Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: The Neighboring Town of Retovik
"I've been thinking, is it racially okay for a rabbit-person to butcher a rabbit monster and eat its meat?"
While biting into a piece of browned Gluttony Rabbit meat, Noein asked Matilda, who was similarly biting into meat in front of him.
After that, the Gluttony Rabbit had been bled, eviscerated, skinned, and butchered into a carcass by Matilda.
Considering she had only learned the butchery of monsters through knowledge alone, it was a sufficient level of skill.
"With all due respect, Noein-sama, while rabbit-people and Gluttony Rabbits have similar ears and legs, that is simply a matter of appearance. Just as humans and goblins are completely different even if they stand and walk in the same way, there is no connection between me and this monster."
"...Well, I suppose that's true. Sorry for bringing up such a strange topic, Matilda."
"No, not at all, Noein-sama."
It is not known how beast-people are born or where they came from. It is said that their origins date back to the age of myth.
Some stories say that a god mixed humans and beasts for amusement, while other theories suggest that beast-people were the ancestors of humans, and from there the races branched off to create the humans of today.
Either way, beast-people and monsters or beasts are far distant existences. There are no commonalities or connections beyond appearance. What he had just asked was a foolish question driven only by Noein's curiosity.
Once they finished lunch with the Gluttony Rabbit meat, it was time to resume the reclamation work.
.....
They cleared the forest, tilled the fields, and secured an area sufficient for Noein and Matilda to feed themselves.
There, they planted cut potatoes, and in addition to those, they planted onions, beans, leafy vegetables, and so on.
After that, they simply continued felling trees to increase the area that could be used as a residence. Since going west or south would lead them to hit the river they first found, they cleared the areas to the east and north relative to their base.
During the day, they cut trees and turned them into lumber, hunting whenever a monster approached, and at night, they healed their bodies and minds by doting on Matilda; repeating this for about two weeks.
"It's about time to go shopping in the Koenitz Viscounty."
The remaining stockpiled food was becoming precarious.
It would be three months before they could harvest the crops from the fields. They couldn't live on monster meat alone until then.
Even though they were in the forest, he wanted to maintain a sense of humanity through their meals. For that, foods such as bread, barley, pickled vegetables, salt, and spices were indispensable.
Therefore, they had to leave the forest once and go to a human settlement.
"Noein-sama, what shall we do about the fields? Shall I stay behind and keep watch?"
"No, if a dangerous monster happens to approach, you'll be in danger, Matilda. I won't leave you here alone. Let's go to town together."
While it was nearly impossible for large, dangerous monsters to appear in the shallow parts of the Bezel Great Forest, it couldn't be said to be absolute.
Even if that weren't the case, for example, if multiple Gluttony Rabbits appeared, there was a possibility that Matilda could be injured.
Thus, Noein decided to take Matilda along, take his golems along, and leave the territory completely unattended to go shopping.
It would be best if he could leave the golems behind for security, but the few shortcomings were that he could only operate them within the range of his sight and magical power.
He felt some resistance to leaving the fields defenseless, but since he had lined up cut lumber as walls to surround the residence, the possibility of it being ravaged by monsters was likely low.
.....
Following the beast path they had made when entering the forest, it took less than an hour to leave the Arqvist territory.
And then, after traveling east for about half a day since leaving the forest.
Noein and his companion arrived at Retovik, the capital of the neighboring Koenitz Viscounty.
A population of approximately 5,000. Not a metropolis, but not a town so small it could be called the countryside. That was this Retovik.
The soldier gatekeepers stopped Noein and the others to question them, but when he introduced himself as "Noein Arqvist, Knight Bachelor," the soldier saluted and said, "My apologies," before opening the gate.
It seemed that Viscount Koenitz had, for the time being, informed the soldiers about the fact that Noein was conducting reclamation in the western Bezel Great Forest.
Once they entered the town, Noein and the others attracted attention whether they liked it or not.
A very well-dressed young man walking while leading a beast-person with a slave crest engraved on her neck, and controlling three golems that moved as if they were real living creatures. There was no way he wouldn't stand out.
He must have attracted plenty of attention when he stayed in this town before entering the forest after crossing from the southern part of the kingdom to this northwestern region, but to the townspeople, they still seemed to be novel existences.
"Look at that..." "I know him, isn't he the 'Knight Bachelor of the Forest'?" "I wonder why he thought he'd actually try to reclaim a forest like that." "What's the point of acting like a noble when he doesn't even have any subjects?"
While being showered with gazes and words that were mostly curiosity and partly contempt, Noein proceeded through the town without seeming to care.
As if proud of her master's dignified behavior, Matilda followed behind with a composed face.
.....
"Welcome... oh, if it isn't the Knight Bachelor of the Forest."
"Hello, Eliza-san."
The shop Noein entered was located close to the town's west gate.
Two weeks ago, before entering the forest, he had bought food here, and because the cheerful service of the proprietress named Eliza had been pleasant, he visited this shop again.
"I've come to buy food again today. I'd like you to prepare a three-week supply for me and Matilda. I want barley, salt, herbs, pickled vegetables, and also cabbage and onions; could you do that for me?"
"Yes, of course. Please sit over there and wait... Marco! Help load the items onto the Knight Bachelor's wagon! And Anna! Serve tea to the Knight Bachelor!"
Answering brightly, she barked instructions to her son and daughter, who were also employees of the shop.
Eliza had been managing the shop as a single mother with the help of her children ever since her husband predeceased her due to illness.
The shop was quite large for a private store, with several employees other than her children, and the interior even featured chairs and a table for meetings with the farmers who supplied them.
When he sat there, the daughter who had just been given instructions by Eliza—Anna—brought over a tray with wooden cups.
"Please, Knight Bachelor."
Anna, who had her green hair tied back in a single ponytail, placed the cup of tea while directing a simple but intelligent face toward Noein.
Furthermore, she placed tea in the same manner before Matilda, who was a slave. The fact that she had provided this kind of treatment during his previous visit was one of the reasons Noein became a repeat customer of this shop.
"Thank you, Anna-san. How old are you now?"
"Y-yes. I've turned 17, Knight Bachelor."
"I see. Then you're older than me. Since you're helping at the shop, can you read, write, and do calculations?"
"Yes. Only to the extent of confirming deliveries and keeping the ledgers, but..."
While Noein was having Anna keep him company with small talk as he drank his tea, it seemed the loading of food into the wagon parked in front of the shop had finished.
Marco, a serious-looking young man who was Eliza's son and Anna's older brother, came to call Noein.
He went outside to check the load, and Eliza informed him of the contents of the food and the price.
"—It comes to 200 Rebro in total, is that alright?"
"200 Rebro, right. Then, here."
Saying this, Noein placed two 100-Rebro silver coins in Eliza's hand.
"...Yes, I have received them."
"Thank you again, as before. I'll come again."
"Yes, please do come again."
"Also, if you ever feel like moving to our territory, you're welcome, so please tell me anytime, okay?"
"Ahahaha! That's a happy invitation. I'll give it some thought."
To Noein, who said this jokingly, Eliza responded with a cheerful laugh.
Noein did not miss the way Anna, who was seeing Noein off along with her mother and older brother behind her, let her eyes sparkle slightly.