After enjoying dinner, I spend a relaxed evening in the tent—this is my “work time” as the so-called “Hero’s Provisioner.”
The photo of the hamburger steak lunch was well-received, and Natsuki , in particular, seemed envious. So, I sent over a “hamburger mix” package. The instructions are on the back of the box, so the kitchen should be able to handle it. While I was at it, I threw in some pudding mix and a yogurt-like dessert mix that can be made with milk as extras.
“Alright, let’s start with Haruto ’s shopping list. Hmm? More cup noodles and instant yakisoba again? Midnight snacks, perhaps?”
As usual, the list includes plenty of potato chips and some sweet bread. There’s also an order for five cans of miso-flavored mackerel. At the end of the list, there’s a note explaining that Haruto had become friendly with Denka during combat training, and they bonded over their shared love of cup noodles.
“Denka…? Wait, could that mean ‘Your Highness’? Is he alright? Haruto ‘s not exactly the polite type. Won’t he get into trouble for being disrespectful?”
Well, if they’ve bonded over cup noodles, they should be fine, but I can’t help but worry about him doing something reckless. I’ll check with Akimi about it later.
“The miso-flavored mackerel cans must be gifts for the soldiers he’s gotten close to. Since they require no cooking, they’re a welcome treat for singles.”
In cities away from the sea, rare fish dishes are likely appreciated. I’m a little worried about whether the miso flavor will go over well with people from another world, though.
“Natsuki , as usual, is all about sweets. Honey, jam, peanut butter, chocolate, candies, cookies, and pancake mix, huh?”
Pancake mix is super convenient. You can make pancakes, of course, but also cookies, cakes, and other baked goods with a little creativity. It’s an excellent mix of flour, sugar, baking powder, and oil. With just eggs and milk, you can whip up a variety of treats.
“I think I’ve got screenshots of recipes for donuts, melon bread, chocolate gateau, and pound cake.”
I’ll send those screenshots along later. Natsuki seems to be planning to make a lot of sweets since her list also included cake molds and a whisk. I add everything to the cart as per her list.
“Just candy and bread from the 100-yen shop wouldn’t be enough, huh? Now I’m craving some baked sweets myself.”
I’ve got recipes for scones and muffins, so maybe I’ll make some for breakfast tomorrow.
“As for Akimi’s shopping list, it’s heavy on stationery again this time. Five packs of copy paper, ten each of ballpoint pens and notebooks.”
These are probably items to sell to the royal couple. The rest of the list is similar to the others—food, seasonings, and snacks. The only unusual items are slippers, socks, underwear, and towels, which seem to be for personal use.
Knowing Akimi, the delicate rich kid, I wonder if he can put up with 100-yen shop-quality socks and underwear. I picked out simple items of the best quality I could find.
I lie back on the cot, using a soft cushion as a pillow, and idly stare at the status board.
I’ve already amassed over a million points, and my level has surpassed 60. My skill levels are steadily improving, and my mana pool has increased significantly—more than ten times what it was at level 1, now exceeding 100,000. Thanks to that, I rarely run out of mana these days.
I’ve also learned many spells through diligently studying magic tomes. I can now use intermediate-level spells in water, fire, wind, earth, and light magic. My frequent use of [Purification Clean], a [Utility Magic] spell, has raised my light magic level dramatically, allowing me to learn [Healing Magic], [Detoxification Magic], and even [Dispel Magic].
“Healing magic is a lifesaver. The potions given by the Creator God are helpful, but they’re finite. Since I’ve learned up to intermediate healing magic, which covers injuries and illnesses, I’d like to aim for advanced healing magic next.”
Advanced healing magic is said to be capable of restoring lost body parts. While it can’t bring back the dead, as long as someone’s alive, it can heal them.
“My item box’s storage capacity is maxed out too. While I can’t store living things, plants and eggs can go in, which is kind of a mystery.”
Spatial magic is incredibly complex. I dream of mastering [Spatial Teleportation], but the risks of tampering with space—like ending up stranded in a void—mean it’s not covered in the magic tomes. For now, I’m studying dark magic.
“That said, dark magic doesn’t seem all that useful. Blocking an enemy’s vision with darkness sounds handy, and it might be good for sneaking around at night or enhancing night vision, but… it’s kind of underwhelming? Oh, sleep magic falls under dark magic. That’s actually useful—putting enemies to sleep or even using it on myself for a good night’s rest.”
However, advanced dark magic is said to be much more potent, with a lot of spells carrying ominous names. I’ll carefully consider which ones to learn.
I extinguish the lantern and crawl into my sleeping bag. I may not have mastered dark magic yet, but I pride myself on my ability to fall asleep quickly. Without even dreaming, I drift into a deep sleep.
Morning, and once again, clear skies.
So far, it hasn’t rained in the vast forest, but I wonder if there’s really a rainy season here.
Anyway, since it’s sunny, I’m grateful and will happily make breakfast today.
“I’m going to bake scones using pancake mix!”
With determination, I prepare the ingredients.
The magic powder pancake mix, butter, milk, and dried fruit—done!
“Dried fruit can be bought at the 100-yen shop, but I might as well make it myself.”
I take out some blueberries and figs from storage. Using [Life Magic]’s drying spell, fresh fruit transforms into dried fruit in no time.
I taste both, and they’re delicious. It’s a bit of a mystery how drying them enhances the sweetness.
Dried fruit is nutritious and makes a perfect snack. I’ll make plenty during my free time.
“Alright, recipe time.”
I place butter and pancake mix in a bowl and mix them together, then add milk and dried fruit.
I use chopped figs, mix well, and make the dough. Then I just cut it into bite-sized pieces and bake it. Unfortunately, I don’t have an oven, so I’ll be using a frying pan.
“If I use parchment paper, maybe it won’t stick to the pan…?”
I decide to give it a try and bake them in the frying pan. If only I had a toaster oven… but it’s not something I can bring on a camping trip, so I have to give up on that idea.
“Hmm? But it smells really good. Looks like I can bake them in the frying pan after all.”
I’m starting to get excited.
While waiting for the fig scones to bake, I work on the blueberry scone dough. Since I have some chocolate, I’ll also bake some chocolate scones.
With the lid on the frying pan, I cook each side on low heat for about five minutes, and the scones are ready.
“They don’t look perfect, but they smell like scones. Now, how do they taste?”
I take a bite of the hot scone.
Freshly baked, it’s moist and soft.
I was worried it might be undercooked, but it’s perfectly done all the way through. The fig scones taste absolutely delicious.
“Yep, these are good. The butter makes them filling. Let’s try baking the others.”
The recipe had a note to be careful not to overmix or overbake the dough.
It even said that the more roughly you make it, the better it turns out—sounds perfect for me.
The blueberry scones are sweet and tangy, and I could eat them endlessly.
The chocolate scones are without a doubt delicious. Rather than chopping the chocolate into small pieces, it’s better to leave them in bigger chunks for a more satisfying bite.
“They’re perfect for breakfast or a snack. I’ll save some fresh ones in my [Item Box].”
I got carried away and used up all the butter, so I’ll have to ask them to send more later.
I’ll send a low-resilience cushion worth 1,000 yen for trade to each of them.
While I’m at it, I’ll send three freshly baked scones—blueberry, chocolate, and fig flavors. I wonder which will be the most popular.
After breakfast, I clean up and store my things.
Let’s make today another productive day.
When I check my smartphone during lunch break, I’m surprised to see a large quantity of butter, milk, and eggs sent to my [Item Box].
For now, though, I’ve decided to enjoy racing through this vast forest.
