kscans

Chapter 448 - Fumbling Toward Tranquility

Alright. Now that we had a plan for securing a base, there was something important I needed to address.

It was none other than the question of what those monkeys were. By examining the mysterious stones they dropped—called [Stardust Relics]—I was able to figure out a few things.

First, those creatures were beings known as [Stardust Beasts].

Second, collecting these [Stardust Relics] was the objective of this event... or at least, one of them.

Third—and this was pure speculation based on the relic's flavor text—it seemed the [Stardust Beasts] were part of an "expansion system" that could become a new source of power for players, offering the possibility of taming them or something similar.

The hinted-at possibility was called "Subjugation." The details were a complete mystery, but it seemed that by fulfilling certain conditions, we could bring them under our control... or so I assumed.

Honestly, my brain couldn't keep up with being told about a new system right after being thrown into the middle of an event. I immediately shared the information with everyone gathered at the base, but they all had more or less the same reaction: "Uh, huh..."

The main reason wasn't a lack of excitement, but rather that there was no confirmation yet, and we were simply too busy setting up the base to worry about it.

Besides, there was another piece of information gleaned from the relics, one that was far more crucial for our survival.

It had to do with...

"""..."""

The contents of the bowls currently before us as we gathered around the "dining table."

The [Stardust Relics] had another use besides being "collected" for some yet-unrevealed purpose.

That use was "Convert." By crushing a relic, we could obtain various materials corresponding to the [Stardust Beast] that dropped it... for example, things like ingredients.

Which meant, in other words—

"...I understand the hesitation, believe me."

"N-No, I'll eat it. It's just, I need to summon a little courage and resolve..."

The main ingredient in the stew served in this rustic, hand-carved wooden bowl was, to put it plainly, the meat of the "monkeys" I had slaughtered in droves.

I won't say what it is, but there's a simple, slightly... no, more than a slight degree of revulsion. I mean, come on... even if our evolutionary paths diverged, you know?

After making some progress on the base, everyone started to feel a hunger no different from the real world, which led to this impromptu mealtime, but...

Who would have thought I'd need to muster courage just to move my spoon?

"It's... it's edible, right?"

"...Apparently, that kind of culture existed in Japan, too."

One of the players nearby answered Nia's timid question from beside me. But from the look on his face, it was obvious he was scared too.

However, however—

"Alright... here I go."

"Y-You're going for it...?"

Yeah, you bet I am. Hesitating any longer would be rude to the chef.

I've already eaten monstrous moray eels that swim through the desert. Being squeamish about a little monkey meat is just silly at this point. Besides, it's just a game, so there's no need to think too deeply about it...!

Alright, on the count of three—!!!

"Thanks for the meal...!"

And so, the taste of the meat I'd forced into my mouth with nothing but sheer guts and bravado was,

"..."

"...Hey, c'mon, your impression. What's the verdict...!?"

Honestly, and I mean honestly—

It was, unfortunately, not something I could call delicious.

◇◆◇◆◇

"—Sorry about that. I told you to have high expectations."

"Not at all. Your skill was more than evident. The stew itself was delicious... Man, that was a great meal. I'm not being sarcastic, either."

If nothing else, the ingredients were just bad.

Once I'd steeled my resolve and put it in my mouth, the rest was easy. Boys will be boys, no matter the age. Driven by curiosity, I even tried some of the meat plain-grilled with the other guys, but the taste was just hor-ri-ble. It was gamey and nasty and just plain bad.

It was edible, but you could tell it wasn't proper food. Which meant that our chef—Tetsu-san—who had transformed that awful stuff into something merely "not very tasty," was undeniably skilled.

"It helps to hear you say that. It's a shame the first attempt wasn't a perfect score."

"I'd say it was a perfect score, actually. I got to experience an incredibly authentic survival situation, and it was a valuable experience."

"...You're a good guy. Just like they say."

"What's 'they' saying? Tell me more."

Even as we talked, Tetsu-san didn't stop his hands. I made sure to firmly commit the appearance of the wild plants he was picking to memory. The most important factor in this event, considering its effect on morale and motivation, was undoubtedly food.

And gathering ingredients was one of the few valuable jobs I could contribute to without any production skills. I couldn't just wait for an appraisal skill to pop into existence, so I'd make myself useful by fully utilizing my other applicable talents.

As for water, which would be a life-or-death issue in a real survival situation, there was no problem at all. There were several of us, myself included, with water magic aptitude who could create pure water in exchange for MP. That meant that for the time being, securing food for the entire group was the top priority.

Even Nia, who had no expertise in construction whatsoever, was working hard on the base, struggling as she went. After a hard day's work, she'd want a delicious meal.

"That's about all the useful stuff I can spot. There's probably more nearby if you look. Could you gather any you come across?"

"Okay, got it."

In addition to wild herbs that could be used for flavor, there were various mystery plants resembling edible wild vegetables from the real world. There were also poisonous-looking mushrooms that made me want to tilt my head and ask, Are you really sure that's edible? Really? I crammed a fair amount of data into my head.

It would be a visual judgment, but I was confident I wouldn't make a mistake. Just to be safe, I could have them all appraised later... which brought me to my next move.

Food was important, but there was just so much to do right now.

"As for a protein source... I'll leave that to our reliable gentlemen."

"They ran off with blood in their eyes, saying they were done with monkey meat, so we can expect great things."

—To be honest, as the one who has to cook it, I'm done with it too. Tetsu-san showed off some surprising humor with a faint smile as we continued our light conversation.

I'd volunteered for permanent guard duty, so I couldn't wander too far from the base... though, I could rush back in seconds from a few hundred meters away, so a little stroll wouldn't be a problem.

Still, acting on my own too much would go against our agreement, so—

Well then, I guess I'll stick to the original plan. To be together as much as possible.

"I'm going to go gather some of those plants in a bit."

"Yeah, I'll be counting on you."

He must have guessed where I was headed. He gave me another faint—and somewhat amused—smile, and an indescribable itchiness made me quickly step away.

And the place I headed to was... well...

"...She's so easy to read."

As I approached, Nia's face instantly lit up the moment her sharp eyes spotted me, and her friend next to her immediately started teasing her with a smug grin.

Her proximity... or rather, the way she looked at me was so blatant that this maiden in love had probably already revealed her feelings to 100% of the group.

And as for me, the sole recipient of these searing emotions,

"Yo, need a hand with anything?"

"We've been waiting for you, Mr. Boyfriend!"

"Ah, ahhh, ahhh...! Stop clinging to me!"

"My, my, aren't we energetic..."

Having blown past all my hang-ups, I'm not exactly displeased. Far more so than before, when I was only fooling myself into thinking I was facing things—

"Why are you just letting her do that?! You should resist a little!"

"Her teasing is so half-hearted that my defense instincts just don't kick in, I guess."

"Make them kick in! Make them work properly! I'm gonna tell Sora-chan on you!"

"Wait, hold on, I was wrong, let's talk about this."

—It's because this noisy, indigo-haired girl seems so unbelievably cute to me.

And the fact that deep down, I'm more than just a little flustered... is a secret I'll keep for a little while longer.

---

How peaceful.

[Stardust Relic]—The thoughts and aspirations left behind by the scattered [Stardust Beasts], a mirror of their demise. To those who seek, to those who are worthy, the beasts shall grant, obey, and serve with all their will.

Subjugate the forgotten starlight. Then the beast shall bow its head to its long-awaited master.