“Did you come through the great forest? That must have been tough.”
“I almost died so many times. But staying in the village would’ve just meant starving to death, so I pushed through!”
She puffed out her chest proudly.
Her thin frame and protruding collarbones stood out, a painful reminder of her meager diet up to now. It made me sad just thinking about it.
I’ll make sure you eat well and fill out nicely, I thought, slipping into a protective mindset without realizing it.
Perhaps sensing the same thing, Ketsue jumped onto Shella’s shoulder and licked her cheek.
“Wow, you really worked hard. That’s impressive.”
“Meow.”
For a girl with only basic wind magic and archery skills to make it through the great forest was nothing short of a miracle.
Was she just incredibly lucky, or did she have some kind of hidden skill?
The girl in question smiled joyfully, her face glowing with satisfaction.
“Today’s been a great day. I earned some money helping at the shop, hunted a lot of game, and even got to eat a delicious meal!”
“Are you going to sell the game at the guild?”
“Yes! Horned Rabbits and Cocco Birds are magical beasts, so the guild will buy them. The pheasants aren’t affected by mana, so they’ll be my dinner!”
“I see…”
She explained with a carefree smile.
She’d managed to bring down two pheasants. They were pretty big, so they’d provide a lot of food.
“The pheasant feathers are beautiful, so I might be able to sell them to a shop in town.”
“Feathers? For decoration?”
“The longer tail feathers are used to decorate hats, I hear. They’re also great for arrows. Pheasant feathers are supposed to be really easy to use.”
“Ah, for fletching…”
I started to understand why she was so happy.
The pheasant meat would give her plenty to eat, and she could sell the other materials.
Although magical beast meat tastes much better, she must have chosen to sell it rather than eat it—likely with a heavy heart.
“How do you usually cook pheasant meat?”
“Hmm? I just roast it!”
“Just roast it? Do you season it with salt and skewer it?”
“Salt is expensive, so I don’t use it. Skewers are a waste too, so I just stick it on a thick branch in the forest and roast it over a campfire!”
“…”
Her primitive approach left me speechless.
I wasn’t going to suggest using herbs to mask the smell, but at least sprinkle some salt on it.
“Doesn’t it burn over an open flame…?”
“Oh, it does burn sometimes, but it’s still edible. Roasted meat is delicious!”
“Meow…”
Seriously? Ketsue’s wide-eyed look said everything I was thinking. I sighed and gently placed both hands on Shella’s narrow shoulders.
“Listen… if you’re okay with it, why don’t you let me cook that pheasant meat for you?”
“Huh? Oh, of course! And I’ll share it with you and Ketsue too! I was only able to hunt them thanks to you two.”
“Well, that’s true, but that’s not what I meant. Never mind. How about we have lunch here again tomorrow?”
“I’d love to!”
Judging by today’s market sales, everything would sell out by morning.
In the afternoon, I could focus on cooking, and Shella could concentrate on hunting. She’d be able to earn a decent amount that way.
With Ketsue as her companion, she shouldn’t face too much danger. If she managed to make it through the great forest with her courage and quick reflexes, the nearby forest should be no problem.
Still, as her temporary guardian, I couldn’t help but worry a little.
“Maybe I should register at the Adventurer’s Guild too…”
I muttered this to myself, and she immediately reacted with excitement.
“That’s a great idea! If you become a guild member, you can sell materials to them and use the dismantling station for free.”
“Do you handle the dismantling yourself?”
“You can pay the guild to do it, but I don’t have the money!”
Her cheerful declaration felt a little out of place, but it was very her.
(Well, I have a skill that lets me convert materials directly, so I probably won’t need the dismantling station…)
Following the cheerful girl walking ahead of me, I trailed along leisurely with Ketsue.
For seven days, our routine remained the same: selling at the market in the morning, cooking in the nearby forest in the afternoon, and helping Shella with her hunting.
Through her steady efforts, Shella was able to fully repay the five silver coins I had lent her.
“Tohma-san, thank you so much!”
“You’re welcome. Not only have you fully repaid your debt, but you’ve also managed to equip yourself properly.”
“Yes! Thanks to you, I was able to buy a bow and leather armor!”
“That’s great. It’s all because of your hard work, Shella.”
“Hehe.”
When I casually patted her head, she looked momentarily surprised before shyly smiling. She touched the spot I had patted with her own hand, almost hesitantly, and smiled softly.
(Is she not used to being praised? Surely this can’t be the first time someone has patted her head… can it?)
A sharp pain pricked at my chest.
Despite being such a kind and good girl, her own people persecuted her simply for being different. The thought of it made me angry all over again.
Over the past seven days, the results of feeding her three meals a day plus snacks were clear.
Her once-dull silver hair had regained its luster, her pale complexion now had a healthy glow, and Shella looked far more vibrant than before.
Her body was still slender and delicate, but that might just be her natural build, so I decided to keep an eye on it for now.
Shella, her aquamarine eyes sparkling, showed off the bow she had bought from the weapon shop.
“Thanks to this magic bow, I’ve been able to hunt plenty of magical beasts and level up! Also, I’ve learned a new archery skill and my wind magic has become more powerful!”
The magical bow, which had dropped in a dungeon, could shoot magical arrows when imbued with mana.
Thanks to her daily efforts in hunting magical beasts, she had seemingly grasped the intricacies of wind magic.
Not only had she learned better magic control, but her mana reserves had also increased with use.
What surprised me most was that she had developed techniques to enhance the accuracy and power of a regular bow by imbuing it with wind magic.
“You’re amazing, Shella. Truly hardworking.”
“I worked hard so I could get more meat!”
“I see…”
Shella, an enthusiastic and slightly carnivorous beauty, proudly explained with a fiery determination.
Recently, she’d started keeping one Horn Rabbit’s worth of meat for herself out of the magical beasts she sold to the guild.
It seemed she felt guilty about relying entirely on me for meals, so she insisted on preparing her own dinner.
She still ate breakfast and lunch with me since they were part of her “payment” for helping out as a market seller.
I had also given her some salt and barbecue skewers, which I had bought with one iron coin, so her dinners should have improved a bit.
Apparently, the adventurer guild’s lodgings had a kitchen, and as long as she brought her own firewood, she could cook her own meals.
“I’m so glad you’re staying in this town for a while longer, Tohma-san! I want to save up for cooking tools and camping gear next.”
“You’re aiming to explore a dungeon, right?”
“Yes!”
Her goal wasn’t just to earn money but to find a magic tool with [Recognition Inhibition] in the dungeon.
She seemed determined to obtain something similar to the ring I had lent her.
Though I had several in my possession and wouldn’t mind giving her one, she had stubbornly refused.
“Magic tools like that cost over ten gold coins! I can’t possibly accept it!”
While her level had increased and she was now stronger than before, I couldn’t imagine the slender girl fending off rugged adventurers by herself.
For a solo adventurer like Shella, a magic tool with [Recognition Inhibition] was practically essential.
“Honestly, Shella should also have magic tools for [Stealth], [Concealment], and maybe even [Barrier], if possible…”
As I muttered to myself, Ketsue gave me an exasperated look, as if to say, “Calm down.”
Right, I almost let my overprotectiveness run wild again. Shella wasn’t my sister or cousin, after all.
(Still, I want to make sure she’s properly equipped to explore dungeons. I guess I’ll stay in this town a little longer.)
The golden dragon Rei, who I stayed in touch with regularly, was still busy with work, so we wouldn’t be reuniting anytime soon.
As for my cousins, they were currently focused on leveling up and fighting demons in an express dungeon within the empire’s territory.
By the way, I hadn’t mentioned Shella to my cousins.
Not only because Haruto and Akimi told me not to report my interactions with people from another world, but also because I didn’t want to be teased for looking after a much younger girl.
“Once I’ve helped Shella earn enough to dive into the dungeon, I’ll lend her a hand for a little bit.”
Then, I’ll set off for the sea as planned.
When I reach the ocean, I’m going to stock up on fresh seafood.
“Convenience store seafood bowls just don’t cut it. I’m dying for some fresh sashimi.”
If I manage to get good fish, I’d like to send some to my hardworking cousins, too.
And I wondered—does this silver-haired, carnivorous girl like fish?
