared to the cheap floor chair I used in my world, it’s worlds apart.
“So, the reason I had you stay, little miss, is that there’s something I want to confirm regarding the report I received from Ville.”
“Report? Something to confirm?”
“It’s about the saint summoning. I judged that I couldn’t afford to keep quiet about this… Sorry…”
“No, no, no! Report, communicate, consult—super important! I think reporting is natural!”
I hurriedly wave my hands and head at Mr. Ville, who lowers the ends of his eyebrows as if checking on me.
I don’t really get how big a deal a saint summoning is in this world, but I completely understand that not reporting a dangerous-sounding matter like "saint summoning" to the top would be bad!
No, of course, I’m well aware that Mr. Ville is concerned about me! But I still believe it’s perfectly reasonable to report to Mr. Tori and assess the situation while planning our future course of action, right?
That said, when did he go to report? When I was awake, we were together almost the whole time, so did he talk with Mr. Tori while I was sleeping?
…Hmm? Huh? But despite having received the report, didn’t he react earlier as if he "didn’t know me at all"? Maybe it was an act?
…Still, if the guild’s policy shifts to “remove her from the Gourmands and place her under national protection,” well… I’d have to think about that. Even if everyone in the party wants me to stay, they can’t oppose the guild’s decision. If it becomes national protection or something, my freedom will probably be taken, and in exchange for protection, they’ll probably force unreasonable demands on me… Since it would be bad to cause trouble, maybe I should cancel the Gourmands’ boarding settings and make a mad dash to escape…
…In the first place, it seems like this party doesn’t particularly need me as cook or baggage carrier… Rather, should I properly say goodbye here…? That way, a more skilled cook or baggage carrier might join Mr. Ville’s party…
“…Rin… you’re not thinking of leaving us, are you?”
“Uweh!? N-No… I’m not thinking that, okay?”
“…Well, fine. As for me, I have no intention whatsoever of letting you go, Rin. Don’t even think about running away, got it?”
My voice cracked involuntarily, but isn’t it unavoidable when such an accurate point is made as if reading my thoughts!? Strawberry-like eyes that have grown sharper gaze fixedly at me. The deep, rich red is exactly like perfectly ripe fruit—a color that looks sweet enough to lick, yet I feel a strong attachment from it. With eyes that clearly say “I absolutely won’t let you escape,” and his firm grip on my arm blocking my every mental escape route, what else can I do but nod…?
…Seriously…? Is the party’s food really so bad that even I am worth clinging to…?
Before I realize it, Mr. Tori’s eyes watching us have become veeeeery lukewarm.
…We’re not doing anything bad, but my heart hurts, Mom…
“Save your lovers’ quarrel for elsewhere, Ville. Anyway, little miss. Is it true that there was a summoning of a saint?”
“Probably… the people in black robes around said something about saint summoning, and while two people were summoned, they called the other girl the ‘saint’…”
“I see… I don’t mean to doubt you, but may I ‘appraise’ you once?”
“…As long as it doesn’t hurt or cause suffering or reveal things I want to keep secret like my weight, I’m fine.”
“There’s no appraisal that shows that much, little miss… Also, I just want to see your class and skills… Don’t glare at me, Ville!”
Mr. Tori smiles wryly, somewhat exasperated, but I want to avoid anything that causes physical or mental pain!
I think it’s probably fine, but I need to confirm… wait!
Mr. Ville is glaring at Mr. Tori with incredible intensity… um, it’s okay, you know? It seems like the appraisal isn’t as cruel as I feared, and since it’s not cruel, there’s nothing I’d be troubled having seen…
And isn’t Mr. Tori, who knows my name yet insists on calling me "little miss," the one who might be a bit crueler…? Well, then again, an uncle at the neighborhood greengrocer called me "little miss" too, yup… That sort of vibe, yup.
“…Listen, Rin. Basically, you don’t show your status to anyone unless you’re really close, okay?”
“Well, I understand it’s like revealing your hand… But I’m not a combat member, and the person seeing it is the guildmaster… Oh, and it’s okay for you to see it too, Mr. Ville!”
“—!”
As I easily gave my consent, Mr. Ville whispered a warning, but of course, I’m not that naive! If your special moves are revealed, there’s a possibility your techniques could be seen through, and even if not, your strategy could be figured out from your skill composition.
…That said, even if my skills as a non-combat member are revealed, it probably won’t be a major blow… right…?
Ah, wait. Would it be bad if the Camping Car is revealed?
…But based on the name, it could just be interpreted as a horse-drawn carriage for camping. Without seeing the specifics of the skill, it’s hard to know its actual content…
Hmm? Mr. Ville is clutching his head like he’s frozen up, but… did I say something wrong?
Since we’re acting together as party members, I think it’s important for the leader to understand my skills and status…?
Even in sessions, we would introduce our characters’ skills and spells acquired before adventuring as players, since it’s crucial information for adventuring… Huh?
“Let’s leave it at that for now, little miss. Basically, your status is something you wouldn’t show unless you really trust the other person.”
“Ah. Like party members or family? It’s not something to loudly announce to everyone, right?”
“Hmm… well, yeah. Something like that.”
While casting a pitying glance at Mr. Ville, who is holding his head, Mr. Tori explained again. I was able to reconfirm that it’s information you can’t share unless it’s with people you work closely with in battle or your family… Or so I thought, but what’s with this "oh boy" kind of atmosphere?!
“Anyway! From seeing your class and skills… Saint summoning aside, there’s a high possibility that you came from a different world than this one, little miss.”
“Huh? How can you tell?”
“You have ‘Foreigner’ class, right? That’s said to be given to those who arrive in this world artificially. Also, the ‘’Foreigner’ class supposedly grants a random Special Skill and an extra class on top.”
“ Ooh!”
Mr. Tori deliberately raised his voice to shift the mood, and his explanation hit way too many points that apply to me… so I couldn’t help but let out a surprised voice.
I never knew that class had such meaning…
…Wait, does that mean the “class” has a significant meaning…? I always thought it was more like a race or occupation, you know, something lighter…
That’s it… That’s totally it… the Camping Car was labeled a Special Skill, and I even have the Traveler class!
Wow! The Foreigner is amazing! That’s some great work!
“You’re using a lot of ‘said to be’ and ‘supposedly’.”
“Well, there aren’t that many existences who came from other worlds! The only story we have is that a shrine maiden was summoned ages ago—so long ago that not even elves who remember that time exist—and she went around defeating monsters and purifying miasma.”
“That’s… quite like an old tale…”
…Ah… is it like stories in my world about monks who flew through the sky or counts who lived hundreds of years…? It’s amazing that that story even survived… and to think that otherworld summoning can only be confirmed through stories like that…!
“Normally, you only learn one skill per class. If people could add classes and skills with no effort, I figured they’d summon anyone they could get their hands on…”
“Well, rationally speaking, summoning from other worlds is just a trivial fairy tale. I can’t imagine there being people who would seriously try it, and even if it did exist, how would they provide enough magical power to pull someone from another world?”
“True. Rather than pour magical power into that, it would be faster to diligently train and increase classes.”
“Right? No matter how many powerful unique skills there are, otherworld summoning isn’t worth the cost.”
Ehhh… more and more new facts keep emerging…?
…Um… normally it’s one skill per class, but classes can be increased through effort. However, if you have the Foreigner class, you get a powerful special skill and another class, meaning you inevitably get an extra skill as well…
…Certainly… If otherworld summoning could be done easily, there would be people who think, "Let’s try it to increase military power." But in reality, no one has been summoned since that shrine maiden or whatever was summoned hundreds of years ago, which means either the success rate is extremely low, or there are few people who think, "Let’s try it"…
…Wait? Does that mean I got caught up and summoned because someone who executed that dubious thing existed, and it luckily (?) succeeded!?
That’s ridiculous… that’s ridiculous collateral damage, nooo!!!
…But wait a minute… What was the person who summoned us—no, summoned the so-called "saint"—trying to do…? Assuming that old tale is true…
“Has monster damage been that terrible recently…?”
“No, not really. It feels like the frequency of monster attacks during quests is the same as usual… if not less.”
“I also haven’t heard any rumors of monster stampedes in this country or others.”
“When you think about it, even the fire bear incident today is just a single case, so we can’t definitively link it to the saint summoning.”
Beside me, tilting my head, Mr. Ville is also twisting his head, and the guildmaster is stroking his smooth head.
…Hmm… Since it’s called "saint summoning," I thought it was monster-related…
“In any case, we’re currently investigating. Information will come in eventually. For now, slowly get used to this world.”
“…I’m sorry, it seems I can’t really contribute much in terms of information or knowledge.”
“Don’t worry about it, Rin. Your skills have been quite helpful to us. And if you’re helpful to us adventurers, then by extension you’re helping this bald guildmaster too.”
“I’m not bald, I shave it! Anyway, tomorrow I’m asking you to patrol the beach area! I don’t think high-level monsters will appear anymore, but…”
“What time for the patrol?”
“Start around nine in the morning when the tide goes out, and continue until a little after three when it comes all the way back in.”
Ohhhhhh! The sea! Beach patrol!
M-Might we catch seafood? If we catch some, can we barbecue?
Yup! It’s important to start with what we can do!
“Rin. We have time before departure tomorrow, so shall we stock up on ingredients and such at the market before heading out?”
“The market! I definitely want to go!”
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, begin with the easy things… right!
Honestly, the scale is so large I don’t really understand what’s what, but I want to steadily do what I can.
First, tomorrow’s meal preparation!
When I clench my fist with renewed determination, Ms. Sheila, who peeked her face out from behind the door, guides me to the guild’s nap room. Since it’s called a nap room, I was imagining a large room with bunk beds installed, but when the door opens, it turns out to be a private room. Though not very spacious, there’s one bed and some simple storage fixtures.
“Well then, please rest well! The toilet is at the end of this hallway!”
“Thank you, Ms. Sheila. Good night.”
“Yes, good night!”
After waving to Ms. Sheila, who guides me and closes the door, I immediately flop onto the bed. My body grows heavier in the fluffier-than-expected bed. But the moment my head touches the pillow, my vision is quickly swallowed by darkness…
No comments:
Post a Comment