kscans

Chapter 8 - The Bounty of the Mountains (Part 1)

The next day, having concluded that the escaped crops alone wouldn’t provide enough calories, I decided to leave the village in search of an additional calorie source.

The area just outside the village grounds, the area once enclosed by the broken wooden fence, was a clearing that must have been made by felling the forest. It felt a bit like the pastures of Mount Aso. Perhaps because herbivores were grazing, the grass wasn’t very tall, offering a good line of sight. The risk of a surprise attack from a monster seemed low. I mean, I did get Perception, but I haven’t tested how effective it is. It’s better to have fewer uncertainties. After all, my stats are at the minimum line for survival here. Even if I’m no sage, it’s best to stay away from danger.

I was reincarnated, if that’s the right word, on April 16th, Japan time. I don’t know what month or day it is in this world, but from the looks of it, it’s definitely spring. The fresh green is vibrant to the eyes... which also means it’s the season for wild edibles. They’re a bit lacking as a calorie source, but I can’t be picky right now. With that in mind, I looked around, using Appraisal on everything I saw, when...

«Lycoris: A perennial herb that grows in sunny grasslands. It extends a flower stalk in summer to bloom, with leaves developing afterward. The bulb contains starch but also toxic components, so wild animals do not eat it, allowing it to spread easily. It corresponds to what was called the Red Spider Lily in the other world of Nihon. The Red Spider Lily of Nihon was used as an emergency food crop, its bulb soaked in water to remove toxins and obtain starch. Lycoris can be used in the same way. Additionally, in the other world of Chuugoku, the starch from the Red Spider Lily was once used as an insect repellent and a sizing agent in papermaking.»

It seems the withered leaves left on the ground were caught by Appraisal almost by chance. Thanks to that, I’ve found one source of starch. The trouble of removing the toxins is a bit of a pain... but I’m not in a position to be picky right now. Looking around, I see quite a few of them growing, so I use earth magic to dig them up and toss them straight into my Storage. It’s not yet time for them to flower, so they should yield starch. After harvesting a good amount of the spider lilies... Lycoris, being careful not to wipe them out, I looked around for something else... and just a little ways into the forest, I found it.

«Yoppa: A perennial herb that grows in forests. Its triangular leaves are clustered at the base of the stem. The bulb is harvested for food in early spring when the leaves begin to unfurl. It bears greenish-white flowers sideways in the summer, by which time the bulb has disappeared.»

I think this is what’s called Cardiocrinum cordatum in Japan. I saw the flowers once when I was a child, before I was hospitalized. I was told the root was edible. I never had the chance to eat it in my previous life... I never thought I’d be eating it in another world after I died.

I gathered these as well, again being careful not to eradicate them, and while I was at it, I picked every other edible wild plant I could find. Most were new shoots and young leaves, a bit lacking as a calorie source, but they would serve as a nutritional supplement and fill my stomach. I also found things that weren’t in season now but could be harvested in the fall, like acorns and something that looked like a yam, so I marked their locations with tree branches.

As I was engrossed in gathering food, I seemed to have wandered into the forest. A distant bush rustled, and at the same time, my Perception skill reacted.

(Whoa...)

What emerged, shaking the bushes, was a huge wild boar. It was staring right at me... and its gaze felt somehow menacing. I used Appraisal on it just in case...

«Mudderboar: A boar-type monster. Though omnivorous, it has a strong carnivorous tendency and routinely preys on small animals. When hunting, it charges with ferocious speed and tears its prey apart with its sharp tusks.»

Yep. It’s in the mood to kill... or rather, it’s fully intending to attack and eat me.

"H-hey... how’s it going...?"

I still tried to be friendly, putting my faith in my Language (Mastery) skill, but...

"I knew it!!"

Without a word, it came charging straight at me.

I forced my body, which was about to freeze in terror, to move and managed to dodge the charge. It felt like a light truck had just sped past me. I wanted to defend myself, but I had prioritized a slow life, so I didn’t have any combat-oriented skills. What I held in my hand wasn’t a weapon, though it might have looked like one, but a digging tool for gathering roots.

While I was thinking, the boar that had charged past me made a U-turn and headed back my way.

"W-whoa... ah, that’s right! Stealth!"

I remembered the skill I got to avoid trouble just in the nick of time. I activated the skill with a feeling of prayer, and... the boar seemed to have lost sight of me. It stopped, confused, and looked around. As I watched it, a suspicion began to form in my mind.

This thing... isn’t that tough, is it?