After preparing her adventurer’s gear, Sierra’s achievements were remarkable.
Until now, she had been steadily earning by gathering herbs and other materials, but now she was also able to handle monster-slaying quests.
She returned the magic weapon bow and, using the money she had saved, bought her own bow, diligently hunting magical beasts.
Now, she could hunt not only Horn Rabbits and Cocco Birds but also Wild Boars and Wild Deer.
Perhaps gaining confidence, it seems that she decided to take on a monster-slaying quest near the Great Forest.
“Isn’t it a bit dangerous?”
“It’s fine. I won’t push myself too hard!”
“Then, I’ll go too.”
I was worried about her going to the Great Forest alone.
I thought she might refuse, but Sierra seemed rather happy about our company.
“It feels reassuring to have you, Tohma-san, and Ketsue-kun with me!”
“Good, then. How about we accept the quest on a day when the market is closed?”
“That sounds good. I’d feel uneasy with only half a day, but with that, we could take our time without rushing.”
Sierra continued with her market trading, ensuring she had two days off a week.
Thanks to this, I believe we’ve made quite a bit of money in this country. I haven’t counted properly, but I’m sure we’ve earned at least thirty gold coins.
Sierra, who earns a silver coin per day as her part-time wage, is likely doing quite well.
That said, we still don’t have enough equipment to challenge a dungeon.
We need a tent for camping, blankets, clothes, cooking utensils, seasonings, and food as well.
I heard that a large rucksack for carrying dropped items costs five silver coins, even if it’s second-hand.
It was surprising that a simple, shabby backpack would cost that much, but apparently, it’s made from magic beast hide, with waterproof and fireproof features, making it durable.
(I kind of want that. If I secretly add spatial expansion magic to it, it would be perfect for storing everything and would be really convenient.)
If I were to enter a dungeon empty-handed, I’d probably stand out like crazy.
A high-quality Japanese backpack might attract attention with its mysterious materials. Maybe I should just buy the same rucksack as Sierra’s.
Sierra decided to buy a rucksack before heading to the Great Forest and headed to the tool shop, clutching some silver coins.
I followed her, looking like a guardian.
Well, it’s a good time for me to buy one too.
Sierra bought a second-hand rucksack, while I bought a brand-new one, and we both looked forward to our next day off.
◆◇◆
And so, the holiday arrived.
We met early in the morning before the first bell rang and headed towards the Great Forest, the three of us.
After about an hour, we arrived at the entrance to the Great Forest. It was a narrow path, slightly evolved from an animal trail, a place frequently used by adventurers.
“This monster-slaying quest involves goblins and orcs. The magic stones are proof of the hunt. You can also sell materials like meat and skins, so let’s hunt as many as we can!”
“Got it. And the magical beasts can be bought too, right?”
“Of course! No rewards for slaying them, but the materials can be sold. Especially the meat, it’s very popular!”
“Got it, got it. It’s best to hunt in a way that doesn’t ruin the meat or fur.”
“Yes!”
Sierra, of course, was focused, but for some reason, Ketsue was also full of energy. Living in the city seemed a bit stressful for him.
For a spirit like Ketsue, the forest, rich in magical energy, was a calming environment.
Being a cat fairy, he also had a strong hunting instinct, so it seemed he was looking forward to this monster-slaying quest.
“Alright, let’s go!”
“Yes!”
“Nyaa!”
Breathing in the nostalgic scent of the forest, I firmly stepped on the ground.
I couldn’t laugh at Sierra and Ketsue.
Even though I was a High Elf, I was thoroughly enjoying the lush green forest more than anyone.
That said, this was the dangerous Great Forest. I remained vigilant, using my [Presence Detection] skill.
At this shallow part of the forest, I mostly sensed small magical beasts—Horn Rabbits, Grass Mice, Small Foxes, and the like.
There were also some presences above us.
Small bird-like magical beasts had rice-sized magic stones and no useful meat, so it was best to ignore them.
Ape-like magical beasts often attack in groups, so even though they might be weak, it’s important to stay cautious.
Sierra was carefully holding her bow, and Ketsue stayed close to her.
Ketsue’s [Presence Detection] was even better than mine, and he was helping Sierra by indicating the locations of magical beasts.
Though they couldn’t speak to each other, Sierra read Ketsue’s gaze and carefully released arrows.
A high-pitched scream rang out. It seemed she had taken down a Horn Rabbit. Then, two more arrows flew, followed by more screams.
“We found three, all grouped together! Looks like we’ve got lunch for today!”
“You’ve gotten better. I’ll keep the meat for now.”
With a smile, Sierra passed me the Horn Rabbits. I tossed them into my [Item Box] and processed them into materials.
She knew I had the disassembling skill, so she didn’t question why the magical beasts had turned into butchered meat when I pulled them out.
It was appreciated, but I was a bit worried about how trusting she was.
We spent the next four hours focusing on hunting and gathering, with occasional breaks.
Most of the hunting was done by Ketsue and Sierra. I leisurely gathered herbs, wild plants, berries, and mushrooms.
When we encountered any troublesome magical beasts, I used wind magic to take them down.
“I’m hungry…”
“Myoon…”
I had just found some delicious-looking mushrooms and was happily picking them when I was softly pleaded with by the two of them, one holding their sTohmach and the other making a sad mew.
Now that I think about it, it was almost noon.
We’d started early, and after so much activity, I guess it was no surprise they couldn’t wait any longer.
“Shall we have lunch?”
We found an open space a little further back and decided to take a lunch break there.
I set up a tarp for shade and brought out tables and chairs for everyone. On the table, I placed a stove, cutting board, knife, frying pan, and a pot.
For breakfast, we had a light sandwich, so I wanted a hearty lunch.
The ingredients were three Horn Rabbit meats provided by Sierra.
From the one person and one creature sitting quietly in their chairs, I could hear the cute sounds of their stomachs growling.
“Alright, let’s make fried Horn Rabbit. This should satisfy your stomachs and quiet them down.”
“Fried food!”
“Nom-nom!”
“Okay, okay. I’ll prepare the fried food and rice, so just wait patiently, alright?”
I had already fed Sierra fried Cocco Bird once before. She had been so moved by how delicious it was that she had tears in her eyes while eating, which was still fresh in my memory.
Since then, she’s been a big fan of fried food.
I had some rice prepared in advance, so I asked Sierra to shred some cabbage.
I coated the chopped-up Horn Rabbit meat in store-bought fried food batter and just had to fry them.
I had activated magic tools around the tarp to form a barrier, so I could focus on frying without worrying about magic beasts or monsters.
◆◇◆
After a lunch of shredded cabbage, fried Horn Rabbit, white rice, and instant miso soup—like a lunch from a school cafeteria—we resumed hunting and gathering.
“The fried Horn Rabbit was delicious, wasn’t it, Ketsue?”
“Meow.”
“Ah… I’m so happy… I’m glad I left the village. I never imagined I could eat so much delicious meat.”
“I get it, but focus! In the Great Forest, a moment’s carelessness could be fatal.”
“Yes! …Ah, goblins!”
Having greatly improved her archery skills, Sierra shot two arrows simultaneously and steadily took down the goblin group.
“Just today, we’ve taken out eighteen goblins and two orcs. With the hunting rewards and selling the materials, we’ve made quite a bit of money.”
“Hehe. It’s all thanks to you two! I’ve never hunted this much before! We also hunted a lot of magic beasts, so I want to splurge a bit tonight.”
“Well then, how about a wild boar steak from the boar we just hunted?”
“Wild boar steak! How luxurious! I want it!”
Sierra’s face lit up, and compared to when we first met, her smile had become so much brighter.
Especially when there was delicious food in front of her, that smile was dazzling.
“Boar cutlet is also good, but having fried food again might get boring.”
“Meow.”
“Huh? Braised pork? It’s delicious, but no! It takes way too long. It’s too much trouble.”
“Meow…”
“Just giving me those pitiful looks won’t work. Now, go collect the goblins!”
I was watching Ketsue, who gave a dissatisfied meow, when I realized too late.
Sierra had somehow climbed a tree some distance away and was trying to pick ripe fruits for us.
She was just a bit short of reaching them, and as she stretched her fingers out on a thin branch, she lost her balance.
“Ah…!”
I rushed over when I heard her small scream, but—
(It’s too late…!)
I didn’t even have time to cast magic.
Knowing I wouldn’t be able to reach her in time, I stretched out my arms at least to try to catch her.
Right before my eyes, a pure white feather floated gently down.
Apologies for the advertisement.
Pre-orders for the second volume of my work, Isekai Tensei Reijou, Shuppon Suru (The Reincarnated Noblewoman in Another World, Escapes), have begun.
There are also new written pieces, so I would be happy if you could pick it up…!
