by Funa
It’s kinda hard to tell the difference between knives and daggers. Like the “Mythril Dagger” in End-All Escapade IX, or whatever that game was called... It’s clearly as short as a knife, but it’s shaped like a sword. Then again, “Mythril Knife” doesn’t sound nearly as cool. Guess it goes to show that feeling often trumps function! she thought, equipping both blades and a couple of guns.
By the time the four arrived at the mercenary guild early in the morning, Mitsuha was already there, despite the fact that they themselves came early to keep her from waiting.
Just how excited for this is she?! The group was at a loss for words.
They found Mitsuha’s get-up a little strange. She was wearing a plain top that had a surprising number of pockets and a tough-looking pair of blue pants.
Well, that’s a whole lot better than some flashy, frilly dress.
She had a knife and a dagger at her waist. That was all good, but they didn’t know what to think about the metallic object hanging on her belt. It wasn’t too big, but looked pretty heavy. On her back, she carried a large bag, a small quiver, and some other strange tool. It looked like a bow at first glance and had a string on it, so they guessed it was a ranged weapon. Besides that, there were two large, cylindrical objects. They didn’t look that heavy, but they were certainly long.
What’s with all that stuff? Is it a girl thing? Is that bag full of spare clothes, make-up, and skincare or something? They hadn’t even started, yet Sven was already feeling exhausted.
Once they were assembled, they set off. Sven was slightly moved that the young lady insisted on carrying the huge load by herself.
I don’t have much stuff on me, so I really don’t mind being a mule for her, he thought. I guess she’s at the age when she wants to show off. I’ll just wait till she’s tired and asks for help. I’ll have game to carry on the way back, though, so I won’t be able to help her then... But she’ll probably have less to carry, too, what with the food she’ll be eating and all.
I don’t even want to think about a case where we don’t have much to carry at the end. Then again, there’s still her payment, so... Damn it! No! Get a grip, Sven! It won’t always be this easy!
Their leader’s tendency to overthink things always gave him too much to worry about.
After several hours of walking with a few breaks in between, they arrived at the forest. They’d left early, so it was still only noon. The party had walked past a lot of merchants and other travelers, but overall, it had been a pretty uneventful trip.
The only thing Mitsuha took note of was how populated the road had been compared to the one in Colette’s village. The path that branched off into the forest was just as empty as that one, however, and all she could hear were birds chirping in the distance. The presence of a footpath at least indicated that people walked through the area. According to Sven, they were mostly hunters, foragers, and mercenaries like themselves.
The group walked through the forest for half an hour before putting down their bags. They’d chosen a clearing not too far away from a stream.
Yep, looks like a good place to camp in, Mitsuha thought. Going any further would make hauling their equipment or any game they might catch all the more tedious, and it wasn’t as though they’d gain much by setting up camp closer to the forest’s center.
The mercenaries didn’t want to let the daylight go to waste, so they started working right away, saying they’d set up camp once it was too dark to find anything. They wouldn’t hunt today, since the meat would go bad over the next couple of days, so everyone took to gathering herbs and wild plants that sold for a pretty penny.
Yams, maybe? wondered Mitsuha. Ugh, but they’re so hard to dig up. When I was little, I tried getting one that was about as wide as my pinky, but I gave up after digging down, like, five or six inches.
She tagged along with Gritt, asking if she could teach her the ropes as she prepared to help out. I’ll give her whatever I find, obviously. I’m not that greedy!
There were no yams to be found. They looked mostly for wild fruits, vegetables, and that sort of thing. It was hard to tell whether some of these were herbs or food. Once it started to get dark, they went to set up camp.
If you can call this “setting up,” anyway, Mitsuha thought as she looked at their bed. It was a piece of cloth draped over some grass clippings they’d spread on the ground. No need for shelter when it’s not raining, huh? And uh, am I supposed to join them? Not a chance.
She walked several feet away, plucked a large cylinder from her belt, and started fiddling with it. A few seconds later, it made a loud shuffling sound as it popped open and spread out.
“Wh-What?!” Gritt jumped in surprise.
“Ta-da! The ‘anywhere tent’!” Mitsuha proudly presented the one-person pop-up tent she’d scored from the home improvement store’s bargain bin. It was small, but meant for adults, which made it pretty spacious for someone with her petite build.
“Urethane sheet!” Mitsuha spoke in a grandiose manner, but naturally the mercenaries had no idea what was happening. It just made things awkward. Slightly embarrassed, Mitsuha undid the other cylinder and spread out the sheet.
A tent and an insulating sheet... My bed, made in just a few seconds!
Sven’s eyes went wide.
“Do you think this would sell?” Mitsuha asked.
“Y-Yeah.”
The mercenaries said they’d normally make food out of any animal they encountered while foraging, but they weren’t so lucky today. Surviving out in the wilderness was far from easy. Thankfully, they’d found some edible, albeit bitter, plants. Trying to sell them just wouldn’t be worth it, but they could be used to make a soup that was mildly filling when paired with the hard bread they’d brought. Throwing in a bit of dried meat would give the stock a bit more flavor... but not much.
Gritt was hard at work trying to start the fire so they could make the soup, if it could be called that. She was using a bit of flint, but not having much luck. The wood and leaves here were still a bit damp from the rain.
“Umm, excuse me...” Mitsuha stood beside her, and she looked up. “Can I do it?”
Gritt—a veteran at firestarting—was having a hard time. Mitsuha also wasn’t some housewife who lit the hearth daily. In fact, they probably figured she’d never held a flint in her life. If Gritt couldn’t do it, there was no way Mitsuha could, right? Actually, she was more than capable... of starting a fire, at least. But the group had no way of knowing it, so they assumed she stood no chance. However, one of the reasons they’d brought her here was the experience, so they couldn’t ignore her request.
Gritt extended the flint toward her and said, “Sure. Try it.”
Mitsuha held up a palm and refused. “No, thank you. I’ve got my own.”
She crouched down, squeezed a gel-like substance out of a tube, and rubbed some twigs into it. Then, she ignited them with a disposable, long-reach lighter.
“Wh-What?” Gritt was flabbergasted.
“Science wins!” All smug, Mitsuha puffed out her chest... though it was hardly noticeable. Shut up, you!
“How did she...?” Sven whispered.
By this time, Gritt had moved on to preparing the soup, while Mitsuha was making her own food. Curious about what she was doing, they talked among themselves.
The particular item that had them so perplexed was her micro camping stove. It was about half the size of a regular one—so small you could see half of the gas cartridge. Simmering above it was an aluminum pot full of soup. Beside Mitsuha, there were plates, utensils, some empty soup cans, a 148-yen pack of miniature red bean buns, and canned peaches that had been poured onto an aluminum dish.
Needless to say, it was too much for one person.
“The rest of her stuff’s all food?” Sven was awestruck.
“Ah, this is a bit too much for me to eat all by myself. Think you can help me? I’d like to have a taste of your soup in exchange, though.”
“GLAD
LY!” they shouted in unison.
This is so unfair... I feel like the owner of some shady gastropub.
“It’s so good...” said Sven after trying a spoonful of the rich soup. “When did you have the time to make this stuff? I thought you were just the spoiled daughter of some noble or merchant, but this just proved me wrong. You’re so good you can easily run a fancy restaurant.” He could hardly believe what he was eating.
Sorry, bud, that’s just concentrated minestrone I bought at a supermarket.
“Wait, this is bread? It’s so soft! And what’s this inside?! It’s so sweet!” Gritt stuffed her mouth with the cheap buns.
Ilse munched on her food without saying a word. Always the silent one, that girl. Speaking of silent, Szep didn’t have much of a presence. Mitsuha had almost forgotten he was there.
And to think I was expecting him to be a womanizer like Alexis... Oh, I get it—he thinks I’m a child. That was a little ignorant of me, sorry.
“Well? Do you think this would sell?” she asked. “Everything besides the bread stays fresh for a long time.”
Sven took a moment to think before answering, “Depends on the price, but nobles, rich people, and the army would go crazy for this.”
“I see.”
The army, huh?
Mitsuha felt that getting involved with army stock would bring her unwanted attention. Not to mention it’d make her so busy, she wouldn’t have any time for herself. They’d probably buy things by the thousands. She doubted that even the count could protect her from the military.
“I can’t provide that much,” she said, “and rich people have good food all the time. Let them eat some nasty stuff while they’re traveling, at least. I’ll just try to sell these at a price that people like you can afford.”
“Huh? Are you crazy?! D’you have any idea how much you’d make if you played your cards right?!”
“It’s fine, I make enough off my other stuff.”
Hmm... If I got one can for 150 yen on Earth, it’d be worth six small silver—the equivalent of 600 yen—here. And if I used fair prices instead of ripping off—I mean, using my shop’s usual profit margins, they’d be eight to ten small silver each... 800 to 1,000 yen, basically. That’s still a little too much to replace a poor merc’s diet. At most, it’d be a once-every-few-trips luxury. Also, cans are kinda heavy, although freeze-dried food is even more expensive...
Ah, what about CalorieMates? Those little Japanese energy bars would be a good emergency snack in case they had terrible luck hunting or got lost or something. I could sell them for a higher price, since the mercs wouldn’t be buying ’em every time. Welp, I guess I know what I’ll show them tomorrow morning! I already have something in mind for lunch. Uhh, why do they all look so moved? Is the food that good?
After they’d eaten, the group went on to sit around the campfire and chat. Mitsuha boiled water and prepared some tea. Powdered black tea au lait, to be precise. It was cheap, easy to make, and tasty, which made it one of Mitsuha’s favorites. Everyone loved it, so she mentally tacked it onto her growing list of future goods.
When she found a good opportunity, Mitsuha excused herself from the group. Having heard in advance that there would be a stream nearby, she’d prepared a little something to make bathing easier. She retreated into her tent and changed into a bikini. Well, it wasn’t showy in the least. Simply put, it was hard to properly wash oneself in a one-piece swimsuit, so Mitsuha had purchased this one for just that. It was purely functional.
I’m not gonna use any soap. The water’s just too clean to pollute, and using it in a swimsuit is a pain, anyway. I’ll just take a quick dip and be done with it.
She left the tent, towel in hand, and immediately locked eyes with Szep. The cup he was holding slipped out of his hand.
“Y-Young lady... Y-You... You...”
“YOU IDIOT! WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?!” Gritt yelped. “MEN, TURN AROUND AND DON’T YOU DARE LOOK AT HER!”
Ilse ran up and threw her cloak around Mitsuha.
Huh? What’s going on? Mitsuha thought.
“What are you thinking?! Why would you walk out naked?! There are men here! I know you’re a child, but you’re not that young anymore!” Gritt shouted, red as a tomato, while Ilse nodded furiously. Sven and Szep had escaped off to... somewhere.
“Hey, it’s just a swimsuit. It’s okay to show it...”
“Shut up! It’s not even underwear! You’re naked!”
Oh, right. Girls here wear those so-called “bloomers” or “drawers”. Now that I think of it, when I tried selling underwear to Beatrice and showed her mine, she actually fainted. Whoops... Sorry, girlfriend.
Following a long scolding session, they let her bathe, but Gritt kept an eye on the men while Ilse watched over her the whole way through.
The next day, Mitsuha woke up with the sunrise. The mercenaries had planned to go out and forage without any breakfast, then have a relatively filling brunch before hunting till evening. By the time they woke up, however, Mitsuha was already waiting for them with some water boiling on the micro camp stove beside her. Good work, little guy! They would’ve needed to start a fire for this, but you’ve made it real easy.
“Try these, please,” she said, presenting two boxes of fruit-flavored CalorieMates along with some tea. “They’re really nutritious, keep fresh for a long time, and are easy to carry around!”
Each of the four of them hesitantly took one and gave it a try.
“It’s delicious...” said Gritt.
“There ain’t much of it, but it feels... nutritious?” added Sven.
Nice, they like it! Oh, they want seconds? I don’t think so. They’ve got foraging and stuff to do, after all.
While the mercenaries left, Mitsuha stayed behind at camp. They didn’t stray very far, however, so it wasn’t a problem. Huh? You’re wondering why I’m not going? I got bored of it, okay? Get off my case!
They returned before midday, at about ten o’clock. Mitsuha was thoroughly prepared. She already had water boiling, so all there was left to do was throw in some noodles.
“Welcome back! I’m almost done cooking!”
They were rather used to it by now, so no one said anything back. A few minutes later, Mitsuha gave them a dish that looked a little like stew. But rather than giving them spoons, she handed each of them a fork.
“What’s this?” Sven asked.
“My family’s secret recipe! We call it ‘Bagged Ramen’!”
They “oohed” and “ahhed” appropriately.
Glad to see you can play along now.
“Oh, man, what is this stuff?!” Gritt said.
“It’s so good!” Sven joined in.
It feels like that’s all you ever say, Mitsuha thought bitterly. Work on your vocabulary. That wasn’t to say that instant ramen wasn’t great. It was cheap, warm, light, and easy to cook.
You know all those people who eat cup ramen every day and act like they’re totally broke? Fakers! All of them! If they were really poor, they’d go for the bagged stuff or some bread crusts. And let’s not forget bean sprouts! Those little guys used to be just 34 yen, but they’re just 26 now. Do companies even make any money off those?! Well, I can’t sell cup ramen to mercs, anyway... The packaging would probably break inside their bags.
But, hey, I’ve found a real power product! Now we’ll have a little post-brunch rest and start the main event—hunting!
Unlike when foraging, they didn’t split up and instead hunted as a single group. Everyone had a fighting style and range they were good at, so they picked the best person depending on what game they came across. Plus, larger prey was much easier to handle when they worked together. Some animals had to be herded or surrounded to be caught, while others were too tough for one person to take out. Such beasts could be worth as much as two gold, and one alone would make the trip a huge success.
The five of them quickly and quietly moved through the forest, keeping an eye out for prey. Their first targe
t was a large bird perched in a tree overhead. Ilse took a shot at the animal, but missed.
“Sorry,” she said. Gritt patted her head, and they resumed their search.
Is that... a bird?
Despite being an amateur tracker, Mitsuha found another bird before anyone else in the group. She crept closer to Sven, tapped on her crossbow, and whispered, “Can I have that one?”
Bows and arrows weren’t all that accurate to begin with, and considering the target was in a tree, the leaves and angles involved would make it even worse. Skilled as she was, Ilse would probably miss again.
Sven let her give it a try. She didn’t think he believed she could take it out—he probably just didn’t mind wasting an opportunity to satisfy his employer. The fact that she’d found it herself probably had something to do with it, too.
Well, whatever, Mitsuha thought. A grin slipped onto her face as she pulled back the crossbow string.
As an archer herself, Ilse seemed pretty curious about the horizontal contraption.
A sharp twang cracked through the air as the metal bolt flew out. It was followed by the soft thud of the bird falling to the ground. The mercs couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Ilse in particular was so dumbfounded she couldn’t close her mouth.
Did I mention I actually had some crossbow training at the captain’s base?
“That’s going straight to the market. We’re not eating it.” Sven overcame his shock and made that point clear. A true leader, indeed.
A few more hours passed. Szep was carrying the bird Mitsuha had taken down. Gritt said he must’ve felt guilty about last night, but Mitsuha still couldn’t make sense of his actions. Well, whatever. We already agreed that anything we pick or catch here goes to them, so carrying it sure isn’t my job.
When they stopped for a short break, Mitsuha told them she was “going to pick some flowers” and headed off by herself.
“For decoration? I’ll come with you,” said one of the guys in a profound display of density. It earned him a whack from Gritt.
