Water Magician

Chapter 37: Dried Meat

A time to relax after eating dinner.

Even though they were on a journey, their nerves wouldn’t last if they stayed vigilant all the time.

To loosen up when there’s the chance to and be vigilant when needed. That was important.

“A plant monster that spits paralytic poison … and it’s invisible … that’s the first time I’ve heard of such a monster.”

Even Abel, who had considerable experience as an adventurer, did not know such a monster.

“There were no such plant monsters in the area where I lived.”

“Plant monsters generally spawn in fairly concentrated areas since they don’t move like animal monsters. People usually do not encounter them. But some adventurers hunt only plant monsters.”

“Hoho. Do they drop some good materials?”

“Yeah, alchemy materials or materials for magic tools.”

“I’m really interested in alchemy!”

Ryo expressed his admiration for alchemy, which he had never seen before, with sparkling eyes.

“It is apparently quite difficult to become a full-fledged alchemist.”

“Just as I want it! Three years on a stone will make it warm!” (TLN: Proverb for perseverance will prevail)

Abel didn’t understand the meaning of『Three years on a stone will make it warm』but decided to let it pass.

“By the way, how did Ryo defend against the paralyzing poison of that monster?”

Yes, Abel found it strange.

Abel was wearing an item that allowed him to recover from abnormal conditions.

It could detoxify normal poison immediately.

The paralytic poison this time was so powerful that it affected his body, albeit slightly, to the extent that he knelt to one knee.

However, Ryo didn’t look like he was affected by the poison.

“No, I didn’t do anything in particular.”

Yes, Ryo did nothing.

That said, he had never practiced gaining resistance to poison.

In the first place, Ryo couldn’t find『Detoxifying Grass』around his house.

(I wonder why nothing happened. The blessing of the Water Fairy King … no, I can’t assume that this world has such blessings … maybe …)

“Was it the effect of this robe?”

He somehow came up with it and gave it a try.

There was no way to verify it anyway so for the time being, he just thanked the person who gave it to him.

(Thank you, Master.)

“Oh, that’s plausible. At first glance, it looks like a normal robe but it’s definitely not normal.”

“Abel, the way you phrase it is strange.”

“Well, I know, but I can’t help it because I can only express it that way.”

“I just thanked my master for giving me this in my heart.”

“Oh, that’s good, because gratitude is important.”

The moment he heard that, Ryo’s face was full of astonishment.

“Abel said something decent …”

“Hey, oi, the things I say are always decent!”

“It’s a pattern that only the person themselves thinks so.”

“I don’t want to be told that by you!”

The next day onward, they started making dried meat for crossing the mountain.

While in the woods, they wanted to hunt for rabbit and boar meat.

There were many rabbits and boars in forests but they were rarely found in grasslands.

Ryo had never heard of such habits on Earth, but when he asked Abel,

“That’s how it is.”

He got a dull answer.

In about two days, they were able to hunt five each.

It was more than enough for two people’s share of dried meat.

「Salt」was indispensable for making dried meat.

And a decent amount of it was required.

Originally he wanted to soak it in soy sauce, but … he didn’t have it on hand.

It couldn’t be helped, so he sprinkled salt and black pepper on the sliced meat and dry them for about 3 days.

That was all.

“It’s pretty easy, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s because we made simple dried meat that adventurers make on the go. In the worst case, they would be made only with salt, so even having pepper would be quite lucky.”

“I’m glad that there was pepper in the Rondo forest.”

Ryo nodded and said.

The two headed north to the mountain range while holding ice rods made by Ryo skewered with dried meat to dry them as they walked.

Incidentally, apart from the meat, the skin were『tanned』by Ryo and were made into a cloak for Abel and as『spare clothes』for Ryo.

That was because Abel commented that it would be painful to cross a mountain covered with snow without a cloak.

Just having a cloak would greatly increase the protection against the cold.

In addition, Ryo made … clothes for himself with the appearance of『Kantogi』. (TLN: 貫頭衣)

It was basically a large tanned Greater Boar leather with a hole in the middle for the head.

If he tied it around the waist with ivy to replace a belt, he would have an exact Yayoi period『Kantogi』garment.

Ryo was wearing the robe given to him by the Dullahan so he didn’t need a cloak.

Instead, he made a 『Kantogi』to wear inside the robe, doubling the warmth.

With this, both of them had dramatically improved their ability to protect against the cold.

“Hey, Ryo, those bags you made along with the cloak …”

“Yes, I plan to put the dried meat in them to carry them along with us.”

It could be said to be the standard size for a shoulder bag.

“If it’s any bigger than this, it will be difficult when Abel is in battle, right?”

“Well, that’s right … but even if we put the two bags together, it looks like it won’t fit all the dried meat.”

“Yeah, it can’t be helped. The ones that don’t fit …”

“Yeah, it can’t be helped.”

It was a waste to throw them away but they couldn’t avoid doing so. Abel thought so.

“We’ll carry those we can’t fit by hand.”

“……What?”

“We’ll be eating it every day, so the further we go, the less we will have, right? We can finish what we have in our hands first.”

Abel’s eyes became dots.

“But I can’t fight if I have my hands full …”

“I will fight in the meantime.”

Ryo nodded with grim resolution.

As a matter of fact, when they finished packing the dried meat in the bags, they only had about one day worth to hold it in their hands.

It goes without saying that Abel was relieved that it was only to that extent.