Chapter 78

The day after Diana enthusiastically talked about how cute the wolf cub was during dinner, we finished our morning routine and were walking through the forest to retrieve a large deer.

Diana has been fidgety since this morning, probably worried about whether the wolf cub is still around. I can understand her feelings; in my previous world, whenever I saw stray cats and their kittens, I would pay attention to whether they were still there when I passed by the area for a while. However, such things are rarely seen when you actively look for them, just like when I searched for stray cats.

Sure enough, we reached the lake without finding the wolf family. Diana's mood visibly dropped, but that's how people learn...

The boar that Sermia and the others had hunted before was quite large, but this deer is even bigger. It must be about 2 meters long.

"Did you have a hard time hunting this?"

"It was Aizou's special arrowhead, and the shot was well-placed, so it was almost an instant kill."

"Wow, that's impressive."

"Yeah, if it were a regular arrowhead, we might have returned just as the sun was setting."

Sermia indirectly praised me, so I sincerely said, "Thanks."

I asked Rike to cut down a large tree, and the remaining three of us worked hard to drag the deer. At first, the buoyancy made it a bit easier, but as we got closer to the shore, it became heavier. Sermia (and now Diana) are much stronger than ordinary humans, so we managed, but if it were just two ordinary humans, it would have been quite difficult. Combined with the boar from last time, the amount of meat stored will increase significantly.

We dragged the deer onto a transport platform made from a large tree. This time, it took more effort than usual. Of course, the platform was larger, and the deer's weight added to the difficulty, so it took longer to return home.

Hanging the deer at home was also a challenge, but the rest of the process was not much different. The fact that I can quickly process it with a sharp knife and that I have become more skilled over time, as I do this almost every week, helped. This time, at Sermia's request, we also took the tendons, which will be used for bowstrings. Since we can only salt so much, a lot of the meat will be dried. Meat is hanging all over the blacksmith's shop, making it look like a butcher's. We really need to build a storage shed that can also be used for smoking...

Lunch was grilled deer meat. From then on, it was a complete day off, so we even had wine (Rike had firewater). Even in this world, drinking during the day is not uncommon (though it's not a substitute for water), so the other three also enjoyed the meat and wine.

In the afternoon, we each did what we liked. Sermia maintained her bow, Rike made intricate items, and Diana practiced swordsmanship. I continued working on the flower bed and vegetable garden in the courtyard. It had been neglected for a while, so the soil was somewhat soft, but weeds had grown everywhere. I needed to till the soil again.

I took a hoe from the workshop and started tilling. It was much easier than before, so I didn't need help from the others. The work is somewhat similar to blacksmithing, but since this isn't for sale, it's much more relaxed. I don't mind physical labor, and it's good to do some gardening from time to time. I managed to till the courtyard alone. The soil is quite fluffy. Ideally, I should sieve the soil, but I don't know how much time I can dedicate to this in the future. I'll just make sure it doesn't turn into a weed field again.

For dinner, I made deer stew with wine. I'll buy more wine tomorrow, so I used it without hesitation. Having something like this makes it feel like a holiday. The conversation was lively, and we were well-rested for the next day.

The next day, we loaded the goods onto the cart and headed to the city to deliver our products. I didn't forget to bring two gold coins. On the way through the forest, we occasionally encountered animals like deer, but there were no particular dangers. ...Diana was probably looking for the wolf cub, which is why she was more observant than usual.

We remained vigilant on the road, but it was the usual peaceful scenery. Sermia and Diana confirmed everything was fine from time to time. We arrived in the city without any issues.

The guard on duty today was the one we saw on our way back last time. I wonder what happened to Marius' colleague. He also bought my products, so I'm a bit concerned. I hope nothing like what happened with Marius occurs. With these thoughts, I bowed and entered the city.

When we arrived at Camillo's place, everything was as usual. However, today I took the mithril rapier directly from the cart. I couldn't leave it there.

In the negotiation room, Camillo and the shop manager appeared as usual. Camillo, upon entering the room, noticed what I was holding.

"Ah, you've completed it."

"Indeed, it was quite a challenge."

I handed the rapier to Camillo. He drew the rapier from its sheath. The rapier I forged glowed faintly, and combined with the guard, it looked quite divine. Camillo examined the blade and nodded in satisfaction.

"Indeed. I was right to ask you."

"I'm glad you like it."

I tried not to show my relief on my face.

"By the way, what about the 'Apaitakara' you mentioned?"

"What about it?"

"The arrangements to secure it are in place."

"Great, we did it!"

"Sure. However, since it's even more valuable than mithril, it will take a bit longer to complete the procedures."

"I see. Well, that's understandable."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, don't worry about it."

I said this and took out two gold coins from my pocket.

"Since I brought these, I'll pay you now."

I handed them to Camillo, who smiled and said,

"Thanks as always."