Chapter 29

I wake up to a strange sensation around my mouth.

When I raise my eyes, Riz is leaning over me, kissing me.

"Good morning."

She greets me with a Cheshire cat-like grin.

"Good morning. You scared me."

"Hehe. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I feel more and more fond of you every day."

Looking at her expression, I thought she must be related to Tisha.

"I'll go get ready."

As I try to get out of bed and stand up, I’m hugged from behind.

"Hehe. Are you a cuddly one?"

I turn around and kiss her.

"I didn’t realize it myself, but maybe I am."

Riz slips out of my arms and heads towards the door.

"Thanks for always cooking."

She turns back and smiles.

"Hehe. Thank you. But it’s mostly my mom. I’ll try to practice more."

Riz opens the door and heads to the kitchen.

When I open the window, it’s a beautiful sunny day.

I change my clothes. I’ve borrowed a few outfits and have been washing them with the leftover bathwater and the river near the house.

In this village, there’s no sewer system, but water is drawn from a tributary of the river and distributed to certain areas for daily use. There are many wells due to the proximity to the forest, and the water quality is high, so drinking water and daily use water are clearly separated.

Maybe I can share the concept of a hand pump. I can find a conceptual diagram and a simple design from the encyclopedia on my smartphone. I don’t know the level of craftsmanship in this civilization, but mass production through casting is probably possible. I don’t know if the concept of patents exists, so I’m not sure if it would generate income, but fetching water is quite labor-intensive, and I don’t want to do it.

"After I finish work, I’ll go to the blacksmith to check the price of weapons."

I head to the living room.

"Good morning."

"Oh, good morning."

Tisha replies.

"I’ll go fetch water."

"Oh, I’m sorry."

I take the jar and head to fetch water. Today, the well is also a meeting place. After exchanging greetings and some light conversation, I return to Ast’s house. The muscle soreness has mostly subsided.

"I’m back."

"Oh, thank you. I’m always sorry for the trouble."

"No, no. I’m grateful to be staying here."

Breakfast consists of rye porridge, bacon, cabbage, and stir-fried root vegetables. There’s also a bird-based soup.

After finishing breakfast, the two of us head out hunting.

When we’re alone, I hand Tisha a 5,000 wahl coin wrapped in a piece of cloth.

"What’s this?"

She asks with a puzzled look.

"I’ve been taken care of, so please accept it."

The stay cost 5,000 wahl, and I’ve been helped in many ways, so this is the least I can do.

"That’s not necessary. You’re a guest, and you’re my daughter’s fiancé. I can’t accept it."

"I’d be grateful if you could at least accept it for the duration of my stay."

After some back and forth, she finally accepts it.

I take the lunch and head to the adventurer’s guild. I check the request board. The price of Vaz grass hasn’t changed. It must be quite depleted.

"Hey, 'Herb'."

A tall man in leather armor with a long sword at his waist calls out to me. From his expression, he doesn’t seem to have any ill will.

"There’s a rumor that a new recruit has been making a killing with Vaz grass. That’s you, right?"

"Yes, I think so."

I’m cautious because I don’t understand his intentions.

"No, no, I’m not here to pick a fight. Our ranks get tougher as we level up. There aren’t many healers around, so healing potions are a matter of life and death. They’ve been in short supply and the prices have been rising. So, everyone is grateful to those who gather Vaz grass. That’s why we call you 'Herb.' Thanks for your help. Keep it up."

He turns and waves as he leaves.

He was like a storm. Well, if I’m not hated and am valued, I probably won’t get involved in unnecessary disputes.

As I head towards the northern forest, I get lost in thought. In a rural area with dense human relationships, interactions inevitably increase. I admit I’m a bit socially awkward, but I have no choice but to adapt. It’s quite stressful.

I reach the swamp. A quick look around shows that the Vaz grass available for harvesting has decreased.

"Let’s go a bit further in."

As usual, I mark the ground with 1 and an arrow every 5 meters or so. By this point, we’re likely in the territory of wild animals. I remain vigilant as I move slowly forward, picking Vaz grass as I go.

Suddenly, I feel a chill and sense something. Is it the effect of 'Alert'?

I hide silently in the bushes and carefully survey the area.

"There they are. Are those them?"

Two goblins have discarded their spears and are crouching, chewing on something. It’s a small animal, like a rabbit.

"I don’t want to be caught off guard. I have magic, so I’ll take them out one by one."

I ready a Grave-like spell.

I imagine compressing a 20 cm diameter sphere of wind to about 5 mm.

"Attribute: Wind. Pressure defined. Shape: A cone with a 2 mm concave top, 5 mm radius, and 7 mm height. Fixed 10 cm in front of my right index finger. Fire it forward at 150 km/h..."

I start chanting softly. The target is the back of the closer goblin. I aim my index finger from the cover of the bushes.

"Execute."

As I finish the chant, there’s a squelching sound, and the goblin’s back caves in, the front bulges, and it bursts. The chest is completely punctured, and I can feel it’s dead.

<Skill 'Acquisition' notification. The conditions for Skill 'Acquisition' have been met. The target’s Skill 'Alert' 0.01. The skill has been integrated.>

While listening to the voice of 'Acquisition,' I observe the remaining goblin.

It seems to be in a panic, standing there with a look of shock on its face, not understanding why the other goblin died.

I imagine compressing a 10 cm diameter sphere of wind to about 5 mm.

"Attribute: Wind. Pressure defined. Shape: A cone with a 5 mm radius and 1 cm height. Fixed 10 cm in front of my right index finger. Fire it forward with a spinning motion at 150 km/h..."

I start chanting softly again. The target is the left knee of the remaining goblin. I aim my index finger and set the target.

"Execute."

There’s a squelching sound, and a 5 cm hole opens in the goblin’s left knee.

"Gi, Gaaaaaah..."

Unable to bear the pain, it screams, pressing its knee and trembling.

I don’t know if there are any others around. I burst out of the bushes and slash the goblin from behind with a Grave-like spell. It’s still alive and tries to turn its head, so I pull out the machete from my waist and slash its neck. A sound like a gust of wind flows from its throat for a short time before it dies.

Huh? No report from 'Acquisition.'

<Explanation. There is no higher-level skill to transfer from Jang-ho.>

I look around, but there are no other goblins. I hid for about 10 minutes to see if any reinforcements would come, but none did. Maybe they’re dumber than I thought. Maybe the goblins from last time were stragglers rather than scouts.

I cut off the noses and limbs of the goblins and hide them in the bushes. Since we’re quite far from the swamp, the concealment is a bit sloppy. I hope carnivores will be attracted by the smell of blood and take care of the remains.

I don’t feel any mental fatigue from the spell. It seems possible to use it in this level of combat, but I don’t want to engage in prolonged battles. Using the minimum output is also to prevent unforeseen situations. Targeting the legs is advantageous because it stops movement, and long weapons are overwhelmingly effective.

"If I could target the head, it would be a one-shot, but considering the parts to be harvested, it’s a bit roundabout. Oh well."

I sprinkle dirt on the blood to do the minimum concealment and continue forward.

As I move north, I see a stream. The Vaz grass is thriving.

"Oh, this place should be safe from depletion for a while."

Feeling a bit happy, I wash the blood from the stream.

"I was tense. I’m tired. I’ll take a break."

I sit on a convenient rock and quench my thirst with water from my canteen. I was more tense than I thought, and the water felt like a sweet nectar.