After cleaning up from lunch, I set out to explore the area. First, I decided to leave a marker so I wouldn’t lose track of my base.
I climbed the tallest tree at the camp and tied an orange scarf towel to a branch near the top, as high as I could reach.
Still feeling uncertain, I summoned and purchased some silver tape just to be safe, and tied it next to the towel.
“I’ve heard that orange stands out well in green, so I think it should be fine, but…”
With the silver tape reflecting sunlight, it should be visible enough as a marker.
Just to be cautious, I decided not to wander too far and instead walked around the base, staying within its vicinity.
Since my goal was gathering, I equipped leather gloves and a small knife, and tucked a folded plastic bag into my pocket. Though a sieve or bowl would be easier for collecting, the plastic bag was more convenient to carry.
I planned to use water magic to deal with any magical beasts I came across, but I kept an axe readily accessible in my backpack just in case.
“Alright, let’s go.”
It was undeniable that I felt like I was going on a little adventure.
I was looking forward to carefully checking out the vegetation. If I identified plants one by one using my [Identification] skill, it would likely raise the skill’s level. If I found rare medicinal herbs, I could also earn high points, so I planned to collect not just edible fruits and mushrooms, but anything useful.
Activating my newly acquired [Sense Presence] and [Stealth] skills, I cautiously explored the surroundings.
As expected, the large forest was rich with life.
I was able to gather a large amount of edible wild plants, mushrooms, and fruits. There were also plenty of medicinal herbs, which I diligently picked for points.
Among the plants I identified as edible, there were herbs I recognized from Japan.
I even found wild mountain vegetables, which brought back nostalgic feelings as I gathered them.
“There sure are a lot of impressive mushrooms.”
The vast forest also had many fallen trees.
Perhaps the mushrooms were feeding off the fallen wood, as I found plenty of large, mature ones. Of course, I was carefully selecting only the edible ones. There were also suspicious-looking mushrooms from this world, but I simply converted those into points.
It seemed there were many materials that could be used for potions, and my points were steadily increasing.
“There are a lot of berries—blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. They all look big and sweet.”
Gathering while occasionally snacking was progressing smoothly.
When I found green apples, I almost let out a cheer of excitement.
Of course, I picked as many ripe fruits as I could.
Happily walking through the forest, I noticed the presence of magical beasts and used water magic from the shadow of a tree to take them down.
“Large Mouse? Is there really such a large rat-type magical beast…”
A rat the size of a medium-sized dog was quite an impact up close. Its rodent teeth were fearsome. At least foxes and wolves were cuter than this.
Well, I’d hunt them both mercilessly, though.
“Hm? Is that garlic shoots?”
I checked whether it was leek or garlic chives, but it turned out to be garlic. It’s definitely edible. It’s delicious when sautéed with meat, so I happily gathered it.
Technically, it was the stem, not the shoot, but either way, it was both tasty and nutritious, so I made sure to gather it. I dug around the soil to collect some garlic as well. Even the shoots were edible, so I planned to use them in cooking.
“Not bad. This is going pretty well.”
I had planned to study the vegetation, but I quickly gave up. The plants in this forest were strange.
I wasn’t sure what season it was, but I was finding spring mountain vegetables right next to summer berries that were already ripe.
The vegetation ignored seasons, climate, and geography.
It felt like the plants were mixed up in a chaotic way, almost like a child had turned over a toy box.
I decided not to dwell on it, as thinking about it too much might give me a stomachache, so I just told myself, “This is a different world” and moved on.
“Still, it’s great that I can gather so many edible things. I’ll thank the Creator for this blessing.”
Perhaps it was good that I thanked the Creator, even if just out of formality.
Afterward, I found wild onions, carrots, and radishes.
Back at the base, I purified the gathered plants to remove any dirt. Since I had collected so much, I checked each one for points.
“Mushrooms are worth 50 to 100 points. The mushrooms from this world that are used for alchemy are worth 1500 points. Berries, edible vegetables, and mountain vegetables that are common in Japan have low points…”
It became clear that materials from this world converted into higher points, so I decided to use familiar ingredients without hesitation.
“For dinner tonight, I’ll make fried horn rabbit and tempura of mountain vegetables.”
The base already had a simple stove, so I decided to cook soups there.
For frying, I used a gas stove. Since I didn’t have a workbench, I quickly created a makeshift table using earth magic.
First, I cut the horn rabbit into bite-sized pieces, coated them with seasoned flour I had bought at a 100 yen shop, and let them rest.
While they rested, I prepared the soup. I added the chopped horn rabbit and dashi stock to a pot, then threw in the onions and carrots I had gathered.
While it simmered on low heat, I prepared the mountain vegetables. The fuki no tou (butterbur) and kogomi (ostrich fern) were easy to make into tempura, as they didn’t need to be blanched.
I heated up salad oil I had bought at the 100 yen shop and began frying the mountain vegetables.
“I’ll make the fried stuff first. If I fry the meat first, the oil will get greasy, and I want the mountain vegetables to taste fresh.”
After frying, I moved the mountain vegetable tempura onto a plate lined with paper towels and quickly stored them in my [Item Box] before they cooled.
“Now, onto the main event, the fried horn rabbit.”
The seasoned flour made the fried rabbit easy to prepare—just coat it and fry it.
When I dropped the meat into the oil, it made a satisfying sizzling sound.
I was frying a large batch, so it was a bit tedious, but I was looking forward to the result.
“Ah, the smell is irresistible. I can’t stand it.”
Unable to wait, I grabbed a freshly fried piece and took a bite.
It was piping hot, so I blew on it to cool it down, savoring the tender, juicy meat. The garlic-flavored coating, seasoned with soy sauce, was a perfect match for the horn rabbit meat.
“It’s so good. I can’t resist! It’s time to crack open a beer!”
Since I was going to sleep afterward, I decided to open a beer without hesitation.
When I popped the tab, the refreshing hiss of the can made me smile. I took a long, satisfying drink of the cold beer.
The crisp bitterness and carbonation were perfect.
I was almost tempted to drink the whole can in one go, but I managed to control myself and placed the can back on the table.
“Ah… This is the best. Fried chicken and beer are the ultimate combo. This is dangerous.”
I continued frying horn rabbit and, in between, made a simple salad. I sliced the mizuna I found by the lake along with raw onions and radishes, then drizzled them with dressing.
The miso soup was complete after I added miso to the pot of meat and vegetables.
I garnished it with mizuna instead of mitsuba, and it looked great.
“Alright, it’s done! With the pre-cooked rice I had prepared earlier, it looks like a deluxe meal.”
I decided to take a picture of my dinner and send it to the “Hero Message” app.
To counter the elegant camping photos from Haruto , who had sent me pictures of enjoying BBQ for lunch, I included my own response.
Fried horn rabbit, white rice with miso soup, mountain vegetable tempura, and fresh salad. It was a simple but appetizing lineup.
The fried chicken set with cold beer was absolutely delicious. When I bit into the crisp coating, the slightly bitter mountain vegetable tempura had a nostalgic taste.
The miso soup was delicious, too. The fresh salad was more delicious than I’d ever imagined. And above all, the collaboration of fried horn rabbit and white rice was a dream come true!
“This is dangerous. I could eat this all day…”
I couldn’t help but shovel the food into my mouth.
Washing down the meat juices with beer, I found myself craving more fried chicken.
“I can’t let myself drink all the beer too quickly. I have to hold back.”
Instead of beer, I drank the miso soup. Mmm, it was delicious too. From the green apple I ate after dinner, every ingredient from the Great Forest was incredible.
I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s gathering and hunting.
