Chapter 148 - Asking the Experts
It's been a while since I came to the [Safe Zone] in the southwest forest, hasn't it?
Come to think of it, I still haven't made any [Coputi] [Heal Potions], so I should add that to my to-do list.
—♪
The [Fairies] are flitting around everywhere, but they don't seem to stray beyond a certain distance, do they?
"Woof."
Lupi whispered that, looked at me, then gazed beyond the bushes.
It must mean something is there...
"Is that it...?"
"It's a deer."
It's over 30m away, so it's iffy whether I can hit it with a bow from here.
It's facing away, so I should be able to get a bit closer, but... I have a bitter memory of it escaping the first time I found one.
Well, I'll give it a try...
I quietly nocked a bone-tipped arrow onto my short bow.
Whoosh!
The arrow, shot slightly upwards by the [Skill] Assist effect, flew in a gentle arc and pierced the [Greydeer]'s torso.
At the next instant, Lupi, who had stealthily approached, pounced and dragged it down.
"Nice!"
I dashed over and helped Lupi a little, and just like that,
[Bow skill level increased!]
Phew, glad that worked out.
"You did it."
"Yeah. Getting pretty close probably helped?"
I replied to Mion while [Dismantling] the [Greydeer].
The hide is what I'm happiest about. I'll wash it thoroughly and lay it on the bed.
Oh, and I need to move the meat to the storage and put the books from the storage back in the cabinet.
"Shou-kun, what level is your [Presence Concealment] right now?"
"Eh? I think it went up last time I went over there... What is it?"
I opened my status screen.
――――――――――――――――――――
Name: Shou Lv.12
HP: 366 MP: 360
STR: 46 DEX: 40 AGI: 30
INT: 32 VIT: 32 LUK: 10
[Elemental Magic]: 5 [Dagger]: 6 [Dismantling]: 6
[Appraisal]: 5 [Throwing]: 5 [Woodcraft]: 7
[Stonemasonry]: 6 [Presence Detection]: 7 [Presence Concealment]: MAX
[First Aid]: 1 [Alchemy]: 3 [Gathering]: 6
[Cooking]: 6 [Taming]: 5 [Trap Crafting]: 6
[Trap Setting/Disarming]: 7 [Trap Detection]: 3
[Pottery]: 5 [Material Processing]: 7 [Sewing]: 7
[Bow]: 3 [Blacksmithing]: 5 [Mining]: 4 [Crafting]: 5
[Spirit Magic]: 3 [Axe]: 5 [Logging]: 6
[Swimming]: 3 [Diving Skill]: 3 [Carpentry]: 6
[Farming]: 2 [Gardening]: 2
Remaining SP: 28 Remaining BP: 0
Island Residents: 14
――――――――――――――――――――
"That's amazing. It's at maximum level."
"Eh, why maximum...? Ah, thanks to the cloak and boots!"
It was 7 naturally, plus 2 from the cloak and 1 from the boots, for a total of 10. Max.
Thinking that way, if I made carpentry tools with good materials, maybe it would give a positive modifier to my [Carpentry] skill...
"Could I have gotten closer?"
"I wonder. [Greydeer] probably have something like [Presence Detection] too, so maybe it just balanced out?"
"I see."
Even if [Presence Concealment] is max level, it only works if I'm hiding out of sight.
If I could walk right up to it without being noticed, it would definitely be an overpowered skill...
Oh, well, that aside,
"Hey, it's okay now!"
When I waved to the [Fairies] who were waiting beyond the bushes, they flew over quickly and then headed straight to the [Greenberry Fruit] tree deeper in the forest.
It seems the [Greydeer] also ate it, so is it the most popular thing in this forest?
"Woof."
"Here, for you too, Lupi."
I sliced some of the [Greydeer] meat from earlier as a reward.
If it had escaped with the arrow still stuck, it would have been iffy whether I could catch it, and the arrow I made would have been wasted.
"Alright, next, I'll get some [Lexon], [Rudish], and [Chagatake]..."
—♪
"Eh? What?"
The [Fairies] all gestured, as if to say 'look at this,' towards... a sapling less than a meter tall. Or rather, its branch tip?
"Ah, so the new shoots are being eaten."
"Is it the [Greydeer] from earlier?"
"Yeah. It was eating the new shoots, not the fruit. Apparently, in real life too, deer numbers have increased so much that trees are disappearing from the mountains."
"Is that so?"
They not only eat new shoots but also bark in winter.
Of course, the eaten trees wither, and with nothing to support the soil, landslides supposedly occur.
"Uhm, what am I supposed to do with this?"
—♪
Perhaps because words didn't work—do they understand my language?—the [Fairies] began to gesture.
This sapling? Pull it out? Eh? Ah, dig it out completely from the roots? Carry it?
"Ah, yeah, yeah. Take this back and replant it in the basin where the [Mountain Cabin] is."
—♪
"That's a good idea. There are no deer there, and if you grow more, the [Fairies] won't have to go so far."
I'd also be happy to be able to get spices whenever I need them.
Or rather, I should take other vegetables back and replant them to grow more. No, more importantly...
"Wait a minute. I'll replant the sapling, but do you know of any other nuts or vegetables?"
I've wandered around and [Appraised] things several times, but I feel like I've missed things.
Especially unfamiliar plants, I probably just passed by without [Appraising] them at all.
"Are there other things to gather?"
"Yeah. I have a feeling the [Fairies] know more, so I was wondering if you could tell me."
At my words, the [Fairies] formed a circle and started discussing, as if in a meeting.
After observing them for a while, it seemed one of them, who had some ideas, swiftly led the way, so I followed.
"Eh? This?"
At first glance, it just looked like grass, but I [Appraised] it anyway.
[Perilsense]
"A perennial plant that bears small white flowers and grain-like fruits.
Cooking: The fruit can be used as a seasoning. Material Processing: The fruit can be pressed for oil."
"Ah! [Perilla]!"
"Sesame?"
"Ah, yeah. Well, sesame is fine, I guess."
[Perilla] and sesame should be different, but they're probably lumped together.
Either way, that means more sesame for seasoning, and if I can secure sesame oil, I can even make deep-fried dishes!
—♪
"Ah, yeah, yeah, that's it."
There was a dark green sac at the base of the stem and leaves, and when I broke it open...
"See, this."
"Sesame!"
"Thank you. If you find anything else, let me know."
When I asked, another [Fairy] raised a hand as if to say "Yes!" and led the way again.
This... I have a feeling my ingredients are about to increase dramatically!