I used [Purification Magic Clean] at full power on Shella, who was covered in blood and mud, and cleaned her up.
Fortunately, all of it was monster blood, and she wasn’t injured, so I was relieved.
For the cooking in the forest, I had Shella and Ketsue keep watch around us.
Since Shella had lost not only her gear but even her weapons, I lent her a bow. It was a magical weapon I had obtained in the dungeon. It seemed to be a rare drop item, and it was apparently quite useful.
“This bow is amazing! Just charging magic lets me fire wind magic arrows! And they always hit the target! I’ve never been able to hunt this many before!”
The silver-haired girl with a rosy complexion showed off her catch with a smile.
Four Horned Rabbits, two pheasants, and the big one was a Cocco bird she had dragged over.
“Wow, you two managed to hunt quite a lot in such a short time.”
“Y-Yes! Ketsue found all the prey!”
“Meow!”
Shella was gently petting Ketsue, who had a smug expression. She seemed pleased. Ketsue must have used spirit magic to assist Shella, I thought.
“I see. You both did a great job. Let’s put the prey away for now.”
“Please!”
“We’ll eat when we return to the inn—”
“I want to eat right here, right now!”
“Meow!”
I couldn’t resist the pleas of the two hungry kids, so we ended up having lunch in the forest.
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I began cutting the roasted deer meat.
Seeing the beautiful red meat, Shella’s eyes sparkled.
At this rate, she was probably going to eat a lot, so I made sure to put extra on her plate.
The large plate was lined with sunny lettuce, and the roasted deer was arranged on top, making it colorful.
I decorated the plate with potato salad and mini tomatoes to make it look even better. Onion soup and garlic toast were also set on the table.
“Alright, let’s eat.”
“Yes!”
Without hesitation, Shella stabbed her fork into the roasted deer.
She took a bite of the deer meat, generously covered in sauce, and closed her eyes in delight as she savored it. Slowly chewing, she placed a hand on her cheek, clearly enjoying the moment.
“What a delicious piece of meat…”
The girl sighed happily before immediately reaching for another piece of meat.
She didn’t even glance at the vegetables, soup, or bread, fully focused on savoring the roasted deer.
“It’s so tender, but still has that rich meat flavor. And this sauce is wonderful. It doesn’t overpower the meat, but complements it… It’s just amazing. The meat is so good…”
I averted my gaze from Shella, who was eating with tears in her eyes.
It was hard to dismiss the atmosphere, as it was clear how much she loved meat. Ketsue, too, had his back to Shella and was eating the roasted deer in silence.
At least he was also eating the salad and soup, so I thought he was doing well.
“Ah… it’s all gone… the meat…”
Shella sighed, making a sound through her nose.
I glanced at her plate, where the salad remained untouched.
Of course, the soup and bread were also left as they were.
“Shella. If you want more, finish your salad. Don’t leave the onion soup or garlic toast either.”
I glared at her, and she hurriedly nodded.
She picked up the soup bowl with both hands and drank it in one go.
“Phew! Wow, this soup is also delicious! It’s a vegetable soup, right?”
“It’s good because I simmered it slowly. The consommé is made with chicken and vegetables, so I think it suits your taste.”
She hesitantly took a bite of the sunny lettuce, chewing it crunchily before swallowing, seemingly amazed that it wasn’t bitter.
That lettuce was grown from Japanese seeds. She was probably surprised by its mild and easy-to-eat flavor.
(I guess lettuce in this world is bitter?)
Come to think of it, I didn’t see many salads made with raw vegetables in the meals at the inn.
Perhaps gaining confidence from the lettuce, Shella eagerly reached for the potato salad with her fork.
The potato salad, generously made with mayonnaise, was just as I expected and seemed to suit her tastes.
“It’s delicious! I’ve never eaten such a dreamy texture before! Huh, vegetables? Is this also a vegetable? It’s completely different from the vegetables I know…”
“I wonder why that is? Maybe it’s the seasonings used? Anyway, go ahead and eat the garlic toast too. Once you finish that, I’ll give you more meat.”
“Y-Yes! Mmm? Mmm, it’s delicious!”
“Alright, finish chewing before you talk.”
The toast, spread with garlic butter and baked until crispy, was even more delicious when enjoyed with the soup.
It was even better when I placed the roasted deer on top of the toast and took a bite.
Shella, eating the toast with the enthusiasm of a squirrel, looked up at me with her big, innocent eyes.
Her request was that of a beautiful young girl, but I remained unfazed. With a sigh, I offered her a handkerchief.
“You’ve got crumbs on your mouth. No, not there. This side.”
In the end, I had to wipe her face with the handkerchief.
While doing so, I recalled how I had taken care of my younger cousins, cleaning their faces just like this.
“I’m sorry… it was so delicious that I couldn’t help myself…”
Feeling embarrassed, Shella lowered her head, shrinking slightly.
“I’m not bothered by it. If that means you really liked my cooking, I’m happy. Now, here’s the roasted deer you’ve been waiting for.”
“Meat!”
Shella looked up with a big smile and eagerly took the plate.
I was really glad I made a lot of roasted deer.
Although she was a slender, rather thin girl, she could easily devour two servings.
This time, she ate not only the roasted deer but also the vegetables, soup, and bread, looking content as she ate.
Seeing how deliciously she was eating, I ended up eating more myself.
Sharing a meal always makes it taste better.
“It was so good!”
After going back for a second serving of roasted deer, Shella seemed satisfied and finally put her fork down.
“You really ate a lot.”
“I’m embarrassed… Actually, in the village where I lived, we rarely ate meat.”
“Was it far from the forest?”
For once, Shella frowned and shook her head.
“No. It was a village located in the forest. In fact, it was deep within a great forest.”
“A great forest? Then, you wouldn’t have had trouble finding meat…”
Even in shallow areas, the great forest was filled with magical beasts. Horned rabbits, deer, boars, and wolf-like monsters would surely have been abundant.
“We were from a clan that disliked eating meat, so our staple foods were nuts and fruits. Meat was considered impure and was strongly avoided…”
“Huh? Well, if it’s a species-specific trait, I guess I understand, but you like meat, don’t you, Shella?”
When I tilted my head and asked, Shella smiled faintly, her aquamarine eyes showing a self-mocking tint.
“I wasn’t purebred in my village. I was a failure, having almost none of the traits of my species. I was weak, and always hungry…”
“So, Shella carries beastkin blood. Do you know what kind of blood you have mixed with?”
“I don’t know. My parents both had clear signs of our species. The elders said I might have been a throwback, that some ancestor’s blood mixed into me and showed up in me.”
“I see…”
It was a sad story.
In a tribe of herbivorous beastkin, she was the only one with mixed blood. Her desire for meat must have made her an outsider in the village.
“I was always hungry, but I was weak with wind magic, so I could rarely hunt for food. When I was lucky enough to catch a weak small animal, it made me happy…”
She told me that about a year ago, she had run away from the village, unable to bear the hunger any longer.
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By the way, Volume 2 of “The Reincarnated Lady Who Escaped from Another World” is scheduled to be released around the end of May.
If you see it, please check it out!
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