CH 9

Here’s the chapter, enjoy~

I am waking up from my sleep. Sylphy was already gone from the bed. The sunshine coming in from outside is still weak, so it doesn’t seem like it’s been long since dawn.

Last night was… yes, that was good. Sylphy was just pretending to be relaxed in the beginning, and soon I was able to bring her into my pace. Magic is so useful; being able to make the pain disappear immediately is less of a burden. I didn’t think I was reckless, but it was a shock to her in many ways. You know, that kind of erotic look and the first time around. I had to do my best, didn’t I?

But the sweat and the other stuff made my body sticky. I got out of bed, thinking I should at least groom myself.

“Mmm…”

When I went to the living room, I found that Sylphy was just about to wipe her wet hair. It seems that she was cleaning herself up ahead of me. As a matter of course, she’s naked and doesn’t even pretend to hide her body. I’m the same way, though.

“Good morning. I need to cleanse myself, too.”

Sylphy stared at me for a few seconds, then lifted her arm and pointed her finger to the corridor leading to the bathroom.

“…I’ve prepared the water jug for you. The cloth is on the shelf over there.”

“All right.”

Taking a piece of cloth from the shelf, I stepped into the hallway that leads to the bathroom. From the hallway to the backyard, there was a water jug filled with water. There was also a hand trough, so I drew water from it and covered my head with it. It was cold, but it felt good. I washed off my sweat and other things and scrubbed with a cloth. It’s etiquette to clean yourself up, right?

When I return to the living room after thoroughly cleansing myself, I find Sylphy sitting on a wicker couch in a daze, still naked. There is no usual fearless smile, but rather an air of distraction. Does she think about something? Or is she in a daze after the aftermath of last night’s events? …For now, I gently sat down on the open space of the couch and hugged Sylphy.

“Ah… Mmm.”

When I half-forcibly steal her lips, she submits to me without resistance. It’s hard to believe that this is the same person who attacked me in my sleep and beat me up.

“Are you okay?”

“…Am I okay, you ask? My dignity is torn to shreds.”

“Well, that was the difference between experience and knowledge, after all.”

Sylphy was ignorant of many things anyway. Of course, she understood the general flow of the act itself, but that was all. It’s not just a matter of thrusting a man and a woman into each other’s lives, but she lacked the knowledge to do so.

In contrast, I have experience and knowledge of many things. Besides, her body was very sensitive, and her first pain was magically resolved. I was able to do it. As a result, Sylphy is at the mercy of many things.

“What did you do to a maiden… you beast!”

“Ouch, ouch, ouch! Seriously, it hurts!”

The slap protest was incessant. It was very painful.

“Hmph… After you finish your meal, we’ll go hunting and collecting. We’ll be back in the afternoon when the sun is high.”

“Aye aye, ma’am.”

After that, I followed Sylphy, who has groomed herself and regained a bit of her composure. Hmm, I’m going to walk in the forest in these sweatshirts. I’m afraid my clothes are going to be worn out soon.

“We’ll have to do something about your clothes too.”

“That’s right; I’ll count on Master for it.”

“All right. You better work hard then.”

For breakfast, we had a pancake-like baked bread with sweet honey and grilled meat. It’s a heavy morning menu, but I think it’s appropriate since we both got a good workout last night and will continue to work out.

While I was at it, I also made some lunch and put it in my inventory. It was a so-called meat sandwich, consisting of salted Lizarf meat and flavored vegetables sandwiched between the bread-like baked dough. Sylphy helped me with this, so I think it turned out well.

I’m looking forward to our lunch.

Now, when breakfast is over, it is time for the hunt. I have to go outside.

“When it comes to this…”

“Don’t do that.”

The chain clinked around my neck with a clattering sound. That’s right, as we walk through the village, I’m chained to a collar, and it’s time for the doggie walk. The gazes of the elves and refugees piercing me from all directions are severe. No, if I look closely, some people are looking at me with pity. Such people may be pro-human, so I’ll try to remember their faces as best I can.

But still, although I can see the glares, I can’t hear the whispering. Since Sylphy’s long ears are sensitive, I wonder if she can listen to them when they speak inappropriately? I think she’s wise. She seems to have a pretty good ear.

The village gate comes into view after passing through the elf’s living quarters, workshop section, magic field section, and refugee section without incident. Even in the early hours of the morning, the guards seem to be standing there.

“He’s here, too, huh?”

“What? Aah, Nate. Don’t worry about him; he’s just a small matter.”

“What’s a small matter to Master is a big problem for me.”

It’s hard to forget the experience of being maliciously thrown out into that square. If Sylphy hadn’t gotten there in time, I would have been beaten to death over there.

But, surprisingly, the guards guarding the entrance and exit of the village, including Nate, did not even speak to me. They gave me a disgusting look, but I just walked right by them. I was through.

“That guy wouldn’t just be the first person in this village to say anything to my partner.”

“I guess so. This should please Master more and more.”

“Kuku… you better do so.”

The fearless smile comes back to Sylphy’s face. Yeah, well, that kind of expression isn’t bad. After knowing the various expressions she showed me last night, seeing those expressions makes her feel a little cuter. Master smiles with such a fearless smile, but on the bed――.

“Ogooh! That hurts!”

“I felt something unpleasant.”

A heavy, sharp elbow thrust into my side. It really hurts… I just can’t take this merciless violence. Well, it’s cute to think of it as payback for the excellent time I had last night. Yeah.

“Let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

I walked with the chain being pulled by Sylphy. She was not pulled my hand, but the chain extending from the collar… there’s not a bit of sweetness or sourness in our relationship… It can’t be helped; I’m a slave in my position, after all.

There are few people in the development block beyond the gate. I don’t know what they are building, but it seems that the work has not yet begun this early in the morning.

“Hey, what’s this outermost section working on?”

“It’s a row house. It’s a sturdy structure that also serves as a barrier against the outside. They’re built to replace the refugees’ homes, which are clustered up on the outside of the village.”

“I see… Reasonable, huh?”

If the house is made of stone or bricks, it will have a decent defensive effect. But, for the residents, they may not feel comfortable because their house is always under threat.

“I guess that’s reasonable from the point of view of the people in the village. Since we’re letting them live here and provide them with food, it’s up to them to put up with that. In fact, the refugees who escaped with their clothes on don’t have much property, and since the farming in the elven village is based on magic farming, the refugees, who are mainly beastmen, can’t be expected to work as a labor force. Even though there are many women, male elves are not very interested in beastmen, and male elves are few in number, to begin with. Refugees who cannot offer any kind of compensation have no choice but to follow the elves.”

“It’s a hard world.”

This is another consequence of the defeated side, a bad ending beyond that, I guess. I know it’s pathetic, but I’m a slave myself, and there’s nothing I can do about it… No, wait? There is, right?

I’m sure there are those who are unhappy with this treatment. Some of them would like to fight the Holy Kingdom and take back the Merinard Kingdom if they could, wouldn’t they? My ability to mass-produce weapons. As long as I have the materials, I can prepare a large number of weapons in a short period of time. If I can mass-produce those, or at the very worst, that thing, will there be a chance? I need more information, but maybe, though. It seems that Sylphy also has some feelings about the Holy Kingdom, and I can sense a connection to the Merinard Kingdom from the way she talks.

“You seem to have something on your mind, don’t you?”

“Various. Maybe we can talk about it again later tonight.”

“Good. But now it’s time to hunt. Brace yourself.”

“Aiyo.”

After passing through the construction zone, we soon enter a deep forest. At first glance, it looks like a difficult walk, but when I follow Sylphy, I don’t feel the difficulty as I don’t get caught in the branches, and the footing is solid.

“This is the hunting ground. You can take your chains off.”

“Oh.”

I quickly stored the chains in my inventory as Sylphy let go of them. The collar is still the same, but it’s a lot easier without the chains.

“Follow me quietly. Don’t make any sound.”

“I got it.”

I crouched down with the C key in mind and moved into a stealthy state. Then, as I was sliding around with the WSAD key in mind, I got a strange look from Sylphy, who turned around and gave me a strange look.

“What’s with that mysterious move?”

“One of my special abilities. It’s hard for me to explain it in detail.”

I showed her how to slide back and forth and left and right while squatting down. It’s nice to be able to move without making any noise at all, but it’s definitely creepy.

“It’s an unsettling move to watch…”

“Don’t worry; it’s easy to use. And by the way, I can do this too.”

While squatting down, I imagine the space key and bounce on the spot. Eventually, try moving slightly in the air.

“That’s creepy.”

“I know, right?”

I agree with her.

But there is no reason not to take advantage of it. It seems that Sylphy, after being slightly troubled, has decided not to care and has decided to act without looking at me as much as possible. I’m sorry, I’m just going to move, but it’s not like I’m going to cut down on the SAN value. But I’m not going to stop using this ability.

I’m going to collect the things that fall along the way actively. Fallen trees are perfect for firewood, and there’s still a lot of use for stones. I’ll also ask Sylphy to help me gather more wild plants and medicinal herbs. The trick is not to uproot them so that they grow back. I’m not sure what kind of crafting material they are going to be used for. Is it, as expected, a recovery item, right? The game type recovery items can instantly heal injuries, broken bones, illnesses, etc., but I can’t help but feel like I’m about to create something extraordinary.

“It’s kind of bad, stopping at every single thing. “

“Don’t worry about it. The main purpose of this trip is not to hunt, but to collect things. Hopefully, the results will be worth the effort, right?”

“That’s an unknown quantity. But the unknown means that the bottom is still out there, so we can count on it, can’t we?”

I swing the hatchet and turn a fallen tree into a good piece of firewood. Of course, I don’t have such skills. But suppose I take the hatchet and access the fallen tree menu and choose the action of getting firewood. In that case, my body will move on its own and turn it into firewood.

“But what kind of magic is that?”

“I don’t know.”

Even the biggest fallen tree can be turned into firewood in pieces after five swings of the hatchet. I don’t know; this ability is even unreasonable.

“Hey, there’s something I want to try out.”

“What is it?”

“Can I cut down some of those trees?”

“Hmm? Well, I don’t mind… You know, raw wood has to be dried for about six months before it can be used as wood or firewood, right?”

“Yeah, I know. I know, but I feel like I can handle it.”

I took a hatchet, accessed a moderately sized cedar-like tree, and performed the cut. As I did so, my body moved on its own, and I began to use the hatchet to gouge the tree’s trunk. It only took about five hits to turn a fallen tree into firewood, but after another 20 hits――.

“It’s down.”

“Yes… But what’s this?”

“Logs?”

I answer by looking at the tree… or rather the log that fell with a heavy thump… It is obviously a log. The branches have also been removed, and they are not fresh wood but rather dried out and of the same thickness from root to tip.

“What did you do to it?”

“That’s what happens when I cut down a tree. Well, that’s one of my abilities, I guess.”

“I’m going crazy at this point.”

I inspect the log with a sideways glance at Sylphy, who frowns and runs her hand over her temple. I wonder if it’s about 15 meters long. I guess my inventory will be… I wonder if it can enter my inventory. The name of the item displayed in my inventory is “Log: Black Cedar.”

Also, a large number of leaves, twigs, and bent branches have been added to my inventory, perhaps due to automatic branch removal—what a great job.

I tried to access the logs in my inventory directly to see if I could process them.

・Cut it in half.

・To firewood

I see? It seems to be able to be cut further into half sizes. I gave it a try. It took me a while, but I was able to cut it in roughly half the time it took to cut down a tree. The name of the item is “Log: Black Cedar.” It seems that I can’t split it up anymore, but I’ve added “Wood” and “Reverse Bushing” to the crafting menu, so I put a crafting reservation for both.

“I’d like to chop up a few trees around here.”

“Don’t overcut them… Only cut the trees I tell you to cut.”

“Aye aye, ma’am.”

There is no shortage of wood. It can be used for fuel, building materials, craft materials, and so much more. That’s why I chopped and chopped and chopped wood under Sylphy’s direction. To be specific, it was fifty logs.

“If that’s all we have, we won’t be in need of wood for a while!”

“No doubt.”

Sylphy looks half-dazed, but I’m relieved. The leaves seem to be able to make fiber, and the twigs and branches can be used for fuel or to make bows and arrows. Logging is great.

“There’s enough firewood and wood. time, let’s go collect some ore materials.”

“Well, let’s head to the river.”

I followed Sylphy and headed further into the forest. Of course, I crouched down and moved stealthily. I was stalking behind Sylphy, sliding quickly while crouching. If someone saw this scene, it would be a horror story. It’s definitely a scary picture.

As I’m moving along like this, Sylphy suddenly raises one arm and stands still. I followed her obediently, too. From the gesture, it seems there is something ahead of us. I nod and take out the composite bow I had registered in my shortcut section and pull out an arrow with an iron arrowhead. Sylphy looked curiously at the composite bow for a moment but quickly turned back to the front.

After a short walk, I heard some strange sounds in my ears as well. A cracking, squishy, rattling sound could be heard. Ah, that’s it, isn’t it? There will be winners and losers in the survival race up ahead, won’t there?

As I was thinking about what to do, Sylphy leaned in closer.

“I’ll take care of it. Don’t push yourself.”

So she whispered in my ear and walked forward without making a sound. I decided to follow her, leaving some distance between us. If possible, I wanted to test the power of the composite bow, as well as to see Sylphy in action. However, it would be the end of the world if I got in Sylphy’s way.

That’s why I carefully and cautiously headed to the location.

(Oh…)

A genuinely horrific scene was unfolding before my eyes. A corner of the forest was covered in blood. And there was one creature that was still making a loud noise and chewing its prey.

What could it be? It seems to be a giant spider cricket. Its long, bent hind legs, which look strong and rigid, are very prominent. Its overall color is yellowish ochre, and there are many legs in addition to its large hind legs. I don’t know what its face looks like because its hindquarters are pointing towards us, but the blood on the end of its hindquarters makes me wonder if it has poisoned needles on its hindquarters as well.

It’s not just the buttocks that are stained with blood. There is also blood on the tips of the tentacle-like things that are growing behind it. Is that thing also used for attacks? If this were the first monster I encountered, I would be dead, right? It looks about ten times more ferocious than the Lizarf.

As I was hiding and observing the giant spider cricket, Sylphy leaped out from beside it. In her hand is a large knife, or rather a woodman’s hatchet. It’s tough and looks sharp, but will it be enough to take down the giant spider beast? That thing has at least as big as a minivan.

“GYAAAAAAAAAAA!”

The woodman’s hatchet was thrust deep into the right side of the monster’s defenseless torso. Sylphy immediately distanced herself from the giant spider that was about to go on the rampage and disappeared into the forest. I think it was determined from the start that she couldn’t kill it with a single strike. It was a brilliant escape strategy. I see, so it’s going to be stinging, isn’t it?

The giant spider that changed direction in the direction of Sylphy’s escape exposes its side to me. Coincidentally, it is the right side where Sylphy thrust her woodman’s hatchet deeply.

As I draw my bow with the left click in mind, the arrowhead appears in my field of vision. I point the arrowhead at the giant spider with the bow drawn and aim at the wound in the side of the belly where the green bodily fluids are flowing out.

“GISHAAAAAA!”

An arrow from the composite bow dove into the wound and pierced it so deeply that the arrowhead was no longer visible. Apparently, this blow was quite effective. I turned on the next arrow and aimed again at the writhing giant spider on the spot.

“Haaaahhh!”

Just before I fired the arrow, Sylphy reappeared, and this time she drove the blade of her woodman’s hatchet into the vicinity of the giant spider’s head. Then I shifted my sights from the side, aimed at the base of its right hind leg, and shot an arrow. The arrows fired penetrated the sturdy-looking exoskeleton of the giant spider and penetrated deeply.

After being shot in the joint, it seems that it is unable to move its right hind leg. The giant spider tried to escape from the location by moving only its safe left hind leg, but its left hind leg suddenly disappeared from sight. It seems that Sylphy, who had finished her attack on the head area, had come around to the other side and severed the left leg.

The reversal of the giant spider, which had been deeply wounded and lost its mobility in less than ten seconds, did not occur. Sylphy continued to attack while moving quickly around the perimeter and took it down unilaterally.

“Did you get it?

“Yeah, I killed it.”

Approaching Sylphy, who has stopped attacking, I look at Sylphy and the giant spider. There seem to be no injuries to Sylphy. It appears that Sylphy is not even bathed in any body fluids, so she must have been able to handle it very well. In contrast, the giant spider is in a miserable state. Many of its legs, including its left hind leg, had been severed with the woodman’s hatchet, a pair of antennae, which were probably its most important weapons, had been severed. Its head, which was relatively small in relation to its body, had been severed and dismembered. It’s a little bit of a mess.

“And what is this thing? Can it be eaten?”

“It’s not inedible, but most of its value is in the shell and the poisonous glands in its butt. If you chop up the legs and boil them in salt, they’re just fine.”

“How about these hind legs?”

“The meat is inedible; it’s too tough. Though it’s good for a bowstring.”

“Oh, that’s good,”

The sliced off legs and antennae are whipped up and retrieved into my inventory.

“What to do? Want to put the body in my inventory too? Maybe even dismantle it.”

“No, just collect it. We need to take it back to the village and report back.”

“Oh, yeah. Okay, huh?”

I suddenly looked at the contents of my inventory, and my eyes widened.

[Gizma’s antennae] x 2 [Gizma’s left hind leg] × 1 [Gizma’s Leg] x 7 [Gizma’s head] × 1 [Gizma’s right hind legged torso] x1

“Hey, wasn’t this thing a monster in the Great Wilderness Omit?”

“Ah, yes. This is a relatively shallow part of the forest, but Gizma has never been this far into it before. Apparently, that’s what’s happening that I was worried about.”

Sylphy shrugged as she washed her woodman’s hatchet with water that seemed to have been produced with magic.

“In other words?”

“Didn’t I tell you about how many refugees lost their lives in the Omit Wilderness a few years ago?”

“Ah. Yeah…”

I’ve figured it out. The fact that so many people died means that many corpses were left in the Great Wilderness of Omit. It’s not like the refugees were dragging the corpses of their dead family members to escape the monsters, either.

“You mean, they multiplied?”

“I didn’t see it myself, though. You can imagine. There’s also the fact that no refugee has been able to reach the Black Forest in almost two years.”

“Ah…”

Does that mean that a growing number of Gizmas are flooding out of the Great Wilderness of Omit in search of food? Wouldn’t they be cannibalistic or something?

I mean, once again, I was in trouble, wasn’t I? I was out on the Great Wilderness and the Black Forest border, and I was breaking rocks and stuff. If Gizma had attacked me, I’d be dead for real.

“Let’s get the hell out of here. There’s a chance that not only Gizma but also other monsters will be attracted to it.”

“O-okay.”

I followed Sylphy as she began to walk, shivering inwardly. I was fortunate, wasn’t I?