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[A Moment in the Morning]
Last night, the Sanctuary that I set up over the whole campsite before dinner allowed us to pass the night without any problems.
Even though the Sanctuary was set up, this was the deepest part of the forest with a high density of monsters, so to guard against sneak attack of monsters, we took turns to sleep at night and stand guard as a sentry.
However, most of the monsters could not break through the Sanctuary that I set up, gave up and left, but there’s one 《Electric Tiger》 that came when I was the sentry at dawn.
After that, while thinkingーit can’t break through the Sanctuary, huhーI bring down the Electric Tiger and decided to take out it’s electric fangs and skin it’s pelt, then the sun rises and everyone who was sleeping began to wake up.
Then, after a while, it started to smell nice, and Noelia called me.
“Frick-sama, the breakfast is ready. Sorry for making this simple dish with the leftovers of yesterday, but please eat it.”
In Noelia’s hands, there was a dish with thinly sliced Dragon Newt meat sandwiched between breads and a cup with a hot drink.
“Thanks. I’ll wash my hands right away.”
“Then, I’ll wait for you. Please come back before it gets cold, okay.”
“Ah, alright.”
Replying to Noelia, I went to wash my hands that had brought an end to the Electric Tiger at the watering place in the campsite to clean it from filth.
When I returned, I received the breakfast from Noelia who was waiting and eat it.
Although it was only seasoned with salt, the fresh meat of the Dragon Newt was superbly delicious.
The well-bleeded Dragon Newt meat is traded at high prices. This is because the aristocrats of each region are valuing it highly.
“It’s delicious.”
“Frick-sama was so good at drawing blood, so it’s delicious even just by roasting it with salt. In my case, the last time when I eat the meat that I bleeded poorly, it was somewhat reeking of blood. But this time, it turns out to be very delicious.”
Noelia, who had prepared the meal and hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, also sitting next to me and eating together with me
The daughter of the Frontier Count Lloyd, Noelia, was an eccentric child who entered an apprenticeship of a mage to learn magic and live an adventurer life to test her magic in real battle.
So, she can also handle camp life without problems, which a normal noble’s daughter would be noisy about.
“Dragon Newt’s small body makes it easy for blood to circulate throughout it’s body. If you do not draw it out at once, the smell will permeated the meat.”
While teaching Noelia how to bleed the Dragon Newt, I was reminded of Alfine.
Her cooking skill is too devastating, she couldn’t make something eatable.
That’s why, Iーwho naturally had to be in charge of cookingーhad to do everything from looking for ingredients and making the dishes.
Now that I think about it, after I became in charge of cooking, Alfine abandoned the chores such as cleaning and laundry and left it to me.
Maybe she came to a clean decision that I, who got the ability to do the chores, naturally had to do it.
But the reason I could do it is just because I got used to it though…
“Frick-sama, what’s wrong?”
“Ah, no. Nothing. Rather than that, if you eat the breakfast leisurely, everyone will leave you behind y’know.”
“Eh? Ah, yes. That’s right. I’ll hurry.”
I squeeze the rest of the bread into my mouth and pour it down with a drink, as if to cut off the bad memory.
Noelia was also doing the same as me.
“Thanks for the food.”
“No, it wasn’t much. I will wash the cups, so please continue your own preparation, Frick-sama. My luggage is small, so it does not take much time to prepare.”
“Thanks. I’ll take you up on your word.”
I handed the cup to Noelia and decided to start packing for traveling.
Today we are going to the “Abyss Hole” in order to do the real purpose of the investigation team, to visit the graves of the people who have fallen in the battle in the “Great Invasion”.
The distance is just nearby, so when the grave visit is over, we will immediately return to Youg Hannotes.
“Well now, should I pack this in my bag?”
In front of me was the material for of the two Dragon Newts I hunted yesterday.
Anything other than the meat, like scales, wing membranes, fangs and also bones are useful as materials for armors and weapons and can be turned over to the Adventurer’s Guild at high price.
It is said that there is no part of a Dragon that should be thrown away, but it’s child, Dragon Newt was also the same.
Electric Tiger’s fangs that generate electricity is also popular as a weapon material, and it’s fur is in high demand as a material for armor to protect against electricity.
I packed those materials in my bag and reduced the weight with Weight Saving I learned yesterday.
I confirm the weight by carrying the bag on my back.
Unlike before, it was considerably lighter.
“Alright, it became lighter. It’s like having nothing on my shoulders.”
“Frick-dono…we have a request.”
The escort knights talked to me who has finished packing.
“Request?”
“Yes, if it’s possible…If you still have surplus in your magic power, can you please use that Weight Saving on our bag?”
“Ah, so it’s about that. It consumes almost no magic power, so it’s okay y’know. Lighter luggage makes it easier to move after all.”
“W-we’re indebted to you.”
The escort knights were bowing their heads like they’re sorry.
Although the knights were trained, the heavy luggages seems to take a toll on them, and it seems that the knight who carry the bag that was applied with Weight Saving yesterday emphasise it’s effect to his comrades.
I applied Weight Saving on the bag of the escort knights who finished their preparations.
The knights who haven’t experienced it were surprised when they check the weight.
“Brat, are you going to corrupt my escort knights?”
The Frontier Count Lloyd, who had finished his preparation, called out to me, who has finished applying Weight Saving on the knights’ luggages.
“W-was it wrong?”
Lloyd was looking at me and the escort knights with a severe gaze.
“I mean it’s only the trash nobles who holed up in Royal Capital would think like that. If the brat’s magic reduces the burden on my escort knights, the danger of me who was being escorted will reduces as well. You can use it freely.”
“Haa, thank you very much.”
Apparently, he wasn’t angry about using magic to reduce the burden on the escort knights.
Since he was an adventurer himself, he seems to know the trouble of carrying luggage, so he doesn’t rebuke the knights, and maybe because he felt the knights’ hesitation, he said it for them.
“Lloyd-sama, it’s about time to leave.”
“Sorry I’m late. I’ve also finished my preparation.”
Noelia, who was cleaning up, has come as well, and everyone’s preparations were completed.
“Now then, it looks like our preparations has finished, so let’s depart.”
According to Lloyd’s order, after we left the camp, we set off for our final destination, the Abyss Hole.