CH 64

Alright, I granted the wish of the snow leopard, so now it would make my sanctuary, for sure.

「 Do you know of any place with great scenery, and where the spirits can readily go? 」

「 … tss 」

「 Ride on the Deer. 」

I suddenly recalled the ordeal that I just went through on our way here, so I wanted to ride on the horse instead. Unfortunately, it was wounded, so yeah.

「 A human riding on Kanulle…what a lucky fellow you are. 」

「 … 」

Kanulle huh, did the horse just mention the deer’s name? I want a comfortable ride.

I gave up and straddled the deer.

My innards were pulled again because of the gravitational acceleration that was happening right now. Well, I was bending forward properly and grabbing his antlers right on the get go this time around, so I probably wouldn’t fall off now.

「 … 」

「 How about this place 」

And yep, we stopped again without warning.

「 Ah sorry, but this is a bit too dreary for me. 」

Please don’t take me to a sheer precipice again.

「 Somewhere with a huge tree, some undergrowth, and if there’s a spring then that would be perfect. 」

It seems that the phrase “beauty (and comfort) is in the eye of the beholder” was thoroughly applicable to these guys, so I rephrased my request to clearly express what I really wanted.

「 …tss 」

「 So that’s the preference of humans, huh. 」

Thank you so much for being so understanding. Just when the horse finally caught up with us after doing its best, we set off again. The horse did all it could to chase after us.

「 … 」

「 How about this? 」

I resisted the urge to throw up, and looked around me, and the scene took my breath away. It was a bit mystical, like those you see in fantasy. There was a huge tree and a spring just as I requested. The surroundings seemed a bit damp from all the moss growing, but we were standing in a clearing, so the sun reached the ground, too. Soft, yellow-green grass highlighted the sunny place.

I checked my map — yes, it is a great place, indeed.

「 Thank you. It is more beautiful than what I hoped for. 」

「 …tss 」

「 Alright, we will place the barrier now. 」

「 Ah, will the horse be okay? 」

「 …tss 」

「 It’s just a trivial matter, he’s a spirit and your contract partner, after all. 」

The snow leopard started to growl deeply, and the sound intertwined with the tinkling of the deer’s bells, and they echoed on like a concerto. The whiteness of the snow leopard’s entire body glowed until it turned into light, and it spread and spread until it formed a barrier around us.

The horse finally reached us.

「 Thanks for the hard work. 」

I unwittingly called out to him. It really did its best, see, it managed to catch up to that deer within this period of time.

「 … tss 」

「 ….!!! 」

The snow leopard dashed without a sound together with the deer, and the horse tried its best to follow them. Still, that horse seemed like a pessimistic one, would he really be alright?

(Well, no use worrying about it, I guess.)

The snow leopard called him his friend, so I decided to stop worrying.

I checked my map again. New forests and cliffs appeared in the area that had been blank when I looked at it earlier. Wait, so even if the deities’ power didn’t extend to a certain place, it would be added to the map if I went there?

No, it was spreading towards the places that I didn’t pass through, too. Maybe it was the contracted horse’s part? Mmm, not really the area of the horse’s activity, but territory, perhaps?

In that case, then I could only complete this map, huh. Yes, there might be a Japan-like place out there…! I finally had something to look forward to aside from making things.

Alright, so what should I do with this? I need a roof for protection against the rain, walls that the wind could still pass through, and maybe a table, at the very least. I could do the handling outside the barrier, at the spot where the spring flows on. The monsters would take care of the parts I do not need, for sure.

Thinking about creating stuff was really exciting.

I stayed here, in the place that was given to me, for some time. I just let my thoughts drift away while grinning all the while, so it was already evening before I noticed it.

I returned to my home via the rented house, then rubbed Riche all over when he came running towards me. Alright, today was curry time, finally!

Onions, carrots, potatoes, pork belly — it was just like a normal Japanese family’s curry, although the pork belly was in saggy blocks of meat. I drizzled some sesame dressing on my pea sprouts and tofu salad. I also have some rakuchou on the side, plus carbonated water.

I plopped a huge dollop of curry on the freshly cooked rice, and preparations were complete. Alright, I’m digging in!!

Hmmmm~ the pork belly was firm and super tasty. Ahh, as expected, this is pure bliss. I’m really grateful that I requested a lifestyle where I could still enjoy Japanese cuisine.

A world with no concrete or asphalt in sight, plus I can also enjoy eating delicious meals. It is a healthy lifestyle thanks to Riche. I can also relax in the bath at the end of the day, and my clean, comfortable bed awaits me after.

Some of my classmates thought they would never survive without an internet connection, but this kind of life actually suited me. In the first place, I already had my hands full with trying to use the net to research for the things I would need for when I disappear, since it was laden with restrictions. Really, why on earth did they have to put all those limitations, huh.

Hurray for a life of freedommmm!!!! Alright, let’s get another serving, and have dessert afterward.

I was in a great mood, so I polished off another plate of curry, then I had some yogurt-flavored gelato and chocolate cake for dessert.

The yogurt gelato’s mild flavor eased the spiciness of the curry, and it refreshed my palate. I savored the rich chocolate cake’s stickiness on my tongue as it slowly melted in my mouth.

The furniture was just like how I wanted it to be and the climate also suited my taste. I could do the things I wanted to do tomorrow and I have Riche right here, just beneath my feet. Ahhh, pure bliss.