Chapter 7

We arrived at the campsite. There was a wide space by the road, and it seemed everyone used it. There were traces of campfires and logs that were just the right size to sit on.

The old driver let us off and immediately started tending to the horses. After all, they were his treasure. Even during occasional breaks, he would diligently take care of them. I helped out a little too.

I poured water into the horse's bucket with a splash. This wasn't water magic but living magic. The water conjured by magic in this world is safe to drink, so it's convenient that we don't have to carry large amounts of water.

"Is it okay to do this so many times?"

The old driver, whose name is Skrow, peered at my hands with concern.

"It's fine for this much."

Actually, normal living magic can only produce about a cup of water. When there are many people, you have to use it repeatedly, consuming magic power each time. It's said that unless you're a magician, you'll run out after a few uses. I'm a magician, and I've been practicing magic power control since I gained self-awareness, so I probably have more magic power than others. I've seen things like circulating magic power in your stomach or using it all up before bed in light novels. It's a shame we can't see the numbers.

The horses, perhaps remembering that I gave them water during breaks, rubbed against me. They're good kids, healing my roughened heart.

Meanwhile, the passengers started preparing dinner in their respective spots. Basically, everyone prepares their own meals. According to Skrow, there are carriages that include meals, but they're rare.

I looked for an empty spot and noticed that no one was starting a fire. They were just taking out ready-to-eat food and water bottles. No one was making a campfire? But there were traces of them...

"Excuse me, can I start a fire?"

"Huh? Who's going to take care of it!?"

I asked Skrow, but a brat answered. What does "take care of it" mean?

The leader of the adventurer party, who seemed to be the guard, answered with a wry smile.

"During winter, sure, but this season, we don't bother. If you want a fire, you have to prepare it and make sure it's properly extinguished. That's what 'taking care of it' means."

I see.

"Understood. Thank you."

I bowed, and he showed a kind smile. He even patted my head. This might be the first time someone has done that since I came to this world. I blushed and fidgeted, and he laughed out loud.

The brat was staring at me from a distance. What's with this guy?

Since getting involved with him wouldn't be good for my mental health, I asked Skrow and the others for permission to enter the surrounding forest. Of course, they were worried, and the brat barked at me, but I wanted some warm meat. I had bought dry bread and dried meat, but I wanted a proper meal at night.

First, I made a few trips to gather dry wood. I'd arrange it to catch fire easily later.

Then, the meat. While gathering dry wood, I searched for signs. I don't have a convenient skill like "Detect Presence," but I can tell a lot from sounds like footsteps. It's a rabbit today.

I saw a brown rabbit, much larger than the ones from my previous life. It had no horns, so it was classified as an animal. I aimed my arrow at the rabbit, which was standing still, twitching its nose.

*Whoosh!*

Right after the sound of the arrow cutting through the air, a muffled thud echoed. I calmly readied the next arrow, but the rabbit remained motionless on the ground. I sighed, put away the arrow, and approached the rabbit. The arrow had hit just above its eyes. Good, just as I aimed.

I bled the rabbit on the spot and removed its organs. I dug a hole and buried them. I tried using earth magic to dig the hole; it seemed I could make pitfalls too.

"Wow! That's a big catch!"

The adventurer party, who had been on guard, greeted me. They were worried, or maybe they didn't think I'd actually catch anything.

I quickly arranged the dry wood, stuffed it with dry leaves, and lit the fire. It crackled and white smoke rose. While watching it, I prepared the rabbit. I was used to this from my time in town, though it was in the mountains.

I made my own skewers. When the fire was just right, I sprinkled salt on the chopped meat and skewered it. I placed the skewers around the fire, ensuring they were far enough from the flames.

It looked good.

I suddenly realized everyone was staring at me. Scary. What? The smell of the meat isn't even out yet!