Chapter 16

Previous Summary ------------------------------------------------------

We spent some time thinking about our future life plans and examined the skills of 【Appraisal】 and 【Insight】.

For about a week, we diligently worked on safe jobs and improved our equipment.

The first thing we bought was a shovel.

Learning from the trouble we had with disposing of the boar on the first day, we immediately bought one the next day. The affordable price of a farming tool was also a reason for the quick purchase.

Another reason was the somewhat embarrassing but pressing toilet situation.

After spending half a day in the forest, you really need to go.

It's an unavoidable physiological phenomenon as a human.

Leaving waste where it is would be bad. Before even considering the propriety of it, the thought of stepping on it ourselves made burying it a necessity.

Incidentally, Toya only used it once for the bigger needs.

One drawback is that when Toya carries the shovel, it makes him look like he's going on an adventure or doing farm work, which can be a bit awkward.

By the way, related to this, Haruka strongly advocated for the purchase of a blindfold curtain, which we readily agreed to.

How could we refuse?

We were able to buy enough clothes for changes and got sturdy leather outfits that could serve as armor. Toya, who stands at the front, also got partial leather armor, so we've been able to get through without injuries.

For weapons, we bought my spear and Haruka's bow.

With a bit of training, we can now kill boars with the spear, but we can't aim for the eyes of a charging boar like Toya can, so it hasn't been much help in battle yet.

Because the fur's buyback price drops, Haruka was told to support with magic.

As for Haruka's bow, it's like we can now have grilled chicken.

We should buy a pot soon and enjoy some chicken hot pot.

Toya's sword is expensive, so we're holding off for now.

However, after the wooden sword bounced off the boar's skull on the first day, we bought an iron rod—basically just an iron bar.

This is convenient because it doesn't damage the fur, but on the other hand, our 【Swordsmanship】 level hasn't increased, and we've developed a 【Rodsmanship】 skill. It's a bit of a mixed bag.

The handling is the same as the wooden sword, so skills are more flexible in this world, unlike in games.

Also, with daily training, our magic skills have improved a bit.

...They've improved, but they're not really useful.

Using "Fire Arrow" burns the fur, so it's banned.

On the other hand, Haruka has been a great help.

First, the light magic "Purify."

It's a super convenient magic that cleans and keeps the body clean.

Even without a bath, we can live thanks to this. Thank you, Haruka!

Incidentally, this magic is so popular among adventurers that they are in high demand.

Adventurers may seem unclean, but being too dirty can lead to discovery by monsters due to the smell. To avoid this, they try to stay as clean as possible, and this magic is very useful for that.

Furthermore, Haruka has also realized a magic not on the list.

It's a relatively small-scale magic that creates a ping-pong ball-sized ice, but thanks to this, we can cool and preserve our hunted game, eliminating the need to return to town immediately.

Me? I haven't been able to create any new magic yet, but what's the problem?

And quietly useful has been Haruka's 【Sewing】 skill, which shone in the creation of our backpacks.

This is a masterpiece that took a lot of effort, inspired by military backpacks from our original world.

The base is cloth, reinforced with leather at key points, and it has pockets for small items and parts to tie strings.

Additionally, it's designed to be easily removed during combat and can be carried on the back or by hand, depending on the situation, making it a very convenient bag that is almost impossible to obtain in this area.

Initially, we planned to buy regular bags, but the only options available were simple backpacks or handbags, and nothing like a backpack could be found.

Fortunately, Haruka had the 【Sewing】 skill, so we decided to make something that would be easy for us to use. After several prototypes, we completed the backpacks we use now.

Thanks to Haruka's efforts, we were able to get enough for everyone at a relatively low cost.

With these, we can carry a lot of items, and even with a higher hunting ratio, we can bring back all the results.

However, the physical differences are significant, and Toya carries more than twice as much as I do. I carry more than Haruka, but the difference is minimal.

So, my recent worry is that I feel like I'm not really contributing much.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Hey, both of you. What do you think about going deeper into the forest soon?"

Over the past few days, our lives have stabilized, and our routine has become more or less set.

We wake up early and finish work by evening. After that, we spend a few hours practicing swords or magic until dinner.

After dinner, Haruka purifies us, and we might take a water bath depending on our mood.

Before bedtime, we have a casual meeting to discuss future plans.

During one such meeting, Haruka suggested the idea mentioned earlier.

"Yeah, maybe it's okay... maybe?"

Toya's lack of confidence likely stems from yesterday's incident.

We had no trouble hunting the Task Boars near the forest entrance, but yesterday we encountered a large bear for the first time.

The Vibe Bear, standing about three meters tall, was overwhelmingly large for us.

Toya bravely attacked with the iron rod, but it didn't seem to have much effect, and its height made it difficult to aim for vital points like the eyes.

I joined in with my spear, and Haruka supported with her bow, but the thick fur made it hard to have any effect.

In the end, we managed to kill it thanks to Haruka's arrow piercing its eye and her relentless use of magic, disregarding the cost of mana and the damage to the fur.

Honestly, it was the first time we felt our lives were in danger since coming here.

Worse still, despite the effort to bring back a large amount of meat, the buyback price was higher for the Task Boars.

While it's rare, the meat apparently doesn't taste that good. Task Boars are delicious, though.

The fur can sell for a high price if it's in good condition, but ours was quite damaged, so we were underpaid. It was a lot of risk for no reward.

The only consolation was Diora's words that encountering a Vibe Bear is rare.

If she had said it was common, we might have reconsidered everything.

Incidentally, it's common for rookies to be wiped out by Vibe Bears. -- Yeah, it's rare to encounter them, but when you do, you die.

We survived thanks to Haruka's bow and magic and Toya's front-line support, so I can understand why rookies get killed.

Even as beginners, our skill levels are not those of rookies.

"Sure, I don't oppose it, but going deeper into the forest means Dindles, right? Is it necessary?"

The fruit that can be harvested deep in the forest, which Diora mentioned on the first day, sells for 100-300 rares each.

Currently, we earn 30,000-40,000 rares stably from boars.

To earn the same amount from Dindles, we would need to harvest 200 of them, averaging 200 rares each.

Even with our backpacks, can we really bring back 200 small apple-sized fruits?

"If we sell them as they are, it might be a break-even, but if we can process them well, we could double our income."

Dindles, when dried and made into dried fruit, are worth more than double.

However, drying them without cutting and preventing rot is very difficult and requires a lot of expertise. That's why they are expensive, but Haruka says, "I think I can manage with my magic."

Additionally, if they can be dried and last longer, we can sell them ourselves to the guild for a higher price.

"Of course, if we sell them ourselves, we won't have time to harvest, so we need to consider whether it's worth it."

"Hmm. By the way, Haruka, did you learn a new magic!?"

"The new magic is just for drying. It's convenient for drying laundry."

Ah, I thought Haruka's laundry wasn't hanging in the room recently. That's why.

I assumed she was using "Purify" to clean and wear the same clothes...

"No, no, even simple magic is impressive. By the way, Naoto, how many can you use now?"

"---Zero"

"What? What do you mean?"

Toya, pretending to cup his ear, asks back.

"Zero! Damn it!!"

As expected from a childhood friend.

He hits where it hurts without mercy!

"Yeah, yeah, Naoto. Even if you're not good, I won't abandon you, so don't worry."

Haruka, with a loving smile, opens her arms, but it's not at all comforting.

---To be honest, it's a bit comforting, but more frustrating.

"If you're going to sympathize, teach me the tricks---I mean, the techniques."

"Tricks? Tricks, huh...? If I had to say, maybe it's about imagining not just the end result but the process as well?"

For example, with "Drying."

Instead of just thinking "dry" and pouring magic power, she thinks about "what to do with the water in the object" and uses it that way.

Also, the process can affect the consumption of magic power. For example, "water molecules move and heat up, turning into steam and disappearing" versus "water is squeezed out and disappears outside," the latter being more energy-efficient.

The former leaves heat after drying, which also consumes magic power, according to Haruka's analysis.

"Wow, thanks, I'll take that into consideration. By the way, could this be like a pseudo-microwave with water magic?"

A microwave heats water molecules with microwaves.

So, if Haruka's "Drying" really moves water molecules, it might be possible to stop at the heating stage and warm food if controlled properly.

"Yeah, I'm experimenting. It's not quite there yet, though."

"If it works, our diet will be richer! I'm looking forward to it! Oh, and Naoto, you can do it too, right?"

Since we have some extra funds, we've been bringing lunch prepared by the inn every day.

Fortunately, we've always been able to get game, but cooking it requires a fire, which takes time.

So, we've been bringing the prepared lunch, but it's cold by the time we eat it, and the inn's food, which is decent when hot, isn't very tasty when cold.

I've tried using my "Ignition" to warm it a bit, but as Toya pointed out, it's not very effective.

"Damn... I'll create a convenient magic soon! Just wait and see!"

"No, you should wash your neck, not stretch it."

"What? I have no intention of cutting your head off?"

Rather, you should wait naked. ...No, that's not right.

"Hey, Naoto, convenient magic is good, but combat magic too, right?"

Yeah, sure. Of course, I'm working on that too.

I'm trying to focus the "Fire Arrow" to a degree that won't burn the fur, but it's not going well.

It's not a new magic, so it activates, but I can't make it as small as 1-2 cm.

However, I feel I've managed to maintain the power even when making it smaller, so I'm almost there, I hope.

"So, both of you, are you in favor of going deeper into the forest? ---We need to step up gradually, or we might end up as 'average adventurers.'"

Yeah, the ones who die in the end. That's bad.

Don't forget to have ambition.

Our goal is to be 'successful adventurers.'

"Hmm, to be honest, I'm a bit worried."

Nodding at my agreement, Toya grunted and shook his head.

"Even if they're rare, the Vibe Bear's armor was tough. My weapon didn't do much. So, I'm in favor if we can get new weapons."

It wasn't completely ineffective, but the fatal blow was from magic and my spear.

Given Toya's current strength, it was very difficult to damage the bear's thick hide with a blunt weapon.

Haruka, remembering this, nodded after some thought.

"Yeah, that's true. We can afford it now... Do you want a one-handed sword?"

"Considering I'm the only frontline, a one-handed sword and shield for a solid defense might be better."

"Given our style, that would be reassuring."

"Yeah, honestly, it would help a lot."

For armor, Haruka and I are paper.

As elves, we are physically weak.

While Toya might survive a bear's attack, Haruka and I would probably break.

Still, I'm impressed by Toya's courage in facing the bear head-on.

"Well, it's about using the right tools for the right jobs. Just get a good one, okay? You're not just carrying my life, but yours and Haruka's too!"

Toya grinned.