Chapter 16 - The Results of the Hunt
The place I ended up heading to with Lauren-san and Kyle was a mountain located a short walk north of the flower field.
We proceeded through the forest thick with vegetation in the order of Lauren-san, Kyle, and then me.
"Edible nuts and such grow around here, so the villagers often come to pick them. Because of that, it's relatively easy to walk around this area."
The one teaching me mountain lore along the way was Kyle.
Kyle's tone was detached, but his explanations were relatively well-organized and very easy to understand. I think Lauren-san's usual guidance must be good.
"What kind of edible nuts are around here?"
"Try naming five or more."
When I asked because I wanted to know which nuts were edible, Lauren-san spoke over me.
I guess it's a question for his apprentice.
"Pico Fruit, Ere, Aria, Melie, Kuku, and Zuri."
"Correct."
Hearing Kyle answer without hesitation, Lauren-san nodded magnanimously.
"The nuts he just mentioned can only be harvested near this village, but do you know them, Aldo?"
"No, I've only ever eaten Kuku Fruit."
"Well then, shall we try picking some to eat?"
"Please."
And so, we veered slightly off the path and walked into the forest.
Before long, we found a plant bearing round red berries.
When Lauren-san found it, he picked a few and handed them to me.
"This is Pico Fruit. Its characteristics are being red and round, and the taste is close to an apple. You can eat it raw, so give it a try."
Prompted by Lauren-san, I tried eating the Pico Fruit.
When I bit into it, the round berry squished softly, and a flavor with a gentle sweetness seeped out.
"...It certainly does taste close to an apple."
It's a completely different flavor from Kuku Fruit.
"Well, it's popular as a snack for children. Since it grows from the ground, even kids can pick it easily, and there aren't any similar poisonous berries, so you can eat it without worry. I used to eat them a lot when I was a kid too."
Lauren-san tossed the Pico Fruit into his mouth while laughing heartily.
Ah, I used to eat any edible nut I could find when I was a kid too. Back then, I felt like I challenged myself to eat anything that looked remotely edible.
It wasn't just once or twice that I ended up with an upset stomach or nightmares.
Thinking back now, I'm almost impressed that I didn't hit upon a poisonous berry.
I must have been lucky to survive this long.
"There's Ere over here."
While I was feeling sentimental eating the Pico Fruit, I saw Kyle beckoning from a tree ahead.
When Lauren-san and I approached, the tree Kyle was climbing had several blue fruits growing on it.
This time, unlike the Pico Fruit, they were about the size of Kyle's fist.
Kyle reached out his arm, plucked a fruit, and landed on the ground with a thud.
"This is Ere. The outer skin is hard, so it's delicious if you cut it with a knife and only eat the center part. Be careful, because it gets increasingly bitter as you get closer to the skin."
I see, it's the type where you scoop out the middle with a spoon. Those kinds of fruits are common, so it's easy to understand.
As I looked at the Ere with admiration, Lauren-san, who was next to me, started laughing.
"Hahaha, Kyle is still such a child. Isn't the bitterness on the outside the best part of Ere?"
"No, the adults who can eat that kind of thing are the ones who are strange."
I also disliked bitter foods when I was a child, but I became fine with them around the time I passed sixteen, the age of adulthood. Most other guys were like that too, so I think the sense of taste changes a bit when you become an adult.
In that manner, we continued walking through the forest while being taught about edible nuts, fruits, wild vegetables, and things that could be used as medicine.
"Deer tracks. Looks like it just passed by."
Lauren-san crouched down on the soil where the deer tracks remained.
The tracks carved into the dirt were fresh, just as Lauren-san said, indicating that the deer was not that far away.
"Shall the three of us search around here?"
"Yeah. If things go well, a large amount of meat might be lined up on the dinner table today."
Lauren-san showed his healthy white teeth and laughed at Kyle's words.
Hearing the words that meat might be lined up on the table, I felt my own cheeks loosen naturally.
I might be able to fulfill Flora's expectations and my thanks to Aisha right away.
"I'm sure you know this, but be careful of monsters. They rarely come out, but to the north, there are ferocious ones like Red Bears and Gilfangs. Don't get too absorbed in your prey; keep your field of vision wide."
Red Bears and Gilfangs. Both were extremely ferocious monsters.
The Red Bear was a bear-type monster covered in rough red fur that would attack anyone who entered its territory without hesitation.
The Gilfang was a monster with a body far exceeding that of a normal boar and long tusks that seemed to pierce the heavens.
They weren't that bellicose, but if you were caught in a charge that could mow down trees, you wouldn't get away unscathed.
I had to constantly keep in mind the danger of such monsters appearing. If I were to chase prey so intently that I realized I was right in front of a monster, no amount of lives would be enough.
Even for me, a professional in combat against monsters, I still had a fragile human body.
Since it was possible to die in one hit if I took a monster's attack, I could never let my guard down at any time while in the mountains or forests.
With serious expressions, we began to probe the surroundings for any presence.
Stopping useless thoughts and pushing even the sound of my own heartbeat out of my consciousness, my senses sharpened as if cooling down.
To avoid making footsteps as much as possible, I began to walk, relying on the visual information reaching my eyes and the sounds and smells reaching my ears. At the same time, I felt a presence as if Lauren-san was following behind me.
When I glanced back, Lauren-san had a slightly surprised look on his face.
I didn't know the reason for his surprise, but since he came today to teach me about the mountains, Lauren-san's objective was likely more about confirming my skills than the prey itself. He needed to determine if I was someone who could be useful as a hunter.
Understanding that, I proceeded eastward while trying not to mind Lauren-san following from behind.
Pushing through the grass without making a sound, I slowly poked my head out from a thicket and saw a single deer about fifty meters ahead.
Found it.
"...What will you do? Will you take it?"
Lauren-san, who had come to my side without making a sound, whispered in a calm tone.
Behind him, Kyle had also arrived a bit later.
It's common to feel joy upon finding prey and have your presence detected by the animal, so one must remain calm when hunting.
"I'll do it."
I answered briefly and pulled an arrow from the quiver on my waist, which had few remaining.
I used to hunt often during my travels, but I haven't done it much lately.
I felt a bit uneasy due to the tension of being watched by Lauren-san, but at this distance, I should be able to hit it even if my skills had dulled.
It was a level where Keel could hit it even while picking his nose.
I nocked the arrow, drew the bow tight, and aimed at the deer.
The prey still didn't seem to have noticed our presence and was leisurely grazing on the grass growing from the ground.
I adjusted my bow toward the prey and then released the string.
With a sound that tore through the air, the arrow flew straight toward the prey.
The prey also sensed the sound of the air being split and tried to look back, but it was already too late. The arrow pierced through its head from the side.
Due to the lethal blow received from the side, the prey collapsed limply.
Seeing that, I exhaled after checking the surroundings just in case there were any monsters.
Well, at this distance, it's only natural to hit it, but being subjected to Lauren-san's evaluating gaze made me nervous.
I'm glad I was able to take it down in one shot without letting it escape.
With this, I can meet Flora's expectations and also give my thanks to Aisha.
"...You've got good aim. You're far more excellent than my apprentice."
Lauren-san patted my shoulder gently as if to praise me, while I was feeling relieved inside.
"That's not true."
If I were to act arrogant over this much, Keel would get angry at me. Rather, the time from taking a stance to releasing was too slow. A while ago, I would have been able to shoot in a much shorter time, and the deer wouldn't have even had time to notice.
I'll need to practice this when I get home.
"No, no, no, it's at a level where it's strange to even compare him to me, you know? More than anything, his sense for finding prey is too amazing. His footsteps were as if he already knew it was there, right? He's definitely more excellent than my master."
Is that so? Rather, my judgment was delayed because it was my first time on this mountain...
This is a matter of experience and familiarity, so it will take a bit more time.
"...You just said something I'm a bit sensitive about, you foolish apprentice. I'll disown you, you know?"
"In that case, I'll decide to rely on Aldo-san. In fact, I'd be happier if you did that for me."
"What?! You ungrateful brat!"
Perhaps because we had finished off the prey and confirmed there was no danger around, the two of them started fooling around.
Lauren-san caught Kyle and started grinding his fist into his head.
They were a close pair even though they weren't father and son. One could never say such lines unless they truly trusted each other.
"In any case, if Aldo has this kind of skill, it looks like the people in the village will be able to eat much more meat than before! I'll be counting on you from now on!"
"Yes!"
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After finishing off the prey, we quickly descended the mountain once we finished processing it, such as bleeding it out.
Today, we had gathered many nuts, fruits, and wild vegetables to teach me about the mountain's ingredients. Combined with the deer, our hand luggage was so full that hunting was out of the question.
Lauren-san and I decided to carry the deer, which was tied with wood and rope.
"Hey, we brought back some prey!"
Lauren-san called out to the villagers working in the fields.
"Oh! It's true! This one's huge!"
"You did it. We might have meat lined up for dinner tonight."
The villagers who saw the deer we were carrying came over with their faces glowing.
"Will there be lots of meat for dinner today?"
"Yes, I'm sure there will be."
"Yay!"
A little girl rejoiced innocently, and her mother patted her head.
Being appreciated like this made me happy as well.
I could feel that I had been of some use to the villagers.
"Did Lauren finish it off?"
"Nah, Aldo, who just moved to this village, finished it. This guy's got good skills, so we'll be able to eat plenty of meat from now on, you know?"
Lauren-san said, pointing at me in response to the woman's words.
Along with that, the villagers' gazes gathered on me all at once.
When I glanced at Lauren-san, he gave a broad grin, showing his white teeth.
It seemed he had created an opportunity to introduce me, who had just moved here. It was a kind gesture.
I sent a word of thanks to Lauren-san with my eyes and looked toward the villagers.
"I'm Aldo, and I've recently come to live in this village. I look forward to working with you all!"
When I gave a light bow and greeted them, the gathered villagers clapped along with smiles.
"Yeah! We look forward to having you too! Welcome."
"If there's anything, feel free to say so anytime."
The words of welcome they spoke one after another were heart-warming and touched my soul. Since coming to Nordende, I've been full of happiness.
"Kyle, you work hard to get some meat too!"
"Yes, please forgive me since I worked hard to pick nuts today."
So saying, Kyle handed a Pico Fruit to the girl.
"Mm! Pico Fruits are delicious too, so I'll forgive you!"
At the girl's words, a gentle laughter spread among us.
◆ ◆ ◆
After returning to the village, we immediately set about butchering the deer. We removed the internal organs, skinned it, and divided it into various parts.
There were almost no parts to throw away; even the spine and hip bones were used for dog food, showing a thoroughness. I was surprised by the utilization methods that made use of village-specific knowledge, but I felt that using it without leaving anything behind was a way of showing gratitude to the living creature.
After butchering the deer meat, we secured the portion necessary for our own lives, and the rest was immediately distributed to the villagers. Naturally, as hunters, the amount of meat we obtained was large. It seemed we wouldn't be troubled for meat for the time being.
As expected, meat from a single deer wouldn't go around to all the villagers, but since we weren't the only hunters, it wasn't a problem.
The distribution ratio and order were firmly decided by the village chief and the villagers, so the distribution was carried out smoothly. By the way, hunters have the freedom to distribute meat to people who have helped them or to obtain living tools through bartering, so it's a relief. In exchange for distributing meat, we receive their respective food items, so it's a give-and-take relationship.
Distributions that break the balance would be rebuked, but that goes without saying.
Having obtained a large amount of deer meat, I decided to go share some with Elgis-san's house right away.
Elgis-san had received some meat too, but it wasn't that much. If I brought some over, they would be able to eat plenty.
When I arrived at Elgis-san's house, I knocked on the door.
"...I was waiting for you."
The one who appeared from the creaking door was Flora.
She welcomed me with a bashful smile.
"I managed to live up to your expectations. With this, there should be plenty of meat on the dinner table tonight."
So saying, I handed Flora the lump of meat wrapped in leaves, which were said to be good for preservation.
"Thank you very much."
"Well then, I'll be going..."
"Please wait."
Flora called out to stop me as I was about to head back.
When I instinctively looked back, Flora was fidgeting with her feet looking a bit embarrassed and said,
"...Um, please stay for dinner."
"Uh, is it okay?"
"Yes, let's eat together."
Prompted by Flora, who opened the door with a bright smile, I entered the house.