Chapter 15

"In this forest, which is exclusively for our family, you should use magic to hunt without hesitation. My presence is also a form of convenience, as the main purpose of our hunting is for me."

"Ah, that's why no other hunters have come here so far."

"Even though it's our exclusive forest, we don't receive complaints from the people in our territory. Our land has a lot of unused space. There are many forests where hunting and gathering are allowed. It would have been better to recruit immigrants and focus on developing ordinary uninhabited land rather than trying to cultivate the Demon Forest."

"Yeah, that's true."

After hearing about how my magic was tacitly accepted by the family and that I was the cause of the inheritance dispute, which I didn't want to join, I increasingly thought about leaving home as soon as possible. However, it seems that I can't be independent until I turn fifteen.

Also, since I hunt Holoholo birds every day, if I stop, the side dishes for dinner will decrease. Is this a joke? Is it serious? I'm not quite sure, but for some reason, my daily trips to the forest were tacitly accepted.

"Thanks to Vell, we've gone from having only black bread and vegetable soup for dinner to having meat, yams, mushrooms, and fruits. I've never been happier."

"Father and the other brothers, do they not hunt?"

"Five years ago, many adult men died in battle. To fill their roles, even Father is plowing the fields himself. Of course, the same goes for us without saying."

"I see..."

"Still, at the upcoming Kurt's wedding party, we can't serve only black bread and vegetable soup. Here, we'll rely on Vell."

Indeed, if such a menu were served at a wedding party, it would be the end of our noble status.

"Erich, if you just aim the bow, it's fine."

"It's easier not to have to search for the prey myself."

For about half a day, I used detection magic to find large prey that I usually avoid, approached them, and enhanced the arrows shot by Erich, who is the best archer in the Baumgarten family, with magic.

It seems that Erich's archery skills are truly excellent. The arrows, whose power was increased by magic, hit the vital points of boars, deer, badgers, and Holoholo birds without any need for correction of direction or trajectory.

Erich and I quickly bled the prey that had been killed by a single arrow to the heart or head, and sprinkled salt to preserve the skin for later processing.

Honestly, it's a tough job for a seven-year-old, but thanks to the body-strengthening magic, we managed to process the prey without any problems.

"Looks like you were holding back until now."

"Wouldn't it be strange for a seven-year-old to hunt boars alone?"

"Actually, if you're an excellent magic user, it's not that strange."

According to Erich, among those born with significant magical power, there are not a few who can even hunt monsters at an age younger than mine.

If you can cast a fireball the size of a softball, you can easily kill large animals that have turned into monsters, goblins, and slow-moving zombies.

There are also those who, like me, enhance their physical abilities with magic and fight with bows or spears. In a way, children play a significant role here, unlike on Earth.

"Magic is truly amazing. To be able to enhance the power of my arrows to this extent..."

"In your case, since your aim is accurate, it's easier to just enhance the power."

"I'm honored by your praise."

At first, I used earth magic to create arrowheads and shoot them to hunt prey. However, Erich asked, "Why go through such trouble?"

Indeed, I have my own bow and arrows, even if they are for children. It would be more efficient to correct the trajectory and power of the arrows after they are shot, rather than wasting magic power. I analyzed that this was probably a habit from before I met my master, when I was intentionally wasting magic power to increase my magical power.

"Well, that's enough for today."

"Yes."

Before us, a large number of prey, already bled, were piled up. After all, this forest, which is usually only visited by me, is full of prey if you look for it.

Moreover, there are still many plains and forests within our territory. Although monsters don't live there, there are aggressive wild animals like bears and wolves, so women, children, and even men with combat skills can't go hunting or gathering alone.

However, if Father gathers people and leads them, developing farmland and residential areas shouldn't be too difficult. In fact, this is already happening.

"The expedition five years ago was not necessarily instigated by the Margrave of Breichleider, but it seems we were persuaded to join."

The primary purpose was not land development but to obtain materials from monsters, such as their meat and ingredients for magic potions that can only be found in monster territories.

Erich explained that the most in-demand materials are medicinal herbs and animal and plant materials used to make magic potions that heal injuries and diseases.

The herbs found in monster territories are not much different from those used as medicinal ingredients in my previous life. The fantasy trope of potions that instantly heal wounds, cure diseases, or even bring the dead back to life is not common. These convenient items are expensive due to the labor involved in their production.

"Our Demon Forest is still largely unexplored, so valuable herbs and materials can still be found near the entrance."

Conversely, in the monster territories within or near the Margrave of Breichleider's territory, you have to go deep to find these materials.

Even with careful harvesting, the growth of herbs used for magic potions takes much longer than ordinary herbs. Moreover, even if the Margrave of Breichleider and others prohibit over-harvesting, it's impossible to ensure that adventurers follow the rules in monster territories.

"Father couldn't have said they were only there to gather materials. They gathered a large army to justify their actions, which only served to provoke the monsters. It's laughable, really."

Erich probably has complaints about the late Margrave of Breichleider. His whims led to the Baumgarten family's financial difficulties, delaying Erich's departure from home. The other brothers, who are hunting elsewhere, likely feel the same way.

Moreover, we are being asked to hunt for the wedding party's feast.

"Let's call it a day here. We still have three more days of hunting, and it's not good to overwork ourselves."

I agreed with Erich's opinion and hurriedly returned to the manor, pulling a cart-like vehicle loaded with the prey.

It seems that Erich and I brought back more prey than the other brothers and the village hunters. For the next three days, we were expected to achieve even greater hunting success.

Five days later, the eldest son Kurt and his bride, along with their escort, finally arrived after a long journey, and the wedding ceremony, presided over by an old priest, took place.

Like in my previous world, the wedding was held in a church. The bride, Amalie, is eighteen this year. Although there is a significant age gap, it's not a big concern in this world. For high-ranking nobles, merchants, and royalty, it's common to remarry or take a concubine after losing a spouse or simply wanting a younger wife.

Amalie, who is getting married at this age, is almost average. Female adventurers who are as active as men tend to marry later, but it's common for both commoners and nobles to marry in their late teens.

However, if a woman reaches her mid-twenties, she is considered an old maid in this society.

Amalie's family, the Mainbachs, are in better financial shape than ours, and she was dressed in a fine gown for her special day. The quality of the furniture and other gifts also seemed high, indicating the importance of appearances for nobles on such occasions.

Since I won't be a noble, I won't have to deal with such appearances.

"One more week..."

During the ceremony, Erich muttered this. A week later, the second son, Herman, will formally enter the head family as a son-in-law. After witnessing this, the third son, Paul, the fourth son, Helmut, and the fifth son, Erich, will receive a stipend from their father and finally leave home.

They plan to take exams to become soldiers or low-ranking officials in the capital. If they pass, they can support themselves, so they are training and studying in their free time.

"..."

"Vell, you're still too young to be independent."

It's not impossible, but I still look like a seven-year-old child. If I leave home in this state, my parents might be criticized for abandoning an unnecessary child despite being nobles.

I have to endure for at least another eight years.

"I've hardly ever talked to Kurt or Herman."

There's a significant age gap, and I have a talent for magic, which could be a landmine in the Baumgarten family's inheritance dispute. As a result, I don't know how to approach them.

I'm not disliked, but I can easily tell that they keep their distance.

(Sigh... Another lonely life begins.)

A week later, the second son Herman's wedding ceremony also ended successfully. After witnessing this, Erich and the others received a stipend from their father, which included a reward for renouncing their inheritance rights, and left for the capital with a merchant caravan.

"Come visit the capital when you grow up. I'll welcome you."

Erich, being kind, said this to me, but I didn't have much interaction with the other brothers.

(Sigh... My lonely legend truly begins.)

At least, I need to continue finding ways to pass the time. I thought about the future while watching Erich's figure gradually disappear in the distance.