Chapter 29: Departure (2)

“Haha, so you say? Yosh, the elven territory is ahead. Let’s hurry.”

Holding the reins, Raguren takes the lead with a laugh.

From there I watch the forms of monsters in a circle around us.

On the other hand, the scenery is fantastic. The sunshine filtering though the foliage exposing animals in the whimsical forest. While I am fascinated by the scenery, the popobumu’s footsteps becomes slower because of the dense undergrowth acting like a natural fortress.

There are a lot of tall thick trees here.

I can see natural boulders and animals.

However, the path through the forest hasn’t been maintain so advancing like this is difficult. The uneven terrain is difficult to traverse. Walking like this, it would have been more serious…it is thanks to Shisho.

Like this and that several hours pass and- dusk arrives.

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Have we arrived at the elf domain? Raguren stops moving before a huge tree.

“The domain of the elves is from here for two and a half days. It is already dusk, so let’s camp-out here once.”

Ma, there are two days?

“Got it.”

Raguren continues talking while he gets down from his popobumu.

“At night the elves will scout, they may notice our fire too.”

They must have good eyesight to see at night.

“Do the Elves have effective night vision?”

“Not all Elves have functioning night vision, but every Elf I have encountered seems to have had night vision…”

“Hee…”

While Raguren tells me about Elves he winds the reins of the popobumu around a tree.

“Well then, I’ll look for firewood to make a bonfire and big game for dinner in the area. Since I tied this popobumu to this tree wait here for now.”

“Understood. Do you not need help?”

“I’m fine. Just look after the popobumus.”

“Got it.”

After Raguren says so, he disappears into the brush and ferns with his big axe over his shoulder.

After about an hour has passed…

Raguren hasn’t returned yet.

The area has steadily become darker.

Then, I hear swoosh coming from part of the forest. The black cat and I stare in the direction of the sound.

“-Sorry, I kept you waiting. I finished collecting firewood right away…I just, took too much game.”

It was Raguren.

On his waist, young rabbits, something like a raccoon and a beaver? A young fox? Well there are several of them.

Amazing. Raguren exceeds the level of hunter…

That is way too much game in this short time.

“Still, that’s a lot.”

“Aah, because I only have my axe and hatchet I can only aim for far off game using this.”

Raguren shows throwing a stone with a lightweight stone throwing sling.

A small leather cloth and a stone? The stone is wrapped in the leather before buzzing as it is swung and then thrown.

-With a *shu* the stone is sent flying and smashed into a tree with a dull boom.

The stone sank into the tree.

“Ooh.”

The power of the stone is great and Raguren is also really strong. One shot should usually take ten or twenty seconds. More than that, his aim accurate too.

“Its power is also pretty good. I can kill game sensitive to sound and a distance with this.”

“Amazing.”

“Haha, I’m used to hunting. Yosh, let’s prepare the meal soon. Put the firewood here, I’ll light the fire later. Besides, there are other things to do.”

From the saddle of his popobumu Raguren pulls out a bag with small whitish pieces of wood and another one with black powder, finally he removes two thin bone pipes.

A bone pipe? What is it used for?

While paying attention to the pipe I watch what Raguren does.

Raguren sprinkles the small whitish wood pieces around the camp.

Shisho did this too.

The saw dust repels insects.

After Raguren sprinkles the white powder he returns to the firewood.

There’s no flint there, but the black powder from before is packed into the thin cylinder, and then the smaller pipe is inserted into the larger one and is pushed down in one go.

-The small tube is immediately removed.

Hee…

The tip of the tube has become red and burnt.

It is touched to the dry grass and ticks the was put with the fire wood before and blown on vigorously.

The fire burns and starts to spread to the firewood, becoming a strong fire in no time.

Was the black powder in the bone pipe charcoal?

Did you use the friction of the air pressure… (TL: Here’s a link to a video explaining how this works and demonstrating of how to make one. The link starts at the demonstration of the finished product, but I recommend watching the rest.)

“Even without life magic can’t it be done with one blow?”

Raguren begins speaking while moving a hand.

I skin the rabbit give him the meat.

With the meat stuck onto a knife, will it be some kind of herb this time? It is taken out. Winding it around the meat something dry is put inside the rabbit meat, and then it is all arranged on the fire.

“Speaking of magic, Achilles-shisho said that not only life magic, but language magic and crest magic are also widely used.”

“That’s right, I have seen an Elf use them. After saying some words…the aria, a fireball and wind was created afterwards. There also seem to be

magic material type weapons that make magic usable without an aria by using a stick a jewel or a ring.”

After all this is the fantasy route. I want to see magic.

“Indeed, magic…I want to see it.”

Which reminds me, I have never seen Raguren or Shisho use really magicy magic very much.

The only place where I have seen is when Rabbi-san uses fire for cooking, I have only ever seen life magic a handful of times.

“From now on, you will see a lot even if you don’t want to…did I burn it?”

While saying so Raguren takes the stick our food is on and rotates it expose the meat to the fire.

While turning the meat, Raguren takes out a small earthen ware pot and sprinkles it over the meat.

Then a fragrant smell drifts.

“This roasted rabbit meat is delicious〜, this big bivira is good too.”

The thick meat definitely is appetizing and the tension rises.

“The bivira meat is thick, meat, meat〜”

“Since the rabbit meat is finished already take some.”

The rabbit meat has been roasted well and the meat juices are dripping from the handle of the knife.

“Un, I’ll take some. What was that powder you just sprinkled?”

While looking at the meat I try asking about it.

“This? This is seryu powder. When cooking meat I sometimes use it for spice. I don’t have any ‘croke fruit,’ but I do have this which is similar. According to the Elves, the croke stuff is actually a ‘gold coin class’ good. Ma, something like that, quickly eat the rabbit meat.”

Achilles-shisho was also using seyru powder, is the Goldiba family unexpectedly gourmet?

Ma, it is natural. Always hunting for sustenance, they have mastered the recipes they specialize in.

As recommended, I stretch out a hand to the rabbit meat knife place on the fire.

Pulling away the spice grass it was bake with I bring the meat dripping with juices to my mouth.

Ooh, phuphuphu, it’s hot, but it is tasty.

The seyru powder is a little savory.

But, the taste of fruit has become strong.

“Yummy…it tastes really good, but why does it taste like oranges?”

“Haha, its name isn’t orange? It’s called ‘peri.’ Ma, it’s made of the dried skin of a fruit called saika. Because this also takes away the bad smell of the meat it’s useful. So, hora, eat eat, and the bivira takes even better.”

This fruit named saika tastes similar to oranges.

“Nya〜 Nyanya!”

Rollo purrs out.

Give me! That is what the sound almost says.

“Because there is also some for Divine Beast-sama please be relieved.”

As Raguren says so he carefully places some rabbit meat and bivira meat on a leaf and places it in front of the black cat.

“Nya.”

Calling out happily she eats it.

He faces looks happy too.

Happily munching away. Ah, she has more meat than me…

“Hahaha, Divine Beast-same eats well.”

Getting into the swing Raguren continues taking meat and placing it one after another on the leaf…

“Raguren, it’s no good if you give her too much.”

Ah, I said it unintentionally.

“Really I still have bivira meat.”

“Nya.”

When Rollo calls out she extends a feel to Raguren’s cheeks.

“Ooh, I’m sensing Rollodinu-sama’s feelings…”

“What?”

“Satisfied…I did it. To think it was like it…”

Seemingly satisfied Rollodinu brings her forepaw to her head and begins to scratch, *peropero* licking her foot with her tong.

“Then, I’ll have this bivira meat.”

While I wait I steadily pack the remaining bivira meat into my stomach.

It might be childish, but this roasted me is thick and really tasty.

I bite in and chew. Yummy. The seryu powder compliments the meat.

There’s still some meat left, but I am satisfied.

While Raguren smiles and laughs he scratches at his growing mustache.

Seemingly satisfied Rollo has finished *perroperroing* his forepaw clean and is turning her stomach to face the fire.

Narrowing her crimson eyes as she stares at the fire, she looks sleepy.

It feels like the awareness in her eyes in no longer properly there.

Raguren gathers up the remaining meet and collects what remains from the meat of Rollo’s leaf before taking out a bag and heading over to the popobumu’s to give them their feed.

He even feeds my popobumu.

He seems to have put away the meet wrapped in the leafy herb back inside the saddle bag.

And, with a rustling sound he searches for something to take out. He pulled out a blanket.

I head over to my popobumu and go through the bag connected to the back of my saddle to take out my own blanket.

Variously blankets are stored there.

Common traveling necessities…

Honestly, I have though it many times… I am really grateful Achilles-shisho’s family.

Taking out a blanket, I close my eyes with a sense of gratitude.

“Then, we’ll eat the leftover meat tomorrow, should we lay down now? Sleep in preparation for tomorrow.”

“Understood. However, is it okay to lie down unconcerned?”

“It’s fine. I’m used to it. If something approaches I naturally wake up.”

As expected of a heaven-sent child of hunting.

Destroyer-like, it is a hunter.

“That’s right. Got it.”

“Ah.”

The conversation ends with that.

I cover my feet with a blanket while leaving on a tree.

I wrap a blanket behind around head and leave my body inside the quiet night forest.

The quiet sounds of nature are blocked out.

The wind gusting through the trees. Nocturnal animals.

The calmness of night is like one sound you feel.

The sound coming from the fire burning in the bonfire lingers in my ears.

Rollo laying by the fire raised her body and stares at me appealing for something.

Looking at the eye of such a Rollo, I lift the bottom of the blanket and Rollo scampers in.

Rollo, where you aiming for this gap?

Rollo seems to have found the gap under the blanket between my legs.

Rollo buries her body into the gap and seems to be going to sleep.

I remember cats in pots from my past life.

It is universal that cats like sitting in narrow places.

Seeing Rollo fitting into the gab I narrow my eyes as I smile.

Haha, did you fit in after all.

Yo〜sh. While rubbing the head and enjoying the feeling the ears of such a Rollo I close my eyes too.

Seeming to enjoy having her ears ear rubs lightly Rollo make a purring sound in her chest, and pushes pads of her paws into the inside of my thighs like a gift in return.

The feeling of her paw pads is really nice.

Rollo the black cat repeatedly *massages* while putting her claws in and out grasping gently.

Is she remembering suckling her mother’s milk?

But, there can’t be a memory like that since she’s a divine beast…

Ma, maybe it is an animal trait.

And like that, I who normally can’t sleep very much stay like that with Rollo, and gradually fall asleep.