Chapter 33

As the days passed—30, 60, 90—the calendar changed from Blue Moon to Yellow Moon. The upper reaches of the Alerdulia Mountains, the warmest part of the year, entered the peak breeding season. Naturally, the subalpine and forest zones below the mid-level, as well as the wilderness, became warmer and hotter than the summit, and Salehad Village entered its busiest period. The short summer had begun.

Kurou's daily routine remained unchanged, traveling back and forth between the mountain and the village, completing salt-preservation requests. He was called a "stray dog" behind his back by the local hunters, but his relationship with the villagers was generally good. The nickname "stray dog" originated from a thug hunter who was mocked for being bitten by a dog when his arm was grabbed, and Kurou's frequent defiance and biting of Zaur and the branch chief, as well as his completion of salt-preservation requests that other hunters considered leftovers, led to this name. Local hunters, who considered the Alerdulia Mountains their territory, were envious of Kurou, who moved about the mountains as if they were his own backyard, and thus the nickname was born.

Kurou never intended to bite Zaur and the branch chief specially. Since they provoked him, he had no choice but to deal with them. Most of the salt-preservation requests were from the mid to upper levels of the Alerdulia Mountains, and he only took them as a matter of convenience. Since he only received salt-preservation requests, there was no other choice.

Even amidst such days, Kurou did not neglect his research on autonomous magic or his magic practice. He learned the use of small swords, knives, and shields from Eirida, and occasionally brought exotic delicacies to Baron Potapenko. It was around this time that the amount of magic power he could replenish became negligible, but he continued because even a small amount was better than nothing. With a bit of extra time, he started to draw with his homemade ink and look for or make musical instruments, adding a touch of richness to his life.

As Kurou's days became more fulfilling, Maxim still hadn't arrived.

That night.

Kurou looked at Eirida as if trying to discern the true meaning of her words.

"Don't look at me like a lost wolf pup. Tsk, you usually have a face that's impossible to read. ...It just means you don't need a guide."

She leaned back in her chair, looking relaxed.

"It's not like we're going hunting outside. You seem capable of handling things on your own. In terms of spirit magic, you're more skilled than me, or rather, it's like a circus act. Well, comparing you to giants is a bit absurd. Anyway, it means you've become a full-fledged man."

Eirida grinned and raised a bottle of distilled liquor towards Kurou.

"Are you going to drink it?" Kurou looked at Eirida with a penetrating gaze.

"Talking to a 26-year-old man like this, it sounds a bit lewd when you say it."

"Ah? You're the one who keeps staring at my chest."

"Of course I look, you're showing it off so much."

"It's just my nature. I get so hot when I move a little."

"Is it a hobby or something?"

"Really, what do you think of me?"

"...... A flasher?"

While thinking of Maxim, Kurou wondered if all giants were flashers.

Eirida's cheek twitched.

"...... You really thought that?"

Eirida slammed the bottle down in front of Kurou.

"Will you drink good liquor? I doubt you'll say my liquor is bad."

"...... I can drink it."

With that, Kurou stood up.

"Are you running away?"

Eirida said provocatively.

"Just for a moment."

Kurou went to the counter where the bar owner was, exchanged a few words, and returned with something. An empty bottle, a red liquid, and yellow juice.

Before Eirida could say anything, Kurou poured about half the distilled liquor into the empty bottle, then added the red liquid and yellow juice, each about half the amount of the distilled liquor. Finally, he created an ice cube the size of a chicken egg inside the bottle.

He closed the bottle and shook it roughly, not forgetting to chill it from the outside with the ice spirit.

Not knowing how to shake it, he did it roughly.

He poured the cocktail he made into a glass and looked at Eirida.

"Will you drink it?"

Eirida took the glass with a mix of skepticism and curiosity.

She took a sip.

Eirida's face showed surprise.

The citrus acidity and aroma, without any sweetness, had a good mouthfeel despite being strong.

Most importantly, it was cold.

"...... Is this your good liquor?"

Kurou was sipping it, looking satisfied.

"It's called Balalaika."

He laughed, adding, "Well, it's a knockoff."

Eirida looked at the light red cocktail.

While there were several cocktails in different regions, they were all served at room temperature or warm. She had never seen a cold cocktail. Calling an ice spirit for each cocktail might be too much for a bartender, making it difficult to popularize.

Still looking at the glass, Eirida asked what he had put in it.

"Distilled liquor, wine made from the skin of ripe 'Whims of the Goddess' fruit, and the juice of yellow 'Whims of the Goddess' fruit."

"That's medicine, and it's out of season."

"If I use a different liquor, it would be a different drink, but this is the only one available."

Other customers were drinking the distilled liquor straight or diluted with water.

"Well, it's not bad. It's stronger than the original liquor but easier to drink."

"The wine made from the skin of the ripe 'Whims of the Goddess' fruit is particularly strong."

"It's medicine, used for colds and injuries."

Kurou nodded.

They continued drinking. Kurou maintained his pace, knowing it would be a long night.

By the time he felt sleepy, Kurou had collapsed at the table.

Eirida, watching him with amusement, tried to make the cocktail herself, but she clearly miscalculated the amount of the wine made from the skin of the ripe 'Whims of the Goddess' fruit while drunk, and continued to drink it, leading to her rare collapse.

Kurou, who was half-asleep, felt Eirida's shoulder suddenly lighten.

Kurou, with sleepy eyes, looked at Eirida.

"I'm going home."

He said, forcefully getting Eirida to stand and leaving the bar. Eirida had paid for everything in advance.

They stumbled back to the inn on a road with little moonlight.

The next morning, or rather, it was already noon.

The bright sunlight streaming through the window slowly opened Kurou's eyes.

As he sat up lazily, a headache hit him, followed by the urge to urinate.

Kurou, holding his aching head, put on his jacket and stumbled to the toilet. The urge to urinate, followed by vomiting.

After rinsing his mouth, Kurou returned to the room and saw a familiar person in an unfamiliar setting.

On the sunlit bed lay a woman.

A giant with brown skin was sleeping.

Kurou held his head again. No matter how much he tried to remember, there was no memory.

The woman, or rather, Eirida, pulled the blanket closer and sat up.

"Oh, are you hungover?"

Eirida looked the same as usual.

Then she sighed contentedly.

"You have a face that's impossible to read, but you sure know how to get things done."

Kurou felt dizzy, attributing it to the hangover.

"Ah, I don't remember, but that's fine. ...Do you want to get married or something?"

"Does it look like I do?"

"I see, that's good, then. Well, whatever."

Saying that, Kurou headed to the toilet again. Vomiting.

When Kurou returned to the room, Eirida was still there. It wasn't a dream or an illusion.

"Really, you don't know how to handle women. ...Don't worry, nothing happened... probably."

"You also don't seem to know how to handle men. ...If 'probably' is good for you, then fine."

Eirida, looking offended,

"Just because we slept together once doesn't mean I'm your lover or want to get married."

"Indeed, you're not that naive."

"Ah?"

"Well, being naive is a hassle."

"It's your fault for being bad at it."

Kurou's face slightly twisted.

"Being told that... Next time, teach me."

Saying that, Kurou headed to the toilet again.

Eirida, left with the blanket, rolled over.

Suddenly, despite their short acquaintance, she felt as if they had known each other for a long time.

"Next time, huh? I wonder if there will be such a thing. Hehe."

Enjoying this feeling, Eirida drifted off to sleep.

On this day, Kurou experienced his first hangover in this world.

His intimacy with the toilet increased.

For the first time since coming to this world, he prayed to the gods for salvation.

He realized he couldn't live without a toilet.

Half a day later, he cursed that the gods were no longer there.

The day after the hangover, Kurou bought food and supplies and returned to the mountain.

After being away from home for a while, Kurou finally reached the top of the mountain, where an extremely moody Snow White was sitting on a rock, looking down at him.

When he whistled to call her, she didn't come, so Kurou, half expecting her bad mood, tried not to think about it as he climbed, but it was as expected.

It took two days to appease Snow White.

The feather pillow pleased Akari more than Kurou, who was rarely in the cave.

Kurou wondered if this was how a single man on a business trip felt.

After 90 days, Kurou usually completed salt-preservation requests alone, but when there were no requests or when Eirida asked, he occasionally teamed up with her.

This further increased Kurou's bad reputation, as it seemed to others that Eirida was only doing him a favor. But to Kurou, it didn't matter.

In fact, there was some truth to it.

That day was no different.

Kurou and Eirida were looking for requests at the guild.

Eirida's "duty to travel" was nearing the time to move to the next country. Kurou, unaware, didn't realize that his familiarity with the Alerdulia Mountains was the reason Eirida could complete high-level requests so quickly and finish her "duty to travel" in this country.

Contrary to what others and Kurou thought, it wasn't out of favor that they teamed up.

With one or two more requests, Eirida would move to the next country, which Kurou knew.

"Six-hump buffalo, it's that time of year, huh."

Kurou looked at Eirida with a "huh?" expression.

"Yeah, these six-hump buffaloes migrate across the continent in search of grass. During this period, they give birth to their young in the barren wilderness of Trabock. This time of year, the Trabock hunting once a month isn't necessary because the buffaloes eat the grass."

"Wow."

"No, you should also share some information... Ah, but it's impossible in this village."

"Well, let's see. So, this request?"

Eirida chuckled at Kurou's nonchalant attitude.

"Two people. They're big and tough."

"---Can I talk to you for a moment?"

It was an unfortunate and fortunate coincidence.

Like running into an old classmate at the nearest supermarket after losing a job and returning home.

For Kurou, it was that unfortunate a coincidence.

However, it wasn't for the other person, who started talking to Eirida next to him without noticing Kurou at all.

For Kurou, it was a fortunate coincidence.

"Are you Eirida Burgin? If you're taking this request, would you like to team up?"

Eirida's soft black curls reacted, and her strong eyes sparkled with what seemed like excitement.

"Excuse me, I'm Erika Kiritani, a six-star hunter. Please call me Erika."

Erika, in a Japanese manner, bowed slightly.

Indeed, she was Japanese, meaning she was a hero.

Erika, the hero, didn't seem to recognize Kurou, who had been a janitor, and showed no reaction.

"Sure, but can you introduce yourself first?"

"Sorry, I got so excited meeting Burgin. I'm Erika Kiritani, a six-star hunter. Please call me Erika."

Erika bowed slightly.

Eirida, a four-star hunter, replied, "I see. So, is your rank sufficient for this request?"

"No, I'm a member of 'Dawn's Wing.' Our leader is a one-star hunter."

Erika said proudly.

"Hmm, a one-star hunter. I thought I would have heard of the name."

"I just became one. Hehe, I became a one-star hunter in just a year. His name is Hayato Ichihara."

At this, Kurou slightly reacted, but the other person didn't seem to notice. She was the type who wouldn't notice a janitor.

"I see. But we have a ten-star hunter here. Is that okay?"

Erika, who had just noticed Kurou behind Eirida, tilted her head and then started looking at Kurou with a stern expression.

"Why is a ten-star hunter teaming up with a four-star hunter like Eirida? The guild recommends a difference of only two stars in a party."

"That's an unwritten rule. We're not registered as a party. What about you?"

"Hehe, we're fine. We're a community of fate."

Erika, who had been glaring at Kurou, now smiled slyly. Erika seemed to be quite moody.

Kurou interjected.

"Sorry, I just remembered something urgent. I can't take the request."

He briefly met Eirida's eyes and quickly left the guild.

"You're a parasite. That's not good, Eirida is beautiful."

Erika continued talking.

Eirida was still looking at the swinging door Kurou had left through.

"Hey, Hayato, you're late."

After Eirida was caught by Erika for a while, Erika called out to a man entering the guild with a voice that sounded both angry and affectionate.

Hayato, the man called, wore smooth, black leather armor and carried two long swords on his back. Two iron blocks of unknown structure hung from a leather belt around his waist.

The man, who didn't respond to Erika's call, gradually approached, and his face became clear.

He had neatly cut black hair, strong black eyes, and a thick claw mark on his cheek. His young face, still in his teens, showed a mix of light and danger.

Eirida suddenly noticed that Kurou and Hayato had similar expressions. Thinking about it, Erika also seemed similar. She wondered if Kurou had left because of this, but couldn't understand the reason.

She decided to stay in the country a bit longer to ask Kurou when he came down next.

There were a few things that piqued her interest.

"Don't shout. So, have you decided on the request?"

His voice was authoritative yet calm, without the inflated arrogance of Zaur.

"I think we'll take this one. I was inviting Eirida to join us."

Hayato glanced at the six-hump buffalo request and turned to Eirida.

"I'm Hayato Ichihara. It's an honor to team up with the famous 'Bee Strike' Eirida Burgin."

His posture and manners were correct, but his tone remained unchanged.

It suited him strangely well.