"Garratt, hornbill in the bushes diagonally to the right.
Yes!

'Jin, mushrooms underfoot. They make good medicine.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

"Shiroumaru, deer in the shadow of a tree about 20 meters to the left.
Wah!　

'Slarin, that badger is still a cub, you need to get him back to the nest.
... (Pruning)

Solomon is home. Go sleep in your bag.
Cui.....

Ricky, there are two pigeons overhead. Make sure one of them drops.
Okay.


　The next day after the feast, we had come to the forest that the djinn had mentioned. The 'half a day' the djinn were talking about was on foot, so we used my carriage to get to the forest in a few hours.

　This forest isn't that big, but I heard there was a river and a pond nearby, and there were quite a few small to medium-sized creatures living here.
　And fortunately, there was no sign of adventurers or hunters recently, and the animals were less wary of them.

　Within an hour of entering the forest, there was a good pickings there.

'It's time for us to take a break and move individually?

　Once we had hunted some of our prey, we decided to take a break.

"Copy that, leader!
Copy that.

　Jin and Garratt are in a good mood from earlier, probably because they're getting more done than they expected.
　On the contrary, Ricky seems to be a bit confused by the state of Jin and the others.

''No! You were right to invite Tenma to join us! Nah, Garratt!
'Yeah, sure! If it was just us, we wouldn't have had such an easy hunt!

　So far, I've been searching for my prey and reporting it to the djinn, and they hunt it down...that's how we got here. During this time, I didn't kill my prey by myself.
　At first I was going to go kill it, but Jin stopped me.
　He said, "If you go to finish it too, the workload will be unbalanced. When it comes to the rules this time, it's better to separate those who look for it and those who hunt it.

　So I divided the work so that if I found one, I'd dump it on someone else, and the one dumped would go and finish it off.
　And that's how I got into it.
　After all, I have a 'search', so I know the identity and number of prey nearby. Besides, Jin and Garratt are high level adventurers by nature, and Ricky is also quite good at it, as he says he's basically adventuring solo. On top of that, they are Slarin and Shiroumaru.

　It's a good thing that Shiroumar is a wolf, so he's good at hunting, and Slarin has become a workhorse who goes around behind the scenes to kill wild animals without being distracted by their presence.
　On top of that, there were cases where he would duck into a den to kill a badger, as he did when he caught one (he only restrained the badger).
　In addition, Solomon was not suited to hunting in the forest, so he was waiting in a bag.

'It would have been nice if Namitaroo had come too!

Jin, he's a carp, just in case.

　Just as Jin had said, Namitaro did not come on this hunt.
　I'm a fish," he said, "I'm not good in the woods. I'm not good in the forest.
　There are many things I would like to say to you, but that's why Namitaro stayed in the house.

　By the way, I think the only people who know we're here to hunt are Menas and Leena, and Namitaro, Blanca and Aina.
　I told Grandpa and the rest of the guys, but they were too drunk to remember, I don't think they would remember.

'Well, I told Aina, so I guess it's okay.

　While muttering about this, I continued to prepare for lunch.
　When I say prepare, I just take out the leftovers from yesterday's banquet and other things I brought in my bag.



That's it, Temma. When the break is over, we'll each move individually this time. It's fine to move apart, but who's going to stay in this place?

'We've got to keep our base of operations secure and you're going to take turns coming back?

　Hearing Jin and Garratt's words, Slarin and Shiroumar stepped forward.

''It's alright. Slarin and Shiroumaru will remain in this base. With these two animals, we won't fall behind the demons and animals around here.

　The djinn nodded at my words.

'And in case you're in doubt, you can call out loudly for Shiroumaru. If you're not extremely far away, Shiroumaru should be able to hear you. Alternatively, if you walk along the nearby river, you should be able to get close to this base.

　There is a large river running near where we are currently based. So if we go up or down that river, we should be able to get to this neighborhood. Worst case scenario, I can use the search.
　And there was another reason for leaving Slarin and his men behind.
　That was so that I wouldn't be the only one in the hunt.

　If we were to work individually, then of course Slarin would have to follow me. That would mean that I would be the only one with more prey. And that would be extremely...

　I know that Jinn and Garratt won't come to me to complain about that, but I don't know how Ricky will feel about it, and if it makes too much of a difference, Jinn and the others might not feel good about it.
　Besides, these individual hunts are also a kind of game.
　So it would be better to hunt alone as much as possible.

　However, I'll take Solomon with me. He's never been out in the open before, so it would be better to let him out somewhere in the open.

'You don't have to worry about it... well, I'd be grateful if you would, though!

　I guess Jin and Garratt knew what I was thinking. Ricky doesn't seem to have noticed, though.

'Well, let's get some food for now.

　At Garratt's words, we shoveled our food in. We finished our meal in a few minutes and scattered into the forest in a thoughtful manner.


''Oh! Medicinal herbs! Is this one a ginger?　

　I was more focused on finding plants to eat than looking for prey.
　This is because this forest is surprisingly full of plants that can be eaten and medicinal herbs that can be used to make medicine, and that is more gratifying to me.

''Is this........something like gyoja garlic.......''

　I decided to always use appraisal for anything that I doubted I could eat.
　Many of these wildflowers are difficult to recognize by a layman's eye, and even a skilled person sometimes makes a mistake.

　Therefore, the appraisal is very useful. The most important thing to know is that even if you know the effects and whether it can be used for food, you don't know how to eat it, so you'll have to find out after you get home, but even if you don't know, there's no problem because it will only be turned into slarin' rice.

'Whoa! These are truffles!　

　As I was paying attention to my feet, I found several black, round objects. When I picked up one of them and used my appraisal, I found out that it was a 'black diamond' or black truffle.

''Wow, there are at least ten of them... I mean, wasn't the black diamond a giant stag beetle?

　I picked up the truffles at my feet.
　There were 15 truffles within my reach, and after a short walk, I found two more places where truffles were growing in clusters.



　I don't know how much a truffle is worth in this world, but in a previous life, a 100 gram truffle would have cost tens of thousands of yen.
　Of the 29 truffles, 10 of them are over 100 grams, and the rest are 50 grams or less.
　Of the 29, 10 were over 100 grams and the rest were 50 grams or so.

'I'll keep this one, or the others ... maybe I'll eat them at home? Maybe Aina would know how to cook.

　And so on and so forth, fiddling with a small truffle on his palm, Solomon, who decided it was food, made it whole only.

'Squeak~y~'

　And he didn't like it, and after a few bites, he spat it out.

'Squeak!'

　I dropped my knuckles without saying a word the moment Solomon spat it out. The squeal I heard earlier was Solomon's scream.　
　Utterly and utterly caught off guard! It was a small one, thank goodness, but what a way to bite into a whole truffle and spit it out! What a waste! I've never even had one before!

　After lecturing Solomon, I searched the surroundings, but decided to give up on collecting truffles when I found them deep underground or too small to dig out.

'Good! I'll remember this place!

　After that, we went back to gathering wildflowers and other things, but we couldn't find anything more than truffles, so we had to return to our base.



'Yo Temma! You're too late!

What have you got?

　Jin and Garratt were playing the game, lining up the prey they had hunted.

''I guess I win!''
No, it was me!

　The gin's prey is a wild boar. It's not that big an individual, but it's round and fatty.
　In contrast, Garratt's prey is a buck. This is a fairly large individual, with great antlers.

''Temma! The verdict is in!

A draw is good enough.　

　They said they didn't agree with my decision, but I actually think this decision is fair.
　In terms of meat value, the boar is better, and the stag meat is much less expensive. However, as for the other materials, the fur has many uses, and its antlers are also used in medicine, so its value is high.

　When I explained that to them, they agreed, but instead they were trying to find out what I was getting.
　Just as I was about to take the truffle out of my hand....

What are you doing here?

　Ricky is back. The two men changed their target to Ricky and closed in on him.

'Prey, sir? All right.

　With that said, Ricky took out his prey....

Three boars!
Two deer!

　He was lightly outnumbered by two.

''We lost........Temma is!

　At the sound of their collective voices, I took out the things I had collected. They are in a basket full of them. That's two.

'Seriously........'

If you're not careful, you're worth more than what we're selling...

　They were devastated, but I decided to put a stop to them.
　By the way, at this point, Ricky still has a relaxed expression on his face.

''I've got some of these things,''

　When I brought out the truffle I had set aside for them, the three of them didn't understand what came out for a moment.
　Among them, Garratt was the first one to notice that it was a truffle.



　That's a dog beastman. Even in his past life, he would have used a pig or a dog when looking for truffles.
　With Garratt's words, it seems that Jin and Ricky have figured out who this guy is.

''Really?!''

I've never seen...

　The two of them are also immensely disappointed. After all, a truffle was a truffle, even in this world.

'One thing Solomon did eat, though...'

　Shilomar reacts to the part about Solomon eating me, but I tucked it into my bag before Shilomar could get his nose near me.
　Shiroumar looks unhappy, but I can tell. This guy was going to eat a truffle! And....

　Anyway, it was decided that I would win the game of prey, and now we were going to hunt as a group. I was led in the opposite direction from where I found the truffle, but don't feel bad...



Hey, Temma, what's going on here?

　The djinn who were walking in the lead suddenly stopped and began to alert the area.
　Looking at where Jin was pointing, there were several gouged out marks on the ground, and there were signs that something had been fought over.

''That's definitely weird... okay, let's turn back! It should be nightfall soon. We'll spend the night at the place we just left.

　I played it safe, and Jin and Garratt agreed with me, but Ricky seemed to disagree.

'Why not? Maybe it's worth the money! Even if it's a powerful demon, it shouldn't be an enemy if it has all these men in place!

　He's confident in his own strength and he wants to go beat them because he's got all the right people here. But.........

'You're no better than an amateur when you're going after an unidentified object in the dark. Don't do it.

　Jin had cut him off with a buzz.

''Djinn has a point. Besides, it's the decision of Tenma, the leader of this party, and the majority disagrees. If you insist, wait until morning.

　Garratt also explains to Ricky why he disagrees. Ricky also reluctantly backed down after being told by two people who were obviously older than him.



　That night, they changed their plans a bit. My original plan was to move individually for the night as well, but since there was a high probability of an unidentified creature in the area, we all decided to stay on guard.

　I'm not sure if I've ever caught a creature in my search, but the farther away the search is, the less accurate it becomes, so if a creature is difficult to catch in a search, you have to be careful not to let your guard down and find yourself right next to it.
　Just to be sure, Shiroumaru is also on alert, so you won't be able to fool them until they smell it.

　At night, I tried to stay as quiet as possible and keep at least one person awake.
　Fortunately, I was able to make some tea from the wildflowers that were growing nearby, so I was able to distract myself.

　This tea, by the way, is quite bitter and astringent. So it had a bad reputation except for me.
　Jin said, "Bitter, is there something wrong with your tongue? He said.
　Garratt said, "Bitterness is good, but it's too austere! And diluted it with hot water.
　Ricky said, "Give me sugar, or honey! And he was drinking it sweetly.
　Shiroumaru and Solomon turned away and only Slarin was drinking it quietly.

　Well, this wildflower tea is only used as a secret flavor when blending, so if this is the only one you like, it's not a choice.

　But thanks to the taste, everyone seems to have lost their sleepiness, and we were able to spend the rest of the night without any problems until morning.
　Until the morning....


　First thing in the morning, Ricky suggested, 'Let's move individually first thing in the morning. Jin and the others agreed with this, saying that since we had held Ricky down yesterday, that would be good enough.
　I agreed because I thought the same thing, but I couldn't have foreseen at this point that this would lead to hardship later on.


'For now, let's just say we're going to hunt outside of where we were yesterday, shall we?

　As a minimum rule, they decided not to go where it had been rough yesterday, and they each scattered.
　Again, Slarin and Shiroumaru were away, and Solomon joined the stay-at-home group.
　It seems that the anger he received yesterday was bearable. Maybe he was a little too angry.



　Today I ran to the end of the road where I found the truffles.
　I slowed down a bit where I found the truffle, but still couldn't find it.　

　Beyond that, the trees were fewer and fewer, and instead they were covered by what looked like a bearcup.

'It's going to be tea, let's take some back with us.

　As I was picking at a clean spot on the bamboo leaf, I heard the presence of a large creature a short distance away.
　There were seven of the signs. One of them is a small one.

　As I approached, hiding myself with a bamboo branch to avoid being noticed, I saw a large white creature about 50 meters away.

Is that...a cow? "Appraisal.

　Breed...white beef, A grade equivalent

　And it came out. A white wild cow one of them is a calf. It's not a demon, it seems to be some kind of cow.
　But unlike a normal cow, it has eight legs. It's like a normal cow with one more foot in front of and behind the normal cow's foot. And it has four horns on its head.

''I haven't heard of a cow like that around here.................so it must have come from somewhere else?

　Anyway, if they're cows, they're good for meat. I'd love to hunt at least one cow somehow, but.....
　As I was looking for an opening, I noticed something strange.

　The largest wild cow in the herd seemed to be under attack from four other wild cows.
　There is a calf and a female cow behind the big wild cow.

'What's that? Are we fighting over meth?

　It must be hard to produce offspring in the wild... well, the same goes for humans...



　For a moment, my mind went back to the time I preached to Tida and the others, but if it leaves the males and females to take their turn, they'll be fine. Besides, they aren't originally from around here, they're like an alien species.
　Let's just call it that...

　Even as he was thinking about this, the four cows were still attacking, and the white wildebeest under attack had its white body stained with its own blood.



　With targeted wind magic, I cut the heads of the four white wild cows.
　The four cows that hadn't noticed me had fallen flat after having their heads cut off.

　As I got closer, I saw that the four heads were dying with their throats slashed, but they were still alive.

''Do you want to drain the blood................er, like this?

　I use earth magic to create four hills a little bigger than a white-haired wildebeest, and I use the Guardian Gigant, a giant guardian, to mount the cows on them and secure them in place.

　At the bottom of the slopes, he dug a hole and let the blood fall out. I cut a cut in the thick veins of the hind legs (all four of them) to make it easier for air to enter. I don't know if this was the right thing to do, but I felt it would be better to have an air hole at the top as well, since the blood was going to flow downwards.
　In addition, it would be troublesome if other beasts came by during the process, so I used wind magic to prevent the smell of blood from leaking out.

''So, the only thing left is you guys........''

　Behind me, I spoke to the white feral bull that was watching me work. I don't think he could understand what I was saying, but the moment I turned around, the male stood up and began to threaten me.

'I'm not going to hunt you guys, so get the hell out of here. I'll at least treat your injuries as a service.

　I've been in a good mood because I was able to hunt a big fish, and I cast a recovery spell on the male.
　The recovery magic made the wounds and so on disappear, but the damage was not removed, so the male didn't move on the spot.
　Instead, the calf approached me.

　The male and female are cooing and calling for the calf, but he's not bothered, coming up to me and sniffing my body and my bag.

'Is this what you want?'

　I took out the kumazasa I had just plucked and brought it to the calf's snout, and it began to eat the kumazasa with great relish.

'Cows eat kumazasa too, don't they...'

　I was a little surprised at the eating habits of the cows, and the calves ate all the kumazas in no time at all.
　The male and female were cautious at first, but then they realized that I didn't have any hostile intentions, and they became a little calmer.
　A short time later, when we had made progress in draining the blood out of them, the time for the meeting was approaching.

"I haven't bled out yet, but... well, we can manage it later.

　I put the four white wildebeest in a bag and froze the blood puddle before covering it with dirt to handle it.

'Alright, let's go and don't follow me...'

　The calf follows me. It looks like I've succeeded in feeding him.......not that I want him to follow me.
　As I was thinking this, the male and female cows also tried to follow me.

　When I think about it, if I'm gone from here, the magic will break and the smell of blood will fill the area. And then the carnivorous beasts will come by.
　A bull would be no match for most carnivorous beasts, but right now he's injured and slowed down, and there's a female and a calf. It would be difficult to protect the two cows.
　If that's the case, there's a good chance you'll be saved by following me, who had no hostile intentions and killed four white-haired wildebeest in the blink of an eye.

　I may be wrong, but I've come to that conclusion.
　So.....

"If you're gonna follow me, you're gonna have to listen to me. If you're gonna be quiet you're not gonna eat and then you're going to come in here.

　Then he widened the mouth of the bag that held the slarin'.
　At first, they looked confused, perhaps because of the scent of Shiroumaru and Solomon (a large carnivore), but then they saw the calf go in and followed quietly.




"There you are, Temma...
Game on!

　Jin and Garratt were back first again, waiting for me.

'How's that!'

　'The djinn's hunt has yielded two boars and a deer, and the rest are mushrooms and wildflowers.

'What, I'm better than you!

　Garratt has one boar, one deer, and five antler rabbits.

'Well is it a tie again?'

There are mushrooms this time!

'Why? You know I have more than a few!

　That's what Jin and Garratt say, but again, I think it's a reasonable result.

'Jin's mushrooms these are all poisonous mushrooms. And they're useless wildflowers that can be used as medicine, but they're all cheap medicines. Five of Garratt's horned rabbits are about the same as a boar.

　So, taking into account individual differences and other factors, I decided to call it a draw again this time.

'One!'

　As I was talking to the djinn and the others, Shiroumaru was sniffing the bag.

'Oh, you've noticed the quicksilver... okay Shiroumaru, and Solomon. These guys are our friends, so don't try to eat them.

　When I took the cows out of the bag, the djinn were more surprised than the cows.

"Hey, hey, that's a whitehead!

Hey, hey! Strangle me, or I'll help you if you do! So share some of it with me!

　Jin and Garratt are very excited. Apparently, white wildebeest is a high class meat.

No, they're a protected species. This is the one I killed. Here.

　Only the white wildebeest face emerged from the bag. Shiroumar and Solomon were slobbering reflexively.

'Alright, Temma! Let's eat, let's eat now!

We'll have to start with barbecue!

　They're out of control, but they're not ready to eat now.

'No, we haven't taken it apart or anything. If we do eat, it will be after we get home. I'll call you when we eat, so be patient for now.

　I promise! Jin and Garratt shouted in unison. It's kind of like more Shiroumaru and the others.

''But then again, Ricky's slow... let's look for him for a bit.

　I used the "search" to expand from my position away from the djinn and others, and I was closer than I thought. It's about 2km away. But it's funny how it moves.

Are they running away from something?

　Ricky's movements are zig-zagging and sudden reversals.　

'Let's spread it out a bit more.......this!

　The one that was at the end of the search is a rather large creature. It seems to have a "concealment" and cannot be "appraised".
　That's when I heard something roar. Quite large.

''Jin, there's a sign of Ricky at this cry! Maybe something is attacking me!

　I quickly evacuate the cows to my bag and run in the direction of where Ricky is.
　The djinn also started to run in response to my words.
　Shiroumaru and the others lagged a bit, but they soon caught up with me.

　About ten minutes after we started running, we heard something running around, knocking over trees.
　The chirping was getting louder and louder.

　As they passed through the trees, they saw the owner of the roar.

'That's a dragon!'