Chapter 160 - Preparations for Beyond the Door
"Woof!"
Lupi dashed off as the light from outside came into view.
The grassland just outside remains a [Safe Zone], so there shouldn't be any dangerous monsters spawning, right?
"~ ~ ~ ♪"
Sweee left my shoulder as we reached the grassland and fluttered around the brightly colored flowers. Very [Fairy]-like.
"Even if Sweee is called a Queen..."
But it was written that only high-ranking [Fairies] can create a [Fairy Path] in the [Divine Tree]'s hollow.
"Well... I guess I lose if I mind it."
For now, I busily gathered ingredients for potions, like [Coputi] and [Hermit Bamboo Grass].
"Woof!"
"Oh, [Rudish]. Thanks, Lupi."
I've barely gathered anything during test week, so I need to stock up on food, too.
.........
......
...
"Fgyaaah!"
"Phew..."
My first proper battle in a while was against a [Ranziboa].
I managed to stop its charge with a [Stone Wall] and then defeat it with an axe, but,
"...I forgot I was going to make a small shield."
That's right. Why don't you try making one tonight? I think it would be better to prepare a bit more before going beyond that door.
"Indeed. A small shield and an axe too... This hand axe is good for clearing branches, but it's hard to use in combat."
What is it? You don't really 'block' with an axe much, do you?
With swords or katanas, there's a parrying motion with the blade, but with an axe...
How about making a different weapon?
"A different weapon, huh? What do you think would be good, Mion?"
I think a sword would be cooler than an axe. Oh, you're cool as you are now, of course!?
Ah, yeah.
But if I carried a small shield now, I'd look like a [Dwarf] or a Viking.
Both are cool, but I'm a bit too slender for that right now...
"But a long sword also feels a bit off to me."
Is that so?
"It seems Western swords are more about striking and crushing than cutting."
Natto's two-handed sword, for example, probably can't be used for pruning branches.
So that means...
"Can a [Ken-nata] be considered a [Dagger]?"
Nata?
"Ah, yeah, sorry. Um..."
I was at a loss for how to explain, when,
Oh, this? It looks very menacing... Um, a horror movie just popped up in my mind.
"Ah, you image-searched it. The horror movie ones are Western natas. Japanese natas are kind of like... big nakiri knives."
I see, this one. This also feels very menacing...
What's a non-menacing blade? I wondered, but a nata is certainly a dangerous blade.
"I feel like it's a [Dagger] in terms of length."
But with this, you can't thrust or throw it like your current knife.
"Oh, right. Then maybe a [Ken-nata] would be better?"
A [Ken-nata] feels more like a utility knife, but I think it had a guard.
Ken-nata... this looks like a [Dagger]. Can I go research it a bit?
"Oh, yeah, please do."
By the way, what's the difference between [Sword Skill] and [Dagger Skill]?
Is it length? Is Natto's greatsword a [Greatsword Skill] instead of a [Sword Skill]? It seems possible that [Greatsword] or [Rapier] could be derived from [Sword Skill].
"Woof-woof!"
Hm? Lupi seemed to have found something, doing her 'dig here, dig here' thing...
Oh, this is!
[Hermit Bamboo Shoot]
A [Hermit Bamboo] shoot.
Cooking: Smaller ones have less bitterness and are delicious.
This is great! It'd be good in stir-fries, and boiled dishes too.
Anyway, digging around it with a shovel before gathering is the correct way, right?
Shou-kun, I understand. The general idea is that anything that can be effectively thrown with one hand belongs to the [Dagger] category.
"Ah, I see! Then a [Ken-nata] is probably a [Dagger] too. I think I can use [Knife Throwing] with it."
It would require more [STR] than a dagger, but I've already raised that, so it should be fine.
...Throwing a [Ken-nata] would mean losing my weapon, so I guess it would only be in the worst-case scenario.
"Alright, this!"
Huh? Is that bamboo shoot?
"Yeah, yeah. I think stir-fries would be delicious."
Ugh, that's unfair...
It would be nice if I could make menma, but I remember that also requiring soy sauce.
I guess I really need to seriously consider making soy sauce...
.........
......
...
"I'm home."
"Woof-woo!"
After gathering this and that, taking down a [Ranziboa] for its meat and hide, and confirming the [Blacksmithing] forge and [Mining] site were unchanged, I let out a sigh of relief.
Lupi, after her long-awaited walk, went to her bed under the loft bed.
And another one...
"~ ~ ~"
Sweee was sprawled out, using Lupi's belly as a pillow.
It's fine, but if she's seriously going to live here, maybe I should weave her a vine basket.
"Ingredients should be fine for a while now. I want to go gather seafood again, but first, the [Ken-nata] and small shield..."
If it's the [Dagger] skill, you'll probably make something much better than your current axe.
"I hope so. Beyond that door is definitely the next area, right?"
I think so.
If that's the case, stronger monsters should appear than in the current area.
The problem is what kind of monsters will appear...
"It's just past 3 o'clock, right? And what else did I need to do...?"
The drainage from the earthen floor was still in progress, and you were curious about [Applied Earth Magic] and the [Civil Engineering] skill.
"Ah, that's it."
Because of the 'one hour of gaming a day' rule, I had put off building the ditch after all.
Since I've acquired the magic for it, I should try it out right away.
So far, vegetable scraps and fish guts have been disposed of by digging a separate hole.
Wait? I've been gutting them normally, but should I have used [Dismantling Skill]...? No, no, then the heads and bones would disappear, which would be a waste.
"Should I make a compost bin or something?"
Yes?
"Oh, no, I was just wondering if processing raw garbage into fertilizer would be viable or not."
"?"
Mion didn't seem to understand, but I don't know perfectly either.
I only knew my grandma did it, so it's iffy whether it would work...
"Oh, right. I can just ask."
Um, who would you ask?
"I think there's someone good at [Farming] and [Botany] in [Silver Manor]... Dee?"
You mean Dimaria-san.
Ah, that's the person.
"I think she might be knowledgeable in real life too. If I can use fertilizer in the game, the crops might get even better."
That's amazing! We have to tell Bucho!
No, I feel like she's already doing something like that, so I just want to ask what it's like...