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nChapter 38

nBecause we are not traveling in a hurry, I have decided to go in the Gaya Forest to exercise .

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nJoule covers the dead bodies around with ice magic《Freeze》into one large lump of ice . Feat uses the wind magic《Float》to make the lump of ice fly and brings it to my side .

nSkillful . And clever…… they are learning properly .

nWhen they were fighting at close range, I had no choice but to clean them with my《Washing》 .

nWell, it’s alright, though . It’s not magic that consumes much of magical power .

n…… It’s just, those fellows won’t get satisfied unless they can lick after each battle…… Well, it makes Allen and Elena happy so…… oh well?

nWe loiter around the forest and hunt .

nThen, before I notice, the children and the Contracted beasts compete at monster hunting .

nWhen a monster is found, all members charge, defeat the monster, bring it to me, get patted by me .

nThat is the course of events .

nOnce in a while, Bolt would《Thunderbolt》a monster from the sky the moment he finds it . When that happens, the two children and the other two animals look really vexed .

n「Uwa!!」

nWhen they are feeling down because they couldn’t get praised, I pat them with the intention of consoling, and they jump into action again .

nYou guys, calm down a bit~

nAs the area became dark, I have decided to leave Gaya Forest for the camp .

nRiding on Joule and Feat, we can get out quickly, and the outside of Gaya Forest is safe .

nWhen the camping site is decided, we have the dinner next .

n「Allen, Elena . What would you like to eat?」

n「「N……… Cream!」」

nBecause both Allen and Elena love Cream bread, it frequently ends up as their snack of choice .

nBut, making Cream bread as a dinner menu is a bit…… I would like them to choose something more nutritious .

n「N~ Allen, Elena . Cream bread is not good for a dinner…… How about having it tomorrow as breakfast snack?」

n「「Ye~s」」

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n「「Will eat~」」

n「It’s decided then」

nAlthough it felt like I have incited them, because the two obediently accepted the compromise plan, Oyakodon has been chosen for the dinner .

n「Joule, Feat, and Bolt want meat, right? Raw?」

n『Waffu~u』

n「N? No? Grilled is better?」

n『Waffuwaffu』

n「I see . Joule wants it grilled . Does Feat also prefer it grilled?」

n『Gaun』

n「What about Bolt?」

n『Piiii』

nThe Contracted beast fundamentally don’t require feeding . Apparently, when Contracted beasts are supplemented with magical power while in their master’s shadow which restores their energy .

nHowever, because they can eat, they are having a meal together with us like this .

nBecause of that, I have asked them what they want to eat, but it seems my Contracted beasts like grilled meat better than raw……

nRaw meat? They shook their heads when I asked .

nGrilled meat tastes better . Looks like they have the same opinion as people .

nThese children seem to enjoy “food” with a strong taste more .

nGrilled meat or Oyakodon, which is better? When asked, all three choose the latter . It seems the same menu as ours is better .

nEven if I were going to make just one serving, it wouldn’t be much trouble to make more . Therefore, I have decided to make Oyakodon for six .

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nAren’t spring onions bad for felines? Is what I thought, but since there seems to be no problem, I cook the onions and guineafowl with soy sauce and finish it up with half boiled egg .

n「Well then, itadakimasu」

n「「Itadakima~shu」」『Waffu』『Gau』『Pii』

nUn, delicious!

nI must say that finishing Oyakodon with a half boiled egg dripping on top of it is delicious .

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nI have served the food for Joule and others on a plate to make it easier for them to eat, but Bolt is dexterously using his beak while Joule and Feat stuff their mouths around the plate in their small forms .

nApparently, they can enjoy the taste more while in their small forms .

nWell, if they eat in their adult forms, they would eat it in two or three bites after all .

n「「Joule」」

n『Waffu』

nWhen it was time to sleep, Joule’s stomach became a substitute of the cushion for the three of us . Joule’s fur is soft and comfy……

nToday is Joule’s turn, but because it has been decided that the cushion role will alternate, it’s Feat’s turn tomorrow .

nI thought it was bad to treat them as cushions at first, but rather it was the other way around .

nJoule’s tail was intensively hitting the ground as if saying quickly over here .

nBecause it doesn’t look like I have to hold back, I lean against Joule while asking Feat and Bolt to stand guard .

nThat being said, Feat and Bolt are in a resting postures next to us . Every single of my children is sensitive to presences after all . There won’t be any problems .

nAh, the moons…

nAetherdia has three moons . Yellow, blue, and red . Three colored moons rise into the sky .

nWhich reminds me, this is my first time camping in a place where the sky is clearly visible . Sky can’t be seen from within Gaya Forest, then there was the dungeon .

nA night sky after a long time .

nGazing at several moons, I realize again that this is a different world .

nHas it been a little over a month since I came to Aetherdia?

nSo many things happened so fast… I fall asleep while thinking such .

n◇ ◇ ◇

nI have decided to go to Gaya Forest the next day too .

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nWe are gathering medicinal plants today .

n「There~」

n「Many~」

n「There really are many……」

nAh~ Demon Spirit Grass .

nMaryoku Grass is relatively common, but Demon Spirit Grass should have been a valuable medicinal plant……

nBecause Gaya Forest itself is a place full of magic, does it grow densely here?

nAnd to find a place where they grow en masse at that……

n『Waffu』

nThis time, Joule seem to have found something .

nIt’s a Soul Grass…… quite a rare medicinal plant again…… I’m sure it’s used as nostrum .

n『Gau』

nThe next one is Feat, huh . This is Touka Grass .

nBecause it’s leaves are transparent, it’s quite difficult to find plant……

nNose? Did Feat find it by smell?

n『Pii』

nAh, Bolt has found Minsu fruit .

nMinsu in fact is a plum-like fruit . It’s bigger than typical plum, it’s very sour, but it’s nutritional value is high, it’s used for medicinal tonics as it has nourishing properties .

nThere seem to be quite a lot on the tree . Bolt drops it with his beak, and I catch it when it falls .

nNevertheless, aren’t we finding quite a lot rare things in high demands?

n「「Ah!」」

nAllen and Elena seem to have found something again as they run towards a tree .

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nMoving while sufficiently playing along the way, we finally saw a sea a week later after leaving Shirin .

nIt can be said we moved at quite a high pace to arrive in just a week .

n「Allen, Elena, that is the sea」

n「「Sea~ Big~」」

nAllen and Elena gaze at the sea with sparkling eyes .

n「「Water, a lot~」」

n「That’s right . All of that is a salty water」

n「「Delish~?」」

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n「It’s not tasty? You shouldn’t drink it」

n「「Ye~s」」

nI had to say it because they would drink the water as soon as arriving at the beach . Like this, they won’t probably drink it .

nWe immediately stepped onto the beach .

nThe beach without any man-made objects is quiet with the only roaring of the waves resounding .

nWhile Allen and Elena are playing at the water’s edge―――

n「That… may I ask if you are Takumi-sama?」

n「…… You are?」

nSuddenly, I was spoken to by a woman who emerged from the sea .

nUmm… why do you know my name?

n「I’m Mirena of the mermaid race」

nHaa!? Say what!?

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