Chapter 20

Thanks to Yoshioka’s recovery magic, the pain in my legs faded away instantly. Starting with Hoehne Village, we’ve covered three different settlements today alone. Our journey has spanned nearly 50 kilometers. Without the power of magic and the shortcuts Fiene knew, we never would have finished the rounds. At the very least, we’ve successfully warned the neighboring communities to stay on guard.

However, our biggest task still remains: investigating where the first zombie came from. The zombies that struck Dortranfur appeared suddenly, but so far, no damage has been reported elsewhere.

“Most likely, a new dungeon has manifested,” Clara-sama remarked.

Fiene swallowed hard at her words. Apparently, the emergence of a new dungeon happens about once every twenty years. While a dungeon teeming with monsters is an object of terror, it also has a side that brings wealth in the form of mana stones and treasures.

Even in Ebba-berg, the land Clara-sama rules, there is a small dungeon called the Labyrinth of Lagas, which provides a decent amount of income. Not a few people, like Ria, make their living by harvesting mana stones from labyrinths. But if a dungeon isn’t properly managed, it will continue to spew out monsters one after another.

“Tomorrow, we shall rendezvous with Mercedes-dono and begin the work of sealing the dungeon.”

For now, that means constructing gates or doors at the entrance to prevent monsters from wandering out. It sounds like quite an ordeal. If I’d known it would come to this, I probably should have bought a chainsaw. But lately, the expenses have been piling up. Since I’m essentially spending money on my hobbies, I have no regrets, but I really am using a bit too much. I need to start doing business in the city as soon as possible.

Tonight, we’re staying in a tiny village called Plock. Clara-sama is staying at the village chief’s house, but we attendants have been lent the village storehouse. Tonight, Yoshioka, Fiene, and I will be spending the night in this shed.

Fiene, whom we hired as a guide, turned out to be a truly capable hunter. Shortcuts, watering holes, and the steepness of mountain slopes—everything seemed to be mapped out in her head, and she led us without a moment’s hesitation. But perhaps because she’s nervous, she hardly speaks unless it’s absolutely necessary.

It’s a bit awkward. There’s a twelve-year age gap between us, and on top of the generation gap, there’s the “other world” gap, so I have no idea what to talk about.

“I’ve finished washing the potatoes.”

“Right, then give them a peel for me.”

“Yes.”

The conversation just isn’t picking up.

Come to think of it, Zotto mentioned that when strangers meet in this world, they often bond by showing off their knives. Looking at Fiene’s knife, the handle is an elegant piece made of deerskin and antler.

“Your knife is really cool, Fiene.”

Oh—I think I saw a spark in her eyes just now.

“This… these are the antlers from the first buck I ever caught.”

“Heh, sounds like it was quite a big one then?”

“You can tell?! It really was!”

Whoa, she’s really biting now.

“That was a truly bad day for hunting. My dad and I went deep into the mountains, but we couldn’t find any prey at all. But, but! That was the first day I was allowed to carry a bow and arrow for the hunt, so I absolutely didn’t want to go home until I caught something. So I somehow managed to convince my dad to go as far as Thousand-Stone Crag—ah, Thousand-Stone Crag is near a spot where fresh spring water bubbles up, and herds of deer often use it as a watering hole in the evening. That’s why I was certain we’d find something if we went that far—”

The “quiet” little girl was actually just a total hunting geek. It turns out that once she starts talking, she’s quite the chatterbox. She must have just been tense until now. I suppose having to spend the night with an old guy like me is a bit much. If anything, Fiene is the one I should feel sorry for.

“—And so, my dad processed the antler into this handle to commemorate that day.”

The incredibly long explanation finally ended. In any case, it’s a very precious knife to Fiene.

“Mind if I take a look?”

“Go ahead, please!”

Fiene gripped the blade and handed me the handle. Her movements were seamless. It was clear she was well-practiced in handling bladed tools. It was about 20 centimeters long total, with a blade length of maybe 7 centimeters. It was a sturdy, thick blade.

After observing the knife, I noticed that while the handle was stylish, the blade itself didn’t look like it would cut much of anything. They have ironworking technology, but maintenance seemed to be the issue. It wasn’t rusty at all, so she clearly looked after it, but…

“How do you usually maintain it?”

“With a stone and leather, of course,” Fiene said, handing me a small pebble.

It was a very coarse whetstone. It’s possible that fine-grained whetstones aren’t produced in this region, which would explain why the edge wasn’t properly honed. I handed my own knife to Fiene.

“How does it feel?”

“Amazing… it looks like it would cut through anything.”

It was just a 2,800-yen knife I bought online, though.

“If you sharpen it properly with this, it’ll cut even better.”

I pulled a double-sided whetstone (medium and finishing grit) from my Spatial Storage. I had a better one for myself, but I brought this one out intending to give it to her. I’d kept it soaking in water inside the storage, so it was ready to use.

“First, you start with the coarse side like this.”

She watched with a look of intense concentration as I taught her how to use the stone. It took about five minutes to finish a basic sharpening. Ideally, I’d spend more time on it, but if I took too long, dinner prep would fall behind.

“That should do it. Try peeling a potato with it.”

Fiene’s face lit up with excitement.

“Incredible!!! It’s completely different! It’s like magic! Whoa, it just slides right through!”

She was overjoyed. Thanks to the knife, the distance between us had shrunk considerably. Back on Earth, some regions consider gifting blades a bad omen because it symbolizes “cutting ties,” but here, a single knife was bringing us together.

“I can’t wait to field-dress something with this. I bet the hide will come right off…”

Yeah, there’s definitely an “otherworld gap” here. I don’t think many high school girls in Japan would grip a knife with such an enchanted expression while saying things like that. While we finished the prep, Fiene told me all about the animals, monsters, and hunting techniques of this world.

TL/N: Narration for Clara’s segment switches to first-person here.

I woke up shortly before sunrise, feeling refreshed as usual. I should get dressed before Kota brings the water basin. I can’t exactly let him see me in my sleepwear. Times like this make me wish for a female attendant.

The girl we hired as a guide yesterday, Fiene, was clever and quick-witted. She has a good personality; she would be a great help even back in the Royal Capital if she stayed on as an attendant. As I was thinking this, Fiene herself brought the water basin this morning.

Kota was likely being considerate. It might be suffocating for him and his friend to constantly enter their female master’s bedchamber.

“Good morning. I’ve brought water for you to wash your face.”

“Good morning. Place it there.”

I cleansed my hands and face, then took the towel. These towels are truly marvelous. Compared to the hand-cloths I used to use, their absorbency is far superior. The texture is so soft and fluffy. I wonder how much time a seamstress must spend to create such fabric. I definitely want to purchase more for personal use and as gifts.

When I asked Kota, he said they range from 100 Marques to about 3,000 for the expensive ones. He also mentioned something called a “bath towel.” With my status, I rarely get to soak in a tub, but I wash my hair often. He said using one of those would soak up the water quickly.

As I finished drying my face, I noticed Fiene was frozen stiff with nerves. I may not be the most approachable person, but there’s no need to be that tense. Perhaps a little small talk?

“How is it? Are you getting along well with Kota and the others?”

“Y-yes! Kota-san and Akito-san are very kind. They made my knife incredibly sharp and even gave me a precious whetstone. And they gave me strange food and drinks…”

I think they might be pampering her a bit too much, but those two are kind to everyone, so it can’t be helped.

“I see. That is good, then.”

“Last night, they taught me all sorts of games I’d never heard of. It was so much fun!”

What?! They… played? Together?

“Wh-what sort of things did you do?”

“Let’s see… we played a knife-throwing game modeled after something called ‘Darts.’ We competed for points by throwing knives—it was so exciting! I won several times. At first, Akito-san was the worst at it, but toward the end, he figured out a trick to correct the knife’s trajectory with Wind Magic and got really good. Ah! I’m sorry… I got carried away and talked too much.”

“I-it’s fine. I see…”

It sounds… rather fun. He’s never played with me like that.

“What else did you do?”

“Also, they let me try a mysterious drink called ‘Cola.’”

What is that?! Even I haven’t tasted such a thing yet…

“Kota-san brought it out when we got all heated up from the knife-throwing. Spatial Storage is amazing, isn’t it? I’d heard of it, but it’s my first time seeing it.”

“Umu… and this ‘Cola,’ what was it like…?”

“Ah, the Cola. Hmm, the only way to describe it is ‘mysterious.’ It’s sweet, a little sour, and it tingles in your mouth like beer, but much more intense! And it had a very unique flavor. Like a mix of cinnamon and all sorts of aromas!”

…I can’t even imagine it. I want to try it, but it would be unseemly for me to ask for it myself…

“Um, is something the matter?”

“No, it’s nothing. You may go now.”

Ugh… Cola… just what kind of thing is it?!

Fiene returned after delivering the water to Clara. Usually, Kota handled it, but he had felt hesitant about entering a woman’s bedroom and pushed the job onto Fiene.

“How was it?”

“It was fine. Clara-sama seems kinder than she looks.”

“She can be strict, but she’s a good person at heart.”

Kota was relieved to see Fiene getting used to Clara. The zombie investigation would continue for a while longer. He wanted everyone to get along while they were together.

“Oh, by the way, Kota-san.”

“What’s up?”

“About Clara-sama… she seemed really curious about the Cola. I think she might want to drink some.”

“Oh, really? In that case, maybe I’ll bring some out during our break. The temperature is supposed to rise this afternoon anyway. Perfect timing.”

And so, thanks to Fiene’s quick thinking, Clara’s wish was destined to come true just a few hours later.