Chapter 7

The so-called ghost doesn’t seem to bring good luck like a guardian spirit. It just exists, apparently. And since it doesn’t cause any harm, I asked why we should give it snacks and milk, and Zaza-san replied, “...Because it eats?” I guess that’s the reason.

It’s so natural that it doesn’t even raise a question...

Even so, it’s not something we can easily get used to, being in the category of “ghosts” or “monsters.”

I think I was naturally able to stay overnight in Rei-kun’s room. I declined Ayame-san’s invitation, though.

Maybe Ayame-san was scared too, but she said, “N-no way I’m scared!” It seems she’s not scared. Probably. I guess.

From the outside, it might have looked like I was the one holding onto Rei-kun’s hand, but he was the one gripping it tightly. I guess Ayame-san had to endure it.

◇

The first carriage ride was surprisingly not as bumpy as I expected. It’s probably due to the mechanism that Kousuke-san muttered, “It’s well-sprung...” I don’t know what that means.

It’s not as fancy as a pumpkin carriage, but the two-horse-drawn carriages with elegant curves, along with several large covered wagons and cargo wagons, are guarded by a cavalry squad. We’ve been traveling on the road for about two hours since leaving the capital’s city gates. To the east, gentle hills stretch to the horizon, and to the south and west, a dense forest spreads. Looking back to the north, the royal castle, built on a steep cliff, is visible. From the castle’s mid-mountain to the foot, the roofs of houses, laid out like colorful blocks, spread out, surrounded by a high city wall.

It’s just like in an anime. I might be feeling the most fantasy vibe here. The sky even seems more transparent, I think. The same blue, but it looks like it has glitter in it.

“Jogging suit, nice!”

“Yeah, it is.”

Rei-kun, standing on the back deck of the carriage, lightly tugs at my azuki jogging suit, looking genuinely envious. The fabric here isn’t bad, but for exercise, jogging suits are the best.

On the first day, I felt out of place, but not anymore!

“We’ll set up our base just before the forest ahead. Look, the advance team is already setting up tents,” Zaza-san said, riding her horse closer and pointing ahead. The horses here are much larger than the ones I know, with drooping ears like donkeys and curled horns like sheep, and they have soft, long, warm-looking fur.

Shouta-kun and Kousuke-san are also on horses, while Ayame-san, Rei-kun, and I are in the carriage.

“Slimes! There are slimes!!”

“Really!?”

Rei-kun pointed to the grass on the other side of Zaza-san, and Ayame-san, who had been lounging lazily in the carriage, leaned forward with interest. ...Ayame-san seems to like these things, despite her cool appearance.

“Ayame-san, do you like slimes?”

“—Well, I just thought they were really there...”

Rei-kun’s innocent question seemed to bring her back to herself, and she slightly blushed as she sat back down.

“Hmm. Oh, there’s a different color one.”

“Really!? It’s fast!?”

...She seems to like them. I wonder why she thinks a different color means it’s faster.

We are here for a practical training session to slay monsters.

Kousuke-san is twenty-two, Ayame-san is nineteen, and Shouta-kun is sixteen, which matches their apparent ages. Well, it’s based on their self-report, but their behavior seems age-appropriate, so we’re proceeding as planned.

◇

“What’s the difference between monsters and ordinary animals?”

When I heard that all living things have some amount of magic power, I asked Zaza-san.

“It’s whether they are a species that attacks.”

Simple.

“What’s the difference between magical beasts and monsters?”

“Magical beasts, while some are strays, are generally under the command of the magical races. Therefore, they are rarely found within the country. They are also more intelligent and stronger. They work in coordination.”

A few days ago, I was allowed to attend a meeting with King Kazarna, Zaza-san, High Priest Elness, and several ministers and high officials to discuss everything about the heroes.

“So, the ones we plan to slay this time are monsters, and the danger level is a bit lower, right?”

“If there are too many monsters near villages or towns, the knights under my command will go to slay them. This time, it’s within the usual range, and a single squad can handle it with minimal damage. Therefore, with the current abilities of the heroes, there should be no problem at all.”

The kingdom has several knight orders, and Zaza-san’s order, which is the largest, is responsible for slaying monsters within the country and defending the northern border. That’s why I was assigned to the heroes.

“In that case, I will also go. I’ll have Rei-kun guard me.”

A murmur of confusion and slight disapproval arose.

“Kazuharu-dono, didn’t you have a strong aversion to combat?”

The king, who suppressed the murmur with a hand, still had a puzzled expression.

“I just judged that I don’t have the aptitude or ability. —I don’t like it, but since I have no experience, I don’t have a strong aversion.”

“Hmm. You said in your country there is no hunting or war. Yet, you would let a ten-year-old child hunt? Can that be considered thoughtful?”

Oh, the king is indeed strict.

But this is a normal adult’s sense regarding children. This seemingly peaceful country, despite its gentle appearance, is one where death is always close, and children learn to fight from a young age.

Even so, in this world, hunting is not allowed for those under twelve. It’s impossible to criticize this with the Japanese sense of peace. If anything, I would prefer they raise the age of adulthood. Letting a ten-year-old fight is madness, even for me.

“If Rei-kun had the same body as his actual age, I wouldn’t let him do such a thing.”

“A child is a child. Even if the body grows suddenly, the mind doesn’t. In fact, Rei isn’t a child.”

Zaza-san and everyone else are against letting Rei-kun participate in the hunt. Only High Priest Elness shows no opinion on his face.

“I said I’ll have him guard me. Whether he actually participates in the hunt will depend on how things go. He insists on participating, and he has the ability, so this is the compromise. ——He can’t be treated by the same standards as other children.”

“Why not?”

High Priest Elness spoke for the first time since the meeting began.

“You said you can’t return us, and that these bodies are a result of being summoned.”

I stood up and showed my small body to High Priest Elness.

“That means these bodies won’t return to their actual ages, right? I will continue to grow, ——and Rei will age.”

High Priest Elness slightly widened his eyes, understanding what I meant, and nodded with a small sigh.

“Your Majesty, if I may ask, how old are you?”

“...I’m fifty-six.”

“What’s the average lifespan in this world?”

Furrowing his brows, he confirmed with a high official sitting near the end, “Sixty to seventy, I think.”

“Zaza-san, you’re forty-two, right? Even with training, you must feel some decline compared to when you were thirty, right?”

“Well, yeah.”

“But you’re still active. The king is also active. Even as the body ages, the experience and skills accumulated over the years compensate. But Rei, with a forty-year-old mind, will age to the average lifespan. Zaza-san, what if your body was over sixty now? Your Majesty, what if your mind was the same but your body was over seventy?”

Most of the attendees are young high officials in their mid-thirties, with the oldest being the minister.

Everyone gradually accepts the aging of their bodies. Time moves forward fairly, so Rei will also gradually feel the aging, even at just over ten.

“Rei will realize this soon. He’s a smart kid. ——He needs to grow up faster than others. For that, he needs to be prepared.”

◇

A flock of birds with colorful feathers took off, scattering them in the air.

From deep in the forest, the sounds of explosions and impacts resonated, bringing a slight vibration.

Rei-kun and I, along with several knights, were setting up a makeshift stove and preparing firewood in front of the tents.

“They should be back soon.”

While adding another armful of firewood to the stack, a knight, slightly younger than Zaza-san, informed us.

The target, Greenboar, is a monster that resembles a plump boar. I’ve seen it brought to the kitchen as an ingredient. Despite its three-meter-long body, it can swing through the trees like a monkey and, during breeding season, come out of the forest in groups to attack. It also has a wind magic attack like a razor. That’s quite unreasonable for such a large creature.

I’m here as part of the cooking team. Rei-kun is, as planned, my guard. “We’re close,” so it feels completely natural. I thought he might be stubborn about it, but he accepted it smoothly. We are close, after all.

“Hey, Wakaba-chan, what are you making?”

“Something like a peony hot pot, roast pork, and a whole roast.”

I’m putting a large amount of vegetables into three large pots filled with broth. There’s something like kelp, so I’m using kelp broth. There’s no bonito flakes, of course. The miso is also a substitute, but I’m not worrying about the details. The Greenboar will provide plenty of flavor.

“Buttons...?”

Rei-kun, squatting next to me and hugging his knees, tilted his head in confusion. I explained that I’m arranging the boar meat to look like peony petals. He seemed pleased, as expected.

Just then, the hunting party, led by the heroes, emerged from the forest. Ayame-san and Shouta-kun don’t seem too affected, but Kousuke-san is covered in blood. It’s probably due to their different fighting styles. They had mentioned they would act as decoys and hold the monsters back. I pretended not to notice the slight gasp from nearby and ran to greet them.

“Welcome back.”

For some reason, Kousuke-san’s eyes darted around, and he took a step back.

“...What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

“Ah, no, look, I’m all dirty.”

“Ah, you got pretty splattered. I’ve prepared some hot water behind the tent to help you clean up.”

“...Wakaba-chan, aren’t you uncomfortable with this?”

“Huh?”

I’ve been thinking about this since the other day. It seems they’ve accepted that I declined combat because I’m a pacifist or something.

“Um, I can wring a chicken’s neck, you know?”

“—What?”

Kousuke-san, Ayame-san, and Shouta-kun all widened their eyes. Well, I guess that’s understandable.

“My great-grandfather was a dairy farmer in a remote rural area. It was a small operation, and it’s no longer there, but I was entrusted to him for a while.”

“Was it part of the educational policy...?”

“Hmm, I’m not sure. He believed that the meat from his own farm was the best, so he’d say, ‘Let’s make it together! I’ll treat you to some delicious food!’”

I think it was around when I was ten. My father, a researcher, went on a long-term fieldwork abroad, and my mother, who was his assistant, went with him, so I was entrusted to my great-grandfather for about a year.

At one point, there was a controversy about “life education” or something, but it was definitely not for any educational purpose. That’s just the kind of person he was. That’s all!

It was an unintentional pioneering experience, but because of it, I thought the media coverage of “life education” was ridiculous.

“So, I’m completely fine with blood and organs. I’m grateful to those who do the necessary work, but I don’t find it difficult.”

“...I see.”

“Yes. Good work, everyone. Thank you for your hard work.”

“...Yeah, thanks.”

“You did the work, Kousuke-san. If you want to thank me, do it after eating. I have work to do after this.”

I smiled, and Kousuke-san gave a somewhat awkward smile.

“So, what about the meat?”

“Already judging the ingredients! You’re cleaning the blood right there, so it’ll come later!”

“I’ve only seen the dissection of large animals, so my skills are limited.”

“...You’re a meat-eater, Wakaba-chan...”

I helped dissect two Greenboars, hanging them from nearby trees with several knights. The remaining six will be delivered to a nearby village. The knights were experienced, and while they asked, “Are you really going to do this, Kazuharu-sama?” they taught me the dissection process. It was almost the same as the pig dissection I saw long ago, just much larger.

Kousuke-san, who had never handled such a large animal, also helped, saying, “Well, I’m already dirty.” He’s surprisingly versatile for someone who looks so carefree.

Rei-kun watched the process intently from behind me, his face slightly tense.

The firewood was stacked in two rows. Two poles with a wheel-like disc with four holes at the front were set up. The metal poles that pierced the Greenboar from the shoulders to the waist were inserted into the holes, allowing it to rotate evenly while roasting.

Thinking this would work, I asked for a fire to be started.

Following the instructions from High Priest Elness, I concentrated my magic power.

—A pillar of fire shot up. It was like a campfire, but it seemed to scorch the sky.

The knights and heroes took a step back, about two meters.

My bangs smelled slightly burnt.

“Alright. Ayame-san, can you adjust the fire? Just enough so it doesn’t reach the Greenboar.”

“Wait! Why did you set it on fire so much!?”

I always peel potatoes because of this. A fire pillar ban was issued for the stove.

I thought this size would be okay this time.

“Hey! Even if you look serious, it’s not good! This is a failure! The fire is too high!”

“...Hero-sama, you’re truly impressive...”

I can’t afford to be embarrassed!