Chapter 14

"Master, the sky looks a bit ominous. It might start raining while we're crossing the mountains," Lulu says from the driver's seat.

When Lulu gave her report, we had just crossed over the county border into Kuhanou County. She is probably right. Looking up at the dark clouds, it just warns of the coming of rain. We will most likely have to eat lunch in the carriage. The carriage should provide enough cover, but we all put on our rain gear just in case.

"Lulu, I'll take over,"

"Yes, sir. The road is narrow here, so please stay close to the side of the mountain if possible,"

"All right,"

Satou takes over driving and peaking out the front of the carriage. I am glad I am not the one driving. The road is so narrow there is barely enough room for carriages to pass, and once it starts raining, I just know the carriage will start to slide.

"Dogs?"

"Lot of them, sir,"

At first, I couldn't see what Pochi and Tama were pointing to as they climbed over me to get Satou's attention. This road is so twisty it is hard to see ahead, but then I notice a dust cloud in the distance.

"Those are wolves. They're chasing a carriage,"

Satou replies, somehow able to make them out. He must have some skill I don't because it is very detailed when he relays some information to us. There was a carriage up ahead with three escorts being chased by wolves. The captain of the escorts was around level twelve, while the other two were level six and seven. As for the wolves themselves, they were between levels three and five. According to Satou's report, the carriage ahead of us should be fine if the wolves don't overtake or surround them.

"Wolves after a carriage? That sounds like a flag for saving a princess or a noble!"

Arisa is the only one happy with this situation. As Lulu looks nervous with Satou pulling the wagon into a nearby clearing, the rest of us ready our weapons. Arisa cheers and jumps, exciting Pochi and Tama as we get out of the carriage. Satou started throwing rocks at the wolves over an impossible distance. I can't even tell whether he hit his target or not, but I have a feeling he hit his mark. After everything that I have seen, Satou do I know. He can make the impossible look easy. Satou reports that Rocket Wolves have joined the fight as we watch him.

"We'll ambush the wolves as soon as they reach us. Get ready for battle, everyone,"

Satou orders as we move into position. Lulu was at the rear protecting the horses and carriage. Satou, Arisa and Mia form a second line behind the rest of us, ready to provide ranged support, with Arisa still excitedly muttering to herself. I am not so excited as Satou reports the incoming carriage escorts have been wiped out.

Satou now starts firing a bow with far more skill than even Mia. How did he get so good? Was he just hiding his skill with the bow during Mia's lesson? I don't want to believe he is really good enough to hit a target at such long-range, but something tells me each arrow Satou fires hits its intended target.

"I got rid of about half the wolves. There are two more of the giant ones… those are called rocket wolves. They're powerful, so we'll take them out one at a time together," Satou says as the carriage gets close enough for us to hear it. "Arisa. Don't use your Unique Skills."

"What? Master, could it be that you've finally fallen for the amazing Arisa and all of her…."

"That's an order,"

"Fine,"

Arisa drops to her knees in disappointment before retreating to where Lulu is standing. It may be harsh, but if what Zen warned me is true, it is for her own good.

"The carriage!"

"All right, time to attack,"

The carriage rounds the corner a moment later, and we begin our attack. Satou and Mia fire with bows, and Pochi and Tama, throw stones while Nana fires off her magical arrows. Multiple wolves drop dead but more appear to take their place.

"Monsters! You have to run!"

The coachman of the fleeing carriage tries to warn us as a giant wolf attempts to bite him. He is barely able to keep the monster at bay while keeping the carriage under control. I fire off my Ice Strom spell, killing the wolf and causing it to fall with multiple icicles piercing its body. It wasn't a pretty sight. The corpse was bloody, and even some of its guts fell out.

"Arisa!"

At Satou's command, Arisa used a shock wave type of spell. It hit the wolves chasing the carriage head-on, causing them to stumble and bleed from their eyes and ears. Some of them were even killed by Arisa's spell. Before the wolves can recover, I rush forward with our front line, and we cut them down. The battle is going well, but my Danger Sense ability alerts me to an approaching threat as I slice a Rocket Wolf in half.

A Hydra! I look up as a dragon-like creature with three snake-like heads flies overhead. It was fast and quiet. If it was after us, we would never have seen it coming until it was too late. Lucky for us, we weren't the monster's target. Unfortunately for the other carriage, the Hydra is swopping down on them. I fire off my Ice Storm spell again, peppering the monster's belly with countless holes, but it doesn't slow down even though the monster howls in pain.

One of the Hydra's heads swallows the other carriages driver whole with one bite. Its body smashes the carriage while the Hydra's long sharp-clawed feet grab their horses. I fire Ice Storm again, aiming at the monster's wings and tearing them to shreds. As the Hydra starts to fall from the sky, I fire my Fire Shot spell that explodes on the monster's back. The Hydra is tough. Even with a large hole blown into its back, the Hyrda is still alive.

What should I do? How should I finish it off? I don't want to use Fire Shot again as I worry about starting a forest fire. It had to crash land amongst a group of tall trees. My Ice Storm spell can't cut deep enough to kill it. Maybe it has the same weakness that flying type monsters share in some games I played. I use my Lightning Strike spell. A bolt of lightning leaves the tips of my fingers. I was tempted to shout something about power that a great villain once said when electrocuting his foe, but that would just sound stupid in this world.

I hit the Hydra. It screamed in pain as its body burned and smoked. The monster heads wave about in the air as it tries to escape me, but it is too later. My spell was the final nail in the monster's coffin, and a few minutes later, the Hydra fell down dead. It was a brutal end, but after what that monster did, I can't say the monster didn't deserve it.

I return to the battle and help everyone take down the last of the wolves. Pochi and Tama work together while Liza and Nana run around supporting everyone. Pearl did an excellent job and took down a large number of wolves. While Satou, Mia and Arisa continue to rain down magic and arrows on the wolves' heads.

Arisa and Nana had gained one level each in the battle. Nana hadn't acquired any skills, and Arisa said she wanted to be saving up her points. No one was hurt, but Nana needed to drink a magic recovery potion after overdoing it during the fight. I used a lot of magic too. Still, thanks to my maxed out Magical Recovery skill and equipment with magical recovery properties, I was already nearly finished fullying recovering my magic. Well, we are on the subject of me. I also gained two levels. Pearl didn't level up, so it must be from defeating that Hydra.

Lulu started brewing tea after Satou confirmed there were no more wolves in the area. It was good with a refreshing herbal flavour. Liza, Pochi and Tama quickly start cutting out the monster's core, with Nana studying under Liza. Meanwhile, I take Pearl with me, and we take what we can from the Hydra. Satou joined us, saying he could make armour out of the Hydra, and he read about parts of its body that can be used in alchemy.

The body is burned and cut to pieces, but we take what we can. Satou peals its scales off, and Pearl digs out the Hydra's core while I pull off the claws and teeth of the monster. It is bloody work getting all of us dirty and taking nearly an hour to complete, but we take everything of value. While Pearl hands me the core, Satou takes the scales, claws and teeth, promising to make armour and weapons out of them. It is a blood-red crimson core, and Pearl says this is the first time she has seen on. According to Pearl, it is worth a lot of money because of its magical content, condition and size.

"There are survivors…."

Satou suddenly stopped as we started heading back to the others. We all thought no one from the other carriage was left alive after the Hydra crushed them. Strangely, Satou didn't notice them until now. He is usually swift to notice these kinds of things. Still, he was excited to get his hands on material from the Hydra, so I guess he was distracted, and it isn't fair to put all the blame on not noticing those people on him. None of us even checked on the people from the other carriage, so we are all equally at fault.

There are two survivors. We found them just as the rain started to fall. They are both unconscious and look like they might have a few broken bones. Judging from where we found them, I guess they either fell or jumped from the carriage right before the Hydra crushed it. Still, they are in a bad position. They both lay a few meters down a cliff. They were lucky a ledge was there, or they would have died.

Looking closely, they were a boy and girl in their mid-teens. Covered in mud and blood, if Satou wasn't sure they were alive, I would have considered them dead. The boy had a cut on his forehead, and his left leg was bent at an unnatural angle. The girl had blood on her back, and her dress was torn, looking like one of the wolves might have scratched her.

"Master!"

"Kura!"

I jump down without hesitation shocking Pearl and Satou. After safely landing, I saw Satou tied a rope around his waist when I looked back up. I probably should have done something like that, too, but I needed to help these people right away.

I bend down and check their pulses, finding them. I sigh in relief as I carefully flip the two of them onto their backs. I have two lower healing potions, so I use them and watch as their wounds close up and the boy's broken leg mends itself. Potions really are amazing to be able to heal their injuries in a blink of an eye. I could carry both of them, one over each shoulder, and jump back up.

We walk back to the carriage with Satou taking the boy off me. Pearl offered to take the girl, but it was no trouble for me to take her by myself. Mia is the first to spot us and quickly runs over, followed by Liza.

"We found some survivors," Satou tells them. "Liza, can you please prepare somewhere for them to sleep."

The others quickly create a makeshift bed in the wagon for the two we rescued. We place them down, and while I am grateful to be out of the rain, Satou quickly jumps back out. He tells everyone he will be back and we should make camp here for the night as he goes to collect the guards' bodies.

"Master, I've left Lulu and Nana in charge of the cooking. Please, allow me to accompany you,"

Liza jumps out of the carriage and follows after him. I don't really want to see the bodies, so I stay where I am, helping Pochi and Tama study with the picture cards while everyone else cooks. We try to be quiet for the unconscious people's sake, but Pochi and Tama aren't good at being quiet.

After the rain let up, Arisa used her Psychic Magic to wake the boy and girl up. It was a miracle that Pochi and Tama didn't wake them up while we played. Satou handled talking to them. He told them about what happened and the deaths of everyone else who was travelling with them. I'm glad he did it. I would have hated having to break bad news like that to them. After letting them take in the news, we took them over to where Satou had moved the bodies.

"Big bro…"

"Brother!"

Tama and Pochi watch the couple with their ears flattened. Lulu, who was draining the blood from the brown wolves nearby, looked worried as well. Nana watched the boy and girl too. Her expression was blank, but I felt she was worried about them too. The boy recovered first, so Satou started speaking to him.

The coachman had been the girl's brother, and the three of them were doing business together. We managed to recover him from the Hydra's mouth after I spotted his legs well pulling the monster's teeth. They'd hired a group of skilled escorts when they heard the border was infested with wolves. Still, none of them knew monsters like rocket wolves would attack. Satou took the boy over to the wreckage of his carriage to inspect the cargo and see what could be salvaged, leaving me with the girl.

"Brother…"

The girl falls to her knees next to her brother. She holds his hand, and her tears land on his chest. I have never been in this situation before. I don't know what I should say or do.

"It's going to be okay,"

I tell the woman stepping closer. I am unsure if I am helping her, but she jumps up and hugs me.

"I don't know what I will do," She sobs into my shoulder. "My brother was the smart one… he always knew what to buy and when and for what price…."

"You can be just like him. Maybe better," I tell her, rubbing the woman's back. "You can make him proud."

I continue holding her. Letting her cry and comforting her as best I could. I have no idea if I am helping or not, but I stay there for her. By the time the boy and Satou return, she seems to be feeling better.

We bury the dead in the clearing. The boy and girl thanked us repeatedly for helping them do this. Apparently, in a situation like this, it is normal to leave the bodies by the side of the road, even if they are a relative. Most people would give a quick prayer to the fallen before leaving them at the roadside.

It didn't take us long to dig the holes. Satou and I have high strength stats, and we were done in no time with the beastfolk girl's help. We leave the pair to say their goodbyes in peace. Satou starts burying the dead horses while I help tidy up our campsite.

We didn't have much to do apart from putting the wolf bodies in my storage and taking my share of the cores. Lulu and Nana had already done most of the work. The bodies had already been bled dry and harvested for meat. But their pelts, teeth and claws could still be sold to a merchant.

"Have you finished your goodbyes?"

"Yes… My elder brother would surely scold me if I kept crying forever,"

The boy and girl approached Satou not long after the last of our campsite. They still have tears in their eyes as they hold each other's hands.

<0>

After we left the battleground, we reached the nearest town in Kuhanou County, Noukee, in the evening. It was a small town surrounded by a short stone wall about twice the size of the guards waiting by the main gate. The guards wanted to see our identification papers before hearing about the monster attack when we approached them.

This time it wasn't like in Seiryuu City. Sir Thorne just asked me a few questions and wrote down my answers. However, here in Noukee, the guards didn't believe us and almost dismissed our story.

"So a wolf pack led by rocket wolves appeared on the road in our county? They usually stay farther west…." They dismissed the story of the wolves very quickly. They didn't believe the monsters would come into this area, so we suggested the Hydra chased them here. "A hydra, you say? Not just rocket wolves?"

"Its body is still at the side of the road," I tell the guards, and they stare at me. "If you have any doubts, I invite you to inspect the remains."

That seemed to get them moving and believing us. They start running around calling for a patrol to check the area where I told them the Hydra's body is and requesting some official come to speak with us.

"Allow me to summarize. You saw a pack of brown wolves and rocket wolves chasing some merchants. The wolves killed the merchants' escorts in battle. While you were fighting the wolves, a hydra suddenly appeared, killed the coachman, and you killed it. Is that correct?" The office is the assistant secretary. He is a short man with grey hair and winkled shin. A few other officials were in the room with us, but this man was clearly in charge. "Then, I will now question you about the details of your story in chronological order. Regardless of whether it is true or not, I expect you to simply answer yes,"

He starts with me. I was a little nervous when he stared at me.

"Assistant Secretary Hatess inquires: The merchants' escorts were killed during the battle with the wolves, correct?"

"Yes,"

"Assistant Secretary Hatess inquires: A hydra killed the merchant, correct?"

"Yes,"

"Assistant Secretary Hatess inquires: You yourselves caused no harm to the merchants, correct?"

"Yes,"

"Assistant Secretary Hatess inquires: The hydra was killed by you, correct?"

"Yes,"

I nodded my head with each answer. He puts Satou and the boy through the same treatment before he is satisfied.

"These people are telling the truth,"

The patrol had already left, but there was still a lot of activity in the guardhouse. Flustered, one of the officials hurried into another room. He was going to the constable, the person to which the Lord had entrusted the town's governance.

After that, Satou, the boy and I were called to meet the constable. We had to repeat our story about the Hydra and wolves to him. He was surprised I took down a Hydra single handily until I showed him my holy sword and proved I was a hero by using a Yamato's Stone. After that, he was all over me. Satou and I were invited to a feast, but Satou turned down the offer. I would have declined as well, but I had an unwritten obligation to attend these sorts of things as a knight. The boy nearly fainted after learning I was a hero.

"Thank you, brave hero," The constable kneels before me. He really didn't need to. "Many lives have been saved with you slaying that Hydra. Soldiers, farmers, hunters and merch… more merchants could have fallen victim to the Hydra if it wasn't for you."

"H… h… hero…." The boy stutters, staring at me. "Thank you for saving my sister and me… I can't believe I am meeting a real hero…."

"It's fine," I assure the nervous boy. "You don't have to be nervous around me. I am still a normal person."

"But… you're a… hero…."

I guess I will have to get used to people reacting like this. Even if it is embarrassing. After some small talk, the constable said he would cover the cost of our rooms at the inn. At first, he wanted me to stay with him in his castle, but it made more sense to stay in the inn since we planned to leave first thing in the morning.

After that, we moved to the office of the constable's aide to discuss our reward for the defeat of the Hydra and the rocket wolves. The town seemed to have a small budget, and they didn't seem to want to give us cash, so instead, we for some common supplies that the town had plenty of. In the end, we got plenty of hay and some fruit for the horses, and the constable's aide gave us a list of the best places to buy what we needed in town. We even got a letter that should get us a good discount when we go shopping.

After that, the boy went to report the deaths of the peddler and the guards. I thought we had already done that, but apparently, the boy had to make another report to the merchants guild. Satou and I sold our cores, earning a few coins, but they couldn't afford to buy the Hydra core off me with cash. Instead, they gave me a money order that I could redeem when we reached the country's capital.

Once done, we all met back up with the boy and girl and our companions. The boy was still acting nervous and kept glancing at me. The girl is no better nervously fidgeting as she stares at me. Meanwhile, Pochi, Tama and Nana look at them, confused about what has happened, while everyone else seems to have understood.

We took the boy and girl to a company where one of their acquaintances worked. As a reward for saving them, they said we could take whatever we wanted for free. I felt terrible for it but seeing some arrows for Mia, I took some material for sewing so I could make Nana the puppet I promised her. Nana seemed fascinated by Mia's bunny whenever she took it out. After we were done, I left some gold coins for them, which took a well to convince them to accept. It's not much, but it should be enough for a new carriage and horses.

After that, we parted ways with the boy and girl and headed for the inn. It was a small town, so it didn't take long, but this town must have a lot of people passing through. The inn is a sizeable three-floored building and the second biggest structure in this town after the constable's castle. I was hoping to quickly get a room, but we were met with a glare instead.

"Their kind isn't welcome here," A tall fat man wearing a dirty apron sneered at us.

He pointed to Pearl and Liza and gestured for them to leave. Everyone else is outside, and I am glad Pochi and Tama aren't here with us. But instead of leaving, Liza and Pearl follow Satou and me up to the man who looks like he is ready to throw us out himself. That all changed when I showed him my dagger and identification papers, and Satou and I pulled out the letters we had just received. The man's face instantly pales, and he begs for my forgiveness. I show him a second letter as he gives us his best rooms showing that the constable covers our bill.

"I hope you enjoy your stay,"

We still get some glares from the customers, but the inn's owner is an entirely different person. He smiles as he shows us to our room and even says he will provide a private area for when we eat dinner tonight. I'm sure that is just to keep his other customers happy, though.

After taking a quick, I head out with Liza, Pochi, Tama, Pearl and Nana to buy armour. Satou is staying behind to do some maintenance on the carriage. At the same time, Lulu tends to the horses with Mia, and Arisa takes a nap. There is only one store in town for weapons and armour, and the owner wasn't very friendly at first, but like the man at the inn, he changed after I showed him a few things.

Unfortunately, we couldn't buy what we needed for everyone. They had no armour inside for Pochi and Tama, but we could find something for the other three. We found leather armour to fit all three of them, and I also brought Nana a small iron shield when I saw her taking an interest in the item. When we returned, we passed Arisa and Lulu, who were heading out to buy some supplies from the market. I wanted to have rested a bit, but instead, I had to get ready to join the constable for a feast.

<0>

There were more people at the feast than I was expecting. When I entered the hall where the feast was being held, I had expected to find only the constable and his family. Instead, there are multiple big-shot merchants, high-ranking knights and soldiers, and their families. I was surprised by the big deal they were making over me.

The hall is finely decorated. The food looks expensive and well made, and everyone is dressed in their finest. I did wear one of my dresses here, but I still feel underdressed after glancing around the room. I take a deep breath and step forward. My heart is pounding, but I can't let them see how scared I am right now.

"Thank you for the invitation,"

I do what Henry taught me. I first gave my greeting to the host and proceeded with some small talk before moving on. It is annoying that I have to remember to greet people in a particular order. I greet the knights next typically, I would start with the nobles, but there are none here apart from the constable and his family. After the knights, I go to the soldiers and finally the merchants. It was tiring having to do all that, but I got through it.

Everyone was so friendly, even if a few tried to talk me into marrying their sons. The knights and soldiers were interested in trading stories of battle. The merchants wanted to sell me a few items, but most of it was useless to me, but one of them did have a Cure-All Potion that I was happy to buy from him.

But then I met a strange elderly woman. At first thought, she was just someone's grandmother or mother, but I felt a powerful surge of magic when I shook her hand. The woman smiled at me, commenting on the Silent Bell of Bolenan around my wrist. I told her about Mia and how I was on my way to take her back home after she was kidnapped.

The woman was very friendly and casually told me she was a witch. She introduced herself as the Witch of the Forest of Illusions. She told me about her home in the nearby forest and said I should come and visit if I ever needed something. But then her mood changed, and she said something about someone trespassing in her forest. She brings up a screen that floats in the air, and I see it is Satou causing all the trouble.

I follow the witch to the balcony explaining that Satou is my friend and doesn't mean any harm. I tell her he is just curious and exploring the area. She nods her head, saying that she would treat him well as a giant bird land in front of us. We bid our farewells, and I watch as she flies off into the sky. I feel I should have gone with her, but Satou got himself into this situation, and I am sure he can get himself out of it. If not, I would go visit the witch myself and apologize for his actions.

I return to the party and try to enjoy the rest of the evening. The men have all grouped together, and now all the women approach me. They are worse than the men. The older woman is more insistent that I marry into their families. In contrast, the younger ones keep asking me about my love life. I sigh and shake my head. This is going to be a long night.

I returned to the inn at the same time Satou had. I asked him if he caused the witch any trouble, but it seems thanks to me putting in a good word for him, the witch was very welcoming. Satou told me about how the witch showed him her potion-making process and treated him like an honoured guest. Although he did end up accepting a request from her to deliver a message. I tell him about my night of being proposed to and shown rare items for sale. That last part got Satou's attention until I told him the Cure-All Potion was the only thing they had that wasn't junk or overpriced.

<0>

"Hero Kura… please… I entreat."

The following day I woke up to my bed creaking and found Nana leaning over me. Her hair is down, and the sleeping shirt she is wearing is open just enough to expose her chest to my line of sight. Her face is still expressionless, but the way she is breathing and how her face is flushed suggestively could lead to a misunderstanding. I wonder why this isn't happening to Satou. He is a boy in an isekai situation. Should this sort of thing be happening to him? She peered down at me from all fours. I didn't quite catch everything she said.

"Hero Kura, hurry,"

"…Sure,"

I am not sure what I agreed to. I yawned as I sat up, and Nana straightened up, and just like that, she ripped her shirt up and off. Pulled along with the shirt, her round breasts jumped triumphantly into the freedom of the morning air. Wait, what is happening? What did I just agree to do with Nana?

"Lewd,"

Mia speaks up as she gets in between us. My hand that was in the air is suddenly pressed up against Mia's flat chest. Wait, was I seriously about to grope her? I am all of a sudden wide awake and quickly withdraw my hand. I need to be more careful when I am half asleep.

"Master? Please hurry up with the calibration of my foundation instrument. I request,"

"Not lewd?"

Taking the way out, Nana just provided. I quickly assured Mia nothing was happening between us, and Nana just needed help. Mia still looks at me with suspicion, but she accepts my answer. Thank you, Nana, for helping me out of the trouble you dragged me into.

Then we listened to Nana's explanation. As it turned out, the faulty MP recovery Nana had complained of the day before had become a significant issue, so she had asked me to help her adjust it. It seemed like a minor problem, but I never expected things to turn out like this.

"Don't you have the 'Magic Manipulation' skill?"

"Since my foundation instruments are not functioning correctly, I cannot perform the procedure at present, I report,"

"All right. I have 'Magic Manipulation,' too. I'll try it. What do I have to do?"

"Place your hand close to my heart and allow magic to flow through it. I will alert you to any required adjustments as necessary. I declare,"

Nana let her hands all to the sides and pushed her chest out. I know she is only doing this because she has to and doesn't know any better, but Nana still needs to be careful. Her ample chest lands on Mia's head, making the elf girl frown. Mia pushed Nana back, muttering something about too much fat, but I didn't quite catch it.

"Back," Mia tells me.

"Mia's proposal is accepted. There will be no effect on the efficiency of the adjustment if it is performed through the back, I guarantee,"

Nana swiftly turns around as she speaks, brushing her hair to the side and exposing her back to me. I find it better this way too. I put both hands on her back and let my magic flow from my left hand to my right. I faintly sensed my magic stream getting caught on something. Adjusting the strength of the flow slightly, I tried to clean its path.

"Mnn… Ah… Master, a little more gently, please… Aaah…"

Nana really needs to be more careful. It may only be Mia and me in here with her, but these walls are paper-thin. People will overhear if she is like this and get the wrong idea. Pearl isn't here. She is probably helping load the wagon. I hope Satou or his slaves aren't in their room next door and overhear Nana.

"Mrrrr. Lewd,"

I would argue that isn't the case with Mia, but I can't defend myself as Nana makes more suggestive sounds. The whole process lasted ten minutes, and Mia was unhappy the whole time. She kept complaining and sulking, but Nana needed this, so there was nothing I could have done to help her. When we were finished, Nana collapsed facedown onto the bed after we were finished and remained that way for a while. I tuck her into my bed and blush when I see the look of bliss on her face. I feel like I have just done something dirty.

<0>

We left the town after eating breakfast. We set off as soon as we were ready, and I was surprised that the constable came out to see me off. We shook hands and bid farewell to each other. He handed me a letter of introduction to the best in the county's capital and a list of shops he recommends for when we need to restock our supplies.

We left the Kuhanou County town of Noukee and set up camp around late afternoon in a meadow near a little brook. So we don't attract attention, we take our break in the shade of some nearby trees that will make us difficult to spot from the main road. Satou chose to camp here so that we could butcher the beasts we'd collected the day before. We managed to butcher a few of them yesterday, but we still had plenty left.

Mia and Arisa disliked the smell of blood, so I went with them to collect herbs and plants from the nearby stream. Mia had been really clingy all day. She sat on my lap all morning and now is pulling me by the hand. If I were a boy, I would think she was jealous of what Nana and I did this morning. She probably is jealous, but it is the kind of jealousy that comes with losing your older sister to someone else.

With Mia's help, we find everything we are looking for. When I asked her how she did it, Mia just said, "Sprits," So I took it as she meant the spirits she could see told her where to look. Thanks to Mia, we find various nuts, berries, and mushrooms. I patted her head as a reward while Arisa started using her Psychic Magic to get fish to jump into her bucket.

"Ah, Master! We've got a big catch!"

We return to the campsite not long after. Satou took the fish to process while Arisa went to play with Pochi and Tama. As for me, I ended up practising music with Mia. I am getting pretty good at playing the reed pipe, in my own personal opinion. Still nowhere near as good as Mia, but pretty good in my own rights. Nana joins us after she is down, setting up a table and some chairs. The three of us have gotten good at playing together, given the others a pleasant tune to work to. That was until Mia and Arisa started dragging my back towards the stream to look for pretty stones.

I had no idea what I was doing. Mia and Arisa had no problem finding shiny stones they thought were pretty. Me, on the other hand… well, all the stones looked the same to me. I did find a few with interesting shapes, but they were either too big, too dirty or too pointy. I couldn't find a single one that met Arisa's or Mia's standards.

At least this game didn't last long. Satou came over to us after Mia and Arisa created a pile of pretty rocks while I threw countless stones back into the stream. He must have been butchering the fish because a fishy smell hits my nose as soon as he reaches us. He has Mia use her cleaning but using it just once wasn't enough.

"Sorry, Mia, but can you drink an MP recovery potion and try again?"

"Nuh-uh," Mia refused, making an X over her mouth with her fingers. "Bitter."

"It's true. No one wants to drink them except in an emergency. Why don't you wash up normally with hot water? I'll even wash your back for you, Master,"

Arisa says, looking disgusted at first, but then a smile breaks out on her lips. She approaches Satou with her hands out, already holding a washcloth. I can agree with Arisa and Mia about the bitterness from my magical training. Still, I fear for Satou when I see the predatory look in Arisa's eyes.

"Mrrrr. Lewd," Mia tugs my sleeve. "Transfer."

"I… wait, you don't have to do that,"

I stop Mia as she goes to take off her clothes. It was only because I had to touch Nana near her heart that she had to strip. With Mia, her hand should be good enough. It may have made her frown when I told her this, but she still took my hand. I try doing what I had with Nana, and Mia smiles. At least she isn't making the same noises as Nana did. But at least this method worked. It still took ten minutes to complete, but Mia had her magic completely refilled. I earned the Mana Transfer skill from that and quickly maxed it out.

The rest of us had to wash up in the steam. Helping Mia drained a lot of my magic, so I couldn't transfer my magic again. Satou went away to work on something while the rest of us stripped. It is a good thing we are hidden from the main road. We use washcloths to wipe away the dirt and sweat from the day and help each other wash our backs. It reminded me of when I was in college and stayed in the girl's dorm with a shared shower and bathroom. The water was cold… and I had to stop Mia when she wanted me to wash her front. Still, apart from that, it wasn't that bad.

We started to prepare dinner after cleaning up. Mia left my side for the river, and Pochi and Tama joined her in collecting pebbles on the riverbank. Arisa took another nap while Pearl and Nana kept an eye out for danger. Meanwhile, Satou and I joined Liza and Lulu in preparing dinner. We had plenty of wolf meat and even some from the Hydra, but that is too tough to cut, so we won't be using that tonight.

"Liza, I want to try the rocket wolf meat from yesterday. Could you teach me how to cook it?"

"If you like, I would be happy to cook it for you,"

Satou seems more interested in experimenting than helping. Still, we have plenty of meat to spare, so it isn't a problem. Satou sets up beside us as I chop vegetables and make more Klite Berry Juice. I squeeze the last of my berries, but I make sure to save the seeds. I might be able to grow them someday, and since stuff doesn't seem to go bad in my storage, the seeds should be safe there until that day.

"Wh-what in the world is that appetizing smell?!"

Arisa asks as she wakes up. It is a good smell. I wonder… no, that doesn't need to be asked. I know who is responsible for this smell. Pochi and Tama abandoned Mia and came running over to Satou. Poor Mia trails behind them, unable to keep pace with the beast girls. Mia and Nana, despite being on vegetarian and liquid diets, respectively, showed some interest.

"What do you mean? I'm just cooking the rocket-wolf meat from yesterday so I can taste it," Satou tells them as people crowd around. It seems that Pearl and I are not surrounding him, but Pearl looks tempted to get a closer look.

"My, my… is that all you're making? That doesn't look like nearly enough for everyone,"

Arisa drolls, staring at the pan, so Satou explains this is just a test but says there is enough for one other person to try it. At Satou's explanation, nearly everyone around him, apart from Mia, raises their hands.

"I'll do it! I shall become the ultimate sacrifice!"

"Tama too!"

"I wanna be the sacrifice and eat meat, sir!"

"No, this is too dangerous to leave to the children. Allow me to be the subject of the experiment instead,"

"Hero Kuro, please allow me to be the subject of this test, I request,"

"Nana, you're still not supposed to eat solid foods, so you can't do it," I shook my head.

"Hero Kuro! Please reconsider!"

"Nope," I hate being mean, but it is for her own good.

"We'll decide with rock-paper-scissors," Satou suggests, quickly starting an intense game.

"Hooray! I win!"

Lulu hopped up and down triumphantly, her fists in the air. I had never seen such straightforward joy from her before. Everyone stares at Lulu as she realizes what she has just done and with instant embarrassment. She turns bright red and lowers her head as Satou slices the meat in two. He pops one piece in his own mouth, chewing it for a few seconds before swallowing with a smile and offering the second piece to Lulu.

Lulu. Holding her hair back with one hand, Lulu opened her little mouth wide and bit down on the piece of meat. I was surprised she hadn't hesitated when Satou offered to feed her. She usually is too shy to do something like this, or so I thought. Lulu rapidly cycled through several expressions before settling on a blissful smile.

"Ahh… Master, the person who marries you and gets to eat this sort of food every day will be very lucky…." Lulu let out a suggestive sigh and mumbled.

"That's right! Lulu, I'm sure you can get Master to fall for your good looks! How about it, Master? If you marry Lulu, you'll get a bonus Arisa for free! Just imagine having two beautiful sisters to have a th…."

Arisa's sentence was heading down a dangerous road, and I am glad Satou stopped her in her tracks. Even if the forehead flick looked like it hurt. Usually, Lulu would respond to any kind of praise by putting herself down. This time it looks like she is too distracted by the delicious meat to pay attention. Satou starts to wash the dish as Arisa tries to snap her sister out of the trance Satou's cooking put her in.

"Aah!"

"My hopes and dreams are gone, sir…."

Satou only washed the dish, but it drew a scream from Tama and a wail of despair from Pochi. They stare at the clean plate with watery eyes. Did they really want to lick the juices off that badly? Liza must have wanted to lick the plate too. She didn't react to the pot boiling over beside her.

Everyone but Mia ate some of the rocket wolf steaks in the end. Even Nana, although we gave her only a tiny slice to see how she goes eating solid foods. It really was good. I have eaten at high-end restaurants before, and this meal could have been served at any one of them. I would have believed him if Satou said he used magic to make these steaks. I made a vegetable and mushroom stir-fry for Mia while everyone else helped cook the steaks. It may not be as good as Satou's cooking, but I hope she likes it.

"Ahh, to think we'll be able to eat such delicious food every day from now on…."

"Not really. I'm only going to do it when the mood strikes me,"

I'm a little disappointed, but I can't blame Satou for not wanting to cook every single day. But Pochi and Tama seemed to take the news hard. The two girls collapse on the floor, looking completely defeated.

"Aww, really?"

"Stay strong, sir,"

"Master, please reconsider!"

Arisa pleads, and Satou gives in, seeing the looks everyone is giving him. In the end, he agrees to cook a few days a week. Satou is too soft for his own good.