Episode 05: Night Camping

I stopped the carriage, to enter the forest from the paved road, and to prepare for camping at night.
Because a distance of approximately 60 km was covered while they ran for five hours, they deserve a rest.
If the fatigue acc.u.mulates in the horse any more, they will not proceed.
But, the supply base of the Empire is little more than 40 km away. It seems we will arrive tomorrow.

Lucie, while I took the horses into the depths of the forests to feed them gra.s.s, is struggling with the flint to set fire to the dry branches by the collected firewood.

「For elves、fire magic is hard after all」

Attribute magic, Although the internal magical power 《Odo》 with the magic power of nature 《Mana》 is used to activate it, attributes are adhered to the mana itself, there affinities exist.

It is roughly divided into six attributes, four of which are important since they are general use, but there are two that are one of a kind.

Earth・Fire・Wind・Water

For example, there are individual differences but if you see the standards of humans, the maximum appropriate value is 100.

Earth：40　Fire：40　Wind：30　Water:30

Which is what the amounts would be. While using Earth Magic, when the affinity is 40, the internal magical power《Odo》 will not respond to the mana of the Earth no matter how much is available, control after having gathered it will be awfully difficult as well.
The Existence of human beings themselves are not suitable for attribute magic. However, the affinity of the present me as an elf is as follows.

Earth：30　Fire：10　Wind：90 Water:70

To the same extent as being loved by the wind and water, earth is almost as weak as fire and can hardly be used.
When wind is at an affinity level of 90, if 1 of internal magical power 《Odo》 is consumed and the mana is called, 10 of Mana will be gathered. And, because control is also easy, almost all of the collected power can be used as magic.
But, in the case of fire affinity of 10, if 1 of internal magical power 《Odo》 was consumed and mana is called, 0. 05～0. only 1 power would be returned. Moreover, difficultly level of the control will jump over to nearly impossible levels. Even for me, most of the collected power will be lost.
Even for a first cla.s.s magician, with an affinity level of 40, it is said that is the bare limit of the line necessary to even use magic.

「Because fire and earth are convenient、it is painful not being able to use。 Worst of all、in my time as a dwarf with a unique magic、or should the time as a Dragon be called」

Being able to do it is my strong point.
If I were to become a previous self, even compatibility will radically change.
Even so, Lucie is slow. It is free time, so I will go secure dinner.
Still, there is some of the soldier’s preserved food in the carriage, it would be better to save those.

「【Chikaku Kakuchou】」 [TLN: Perception Enhancing]

The internal magical power 《Odo》 is activated、it is merged with the mana of the surrounding wind。
My perception is integrated into the wind mana which spreads to every area that has air. With the brain’s current processing capacity and magical power, at the most a radius of 300 km is the limit, the area the perception can widen.

Indeed it is an affinity level of 90. Far from the wind mana not resisting when being called on, it even seems that it is lending its power.

「There is a deer.」

The enhanced perception caught a wild deer. And even a wild boar.
In addition, near a creek, some edible wild plants, and also mushrooms. Cranberries are looking good growing in the wild.
Above all……

「Is the tree in this forest maple！？」

Nature has smiled on me.
Maple is one of the most useful trees in the forest in that number. The characteristics of the wood, the heartwood is stiff, the skin is dense and resistant to impact. Most of all it is beautiful.
In addition to its use as wood, despite the limitations of winter, it is precious in subarctic climate zones like the district where we are……

「It is no good、a thought has gone to the direction of the day after tomorrow。 Food should be secured first.」

I set my eye on the big deer that was previously marked down by approximately 100 m. The reasons that deer was chosen, the line of fire goes on without obstacles, and second thing is that it seems to not move while absorbed in grazing off the gra.s.s.

I take a knife out from my breast pocket and at the same time apply body reinforcement magic.
Taking a stance for throwing, the spell formula for ballistic calculation is run. Then, the muscles of the entire body are perfectly controlled, throwing in an ideal form with absolutely no power loss.
Diving protection of the wind is applied to the knife.
With this, the influence of the crosswind will avoid the knife and the wind will not hit it from the side, it will not be subject to air resistance, and will reach the target with almost its initial velocity.

The knife is thrown out, as if tracing the simulated trajectory, it pierces the neck of the deer, blood gushes out of the deer from where it was struck in the carotid artery with the force of a fountain.

「Now then、shall I go collect」

I muttered while beginning to walk.
On the way to the deer, wild edible herbs and mushrooms found beforehand are secured, furthermore I filled a bottle with water from the creek. Never forget to remove the impurities with water magic. Sometimes raw water will be poisonous.

「Your life is not wasted.」

The deer has sunk into a sea of its own blood.
I pulled the knife stuck in the neck, and began dismantling on the spot.

Dismantling takes less than ten minutes since I made full use of magic. After I said dismantling without blood, the blade is inserted in the lower abdomen, pulling only the internal organs out.
Though the stomach and intestines are left behind, the liver and heart has high nutritional value, because it was so good I covered it in maple bark and was able to carry it.
The blood adheres to the meat because it flies in the wind, the deer comes off the shoulders which became light, then I turned my back towards the open air fire.

「Syril, you’re late。 Where did you go？」

Lucie who was waiting in front of the fire, puffed her cheeks and complained. Anyone would have worried if I had went missing from the meeting place without saying anything.

「My bad, I went hunting because there was a bit of free time。 This is a Big deer right？」
「……How, a deer was hunted in less than 30 minutes, it was even dismantled and bled.」

Lucie heard it with an slightly amazed nuance.
Deer are very cautious, it will run away if a person comes near, even its physical strength can not be matched by a person.
In the first place it can be difficult to find even with a hunting dog, second are arrows, third are if they run unabashed, movement could be early, and because of that a person cannot run calmly, In the village of elves, if a group of 3 to 4 people with a hunting dog might get lucky with a day of time, It is a game of trying to aim at a basket on a mountain for 2 to 3 days.

「Because I wanted serve delicious things to my beloved Lucie, I worked hard.」
「I don’t think the problem is the feelings……Well, thank you.」

Lucie averted her eyes with a red face.
Until now I, was embarra.s.sed and reluctant to convey the words to Lucie.
However, I wanted to properly convey my feeling after this. Because I do not want to regret not doing so.

「Meat and skin, it was loaded into the carriage today, let’s eat the heart and liver.」
「Is it really fine for such luxuries？　Can we really eat it？」
「It is game that I caught. No need to hold back.」

The liver and heart, Highly nutritious, yet also delicious. In the village of elves besides the hunters who killed the game with the executives like the village mayor, eating it is not permitted.

Therefore, Lucie and I who have only ever heard the adults talking about how delicious it is, has never tasted it until now.

「Well then, shall I cook it at once.」

First, I cleaned the heart of the deer beautifully, then the muscle is removed and cut. Salt is rubbed against it, and arranged on top of the maple bark. In addition the wild edible plants, that were fetched over there, were arranged and then wrapped at once.
After tying it with an improvised string made of maple bark, it is then thrown into the fire where the ashes collect and has become white.
Without burning it if done with this method, the fishy smell will disappear with the aroma of the maple and wild edible herbs, the deliciousness of the wild edible plants could be inhaled.

「Syril was able to cook. I have never once saw you standing in the kitchen until now.」
「To live life in the mountains, you have to practice.」
「I look forward to Syril’s dish for the first time. 」
「Although it may sound like I’m sing my own praises, it is considerably good, so have some expectations. That is right, I will take charge of cooking as an apology for pushing the cooking duty to you for a long time until now.」
「That sort of thing would be bad」
「Because it is good, because it is good,I want Lucie to eat my dish.」

The experiences of living a self-sufficient life by shutting oneself up the mountains, there are a lot of them.
When it is a fantasy world, without having a permanent base, it became naturally acquired because of how often I repeatedly camped out.

「Baking it, because it takes plenty of time, shall we eat the liver in the meantime？　I wanted serve Lucie this so I worked hard.」
「For me？　Because it is delicious？」
「Even though it is, Lucie does not have enough vitamins. It is still in its light stages now, but if left alone, it will be life threatening.」
「Don’t scare me. What are vitamins？」
「It is nourishment that can be obtained from eating fruits and fresh meat. I must take action before it is too late in winter because intake will be particularly difficult.」

The Elf Village has little food, due to food directed to adults in the prime of their life by priority, Lucie does not get a full meal.
The beautiful hair and skin have already been hurt, I cannot permit it.
After the body strengthening spell formula was performed and an examination on contact, showed signs of mild vitamin deficiency.

「Syril sure knows everything.」
「Even I the son of the former mayor, had received some education.」

I deceive with some vague words and return it to the processing of the liver.
There are a few tricks to processing the liver of a deer.
A deer does not have a gallbladder, so the bile is stored in the liver. This bile is bitter with a yellowish green, is bad for the body. It is necessary to remove this.
I cut into the liver to make thin round slices with a knife. There is a cavity like the core of an apple in the center of the liver, I discard the bile that has acc.u.mulated there, it is washed away with the water I put in the water bottle. At the same time the blood letting was also completed.
And, the structure hardly touches the bile, the top half of the liver to Lucie’s serving dish, there is a little bitterness below so I put that part on the plate for me to eat.
As a precaution, I manipulate the atmospheric pressure with wind magic, by making the surroundings of the liver a high atmospheric pressure from a low pressure in an instant, the parasites and microbes are destroyed.
Resistance is strong when brought up in the mountains, although it is strong against viruses and bacteria, I will see h.e.l.l if measures for the parasites are neglected.

「After that, it is complete with the remaining wild herbs as garnish」

I was gathering it. I affixed the Shepard’s purse [nazuna] and lily-horseradish [yuri wasabi] of the raw edible wild plants, and handed them to Lucie. The mountain herbs has vitamins, and it has good complement in terms of taste. [TLN: I may use different ways to translate a word, it gets boring hearing the same word. They are pretty much the same thing anyways.]
I quickly sprinkle it with salt to finish. I wish I had vinegar but it seems to be a luxury.

「Sliced deer liver served with wild edible herbs. Other than the Village mayor, it is a feast only the hunter can eat. Try to eat it」
「un, even though it looks wonderful, it is a bit scary」

Holding the liver and eating it in a state of fear.
Lucie chewed twice, then three times, and then a big smile and her eyes shined while chewing.

「Delicious！　It is sweet and crunchy, it is not at all smelly like at first.」
「I am glad to see you pleased. I shall have some too」

Unlike the one I gave to Lucie, because the lower half was soaked in bile there is an acrid taste, but it is still good enough.
The true nature of the sweetness of the meat is the glycogen, the liver of deer stores four times more glycogen than beef liver. [TLN: I have not had deer liver, plus I only ever ate liver that was fully cooked. Some Food does actually taste better raw or rare. Like beef or fish. I can’t eat cooked fish anymore, it has to be sushi now. Polar bear liver will kill you with a vitamin overdose.]
This factor is said to make deer liver the most delicious in the world. [TLN: Don’t tempt me.]
But, as soon as it becomes its excited state, glycogen is converted into a subst.i.tute for sugar throughout the body for movement. Because the taste of the deer declines unless it is killed instantly and thus I paid prudent attention to hunting to fell it all at once.

It felt heartwarming to see Lucie eat Liver sashimi. Although cooking is also delicious, above all, the body lacking in vitamins will demand it.
A person’s body, it makes the nourishment that is insufficient in oneself the most delicious above all.

It has been nonexistent to be able to do something for her until now, I always make her worry, I have been such an inconvenience, I was make her take care of me.
Thus I would like to return the favor to her even if just a little.

「Look, by now the heart and edible wild plants that were baking should be completed soon.」

Lucie, called out by my voice, has a blushing face.
I would be a little embarra.s.sed to be seen with a figure wolfing down on food.

「For a moment, I forgot myself.」
「Lucie occasionally in that extent would be just right. Only because she is always minding her surroundings.」
「Uuh, Syril how gentle……However, Syril has changed. It feels like that suddenly growing up. Even though I thought of Syril like a younger brother that needed a lot of looking after.」
「That is because I could no longer stay a child. I cannot rely on Lucie forever. I have decided that I will protect Lucie from now on」
「The things mentioned in the carriage, are you serious？」
「Of course, I would not change a thing of what I said. Save the village, defeat the Empire, and after that, live happily with Lucie.」

The purpose of that power now.
Knowledge and experience that come flooding into my head, it is a whisper being made.

「Hey, What if？　What would you do if I say I wanted to run away with two people？」
「If that is the real intention of Lucie, that would be much easier, and I would do so without hesitation. Though I like the village, but Lucie is much more important.」

The true intention is unmistakable. I am trying to save the village incidentally while I protect Lucie.

「I with Syril……uun, Because I want to do my best too, Together let’s protect the village.」
「Sure. Let’s fight with one’s full power.」

Lucie is not a fool, but really sweet.
The danger in the village is understood. But, after understanding it, becoming happy with just two people would not be acceptable. It is a girl who would choose to work in order to be together with everyone.

「But hey, I want you to promise there will be only one.」

Lucie says so as she sticks out her hand.
The movement of this world’s pinkie swear.
I matched the palms together and intertwined the fingers.

「Do not let me regret it, in the case, if Syril overdoes it and dies, I will regret having not run away together for the rest of my life. So that is why, don’t die. You must absolutely survive no matter what.」

I can’t help myself, only I can not die with Lucie’s words that were said.

「That promise is not possible as it is. Only one thing, let me revise it. We have to survive with the both of us together no matter what. Let’s swear it if it is good.」
「Yes, I understand. I will correct it. Let’s live together no matter what happens」
「Under the guiding blessings of the World Tree, I swear.」

Separating the finger tips which were entwined when the speaking has finished at the end, then pressing the thumbs together.
In the elf village, break a promise that was brought up in the name of the World Tree that no longer exists, it would be the ultimate disgrace.

「Hey, Syril, the answer to the noon proposal, can I give it now？」
「No good. Because I want to hear it properly after it is all over.」
「Selfish.」
「I am originally selfish. I want to hold on to the lingering feeling」
「Is that so, then until I say it do not die.」

After that, the deer heart and wild vegetables were roasted, then I ate the cranberries growing in the wild that were on the mountain as dessert. The cranberry is deadly strong in acidity, Only tasting just a little sweet, but it was a valuable vitamin source, so I endured it and swallowed while twisting my face with two people.
When the meal ended, I wiped the body with a cloth wetted with water and went to bed holding hand with the two of us.

Even though by the side of a man, Lucie raises the breathing of a sleeping person in peace.
I guess that is how much I am trusted. I am not able to take away my hand yet. However, sometime probably……I fell asleep while thinking about it.