Chapter 430: Self Awareness
I passed the time playing with the Dinosso kids and tending to my 『House』. It was peaceful and all but kinda lonely with everyone out of town. I can’t help but be a bit restless.
And so, I decided to give the jungle a try. I carefully prepared myself while listening to the surrounding spirits’ chatter.
Take little, change little, avoid bringing in stuff from the city. I only made a few fire starters in the grasslands before stepping into the jungle.
I can 【Teleport】to areas that I already went to before, but I decided to start from the edge of the jungle and name the spirits while listening to their stories as I move forward. I decided to do this because spirits that can still understand me exist in the shallow areas of the jungle.
Take only what is intended at the time of entry to the jungle ー doesn’t have to be specific whether it’s food or a certain type of wood. Apparently, using whatever resources to survive within the jungle isn’t a problem.
Today’s goal is banana, and oh, to safely come out of the jungle.
I sensed something nonhuman rustling around me. Unlike the black spirits, they didn’t harbor any malicious intent, but that doesn’t mean they’re amiable to humans either ー eh, no, kinda amiable, I think? ー I’m not so sure.
When you’re out on the open sea without land or a single ship in sight, does the sea still feel gentle to you?
I continued traversing the jungle with my heart pounding in my ears. Midway, I saw animals that looked like a badger. They were either clawing at a termite hill and destroying it, or eating snakes.
【Appraisal】says they’re animals called merivora. They’re extremely ferocious, almost at par with monsters apparently, so I’m glad I didn’t approach them.
There are fewer monsters in the jungle compared to the Magical Woods in the east and the Black Mountain in the north, it seems. That point is favorable for me. I walked at first, but it’d be sunset before I went out of the forest at this rate, so I sprinted as soon as I got my hands on the banana.
I could keenly feel something stretching its hand to grab me from behind as I ran.
The spirit in the jungle probably became interested in me, so it’s simply following me, I guess. It would hide everytime I turned around, but I could see it from time to time from the corners of my eye.
I tried my best not to trample the ground as I ran, and at the same time, I also did my best not to slip and lose my balance.
That creepy feeling that something’s behind me intensified.
I finally dashed out of the wood and into the open grasslands ー!
Ahh, so scared! But I did it! Ahh, what a refreshing horizon!
「Alright, 【Teleport】! 」
I wanna go to a crowded place ASAP!
◇ ◆ ◇
「So that’s why you were rushing in here. 」
「Yup. 」
I ran straight into Dinosso’s house since everybody else is out right now. Khan and Hauron are also here, but I didn’t feel like going to a place where someone who’s always there is gone.
「Why did you even think of doing that? Don’t they have bananas in Es too? 」
「Yeah, I think they have them, though it’s kinda rare. Uh, I just feel like conquering something that I ran away from before. 」
It was a success so praise me, praise me.
「Banana is delicious. It tastes great whether it’s fried, drizzled with chocolate or added to pound cakes. 」
Shiva chuckled while holding her cheeks.
「… Don’t be too reckless that you’d end up stringing something nasty along, alright? 」
「Yes~ 」
The three kids went to bed after dinner, so it’s just Dinosso, Shiva and me enjoying a cup of cocoa with milk in front of the cozy hearth. Dinosso is also taking a break from drinking today.
「Ah, speaking of banana, try this. It’ll barely keep by tomorrow. 」
It’s banana omelette.
It would keep longer if I added more sugar to the cream, but I preferred milky cream compared to sugary one.
The fluffy sponge cake has a smallish piece of banana in it and topped with plenty of fresh cream. It’s also soaked in rum syrup and wrapped in a thin fabric that had been dipped in wax.
I’ll make a strawberry version for Ash when she returns. Retze prefers something firm rather than fluffy, so maybe a banana cake for him. Dean and Chris would probably gush over meat, I guess.
「Oh, can I have some now? The kids can have theirs tomorrow? 」
Shiva asked while unwrapping the fabric ecstatically.
「Sure. 」
It’s better fresh anyway.
「Hmm, I dunno, too many sweets in one go might be too much. 」
Dinosso commented while peering into his cup pensively.
「Mind if I have some of the soup from dinner? 」
「Help yourself, you can get as much as you want, okay? 」
I’m totally fixated on the pot with the soup we had for dinner by the fireplace. It’s hanging by the wall of the fireplace to keep it warm.
It’s a simple soup with root vegetables and chunks of salted meat. The meat’s flavor has seeped into the soup and veggies, so the chunks lost their original taste, but overall it’s nice and comforting. The turnip and carrots are also soft and tender.
Honestly, I think I’ve been feeling a bit off these last few days. Since I’ve been wandering all over the place, when people I’ve been used to being with aren’t around, it feels lonely— I got it pretty bad, huh.
I used to think I’d leave Canum if things got dangerous, but now? Absolutely no way! I’m probably really happy here in Canum.
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
I Got Transferred in the Middle of a Mountain
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 80 hours
Thanks for the treat.