Chapter 7

Before I knew it, two years had passed.

And I turned 15.

Even today, I still wake up to the chirping of birds.

That day, after being attacked by wolves in the forest, I haven't stepped outside my home... the "God's Garden" even once.

And since that day, I haven't heard God's voice.

It seems that to hear God's voice, one needs the skill "Divine Oracle." However, this is a very rare skill, and apparently, only three people in this world have it. Moreover, it's difficult to use, and most people can only hear God's voice, not actually converse with them.

If only I could obtain the skill someday and talk to God...

I'm sure it might be impossible right now, but I'll definitely get it!

I got up from the bed and checked the exchange diary, which has become my daily routine.

【Exchange Diary】 ＝3 points added

【Points held: 31,190】

【Small pot】 1

【Medium pot】 10

【Large pot】 20

【Vegetable seed set】 10

【Fruit seed set】 10

【Herb seed set】 10

【Wheat seeds】 50

【Rice seeds】 100

【Brick: 1 piece】 5

【Fountain】 1,500

【Bottles: 100 pieces】 3

【Room】 50

【Bathroom - Extension】 5,000

【Room - Extension】 2,000

【Roof - Extension】 10,000

【Basement - Extension】 30,000

【Laboratory - Extension】 15,000

There hasn't been anything new to exchange. If I do something new or write a wish in the diary, God will add something new.

By the way, God's reply in the exchange diary... recently it was about the salad dressing he's been into... It's peaceful and very good, indeed.

"Well... today I'll bake bread, and put salad and a fried egg on top to eat."

I went out to the garden as usual and got eggs from the three chickens.

Yes, the chickens that came to my house that day started laying eggs and now there are three of them.

"Cluck~"

Their chirping sounds like they're saying "It's okay!" I thanked the chickens and harvested some vegetables, then headed to the kitchen.

Since I came to this different world, Lethisrill, I've been making recovery potions every day and trying to accumulate points. Thanks to that, my house has become much more comfortable.

By the way, it was discovered that these recovery potions are actually amazing. I drank a physical recovery potion, which turned out to be tea, and tried others. The magic recovery potion turned out to be black tea, and the crimson recovery potion tasted like cola. I was amazed. However, is it good that the taste of something you need to drink quickly is carbonated...?

First, a new oven was added to the kitchen.

A brick oven, like the one used for baking pizza. It's very useful in winter, but surprisingly, it doesn't make the house hot in summer. The kitchen is very comfortable. I also exchanged points for cooking utensils and dishes, making the kitchen well-equipped. There's even a cute teapot, but unfortunately, no guests have come.

In the basement, which I use as a storage room, I keep the harvested food and vegetables.

Moreover, I've expanded it with exchange points. The first expansion, which was supposed to make it bigger, turned out to be a "non-expansion" where the items inside don't deteriorate over time. The exchange points were 20,000, but it has been very useful. So, the vegetables and eggs I harvest are always fresh.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Aaaaaah!!!"

I was just finishing breakfast when a loud scream came from outside. The scream, piercing the morning sky, was that of a young girl, filled with fear. I hurried out of the house and ran in the direction of the scream.

But... people in this forest? It had never happened in the two years I've been here.

"Uaaaaah!"

"Kilt...!!"

When I went out to the garden, I saw a girl and a boy a little beyond the fence of "God's Garden." The girl had beautiful, curly red hair that sparkled, and she was wearing a robe and holding a staff. The boy had short, refreshing hair and looked like a swordsman, wearing a sword, armor, and a cloak.

The one approaching the girl was the "wolf" monster I had seen before. By the way, after checking, I found out that the wolf is called a "Hard Wolf." It's a C-rank monster. While one Hard Wolf isn't that strong, it has the habit of calling for its companions if it takes too long to defeat, making it a dangerous monster. Therefore, when beginners take on quests, they often form parties of several people.

There were three Hard Wolves in total. The boy stood in front of the girl, defending against the attacks with his sword and counterattacking. The girl's white robe was dirty in some places, and it seemed to be stained red around her thigh. She appeared to be injured...

"Miss...! Now!"

"Kilt...! O shining flame, lend me your power and manifest your light... Inferno Storm!!"

The girl chanted something and thrust her staff forward, and flames appeared and attacked the Hard Wolves. The sparkling red flames engulfed and eliminated the Hard Wolves. In the place where the Hard Wolves had been, three fangs fell.

According to the book, in this world, when "monsters" are defeated, they disappear without a trace. And they leave behind materials as loot.

"Haa... haa..."

"Kilt, you did well."

"No, it's thanks to your magic, Miss."

A party of a mage and a swordsman...?

Relieved after defeating the three Hard Wolves, the two of them sat down on the spot. I had to go out of the house to reach them, but I thought it would be fine now. Besides, if any monsters appeared, I could run at full speed. I was more concerned about the girl's injury.

"Hey, are you okay...?"

"Wha...!?"

"Ah! Sorry, I'm not a suspicious person...?"

They were so surprised when I called out that I got flustered.

They were probably a bit younger than me. I mean, in terms of physical age, not mental age, I'm 15.

"Since when..."

"Well, my house is right there..."

"House...?"

"Yes, over there..."

I pointed in the direction of my house, and the two of them looked even more surprised. I thought they would have noticed the garden, which is quite open... But they were so focused on the Hard Wolves that they didn't notice... Yes, it's very possible!

"No way... There's a house in this forest, ouch!!"

"Miss...!! Damn, we're out of recovery potions..."

"I'm... fine."

"I have recovery potions at home! Come on!"

I had forgotten that the girl was being brave. Her robe was stained with blood.

I invited the two, who were out of recovery potions, into my house and treated their injuries. I took out the physical recovery potions stored in the basement and applied them to their bodies. The girl said "thank you," and the boy followed suit.

"This is the first time someone has come to my house... I'm a bit nervous."

I felt a bit embarrassed about letting someone into my space.

The living room, which I had expanded, had a round table in the center that could seat 5-6 people, creating a very cozy atmosphere. I served the two magic recovery potions as tea and some doughnut-like snacks fried in olive oil with sugar as a treat. By the way, there was a reason I served the magic recovery potions as tea. They taste like black tea...!! I transferred the contents to a kettle, heated them, and added sugar. Of course, I poured them into the teacups I had wanted to use for entertaining guests.

"Thank you for saving us. I am Cynthia Meldite. This is my guard, Kilt."

"Thank you for the recovery potions."

"Ah, I'm Hinami."

I was inwardly surprised by the mature words of someone younger than me and guessed she was a noble. Especially since she had a guard, it was definitely a bingo.

"...Is this a magic recovery potion!? But the taste...!"

"Oh, yes. Magic recovery potions are delicious, aren't they?"

Cynthia... Yes, I'll use "san" because she seems mature. She took a sip from the teacup and exclaimed in surprise. I guess she could tell what it was as soon as she drank it. Since she had been using magic, she must have recovered... By the way, I only feel like I'm drinking regular black tea. Isn't that strange...?

"What are you talking about, Miss... This...!!"

"See, it's delicious, right!?"

What's the problem with the black tea... I mean, the magic recovery potion being delicious...? I started to feel a bit anxious.

Noticing my worried and flustered face, Cynthia said, "I'm sorry for surprising you," and explained why she was surprised.

"Usually, magic recovery potions are very bitter..."

"Really?"

"...Let's try it. Please drink this. It's a regular magic recovery potion you can buy in town."

"Ah, okay..."

The small bottle she handed me contained the same light orange liquid as the magic recovery potions I make. However, the bottle was plain and undecorated, unlike the ones I make.

By the way, when I make magic recovery potions, the bottles automatically have a star pattern and are very cute.

With the two of them watching me, I opened the bottle and looked inside. Yes, it looks like the magic recovery potions I make...? Well, let's drink it anyway.

"...Hmm. ...So bitter!!!"

I was going to savor it on my tongue... but the bitterness was so intense that I immediately swallowed it and choked. What is this...? It tastes like a mix of barley tea, green juice, and milk? I've never actually tried it, though...

"That's right. Magic recovery potions are expensive, bitter, and require a large amount, but they are essential for mages, even though their performance is terrible..."

"Cough... Cough! ...So, that's how it is?"

"That's right. Normally, such a rare item wouldn't be served as tea..."

"Moreover, this magic recovery potion, not only does it taste good, but its effect... It restores much more magic than the ones I had...! Where did you get such an amazing item?"

I choked on the bitterness. What a blunder...

And according to Cynthia, the magic recovery potions I make are apparently quite amazing... I feel bad about using a skill to make them so easily... But she's drinking them so happily...!

"Well... I can't teach you the method, but I made the recovery potions."

"Wha...!!"

"But you... are about my age, right?"

The two of them were surprised. And Cynthia, who seemed to find it hard to believe that someone her age made them, had wide eyes.

"You're a potion master, right?"

"Ah, yes... I guess..."

"Potion master" is a kind of profession.

It refers to someone who uses herbs to make recovery potions and has extensive knowledge of herbs. I don't have extensive knowledge, so I'm not sure if I can call myself a potion master. Moreover, making recovery potions with a skill feels a bit cheap, so I can only say, "It's something like that, hehe."

"...Miss Hinami"

"Yes?"

"If it's not too much trouble, could you give us a few recovery potions? We're out of potions, and we might not be able to get back to town safely..."

"Ah...! Of course, I can do that."

"Thank you...!"

The awkward atmosphere was lightened by Kilt's words.

I said, "I'll be right back," and went down to the basement to pack physical recovery potions, crimson recovery potions, and magic recovery potions into a bag. I packed 10 of each, making the bag quite full.

"Here, take these."

"Miss Hinami...! So many!?"

"I have plenty, so it's fine."

The bag was packed full, and Kilt exclaimed in surprise. When Kilt took it, Cynthia immediately thanked me. She's so mature despite being younger than me. However, the two of them soon looked troubled, and I was confused. Cynthia explained.

"Thank you...! But we don't have much money right now... Could we have 5 physical recovery potions and 1 magic recovery potion?"

"Huh...?"

"Yes... We only planned to go hunting for a short time... The Forest of Confusion is terrifying..."

Hmm.

The Forest of Confusion...? No, let's focus on the recovery potions! And for such a young child to worry about money...! She should just be spoiled. Or maybe in this world, unlike Japan, children can't be as spoiled...

"No, you don't need to pay."

"That's not possible...!"

"Really, it's fine. Besides, if I don't give you all of them and something happens to you two, I'd be upset. Right?"

"Ah..."

One more push, "Right?" and I smiled. Cynthia said, "Okay," and took them honestly. Yes, that's good.

"But I will definitely come to thank you...!"

"Ah... Sure, then do that."

I smiled, and I was honestly quite happy. Because this means I'll get to meet people again...

Cynthia and Kilt also smiled, seemingly influenced by my happiness. Yes, children... around 10 years old, I guess... smiles are the best.

"Here, have some doughnuts and relax."

"Ah... Thank you."

"I'm sorry for troubling you on our first meeting..."

"It's fine, it's fine!"

And I didn't know that the two of them would exclaim about the deliciousness of the doughnuts.