There were no room additions or custom level knife making, so deliveries quickly reached the expected number. However, the delivery date is still far away. That would naturally mean a holiday, of course.

　The day before the holiday, after work and dinner, I asked Deanna to borrow my bow.
　When I lightly plucked the string, the response was more firm than I expected.

It's strung pretty hard.
Sometimes you have to aim when you're far away, and if you're too weak, you'll get plucked.
I see.

　In a situation where there is a lot of undergrowth, a little movement may give away your position, so you have to aim far away, and you have to reach your prey with enough speed to pierce it.
　The best way to do this is to shoot downwind, where the prey can't smell you and hear you, and where you can't be seen by the prey in the open, within 100 meters of you.
　The natural course of action would be to ambush them, or drive them into the open.
　In fact, the Samias seem to often use the method of driving them away with their sekko. I was out hunting the other day, but Anne came back tired.

I'll borrow it.
"Yeah. Don't break it. ...... But can you fix it quickly?
I don't like to break other people's things, so don't worry.
I know.

　Deanna and I looked at each other and laughed.

　The next morning, after breakfast, I was dressed as usual and ready with my bow and quiver.
　The next morning, after breakfast, I put on my usual clothes, bow and quiver, and got ready.

I'd leave it there if I were you. ......
I'd leave it if I were you.
Yeah. I'll leave it.

　I'll leave the ice to Deanna, who's staying at home.

Just put it in my room.
"Yeah, okay. Have a good day.
I'm off.

　Cermia and I said goodbye to everyone and left the house. Krull and Lucy said, "Going out? Outing? Krull and Lucy came running up to me with a look of "Out!
　I guess they thought I'd be with them this time, since I've been hunting with them for a while now. While I was petting them.

"All right, stay home today. Your sisters will play with you later.

　When I told them, they both said, "Kurururururu," "Wanan! and went back to the hut. I called out to them, "Good boy!

　Yes, today Samija and I were going hunting alone. I'm not used to this, and since it's just the two of us, we're not going to hunt anything too big.
　We have enough meat reserves, and the goal is not to get meat, but to go hunting together and kill it (if we can, of course we will bring it back as meat).
　In that sense, it's similar to sport hunting. I've been interested in it since I saw an online program on sport hunting in a previous world, and I'm a little excited about it.

"Come to think of it, it's been a long time since we've been alone in the woods. It hasn't been that long since you came to our house and Rike came too.
"Oh, I see. It's become normal for everyone to be here.

　Samija says as she rustles through the undergrowth. They hadn't reached the hunting grounds yet, so they were only on the lookout for anything dangerous, but they weren't moving cautiously toward their prey.
　In the forest, it was a pleasant sunny day, with greenish light filling the area and the sun shining through the trees like a spotlight on the ground.
　Some flowers bloomed on the green stage as if to respond to the applause from the spotlight, and I almost forgot for a moment that I was in a dangerous forest.

I've been out gathering plants and stuff before, but I've never hunted animals before.

　I said as I walked. I've had a run-in with a bear, but that was not hunting, it was killing.

It's not that hard. It's not that hard. It's like fishing. ...... No, I don't know, considering how good Eizo is at fishing.

　When Samija heard my words, she grinned at me.
　I also laughed and told her "you son of a b*tc*" and gave her a shove on the head, she laughed and shrunk but did not run away.

　We walked for a couple of hours, picking some medicinal plants along the way. Around that time, when we must have been quite far from home, Samija's movements changed.
　She slumped down a little and began to walk in a way that killed the sound of her footsteps. Her nose is twitching, as if she's trying to smell something around here.
　Then she looked back at me, who was following a little behind, and said in a quiet voice.

We'll take it slow from here.
We'll take it slow from here.

　I replied in a voice that Samija could barely hear. Her answer was a nod. I nodded back to show my understanding, and walked slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible.