Chapter 60

As we traveled, we encountered several merchants on the road, and we continued heading south.

I felt somewhat uneasy about leaving the handling of the horse entirely to Haru.

Caro offered to help me tend to the Mana Grass she had picked earlier, but when I tried the "Purify" spell, the dirt came off cleanly, and once again, the work was done before it even started.

Caro was surprised.

Apparently, the "Purify" spell isn't that versatile, and using it on grass wouldn't remove the dirt, as soil is not considered dirt but a necessary part of the plant.

Even if she said that, there was nothing to be done about what had already happened.

All that was left was to soak the grass in water for half a day and let it dry in the moonlight overnight to turn it into high-quality Mana Potion ingredients.

Soaking and drying it seemed like a lot of work, but that's how it's done, so I used the water from the "Puchi Water" spell and poured it into a bucket I had in my item bag, then placed the Mana Grass inside.

I've gotten much better at adjusting the amount of water from the "Puchi Water" spell.

When I practiced in secret, I was worried when a water ball that could shatter a tree came out.

Using magic at full power is very easy, but using it with restraint requires a lot of concentration.

With nothing else to do, I prepared a piece of bread that had become even harder after being left uneaten from last night and started a task.

The sun was beginning to set, so we decided to gather firewood for camping.

It would take two days to reach Dacat, so we decided to camp here for the night.

From the top of the mountain, Dacat seemed quite close, but now it looked far away.

Especially the downhill road was quite winding, so it couldn't be helped.

Leaving Caro in the carriage, Haru and I set out to gather firewood.

Fortunately, there was a forest at the bottom of the mountain, so we didn't lack for firewood.

We found some edible fruits along the way, so we might pick them with Caro in the morning and use them for breakfast.

She has a new skill in plant identification due to her Gatherer level up, so she should be able to tell if the fruits are edible.

After gathering a sufficient amount of branches, we used about thirty percent of them to build a fire.

"Puchi Fire"

I used the fire spell with restraint, just like the "Puchi Water" spell.

The branches didn't turn to ashes, and the campfire was ready.

Now we'd be fine even if night fell.

Feeling reassured, I started to feel hungry.

"Alright, let's make some food."

I suggested to the two of them.

"Uh?"

Haru and Caro both exclaimed in surprise.

It was understandable that they were surprised. Even though we were camping, I had an item bag with various foods inside, so there was no need to cook over the campfire.

"No, we can always eat freshly made meals from the item bag, but campfire cooking is something we can only do on occasions like this. Don't worry, I have the ingredients and cooking utensils."

I said this and started laying out a frying pan and ingredients on a flat rock. I had bought everything in Velasra.

Incidentally, I had also used the "Purify" spell to clean the rock, though I'm not sure if it sterilized it.

"Let's make grilled fish and a simple barbecue. I bought skewers too. Haru, can you fillet the fish? Caro, can you cut the green onions into bite-sized pieces? I'll prepare the meat."

I gave the river fish to Haru, the green onions to Caro, and I took the remaining wolf meat.

Thanks to my Butchery skill, I knew how to make the meat tender.

I made small cuts in the tough parts to make it easier to eat.

This Butchery skill seems quite useful for meat dishes, not just for butchery.

Of course, I didn't make cuts in Haru's portion. It's not out of malice, but because she prefers meat with a bit of chew. Cutting the tough parts would ruin that texture.

"Haru, you didn't fillet the fish... properly."

The fish was cut into three pieces, but they were just chunks.

The head, body, and tail were separated.

It wasn't even three "fillets."

It was more like a "disappointing fillet."

"Well, I can manage with this. Caro... no, my mouth isn't that small."

She was cutting them into rounds, but only five millimeters thick. And she had only made three so far. How slowly was she cutting?

Moreover, her grip on the knife was quite dangerous.

She didn't seem to hear me, focusing on her work and raising the knife high. I grabbed her wrist to stop her.

If she kept cutting like that, she might really cut off her finger one day.

Having two such cute girls who can't cook was a bit disappointing, but everyone has their flaws.

Thinking about it, Milli was also terrible at cooking, and the best cook I met in this world was Margaret (♂).

The era when women were expected to cook might be coming to an end, both on Earth and in this world.

I told Haru I would show her how to fillet the fish and taught Caro how to use a knife.

"I'm sorry, Master... I've never cooked before."

"Me too... I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, it's fine. I actually enjoy cooking."

After my parents died in an accident, I had been cooking for Milli alone.

I can cook decently, though I'm far from a professional.

I seasoned the meat with salt and pepper I had bought in Velasra and skewered it with the green onions to grill over the campfire.

While that was cooking, I heated the frying pan and placed the fat I had removed from the wolf meat on it.

Ideally, I would have used vegetable or olive oil, but I had to make do.

I coated the filleted fish with flour, an egg, and breadcrumbs made from the hard bread, then fried it in the pan.

It was a fish fry.

The barbecue was also ready, so we waited for the skewers to cool down before the three of us ate.

"The barbecue... I haven't eaten green onions much, but they're very delicious. The meat has just the right texture."

"This is the first time I've had fish like this. It's crispy on the outside, and the fish flavor is concentrated inside, making it very delicious."

The food was well-received by both of them.

The fish fry was indeed delicious, and the meat was also good.

However, it was still the second-best meal I had since coming to this world, after the food Margaret made.

The food I had in Japan seemed even more delicious.

What I really wanted was some sauce or soy sauce for the fish fry.

Even the barbecue would be better with more than just salt and pepper.

If that wasn't possible, at least some rice—some rice would be nice.

My quest for better food would continue.

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**Interlude: Jofel and Elise's Departure**

Jofel and Elise left Velasra the night before Icchou left the town.

There was a significant reason for their departure.

After having a proper dinner for the first time in a while, they bought a large amount of feed for the centaur and stored it in their item bags. They also purchased a two-person saddle suitable for the centaur.

Their plan was to find a place to sleep.

However, Jofel looked at the eastern sky and shouted.

"Look, Elise! The first star is shining!"

"Really, Jofel. It's very beautiful."

"Did you know? When the first star appears in the eastern sky, it's said to be the day to start a journey. Since it's shining in the eastern sky, not the west, north, or south, it means we should start our journey today."

"Got it! Let's go right away!"

The first star shining meant the weather would be good, so they decided to start their journey the next morning. However, Jofel, who only heard part of the story, decided to start their journey that night.

"Where are we going?"

"Of course, we should ask the travel expert."

"So, we'll leave it to the centaur?"

They hadn't forgotten what happened the last time they left it to the centaur.

They just remembered that they had successfully reached Velasra thanks to the centaur.

Incidentally, this centaur is a Slowdonkey. As the name suggests, it's not very fast but is a strong monster.

Moreover, after eating two rare medals, its strength increased significantly, and its speed is now on par with a regular horse.

It's much stronger than Jofel and Elise.

Even if they both fought together, they wouldn't stand a chance against the centaur.

So, why does the Slowdonkey follow them?

The answer is quite simple.

It never followed them in the first place.

It just lives as it pleases.

That's the centaur's way of life.

So, the centaur carries them on its back and proceeds as it pleases.

Its confident demeanor makes it seem like a seasoned traveler, but of course, no one knows where they are going.

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The interlude will continue next time.