Gale-Dragon: Perhaps my excitement for the 2nd season of Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill coming out this year is overtaking my mind or the storyline I have planned for this, but… Oh, well, long as it's out there and readers enjoy it, it's fine.
~}I{~
Adventuring in Another World. Chapter 4; Fishes and Travels.
~}I{~
Dotsuku looked up at the dark clouds overhead that were heading their way when he stated, "Damn! That looks like it'll hit us by nightfall."
Tora stared at the clouds when she said, "It will, so either we find shelter soon or get stuck in the downpour." Her ears drooped when she added, "Ah can make it so we don't get hit by lightning, but Ah can't do anything 'bout the rain…"
Nezumi looked at the beast man when he asked, "Can that Barrier Gem keep us dry?"
Dotsuku's lips pressed into a line when he stated, "Unfortunately, the thing only protects whoever is inside its zone from all ill intent… Rain is just that." He looked around the area when he added bitterly. "And there's no place we can use for shelter…"
Nezumi had a thought before he opened his Unique Skill and went to the Hobbiest tier. He immediately started searching at camping tents. Dotsuku and Tora looked over the teen's shoulders to watch. Nezumi thought over the situation carefully before he edited the search to narrow the options.
That left three tents.
Nezumi compared the sizes, prices, and the extra features of the tents. Colours and appearance didn't matter too much, but the design that made the tent look like a giant bush would be a good choice in case someone or something were to come by and they wouldn't know that it was a shelter. Plus, the teen doubted that this world would have these kinds of things to know any better.
Soon enough, Nezumi made his choice. It cost a Gold Coin and 7 Silver Coins, but it would be worth it. The teen checked out, and a huge box appeared in a flash of light a second later. Nezumi opened the cardboard box and got to work on setting this tent up.
Dotsuku and Tora helped as Navi watched in awe.
Within 30 minutes, the tent was up and ready to endure the incoming weather.
Dotsuku folded his arms when he commented, "Well, we'll be dry but what about Navi?"
Tora pinched her left index finger and thumb together when she stated, "Ah can always shrink 'im down to fit in this 'Tent' thing. It's an easy spell fur me."
Dotsuku decided not to question this as Nezumi asked her to do that.
By the time the rain hit them, they were inside the nicely spacious tent.
Nezumi couldn't help but say, "This brings back memories of my 'camping days' with my parents," as he lounged in his chosen corner of the tent. A shrunken Navi, who was now the size of an average-sized cat, trotted across the tent while wearing those clip-on horseshoes that were designed to protect the hooves from harder surfaces. But as of now, they were used to prevent the horse's hooves from scuffing and dirtying the inside of the tent.
Dotsuku sat in his spot as he looked up at the roof of the tent as the rain pelted against it when he commented, "So, that's how you were able to set this whole thing up so well and quickly… You're used to it…" He glanced at the sleeping bag-futon that came with the tent.
Well, the tent came with four of these matching sleeping bag-futons. They were very comfortable and kept the heat in.
Dotsuku glanced at the teen when he asked, "You mentioned that you travelled a lot and 'camped out' more often than staying inside the places you visited, so does that mean that you usually slept inside these 'tents'?"
Tora was already snuggled on her sleeping bag-futon in her chosen spot when Nezumi replied, "Of course, I did." The teen waved a hand to indicate the tent when he stated, "In a smaller tent though, it was easier to pack and carry as we travelled from place to place." Nezumi watched the shrunken horse trotted over to the free corner and nibbled on some hay in the shrunken feeder. The Otherworlder had to admit that the Demi-God's more unusual magic was handy, even though it was a little weird and convenient. Nezumi then thought, 'Well, use what you can and adapt to your environment.'
Dotsuku could understand that mentality as an Adventurer himself and had to prioritise items over others when having to move from place to place. But he knew that things were different between this world and the world the teen came from. Dotsuku's ears twitched as the rain continued to pelt the tent when he asked, "Since cooking is out of the question at the moment, I guess it's going to be fruits and vegetables for dinner."
Yeah, cooking inside a now sealed tent was a bad idea, especially since there was no type of ventilation.
Tora pirked up when she said happily, "Ah don' mind that." she pouted when she commented, "Unlike Fel, Ah happen to enjoy eating foods that aren't meat."
Nezumi pulled the fruits and vegetables out of his Item Box when he asked, "Your former travelling companion, right?" When he saw the Demi nod, he stated, "I take it he only ate meat."
Tora huffed when she replied, "All Fel cared about was huntin' and eating meat. And if he wasn't doin' that, he was on the prowl for monsters with, I quote, "The Most Delicious Meat", end quote." She huffed again when she added, "He never kept his end because of that stupid meat obsession, and he hardly listened to me when Ah brought it up."
Dotsuku started cutting the fruits and vegetables into easy to eat parts when he stated, "Sounds like he was a selfish, narrow-minded idiot to me. I can't believe you put up with him for as long as you did."
Tora shrugged when she said, "Meh, I guess it's a long time for mortals, but to us Demi-Gods, a decade is nothing." She snickered as she swiped what looked like a peach slice and said with a smirk, "Also, nice insult. It suits Fel." Tora popped the fruit bit into her mouth.
Dotsuku shrugged when he said as he continued the prep for dinner, "If the only things you did while you travelled with him were the things he wanted to do and none of what you wanted, then it's fair to call him that." Nezumi nodded in agreement. Navi gave his opinion on that too, but all that came out was a squeak of a neigh.
The rain continued to pour from the clouds above.
}I{
The Fenrir that was once the travelling companion of Tora sniffed the ground before he looked around the area. He couldn't find even a hint of where the Demi-God had gone.
The Fenrir couldn't help but wonder, "Did she come across something delicious? And tough to beat? Hmm, the only thing that would fit that would be a dragon…" He let out a gasp before he growled out, "Is she keeping all that dragon meat all to herself?!" His fur standed up on end when he growled out, "How dare she!"
And with that, the Fenrir left to search for his travelling companion.
}I{
Nezumi was sleeping peacefully, all snuggled in his very comfortable sleeping bag/futon. The teen would've continued sleeping if there wasn't a loud, shocked shout. Nezumi's eyes snapped open as he jolted awake and looked around to figure out what was going on. The teen's attention fell on the side of the tent Dotsuku chose and saw the Beastkin in question was wide awake and half-way away from his sleeping bag/futon with a startled expression plastered all over his face. Nezumi was confused by this until he noticed the still sleeping Demi-God curled up on the beast man's sleeping bag/futon.
The teen looked between where Tora was and where her chosen spot in the tent that she chose. Nezumi's attention was then on the startled Beastkin when he asked, "What happened?"
Dotsuku snapped out of his shock as he glanced between the still sleeping Demi-God and the teen when he got out, "I-I woke up… I was… Was going to check the weather… But-But I-I felt something leaning against me… I thought it was Navi at first… But…" He looked at the cat-like Demi.
Nezumi looked at the still sleeping Tora when he stated, "Oh… I can understand why you freaked." He recalls the few times some wild critters got into his tent back in his world when he didn't make sure the zipper was closed all the way, so he knew how startling it was to wake up next to something that wasn't supposed to be snoozing next to you. Nezumi figured that it was an even bigger shock when it's another person… The teen let out a sigh before he asked in annoyance, "Any idea why she moved from her spot?"
Dotsuku shook his head as he got to his feet as Navi watched in confusion. The beastkin then grumbled out, "She probably sleepwalked or something."
Nezumi figured that that was the most logical thing to happen. Well, now that he was awake…
Judging by the sound of rain still pelting the roof of the tent, the weather was still not suitable for travelling. Which also means that breakfast will also have to be fire-free… Not too big an issue, but how to make a different dish with the same fruits and vegetables.
}{
Takeyasu and Nagayuki stared out the window in annoyance as the rain continued to fall.
Because of this weather, they had to hold back on searching for the party of two Beastkins and the teenager. On the upside, that meant that they couldn't travel from wherever they currently were. So that was good.
}{
breakfast was nice and light, perfect for a dreary morning like this. Nezumi did have to buy some pre-made egg dishes for some protein from his Online Shopping, but other than that, it was basically a no-cooking breakfast.
That was all fine and dandy, but the rain was still coming down… Meaning that they were stuck inside the tent until it cleared up.
Nezumi was scrolling through the Hobbyist tier, simply looking at what they had. It certainly had everything and anything to do with hobbies, or rather, things considered hobbies in the teen's original world. It made the teen wonder if he could use this to his advantage in this world. It could be handy to keep himself busy when he had to 'stay behind' and Nezumi could net a good profit from what he makes if needed.
Navi, still shrunken to the size of a cat, neighed in frustration as he butted the entrance to the tent, which was zipped closed. It was clear that the horse wanted to leave the tent, but…
"Sorry, Nav, but we ain't leavin' while it's still raining, unless yah wanna get wet," Tora told the little horse.
Navi let out an annoyed huff before clumping away from the tent entrance.
Nezumi watched this with a raised brow. He then thought, 'Hmm, he actually understood that? Is that normal for horses of this world?' The teen then remembered that Navi was confirmed to be different from other horses and concluded that that meant that he would be smarter than the other horses too. It made Nezumi wonder.
About 30 minutes later, the sounds of rain stopped. A quick look outside to check confirmed this, and they all left the tent.
As Tora returned Navi to his original size, Nezumi opened a big portal for his Item Box as he swept it down over the tent and closed it. The teen couldn't believe that worked! But he for sure wasn't going to be complaining about it.
Navi was happy to be outside and at his usual size as he did a nice little gallop around the group, which made the teen glad he took off the little horse's booties beforehand.
As the horse happily trotted around, Dotsuku whistled in amazement when he told the teen after the rather showy use of the Item Box Ability, "Damn, not sure if it's because of your level or it's simply because you're you, but that's got to be the largest thing I've seen being put in an Item Box Skill."
Nezumi let out a hum when he mused, "Good to know, and something I need to keep aware of." The teen folded his arms as he watched Tora rein in Navi when he added, "It might be too late to hide her Item Box and its volume…" Dotsuku had to agree with that.
Soon enough, they headed off towards their next destination as a beautiful seven-coloured rainbow showed overhead in the now clear blue sky.
}{
It took about a week before the trio and the horse spotted their next destination in the distance. They flashed their Adventurer's Guild cards as they passed through the gate, asking where the Guild was. The trio and the horse headed there first before finding an inn with a stable. Once they booked two rooms at an inn called 'Foxtrot', they decided to do a quick job before restocking their supplies.
Nothing too big, since they didn't really need the extra money but it gave them something to do while they went over their supplies and what they could need. That and helping Nezumi and Tora learn what they needed to blend in better. The teen was doing easy enough while the Demi-God was less so, but at least she wasn't drawing as much attention this time.
Night was falling, so the group returned to the Foxtrot. Dotsuku did tell Tora that she had to sleep in her room.
~}I{~
The Twin Adventurers looked over a map to see where the strange group could be going. There were two possible routes, but there was no way to know which they would take…
Nagayuki placed a hand on his chin when he mused, "Ore-Sama thinks they would go to the bigger city… They could make more money there with the other Magic Stones."
Takeyasu had to agree when he stated, "Very true, and there are dungeons they can go into for more valuables."
That was when they agreed and then proceeded to pack for the trip.
}{
Too bad that Nezumi, Tora, Dotsuku, and Navi were already ready to leave the smaller city… In the opposite direction of the city the Adventurer Twins were going to.
Such a shame…
}{ Four Days Later }{
"Ooohh! Nice pond!" Tora said as they came to a rather large body of water that the river they were following fed into.
The area was surrounded by trees with a nice spot for a small camp to set up for the night, which was the plan of the group. Nezumi set their tent up via removing it from his Item Box while Dotsuku made a campfire. Navi happily drank the water from the lake.
Tora then moved to help with getting the firewood when she suggested, "How about we cook up some fish for dinner?"
Dotsuku glanced at the lake when he stated, "Not a bad idea, and that lake looks like it could have some decent catches." He double-checked the rocks surrounding the campfire when he added, "And we can cook them over the fire this time." Dotsuku looked over at the teen when he asked curiously, "I know you've said you travelled and 'camped out' a lot so you learned to cook while travelling, but do you know how to cook fish?"
As he checked the tent to make sure it was still set up correctly, Nezumi replied, "Yeah, I do. My parents made sure I learned all kinds of ways to cook, fish especially…" He let out a hum of thought before he added, "Ah, it's been a long time since I had sushi. Now's a good chance to make some." He then opened his Online Shopping to see if there were any sushi making tools for him to get.
Both Dotsuku and Tora vocalised inconfusion, "Sue-She? What's that?"
As Nezumi told the two about what sushi was, he scrolled through his Online Shopping, putting the needed tools for sushi making in his cart.
When the teen got to the part about some sushi being eaten raw, Dotsuku's eyes widened while Tora seemed interested.
Before Nezumi could press the check-out, which was a total of 7 Copper and 5 Iron Coins, Dotsuku was quick to say in an unusually frantic tone, "You are NOT making that!"
Both Nezumi and Tora looked at the Beastkin in confusion as they asked, "Why?"
With a scowl of destain, Dotsuku explained, "I guess your original world doesn't have this issue, but… All of the fish here are infested with nasty parasites that cause physical issues that range from vomiting, diarrhoea, and a pained stomach to death from being eaten from the inside out." He let out a sigh when he added, "Luckily, all of these parasites live right under the fishes' skin, so as long as you cook it with any kind of heat, they're safe to eat. There are also some of those kinds of parasites for land monsters, so we have to cook any meat we get." The Beastkin glanced at Tora when he mused, "Given that you're a Demi-God, I doubt you'll have any major issues, but I still recommend you don't eat raw fish or meat."
Tora wasn't sure what to think about this when she stated wearily, "Uh… I guess…" But Nezumi was pretty grossed out.
The teen shuttered when he got out, "Okay, no eating raw fish of any kind or meat here or anywhere in this world, got it." He glanced at his current cart for a few seconds before he finally mused, "I'm still going to need the proper tools to prep the fish, but I guess if I want my sushi fix, I'll have to by it on my Online Shopping…"
Dotsuku gave the teen an irritated look when he stated flatly, "Yes, so make sure you get those either in our lodgings without anyone else around or outside of towns, villages, and cities. You can't let people see you eating raw fish…"
Nezumi removed the sushi making items when he stated dryly, "You don't have to tell me twice." He then had a thought before asking the two, "Ah, do either of you know how to fish?"
Dotsuku said he had a small net in his travelling bag that he could use to catch fish, but that was about all he knew how to do. Tora had a boastful smile when she told the guys that she had a more effective fishing method.
When asked how, the Demi-God walked back to the lake as Navi trotted back to the Beastkin with a happy snort. Tora summoned an orb of static in her right palm before she casually tossed it in the lake. The next thing Dotsuku, Nezumi, and Navi knew, the section of the lake they were closest to suddenly lit up with a surge of electricity.
Of course, this startled these three.
After roughly five seconds of this electric light show, it disappeared. Then three seconds later, fish started breaking the water's surface. None of these creatures appeared to be moving.
Somewhat freaked out, Dotsuku wearily asked the Demi-God, "Uh… You didn't kill all of them, right?"
Tora gave the Beastkin a toothy smile when she stated, "Nope, Ah just stunned them. If yah leave them alone fur a while, they'll swim away." She beamed when she said, "So we can collect what we need and leave the rest alone."
Wearily, Nezumi stated, "Uh, that's good…" He closed his Online Shopping skill and pulled three sturdy baskets out of his Item Box and gave his partymates one when he said, "Let's try to get the ones that we know are edible."
Tora took her basket when she stated, "My Appraisal Skill can detect if something is edible, but not everything that is edible can be eaten." She looked at a rather large pink fish with bright purple stripes with the eyes being black and the fins being red when she added, "Take that horrid lookin' thing fur example. It's a Poison Lake Fish. Fel kept tellin' me that it's delicious in its own way, but given that it's, well, poison…"
Nezumi had a flat expression when he stated, "Yeah, no… That wouldn't be good for someone without some kind of immunity to eat…" He couldn't help but think, 'Esh, these colours just scream "I'm poison so don't eat me". Well, that is how some animals defend themselves from predators.'
Dotsuku had a weary look when he stated, "Uh… Yeah, Poison Lake Fish are pretty toxic, but unless one without some kind of poison immunity or protection eats more than half of one it's usually going to cripple a person with with diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and excessive pain for roughly two to three days." He glanced to the side when he added wearily, "Plus, symptoms start showing within a minute after eating, so they usually stop before they even eat half of a Poison Lake Fish… Eating more than one will be enough to kill an adult…"
Nezumi glanced at the Beastkin with a leery expression at those words. Of course, Dotsuku avoided eye contact with the teen. Tora glanced between the two, trying to understand what was going on. Nezumi let out a sigh before he stated, "Make a separate campfire and I'll get you some cooking utensils that I will make sure to mark for you to use."
Well, that got Dotsuku moving, with his tail wagging the entire time. It took a few seconds for Tora to get this interaction. She figured as long as the poison stayed separate from the other food, it was fine.
As Dotsuku made a second campfire, Nezumi and Tora gathered some fish. Of course, the two poison Lake Fish were kept in the third basket, away from the several Violet Trouts and the two King Trouts. Once the second fire was lit and set, the collected fishes were laid out. The ones that were left alone started twitching before they slowly started swimming away.
Nezumi was going through his Online Shopping skill to get what he needed. He Managed to find a nice set of kitchen knives with a symbol of a full moon on the base of each knife and a bright purple cutting board. The teen figured these would be a good set for the Beastkin to use while being easy to keep separate from the other cooking stuff. Satisfied, Nezumi started looking for a few extra ingredients to use to cook the fish with. He checked out and within two seconds, the medium-sized cardboard box appeared in a spark of white light.
The teen opened the box and took out the purple cooking set and gave them to the Beastkin when he stated, "Here, use these when you plan on preparing something with poison or venom so there's no cross contamination."
A soft white glow emitter from under the neck of the cloak Dotsuku wore as he cringed slightly.
When Nezumi realised what happened, he was quick to state in an apologetic tone, "Wha! Sorry! That wasn't an order! It was a recommendation!"
Dotsuku took the knife set and cutting board when he replied, "I'm aware, but the damn thing doesn't particularly care…" He let out a sigh before he added, "But I guess having that in place would be a good thing so accidents don't happen."
Tora laid the fish out when she stated wearily, "Well… He's kind of right…" She then noticed a rather large fish laying on the surface that still seemed infected by her lightning magic. Tora looked at the massive fish and looked it over.
It didn't look like a trout or salmon, and it certainly wasn't a poisonous lake fish. In fact, it seemed to resemble a shark.
Tora Appraised it, and it turned out to be a Pond Shark. Due to her level, she learned what it was. Tora thought about this before she asked the mortals, "Oi, can you cook a Lake Shark? And are they worth a lot to the Guilds?"
Nezumi was confused by this as Dotsuku rushed over to examine the Lake Shark. The teen kept an eye on the fires as he investigated this fish.
'Yup, that's a shark… In a lake…' Nezumi thought as he Appraised it. He wasn't sure if he should even question the logic of this… Weirdness or not.
Dotsuku couldn't help but say, "I'm… Not sure about Lake Sharks being edible, but… They're so rare and I'm sure the Adventurer's Guild will be more than eager to pay several Gold coins for this." He looked at the teen when he asked, "Do you happen to know how to cook sharks?"
Nezumi shook his head when he replied, "Absolutely not. Back in my world, killing sharks and whales for food and parts is against the law, so learning how to prep them is also illegal." He looked over the Lake Shark when he mused, "But both of those creatures are only found in the oceans, never a lake… Least in my world…"
Dotsuku let out a hum before he told Tora to store the Lake Shark in her Item Box and they can ask about it at the next Adventurer's Guild they come to. The Demi-God did just that.
Soon enough, they went to prepare their dinner.
}{
The Fenrir continued on his search, but he made sure to catch some delicious monsters along the way.
That was important, after all.
}{
A young woman that had short lime-green hair with a braid tied on the left side of her head and a pair of green eyes, wore a semi-revealing outfit similar to a samba costume with the colour scheme of her outfit consisting of the colours vermilion, orange and green, had a fan of feathers was worn on the right side of her head and a thickly coated cape with a yellow heart shape located in the centrepiece covered her red top that stopped short of her midriff, showing off her stomach, wore a pair of red knee-length shorts that had an image of a rooster carefully stitched onto the right leg in black, green, and dark orange, she wore a pair of knee-high boots were thickly coated with red fur until they turned yellow at her feet blew on a cooked fish on a skewer before she took a big bite of it. "Mmm, this is good!" she vocalised before she took another big bite of the pink fish with purple stripes, red fins, and black eyes. The skeleton of another fish that looked identical to the one she was eating on the ground near the crude campfire.
There was a small, horse-drawn trolley parked outside the range of the campfire that was filled with bags and boxes of a variety of sizes.
The limette beamed happily when she swallowed and said chipperly to herself, "Niwatori caught some yummy fish and cooked it well with salt!" She took another big bite as she thought, 'Niwatori was so hungry that she ate the first too fast, but now she can taste how yummy it is! And that tingly feeling on the tongue is fun!'
The limette then looked at her trolley of goods when she thought happily, 'And Niwatori will be making a lot of money when Niwatori goes to the next town." She took another big bite of the fish to finish it off when she thought, 'Niwatori just needs to make sure to avoid…'
Suddenly, her stomach started hurting. The limette placed her hand on her midsection before she swallowed what she had in her mouth before getting out, "Oh… Did Niwatori eat the fish too fast?"
That was when the pain intensified until the lime-haired woman keeled over as she clutched her stomach, thankfully avoiding the fire. Niwatori rolled around in pain for a few minutes before she suddenly stopped moving.
The campfire slowly died over the course of the night, and Niwatori didn't move a muscle
}{ Meanwhile }{
The leftover (non-poison) fishes were stored in Tora's Item Box with a satisfied smile as Dotsuku doused the fires.
Dinner was good, especially with how Nezumi prepared it. Of course, he used salt and some sauces from his Online Shopping while he cooked the fish. The Beastkin followed the teens instructions for the prep for his Poison Lake Fishes, and according to Dotsuku, it tasted just as good as the non-poisonous fish.
Nezumi decided that he was going to go to sleep, so he headed into the tent to go to bed.
So that left Tora and Dotsuku alone. Sure there was Navi, but he was already sleeping too.
The Demi-God glanced at the Beastkin when she asked, "So… Yah're immune to poisons because of your skills?"
Dotsuku nodded when he explained, "Yeah, pretty much… Um, I guess you can say that because of those skills that I… Uh… Crave poisons and venoms… To eat…" He took a deep breath before he added, "It's clear that eating poisons and venoms help with making those skills stronger and controlled."
That was when Tora folded her arms when she asked curiously, "Does being immune to those… Make those things taste better or something?"
Dotsuku shook his head as he made sure the fires were out when he explained, "Not particularly, it only means that you're unaffected by the effect of the poison and venom." He looked at the Demi-God when he added, "I don't know about others, but for me, adding venom to things adds a nice savoury-sweet flavour to food while poisons adds a bit of an acidic accent to them." He noticed where Tora was looking, the bones of the Poison Lake Fish, and he asked, "Have you eaten a Poison Lake Fish before?"
Tora frown when she admitted, "Yeah, only 'cause Fel insisted that it was delicious and wouldn't shut up about it." She cringe as she stuck her tongue out in disgust and added, "It tasted horrible!" A surge of static covered Tora's body before she added, "Ah should've Appraised it before eatin' it!" She looked at the Beastkin when she stated, "So Ah figured that things with poison taste terrible, but the way yah were enjoying those Poison Lake Fish… It an't true, right?"
Dotsuku thought about that before he suggested, "Well, everyone has their own personal taste preferences, so maybe your food preference finds poison-filled stuff disgusting." He scratched his cheek as he avoided the Demi-God's gaze when he added, "I… Happen to find things with a creamy texture pretty gross, even if the taste is kind of good… And anything with milk upsets my stomach…"
Tora was kind of surprised by this information before she nodded her head towards the tent when she asked, "Does Nez know about those?"
Dotsuku nodded when he said, "He does, and he's been good about keeping the texture of the food and if there's milk being used in the food in mind. Even with the sauces." He glanced at the Demi-God when he added, "Uh, if we run across some edibles that are poisoned… You can try a little to… Test that theory, if you want." The Beastkin held up his right hand and made a pinching motion with his index and thumb when he said, "But just a little. Because if you really don't like the stuff, a small amount would be better to have than a mouthful."
Tora nodded when she stated, "Fair enough."
That was when they decided to go to sleep too. Of course, Dotsuku told the Demi-God to stay in her section.
}I{ The Next Morning }I{
After a nice egg-filled breakfast and some orange juice, the party headed off towards the next town. The river they were following was known to feed into it, so it was best to walk along it so they don't get off track.
"Huh?" was the unanimous response from everyone to the scene they came across.
A make-shift campsite with a trolly parked nearby and a body of a young woman laying next to the fire with her hands clutching her stomach and was curled into a ball, unmoving.
"What the?" Nezumi got out in disbelief at what he was seeing.
Tora raised a brow when she got out, "Uh… Given the smell coming from that lady… She's been dead for a few hours…"
Dotsuku was quick to inspect the scene… And found the evidence to guess what happened. He held up the skeletal remains of the eaten Poison Lake Fish when he stated, "Looks like her death was her own fault."
Nezumi cringed when he asked, "I take it that eating more than one Poison Lake Fish is fatal, right?"
Dotsuku dropped the fish bones into the dead campfire before he clapped his hands together to get the dust off, and explained, "Usually, the toxins from the Poison Lake Fish kick in before a regular person finishes one, normally around eating half of it. So no one eats two Poison Lake Fish in one setting." He glanced at the dead body when he mused, "I guess this idiot wolfed down the first one so fast that by the time she finished the second one she had so many toxins in her body that it killed her. Hm?" The Beastkin then noticed the oddly familiar clothing on the body.
Tora had this weird expression that was a mixture of disgust and confusion before she asked, "I know only Gods, Demi-Gods, kin of Gods, Otherworlders, and then Royal Line of the Demon King have tha Appraisal Skill, but, don't mortals keep aware of what's safe to eat when they're travelling?"
Nezumi couldn't help but say flatly, "Well, not everyone bothers to learn that kind of stuff or think they knew better…They usually don't last long," He glanced at the corpse when he asked wearily, "Uh… Should we leave her there, or burry her, or something?" The teen noticed that the Beastkin was staring at the dead body with a hand on his chin and asked him, "What's wrong? Did the poison make her smell weird or is it a bad idea to bury her?"
Dotsuku snapped out of his thoughts before his attention was on the teen and said in a bit of a distracted tone, "Uh, no, burying should be fine… Not like any of the monsters would touch a body that consumed poison if we don't… But…" He glanced at the corpse when he added in a more thoughtful tone, "I'm pretty sure I've seen this clothing type and style before… Somewhere…"
Nezumi glanced at the rather loud clothing the body was wearing. The teen did comment that there are people who liked this kind of thing and that fashion crazes were a thing. The Beastkin had to admit that that was true.
Tora quickly made a hole in the ground and the two males placed the body into it. After refilling the hole, everyone's attention was on the trolley nearby. Even Navi seemed interested in the trolley.
"Oh? These look shiny," the Demi-God commented as she looked over the inventory that was in the wagon. She picked up a metal hoe when she asked, "What's this thing?"
Nezumi glanced at the item before saying, "A farming tool. It helps till the land to plant seeds." He picked up a shiny broadsword to get a better look at it. "Hm?" the teen vocalised as he tapped on the flat side of the blade when he said, "The weight of this feels a little weird…"
Dotsuku was looking over a large, sparkling red, emerald cut gemstone when he mused, "Hm… I'm starting to think that the previous owner of this wagon got off easy."
Tora was confused as she looked over the other items she could see when she asked, "Huh? Why do you say that?"
Nezumi flicked the blade. It made a rather sharp ping when hit. Suspicious, the teen used his Appraisal Skill on the broadsword.
[Item] Fake Broadsword.
A well-made fake that is designed to break after one battle.
Nezumi had a flat expression when he stated in a matching tone, "Uh… This is fake…" He then looked in the trolley and Appraised the items inside, and all were well-made fakes.
Tora did the same, and frowned at what she was learning. She couldn't help but ask, "Why is this wagon full of fake stuff?"
Dotsuku dumped the bag full of fake gems onto the ground, causing them to break, when he explained bitterly, "Not everyone who sells things is honest and respectable… Apparently, the person we buried was one of those who are most likely wanted by the Merchants' Guild." He inspected the bag that held the fake gemstones when he added, "It's one thing to sell fake trinkets, but it's a completely different matter if it involves fake tools and weapons."
Nezumi caught onto what the Beastkin was implying when he added seriously, "The latters involve livelihoods and lives." He got into the wagon and started tossing the fake items out of it, all broke as soon as they made contact with the ground and the ones that didn't got cracks that couldn't be missed.
Tora watched this before she got out, "Ah remember Uncle Vahagn tellin' me that in battle, your weapon is gonna be your most precious partner and yah're gonna have to put all Yahr trust into them… And if that 'Partner' an't built to last…" She didn't have to elaborate on that for the others to understand.
Dotsuku held up one of the fake daggers as the teen continued to toss out the other fake stuff when he agreed and stated as he looked over the item, "I couldn't agree more… And I know that newbie Adventurers wouldn't be able to tell the difference between good weapons and crap, so they're the ones who are more at risk…" He closed one eye as he let the blade gleam in the sunlight, still looking it over, and added bitterly, "Eesh, whoever made these put in a lot of effort into making these fakes look sturdy, strong, and good… If they were intended to just be decorative, it would've been fine, but…"
Nezumi looked over the ropes, jute bags, and burlap sacks when he stated dryly, "Agreed…" He held up an old-looking jute back that was hidden in a hollowed out seat that the driver would sit on when steering the horses. The teen raised a brow at this weird item being in such a secretive place… Nezumi used his Appraisal on this old-looking jute bag.
[Item] Magic Bag (Small).
Able to hold the contents of 10 jute bags.
Time passes slowly inside this bag.
Tora was looking at the Magic Bag over the teen's shoulder when she said, "Oh, so this is the Magic Bag thing that Ah've heard about… Ah thought they'd look nicer."
Nezumi looked the Magic Bag over when he mused, "It doesn't look like it would hold much…" He opened the bag and peered inside to see what was there. It was so dark that nothing could be seen. Nezumi raised a brow at this.
"Wait? That's an actual Magic Bag?!" Dotsuku asked as he moved to get a better look at the item.
Nezumi handed the Magic Bag to the Beastkin when he stated, "It is, and it's a small-sized one. It might be good for you to have this rather than either of us." He peered into the 'Secret Compartment' to see what else was in it when he added, "And I can see this trolley being of some use to us for a while… Hm?" The teen pulled out a shiny looking badge with a coat-of-arms with a phoenix pressed into the metal. Nezumi figured this might be useful for the Merchants' Guild.
Dotsuku was quick to check the contents of the Magic Bag as Tora and Nezumi emptied the trolley of everything but the more practical items. The ropes, bugs, clothes, and jute bags. "Hm? These gemstones are real…" The Beastkin stated as he pulled gem after gem out of the Magic Bag as he gently placed them on the edge of the trolley.
Tora's and Nezumi's Appracial confirmed these facts.
It was logical to assume that whoever this woman was kept the real items she was keeping for herself in this Magic Bag that she kept hidden.
Dotsuku let out a hum before he put these gemstones back into the Magic Bag when he stated, "As much as I want to keep these… Given the circumstances of finding them…" He looked at his companions when he added, "It would be a good idea to turn these in to the Merchants' Guild as soon as we get to the next town."
Nezumi held up the badge with the coat-of-arms to the light when he agreed with that. Tora wondered if they could keep the trolley and Magic Bag. Dotsuku picked up one of each damaged fake item when he stated that he hoped so as a possible reward, but doubted they would be allowed to keep the Magic Bag due to their rarity and being a much sought after item. The Beastkin did add that he was taking a few of the fake items so the Merchants' Guild can have proof of the claim.
Meh, fair enough…
After hitching Navi to the trolley, they headed off to their next destination.
}{ Meanwhile }{
A young woman standing at around 150 cm with short ginger hair that was combed back with only a few strands hanging in front of her face, a pair of grey-rimmed glasses sat in front of her light brown eyes, wore a forest green top with simple little monkeys decorating the helms paired with a simple green skirt with black pantyhose like cloth on her legs, a pair of small boots that looked like it was made out of strong leather, and a pack on her back that was in the shape of a beehive with strange-looking clasps on it was walking through a forest as she kept vigilant on her surroundings.
She let out a hum before she muttered to herself, "According to the request… The chimaera should be around here somewhere…" The ginger-haired woman held up the piece of tanned-monster-skinned paper with the A-Rank request with an drawing of a chimaera with a body of a lion, one head of a dragon, one head of a goat, a scorpion's tail, talons of an eagle, and the large wings of a bat on it along with the information about the request.
Monster Specialist Adventurer: Sharyū. B-Rank.
The ginger-haired woman stroked the straps of her unusually shaped pack when she muttered, "Given the issues it's causing, it would be best to get it under control." Sharyū's pack glowed white for a second before disappearing as if it were a trick of the light.
}I{
The first thing Dotsuku, Nezumi, and Tora did as soon as they reached the gate to this town was asking about the Merchants' Guild. Once they got that information, they went there immediately.
After talking to one of the clerks about their find, they told them to wait for a bit while they got the Guildmaster. So they did.
After that…
The Guildmaster held up the metal badge with the Phoenix coat-of-arms to the window to get a better look at it.
This Guildmaster was an older gentleman with a balding head with gray whiskers under his nose, filled cheeks, wore a mellow red tailored outfit with a black leather belt, and wise dark eyes. The Guildmaster let out a sigh before he got out, "While I can't say I'm surprised you found one of the followers of the Fallen Niwa Clan, I honestly wish we can capture one of them alive so we can figure out how they're recruiting people so we could make counter measures…"
Nezumi and Tora blinked in confusion when they parroted, "Fallen Niwa Clan?"
Dotsuku was the one to explain, not surprised the two didn't know this, "The Niwa Clan used to be a noble clan of honorable merchants with their head being known as 'The Honest Phoenix' and had one of the best record at the time, but that was easily 200 years ago. Once The Honest Phoenix died of old age, the clan fell into ruin due to the grandchild being, well, not as honorable as their predecessors." He let out a breath before he added, "It wasn't long before the clan started becoming known as The Fallen Niwa Clan, now being synonymous with shady dealings and dishonesty."
The Merchants' Guildmaster nodded at this when he stated, "Correct, they now stand for everything that the Merchant's Guild hates and are despised by the Adventurer's Guild for knowingly providing faulty weapons to a lot of new Adventurers…" He placed the badge on his desk when he added, "As you can imagine, there are bounties on the heads of everyone who are a part of the Niwa Clan and those who follow them…"
That was when Nezumi had a thought about this as he remembered what the Beastkin had said earlier in the day. The teen then asked, "How can we know if someone is a part of the Fallen Niwa clan?"
The Merchant's Guildmaster explained that those who follow the dishonorable clan wore red feathered clothing that sounded suspiciously like the clothing that the corpse wore and they dyed their hair lime-green.
Dotsuku snapped his fingers in realisation when he finally remembered where he saw those flashing clothing before when he vocalised, "Ah! I think one of those followers of the Fallen Niwa clan got caught in one of my traps I made when I was on a Goblin Exterminating request a while ago!" He placed a hand on his chin when he mused, "I didn't think much of it at the time aside from her being rather careless… And the rather loud outfit she was wearing."
When the Merchant's Guildmaster asked about that follower, Dotsuku told him that she was dead.
Nezumi thought back to that particular mission, especially the bags of Goblin ears… The teen couldn't help but think logically, 'Meh, I guess it can't be helped, especially if these Fallen Niwa followers are that careless…'
Tora was rather mixed on this… New information… While it was fascinating, it also shined a light on the more unsavoury things regarding the mortals. 'Eh, makes sense,' the Demi-God thought logically.
}{ Roughly 20 Minutes Later }{
After booking two rooms at an Inn with a barn for Navi to sleep called 'Fally Foils' they had a little meeting in one of these rooms.
Nezumi placed the bag of 50 Gold coins into his Item Box when Dotsuku said with a sigh, "On the upside, we don't have to worry about our finances for a long while and we got to keep the wagon…"
Tora let out a sigh when she got out, "Wish we could'a kept that Magic Bag. It would've been great fur yah." She looked at the Beastkin at that last line.
Dotsuku shrugged when he replied, "It can't be helped, that Magic Bag was stolen from the Sub-Guildmaster of the Merchant's Guild from the city of Dolen. Of course, they would want it back." He sighed before he added, "Besides, even if we're good with money, we don't have enough to actually buy it from them."
Nezumi then asked in a curious tone, "Are Magic Bags THAT valuable?"
Dotsuku nodded with a serious expression when he explained, "Since you have Item Boxes, you don't have to worry about the issues of limiting carried items, food rations, and having to leave things behind because you can't carry them, but for the vast majority of people here, Magic Bags can help ease that burden a whole lot. Even a small one."
That got Nezumi thinking when Tora asked, "Where can you find Magic Bags?"
Dotsuku's lips pressed in a line when he explained, "You find them in Treasure Chests in Dungeons, but even then, they're very rare. Obviously the ones with the bigger capacity are worth a helluva lot more, and their price doubles on the spot if time passes slowly in them. The Magic Bags that have the ability to stop time on items within it are easily triple the price of a Large Magic Bag no matter what the size is."
That was when the teen got out in realisation, "Ah, so that's what you meant that we couldn't buy the Magic Bag, it had the extra slow time effect!"
Dotsuku nodded when he stated, "Yeah, it'll easily cost 200 Gold Coins, even if it's a small Magic Bag," He checked the map on the table when he added, "Obviously, this Merchant's Guild doesn't have the funds to give us the reward for finding and turning in that Magic Bag, but Dolan informed them that they can if we go to them…" The Beastkin tapped on the spot on the map that had an image of a large city when he stated seriously, "But it might take a while to get there, even if they're going to hold the reward for us."
Tora looked at the map and where they are currently located when she added, "No kidding, but we don't have to head there now, right?"
Dotsuku shook his head when he said, "Not really, we can go at our leisure, and the Merchant's Guild in Dolan is fine with holding our reward."
That was doable.
Nezumi did remind the two that they should do at least one Adventurer's Guild request while they were here while they thought about a name for their party.
That was true.
~}I{~
They stayed for a day, completing two Adventurer's Guild requests and sold off the Pond Shark for 40 Gold Coins. Due to the rare nature of Pond Sharks because of their elusive natures and are usually only found at the bottom dried ponds, the parts sold for a lot.
On the morning of day two, they left the town.
Their next destination already planned.
}{
The Fenrir still continued his search, when he wasn't hunting down some monsters with tasty meat.
}{
With their new wagon, Dotsuku, Tora, and Nezumi had made great time on their path. Navi seemed oddly happy about being able to pull something like this horse-drawn wagon.
Now it was just the three of them… Nezumi asked a question that has been nagging at him since Tora joined their little group when they stopped for a break for lunch.
"How to use Magic?" The Demi-God repeated the question in confusion, not sure why the teen had asked that. She had a perplexed expression when she stated, "All yah gotta do is think about the Magic ya want to use and follow through on tha action. It an't that hard."
The mortals somewhat expected that response from someone who had the blood of a God in their veins.
Dotsuku decided to explain the basics on Magic.
In order to use Magic, one had to have Mana. Nezumi checked his stats to confirm that he did have a Mana Stat. So that was the first step down.
That was when Dotsuku added, "True, a lot of people do have Mana, but knowing how to use it is a completely different story." When Nezumi asked how so, the Beastkin stood up when he stated, "It's better to show you than tell you." He motioned for the teen to get up and come over.
Nezumi did so as Dotsuku moved his right arm up in a simple karate position with his open palm facing away from his body. The Beastkin then stated as he motioned for the teen to feel his arm, "I'm moving my Mana so it'll be easier for you to feel."
Nezumi was confused at first, but the moment he placed a hand on Dotsuku's arm he felt something warm right under his skin but knew that it wasn't from the Beastkin's body heat. The teen placed both hands on Dotsuku's arm to get a better feel of this strange warmth that seemed to flow down the arm towards the hand.
"Do you feel my Mana flowing through my arm?" the Beastkin asked when he saw the amazed expression on the teen's face.
Nezumi nodded when he said in fascination, "Yes…" He moved his hands down the Beastkin's arm to follow the warmth's trail when he asked, "Is Mana… Supposed to be moving like this?"
Dotsuku nodded when he stated, "When you're using it, yes, but everyone's Mana Flow is different."
Nezumi looked up at the taller man when he asked, "Mana Flow?"
The Beastkin explained that many moves through the body like blood does but were more varied and moved differently from person to person. And in order to use one's Mana to the fullest to cast Magic, you need to know how your Mana Flows.
Apparently, most people in this world had trouble doing Magic because they couldn't figure out how their Mana Flows. Therefore, mages were a rarity while Magic users just were rare.
'Ah, that's why I haven't seen many Adventurers in those mage robes when we're in the Adventurer's Guild, there weren't a lot of people who specialise in Magic,' the teen thought as he let those facts sink in. That was when Nezumi had a thought before he asked, "Wait?" He pulled away from the Beastkin by three steps and asked, "Didn't that contract collar require the controller to have three different Magic Specialties?"
Dotsuku potently scowled at that as his ears pressed against his skull at that when he replied bitterly, "Yes… But those restrictions are in place so morons can't use them whenever they please…" He let out an irritated huff when he stated just as bitterly, "But better than being stuck in a Domineering Bracelet… Those are a helluva lot worse to be in…"
Nezumi shrank a bit as he apologised for bringing that up… Dotsuku stated that it was fine and that it was good that he did have a good memory for those facts, but he did gripe about it being about the Contract Collar.
Dotsuku then stated, getting back on the original topic, "And the rest for using Magic is just as Tora said. You have to think about the spell you want to use before you do it. But again, you need to know how your Mana Flows before you can activate Magic."
Tora was writing all this down in a notebook that she pulled out of her Item Box. To her this was useful information for blending in better. The Demi-God couldn't help but find the 'notebook' that Nezumi gave her to use to 'keep notes' was very useful, and the pencil was amazing!
Tora looked up to see Dotsuku helping Nezumi figure out what his Mana Flow was. The Demi-God could easily tell that the wolf Beastkin was doing this on his own will rather than the teen ordering him to. Tora had a small smile when she thought, 'Despite their circumstances, they work off each other pretty well."
}I{ Two Days Later }I{
Arriving in the next town wasn't much to talk about. This town was half the size of the last town, so it was essentially a restocking point for the Party of three and the horse.
This town, Faravile, had a lot of nice-looking fruits, vegetables, and travel rations. Nezumi couldn't help but think that those rations looked hard to eat and felt sorry for the people who had to eat them while travelling.
After restocking, the party went to the Adventurer's Guild for information about the best path towards the city of Valenver. However, they ran into a rather major snag.
According to the clerk, the quickest route was the most difficult… Which had the restriction of 'only parties with eight or more members were allowed to enter'. Dotsuku, Tora, and Nezumi glanced at each other after learning this.
THAT was a problem for them…
The only other path towards the city that they wanted to go to was a lot longer… Roughly two months longer…
Granted, it was doable for them, but… They were told that that path had a rougher terrain, which would NOT be good for their new horse-drawn wagon…
The shorter path might not have had a roadway, but it had a smoother pathway…
The Party had to go the shorter path…
Dotsuku had a thought before he asked the clerk unwillingly, "Are there any other Parties who want to go in the same direction as us that are open to a temporary union so we can take the forest path?"
Both Tora and Nezumi looked at the Beastkin in confusion.
The clerk thought about that for a bit before they said, "Let me check our records and I'll let you know."
Dotsuku accepted that before the clerk walked off to complete the task. The Beastkin led the others to the closest free table to wait for word on the task.
Once they were seated, Nezumi asked the taller one, "What's a 'temporary union'? And how will it help us with getting through the forest?"
Dotsuku let out a sigh when he explained, "It's when two different Parties join together for a common goal. Of course, they have to agree on the terms to make this union last for the sake of their goal." He let out a sigh when he sent through the telepathic link that the teen had between the three, '{And what we should be worried about is the other party finding out about our secrets.}'
Tora glanced around at the other Adventurers inside the building when she sent through the telepathic link, '{Yeaaah, good point…}'
Nezumi glanced at the clerks going about their work when he added to the telepathic conversation, '{Then it would be best to make sure we keep our secrets under wraps?}' The teen had an idea before he sent through the telepathic link, '{Do you think we can bribe the party who accepts the Temporary Union with food to make sure they look the other way if a few things do slip?}'
Dotsuku closed his eyes when he said out loud, "Navi and the wagon will probably be appealing to the other Party, so that would be a good bargaining chip to use." He then sent through the telepathic link, '{The food thing might work, but you and I will have to handle the cooking.}'
Tora then sent through the telepathic link, '{Ah'll help with the cutting if yah need it.}' She then added out loud, "Yeah, more supplies to use."
The three nodded in agreement.
Soon enough, the clerk came to them and told them that there was one Party that was open to the Temporary Union. A C-Rank Adventurer Party that went by "Iron Will". So they met with them to go over their Union Agreement.
The leader of Iron Will was a man named Werner. He was a densely-packed man who stood at 190 cm in his early 30's. He had a large shield on his back, a sword hanging from his hip, had thick arms that carried many old scars, and wearing a sturdy armour. It was clear that he was a seasoned Adventurer.
Werner then introduced the other members of his party.
A man wearing leather armour with a longsword on his hip named Vincent. A young pink-haired girl who was their scout named Rita, who wore a chest protector and carried a knife. A stoic old man with white hair named Ramon, who was wearing a blue mage robe. And the last member of Iron Will was a young woman with blonde hair and wearing white clothing with a nun's habit named Franka, who was their Healer.
Dotsuku introduced himself and then introduced Tora and Nezumi. He added that they had a fourth member but joked that the Adventurer's Guild didn't count horses as party members.
Rita seemed excited about there being a horse while the others were more thoughtful about this piece of information.
It took a while, but the terms of the Temporary Union were established. Dotsuku made sure to add that his Party will take care of everyone's meals, which everyone agreed to with smiles.
They then agreed to leave in the morning before the separated to gather more supplies.
Of course, Dotsuku, Nezumi, and Tora had to get some blankets to use. Since they couldn't use their tent and sleeping bags in front of Iron Will, they had to buy some more food, temporary sleeping blankets, another portable stove, and the extra cookware for this trip.
}{ The Next Morning }{
The trio and horse met with Iron Will at the border of the town closest to the forest. Navi was a little uneased by the new people, even less so when Rita excitedly came up to him.
Nezumi was quick to tell the scout to tone down the excitement as he calmed the horse down. The teen added that she was scaring Navi. Rita complied with a sheepish grin. Franka did admire the sheen of the horse's coat.
"Navi likes to be brushed when we get into cities," Nezumi explained as he gave the horse an apple slice. Internally, he wondered if he shouldn't have washed Navi the night before with the horse shampoo and conditioner he got from his Online Shopping, but the horse was looking pretty dirty and he was going to be meeting new people… Nezumi decided that it shouldn't be a big deal as long as no one sees him using the stuff. Navi happily nuzzled the teen's cheek and Nezumi patted him on the neck.
Soon enough, the two parties headed off towards their destination.
}{ Meanwhile }{
The Fenner looked around wondering how he lost Tora's trail all of a sudden. He then figures that he'll try to start on that, after he finishes eating a killer moose that took him on a long chase.
}{ A Day Later }{
Explaining away the portable stoves as Magic Stoves that had been a gift from a friend was easily enough. The Item Boxes were a little tougher, but Nezumi and Tora claimed that they had small Item Boxes, with the 'Tiger Beastkin' having a slightly larger one.
Nothing major happened during the first day of their trip. But the meals…
To say Iron Will loved the teen's and Beastkin's cooking was an understatement!
'{Uh, Nez…}' Dotsuku sent through the telepathic link.
The teen was quick to retort through the telepathic link, '{It! It can't be THAT good! We left out a lot of the usual stuff for soup!}' He couldn't understand why the vegetable soup was such a hit with the other party.
Tora took a spoonful of the vegetable soup when she sent through the telepathic link, '{Uh, well, yah did use that 'Vegetable Broth' stuff when you started cooking… Maybe that's a factor?}' the Demi-God had a thought before she Appraised the vegetable soup.
Food: Vegetable Soup
Made with vegetable broth from Another world.
Raises Mana and speed by 7% for three hours.
Recovers Health by 10%.
'Eh?' Tora thought when she saw the information her Appraisal was telling her. She blinked a few times to make sure she was seeing things right. Tora gulped before she took another spoonful of the soup as she thought, 'Oh Ah'ma going to have to tell Nez about this when Ah get the chance.'
Nezumi realised too late his mistake and mentally scolded himself for forgetting THAT effect of the things he got from his world. 'I Really need to be extra careful,' the teen thought as he plastered on a smile as he handed out seconds.
Dotsuku admitted that the soup was one of the better ones he had but it was under the usual standard of meals he's had as of meeting the teen. The Beastkin finished his bowl when he thought logically, 'Well, this is the first time they're eating amazing soup.'
}{ The Next Day, the Afternoon }{
Breakfast and lunch were eaten with vigour, and they were making great pace to the city of Valenver.
Nothing interesting had happened until they ran into a Red Boar. But between Dotsuku, Werner, Vincent, Rita, Tora, and Ramon, it was an easy victory against the monster.
The members of Iron Will dismantle the Red Boar easily enough. Nezumi was rather impressed with that skill, and how much could be gotten from this giant boar.
Werner seemed pleased with his parties work when he stated, "The hide and tunks will fetch a fine price at the market, but we're going to have to leave most of the meat behind…"
Tora couldn't help but ask, "How come? It'll be a waste to leave it." She looked at the trolley when she added, "We still have space fur it and we can still eat it."
Vincent explained that the Red Boar meat goes bad pretty fast if you don't store it well right away or take it someplace that can store it before it goes bad.
Dotsuku thought about it before he suggested that Nezumi and Tora store the meat in their Item Box, half in one and half in the other, and use the meat for their meals for the rest of the trip. Everyone was on board with that.
After everything was stored, the party continued on.
}{
When the sun started setting, they decided to set up camp for the night.
As Iron Will set up the campfire and the sitting area, Dotsuku, Nezumi, and Tora started on dinner.
The teen had a dish in mind… Ginger-fried pork or rather ginger-fried Red Boar.
Tora had gotten a lot better with sizing her cuts, so she cut the slab of Red Boar into thin slices easily enough even if they were a little uneven. Dotsuku chopped the cabbages and other vegetables. Nezumi made the ginger fry sauce for the Red Boar slice to marinate in and the instant consommé soup base. Once everything was ready, all the ingredients were combined and then cooked through.
Tora liked the smell and so did the members of Iron Will.
The smell of the ginger-fried red boar ended up wafting outside the campsite, and catching the attention of a familiar someone.
Dotsuku stared at the amount they made when he commented in uneasiness, "Uh… I think we might've made too much…"
Nezumi then replied, "Um, well, we for sure have enough for seconds…" He quickly sent through the telepathic link, '{I can store the uneaten extras in my Item Box for later when we get to the city. When we separate from Iron Will.}
Tora smiled wearily as she helped with handing out the bowls of ginger-fried red boar. She managed to Appraise the food.
Food: Ginger-Fried Red Boar
Made from Red Boar marinated in ginger-fry saute from Another world, cabbaggs, Karots, Potentos, and a pinch of salt.
Raises base Health points by 5% for an hour.
The Demi-God never got a chance to tell Nezumi about the… Effects of the food from his world had… But once they arrive at the city, she plans to tell him.
Soon enough, the two Parties dug into their meal. And Wow was it good!
Werner, Vincent, and Rita couldn't get enough of the dish. Franka, who usually didn't like red boar meat, was surprised by how good the dish was. And Ramon, who never eaten raw cabbagg, said it paired well with the meat.
Dotsuku couldn't help but get out in a weary tone, "Uh… Glad you like it…" He glanced at the teen, silently asking if this was a normal reaction to this kind of dish. Nezumi noticed and could only shrug in response. Tora quitely ate her meal as she wondered if it was because of the otherworldly ingredients. Navi was happily munching on some of the leaves that were in reach.
It didn't take long before the two Parties delved into pleasant conversation. All were so engrossed in the hearty meal and talk, that they failed to notice an incoming threat. At least until…
"Humans, give me some of that, too," Said a somewhat deep and resigning voice from behind Dotsuku and Nezumi.
All slowly turned to see a large wolf with a very lustrous silvery-white fur with red limbs and was radiating such a divine aura that it was hard to miss even if you couldn't sense such things.
The cow-sized wolf let out an annoyed growl before he got out, "Oi! Did you not hear me, humans!"
Nezumi froze as Dotsuku carefully placed his bowl in front of the creature as he backed away as he pulled the teen along, maybe a little rougher than he intended.
The giant wolf ate the whole thing in one gulp. "This is not enough. Give me more."
"I-it's a Fenrir…" Werner whispered in shock, cold sweat dripping down his face. The others of Iron Will were in the same state. Navi was shivering with fear.
Tora looked at the Fenrir when she thought, 'Naw, it couldn't be…'
Dotsuku quickly pulled Nezumi along to follow through on that as he whispered to him, "We have to do as he says if we want to live through this!" The teen didn't want to question this, nor did he want to get on this creature's bad side.
Taking turns, the Beastkin and teen brought the ginger-fried red boar bowls to this Fenrir, who simply demanded more after finishing what he was given each time. When the stock got low, they had to make a new batch of ginger-fried red boar, which Nezumi and Dotsuku worked on as fast as they could.
Tora watched in dismay as it slowly started turning into an annoyed rage as she realised that the Fenrir before her WAS her old travelling companion! Oh, was she cursing up a storm in her mind!
The Fenrir let out a burp before he said in satisfaction, "That was delicious. Nevertheless, to be able to satisfy me with so little meat… Not bad for human."
'{Little meat? The jerk ate around seven or eight kilos of the red boar! That's not a 'little'!}' Nezumi griped as he stared at the mess he and the Beastkin made in their rush.
Dotsuku took a drink from his water pouch when he replied through the telepathic link, '{Which makes me wonder what his usual meat intake is…}' He let out a breath before he realised that the Fenrir didn't move after he finally finished eating.
The teen and the Beastkin didn't like the look they were getting from the Fenrir. They felt even worse when the creature's attention moved towards the younger. "Hm, yes, I will form a contract with you," the Fenrir finally stated in contentment.
"Contract?" Both Nezumi and Dotsuku got out in confusion and shock.
The Fenrir stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "It means that I am willing to be your Familiar." His stare did not leave the teen.
"Eh?!" Nezumi got out as Dotsuku got out, "Huh?!"
The Fenrir used his wind magic to bring the teen closer and getting the Beastkin caught up in it. There was a glow of light when the two got close enough. Nezumi could feel that magic flowed through him, but had no clue what to think about it.
That was when the Fenrir stated, still in that matter-of-fact tone, "Now, to complete the contract, you must give me a name."
Dotsuku couldn't help but get out in confusion, "A… Name?"
Before the Fenrir could speak, Tora finally snapped out in anger, "DO YAH HAVE YAHR BRAIN IN THAT WORTHLESS STOMACH!? FEL!?"
Oh! Did that get everyone's attention.
Tora stormed over to the Fenrir when she got out in rage, "ALL YAH EVER THINK ABOUT IS PUTTING FOOD IN THAT STUPID STOMACH! YAH IDIOTIC MEAT SLUT! FEL! DID YAH EVEN PUT ANY THOUGHT IN WHAT YAH'RE DOING AND THA EFFECTS OF THAT SHIT!?"
Nezumi looked between the Demi-God and the Fenrir when he asked Tora in confusion, "Wait? He was your previous companion?!"
Dotsuku then asked in an equally confused tone, "And he already has a name?"
Nezumi noticed how his status changed. He saw that he now had a new addition called "Familiar contracts" with Fenrir right next to it. The teen did NOT like this outcome.
The Fenrir looked at Tora in confusion when he asked as if he didn't hear her shouting just seconds earlier, "Hm? Oh, there you are Tora." He then got serious when he almost growled out, "Now where is the dragon meat you found!"
Tora got even more pissed off as static trailed over her body when she hissed out, ready to rumble the Fenrir, "WHAT THA HELL ARE YAH YAPPIN' ABOUT?! THERE'S NO DRAGON INVOLVED! NEVER WAS! AH DID WHAT AH SAID AH WOULD IF YAH KEPT UP WITH YAH MEAT OBSESSION! AH LEFT!"
The Fenrir was confused when he got out, "When did you speak of that?"
Tora gave the Fenrir an incredulous look, as if she was watching a giant cockroach being disected. And she couldn't believe how the Fenrir didn't listen to any of her complaints, At ALL! Tora let out a low growl at the other's apparent ignorance.
Nezumi had a flat expression after hearing these words. Dotsuku had a matching look when he got out flatly, "Oh, wow… When you said your previous travelling companion never listened to what you said to him, I thought you might've been exaggerating a bit, Tora… But now I can see that you weren't." The Beastkin glanced up at the Fenrir when he commented, "But to think the Fel you were talking about was a Fenrir…"
Something seemed to register in the Fenrir's head before he looked to the side. His eyes widen at what he was seeing, whatever he was looking at, before he grumbled out, "My name… Fel… I cannot believe it…"
Tora folded her arms as she turned her back to the Fenrir, Fel, when She stated with a huff, "Serves yah right. Now yahr gonna be called Fel by everyone, yah meat slut."
'Can't blame her,' Nezumi thought with a sigh. He knew that this was going to be a major pain. The teen then glanced to the side and spotted the still stunned forms of the Iron Will party. Nezumi was quick to send through the telepathic link, '{Oh! Shit! we forgot about them!}'
THAT caught Dotsuku and Tora's attention pretty quickly. Fel didn't seem all that concerned when he stated, "Worry not, I have no interest in harming them."
Tora, Dotsuku, and Nezumi gave the Fenrir a 'really?" expression.
"T-to think…" Werner managed to get out in shock before he managed to say, "That I would ever witness such an event…" The others of Iron Will agreed with their leader.
Rita seemed to recover her enthusiasm when she got out in delight, "Wow! Dotsuku! I can't believe you managed to form a contract with a Fenrir!" The rest of Iron Will agreed with that.
…
…
…
Huh?
Did they thought… Dotsuku was the one Fel made the contract with?
Nezumi quickly locked in his 100 Paths and went through a few paths until he got on Path that worked out the best. Lucky him, it was path #21.
The teen happily smiled when he got out in an excited tone, "Well, my master is pretty amazing." He quickly sent to the Beastkin, Demi-God, and Fenrir through the telepathic link, '{Play along! And Fel, if you refuse, your next meal won't have any meat in it!}'
Dotsuku glanced at the Fenrir when he got out in a bit of a bitter tone, "Well… I think it's more Fel liking the food than anything…"
Tora huffed in annoyance, "Can't say Ah'm surprised… Fel only thinks of his stomach." She looked at the Beastkin when she stated, "Sorry fur his stupidity and draggin' yah intah his antics… But Fel only seems to listen to his stomach."
One of Fel's eyes twitched when he stated as if the whole thing didn't involve him, "As long as I get three meals a day, I care not for other matters." He turned his body so he was facing away from the fire, rested his head on his front paws, and stated, "I would like meat for breakfast when I awake."
Tora had an annoyed look as she rolled her eyes.
Dotsuku eyed the teen with a frown.
Nezumi gave the Beastkin an apologetic look when he sent telepathically, '{Sorry, but…}'
As everyone got ready for sleep, the Beastkin replied through that telepathic link, '{I know, I know… But that's still going to cause you trouble…}'
Nezumi thought about that for a bit before he realised the implication. '{True, but at least that's more manageable… To an extent…}' the teen stated to the Beastkin through the telepathic link. He wrapped himself in his blanket when he sent Dotsuku through the telepathic link, '{At least Fel can help with that.}'
The Beastkin had to reluctantly agree with that.
Soon enough, everyone fell asleep.
}I{ The Next Day }I{
With Fel as their travelling companion, running into monsters became non-existent. However…
"I demand meat for my meal," Fel stated as if that was of the most important matter.
Nezumi glared at the Fenrir as he removed the last of the red boar meat from his Item Box when Dotsuku set up the cooking area and stated bitterly, "Oh for the love of!" the Beastkin turned his attention to Fel when he said in a serious tone, "We're running out of meat because you keep demanding it and eat the most out of all of us! If you want it so badly, go hunt some yourself."
The teen was quick to send to the Fenrir telepathically, '{I second that idea.}'
Fel thought about that for a few seconds before he finally said, "Hm? That seems fair. I will go hunt some right away, so wait here." With that, he raced off to do just that.
Werner couldn't help but say nervously, "Uh, Dotsuku… It's okay for you to use all the red boar meat if you want…"
The Beastkin glanced at Iron Will before he went back to help with the cooking prep and stated in a calm matter-of-fact tone, "I'm not going to stop you from offering if you want, but he's already eaten the majority of the red boar meat that we took down and he's going to have to pull his weight if he plans to stay with my Party." Dotsuku handed the prepared meat to Nezumi when he added, "And if he wants meat, he'll have to hunt his own. Especially if he's going to eat THAT much of it at every meal."
Iron Will was honestly amazed by the fact that the Beastkin could order around a Fenrir.
Tora let out a sigh when she stated, "Well, yah have a point on makin' Fel get his own meat… Tha idiot can and will eat a two entire red boars in one setting… Trust me, Ah've seen him do it before… He'll put one helluva dent in our finances if given tha chance." She looked at her chopped fruit with a smile before setting them to the side.
The next thing everyone knew Fel came back with a large Rockbird, much to Iron Will's amazement.
After a quick agreement and discussion, Iron Will would dismantle the rock bird and could keep the non-edible parts while the meat would go to Dotsuku, Tora, Nezumi, and Fel.
After that was done, the teen, Beastkin, and the Demi-God started on working on cooking the rock bird meat. Iron Will place the material in the trolley. Navi didn't seem to mind this so much, but it didn't like the Fenrir being so close.
}{ That Night }{
The mortals slept soundly in their chosen spots as the more divine ones kept watch.
Tora kept close to a sleeping Dotsuku and Nezumi as she looked up at the stars above. She then glanced at her party mates with a small smile as the teen subconsciously moved closer to the Beastkin.
"Are you not going to speak to me directly throughout this?" Fel asked the Demi-God in confusion.
Tora glared at the Fenrir for a few seconds before she potentially huffed and turned her back to him.
Fel didn't understand this behaviour when he asked her, "Is there something you are mad about?"
Tora looked over her shoulder to glare at the Fenrir before she turned away and started getting comfortable in her spot. She wrapped her blanket around herself, wishing she could sleep on those cosy 'sleeping bags' agains But the Demi-God knew that she would be able to once this trip was over. Soon she fell asleep.
Fel still didn't understand what the Demi-God was doing or why she was doing it. But sleep took hold on him and soon, he fell asleep.
~}I{~
The Demon Prince, Ushii, was playing an instrument that looked similar to a violin. He was usually honing his blade and skills, but at the moment he wanted to relax and . playing music helped him do that.
All who served under the Royal Line of the Demon King knew it would be best to not interrupt the Demon Prince unless it was a matter of the utmost importance. Plus, they enjoyed the music their young lord played.
"My sincerest apologies for interrupting, your highness," a herold came into the room reluctantly.
Ushii, stopped his playing before he turned his attention towards the herold with a glare when he asked darkly, "What news do you bring that would cause you to interrupt my relaxing time?"
A herold scurried over and whispered the recent events into the Demon Prince's ear.
A dark aura surrounded Ushii when he stated coldly, "It seems that we no longer need to goad Reijseger into attacking." Calmly, he walked to the side as he carefully placed his instrument into its case and said in that unchanging tone, "Gather the strongest in the army. I plan to bring that country down, personally."
The herold and servants bowed at the Demon Prince when they said at the same time, "At once, your highness."
~}I{~
To be continued.
~}I{~