Kujonin Chapter 15

Kujonin
Author: Hanakuroko
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Around the time the day started to darken, I drew a magic circle in the gra.s.sland along the side of the road and laid out forabbit furs.
Setting up an open fire, I lit it with life magic.
I toasted the dried meat a little over the fire, made a soup, and had dinner.
Rain and bugs can't get in the magic circle.
It's a bit away from the road, so I probably won't be bothered.
The sky is full of stars.
I have leisure to spare to enjoy herb tea.
The situation of whoever is following me is currently being in the shadow of the trees in the forest, looking this way.
Even though it's nighttime, it's warm so he'll manage, I guess.
For caution's sake, I set up traps in the area.

Watching the bonfire, I calmed down and became sleepy.
To the point where, if I sat down, I'd fall asleep.
When I woke up, in the bushes nearby there was a person caught in a trap.
The guy who was following me, I guess.
When I went to look, it was the swordswoman Guild instructor entangled in the ivy, struggling.
Before releasing her from the trap, I'll interrogate her.
"Why is a Guild staff member like you following me?"
"I have already stopped being a Guild instructor. I am only a mere adventurer."
"Then Adventurer… Ayl-san, was it? Do you need something from me?"
"Be…before that, could you please cut this ivy?"
"Do you intend to harm me?"
"Aa, I have no intentions of harming you. In the first place, you're so much stronger than me so how…A-, could you cut it soon? It's… a weird place…"
I broke the edge of the magic circle, and when I released the trap the ivy that was wrapped around Ayl melted.
"Fuu-, I'm saved. Just what kind of trap did you set up!"
"It would be better if you didn't move too much, you know. Since I've set up a lot in this area."
Ayl froze.
"Please follow my footsteps."
Ayl followed along in my footsteps until we were by the campfire.
I sit directly on the ground, opposite Ayl across the campfire.
"And so, the reason you were following me is?"
"Would you have another match with me?"
"Aa, so you're a battle junkie. I'm not interested in comparing strength, so do it with someone else."
"You have no interest in comparing strength, and yet you're, to that degree…"
Ayl stares at me with a shocked expression.
"It just happened. Because of work, my level rises really well."
"Work, you say!?"
"It's pest extermination. Here it would be monster and magic beast extermination, wouldn't it?"
"Extermination… is extermination different from subjugation?"
"Wouldn't it be different? Subjugating just 1 would still be subjugation, right? Extermination is different at that part, because you have to wipe out an entire species."
"Wipe out!? How would you do that? After the test, I'd heard from Irene that you had destroyed a hive of vespahornets, but…"
"That was just making preparations, setting a trap, and having the other party move the way you want them to, that's all."
"I don't understand."
As if she was taken aback, Ayl's shoulders drooped.
"Um~ well, please just think that these kinds of techniques exist too."
"If I follow you, will I be able to understand?"
"Do you still intend to follow me?"
"Is that not good?"
"I had planned to be traveling alone, so I haven't thought much about traveling companions
"Won't it be fine? When monsters come out I'll fight them."
"Even though you're weaker than me?"
"… Th,that's right."
"Then, is there anything you can't do? How about cooking?"
"I'm not good at cooking, but I'm pretty good at dismantling monsters."
"Aa, but if I go to a town then I can buy meat."
"Th,then… n,night service would be okay, but…"
Do the women in this world not have any chast.i.ty? I hold my head in my hands.
"Let's stop with the night service. When it feels like I can't endure it anymore, I'll go at it in a brothel."
"It costs money, right?"
"I get it. Ayl-san will dismantle the monsters. You'll skin the pelts and cut up the meat. In the unlikely even that Ayl-san and I fall in love, we'll do the night service."
"I,is that so? Roger. However, if I can't endure it anymore, I'll be relying on you!"
"I'll handle it with discretion. For now, it's already late, so will you sleep?"
"Right."
I laid down on the forabbit skins and used the cloak the sheep beastmen had brought as a comforter and slept.
Ayl put on some fur something or other and, while sitting, slept.

The next morning, at a time before the sky turned light, I awoke to a monster's cry.
Looking towards the direction of the cry, there's a large wild boar caught in a trap.
Ayl had just stabbed it to death.
She told me that she wanted to take it to the forest adjacent to the gra.s.slands to drain the blood, so could I help?
She said we'd carry it by the head and feet.
I by myself lifted it up and hung it on a tree in the forest.
As always, Ayl was flabbergasted, but it won't do for her not to get used to it, so I just taught her that I could do this much.
Thanks to my level, my status also rose.
Before I left on my journey, the numbers Sera saw were

Level 72

Endurance: 419
Mana: 297
Dexterity: 298
Strength: 320
Defense: 298
Wisdom: Unknown

Skill
Language Ability
Life Magic Level 5, Clean Up
Fire Magic Level 1
Compounding Skill Level 10
Search Skill Level 10
Pharmacy Skill Level 10
Alchemy Level 10
Arithmetic Level 10
Magic Circle Studies Level 10
Crafts.h.i.+p Level 10
Magic Tool Production Skill Level 10

The leftover skill points are 13.

Is how it is.

It seems to be rising well.
Ayl cut the neck of the field boar hung from the tree, and the blood flowed steadily.
I used a magic circle to open up a hole on the ground and the blood gathered in it.
It doesn't have a particular use, but the blood will lure monsters in; it's bothersome so I'll cover it up to the degree I am able.
When the blood had been drained, Ayl slashed open the stomach and the innards fell into the hole.
I thought it was very grotesque, but when I thought that this is how it is when you eat an existence, I didn't feel as bad.
She put a notch in the skin and quickly stripped it.
Just as I said, Ayl's work is nice.
In just a few minutes, the meat was also cut up.
"If you know where to cut it, it's just sticking your blade there, so it's simple."
Ayl sharpened her meat carving knife while being embarra.s.sed.
For the cheek meat and the like, she told me that if you have a knife strictly for this purpose, then you can cut it off more cleanly.
"This is pretty specialized stuff."
I say, impressed.
From yesterday to today, we've already moved to casual speech.
"It's because, when I was still a beginner adventurer, even when I joined up with parties I did this all the time, see. I feel that it's thanks to that, that my knife handling skills got so good."
"So are we taking all of this with?"
"It would be nice if we had a bag that we could put as much as we wanted into, but we'll have to leave some of it behind."
"As much… ha!? Wait a second."
I forgot! I didn't make an item bag!
From my rucksack I took needle and thread dipped in mana water (magic stone powder dissolved in water) and sewed a magic circle on a pouch.
After about an hour, I finally made an item bag you can put anything in.
The magic circle was complex, so just making it took some time.
During that time, Ayl rubbed salt and pepper onto the meat, preparing it.
"I'm pretty sure, when I partied up once, the guy in charge of cooking did this."
As I thought, her long experience as an adventure taught her all sorts of things that help out.
After that, the stripped off pelt was tanned into leather.
"So? What is this pouch?"
"It's an item bag. You can put whatever and however much in, and take it out easily. Maa, showing you would be quicker."
I put the field boar's meat in steadily.
Using these magic tools that defy the laws of physics completely is truly fun.
Taking it out is also easy.
When I showed Ayl, she lowered her voice and scolded, "You'd better not show this magic tool to any merchants."
"True, the very foundation of transport might be broken. And so, Ayl, could I have a 1 drop of your blood? I want to make it an item bag only Ayl and I can use; if any other guys can use it, it could be troublesome."
"Got it."
Ayl cut her own finger with a knife and dripped a drop of blood on the magic circle.
I also borrowed the knife and dripped a drop on the magic circle.
On top of that, I did one more piece of embroidery and the personalized item bag was finished.
"With this, not only can you put as much meat as you want in it, it also won't spoil."
"Wha!? What did you say!? It won't rot?"
"Right. Based on how fresh it was when it enters, it will be preserved."
"Oh, Naoki. Right now you just made an artifact-grade magic tool. Do you have any self-awareness?"
"Nope, none. As I thought, if too many people know about me, it could be bad, huh?"
"Of course. You'll cause a war. Why did you allow your slaves to part from you?"
Ayl held her head.
"Well, it's fine, isn't it? If Ayl keeps quiet, there's no problems. Rather than that, we've taken up a lot of time. Our luggage has also lightened up, so let's hurry on ahead."
"Hang on. Right now, did you neglect to mention anything?"
"Let's hurry."

I hung the item bag on my shoulder and stuffed all of our luggage that was sitting beside the campfire in.
I tried to stuff all of Ayl's luggage in too, but she refused, saying she'll carry her own things.
However, just put in her large luggage as well as the field boar fur and the furs she uses when sleeping; that's what she handed over.
Things like that she properly did so.

St.u.r.diness is now Defense, because… why didn't I think of Defense before? Before it was implied that the stats can be affected by the equipment you use, so Defense works better.
Also, I went with Ayl but it could also be Ael or Isle or Ile or Aisle or (etc)… If I see official romajii I'll change it, but sticking to Ayl for now, since it's fantasy-ish.

I approve of Ayl as the heroine(temp?) of this leg of the journey. She knows when to stop pus.h.i.+ng, and she can field dress a boar. In bikini armor.>