Chapter 16

I woke up after the sun had fully risen.

Two days of adventure in a row, and today is a break.

I could go out, but I have an appointment at Ishikoro-ya at noon.

What should I do until then? What did I usually do on days when I did nothing?

I vaguely remember going hunting in the morning, doing my daily training, and then just sleeping.

Thinking back, that’s all I did.

I’ll go hunting for breakfast and then take a casual walk.

With that thought, I head straight for the forest.

“Alright...”

I jump up with a shout, brush off my clothes lightly, and a bit of dust rose like smoke. While I’m at it, maybe I’ll change into my old clothes and wash these.

The door creaks as I step out of my dwelling. Looking back, I see the familiar shack.

It was an abandoned house I had moved into, but it turned out to be quite comfortable.

I don’t know how the previous resident used it, but the inside was mostly empty, with only a layer of dust.

I wonder if it’s okay to move in like this, but apparently, in this slum, everyone does something similar.

People move in and out without notice, and if someone needs a place, they fix it up and expand it.

That’s how everyone lives. No one ever criticizes it.

After walking a bit, I unexpectedly ran into someone.

“Hey, you seem to be in good spirits today.”

Riko raised her worn sleeve and showed herself.

“Good morning. It’s rare to see you alone.”

“It’s not that unusual. We don’t always go together.”

Riko scratched her dark blonde hair and smiled sheepishly.

“Actually, that’s perfect. I have a favor to ask.”

She looked away after saying that, as if she was hesitating.

“A favor?”

Still, it’s unusual. In fact, it’s the first time. I’ve probably never had a proper conversation with Riko before.

I usually act with Hyoro, so I hardly ever get close to her, and when she’s alone, I just nod and pass by.

What could she want from me?

“It’s not a big deal...”

Riko’s gaze drifted away, not meeting mine. After a while, she looked at me determinedly, bowed, and pleaded.

“...Where did you get the ice from yesterday?”

“Huh?”

The ice from yesterday was the one I used to keep things cold. Does she want it? I remembered then that Riko, unlike Hyoro, had been interested in the shop owner’s talk yesterday.

I see, she’s started to care about the quality of the game.

“Do you mean the ice used to chill the fish?”

“Yes, that! I thought about it all night, trying to figure out how to get it, but I couldn’t. So, I thought I’d ask someone who has it.”

She looked up and said with a wry smile.

If she asks where, I’ll have to tell her I made it...

As I was pondering this, Riko continued, perhaps thinking of something.

“Hey, maybe we can trade for something? Though, I bet you have better stuff than me.”

“Well, that’s fine, but...”

After a moment’s thought, I decided to tell the truth.

“I made it with magic.”

“Magic!? You can use it?”

Her eyes widened in surprise. A different reaction from Hyoro.

“Yes, to some extent.”

“So, you use that magic to catch birds and fish?”

“Yes.”

“I see. No wonder you can easily get all sorts of things. No wonder you don’t need to steal.”

Riko spoke excitedly. Now, what should I do next?

“Ah, but...”

Her enthusiasm suddenly dropped. She’s a moody person.

“So, we can’t get ice...”

“Well, if you need it...”

I could sell her some ice. I don’t think it would fetch much at Ishikoro-ya, but I could sell it at a higher price to those who need it.

I was about to say this, but Riko seemed to be thinking and looked down. Then, she suddenly looked up and said,

“Well, for freshness, you just need to bring it quickly after catching it, or cook it. Thanks. Sorry for holding you up. See you later!”

She said quickly and hurried away.

I couldn’t call out to her and just watched her go, dazed.

For breakfast, I had fish.

I gutted it casually, skewered it on a stick, and grilled it. The grilled, fragrant flesh was a bit dry, probably because it didn’t have much fat.

I still prefer meat over fish.

“Hey, you’re here.”

When I entered Ishikoro-ya around noon, the shop owner was waiting.

“Hello. I came as you said. What additional information do you have about the giant snake?”

There are a few things that can’t be said or done here, but I ask anyway.

“You probably have an idea, but look at this.”

He showed me something that looked like grilled eel on a skewer, split fan-like.

“Is this... a snake?”

“Yes. It’s not a giant snake or a monster, but it’s a fairly large snake.”

“Can I eat it?”

Since he offered it, I can probably eat it, but I don’t want to be scolded afterward.

The shop owner nodded quietly.

“Try it.”

“Okay.”

I opened my mouth wide and bit into the end. It had a soft texture and easily fell apart in my mouth. The sauce seemed to be just salty.

As I chewed, confirming the taste, the shop owner asked,

“You can eat this.”

I nodded without opening my mouth.

“You’ll understand when you eat it. Snake meat is edible.”

I swallowed. There were a few small bones, but it had a texture like grilled eel.

“Is it because it’s a small one?”

While eating the rest, I decided to listen to the rest of the shop owner’s explanation.

“No, it’s about the cooking method.”

“Do you need to prepare it in a certain way?”

“More important than preparation is how you cook it. You said you grilled the giant snake last time.”

“Yes. I remember you said it couldn’t be eaten even when grilled.”

“Right. This is a skewer, but it’s not just grilled. It’s steamed first.”

It really is like a grilled eel from Kanto.

“So, the giant snake needed to be steamed as well?”

“Yes. A small snake can be grilled and eaten because the meat is still soft.”

But, the shop owner continued,

“Once a snake gets to a certain size, that’s not enough. You need to boil or steam it, using hot water to process it.”

“Does it get too tough otherwise?”

“Yes, that’s why the giant snake couldn’t be eaten. There was a flaw on my part, but the main reason was your lack of knowledge.”

The shop owner stared at me, his expression unreadable.

“Where do you think I bought this?”

“Um... from a restaurant outside the slum?”

“Close, but no.”

The shop owner sighed.

“From a deli in the commercial district.”

A deli, I imagine, is a place where you can find dishes like tempura, fried foods, and boiled vegetables. This knowledge is from my time in Japan, but it’s probably not far off. I doubt they have tempura or boiled vegetables here.

The shop owner, as if lecturing me, said,

“Maybe you only know the slum in this city?”

“No, that’s not...”

I hesitated.

Wait, it’s true that for the past few months, I’ve only been going back and forth between the slum and the forest. I only walked around the city when I first arrived.

“By walking through the commercial district, you’ll see the products there, even if you don’t remember the exact locations. You should have a general idea of what’s sold where.”

“Yes...”

He’s right.

Even though I said I wanted to do something different, I didn’t even walk around. I had no excuse for being too busy with life.

I was probably just lazy.

However, it was surprising to hear such a lecture from this shop owner. Until recently, he only spoke the minimum necessary.

“Well, I’m not going to tell you to go study outside or anything. But you’re still young and small. You could do age-appropriate things and have some fun.”

“Is that so...”

“Of course, you can work and be my cash cow if you want.”

The shop owner grinned, showing his yellow teeth.

I left the shop and looked in the direction of the main street. There, towering over the low buildings of the slum, were large towers.

I don’t even know what they are. Indeed, I need to learn more about the city.