“Mm, this is delicious!”

“It’s hard to believe this is made from that dried meat!”

“Yeah, and just adding it to hot water makes such tasty soup—it’s a lifesaver!”

We ate the dried meat soup using collapsible spoons sold at Tetsuya’s store. Unlike regular spoons, these fold up and save us some space in our packs.

The rich, concentrated flavor of the soup—filled with the umami of meat and vegetables—the softened dried meat, and the Outdoor Spice with its mix of seasonings beyond just pepper, all came together to create a surprisingly luxurious taste.

“I think consomme is still my favorite.”

“For me, it’s the egg soup. That gentle flavor is unmatched.”

“Hmm, if I’m pairing it with dried meat, I’d say miso soup is the best. But if it’s just the soup, I like corn soup the most.”

“…That taste was awful, though.”

“…Yeah, I don’t want to remember it.”

We had tried adding dried meat and Outdoor Spice to other soups as well, but the corn soup was a disaster.

While it’s incredibly tasty on its own, the sweetness of the soup and the smell of the dried meat clashed terribly, ruining each other.

“This Outdoor Spice is really amazing, isn’t it? It’s so versatile.”

“Yeah, we owe Tetsuya a lot for this.”

The Outdoor Spice isn’t available in stores, but Tetsuya sells it to us as a special favor. He calls us his lifesavers, but honestly, any adventurer would’ve helped him, and he’s already repaid us many times over.

“Well, now that we’re full, let’s give it our all this afternoon!”

“Yeah!”

“Right!”

“Haa… I guess that’s it for today.”

“Yeah, it’s a bit less than usual, but it’s enough.”

We explored the forest again in the afternoon, but we only encountered goblins—no big prey this time. Still, this kind of day is common for adventurers.

“Roya, Fal! There’s something over there!”

“!!”

Nicole signaled us quietly. I immediately drew my sword, and Fal readied his bow as we assumed a combat stance.

“I’ll go ahead. Cover me if anything happens.”

They both nodded, and I carefully advanced toward the direction Nicole had indicated, taking care not to make a sound.

“Bwooo…”

A short distance away was a boar-like monster: a Wild Boar. Among the monsters in this forest, it’s one of the stronger ones. It’s rare to see one this close to the forest’s edge rather than deeper inside. It hadn’t noticed us yet.

Got it.

I signaled to Nicole and Fal with a glance and took my position. Unlike the time we guarded Tetsuya, where the enemy attacked us first and we needed Lilia’s help, this time the element of surprise was on our side.

Whoosh!

“Take this!”

“Bwooaaaargh!?”

Fal’s arrow struck first, signaling me to charge at the Wild Boar.

“Damn, that’s shallow!”

I landed a blow near its abdomen, but the cut wasn’t deep enough—it wasn’t a fatal hit.

Thud!

“Bwooo!?”

Fal’s next arrow and Nicole’s thrown knife hit the Wild Boar in rapid succession.

“This ends now!”

Slash!

My blade found its mark, severing the Wild Boar’s neck. I immediately stepped back and held my stance, just in case.

After a while, when it was clear the Wild Boar was dead, I lowered my sword.

“We did it!”

“Great teamwork, you two!”

“Yeah. But let’s not relax just yet. Let’s drain the blood and carry it to the river.”

Never let your guard down—that’s something Lilia taught us during Tetsuya’s escort mission.

Monsters can attack without warning, so staying vigilant in the forest is critical.

“Roya, you’ve stopped letting your guard down recently.”

“Yeah, he used to get careless a lot, but now he’s always focused.”

“Well, Lilia’s advice was solid. Fal, you’ve gotten much faster at drawing your bow compared to before.”

“Yeah, since bows take more time to ready compared to knives or swords, I made sure to practice hard. Nicole, I’m impressed you noticed that Wild Boar from so far away.”

“Thanks! Ever since Lilia’s advice, I’ve tried to stay aware of my surroundings, even when talking!”

It seemed like all of us had taken Lilia’s advice to heart.

I still remember how she stopped that Wild Boar’s charge with just one arm—it was unbelievable. Someday, I want to be as strong and cool as her!

“All right, the butchering’s done.”

The Wild Boar was cleanly divided into its hide, tusks, bones, and meat by the river.

“Landing a big catch like this at the end of the day was lucky. We won’t have to worry about meat for a while.”

“And Wild Boar materials fetch a good price too!”

We wrapped the butchered meat and materials in a large sheet called a “blue tarp.” This tarp doesn’t let liquids like blood seep through, so it’s great for carrying items without dirtying other supplies.

It’s also useful during butchering since it keeps the meat and materials clean.

“Hey, why don’t we share some of this Wild Boar meat with Tetsuya and his crew?”

“Good idea, Fal! Thanks to the tools from Tetsuya’s store, our work and hunts have gotten a lot easier. It’s about time we showed our appreciation.”

Tetsuya might call us his saviors, but we’ve been the ones benefiting from his help recently.

Catching such a large prey today gives us the perfect opportunity to properly thank him.

“Let’s do it! And we can see Fia too!”

“……”

Nicole’s fondness for cute girls is nothing new. Lately, she’s been enamored with the beastfolk girl at Tetsuya’s shop.

Though Nicole’s initial misstep made the girl wary, it seems things have improved a bit. Still, Fal and I have agreed to step in if things get out of hand.

Honestly, if not for that quirk, Nicole would just be a regular, adorable girl herself...