Chapter 42: The Season of Abundance
Upon returning to Egdra, I reported to the Marquis and received my reward of 20 gold coins. After that, I decided to head out for a long-overdue Mana Measurement. My life had become a monotonous cycle of consuming Mana and sleeping, so I thought it best for Shaara to train as a maid at the Marquis’s place. However, she insisted on coming along, refusing to take no for an answer. Reluctantly, I decided to take her with me to teach her about Mana consumption and measurement, just in case she needed it when she received her magic.
I estimated my usage as follows:
– Transfer Magic: 400m x 27 times, 200m x 52 times, 50m x 208 times
– Stone Lance: 40m, 140 shots; Stone Arrow: 200 shots
– Shotgun Medium: 130 shots; Shotgun Small: 160 shots
Counting became tedious, so I decided to only estimate the Mana consumption based on the 400m Transfer Magic and Stone Lance from then on. I figured a yearly Mana Measurement would suffice. After all, my adventurer style didn’t focus on combat; running away was still my go-to strategy.
When I tried firing a Stone Javelin, I ran out of Mana after 35 shots. Each Stone Javelin consumed the equivalent of four Stone Lances’ worth of Mana. Its power was immense, but it felt frightening to use due to its overwhelming strength. I figured it would be unnecessary unless I were in a siege, so I decided to shelve it for now. After pondering all this, I realized I had spent over ten days there, so I decided to return to the city.
The scorching summer sun was bearable thanks to my hood, which had been enchanted with a temperature-regulating function. Shaara wore a similar outfit, happily donning her hood. As a member of the Catfolk from the Forest Clan, she seemed to struggle with direct sunlight.
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The main reason for returning to the city was to stock up on delicious ale, so I headed to the shop where I had previously purchased it and bought ten barrels, feeling quite satisfied. Along with the ale, I also acquired some fine spirits, and naturally, I craved some tasty snacks to go with them. Shaara and I wandered through the market, turning it into a tasting competition. Of course, I wouldn’t let her drink; it was precious alcohol after all.
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When we ventured into the forest to gather medicinal herbs, I noticed Shaara was fidgeting with excitement. When I asked her why, she nostalgically explained that the forest was about to enter its fruitful season, and various fruits would soon be harvested. It seemed she was reminiscing about the time spent wandering the woods with her mother, who had become an adventurer after being chased from their village. With Shaara’s keen sense of presence, I figured we wouldn’t be caught off guard by any wild beasts while walking through the forest.
“Shaara, are you confident you won’t be ambushed by wild beasts in the forest?”
“Lord Kaito, is it alright for us to go into the forest? I can’t guarantee absolute safety, but I can detect them beforehand and avoid them. However, I’m not so sure about snakes, as they have a faint presence.”
“Snakes, huh? They don’t just bite out of nowhere, do they?”
“I’ve heard they usually don’t. They tend to coil around and suffocate their prey before consuming it.”
“Alright, let’s practice in a nearby forest. Can you guide me, Shaara?”
“Yes, leave it to me!”
After returning to the city, I returned the horse and stored the carriage in Shaara’s Magic Pouch before heading into the forest. I spent a night at the inn, then bought a short spear to clear underbrush and avoid branches as we made our way into the woods. I asked Shaara to help ensure we wouldn’t encounter any goblins. My main goal was to gather medicinal herbs, and I had no desire to engage in combat; I was there for the fruits.
With plenty of gold coins, I no longer needed to focus on earning more. I needed to keep my skills sharp for when Shaara stood on her own. Plus, it was a great opportunity for me to hone my own sense of presence with her around, and once I got used to it, I planned to take the lead.
After five days in the forest, we hadn’t encountered any wild beasts, but when we did, I would mask my presence to slip by unnoticed. During that time, I merely observed from within a makeshift fort. According to Shaara, while she could conceal her presence, she couldn’t mask her scent, so she was careful not to position herself upwind. On the sixth day, I took the lead, training my sense of presence while Shaara alerted me to any approaching beasts.
Though it was a bit early for harvesting, Shaara taught me about the various fruit-bearing trees. As a member of the Forest Clan, she had inherited a wealth of knowledge from her time wandering the woods with her mother, which I found impressive.
After more than ten days, I decided to return to the city to buy baskets, bags, and ropes necessary for fruit harvesting. Shaara was eager, saying that if the Magic Pouch could preserve living things for six months, fruits would last even longer, and she wanted to gather plenty to share with Fiene.
If we didn’t keep the harvested fruits together, they would get lost in the Magic Pouch and spoil. Upon returning to the inn, I was informed that Hyaru wanted to speak with me, so I headed to the Marquis’s residence.
“Hyaru, is there something you need?”
“Though it’s a bit early, I’ll be heading to the Royal Capital in December, and I’d like to ask for your protection again. You can bring Shaara along as well.”
“Understood. I’ll make sure we can depart at the beginning of December.”
“Are you going somewhere?”
“I’m planning to search for fruits deeper in the forest with Shaara as my guide. I just returned to prepare for it. I’ll be back around the end of November.”
“The deeper forest, huh? There are many rare fruits there. If you manage to gather a lot, could you share some with me?”
“If we manage to harvest anything, I’ll be sure to share.”
With that promise made, I set off into the depths of the forest with Shaara as my guide.
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While heading deeper into the forest was a good idea, the beasts found there were significantly larger and more imposing than those near the city. To make matters worse, they approached silently, making them quite troublesome. However, Shaara guided me with hand signals and gestures. We quietly ventured deeper into the woods, and at times, Shaara would dash up a giant tree with a basket on her back.
With a light run-up, she would kick off the trunk and easily find handholds in the knots and cracks of the bark to climb. I merely watched from my fort as Shaara harvested fruits from the branches of the towering trees. The trees were easily 5 to 6 meters in diameter, and I estimated their height to be around 40 to 50 meters. I didn’t feel capable of climbing them.
From my vantage point, Shaara appeared small as she effortlessly gathered fruits, placing them in her basket before stowing them in her Magic Pouch. She would then retrieve a new basket and continue her harvest.
When Shaara descended, I took the basket from her and examined the fruits. The Woolsa fruit had a pear-like skin with an orange hue, slightly larger than Fuji apples, and there were about 20 in a basket—four baskets in total. While harvesting, Shaara excitedly mentioned that she had found a large cluster of fruits. Known as cluster fruits, they would spoil within a week if not harvested at the right time, and they were a favorite among the Forest Clan. She explained that they couldn’t take them to human towns or villages, so they only consumed them themselves. She seemed delighted, saying that if it were Lord Kaito, he could store them and take them to Fi.
The cluster fruits grew on vines, and Shaara skillfully swung from vine to vine like a monkey, placing them into her basket. I carefully stored them in my inventory to avoid damaging them. After tasting one, I found its rich sweetness was more akin to honey than mere fruit—a true delicacy. Ultimately, I decided to stop after gathering ten baskets, saving room for any other fruits we might find.
My inventory had a limit equivalent to Class 4 in the Magic Pouch, so I couldn’t push it too far. I could store 64 one-meter cubes, but whether that was a lot or a little depended on one’s perspective. However, I had no intention of filling it solely with fruits. The bags of gold coins and emergency rations likely took up about a tenth of the space.
Additionally, I stored spare clothes, weapons, and even pebbles as a precaution in case I were ever stripped of everything. You might think it odd to carry pebbles, but I needed them for Earth Magic; without soil or stones, I couldn’t cast my spells. It was essential to carry my own materials.
That night, in the Camp House, I savored the cluster fruits and Woolsa fruits we had harvested. Shaara shared that when she wandered the forest with her mother, she used to sleep in a hammock. Now that she was sleeping in the Camp House, she felt safe and happy. She mentioned that even when sleeping in a hammock high up in the trees, she couldn’t let her guard down and couldn’t sleep soundly. Especially with the Gruusa monkeys, who were particularly agile and troublesome both in the trees and on the ground.
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The deep purple fruit, known as Purple (a rather unimaginative name), resembled an oversized grape.
At the tip of a vertically growing stem, there was a single fruit the size of a pineapple. It was said that it couldn’t be eaten until it turned a deep purple, so I ignored the many unripe ones. I harvested about thirty of the purple ones and stored them away in my Magic Pouch.
The Kurupp, resembling cherries, had large fruits hanging from the ends of four or five stems. The Plursa, on the other hand, bore melon-like fruits in abundance on vine-like branches, but they had been ravaged by monkeys, leaving behind a pitiful sight, so I decided to give up on those.
The Hogu fruit was a fist-sized nut resembling an acorn. When roasted, it tasted just like chestnuts—sweet and fluffy. Since they stored well, I spent the entire day harvesting them and added them to my Magic Pouch.
Just as I was about to head toward the City of Egdra while continuing to gather fruits, Shaara murmured, “I smell water.” Water? I had come across streams and ponds many times, but Shaara had never mentioned anything like that before. She said it was nearby, so I asked for directions and decided to check it out.