Chapter 31

I enjoyed the venison steak, then sent the items I had summoned for them to the item box before quickly falling asleep.

Since being reincarnated in this world, I’ve become quite an early sleeper and early riser. It’s partly because there’s little entertainment, but also because the intense activities during the day leave me tired.

The only ways I have to kill time are smartphone games that can be played online and e-books I bought before.

For this reason, reading the magic book given to me by the Creator God has become a recent habit, especially just before I fall asleep.

It’s fun how, like searching on a smartphone, if I open a blank page and ask a question, the answer appears.

I also learned from the magic book that the history of this world is quite short. The planet, which is about one-tenth the size of Earth, was born just about a thousand years ago.

The Creator God became self-aware 500 years ago, and from there, it seems they started creating life in their own way.

The Earth model was the reference. It seems they knew about demi-humans from fictional worlds and created them for fun. Magic and skills were likely inspired by Japanese stories, which is why they feel so familiar.

The youthful impression of the God was indeed accurate; they were young.

If they created this world using modern Japanese knowledge, you might think the timeline doesn’t add up, right?

I thought so too, but it seems that higher beings like Gods can’t interfere, but they can secretly peek at the future of distant stars.

They can’t read the future of the world they created, which makes them similar to fortune tellers who can’t foresee their own futures.

While I was thinking of such random questions, I fell asleep.

The alarm on my smartphone woke me up, and I used purification magic, Clean, as a substitute for a morning shower.

Feeling refreshed, I noticed I had received an email from the “Hero Message.”

“Hm, it’s them. A thank you for the camping gear and bedding. I guess it was inconvenient after all.”

 Haruto was overjoyed with the camping gear. The sunshade was convenient as a resting spot, and hammocks are something few boys dislike.

The compact chairs were appreciated as something useful for breaks during outdoor activities.

The sleeping bags, shaped like envelopes, seemed to be used as futons by all three of them.

It seems that putting a cushion, a sleeping bag, and a mattress pad on a straw mat made things quite comfortable, and they were very grateful for it.

Akimi’s eyes lit up when they saw the mess tins and food pots. Maybe they plan to sell them to the country.

They are quite handy during camping, so I hope they spread among adventurers and travelers as well, not just soldiers.

Natsuki  was happy with the large body pillow stuffed animal. They’ve already started using the soft cushion, and I was even asked if the princess might want one. Yeah, I think it would go well if it’s sold alongside beauty products.

Also, they asked for roomwear from the 300-yen shop—cute matching tops and bottoms for a thousand yen.

I replied that I’d send it tonight.

“Oh? They’ve sent a large amount of vegetables, eggs, and milk as thanks! This is great!”

The vegetables that grow wild in the great forest are small, so this is a welcome surprise.

I checked the [Item Box] and found that there were wooden boxes full of root vegetables like potatoes, onions, carrots, and radishes.

Leafy vegetables like cabbage, lettuce, Chinese cabbage, and broccoli were also sent, each in a wooden box.

The eggs came in a large basket, wrapped in straw. There were fifty of them.

This is really helpful.

“That’s a big glass jar. Is it about two liters?”

I appraised it and confirmed that it was indeed milk.

It wasn’t from goats, unknown animals, or even magical beasts; it was fresh milk from a dairy cow.

I’ll drink it carefully.

“They really remembered that I complained about not being able to get vegetables, eggs, and milk.”

I had managed to get eggs recently when I happened to find a chicken’s nest, but luck like that doesn’t always follow.

The milk sold at the 100-yen store was fruit milk in a plastic bottle, which couldn’t be used for cooking, so I was relieved to receive the fresh milk.

I don’t mind strawberry milk, but it’s not suitable for cooking.

“It’s a good idea to trade for missing ingredients with them. If my stock runs low, I’ll ask them.”

As I looked at the vegetables, I suddenly realized.

With these ingredients, I could make that dish!

The wild boar I hunted in the forest yesterday—botan nabe (wild boar hot pot)!

“With daikon, carrots, and Chinese cabbage… I also have miso, mirin, and cooking sake from the 100-yen shop, so I can make the soup too.”

Yes, I’ll make botan nabe for dinner!

The shop even sells clay pots.

There’s no excuse now; I’m going to enjoy a hot pot.

“I’m looking forward to it. But before that, I’ll have breakfast.”

Since I now had eggs and milk, I decided to make a hot sandwich for breakfast. I arranged sausages around the edges, cracked an egg into the bread, and seasoned it with mayonnaise and black pepper before cooking it in a hot sandwich maker.

I poured the milk into a glass and chilled it with life magic before drinking it. Mm, it’s delicious.

With milk, I can make pudding mix or dairy-based desserts from the 100-yen shop. Simple but delicious, and since I don’t have a fridge, life magic lets me chill things.

“I’ll save the cooking for later and make it my lunchtime dessert.”

It was a bit burnt, but the crispy hot sandwich was delicious. The soft-boiled egg melted into the bread perfectly, with just the right amount of cooking. Vegetables? I’ll have berries for dessert and drink some green juice, so no problem.

After finishing it quickly, I gathered the camping equipment and tossed it into the [Item Box].

We were getting pretty close to the Demon Mountain.

At this pace, we should arrive before the rainy season starts.

Let’s hope that by then, the level of the Summoning Magic online store will have increased.

“My first goal is to level up enough to summon a house and save up points. If I haven’t achieved it by the rainy season, I might have to hole up in the mountains for a while…”

If there’s a cave, I could use that as a temporary base. If not, I can use earth magic to create one. It’s a bit overkill, but since I’m not confident about surviving the rainy season in a tent, it can’t be helped.

“Well then, time to do my best today.”

While earning points is important, collecting tasty meats and fruits is equally important. I activated the skills [Sense Presence], [Stealth], and [Body Strengthening] and ran lightly through the forest.

I was targeting magical beasts like deer and boars. Bears are also a good source of points, so I included them. I planned to actively harvest fruits, so I didn’t forget to use [Appraisal].

“Alright, today’s campsite is here!”

I set up the tent near a small spring where fresh water was flowing. I had already chopped down about thirty trees around the area, which were stored in the [Item Box].

15,000 points—thank you very much!

For lunch, I kept it simple with some ready-made meals.

Curry rice and skewered roasted meat. The Horn Rabbit meat on the skewers was tender and easy to eat. After enjoying the homemade pudding, I headed out for harvesting and hunting.

Results for the day:

I hunted 8 forest deer, 6 forest boars, and wiped out a pack of 13 forest wolves.

Then, I encountered a new type of monster.

It wasn’t a beast turned into a magical beast, but a monster that had a disgusting appearance from the start—a goblin.

The small green-skinned goblin screamed in a filthy voice and attacked, but since it was humanoid, I had no hesitation in taking it down. It was slow and not very strong. However, I knew from the magic book that goblins tend to attack in groups using weapons, so I kept an eye out.

Fortunately, it seemed to be a stray goblin, so it was just that one.

Goblins only seem to have magic stones of value, and they give low points. I got 800 points for killing one. Magical beasts are much more rewarding.

However, goblins are notorious for breeding quickly, so it’s advised to eliminate them when seen, according to the magic book. Especially when encountering a settlement, it recommended thoroughly destroying and burning it, with a somewhat extreme suggestion.

The magic book—or rather, the Creator God.

I realized just how troublesome these monsters could be, and steeled myself once again.

Now, on to more important matters—the evening meal.

I made a hot pot with forest boar meat!

Aside from the meat, I used the vegetables I had received.

Daikon, carrots, and Chinese cabbage. Since I didn’t have green onions, I sliced up some onions to use instead. I also added mushrooms I gathered from the forest.

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any grilled tofu at the 100-yen shop…”

But, I did find some small mochi for hot pots, so I’ll add those later. Melted mochi in a hot pot is delicious, after all.

For seasoning, I used some dashi stock, cooking sake, mirin, and miso. I also added a bit of tube ginger.

The smell should be masked by the miso, so it should be fine.

I trust that the magical beast meat will taste great.

“Done! Time to eat!”

I served it in a deep bowl and took a bite. The thinly sliced boar meat was tender. The fat was sweet, but not greasy at all.

“Yum…!”

There was no unpleasant odor. In fact, it had a fruity aroma. Maybe it’s because the meat is from a magical beast that primarily feeds on delicious fruits from the great forest? Despite the fatty parts, there wasn’t much scum, and the meat was packed with umami.

This is great meat, I thought, and ate a lot of it.

“The botan nabe was delicious…”

The vegetables were tasty, the mushrooms were of course great, and the melted mochi was delicious too. The final dish of miso porridge with rice and egg was satisfying as well.

I definitely plan to make this again.

“The potential of boar meat…”

I’m sure it would be delicious as yakiniku (grilled meat). Skewers would definitely work too. Boar cutlets—”boakatsu”—can’t possibly taste bad, and it would go well in curry too.

“Starting tomorrow, I’ll keep hunting.”

I reaffirmed my resolve.