Chapter 19

"..."

When I woke up, Grace's sleeping face was right next to me, and for a moment, I felt my heart beat faster.

I immediately remembered what had happened last night and understood, but seeing her so close without any mental preparation was a bit overwhelming... Grace's face was just too perfect. Although I was used to seeing her, it had been a while since we had been this close.

"---Mm, good morning, Theodore-sama."

Grace opened her eyes slightly and smiled, seemingly awakened by my movement.

"---Yeah. Good morning."

There wasn't really anything special, but... it felt a bit embarrassing.

We hadn't even brought a bed, so we had just laid out a blanket on the floor of the master bedroom and slept under another blanket together.

"Shouldn't Theodore-sama still be resting? I'll let you know when breakfast is ready."

Grace got up, saying that. It was just starting to get light outside the window. I must have woken up a bit too early, but I felt refreshed after a good night's sleep.

"I'll help. I'll change and wash my face."

Breakfast was a vegetable soup made with leftover ingredients from our journey, along with some black bread. It felt like a typical breakfast, but it was important to use the ingredients before they went bad. The rabbit meat we bought at the market was also in the soup, which improved its quality.

Still, it would be a bit bland to just have that, especially since we had just arrived at the border city. Among the emergency rations and ingredients we bought before entering the dungeon yesterday, there was a mushroom monster called Whispermush. This time, I decided to make it the main dish.

Whispermush can be harvested... or rather, defeated in the Dusk Forest. The actual creature is about the size of a watermelon and can walk around. Its body slam attack isn't very strong, but it can use a sleep spell, so some caution is needed. There are also toxic variants, but they can be distinguished by the color and pattern of their caps, so it's not a problem.

What was available at the market was already sliced, but since the original size was that of a watermelon, each slice was quite large. Cutting one slice into smaller pieces would be just right for Grace and me.

Grace heated a frying pan on the stove and spread a thin layer of olive oil. Once it was warm enough, she added the mushrooms and bacon. The pleasant sound of the ingredients sizzling in the pan filled the air.

She sprinkled salt and spices, and once they were cooked through, the dish was complete: sautéed Whispermush.

With the main dish on the table, we sat down for breakfast.

"How is it?"

The taste of Whispermush is similar to that of shiitake mushrooms. The texture is chewy and flavorful, making it quite delicious. Grace's seasoning was perfect.

"Yeah, it's delicious."

"Really? Thank you."

Grace smiled at my honest feedback.

Hmm. With the sap of the Sabo tree and the Whispermush... I should try to reach the Dusk Forest as soon as possible. There are many useful items there, and they can be used for various purposes or sold for a steady income.

"Yesterday, there were many unfamiliar ingredients, so I was a bit indecisive."

"That's unique to the border city. Yes."

Whispermush, for example, and even Flying Shark fins were available. The items in the market change depending on the activities of adventurers, but some things, like worm meat, are best avoided.

"What are your plans for today?"

"I'll get information from the guild and then go shopping. I want to buy furniture, but it might be a bit early to go out. I think I'll do some light gardening to pass the time."

"Understood."

So, after breakfast, I decided to do some light gardening.

I started cutting the overgrown grass in the yard from one end... but I didn't use a scythe; I used magic.

Using a staff would quickly deplete its lifespan, so I used magic with my bare hands. Even for a simple task like weeding, there are still some risks.

In these untended patches of grass, even in the city, there can be a monster called Evil Weed.

It has a mouth-like structure on its bud or flower, complete with teeth. It's not a significant threat, but it will bite if provoked... a weed with a self-defense mechanism.

It spreads by shooting seeds from its mouth, so it can be found almost anywhere. Because of this, it is particularly disliked by gardeners.

While it's basically weak, being bitten can be a bit painful. It's more of an annoyance than anything. It's the kind of monster that might cause a child to cry after being bitten and bleeding from the tooth marks. It's not as dangerous as cutting your hand on a bamboo leaf or getting pricked by a thorn.

In the fall, it adds seed-shooting to its attacks, but it's not very dangerous. It's more of a nuisance. The seeds can be dangerous if they get in your eyes, but the monsters seem reluctant to use their precious seeds as weapons, so it doesn't happen often.

Incidentally, you can extract a small amount of magic stone components from the seeds in the fall, but it's not worth the effort. They are truly just weeds.

"Let's get started."

"Yes, be careful not to get hurt."

"Grace, too. There might be weeds."

"Yes."

Grace was also in a combat-ready state, freed from her cursed item. Her regeneration ability is weaker in sunlight, so if she gets hurt, it won't heal immediately. It's best to avoid injuries altogether.

Let's start from one end. The magic I used was the third-tier water magic, Water Cutter. I easily cut the weeds at the roots with the blade of water in my palm.

Grace, on the other hand, was swinging an axe from a safe distance, cutting the grass with a bold stroke.

A proper scythe would be better, but if she's freed, the durability of the tool would be an issue. When she's sealed, she's at the same level as a normal person, so it's more efficient for her to use an axe when she's freed.

A large scythe with a metal handle would be more like a weapon, and it would be a waste to buy one just for gardening.

"I found one."

"Kee!"

Sure enough, an Evil Weed was mixed in. It was grabbed by the neck by Grace and mercilessly cut at the root with an axe, letting out a scream.

Meanwhile, I found a weed and carefully cut it with Water Cutter, then used the second-tier wind magic, Cyclone, to gather the weeds and pile them in a sunny spot.

Hmm. Since this isn't a life magic, using low-level attack magic for this kind of task is a bit cumbersome. I have to control the power carefully, which seems to consume more magic power.

In the end, it's making my shoulders stiff. I really need to learn life magic.

"Excuse me, is this Theodore's house?"

After a while of cutting the grass, a voice called out from the front of the house.

I walked to the gate and saw the receptionist from the guild yesterday. Her name was... Heather, I think. Behind her were the Forest Birds.

"Yes, this is the right place. You're Heather, right?"

"Yes, I'm sorry to bother you."

"No, it's just gardening."

After exchanging a few words with Heather, I turned to the Forest Birds.

"Good morning, Theo."

"Good morning, Theo."

"Yeah, good morning."

I decided to let them in through the gate.

"The house is a bit empty since we haven't bought furniture yet, but I can offer you some tea."

"No, no, that's fine."

Heather smiled wryly.

"I forgot to do something I was asked to do yesterday. I usually go for a walk on my days off, so I thought I'd stop by. Here is the letter of introduction and the address."

"Ah, thank you very much."

I took the note with the address and the letter. Heather must have stopped by the Forest Birds' place on her walk to deliver the message. The Forest Birds must have come along with her.

It might be early for the Forest Birds when they don't have a job. Fitz looked a bit sleepy.

"You two had a rough time yesterday."

"Really, I was surprised to hear you were targeted."

"Yeah, that's why you came?"

"Well... something like that. I'm relieved to see you both are unharmed."

Monica scratched her cheek, looking a bit embarrassed.

"You two would have to be in really bad shape for that to happen. You probably turned the ambush into a surprise attack, right?"

"It'll probably be the talk of the adventurer community for a while."

They were chatting and getting excited about it.

Well... I knew the Forest Birds were good people. Coming to check on us the day after yesterday shows they are reliable.

I was also relieved that they weren't targeted.