Chapter 62: Exploring the Forest

Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky

I decided to go deeper into the forest today. The expedition team would stick beside the river, so it was better for me to teleport somewhere further, especially since the black-spirit naming spot I frequented was somewhat close there. I had to avoid them after all.

The obscure eastern side looked cut off from the rest of the map because of the forest that covered it. The deities said their power wouldn’t reach that place, and it also seemed that known spirits didn’t reside there.

I hurriedly chased the black spirits while going further into the forest. Weasel and civet monsters popped out, but they scampered away when things didn’t look good, and they weren’t a nuisance so I thought I didn’t have to kill them. Well, they would dive into burrows when I did try slaying them, so that point was quite bothersome, I guess.

Wolf and bear tri-horns also appeared, but they moved similarly to their single horn counterparts, so I was complacent. I was stronger and faster, after all.

Wild boar and wild pig — uh, the ‘wild pigs’ were probably domesticated ones that escaped, probably? They were delicious, so people hunted them all the time, so they didn’t venture towards the shallow parts of the forest. Well, they normally ran away when they encountered stronger monsters.

The wild boar charged towards me. It was a bit reckless, but unexpectedly good at maneuvering and adapting, as well. It’s force was exactly how they said it was. It was taller than me, but it bowed its head all the time, keeping its throat hidden.

Because I was too caught up in staring, I only dodged at the last minute, then poked it in the eye with my sword — was using 『 Zanzenken 』 but still tried to aim for its soft spot for once. I hurriedly stowed the pig into my 【 Storage 】 . Great, hot pot with boar meat later, oh yeah.

The wild pig grew its tusk, probably because it was living in the wild, and it also had some horns. Quite dangerous, yep. Still, the meat was tantalizing, but more than that, I wanted to make a brush for Riche, so I also hunted this one, too.

I ended up going too far from chasing the spirits and also going after the wild pig, so I didn’t make much progress even though I was trying to go deeper into the woods. The forest depths were undisturbed, so I picked all the medicinal herbs I could on the way.

Oh, there was wild asparagus, too, the ones I wanted to taste before. It was completely yellow, with a wheat-ear looking thing on the tip of its slender stalks.

The subjugation expedition hadn’t started yet, so there was no need for me to hurry, so I could take my sweet time.

Well, I wanted to disassemble the wild boar and pig as soon as possible. Not in my house, though, since it’d be troublesome to do that at home, plus it was a stinky job. I should go find a spot to settle down so I could at least drain the blood while still in the woods, and it should be a bit far from the river.

I passed through the gates with ‘I just gathered medicinal herbs~’ written all over my face.
I didn’t want to go to the Adventurer’s Guild, so I only had my crossbody bag with me when I departed, and now it was crammed full with herbs. Actually, since there was high demand for recovery potions from the subjugation team, and folks already sounded me out if I could sell it in bulk so this was perfect.

I lit the fireplace upon returning to my rented house. Usually I would teleport back to my home from here, but this place’s kitchen should also be used from time to time. I properly passed through the gates this time without going on a detour, so it was still early compared to usual.

I boiled some water in the meantime — I should buy more firewood, huh.

I tried blanching some of the wild asparagus, then tasted it. It was crispy, a little bit slimy, and quite sweet, with no odor whatsoever — hmm, yeah, it was delicious, but the texture was a bit…

If it was going to be slimy, then it should be as slimy as butterscotch mushrooms, at least for me. I should just impose on Butler for this.

The kitchen window’s slatted shutters in Ash’s house were open when I went out. Butler was probably making dinner, huh? I knocked on the back door.

「 Oh, hello Jean-sama. 」
「 Goodeve. I picked these while gathering some medicinal herbs. Do you want it? 」
「 Aren’t these wild asparagus? They fetch a good sum if you sell them in the Commerce Guild. It’s popular as a seasonal spring delicacy since the plant can only be harvested for a short period of time. 」

I only lived around here recently, so I wasn’t allowed to sell it to individual customers. I could still deliver it to the Commerce Guild, though it would be cheaper compared to being sold to other shops or to private customers, but that couldn’t be helped.

「 Nah, it’s too troublesome to go there now. Besides, I picked it for myself, but I don’t like the mouthfeel. 」
「 Oh my, even though it’s delicious…Please wait for a moment. 」
I thought he declined when he withdrew, but he returned soon after with some normal asparagus and sausage in a draining basket.

「 Please have these in exchange. 」
「 Thanks. 」

I unconsciously scanned it with 【 Appraisal 】 while on my way back to the rented house. The asparagus seemed different from the ones I picked in the wild during the expedition. They must be cultivated ones, and they were fat and awesome.

I sprinkled some finely chopped parsley and boiled egg on top, then smeared it with scorched butter. I used ingredients available here just in case he asked for my thoughts. He gave me a lot, so the rest was for tomorrow. I’d pair it with mayonnaise and soy sauce.

Main course was curry, so maybe that was enough, huh. I had placed it inside the【 Storage 】so it had been preserved as is, really convenient, right. Well, I wasn’t confident that I could preserve the taste if I reheated it, and the quality would also change once cooled because of the potatoes in it.

Ah, nope, that wouldn’t do. My goal was to cook in this place, after all.

I cut some veggies into suitable sizes, then tossed them with some chicken inside a cooking pot and placed it on the stove. It’d be perfect after an hour or so, I guess. Well, I should keep it a secret that it was so troublesome in the end.

I should probably take a bath while waiting. I also used the bath here, but I was feeling too lazy to boil water, so hot water came from the 【 Storage 】, though.

I’d go bake some thin bread on the stove and cook the asparagus after my bath, and grill the sausages in the fireplace and savor them.