Chapter 20

Episode 20 〜 Departure

“Let’s go!”

When Raguren says so we take the small path that leads to the foot of the cliff.

I slowly take the first step of my journey. I push the popob.u.mu forward.

When I’m heading toward the foot of the cliff.

“Shuuuya onii-chaaaaaan!! Work hard, neee! I’ll get ‘strong’ tooooooo!!”

Refaa calls out to me. Raguren, in front of me, immediately reacts.

“Huahahahaha.:

He seems to have heard what Refaa said and is laughing loudly.

Raguren pulls the reins on the popob.u.mu and turns around to talk to me.

“Really, that child…she seems to have been influenced by Shuya?”

“Uuuh, sorry…”

“No, it’s fine. Isn’t this what that child has decided? The expression of that child when she heard that Shuya was leaving…it affected the hearts of her parents. So I’d like to grant that child’s wish as much as possible.”

I nod too.

“Isn’t that right…”

One’s precious daughter…

“Shuya will understand too if he has a daughter…”

Saying so Raguren turns back around and takes hold of the reins.

“A daughter…is impossible.”

My favorite person in the world, maybe a person I can love?

No, before that is the vampire system…

At which point, Raguren turns around and grins at me.

“Haha, how about it? How about my daughter in several years?”

“Eeh?”

“Hahaha, It’s a joke, just a joke. I won’t let you touch my daughter. I won’t recognize such a mysterious man!”

“Haha…”

What he said at the end there was kinda scary, it looks like Refaa will have some trouble in the future…

“The slope gets steeper from here. It’s better to do it in one go.”

Saying so Raguren grasps the reins and maintains the speed of the popob.u.mu.

When the bottom is visible it suddenly becomes a steep downhill slope.

“Let’s go.”

I take hold of the reins and follow Raguren- the steep slope runs parallel to the rocky cliff face, it spins around the cliff going down.

It takes maybe an hour to reach the bottom?

Uo, narrow!

Coming into view is a mountainous area with an especially narrow and steep ridgeline.

This time it is uphill.

I grasp the popob.u.mu’s reins and Raguren and I carefully make our way through the ridgeline.

There’s no option other than slowly guiding the popob.u.mu one step at a time along the knife thin ridge line, making me break out in a cold sweat.

If it was just a person walking here then there wouldn’t be any trouble, but there’s no helping it.

Including all the bags the routes the popob.u.mu can take are limited.

We are descending again.

After traveling perilous mountain paths with steep slopes going up and down we come to a scree slope with dangerous footing. (TL: A scree slope is a hill of loose fallen rocks at the base of a mountain or cliff. It’s a really dangerous area.)

The path declines for a while and spreads out.

It looks difficult for the popob.u.mu to walk across and it is cautiously walking across the rocks.

Once we get past the loose footing it becomes a mountain paths with alpine plants growing everywhere.

They resemble flowers from earth-

There are white flowers that resemble meadowsweet, some pink flowers that look like what were called dianthus, although they’ll both have different names here.

After I pa.s.s through the area with all the blooming flowers the path turns into a steep downhill slope and it turns into a thickly forested area.

“There’s a waterfall in this area of the forest. I don’t think any monsters will show up but if they do would you like to hunt them?”

“Alright, is Raguren always hunting in this area?”

“That’s right. Heading down this path goes to the bottom of the waterfall and sometimes I pa.s.s through elf territory.”

“Further down?”

A waterfall. Imagining it from what he says…it must be a pretty tall waterfall.

“Even if I say below, it’s only a sudden cliff. Later, the path also meanders, well it will be easy if we cross the waterfall after this.”

“Got it.”

“Ni, Nya.”

For some reason Rollo also cries out in response to Raguren.

Surprised by Rollo’s behavior Raguren turns around with arched eyebrows to face Rollo.

“This, Divine Beast-sama. Are you feeling alright?”

“Nya!”

When Rollo says so she flares the nostrils of her small nose and shakes her tail back and forth.

She seems to be thinking 『Fun』 and 『Want to Play』

Seeing her triumphant face, I laugh a little.

“Oh, that’s good.”

Raguren nods and smiles to Rollo.

While having such an exchange we continue down the shallow slope on the popob.u.mu with heavy steps.

When the descent ends we have entered a forested area.

Here trees are covering and obscuring the mountains.

But because Raguren is cutting through the branches and small trees with a hatchet-like weapon we’re easily able to advance.

And then, the sound of a rambling river reaches my ears.

Raguren turns his popob.u.mu in the direction of the sound.

It seems we’re going in the direction of the river.

I follow him. The sound increases as the sound of the rambling river becomes stronger.

Oh, I can see it. The river is filled with rocks creating a powerful torrent.

Raguren quickly gets down from his popob.u.mu and walks to the rocky place.

When he reaches the edge he stoops down and thrusts both of his thick arms into the rapid current. Cupping the water in his hands he lifts the water up and pours the cold looking water over his face.

He scoops up the water several times and washes his face before drinking the water with great relish.

The moment looks like a face-was.h.i.+ng commercial.

Roughly plunging his water flask into the river, the flask is dipped in torrent and scooped up.

“-I’m pretty sure that this is mountain water. I recommend filling up your water flasks here.”

“Un. I’ll do that.”

Since I can create water I am fine.

However, it seems like a spring from fresh mountain water so I’ll take some.

Imitating Raguren, I dip my water flask into the torrent. Because the current is so strong the water flask almost gets washed downriver, but I endure it and fill up the flask.

I lift it out after confirming it is full.

“I’ve already refilled my water, I’ll go first.”

“Okay.”

I went south from the riverside.

“There’s a cliff and a big waterfall ahead. And the mountain path continues in a steep slope.”

“Got it.”

As Raguren said the rivers drops over a cliff and becomes a waterfall.

A long bridge is visible extending out diagonally over the side of the cliff.

We’ll walk across that?

The bridge has been set up between rocks so that is four logs tightened together.

Even though I can see that the bridge is st.u.r.dy I feel nervous inside because I’m looking down from the cliff at the top of the waterfall.

I’ll leave it to the popob.u.mu. One step at a time, I advance across the logs.

The rapids turn into a waterfall and the water washes away at a terrifying speed.

-The *zaaaaaa* of the rus.h.i.+ng water is intense.

An enormous amount of water flies off into the sky as mist.

Scary. The popob.u.mu doesn’t care about my feelings and slowly advances across the log. The black cat is also on alert, unmoving.

*s.h.i.+s.h.i.+* stepping along the logs, creaking sounds shave away at my spirit.

Unintentionally I look down, I can see below.

-Uhiya.

A sound leaked out.

Raguren looks at me with harsh eyes.

I guess it can’t be helped…

When I get on the popob.u.mu I’m honestly scared.

Looking down at the bottom of the waterfall, I can see a forest again after several hundred meters.

-It is hight, scary…

Water is flowing powerfully underneath the log.

Water being thrown up by the rocks is flying up in a spray making the area humid, moss is growing across the rocks and logs.

Because of the moss and moist air, I am worried the log I am walking across is slippery.

The popob.u.mu’s feet are thick.

Because they’re thick I’m worried about its weight.

While holding onto his reins Raguren looks back several times, and perhaps understanding the look on my face, talks to me with a relaxed smile.

“…Be a.s.sured, the log is considerably strong.”

“Un. Still, because of this guy’s weight…”

Seeing me talking in a different tone than usual, Raguren smiles wider and talks to me. (TL: GG Raguren.)

“Haha, are you actually weak to high places?” (TL: Oh, nevermind.)

“There’s no special meaning behind it.”

Yeah, well, I am bluffing.

“Hora, you’re almost to the end of the log now.”

Oooh, I’m close.

“Good.”

Crossing over the bridge of logs safely, the steep embankments spreads out further.

The slope begins to meander.

Taking a tight hold of the reins the popob.u.mu carefully steps forward.

The mountain path. Such an easy victory.

Speaking frankly, the waterfall from earlier was scary.

Before long, the winding mountain path changes into a gentle slope.

The slope gradually turns into a level mountain path.

Oh, finally.

The popob.u.mu takes one last heavy step down the slope and steps onto the level ground.

Here is the bottom. (TL: Says here is bottommost, but that sounds lame.)

I turn my face up and look up at the path and the waterfall which falls all the way down from the top.

From the rapids at the top to the waterfall coming to the bottom I can see the water breaking off into a white mist and being blown away by the wind.

The sheet of spray looks like wings.

The updraft pulls the water off of the waterfall into a spray before it is caught again in a downdraft and descends.

Ma, the wind feels good. Is it anions? (TL:Something sciencey.)

N〜 I breath in. N〜fuu〜 Dis feels nice.

While I breath in the fresh air and then exhale for some reason the voice in my head has a Kyushu dialect.

Raguren is waiting for me quietly.

I enjoy the beautiful view and take advantage of the scenery.

The damp rock of the cliff face nearby, the trunks of trees and shrubs are growing across the whole cliff face.

A few streams of water are visible going across the rock face and trees, the water trickling down and creating a marsh.

The wet wind blowing from the waterfall becomes the nourishment for the surrounding plants.

Nevertheless, these big tree and shrubs…

I touch a tree trunk to the side with my hand.

It is a thick brown trunk. The large trunk of this tree is growing supported by the cliff.

It is to the extent that it makes the tree s.h.i.+sho and I camped at before seem small.

Then, when I look across the cliff…

A small river forms its own branch and flows into the forest.

It feels like a gate into nature.

From here on is the real forest.

In the forest I can feel some presences.

I caught them with presence detection, there’s a deer on the other side of the river.

It is a flock of does following a buck.

Raguren must have noticed too since he turns his eyes to the deer.

“There are deer there. But, we’ll leave them for today.”

It is a face that seems to want to hunt. I ask such a Raguren a question.

“Do a lot of different animals appear here?”

“Ah, this area is full of game. There are also a lot of monster hunting?”

“Oh- it left when I talked.”

Raguren’s eyes are able to discern the location of the monster.

Several monkeys appear in the trees. The look like big baboons. They have conspicuous yellowish green hair growing down from their head.

Two big fangs are growing from the corners of their mouths.

There’s a lot of them…

*Ki, ki, gi, ga, they are crying out in excited monkey-like voices.

It’s a mountain ape. I can see several of them, and there should be more hiding in the trees…Looking at the circ.u.mstances we’ll be immediately attacked.”

After saying so, Raguren changes his weapon.

Putting away his machete he takes the big axe from his back.

“Are there any countermeasures?”

“Only aim for the ones that come and attack, it’s a brutal monster but since Shuya is here there shouldn’t be a problem. And then, as long as you pay attention to any projectiles they throw and the fangs in their mouths we should be able to win. After all it’s just a monkey type.”

“Understood.”

I take out the black spear from the back of the popob.u.mu’s saddles and remove the cloth covering the tip. And then I hold the black spear out to the side in my right hand like a jousting knight.

Raguren kicks his popob.u.mu with his foot to spur it on and runs ahead first.

Perhaps instigated by the movement dozens of mountain apes come out and gather around Raguren.

The mountain apes are one or two meters. Raguren swings his big axe around and easily buries it in an approaching monkey.

Where I am a monkey with a terrible look on its face attacks while exposing its fangs.

Rollo jumps out too.

I rush out while she counter attacks with a feeler bone sword to the monkey’s body.

As the bone sword instantly approaches the body of the monkey her body quickly s.h.i.+fts from the size of a cat into her black panther form.

She grabs hold of the monkey’s body with her claws.

Growling, Rollo utters a crying with the instinct of a beast.

She bites into the flesh of the monkey’s scruff while exposing her fangs. Her black fur covered in blood, she steps over the corpse of the monkey she killed- then jumps and attacks a different one.

Amazing…

She’s not completely a cat…she really is a divine beast.

“To!”

A monkey attacks me who is watching care freely.

The mouth of the monkey enlarges in preparation to bite me.

I naturally respond with my spear like a lance and stab out with the black spear reflexively.

The blade of my black spear pierces through the head of the monkey as easily as tofu.

In the moment I was distracted by Rollo’s fight I was still able to handle the black spear easily and cope with being on the back of the popob.u.mu.

There’s a different monkey to my left and it jumps to bite me.

-Reacting immediately I pull out the wet black spear and wield the spear being aware of the tight s.p.a.ce. I knock the monkey to its knees by hitting the right side of its head with the b.u.t.t end.

Consecutively, I attack one attacking monkey, two monkeys, killing them smoothly.

With a foot I lightly clap the popob.u.mu’s side with that timing, raising the speed up a notch.

Releasing the popob.u.mu’s reins I free my left hand.

While tightening both of my thighs to hold onto the saddle, I turn my freed left hand out diagonally and extend chain. The chain goes out in a straight line- when it penetrates through the body of a monkey throwing itself from a tree it travels through its back, when the chain finally pierces the trunk of the tree it stops.

In one go, two are killed.

In an instant I dismiss the extended chain.

Still, there are a lot of monkeys.

The monkey come at me one after another.

Holding the black spear in my right hand I stab, swing, and beat at the monkeys, then using to attack a monkey.

Then I activate - the distorted magic formed from mana pulls out the kukri sword, and I direct it behind me.

The kukri word intercepts the monkeys approaching me from behind.

In my first battle on top of popob.u.mu my attacks all land and I am able to attack one after another.

The Magic Beast Riding skill.

I tried copying the jousting knights from the middle ages but the nature of the black spear is different, so I end up using the spear techniques I learned during my training.

Ma, it is natural. There are also no fittings for a lance to rest on for the spearmans.h.i.+p.

And thanks to the from the permanent skill I am able to move it at will.

Even while riding the popob.u.mu I am able to accurately hit my targets

I discover that this mastered is important tactically. Not only will it be good for attack in the future, I will be able to use it for defense, feints, and surprise attacks. I think it has become more flexible, and everything regarding this may now be possible.

The possibilities are endless. Spiral power.

Do you want big sungla.s.ses? (TL: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann reference.)

While thinking about such an anime, with a grin I continue try to use my chain freely.

I swing my black spear freely and continue attacking the monkeys that approach the popob.u.mu one after another.

Raguren’s attacks must have succeeded as well since the number of mountain apes has decreased.

I do not if it is because the number if its companions has decreased, but a monkey that seems to be the chief of the mountain apes raises a strange cry different from the ones so far.

Is it a signal to retreat?

The group of monkeys separates from us in response to the sound.

I confirm the actions of the monkeys with Raguren.

Nodding to one another we ease up on our popob.u.mus and come to a stop.

Checking around us I can hear a “Nn, Nyaa, Nyaa,” and covered in her prey’s blood, the black cat Rollo comes running to catch up with her whole body dyed in blood.

Seeing her figure Raguren’s eyebrows draw together in an expression of surprise. Like that he begins talking anxiously.

“-Divine Beast-sama, are you alright?”

“Nya-”

The divine beast, also known as the black cat Rollodinu answers lightly 『I’m fine, nya』 and like a dog- shakes her whole body flinging her prey’s blood in all directions.

“…Earlier, weren’t Rollodinu’s movement really amazing? It was just like a beast in pursuit of its game.”

“Ho…As expect of Divine Beast-sama.”

“Eh, she’s certainly a divine beast- she’s returned to her cat form now…”

Raguren also stares at the black cat in wonder.

“The mystery of Divine Beast-sama.”

“Yeah.”

After Raguren nods to my short reply he opens his mouth while looking around.

“-However, it’s a shame to leave behind these mountain ape corpses. Shuya, will you help me collect the hides? I want to collect enough for one popob.u.mu.”

“Of course I’ll help, and while we’re at it we can pour the blood into this.”

I hold the water flask in my hand and shake it.

“Ooh, I see, that’s how it is. Then right away.”

Raguren gets down from his popob.u.mu and taking out a knife begins to quickly remove the Mountain Ape hides.

I help with the skinning with a knife as well.

Working to strip this game, I think that my hands have become considerably experienced in this.

Judging by someone else’s standpoint they will see a look full of confidence.

I think I have become good even if I say so myself.

I don’t say “craftsman cla.s.s” to Raguren.

After finis.h.i.+ng, I pour the blood of the monkeys into a water skin.

These three water skins are all fool with blood and with water.

Blood is okay from a corpse, but the flavor declines.

After all, life blood in much tastier.

But, this time I’ll endure.

It’s like the difference between a sour grape and a bittersweet grape…

Once we’ve mostly finished dismantling the monkeys the saddle back of Raguren’s popob.u.mu has become bulky with baggage.

“Thanks for helping e collect everything. When it comes to talking it may be helpful in the end.”

“Good. I am grateful for you guiding me.”

“Haha, so you say? Yosh, the elven territory is ahead. Let’s hurry.”

Holding the reins, Raguren takes the lead with a laugh.

From there I watch the forms of monsters in a circle around us.

On the other hand, the scenery is fantastic. The suns.h.i.+ne filtering though the foliage exposing animals in the whimsical forest. While I am fascinated by the scenery, the popob.u.mu’s footsteps becomes slower because of the dense undergrowth acting like a natural fortress.

There are a lot of tall thick trees here.

I can see natural boulders and animals.

However, the path through the forest hasn’t been maintain so advancing like this is difficult. The uneven terrain is difficult to traverse. Walking like this, it would have been more serious…it is thanks to s.h.i.+sho.

Like this and that several hours pa.s.s and- dusk arrives.

Have we arrived at the elf domain? Raguren stops moving before a huge tree.

“The domain of the elves is from here for two and a half days. It is already dusk, so let’s camp-out here once.”

Ma, there are two days?

“Got it.”

Raguren continues talking while he gets down from his popob.u.mu.

“At night the elves will scout, they may notice our fire too.”

They must have good eyesight to see at night.

“Do the Elves have effective night vision?”

“Not all Elves have functioning night vision, but every Elf I have encountered seems to have had night vision…”

“Hee…”

While Raguren tells me about Elves he winds the reins of the popob.u.mu around a tree.

“Well then, I’ll look for firewood to make a bonfire and big game for dinner in the area. Since I tied this popob.u.mu to this tree wait here for now.”

“Understood. Do you not need help?”

“I’m fine. Just look after the popob.u.mus.”

“Got it.”

After Raguren says so, he disappears into the brush and ferns with his big axe over his shoulder.

After about an hour has pa.s.sed…

Raguren hasn’t returned yet.

The area has steadily become darker.

Then, I hear swoosh coming from part of the forest. The black cat and I stare in the direction of the sound.

“-Sorry, I kept you waiting. I finished collecting firewood right away…I just, took too much game.”

It was Raguren.

On his waist, young rabbits, something like a racc.o.o.n and a beaver? A young fox? Well there are several of them.

Amazing. Raguren exceeds the level of hunter…

That is way too much game in this short time.

“Still, that’s a lot.”

“Aah, because I only have my axe and hatchet I can only aim for far off game using this.”

Raguren shows throwing a stone with a lightweight stone throwing sling.

A small leather cloth and a stone? The stone is wrapped in the leather before buzzing as it is swung and then thrown.

-With a *shu* the stone is sent flying and smashed into a tree with a dull boom.

The stone sank into the tree.

“Ooh.”

The power of the stone is great and Raguren is also really strong. One shot should usually take ten or twenty seconds. More than that, his aim accurate too.

“Its power is also pretty good. I can kill game sensitive to sound and a distance with this.”

“Amazing.”

“Haha, I’m used to hunting. Yosh, let’s prepare the meal soon. Put the firewood here, I’ll light the fire later. Besides, there are other things to do.”

From the saddle of his popob.u.mu Raguren pulls out a bag with small whitish pieces of wood and another one with black powder, finally he removes two thin bone pipes.

A bone pipe? What is it used for?

While paying attention to the pipe I watch what Raguren does.

Raguren sprinkles the small whitish wood pieces around the camp.

s.h.i.+sho did this too.

The saw dust repels insects.

After Raguren sprinkles the white powder he returns to the firewood.

There’s no flint there, but the black powder from before is packed into the thin cylinder, and then the smaller pipe is inserted into the larger one and is pushed down in one go.

-The small tube is immediately removed.

Hee…

The tip of the tube has become red and burnt.

It is touched to the dry gra.s.s and ticks the was put with the fire wood before and blown on vigorously.

The fire burns and starts to spread to the firewood, becoming a strong fire in no time.

Was the black powder in the bone pipe charcoal?

Did you use the friction of the air pressure… (TL: Here’s a link to a video explaining how this works and demonstrating of how to make one. The link starts at the demonstration of the finished product, but I recommend watching the rest.)

“Even without life magic can’t it be done with one blow?”

Raguren begins speaking while moving a hand.

I skin the rabbit give him the meat.

With the meat stuck onto a knife, will it be some kind of herb this time? It is taken out. Winding it around the meat something dry is put inside the rabbit meat, and then it is all arranged on the fire.

“Speaking of magic, Achilles-s.h.i.+sho said that not only life magic, but language magic and crest magic are also widely used.”

“That’s right, I have seen an Elf use them. After saying some words…the aria, a fireball and wind was created afterwards. There also seem to be

magic material type weapons that make magic usable without an aria by using a stick a jewel or a ring.”

After all this is the fantasy route. I want to see magic.

“Indeed, magic…I want to see it.”

Which reminds me, I have never seen Raguren or s.h.i.+sho use really magicy magic very much.

The only place where I have seen is when Rabbi-san uses fire for cooking, I have only ever seen life magic a handful of times.

“From now on, you will see a lot even if you don’t want to…did I burn it?”

While saying so Raguren takes the stick our food is on and rotates it expose the meat to the fire.

While turning the meat, Raguren takes out a small earthen ware pot and sprinkles it over the meat.

Then a fragrant smell drifts.

“This roasted rabbit meat is delicious〜, this big bivira is good too.”

The thick meat definitely is appetizing and the tension rises.

“The bivira meat is thick, meat, meat〜”

“Since the rabbit meat is finished already take some.”

The rabbit meat has been roasted well and the meat juices are dripping from the handle of the knife.

“Un, I’ll take some. What was that powder you just sprinkled?”

While looking at the meat I try asking about it.

“This? This is seryu powder. When cooking meat I sometimes use it for spice. I don’t have any ‘croke fruit,’ but I do have this which is similar. According to the Elves, the croke stuff is actually a ‘gold coin cla.s.s’ good. Ma, something like that, quickly eat the rabbit meat.”

Achilles-s.h.i.+sho was also using seyru powder, is the Goldiba family unexpectedly gourmet?

Ma, it is natural. Always hunting for sustenance, they have mastered the recipes they specialize in.

As recommended, I stretch out a hand to the rabbit meat knife place on the fire.

Pulling away the spice gra.s.s it was bake with I bring the meat dripping with juices to my mouth.

Ooh, phuphuphu, it’s hot, but it is tasty.

The seyru powder is a little savory.

But, the taste of fruit has become strong.

“Yummy…it tastes really good, but why does it taste like oranges?”

“Haha, its name isn’t orange? It’s called ‘peri.’ Ma, it’s made of the dried skin of a fruit called saika. Because this also takes away the bad smell of the meat it’s useful. So, hora, eat eat, and the bivira takes even better.”

This fruit named saika tastes similar to oranges.

“Nya〜 Nyanya!”

Rollo purrs out.

Give me! That is what the sound almost says.

“Because there is also some for Divine Beast-sama please be relieved.”

As Raguren says so he carefully places some rabbit meat and bivira meat on a leaf and places it in front of the black cat.

“Nya.”

Calling out happily she eats it.

He faces looks happy too.

Happily munching away. Ah, she has more meat than me…

“Hahaha, Divine Beast-same eats well.”

Getting into the swing Raguren continues taking meat and placing it one after another on the leaf…

“Raguren, it’s no good if you give her too much.”

Ah, I said it unintentionally.

“Really I still have bivira meat.”

“Nya.”

When Rollo calls out she extends a feel to Raguren’s cheeks.

“Ooh, I’m sensing Rollodinu-sama’s feelings…”

“What?”

“Satisfied…I did it. To think it was like it…”

Seemingly satisfied Rollodinu brings her forepaw to her head and begins to scratch, *peropero* licking her foot with her tong.

“Then, I’ll have this bivira meat.”

While I wait I steadily pack the remaining bivira meat into my stomach.

It might be childish, but this roasted me is thick and really tasty.

I bite in and chew. Yummy. The seryu powder compliments the meat.

There’s still some meat left, but I am satisfied.

While Raguren smiles and laughs he scratches at his growing mustache.

Seemingly satisfied Rollo has finished *perroperroing* his forepaw clean and is turning her stomach to face the fire.

Narrowing her crimson eyes as she stares at the fire, she looks sleepy.

It feels like the awareness in her eyes in no longer properly there.

Raguren gathers up the remaining meet and collects what remains from the meat of Rollo’s leaf before taking out a bag and heading over to the popob.u.mu’s to give them their feed.

He even feeds my popob.u.mu.

He seems to have put away the meet wrapped in the leafy herb back inside the saddle bag.

And, with a rustling sound he searches for something to take out. He pulled out a blanket.

I head over to my popob.u.mu and go through the bag connected to the back of my saddle to take out my own blanket.

Variously blankets are stored there.

Common traveling necessities…

Honestly, I have though it many times… I am really grateful Achilles-s.h.i.+sho’s family.

Taking out a blanket, I close my eyes with a sense of grat.i.tude.

“Then, we’ll eat the leftover meat tomorrow, should we lay down now? Sleep in preparation for tomorrow.”

“Understood. However, is it okay to lie down unconcerned?”

“It’s fine. I’m used to it. If something approaches I naturally wake up.”

As expected of a heaven-sent child of hunting.

Destroyer-like, it is a hunter.

“That’s right. Got it.”

“Ah.”

The conversation ends with that.

I cover my feet with a blanket while leaving on a tree.

I wrap a blanket behind around head and leave my body inside the quiet night forest.

The quiet sounds of nature are blocked out.

The wind gusting through the trees. Nocturnal animals.

The calmness of night is like one sound you feel.

The sound coming from the fire burning in the bonfire lingers in my ears.

Rollo laying by the fire raised her body and stares at me appealing for something.

Looking at the eye of such a Rollo, I lift the bottom of the blanket and Rollo scampers in.

Rollo, where you aiming for this gap?

Rollo seems to have found the gap under the blanket between my legs.

Rollo buries her body into the gap and seems to be going to sleep.

I remember cats in pots from my past life.

It is universal that cats like sitting in narrow places.

Seeing Rollo fitting into the gab I narrow my eyes as I smile.

Haha, did you fit in after all.

Yo〜sh. While rubbing the head and enjoying the feeling the ears of such a Rollo I close my eyes too.

Seeming to enjoy having her ears ear rubs lightly Rollo make a purring sound in her chest, and pushes pads of her paws into the inside of my thighs like a gift in return.

The feeling of her paw pads is really nice.

Rollo the black cat repeatedly *ma.s.sages* while putting her claws in and out grasping gently.

Is she remembering suckling her mother’s milk?

But, there can’t be a memory like that since she’s a divine beast…

Ma, maybe it is an animal trait.

And like that, I who normally can’t sleep very much stay like that with Rollo, and gradually fall asleep.