“Shhh!”
I throw a pebble at a wild bird perched on a tree branch. I can’t afford to miss out on this valuable source of protein.
“Yes! Meat tonight!”
I quickly dispatch the bird I shot down and drain the blood from its neck. I don’t know if this is the right way to do it, but I’ve learned from experience that it tastes better this way.
I happily head home, excited about the long-awaited feast. I saw what looked like a boar in the distance, but I naturally ignored it. Right now, every cell in my body is screaming at me to consume protein and fat as soon as possible. I have no business with monsters that disappear into smoke.
I clean the bird by the river near my house and check the traps while I’m at it. Fish… unfortunately, nothing’s caught.
I switch gears and head to the stove I set up under the house. First, I need to start a fire.
I use ‘True Flame Phoenix Palm,’ which I learned at level two of my martial arts skill, to create fire from my hand and plunge it into the firewood to ignite it. The firewood is damp from the continuous rainy days, but with this skill’s firepower, a little moisture is nothing.
Learning this has made life in the forest much easier. It’s definitely the skill I use the most right now.
It all worked out because I found it too much of a hassle to walk around the forest with a sword, so I was wandering around empty-handed.
One day, I crushed a monster to death and learned a punching technique called ‘Double Thrust,’ which convinced me it was a martial arts skill, and the next skill I learned was this ‘True Flame Phoenix Palm.’
It’s just a skill that makes fire come out of my hand, and I guess if I use it when punching monsters weak to fire, it’ll be effective, but so far, I’ve only used it to start fires.
Now that the fire has caught on the firewood, I make sure to deactivate the skill before moving on to the next step. I have to be careful not to forget this, or it could be a disaster. I thought I was going to die when my whole body was engulfed in flames.
I skewer the meat and slowly grill it over a low flame. The savory smell is irresistible, and I can barely contain my excitement.
“Not yet…? No, it’s good enough. Yeah, let’s eat.”
I lightly sprinkle water on the firewood to extinguish it, wrap the grilled meat in leaves, and climb the tree next to my house.
Then, I quickly jump across the branches to the big tree next door, which is my familiar home.
It’s just a simple house made of wooden planks set on a thick branch that stretches out horizontally, but it’s surprisingly comfortable.
The leaves of this big tree protect me from the rain, and the monsters that live around here can’t climb up here.
In the first year, I was annoyed by the winter cold, but now I have perfect protection against the cold, and I can spend the whole year comfortably.
“Mmm, mmm, mmm… Ah, delicious… So delicious…”
Even if it’s just grilled with a little salt, the meat that I hunted, butchered, and grilled myself is exceptional. Plus, it’s been a while since I’ve eaten meat, and the open-air location makes it even more incredible.
“Phew, I’m stuffed.”
Meat is truly great.
It’s getting warmer these days, and I’ve started to find wild plants. That means spring is coming.
That also means the animals are starting to become active, so I have high hopes for my diet—
“—Huh?”
Huh? What’s this? I was sure I was at home, but when I realized it, I was in an unfamiliar room. What is this?
No, wait. I recognize this room. It feels kind of nostalgic…
“…Ah, Waslein Estate.”
Did I loop? I think it was… three years? It loops after about that long.
That’s right, I was planning to spend three years leveling up. And when that was over… what was it? I was going to do something in the next loop.
I was trying to end the loop, so what I should do is… the main story. I was going to get involved in the original story.
I leveled up for that reason. It’s hard to do anything with level one, so I leveled up.
“I see, I see. I understand…”
If I ignore the fact that my level isn’t very high, I can say that the plan is progressing smoothly.
Right now… how much is it? I haven’t been counting clearly since ten… it’s definitely not twenty. Maybe seventeen or eighteen.
I’ve been holed up in the forest near the Royal Capital where only weak monsters appear, and from the middle, I’ve been hunting wild birds instead of monsters… Well, my level won’t go up.
“Hmm…”
Even so, I can’t calm down. This used to be a familiar room, but I’ve been living like a wild child for three years. Being suddenly thrown into such a civilized room makes me feel uncomfortable and restless.
Well, whatever, I’ll just sleep and tomorrow… what am I going to do tomorrow? Was there something…? Hmm.
Hmm.
Hmm.
“Geld-sama. It’s morning, Geld-sama.”
“Hmm?”
“I apologize for disturbing your rest. Ukari-sama instructed me to wake you up today…”
“Hmm.”
Why is there a Maid…? I don’t remember asking for such a service… wait, is someone even in my house…?
…Ah, right. In this house… ah, this is Emi. Card-obsessed Emi.
“Emi…?”
“Yes. Shino is feeling unwell today, so I will be attending to you in her place.”
“Haa… in Shino’s place…”
I think something like that happened, but my head isn’t working well since I just woke up. And I’m so sleepy.
The fluffy bed feels strange, and I finally fell asleep close to dawn. And it’s still morning now. No wonder I’m sleepy.
Besides, something seems off about Emi… Ah, she’s been reset. She’s wary of me, trying to keep her distance as naturally as possible. Her eyes are sharp as she watches me, as if she’s glaring at me.
“This is tough.”
“I apologize. But Ukari-sama is already waiting.”
Huh? Ah, she thought I said that because I was sleepy. That’s not it, your attitude is tough.
But in terms of the gap from the original, it’s still better because it’s not as damaging as Shell or Shino. If I don’t have to meet the other maids who were overly clingy, I won’t have to suffer any unnecessary wounds.
No, wait? I think I got a little closer to Shino on the carriage trip last time… that’s reset too, back to square one.
Ah, damn it. I’m incredibly depressed from the morning. I want to sleep more. I want to sulk.
“Geld-sama, it’s about time…”
“Ah, I’ll be right there.”
Damn it, what is it when I’m in this mood? Who the hell is Ukari-sama anyway? If it’s something trivial, I won’t let it go…
“You’ve arrived. Geld, can’t you do something about your nocturnal lifestyle? You won’t be able to manage at the academy like that.”
“Ah… yes, yes. I’ll be careful…”
Emi led me to the dining hall, where Father and… who’s the other one? There’s an unfamiliar old woman, but… whatever.
So… the academy? The academy… right, advancing to school.
Or rather, that’s right, I need to kidnap and imprison a heroine at some academy. …Probably, right?
But last time and the time before that, I canceled my advancement and spouted some nonsense about becoming the Number One Under Heaven swordsman.
Father, the son you believed in and sent out has become a wild child in the forest. Hey, how do you feel about that now? How do you… no, you didn’t believe in me at all. I remember being kicked out in a very rough manner.
“So, what are you going to do? If you don’t decide soon, you won’t make it in time for this year’s enrollment.”
“Yes. I think I’ll advance to school.”
“I know that. I’m asking you where you’re going to advance to.”
“…………Eh? Where?”
What? What does that mean? Aren’t there multiple schools?
Was the decision not whether to advance to school or not, but where to advance to?
“Ge, Geld… you don’t mean to tell me…”
Oh no, Father is trembling with a complex expression that mixes anger, sadness, and exasperation.
“Please rest assured, Father. I will make a decision right here and show it to you.”
“Hmm.”
“So please tell me what kind of schools there are. I’ll decide in a flash.”
Oh, the proportion of anger has increased.