Part 1
“Hannah, Sanya, are you ready?”
“Yes!” said the two.
It was the day we were going to power up Hannah and Sanya. Hannah was my slave anyway, but Sanya was neither my slave nor anything else. However, I couldn’t leave this wolf-beastman who had Ayumi’s face, and she also wanted to be with her sister, so I decided to strengthen her as well.
First of all, their attributes and skills.
“Eat up.”
“Thank you very much, Master.” they said in unison.
You don’t need to say thanks for everything I did, you know. And Sanya, you don’t need to call me Master! Anyway, I had them eat some grilled meat that would increase attributes and grant skills.
Name: Hannah (Before Strengthening)
Job: Fighting King, Level 28
Skills: [Strong Arm] [Staff Technique] [Close-Combat Technique] [Strong Body]
Racial Skills: [Sense of Smell Enhancement] [Auditory Enhancement]
Attributes: HP [C] | MP [G] | STR [C] | INT [E] | AGI [C] | DEX [D] | LUK [E]
Name: Hannah (After Strengthening)
Job: Fighting King, Level 28
Skills: [Strong Arm] [Staff Technique] [Close-Combat Technique] [Strong Body] [Body Strengthening] [Night Vision] [Acceleration] [Presence Detection] [Monstrous Strength] [Sturdy] [Iron Wall] [Camouflage] [Flee] [Absolute Defense] [Moderation] [Intuition] [Shadow Sewing]
Racial Skills: [Sense of Smell Enhancement] [Auditory Enhancement]
Attributes: HP [A] | MP [E] | STR [A] | INT [C] | AGI [A] | DEX [B] | LUK [C]
Hannah’s new skills were [Body Strengthening], [Night Vision], [Acceleration], [Presence Detection], [Monstrous Strength], [Sturdy], [Iron Wall], [Camouflage], [Flee], [Absolute Defense], [Moderation], [Intuition], and [Shadow Sewing].
Name: Sanya (Before Strengthening)
Job: Outfighter, Level 8
Skills: [Throwing] [Physical Strength Enhancement] [Presence Blocking]
Racial Skills: [Evasion]
Attributes: HP [E] | MP [G] | STR [C] | INT [D] | AGI [C] | DEX [C] | LUK [F]
Name: Sanya (After Strengthening)
Job: Outfighter, Level 8
Skills: [Throwing] [Physical Strength Enhancement] [Presence Blocking] [Strong Arm] [Body Strengthening] [Night Vision] [Acceleration] [Presence Detection] [Monstrous Strength] [Sturdy] [Iron Wall] [Camouflage] [Absolute Defense] [Moderation] [Intuition] [Shadow Sewing]
Racial Skills: [Evasion]
Attributes: HP [C] | MP [E] | STR [A] | INT [B] | AGI [C] | DEX [A] | LUK [D]
Sanya’s new skills were [Strong Arm], [Body Strengthening], [Night Vision], [Acceleration], [Presence Detection], [Monstrous Strength], [Sturdy], [Iron Wall], [Camouflage], [Absolute Defense], [Moderation], [Intuition], and [Shadow Sewing].
Whether it was because they were sisters, or were the same type of werewolf, or had the same physical job, they had the same skill system. Almost all of their attributes increased by two levels, and if they level up some, their attributes will increase further, and they will also learn more skills.
Both of them had physical jobs, and [Shadow Sewing] is a skill that would consume MP, so I figured if [Shadow Sewing] was their only skill that uses MP, they wouldn’t spend so much, so it wouldn’t be a problem.
“Master…” they breathed, in a daze. That’s not all, you know.
“Next, I’ll make some equipment for both of you.”
Canaan stopped me before I could think about it any further.
“Master, why don’t you ask Hannah and Sanya about their preferences first?”
She’s right, it’s better to ask them!
“What kind of equipment do you want, Hannah?”
“Thank you very much for asking. I want maid clothes, please!”
“Eh? Maid clothes? These are supposed to be for combat, you know?”
“It’s my duty to serve you, Master. That’s why I want maid clothes!” she said determinedly.
Alright, whether it’s maid clothes or bikini suits, I’ll make it.
I took out the Emperor Dragon’s material from [Material Storage] and used it to make her equipment with [Equivalent Exchange].
The Legendary Dog-Ears Headband: Moe moe maid equipment with auditory enhancement (extreme). Master, it’s so fluffy, you know~♪
Moe Moe Maid Clothes: Moe moe maid equipment with physical attack resistance (extreme), and magic attack resistance (extreme). Master~!
Maid Gloves: Moe moe maid equipment that increases STR by one stage! Touching with bare hands is just…
Moe Moe High Socks: Moe moe maid equipment that increases AGI by one stage! Don’t wrap it around your neck!
Moe Moe Boots: Moe moe maid equipment that increases kicking power (extreme)! Don’t sniff it!
Fist Sack: There is nothing I can’t crush! I’ll smash your p●nis too! (T/N: チ●コ lol)
…Sigh, the usual weird explanations. They aren’t dog ears, they’re wolf ears, you know? I wondered if Hannah’s pride could accept that, but she said, “If Master says it’s a dog, I’ll be a dog.”
I appreciate it, but I won’t demand that much! What’s with the fist sack’s explanation? I beg your pardon!
“Thank you very much, Master!”
“Yeah, do your best not to die.”
“Yes!”
Why did I suddenly forget… is this thing called animal ears because it’s so fluffy!? Is that okay? It’s okay, isn’t it? Animal ears… whoa, animal ears really feel good!
Canaan! Don’t try to rip your ears off and put them on your head! Stop it, that’s terrible!
“Sanya, you’re next. What do you want?”
I took my eyes off Canaan and shifted to Sanya. Hannah kept looking at me. I’m happy, but this is chaos.
“Yes, I’d like to wear light leather armor!”
Sanya replied to me normally even after she saw Canaan and Hannah. She seems to know she shouldn’t bother those two now. I was so happy to have someone around who could read the mood.
“I can use [Throwing] to attack, so if you don’t mind, could you give me a throwing ax?”
“Throwing ax? You’re going to throw an ax?”
“Yes!”
Scary! Do people even use axes for throwing weapons? I know people use daggers and spears, but axes? I couldn’t imagine it. Still, I took out the Emperor Dragon materials again to meet Sanya’s demand and create her equipment.
Animal Ears Head Cover: A headcover for animal ears and by animal ears. It has the effect of auditory enhancement (extreme)!
Emperor Dragon’s Leather Armor: Leather armor with physical attack resistance (extreme) and magic attack resistance (extreme). This is the perfect item for such a slim lady!
Emperor Dragon’s Gauntlet: A gauntlet with increased throwing power (extreme). You’re being adorned with stylish items!
Emperor Dragon’s Knee-Guard: A knee-guard that increases AGI by one stage. This scale pattern is stunning, right?
Emperor Dragon’s Boots: It’s a boot that increases evasive ability. It’s perfect for active people such as young ladies!
Emperor Dragon Fang’s Tomahawk: A small ax for throwing. It’s a set of four axes with a self-recovery function. Each axe, after being thrown, will automatically return to its owner. It’s a perfect item for you, the bloody one!
…Why was the head cover the only one without the Emperor Dragon’s name!? And why are animal ears attached to it instead? It’s like it was saying I’m a pervert who loves animal ears! It was already looking like my personal hobby, and I’m incredibly sorry about that!
Well, I really did like it…
What about the Emperor Dragon Fang’s Tomahawk? You don’t have to bother telling me who the bloody one is in the explanation. I wonder who actually writes this flavor text… though I have no way of finding out, no matter how much I want to.
“Wow, it’s amazing. Thank you very much, Master! Look, look, sister!”
That beautiful girl was laughing and swinging around the Emperor Dragon Fang’s Tomahawk. It’s chaos.
“S-Sanya, do your best, too.”
It’s emotionally difficult since she has Ayumi’s face, but if she wants to fight, I want to make her wishes come true. I couldn’t do anything for Ayumi in Japan, so that’s how I feel, at least.
“Yes!”
The wolf-beastman sisters who were delighted with each other began to change their clothes in front of me. Well, Sanya could wear her leather armor on top of her clothes, but Hannah completely stripped down to change. Such indecent breasts!
“You’re so bold, sis!” Sanya was amazed at Hannah’s audacity.
“What are you talking about? As Master’s slave, it’s natural to show him everything!”
Eh? Really? Now that she mentions it, Canaan also got naked in front of me, but is that because she’s a slave?
…Sanya, don’t take off the clothes you just put on! Stop it!
“Master, you have a nosebleed…”
Canaan wiped my nosebleed.
These three girls have devastating bodies! But damn, Sanya has Ayumi’s face, so I shouldn’t think of her as the opposite sex, but despite that, why does seeing her boobs like that make me shudder?
▼▼▼
Count Abbas rewarded me with 30 million gold for strengthening Goliath and the others. He seemed quite happy to have that degree of war potential, which could be described not only as the highest level in the country, but even as the highest in the whole world.
Rotten also went back to being Count Abbas’ vassal, but he couldn’t be the captain of the knights as before. Therefore, it seems he settled down as the platoon leader of the guard. The guard seems to work to protect the entire city as well as thin out monsters and capture bandits across the territory, and Rotten apparently led a unit to thin out monsters. Today, that guy was going to lead a troop to do just that.
I bid farewell to Count Abbas, Allie, and the others. Goliath lamented our parting with dripping snot. I’m glad you feel that way, but I don’t want to hug you! I smacked him and exchanged goodbyes with the other people who were gathered around.
“I’m going to miss you. Come visit me anytime.”
“You already gave me a dagger, so I’ll come back when I feel like it.”
Count Abbas came all the way to see me off at his mansion’s gate, even though he wouldn’t normally do such a thing.
“Sumeragi-sama, please be healthy until the day we meet again.”
“Yeah, Allie, too.”
Her fox-ears twitched as she directed a smile at me. A beautiful woman’s smile is always an exciting sight.
Leaving the Count’s mansion, we went to bid farewell to Sidele.
“So that’s it? I’m going to miss you then…”
“I’m sorry to decrease your profit then, Sidele.”
“No, no, I’m really indebted to you for taking care of Canaan. I actually feel bad for not being able to repay you for that.”
Apparently he felt a debt of gratitude to me for saving Canaan and clearing the false accusations against her, though she’s not even his own daughter. This is Sidele’s sense of propriety, I guess. In the end, Canaan went back to being my slave, so it’s kind of awkward for you to feel so indebted.
Part 2
Worried about the Great Bird coming out of its typical habitat, we checked the Great Borf Forest and confirmed that hordes of monsters were heading to Algria. If we left these hordes alone, Algria would be destroyed. Even though Goliath and the others were trained, a bunch of mere level 100s like them couldn’t stop that many enemies at once.
Killing monsters would be the ideal thing to level up Hannah and Sanya. But before that, there was something we needed to do.
Breaking their limits, of course.
As we walked through the Great Borf Forest, I managed to find a good candidate: An elephant-like monster called a silver elephant, whose body shone with a beautiful silver color. Contrary to its appearance, it had a wild temperament; it’s a monster that would charge and ram things, mowing down large trees when it got angry.
It was a level 230 monster, so it was suitable for Hannah’s third stage limit break.
“Hannah, attack that silver elephant on my signal.”
“Yes!”
I held up Black Mist and sliced at it with [Moderation] active.
(You’re always doing this lately. If you don’t find a stronger opponent, your combat instincts will dull.)
(I’ll be looking for a good candidate for that, so be patient.)
Black Mist grumbled, but Hannah and Sanya were my current priorities.
I drove the silver elephant until it was nearly dead, and held it in place with Dark Binding, a [Dark Magic] spell.
“Hannah!”
“Yes!”
At my signal, Hannah ran up to the silver elephant and activated [Body Strengthening], [Strong Arm], [Monstrous Strength], and [Acceleration], and attacked it with all her strength.
Her attack sent shock waves through her surroundings, and her entire right arm exploded. As a result of only raising her STR without increasing her HP, and the momentum from attacking while using [Acceleration], her body must not have been able to withstand it.
“Big sis!”
“Hannah-san!”
Hannah’s arm may have exploded, but the silver elephant also died. Blood poured from the stump of her arm, and her face was pale. She was enduring the pain while gritting her teeth. It was impressive that she didn’t even cry out from her arm exploding.
“Hannah, are you alright? Eat this.”
I cram a slice of grilled meat into Hannah’s mouth, who’s gritting her teeth.
“You don’t have to chew, just swallow it. Canaan, water.”
“Yes!”
I tried to pour water into Hannah’s mouth, since she couldn’t chew the meat, but it wasn’t going well. I got impatient, so I held the water in my mouth and forced it into her mouth that way.
“Master!”
Canaan and Sanya were saying something, but I couldn’t pay attention to them right now.
Hannah gulped the water down. Once the slice of grilled meat was forced into her mouth with aid from the water, her right arm began to regenerate. It was a familiar sight, but still grotesque. When her right arm finished regenerating, I got her to eat two more slices just in case.
“Master is so kind…”
Excuse me, hey! I’m always kind!
“It was so spartan when you trained me. As I thought, it’s because of ears, right!?”
“It’s not about the ears at all, Canaan! Look, I helped when you were surrounded by the monkeys, remember?”
“Mmh, you did, but…”
She somehow looked unconvinced. I was angry about her false accusation, but I’m a gentleman, so I won’t direct anger at a woman.
This is probably because I met Canaan. Her big heart and… natural airheadedness might be healing my heart, which was in a rough state after being abandoned. I have to thank her for that.
“I apologize for the inconvenience.”
Hannah, whose right arm and complexion had been restored thanks to the meat, lowered her head. Her face was a little red; maybe her blood circulation had improved.
“Don’t worry about it. My cooking can still heal you as long as you don’t instantly die, so don’t overdo it.”
“Yes, thank you very much!”
It would be Sanya’s turn next.
Her opponent was a monster called a sylferia, level 220. It looks like a fairy with a cute and charming appearance, but if you approach it attracted by that cute appearance, its mouth will suddenly open to an unexpected size and it will bite you with sharp and atrocious teeth. Its whole head opens up, as if the whole thing is one big mouth. I remember my spirit being seriously damaged when I saw it for the first time.
“I’ll weaken it, and Sanya will deal the finishing blow, just like Hannah. Use your HP-boosting skill to strengthen your physical body.”
“Yes!”
Since we saw Hannah’s right arm explode, I decided Sanya should use the skill to strengthen her body. It would be a terrifying sight if she threw her Emperor Dragon Fang Tomahawks along with her arms.
I immediately approached the sylferia and swung Black Mist. A screaming sound reverberated from the sylferia’s gaping mouth, and its hideous teeth were in full view, but naturally I didn’t get bitten.
I activated [Shadow Sewing] and restrained the sylferia’s movements.
“Sanya!”
“Yes!”
When I sent Sanya a signal to attack, a thunderous sound was heard, and the sylferia’s head (mouth) was severed. This may be attributable to the sylferia’s paper-thin defenses, and the high performance of the Emperor Dragon Fang Tomahawk that Sanya threw.
Hannah’s right hand had exploded, but her fist guard remained intact. The emperor dragon material’s weapons are quite sturdy.
Their levels shot up. Hannah, now level 93, and Sanya, now level 84, were fighting some ogres led by an ogre general. The appearance of those two cooperating and annihilating the small-fry ogres really made them seem like a combat race.
Hannah was attacking in a rampage of kicks and punches at ogres, and Sanya’s tomahawk exploded through any ogres who tried to attack from Hannah’s blind spot. Because they were sisters, they could keep track of each other without even looking. They hadn’t even made eye contact.
Their cooperation is incredible. I wonder how they’re so good at it.
Come to think of it, I didn’t have a chance to use it, but I also had skills such as [Collaboration] and [Group Action]. It may not make much of a difference to them, but I’ll give it to them anyway after the battle. Maybe they can synchronize on an even higher level.
The ogre general’s attacks cut empty air, and Hannah threw out counter-attacks matched with its attacks. It’s a stunning hit-and-run combat style. Dance like a butterfly, sting like a bee! The ogre general couldn’t even touch her; Hannah moved her body expertly to toy with the monster.
Furthermore, Sanya threw her tomahawk from the ogre general’s blind spot and severed its femur. The ogre general screamed painfully and lost its balance after its thick leg was cut off, and Hannah didn’t miss the opportunity for a roundhouse kick from behind, landing a critical hit on the ogre general’s face.
The giant fang that protruded from its mouth was miserably broken, its consciousness was in tatters, and it collapsed spread-eagled on the ground. Sanya’s tomahawk caved its skull in, making doubly sure of its death.
Even if the ogre general was a higher level than they were, seeing the complete victory smile from those two, really does make them seem like a combat race.
I collected a large number of ogre corpses and headed towards our primary goal.
Right, the extermination of those monster hordes.
I headed north of the Great Borf Forest and came across a small herd from the south.
“Master, are those the ones?” Sanya asked to confirm while her animal ears twitched. When I turned to look at her, I only saw Ayumi’s face. I froze for a moment, startled.
(What are you doing? Even if those are small-fry, don’t let your guard down in front of the enemy!)
(O-oh… right…)
Damn, if I didn’t know it was Sanya, I’d think she really was Ayumi.
“Master?”
Sanya looked at me curiously. Canaan and Hannah looked at me suspiciously.
I shook my head and tried to seal Ayumi in the back of my mind. And yet, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
“It’s nothing. That’s probably a herd that moved after being pushed away by the large hordes going south.”
(What are you worried about, Tsukuru? Tell me.)
(It’s nothing.)
(You and I are connected by our hearts. I can feel your heart screaming. Sometimes these things are easier if you talk about them.)
I was silent for a moment. That may be so, but now is not the time.
I looked at the three girls’ faces.
Canaan was worried about me and didn’t know what to do. Hannah looked uneasy about whether she’d made any mistakes. Sanya looked at me with sparkling eyes and seemed to have no anxiety. All three of them were my companions I had to protect… Yes, these girls are my companions.
I took a deep breath and looked at them again.
“The three of you will now proceed to annihilate those monsters.”
“Right!” they said in unison.
(It’s not a breakthrough, but it seems to have settled.)
(Sooner or later… I think I’ll be able to sort out this feeling.)
(Is that so? Then I’ll be watching.)
“Canaan, burn them.”
“Understood!”
Canaan held the red sage’s staff in both hands, and when she lifted it in front of her face, she opened her closed eyes.
“Burn them all! Flare Storm!”
Our entire field of view was dyed red by the vortex of flames. Canaan’s magic burned not only the monsters, but the trees, the ground, and the atmosphere in the forest.
“S-so hot!”
Sanya covered her face with her arms.
“This is amazing!”
Hannah was surprised to see the power of magic that exceeded common sense.
A mighty flame that burns your skin even from a distance was swallowing a horde of about a hundred monsters and fully massacring 70% of them in one shot.
“Okay. Hannah, Sanya, go!”
“Yes!” they affirmed.
Many of the surviving monsters were already near death, so a simple strike from Hannah was enough to turn them into corpses. Sanya’s Emperor Dragon Fang Tomahawk flew to cover Hannah, accurately hitting vital points on the sluggish monsters.
Even when Hannah was surrounded by monsters, Sanya followed her skilfully, and they were unscathed even though the monsters were above their levels. Within 20 minutes, the monsters were annihilated entirely, and the two returned.
“Thank you for your efforts.”
“No, this much isn’t a big deal!”
“Like big sis said! I’ll show you results that you won’t be ashamed of after giving me this equipment!”
They were terrifically excited for some reason. But if I only praise them, Canaan would sulk off, so I had to praise her as well. In truth, her preemptive strike killed off more than half of the horde, so of course I’d praise her.
“Canaan, you did well.”
When I patted Canaan’s head, she narrowed her eyes.
“T-thank you very much!”
She accepted my praise with red cheeks. So, it was already evening when we proceeded to annihilate some small-scale hordes.
“We’re camping here today. Canaan, set up the tent. Hannah, Sanya, set up the magic items to ward off the monsters around here.”
“Yes!” they said in unison.
The tent set up by Canaan looks like a small tent for two people, but when you enter it, it’s about 50 square meters wide, with four beds and a sofa. It was even air-conditioned, too. It made for a comfortable space.
This was a magic tent I bought at Sidele’s store and substantially improved with [Equivalent Exchange]. It’s easy to install and just needs supplied with magic when it’s placed. However, because of that second requirement, Hannah and Sanya can’t install it.
“I’m going to set up the tent!”
Canaan took out the magic tent from a cheap magic bag she’d purchased at Sidele’s store, and supplied it with magic power. Needless to say, this magic bag’s ability was also significantly improved with [Equivalent Exchange]. Not only was its capacity increased, but it even had a time delay function. I unfortunately couldn’t make it stop time, but if I needed that, it would be better to use my [Material Storage] skill instead.
“Master, we have completed the installation of monster wards.” said Hannah and Sanya. I asked them to install the wards in four places. I bought those monster wards at Sidele’s shop, but it doesn’t work on the high-level monsters which inhabit the Great Borf Forest. Therefore, these too were amplified with [Equivalent Exchange].
Apart from monsters on the level of the emperor dragon, it should be firmly effective on level 200+ monsters such as the hell bear. We were making camp in the middle of the forest, after all.
“Since I have troubled the three of you, today’s dinner is curry.”
When it comes to camp food, you gotta have curry. Curry is the ultimate camping food!
“Really? Yay, curry, it’s curry. Yay~yay~”
Canaan was delighted and jumping for joy. Are you a child? Suddenly I feel like the straight man in a comedy sketch.
Previously, I tried to make curry when I got some spices, and that was very popular with Canaan. Since then, she’d become captivated by curry. It seems to be Hannah and Sanya’s first time eating curry, so they didn’t understand the reason for Canaan’s joyful dancing.
The curry was cooked in a pot with several kinds of spices. When the aroma came out, I chopped onions and threw them into the pot until they browned. Add the ginger and garlic, then add the tomatoes, add the yogurt, and stir it again with low heat. Add the powdered spices here, and season with salt.
Mix lightly with the delicious Ellyn River water and boil under high heat to thicken it. Also add more spices to enhance the fragrance. The curry sauce was completed.
“Speaking of which, is it okay for wolf-beastmen to eat onions?”
“Even if we’re called wolves, we’re still beastmen, so it’s not a problem. I like cooking with onions.”
“For me, onions taste a little too strong…”
“So Hannah liked it, and Sanya doesn’t like the taste, huh.”
Onions won’t be a problem, then. Basically, they eat what humans eat. Rather, they might be more comprehensive than humans since they can also eat raw meat. I see, are people in this world not eating fresh beef, horse meat, etc…?
I sliced the rib meat off of a giant buffalo, a level 180 monster, diced it, fried it in another pan, mixed it with the curry sauce after it was moderately baked, and added more tomatoes and milk. Finally, I added the coffee powder for some hidden flavor, and it was done.
Since curry alone feels lonely, I combined it with some deep-fried food such as tonkatsu karaage, and some boiled eggs and cheese. After that, I put the rice cooked in Ellyn River water into the plate along with the curry, and the meal was complete.
Of course, the rice and the curry sauce were prepared in large quantities for Canaan, plus a large amount of deep-fried add-ons.
When I put so much food on the table, Canaan was staring at them with fierce eyes like a lion aiming for its prey. Hey, wipe your drool…
“Well then, let’s eat… itadakimasu.”
“Itadakimasu!” said the three girls.
Canaan started scooping spoonfuls of curry and rice into her mouth with tremendous speed.
“D-deliciouusssss!”
I’m glad you like it, but I don’t think you have to cry.
“It’s true! It’s so tasty!” said Hannah and Sanya. They seemed quite pleased with it.
“Master, this karaage 一 is also 一 very delicious 一 ” Canaan said while eating, munching, and chewing.
“Well, eat up, I made a lot of it just for you.”
You can’t talk while eating, Canaan.
“Yay!” She suddenly coughed and asked for water, no doubt having sent food down the wrong pipe. Hannah gave her some water and she gulped it down immediately.
“Ahhh, I’ve come back to life.”
“It’s because you’re talking while eating so quickly. There’s plenty of it here, so eat slowly.”
“Yes!”
Did she really understand? The food was getting vacuumed up by Canaan alone. The tonkatsu karaage was all piled up before, yet the plates were already bare. Even the large pot of curry was already empty.
I’m not the only one wondering where all that food goes in her slender body. The sisters, Hannah and Sanya, also opened their mouths widely at Canaan.
As I said before, if eating contests and championships exist in this world, Canaan would be a famous participant.
By the way, whether I make one serving of food or ten servings, the effects granted by that food will be the same. The only difference is how much of it is made and how much of the materials are used up, but the effects themselves don’t improve based on how much food is cooked. Well, that’s how it’s supposed to be, but… considering the power of Canaan’s magic, maybe its effects will actually improve if one eats more than a certain amount? Should I test that next?
Part 3
The next morning, Hannah, Sanya, and I all ate rice balls to top off our stomachs, except Canaan, who still needed a full meal to fill her belly.
“All right, let’s go.”
“Yes!” They replied.
Still, since she can move normally, I’d really like to confirm how strong Canaan’s stomach is.
A group of weak monsters was being pursued by a group of strong monsters. The weaker ones were ogres this time. A lot of the corpses had missing body parts. From that alone, you could tell Hannah’s and Sanya’s attack power had already surpassed ogres. Their battle instincts had exceeded common sense. Even the ogre king was like a child in front of Hannah.
After the ogres came boagnons. Hannah’s level went up after the battle with the ogres, and her excellent fighting ability and attacks frightened the horde of boagnons.
If you consider a wolf versus a monkey, wolves are associated with dogs, so you could say it’s like dogs vs monkeys*. The grand battle began. (T/N: an example of a bad relationship, like that between cats and dogs.)
The boagnon fought using tricky moves, but Hannah flew around the canopy even more cleverly than they did. Since Sagna was accurately covering Hannah, her battle against the boagnons was practically safe.
Next was hyena wolves. Since there were more of them than there had been boagnons, Hanna and Sanya’s one-on-one fighting style wasn’t very efficient. It was Canaan’s turn now.
“Canaan, burn them to ashes!”
“Got it! …Hyaa!”
Canaan incinerated everything in front of us with a cute voice. The hyena wolves were visibly decimated in the wake of Canaan’s ranged attack, but there were still hundreds of them.
“Hannah, Sanya, go!”
“Yes!” they said in unison.
Hannah rushed in on my command, leaving hyena wolf corpses in her wake wherever she went. She was fantastic, but Sanya’s impressive too with her Emperor Dragon Fang Tomahawk flying around. A single throw will carve up as many as a dozen or more. The weapon chops through hyena wolves as if it has a mind of its own.
“Penetrate them! Gatling Fire!”
Small fireballs flew through the air at high speed. More than a hundred of them were launched at a time, quickly thinning out the remaining hyena wolves. Each of these fireballs is effective enough to pierce through the hyena wolf to some extent and burn them severely.
Hannah’s mobility and Sanya’s support were impressive, but as one would expect, Canaan’s magic was the best against a high number of enemies.
The power of her magic doesn’t fit with Hannah and Sanya’s common sense. On the other hand, the physical shape of their animal ears doesn’t fit with Canaan’s common sense, either. From my perspective, I think all three of them break common sense. In other words, I’m the most normal of all of us.
“Master is the most ridiculous person here!” they said in unison.
Why are they all in sync now!?
The herd they were just fighting was a large advance horde, after which monsters with levels over 200 were already waiting. That could be called their main force.
Canaan let out a satisfied gasp after drinking from a bottle. “Ahh! The juice Master makes is delicious!”
I’d like to tell her not to drink with her hands on her hips like an old man after taking a bath. That juice was squeezed from oranges and has the effect of restoring magic power. I separated it into small bottles and handed 10 of them to Canaan.
“Canaan, give Hannah and Sanya some time to rest.”
“Understood!”
Canaan, having recovered her magical power, shot more Gatling Fire. This attack which can reduce the consumption of magic power even in ranged attacks, seems to be an easy to use magic ideal for when faced with an overwhelming numerical disadvantage. This was also possible because Canaan possessed [Mana Control (3)].
“Geez, how many of them were there…”
“Your skills are getting better, big sis…”
The animal-eared sister, now able to rest thanks to Canaan’s support, was quite tired. Especially Hannah — she’d been moving around on the front line, so she was on the verge of total exhaustion.
“Eat up. You two are already tired.”
I gave them a hamburger that can be quickly eaten, even on a busy battlefield. The ingredients were simple, with Giant Buffalo meat, patties, lettuce, and onions, and flavored with tomato ketchup and mustard.
“Delicious! And I don’t feel tired at all anymore!”
“It’s true! My skill is going up, big sis!”
They thanked me while tearing into their food.
“Oh, eat this when it gets difficult. Though it’s not the best manners, you can eat it even while you’re moving. It’s weird to say this when you’re dealing with monsters anyway, but safety first.”
“Yes!” said the sister.
Their tired expressions had melted away, replaced with a cheerful energy. They returned to the front line.
In a total of ten hours, we finally annihilated the hordes of monsters. Still, the three of them were in high spirits because I was continually recovering them from magical, physical, and mental fatigue with the juices and burgers I made.
“Alright, that’s it for today. We’re going to go back and camp.”
“Yes!” They answered.
We retreated to prepare camp.
“Alright, you’ve worked hard today, so I’m going to make spare ribs and paella.”
“Spare ribs? Paella? What kind of food is that?”
Don’t they have spare ribs or paella in this world?
“What I call spare ribs is a dish where the rib meat of the danger pig is marinated in sweet and spicy sauce before being cooked.”
Danger pigs are level 180 pig-shaped monsters about the size of a cow. It looks cute other than its size, but when you get close, it’s a violent monster that attacks with rage to the point its own territory can be destroyed.
“Whoa~, it sounds delicious.”
Canaan, wipe your drool!
“Just listening to the description brings out your appetite.”
“We’re the only ones that can eat danger pig meat, even though it’s such a vast world. I’m looking forward to it!”
The animal-eared sister made a good point. Alright, big brother will do his best!
“Paella is a kind of rice dish with various ingredients. It’s also quite tasty.”
“Master, I want to eat it immediately!” Canaan said while drooling.
I-I got it, so wipe your drool!
“I’m looking forward to it, too!” said the wolf-beastman sister.
I put ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, sake, mustard, grated garlic, and grated ginger into a bowl to make the sauce. Once that was done, I immersed the danger pig rib meat in the sauce and left it there for a while.
Once the flavor is adequately soaked in, it’s originally baked in an oven, but I’ll use [Ultimate Cooking] here. While I could easily do the entire cooking process in an instant with [Ultimate Cooking], that wouldn’t be any fun, so I was just doing the parts I could without it.
The sauce, based on soy sauce, had a fragrant aroma. Canaan’s eyes, when she smelled it, turned sharp like a bird watching its prey.
Paella was made with shrimp and shellfish from the Ellyn River and great bird thigh. Pour oil into a huge frying pan and fry the garlic, then add the onions, peppers, and mushrooms and cook them together with the thigh meat.
While that’s going, wash the rice, then put it in and stir it quickly, add water, season with salt and pepper, add ketchup, then add the saffron for garnishing. Finally, put in the shrimp and shellfish, close the lid, and cook. When the lid opens, a garlic-based aroma wafts out to stimulate your appetite.
Canaan-kun, once again, wipe your drool.
It’s lackluster if there’s only meat and rice, so I will make a salad to animate it. Cut the lettuce into pieces of appropriate size and expose them to water. Serve onion slices, cucumbers, tomatoes, and thin slices of kokko breast (kokko is a level 100 chicken-like monster). I put a slightly sour but refreshing lemon-based dressing on it.
Place the finished spare ribs, paella, and salad on the desk. The smell was inviting.
“Whoa~, it smells good!”
Canaan’s eyes were glued to the food.
If you move the food to the right or to the left, Canaan’s full attention will follow it exactly, like a dog watching the food bowl before you put it down.
The smell really stimulates the appetite.
Hannah was still a cool beauty that didn’t appear tempted by the food. The figure that distributes the paella and spare ribs to everyone’s plates was the very maid herself.
She tried to distribute a normal amount of food to Canaan’s plate, but her hand stopped there. She seems to be under the pressure of Canaan’s silence… and then piled up the spare ribs on the paella like a mountain.
Canaan’s tension vanished when she saw it. Her drool flowed, too. Sanya and I smiled bitterly when we saw not only paella and spare ribs but also salad on Canaan’s plate.
“Big sis, this is the danger pig meat!”
For some reason, Sanya is obsessed with the fact this is danger pig meat. Did something happen in the past between her and a danger pig?
“Alright, Canaan can’t seem to wait anymore, so let’s eat up. Itadakimasu.
“Itadakimasu!” said the three girls.
I ate the salad first. You could tell that all the vegetables were fresh and perfect. The lemon-based dressing had a refreshing flavor, and I liked it. Next, I put the paella into my mouth. The smell of garlic passed through my nose. It was tasty.
I don’t like the garlic odor from other people, but still I like to eat it. In fact, I prefer it. I think I’ll make some gyoza next time. Gyoza with garlic is quite delicious.
Then I grabbed the main dish, the spare ribs, and bit into it! The flavor of the soy-based sauce had erased the smell of the meat, and it had a firm texture. Fat meat is also elegant and sweet, and there’s no cause for stomach aches. It’s obviously delicious.
“It’s so good, Master.”
“Really? Eat up, then — there’s still plenty.”
“Yes!”
Canaan’s hands and mouth couldn’t stop. She was like a black hole dedicated specifically to food. She continually replaced the food on her plate, until suddenly the paella in the huge frying pan and the mountain of spare ribs had disappeared.
She just ate the salad after that, which was the first thing served little by little. She didn’t hate salad, but she seemed to have put all her energy into eating the staple and main dishes.
The sisters generally had a normal appetite. Since they were beastmen, they should eat a lot compared to an ordinary human (Canaan was an exception), but the scale might be off.
I don’t like young women who say “I’m full” or something, even though they haven’t eaten much. It’s unavoidable if you’re old or say you’re on a diet or you have no appetite due to illness, but if you are healthy, eat up! That’s what I say!
Were their appetites suppressed because of being left behind? Maybe they were also slightly depressed. How good is a woman like Canaan who eats so much? This is how the cook thinks.
Part 4
The next morning, the battle against the hordes of monsters continued. Tens of dozens of monsters above level 200 appeared, such as hell bears and musk leopards. They were probably the main force.
When the hell bear advanced to the front, causing the earth to shake, Canaan’s widespread destruction magic burst out. The smell of burnt fur and flesh covered the surrounding area, denoting the start of the battle. Hannah and Sanya came to the front.
“Wow!”
Without missing the chance, Hannah beat the hell bear to death. It was already on the verge of dying from Canaan’s magic, anyway. She then kicked the musk leopard and blew its head off.
“Hiyah!”
At the same time, Sanya’s Emperor Dragon Fang Tomahawk also knocked off the hell bear’s head.
“I won’t lose either!”
Canaan gathered her magical power and released Gatling Fire. Her un-casting magic also followed the board. The Gatling Fire was sometimes avoided by fast-moving monsters such as the musk leopards, but even so, about twenty of them suffered significant damage.
“Alright, I’m going to go wild, too. Canaan, ask Hannah and Sanya for your protection.”
“Okay!”
I hadn’t done anything until then because level 100 small fries contribute an insignificant amount to leveling up, but I could tell there was something really strong behind the main force.
“Hannah, Sanya, I’ll leave the small-fry to you!”
“Y-yes! Leave it to me!”
“See you, Master!”
I jumped over the monster those two were fighting with and decided to meet the guy who is approaching from behind.
(Tsukuru, a formidable enemy lies ahead. Stay on your guard!)
(Yeah, I’ve had goosebumps for some time. I’m sure there’s an absolute monster near.)
Suddenly I stopped short in shock, as if I had bumped into a wall.
“What?!”
A shiver ran down my spine.
“My my, I never thought someone would come, are you a human?”
The figure of a woman floated down through the air right in front of me.
“Could it be a human…”
She looked human herself, and quite lovely at that. Her long, straight, silver hair swayed beautifully around her. She was like an angel. Moreover, her eyes were different colors, one gold and one silver. When she stared at me, there was a pure calmness to her expression that seemed to draw me in.
“Are you the one who ruined this forest?”
Ruined this forest… you said?
“You’ve been doing whatever you wanted in this forest, haven’t you? The forest I rule.”
I was at a loss for words. If I relaxed my posture for an instant, I would immediately be under pressure.
“What is your intention in driving the monsters out of this forest?”
Wasn’t she the one who set those monsters loose like this?
“…Who are you?”
“I should be the one asking that.”
(She’s an elf.)
(Elf? Now that you mention it, her ears are long and sharp.)
(I’m afraid that she’s likely an ancient elf.)
(Ancient? You mean… an elf from ancient times?)
(A pure-blooded elf and the founder of the elves. Even ordinary elves are rare, so an ancient elf is even rarer! What luck!)
Black Mist was laughing loudly. She seemed so happy. Hey, just because you’re happy doesn’t mean I am.
Suddenly ―
If I hadn’t taken out Black Mist and defended, my body would have split in two. The ancient elf in front of me threw a wind-blade toward me. I instinctively blocked it, but even so, my left arm was severely injured, nearly severed.
“Attacking out of the blue? So discussion is futile, huh?”
“Ho, you could prevent that? Interesting. Are you really a human?”
“Ignoring what I’ve already told you, huh!?”
“Noisy. Very well, let me inform you: This forest is the sanctuary of the one who is now before you. You, who entered it without permission, are guilty, without question!”
Ah, she’s the type who can understand words but doesn’t want to communicate.
“Put up a sign, then, but even if you did, that doesn’t mean I consider it your land!”
She chuckled. “You sure have a big mouth, don’t you!”
At that moment, she launched another invisible wind-blade.
In the time it took us to speak, the wound on my left hand completely healed thanks to [Super Regeneration], but I still shouldn’t let it be cut again.
“Haahh!”
I brandished Black Mist and chopped through the wind-blade.
“Foolish human. You could have just died without suffering.”
“Shut up! I’ve come close to death plenty of times, I’m not going down that easily!”
(From the right!)
I clicked my tongue and evaded it.
(Left!)
Bastard!
This ancient elf unleashed a continuous barrage of lethal magic without casting. However, my title of Sword Saint wasn’t just for show!
“Even if her stats are superior, Black Mist and I are the strongest combination.”
(Well said! That’s my partner!) Black Mist praised me happily.
“Woooww!”
I jumped up while dodging countless wind-blades, and approached the ancient elf in the sky.
“Naive.”
Suddenly I was knocked to the ground by a tornado that appeared in front of me. It left countless small cuts on me from little blades of wind, and blood streamed from my whole body.
(It’s because you approached her carelessly. Pay closer attention to your opponent.)
(I am paying attention, you don’t have to tell me that!)
“You’re someone that can manipulate wind. I’m good with a sword, and I’m proud of my Sword Saint title, too!”
I threw some grilled meat into my mouth from [Material Storage] and swallowed it without chewing before gathering some strength into my foot to leap off the ground.
“Still you approach, huh? Useless resistance.”
I approached the composed-looking ancient elf at high speed. Just as expected, she generated a wind vortex.
“Eat this! Triple fillet!”
My triple fillet technique punched through the swirling wind and negated the attack. This technique was created by wanting to come up with a sword technique unique to my Chef job; it’s a sword technique that generates a few sharp slashes. By the way, it’s not a skill.
“Oraa! Skinning!”
This was also an original sword technique. I got the hint for it when I was processing fish to be cooked. Hit for hit, it’s not as powerful as triple fillet, but it sends out more attacks. The ancient elf was pushed back, but she endured the hits.
“…I never imagined you could hit me.”
Her clothes were tattered and falling apart, but even without a scrap of clothing on her, she still maintained her composure. She has the beautiful body you’d expect of an elf. Her chest was, well, there was a little bulge there, but her skin was a clean and fascinating snow-white shade.
Moreover, the carpet matches the drapes!
“Don’t expect everything to go the way you want it!”
She chuckled again. “Interesting. Since when can anyone make me serious?”
(Elves are a long-lived race. Since she’s an ancient elf, it’s safe to assume she doesn’t age. She’s an BBA!) (Note:BBA is a slang/shorthand for 婆あ / babaa / old hag / granny.)
(Where did you hear that term?)
She just chuckled to herself. Laughing it off, huh?!
“It’s time to start. Shall I hear your name before that? I’m a kind person, so I’ll carve it on your grave.”
“Huh? When you ask someone’s name, give your own name first! That’s just common manners, BBA-san yo.”
“BBA? I’m not sure what that is, but I’m not someone who bothers with impudent talk. Very well, as a tribute to someone who is about to die, I’ll give you my name. I’m Antia. Ancient elf Antia.”
“My name is Tsukuru. This is my partner, Black Mist! Remember those names when you die.”
Antia was listening to me with a fearless smile. If she’s someone with a short temper, she’ll easily be provoked.
Name: Antia
Race: Ancient Elf, Level 415
Skills: [Crisis Detection (2)] [Magic Detection (2)] [Windstorm Magic (3)]
Unique Skill: [The One Who Controls The Wind]
Ancient Skill: [Second Life]
Attributes: HP [S] | MP [EX] | [STR [C] | INT [B] | AGI [A] | DEX [C] | LUK [D]
Title: Elf Founder, The One Who Imposes Trials
Hm? A race? This ancient elf named Antia has the same stats transcription as a monster, huh? Moreover, she’s level 415, she’s got 100 levels on me! It’s my loss, I thought I was strong, but I never expected her to be above me. Besides, not only does she have a unique skill, she has that ancient skill [Second Life], and then there’s that title. The One Who Imposes Trials? What is that? I don’t know what any of these things mean!
“Did you do something? Hmm, an appraisal skill, huh?”
Antia didn’t have an appraisal skill, so she couldn’t see my status, but I’m sure she could understand the strength of her opponent by intuition alone. It seems she could even tell I used an appraisal skill.
“Geez, ignoring my question, huh? Enough, then ― please die!”
No sooner did Antia move than countless tornadoes appeared all around me and closed in.
“I’m not so sweet as to just shut up and let you hit me!”
I managed to win with a 200-level difference when I was first thrown out here. A mere 100 level difference is no big deal!
I plunged into the tornado that was closing in from the front!
“Fine then, scale removal!”
When I used the sword technique scale removal, I also activated [Iron Wall] to nullify the damage, but still, the Death Bear’s Coat I was wearing had become tattered.
I really liked that coat, so it was a bit of a shock. I poured that feeling into Black Mist and used scale removal again, and the tornadoes were suppressed one after the other.
“Come. Hmm? Where did he go!?”
Antia had been glaring at me a little while ago, but suddenly she looked around in bewilderment. What’s up with her?
Oh yeah, that title, Weird Person… the one I hate the most.
When I forcibly broke through the tornado, it seems she couldn’t see me because my gold ring and death bear’s coat were damaged and could no longer display their effects. My existence suddenly became like a stone on the roadside, so she couldn’t tell where I was.
Should I be happy about this? I’m conflicted. However, this is my chance! I don’t want to choke now!
I entered the darkness and moved behind Antia, then pierced Black Mist right through her heart.
“Kuh!?”
“Checkmate.”
Even if her level is higher, she’s not a threat if she can’t detect my presence. Lately, I’ve been defeating my enemies with overwhelming power, but I’m not foolish enough to think things will always go my way.
I pulled out Black Mist and took my distance. I could have pursued her, but my [Wild Intuition] skill told me that was a bad idea.
Blood spilled from Antia’s chest and mouth, but her presence wasn’t at all diminished.
“It’s like I’m losing, huh?”
Even with that, she didn’t die? I see, is that skill at work here?
“Was it because of [Second Life] that you didn’t die?”
“…I never thought I’d lose against someone other than the ancient breed. That’s right, I’m still alive because of [Second Life]. But if I sustain another fatal wound right now, I’ll die.”
“Is it okay to tell me that? I was the one who tried to kill you, you know? But then, if you hadn’t attacked me first, I wouldn’t have done anything.”
Antia closed her eyes and opened her mouth. First letting out a low chuckle, then laughter.
Did she lose her mind?
“I sure caught a tiger by the tail, didn’t I? I give up. I surrender to you, Tsukuru.”
She’s giving up? That was fast…
I’ve seen and heard in Algria that there are humans, beastmen, and other races such as elves and dwarves in this world, but I never expected anything like an ancient elf.
[Second Life] was it? It seems to give perpetual youth and longevity. How does it feel to live forever? I would like to exempt myself from that. Eternal life isn’t fun, is it? I’m sure I’d get bored eventually. Life is fun because it’s limited, so you can live with your utmost effort, live with all your might. Like I am right now.
“So, what will you do?”
“Hmm? I’ve given myself up to you, Tsukuru. In other words, I am completely at your mercy. Do you intend to have your way with me?”
Have my way with you, seriously? What kind of person do you think I am?
Part 5
I joined Canaan, Hannah, and Sanya to introduce Antia to the three of them.
“I thought you went to fight a monster, but you came back with such a beautiful woman!”
Canaan-kun, why are you talking like I’m a master seducer? That’s not my purpose.
“They say heroes are fond of sensual pleasures, as expected from Master!”
Hey, Hannah, I’m not a hero, you know.
“Everyone is just as cute, Master.”
Sanya, that’s a nice compliment, but it depends on the subject.
“I want a cute daughter, too.” said Antia with a chuckle.
Antia, don’t say things like that to provoke them! Now their eyes have suddenly changed!
“Master! Canaan wants a boy and a girl!”
“Hannah wants about ten children.”
“Sanya, too. I think ten children will do.”
It’s chaos. Why are women so noisy when they gather?
Leaving them aside, I went to prepare dinner. Today’s feast was all about the iron crab, a crab monster with a tough shell and delicious meat.
For the first dish, break the shell, boil the legs, then place them on top of lettuce, onions, and corn for a nice crab salad. For the next, mix the crab body with crab miso, add plenty of moo-milk cheese, sprinkle in some breadcrumbs, and bake it. Yes, it’s crab gratin.
The third dish is raw crab’s legs, but you need crab vinegar to eat it, it’s pretty tricky to make. They say making crab vinegar is more difficult than cooking it, but I finished it in the blink of an eye.
Fourth is crab stew. This is made with Chinese cabbage, leeks, shiitake mushrooms, grilled tofu, and crab legs.
“It’s delicious!”
Canaan shed tears while eating crab gratin.
“Even a first-class chef can’t cook the food that the Master made.”
Hannah’s way of eating is so elegant.
“Big sister, Sanya is so happy to eat the food that the Master made.”
Ayumi also makes a face like that when she eats my cooking… it makes me happy every time they say it’s delicious. Come on, eat more.
“Oh my, this vegetable… It’s so tasty. The liquid that covers it is tasty as well.”
I prepared salad because I thought the majority of elves were vegetarian, but Antia reached out not only for the salad, but also the crab gratin.
“The salad relies on a special lemon dressing. Does it suit your taste?”
“Yes, it’s delicious, and so are these burnt-cheese dishes.”
Antia, with her beautiful face and elegant manners, said that all the dishes I served were delicious.
A little while ago, the two of us fought a life-threatening battle, but now there’s nothing wrong with it. I can’t hate her for some reason. Somewhat easygoing, she may be the embodiment of a naive elf, so I can’t hate her.
“Hey, so who did arrange those large hordes of monsters?”
I asked her what I was a little worried about.
“Actually, I thought you were the one responsible for that, but it seems I was wrong.”
“Then why were they heading towards Algria?”
“Perhaps a demon was involved. Now that I think about it, some demons have a skill to make monsters obey them.”
Demons, huh… Since I’m living in this world now, I thought I might come across that race eventually.
“The demon race has a mix of good people and bad people, just like humans and other races, right?”
“It is not a matter of good or evil, they’re just incompatible with each other.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You realize it will be a long story, since it goes all the way back to the Age of Gods?”
“…Why don’t we listen after we finish eating?”
“Certainly.”
The meal was Canaan’s stage, after all.
After the crab stew was finished, I made rice gruel, but Hannah, Sanya, and Antia didn’t really like it, so they didn’t eat it. Almost half the rice gruel in the big pot was eaten by Canaan alone.
“Fuh, I’m full. But I have a whole other stomach just for dessert.”
Can you still eat!? Seriously, her stomach is amazing.
After the meal, we heard a long story from Antia. It was just like a good sleeping story.
Thousands of years ago, there was a war. A four-race alliance of elves, humans, dwarves, and beastmen fought against a coalition of giants and demons. The four races ultimately won, but an entire continent was destroyed, and the six races were said to have caused considerable damage to the planet.
After the war ended, the giants and demons on this continent were persecuted. It seems that the giants and demons have now escaped to the eastern continent, but that place is a much harsher environment than the continent we’re living in now, so even giants and demons with strong bodies were having a hard time.
For all this time, the alliance of four races has been in repeated skirmishes against those two races.
The four-races of the alliance were supposed to avoid interfering with each other if nothing out of the ordinary happened, but in the last few hundred years, the human race has become hostile to the other three races. Their ultimate intentions were unknown, but if this situation continued, the enemy coalition’s power on this continent would grow.
Under those circumstances, Antia came out of the Holy land of the elves, feeling the sign of us fighting against the hordes of monsters in this Great Borf Forest.
That’s the summary of her story. Thanks to that, I slept well.
The next morning, we went to Antia’s village, while sweeping up remnants of the horde.
“Now that the subject has come up, I cannot even recall the last time humans and beastmen came to an elven village.”
“Do they not interact much?”
“As I said last night, it is essentially a relationship of non-interference. Since we are elves living in the forest, we have a weak relationship with other races.”
I knew their relationship with other races was thin. So far as I can tell, they’re well aware that it’s a self-imposed seclusion.
Antia brought us to the inner part of the forest and we arrived at the elven village. We were supposed to stay there today, but the elves’ faith in Antia was tremendous. The moment they saw her, they groveled before her in dogeza, which was a bit unnerving.
“I want to see the elder. Please guide me.”
“Y-yes!”
When Antia told one of the elves that, they guided us directly to the elder’s house. When the elder came out, he also went into a dogeza. People have been groveling constantly on the way here, so I was more amused than surprised by now.
“These four people and I would stay here for tonight.”
“Certainly! It’s not a great house for the founder to stay at, but we’ll give you the best hospitality we can.”
“I’ll be imposing on you, then.”
No matter how I look at him, the elder has the appearance of someone in his twenties.
Come to think of it, I haven’t seen a single old person in this elf’s village, but if an old person like an elder still looks young, I can’t imagine how old any of them are.
The elder treated us politely. For the room, Antia was given a room to herself, and me, Canaan, Hannah, and Sanya were using a room that could contain the four of us.
At first, we were given separate rooms, but I asked them to put us together, so they changed it. I wasn’t originally going to ask, but Canaan looked like it was the end of the world when we separated, so it can’t be helped.
“I’ve heard that elves are a hard-to-please race, but the elder-san was kind.”
“Probably because Antia was with us. What would have happened if we had come to this village alone?”
Indeed, it was because they have so much faith in Antia. Some of the elves were actually hostile to us; Hannah was aware of it, too. She’s more sensitive to that than Canaan anyway.
Later that night. The elder said that they would hold a banquet to welcome Antia, so I decided to cook.
“To have a guest do that is just…”
“Just think of it as a gift from this guest.”
The elder refused once but accepted and said they would prepare food, too. I suppose it was a social order. The elves made a whole roast of a caterpillar monster called a black crow. These elves were surprisingly wild.
Next to me, Canaan, Hannah, and Sanya were frozen, taken aback when looking at it. I asked Hannah if beastmen eat that worm too, but she said, “I don’t eat it” she vehemently denied it.
Well, since this is a whole roasted caterpillar about the size of a person, it might be hard to eat if you aren’t used to it.
As for me, I’m fine — it’s food. Even if it looks like a caterpillar, I have no misgivings at all. Food is food.
I prepared some dishes out of an iron cancer, a bigger crab monster than the iron crab, and I made it raw, boiled, baked, and grilled. The shell was as hard as adamantine, so it was difficult to peel it off, but that’s where my skills come in.
Today’s crab vinegar is better than yesterday’s. I had a hard time making so much, but the satisfaction of finishing washed away that struggle.
The crab vinegar was made with equal parts rice vinegar, soy sauce, mirin, and sake, with five parts kombu or bonito soup. I got the kombu and bonito soup when I went to the Port back then. I don’t know if it’s the same as real crab vinegar, but I think it’s delicious.
“This is… iron cancer?”
“That’s true, those are iron cancer legs!”
The elves were making noise. It seems iron cancer is an unusual foodstuff since their shells are so hard and they’re difficult to hunt. I can understand that; iron cancer really is extremely hard; I had a tough time cutting them even with Black Mist. However, striking at any place with a slight gap, such as a joint, was surprisingly easy.
“D-delicious!”
“What a rich flavor!”
The elves praised the iron cancer sashimi they were throwing into their mouths.
“This sauce also suits the iron cancer meat well.”
Yep, it sure does. Alright, next is boiled crab!
“What is this? This is also sweet and delicious!”
“That’s true. It also goes well with the sauce, it’s so good!”
Hahaha, I know, right? The last one is grilled crab!
The grilled crab was served with crab miso soup, and the usual sauce.
“What rich flavor!”
I already heard that before, you know.
“It’s too delicious! I didn’t know such food could even exist! Five hundred years I’ve lived, and this is the first time I’ve tasted something so good!”
I didn’t expect you to say that, but I’ll give you this!
“This is… what’s this smell? It’s very appealing… it’s hot!?
“Master, is this gratin? It’s gratin, right Canaan?”
“Oh, there’s Canaan’s share, too! Here, eat up!”
I placed a huge bowl of gratin in front of Canaan.
“Thank you very much. It’s so delicious!” said Canaan while blowing her food.
“Tsukuru, your cooking is delicious.”
“Antia, you almost seem like you’re saying the elves’ food isn’t?”
Well, they should at least think a little more about the salted & roasted black crows. It smells kind of burnt, and on top of that, it was baked too long, messing up the creaminess. As a dish, it looked more messy than exciting.
I think the creaminess would be better if baked medium rare, but would it hurt your stomach?
We got a warm reception in the elf village and left the village early the next morning. Many elves told me to come again when I left the village. It seems they took a liking to the crab from last night. A great man somewhere said that the best way to grab someone’s heart is through their stomach. Well, I just said it myself, actually.
“I will be going with Tsukuru. The human lifespan is short, so I’ll be back in a hundred years. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Y-yes! Please be careful!”
Can I even live for another hundred years? Even so, she talked about a hundred year journey as casually as going out for a walk. For an elf who has lived so many years, their sense of time is probably different.
“Where are we going now?”
“I’m going to beat that shitty old man.”
“Old man?”
Antia asked curiously.
“He’s someone Master wants to take revenge on! He did cruel things to Master.”
Canaan’s start to talk while letting out a sharp nose breath.
“I somehow understood that Tsukuru wants to take revenge on that old man. However, we should make that vengeance exquisite!”
Canaan, who got my permission, told Antia about my circumstances. Antia seemed convinced, but… Canaan, isn’t that kinda exaggerated? What the hell do you mean ‘burned by hellfire’? I’ve never been to hell.
Hannah and Sanya were listening to the story as well. Neither Hannah, Sanya, or Antia changed their behavior toward me, despite learning I was from a different world.
“It makes no difference what world Master is from! Master took me by his side, and helped Sanya!”
“Even if the Master is from a different world, even if the master is a demon, Master is Master!”
I supposed Hannah and Sanya were accepting me. I wasn’t really sure, but I got that feeling somehow.
“Aren’t you quite loved? Shall I join you? I haven’t had my turn yet.” Antia said with a chuckle.
Isn’t this erofu misunderstanding something!?
“Yes, yes, yeeesssss! Canaan wants that, too ーー!”
“What’s that childish request? I think Canaan is my family, so you don’t have to argue. Hannah, Sanya, and Antia are my family, too, so get along with each other.”
“Yeay! Canaan is a family! Then, I want Master’s child!”
“Hey, hey, hey, what are you talking about!”
I spilled the tea I was drinking, hearing Canaan’s words.
“Master, do you want Canaan to be embraced by another man?”
“Why do you talking that!?”
“If Master doesn’t give Canaan a child, she’ll have another man’s child, or she won’t have a child for the rest of her life.”
Don’t look at me with such sad eyes…
“Master, please give a child to Hannah, too.”
“Sanya want, too!”
“Ufufufu, you’re so loved. Of course, you will give me a child, too, right?”
“You guys…”
Stop looking at me so expectantly. Canaan and Hannah are my slaves. Slaves don’t have the freedom to get married, so I…
That was when I saw Sanya. A girl with the same face as Ayumi, with an innocent smile on her face.
As expected, Sanya is absolutely a no go. Even if I surrendered to Canaan, Hannah, and Antia, Sanya was no go.
“You can’t settle this now, can you? Then, please make a conclusion after the fight with that old man, you don’t have to think about it now.”
I can just be silent.
Antia has a relaxed way of thinking, probably because she has lived for many years.
“That’s right. After I beat up that old man, I will properly consider it.”
To be honest, I want to free Hannah from slavery in the end, so I don’t think she should stick with me. But Canaan is impossible. I actually released her from slavery yet she wanted to be enslaved again in order to have a connection with me. I had to take her seriously.
Sanya was out of the question, and as for Antia, we weren’t familiar with each other yet, so I’d look at her personality and think about it. The encounter with her was the worst, but she had a good personality and was a pleasant woman. Fortunately, I had time to think about them all. Let’s think hard from now on.
Bound Pleasures 
Leave a Reply