(084) Carol’s shoulder ride

Translator: Tseirp

Arriving at the forest, we searched for prey.

There seemed to be no particularly strong monsters so I decided to train the jobs that I don’t usually train.

【Jobless Lv79‧Apprentice Spearman Lv1‧Magic Journalist Lv1‧Magic Swordsman Lv1‧Artist Lv1】

That was the combination I decided upon. Thanks to that, my status dropped considerably.

Even so, just taking Magic Swordsman into consideration, it is an advanced job that boasts physical attack and defense comparable to a Lv10 Apprentice Swordsman and magic attack and defense comparable to a Lv10 Apprentice Magician.

With that, I would likely not lag behind most opponents.

“At any rate, there are fewer monsters than expected. Marina, there.”

An eagle-sized bird was in the direction I pointed at — Marina aligned her sight and shot it down with a Wind Arrow.

Splendidly only hitting its wing.

Then, to the falling bird,

“「Wind」!”

I attacked with Wind Magic.

The bird’s head fell off.

【Ichinojo Leveled up】

【Apprentice Spearman skill: 「Spear Equip」 acquired】

【Magic Journalist skill: 「Talisman Creation」acquired】

【Magic Swordsman skill: 「Grant Magic」acquired】

【Artist skill: 「Brush Equip」acquired】

【Recipes acquired】

Somehow I acquired various skills.

Although there are few that would be immediately useful.

The recipe was the recipe for a Magic Journalist.

Magic Journalists are able to use the exclusive ink made by Herbalist to create talismans.

The talismans that I can create now are Ignition Talismans. They are talismans that will burn after a certain duration.

I thought that it would be useful for creating time bombs.

“The 3 of you, please let me know when you want to change your jobs. However, judging by this hunting pace, we might not gather our target amount of meat.”

Our target amount of meat was 200kg.

However, a single bird is less than 1kg.

Without a head, there wasn’t any more need to bleed the bird so I stored the bird’s corpse into my item bag.

If it goes on like this, it might be good as long as we gather half of the target amount.

“Er, Ichino-sama, should we break into 2 teams?”

“2 teams?”

“Yes. Fortunately, both Ichino-sama and Marina-san are proficient in ranged attacks while both Ichino-sama and Haru-san have monster searching abilities. Hence, we should split into 2 teams with Haru-san and Marina-san for 1 team and Ichino-sama and me for the other. I won’t really be of use but I think I will be able to harvest fruits and edible plants as a Harvester.”

Certainly, I can’t really expect to level up much here so maybe she’s right.

“That sounds good. That’s right, why don’t we make it a compet.i.tion since we’re at it? Carol and I will be one team, Haru and Marina another team, a compet.i.tion where our 2 teams split up and compete. Let me see, I’ll to listen to anything the winners say.”

Even so, Haru and Carol probably won’t really be interested in that.

Since they are not greedy.

Maybe the one who will try the hardest would be Marina?

When I thought so, Carol’s widened her eyes and Haru’s tail stood up straight.

“Anything huh … I see, anything.”

“Anything from Ichino-sama … Ichino-sama! Please follow me! According to my information, there’s apparently a well-kept secret location in this forest ahead of here.”

“Marina-san, please grab onto me! We’ll move above the trees.”

“Eh? Haru? Wait — stop! High places, I am — kyaaaaaaa!”

Haru abducted her and they disappeared with the wind along with Marina’s cute scream.

… Eh, they are a lot more motivated than expected?

What do they intend to order me to do?

“Ichino-sama, this way! Hurry!”

… Looking at the motivated Carol, I had a feeling that I’ve fallen into circ.u.mstances that I have no choice but to be anxious about regardless of who wins.

I want to beat up my 10 seconds ago self.

※※※

“Ichino-sama, please hurry! Haru-san will take the lead over us.”

“That’s trying too hard. It’s just a game, I did say I’ll listen to whatever the winner says but if Carol has anything you want to say you can say it anytime. I’m saying this about myself but I am quite thick-headed sometimes.”

“I know that Ichino-sama is thick-headed but … erm, since it’s something that can’t be said unless there’s a chance like this.”

“What do you intend to say … oh, hey, Carol! The fruits there are ripe. Aren’t those edible?”

Finding pear-like fruits, I asked Carol.

“Ah, yes. That’s the Powpower fruit. It’s apparently a sweet and delicious fruit.”

Perhaps due to her Plant Appraisal skill or perhaps due to the knowledge she had originally, Carol explained to me.

“Ah, but I just barely can’t reach it … maybe you can ride on my shoulder?”

“Shoulder ride?”

“Yup. We’ll be able to reach them like that and Carol won’t get experience if you don’t collect them yourself in the first place, right?”

” ……… Understood.”

Carol nodded while sulking for some reason.

I sat down and Carol sat behind my head with her legs wrapped around my head.

“Well then, I’ll be standing.”

Holding Carol’s legs and sandwiching them under my armpits, I stood up.

Maybe because she could not get her balance, Carol strongly grabbed my head.

“Carol! Please don’t pull my hair! Ah, don’t pull my ears too.”

“So, sorry.”

Carol somehow succeeded in regaining her balance so I told her to stretch her hands out to pluck and drop the Powpower fruits while I collect them into my item bag. We make quite a combination.

At that moment, maybe I was careless but we lost our balance and she was about to fall down.

She slid down to my back.

In the end, she ended up hugging my back.

Her slightly bulging chest pressed against my back.

“Carol, are you alright?”

” … Um … Ichino-sama, can we stay like this for a while longer?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. But, as expected, was it scary? Sorry to ask you to push yourself.”

” … Ichino-sama, I’ve said it countless times but Carol is 17-years-old.”

“Eh? You were 16 previously.”

“It was my birthday 3 days ago.”

“Sorry, I didn’t wish you happy birthday.”

” … That’s not what I meant. I want you to treat me as an adult.”

… She said as she strongly hugged my body.

“Is that perhaps why you’ve addressed yourself as ‘I’ instead of ‘Carol’?”

“You noticed?”

“Since we’ve been together all along. There’s no way I wouldn’t notice. But, I find the previous way you address yourself to be better.”

” … Eh?”

“Hn, you see, nonetheless, I still want Carol to act like Carol. But, I did consider how you don’t like being treated as a kid. Okay, maybe I’ll buy some delicious juice for you later?”

“And I’m saying that’s exactly treating me like a kid.”

Even if she says that, no matter what, I always end up thinking of Miri when I look at Carol.

“Ichino-sama, you said that it’s fine for me to say whatever I want to say right. I want Ichino-sama’s love.”

“To me, Haru and Carol, and tentatively Marina as well, are more important to me than my own wellbeing — ”

“Carol … me, please kiss me!”