Vol 1 Chapter 5 (1/2)
Episode 05: Night Camping
I stopped the carriage, to enter the forest from the paved road, and to prepare for camping at night.
Because a distance of approximately 60 km was covered while they ran for five hours, they deserve a rest.
If the fatigue acc.u.mulates in the horse any more, they will not proceed.
But, the supply base of the Empire is little more than 40 km away. It seems we will arrive tomorrow.
Lucie, while I took the horses into the depths of the forests to feed them gra.s.s, is struggling with the flint to set fire to the dry branches by the collected firewood.
「For elves、fire magic is hard after all」
Attribute magic, Although the internal magical power 《Odo》 with the magic power of nature 《Mana》 is used to activate it, attributes are adhered to the mana itself, there affinities exist.
It is roughly divided into six attributes, four of which are important since they are general use, but there are two that are one of a kind.
Earth・Fire・Wind・Water
For example, there are individual differences but if you see the standards of humans, the maximum appropriate value is 100.
Earth：40 Fire：40 Wind：30 Water:30
Which is what the amounts would be. While using Earth Magic, when the affinity is 40, the internal magical power《Odo》 will not respond to the mana of the Earth no matter how much is available, control after having gathered it will be awfully difficult as well.
The Existence of human beings themselves are not suitable for attribute magic. However, the affinity of the present me as an elf is as follows.
Earth：30 Fire：10 Wind：90 Water:70
To the same extent as being loved by the wind and water, earth is almost as weak as fire and can hardly be used.
When wind is at an affinity level of 90, if 1 of internal magical power 《Odo》 is consumed and the mana is called, 10 of Mana will be gathered. And, because control is also easy, almost all of the collected power can be used as magic.
But, in the case of fire affinity of 10, if 1 of internal magical power 《Odo》 was consumed and mana is called, 0. 05～0. only 1 power would be returned. Moreover, difficultly level of the control will jump over to nearly impossible levels. Even for me, most of the collected power will be lost.
Even for a first cla.s.s magician, with an affinity level of 40, it is said that is the bare limit of the line necessary to even use magic.
「Because fire and earth are convenient、it is painful not being able to use。 Worst of all、in my time as a dwarf with a unique magic、or should the time as a Dragon be called」
Being able to do it is my strong point.
If I were to become a previous self, even compatibility will radically change.
Even so, Lucie is slow. It is free time, so I will go secure dinner.
Still, there is some of the soldier’s preserved food in the carriage, it would be better to save those.
「【Chikaku Kakuchou】」 [TLN: Perception Enhancing]
The internal magical power 《Odo》 is activated、it is merged with the mana of the surrounding wind。
My perception is integrated into the wind mana which spreads to every area that has air. With the brain’s current processing capacity and magical power, at the most a radius of 300 km is the limit, the area the perception can widen.
Indeed it is an affinity level of 90. Far from the wind mana not resisting when being called on, it even seems that it is lending its power.
「There is a deer.」
The enhanced perception caught a wild deer. And even a wild boar.
In addition, near a creek, some edible wild plants, and also mushrooms. Cranberries are looking good growing in the wild.
Above all……
「Is the tree in this forest maple！？」
Nature has smiled on me.
Maple is one of the most useful trees in the forest in that number. The characteristics of the wood, the heartwood is stiff, the skin is dense and resistant to impact. Most of all it is beautiful.
In addition to its use as wood, despite the limitations of winter, it is precious in subarctic climate zones like the district where we are……
「It is no good、a thought has gone to the direction of the day after tomorrow。 Food should be secured first.」
I set my eye on the big deer that was previously marked down by approximately 100 m. The reasons that deer was chosen, the line of fire goes on without obstacles, and second thing is that it seems to not move while absorbed in grazing off the gra.s.s.
I take a knife out from my breast pocket and at the same time apply body reinforcement magic.
Taking a stance for throwing, the spell formula for ballistic calculation is run. Then, the muscles of the entire body are perfectly controlled, throwing in an ideal form with absolutely no power loss.
Diving protection of the wind is applied to the knife.
With this, the influence of the crosswind will avoid the knife and the wind will not hit it from the side, it will not be subject to air resistance, and will reach the target with almost its initial velocity.
The knife is thrown out, as if tracing the simulated trajectory, it pierces the neck of the deer, blood gushes out of the deer from where it was struck in the carotid artery with the force of a fountain.
「Now then、shall I go collect」
I muttered while beginning to walk.
On the way to the deer, wild edible herbs and mushrooms found beforehand are secured, furthermore I filled a bottle with water from the creek. Never forget to remove the impurities with water magic. Sometimes raw water will be poisonous.
「Your life is not wasted.」
The deer has sunk into a sea of its own blood.
I pulled the knife stuck in the neck, and began dismantling on the spot.
Dismantling takes less than ten minutes since I made full use of magic. After I said dismantling without blood, the blade is inserted in the lower abdomen, pulling only the internal organs out.
Though the stomach and intestines are left behind, the liver and heart has high nutritional value, because it was so good I covered it in maple bark and was able to carry it.
The blood adheres to the meat because it flies in the wind, the deer comes off the shoulders which became light, then I turned my back towards the open air fire.
「Syril, you’re late。 Where did you go？」
Lucie who was waiting in front of the fire, puffed her cheeks and complained. Anyone would have worried if I had went missing from the meeting place without saying anything.
「My bad, I went hunting because there was a bit of free time。 This is a Big deer right？」
「……How, a deer was hunted in less than 30 minutes, it was even dismantled and bled.」
Lucie heard it with an slightly amazed nuance.
Deer are very cautious, it will run away if a person comes near, even its physical strength can not be matched by a person.
In the first place it can be difficult to find even with a hunting dog, second are arrows, third are if they run unabashed, movement could be early, and because of that a person cannot run calmly, In the village of elves, if a group of 3 to 4 people with a hunting dog might get lucky with a day of time, It is a game of trying to aim at a basket on a mountain for 2 to 3 days.
「Because I wanted serve delicious things to my beloved Lucie, I worked hard.」
「I don’t think the problem is the feelings……Well, thank you.」
Lucie averted her eyes with a red face.
Until now I, was embarra.s.sed and reluctant to convey the words to Lucie.
However, I wanted to properly convey my feeling after this. Because I do not want to regret not doing so.
「Meat and skin, it was loaded into the carriage today, let’s eat the heart and liver.」
「Is it really fine for such luxuries？ Can we really eat it？」
「It is game that I caught. No need to hold back.」
The liver and heart, Highly nutritious, yet also delicious. In the village of elves besides the hunters who killed the game with the executives like the village mayor, eating it is not permitted.
Therefore, Lucie and I who have only ever heard the adults talking about how delicious it is, has never tasted it until now.
「Well then, shall I cook it at once.」
First, I cleaned the heart of the deer beautifully, then the muscle is removed and cut. Salt is rubbed against it, and arranged on top of the maple bark. In addition the wild edible plants, that were fetched over there, were arranged and then wrapped at once.
After tying it with an improvised string made of maple bark, it is then thrown into the fire where the ashes collect and has become white.
Without burning it if done with this method, the fishy smell will disappear with the aroma of the maple and wild edible herbs, the deliciousness of the wild edible plants could be inhaled.
「Syril was able to cook. I have never once saw you standing in the kitchen until now.」
「To live life in the mountains, you have to practice.」
「I look forward to Syril’s dish for the first time. 」
「Although it may sound like I’m sing my own praises, it is considerably good, so have some expectations. That is right, I will take charge of cooking as an apology for pus.h.i.+ng the cooking duty to you for a long time until now.」