I was reincarnated as bait for the summoned hero
“The magic bag is incredibly convenient…”
Sheila mutters quietly.
I nod in agreement while handing her the sandwich for lunch.
“Thank you. It looks delicious.”
“It’s good. Today’s is a grilled meat sandwich.”
I had used butter in a frying pan to grill thin slices of boar meat, coated in yakiniku sauce, and given them a flavorful touch. Sheila , being a meat-loving girl, is bound to be delighted.
The bread is toasted to a golden brown, with a thin layer of mustard mayo and shredded cabbage placed inside with the meat. It’s hearty, and most importantly, the strong flavor makes it easy to eat.
The soup is an instant pumpkin soup, enjoyed from a mug.
“The sweet and savory sauce on the meat is so delicious. The spicy sauce also leaves a lasting taste!”
Sheila takes a large bite of the generously filled sandwich. Her eyes narrow in happiness as she enjoys the flavors, and watching her eat in such a joyful way is always a pleasant sight.
I can’t help but want to offer her more to eat.
Ketsue, who I had cut the sandwich into small, bite-sized pieces for, is also savoring each bite. He munches with his small mouth and licks his pink tongue around his lips, looking utterly adorable.
Once he finishes the thick sandwich, he quickly drinks down the soup in one go. I use the Clean purification magic on the mug and store it, along with the cooking utensils and the table, in the [Item Box].
By the way, we’re resting at a roadside rest area. We left the seaside town of Orivetto three days ago, heading north. Instead of using a horse-drawn carriage, the two of us and one animal were traveling on foot to the next destination.
Using a shared carriage usually means camping out or staying at a village inn along the way. Given that I’ve grown used to the comfort of my tiny house, that would be quite tough, so naturally, we’re traveling by foot.
Traveling on foot isn’t bad at all.
It’s good exercise for Sheila to build stamina, and it also increases our chances of encountering magical beasts, so we can level up.
More than that, we can set up the tiny house off the beaten path, away from busy roads and into forests or rocky areas where we can enjoy a comfortable night.
We can take our time with a relaxing bath, and savor delicious meals made with Japanese seasonings.
The clean, comfortable bed is so amazing that I even started worrying whether I’d be able to endure staying at an inn in the future.
“Looks like we’ll be two more days until we reach the town. I hope there’s a nice inn there…”
“Don’t worry, Tohma . Let’s give up. I don’t think there will be a better room than that cottage. Even in a high-end inn in a town with a big dungeon.”
After finishing the two servings of grilled meat sandwich, Sheila looks at me with a pitiful expression.
I sigh and shrug at her while commenting flatly,
“You’ve got bread crumbs on your mouth.”
“Ah…!”
In a panic, she quickly wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, but it’s already too late. Yeah, Sheila ’s not cut out to be a cool character. I think she should just stick to being her usual clumsy self.
“Ugh… Tohma … People are creatures that fall into decadence…”
“Huh? What’s this all of a sudden?”
“Once you get used to comfort, you just can’t let go of it… Like with the cottage, and the magic bag!”
She clenches her fist tightly and passionately asserts this. Yeah, I guess that’s true?
“As an adventurer, I was planning on taking responsibility for my basic gear…”
“Yeah.”
“But that magic bag… Isn’t it way too convenient?? I never want to carry a heavy, cumbersome backpack again!”
“Yeah, I get it.”
The caramel-colored shoulder-style magic bag has become Sheila ’s beloved item.
When worn across the shoulder, it’s so convenient because it leaves your hands free for walking.
With light armor—carrying a bow on her back and a short sword at her waist—her steps are twice as light.
“The magic bag is just a loan, so I hope it drops in the dungeon. A storage bag of my own.”
I would have given it to her, but since Sheila knows how incredibly expensive it is, she wouldn’t accept it. So I’ve kept it as a “loan.”
“I’ve heard there’s a dungeon near the Great Forest on the edge of the continent where the drop rate for magical tools is high. I’m going to do my best!”
Sheila , now full of determination, shows no trace of her earlier, trembling appearance when she was a tiny, palm-sized long-tailed tit.
Using the magic weapon bow I lent her, she’s been steadily hunting magical beasts and leveling up.
Once her level surpassed 50, her stats increased more than tenfold, and her magic power also grew significantly.
Thanks to that, her wind magic is now stronger, and she can easily defeat wild boars with a Wind Cutter spell.
Now that she can easily defeat prey, she probably appreciates the magic bag even more.
Magical beasts provide meat, hides, magic stones, claws, horns, and tusks as materials.
All of these can be sold to the Adventurers’ Guild for a good price.
“We’ll use the meat for our meals, but it’s really great that we can take the other materials without throwing anything away!”
When it becomes a burden, sometimes the only thing you can carry back from a magical beast is the magic stone.
You eat the meat on the spot and have no choice but to throw away the rest. You don’t even have the time or space to tan the fur, so that’s out too.
Fur that hasn’t been properly processed smells bad and is unsanitary.
Claws, tusks, and horns are also part of the magical beast’s body, so if you don’t have the purification skill from Life Magic, you’ll need to endure the smell while carrying them back.
“The horns from the large deer magical beasts and the tusks from wild boar magical beasts are bulky, so if you don’t have a storage skill or magic bag, carrying them back is tough.”
Sheila explained that both of these materials are used to enhance weapons with alchemy, so they fetch a good price.
When converted into shopping points for summoning, the amount is small, but at the Adventurers’ Guild, they’re worth enough for a night’s stay.
Thanks to the magic bag, I can bring back not only the magic stones but also a lot of meat, fur, and other useful materials. Sheila holds it in high regard and treats it with utmost care.
I was thinking of thanking my cousins properly for letting me have it.
(I should treat them to a new ice cream from the convenience store. Maybe they’ll like the new fried chicken flavor?)
Convenience stores change their stock so quickly that if you don’t check daily, you can miss out.
Even if you find something you like, it might get discontinued immediately, so I’ve developed the habit of buying in bulk whenever I can.
“Well, we should just be grateful and take good care of useful things.”
“That’s right! Even if it doesn’t drop in the dungeon, we can always sell the materials and buy it with the money we make!”
“Exactly. Well then, with the plan settled, let’s get going. No breaks until evening.”
“What!? I want a snack break!”
“Meow.”
I let out a sigh at Sheila ’s antics and the little cat and bird who nodded earnestly, and we continued on our way.
“Well, using the Body Enhancement skill to run makes me hungry, so I guess it can’t be helped.”
“Yay!”
I hurry the two of them along, and we head toward our next destination, the town of Anheim, where there’s an intermediate-level dungeon.
I’m looking forward to seeing what magical tools we can get there.
