Chapter 27: My Own Time
“Jean, how about tagging along with a mid-level adventurer? I realized the other day that you’re a bit out of touch. If you knew what ‘normal’ was and still acted differently, that would be one thing, but it seems like you don’t even know,” Dean suggested.
He was going to introduce me to someone who wasn’t particularly strong but reliably completed requests. I was grateful for the offer. If I showed up at the same time tomorrow, he would make the introduction.
“And you two, be careful not to get caught up with any weirdos. If you think Ash is acting strange, just furrow your brow,” he added.
“Huh?”
Ash, with a puzzled expression, was already frowning. It seemed like it was a habit of his, even if he didn’t intend to do it.
“I agree about Ash’s frown, but I’m not really—”
“You two have good looks! Weirdos are drawn to you!”
For some reason, Dean was sulking as he said this. But honestly, if someone approached me and I wasn’t interested, I could just turn them down. If I liked them, I wouldn’t mind pursuing it.
I was at that age where I wanted to flirt, but I also wanted to enjoy my freedom. I decided to keep Dean’s advice in mind.
Kaina seemed to be busy with her promotion. She had moved from the front desk to a role involving the guild’s operations, so I hadn’t seen her today. It was a bit disappointing.
Ash and the others were about to receive a refund and an apology for being overcharged in one of the guild’s private rooms, so we parted ways there. Since our activities in this city overlapped, we would likely run into each other again.
Still, Ash and the others were renting a house too. Even without a meddlesome landlord family, sharing a kitchen and well meant there would always be some eyes on you. It was quite costly, though I shouldn’t be the one to complain.
I checked the guild’s request board and headed out for hunting. With winter approaching, the demand for fur was rising, as well as for meat. Rabbits were active even in winter, and it seemed that animals with spirits that were resistant to the cold could also remain active during the season.
I wanted to check if there were any waterfowl at the lake and, if possible, hunt a fox. I wanted to see a model for the dissection of that large fox I had hunted deep in the forest.
Once I walked out of the gate and into a secluded area, I used [Teleportation]. The lake had a thin layer of ice forming in the shallow spots at the edges. It would probably melt soon when the sun hit it, but it was definitely getting colder.
I spotted a few waterfowl far from the shore. Would they start crossing over soon? My home was only lightly dusted with snow, but I heard that Kanum had knee-deep snow. I hoped to get my hunting done before the snow piled up.
Well then, I decided to give up on the birds for today and look for a fox instead. —I wasn’t quite sure how to search for one, though. Dean had taught me how to track animals using footprints and signs of gnawing, but what kind of traces did foxes leave behind?
Using [Exploration], I sensed various presences, but I couldn’t detect any sign of a fox. Even excluding the familiar presences of bears, wolves, and rabbits, there were still plenty of other presences. When I tried to investigate a nearby presence, I locked eyes with a dormouse preparing for winter hibernation.
I had no choice but to memorize each presence and trace one by one. As I walked through the forest, I eliminated the unknown presences. There were little birds, flying squirrels, pheasants, and even a beaver building an impressive dam.
In the end, I managed to hunt a horned bear, a pheasant, and a pheasant.
“Thank you.”
“Yes, thank you very much.”
This time, I sold everything directly to the Adventurer’s Guild. The bear was worth more due to its horns, while the brightly colored male pheasant fetched a higher price at the Merchant Guild. The pheasant was more valuable to the Adventurer’s Guild since it could be used for arrow fletching.
If you didn’t sell everything outright, there would be disassembly fees, so unless it was absolutely necessary, it was better not to sell parts individually. They would check whether to sell everything after disassembly, so both the Merchant Guild and the Adventurer’s Guild were quite fair. Most of the time, they only wanted the magic stones if you had any.
This time, I had disassembled the pheasant on-site and left the feathers behind. The appraiser had told me that if you didn’t remove the entrails right away, the meat would take on a foul smell. My [Appraisal] prioritized eating, so it only briefly mentioned that it could be used for arrow materials, and I completely overlooked that.
I decided to sell just the feathers of the pheasant and enjoy the meat. Now, should I stuff it with vegetables and roast it, or slice it thin for shabu-shabu? For now, I would let it rest and age a bit.
—But I really wanted a tabletop grill for shabu-shabu. I think I’ll go with roasting this time since I have an oven.
If I couldn’t get a tabletop grill, maybe I could manage with a hibachi? I would need a trivet for the pot and a clay pot too. I had something that looked like a trivet for the fireplace, so I could just ask them to make it smaller. I should check with the workshop.
I also wanted to start some blacksmithing.
I opened the door to my rented house and stepped inside. I lit a fire in the fireplace to signal that I was home and then used [Teleportation] to return to my house.
Rishu ran over to me, and I petted him, brushing his fur. Has he gotten a bit bigger? His limbs were thick, so I figured he would grow quite large.
Having the ability to touch spirits (Rishu) felt a bit overpowered, but the main use was definitely just to cuddle him. The soft, fluffy fur of a puppy was something I had to enjoy while I could.
For dinner, I made turnip and bacon cheese risotto, accompanied by cold water. The fire in the fireplace crackled occasionally, and the room was warm, thanks to the thick curtains drawn over the large windows facing the terrace.
This was my own time, free from any sudden interruptions. If only I had a mystery novel to read, it would be perfect.