Third Outer World Story Series: Pumpkin Sorcerer - Chapter 13

Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter

“For now, the simple disposal is completed.”

Pumpkin removed the meat and fat from the bear’s skin the following day, going about his morning routine.

This should be enough for the time being.

“So, I’d like to move on to a more in-depth research…”

Looking back, he recalled the outward appearance and magic color of the grass he had used yesterday to knock the bear into a slumber. These boars were abundant; in fact, there was probably a bunch of them nearby.

In fact, the issue was that he wouldn’t be able to retain and process all of the vast amounts of data with his mind alone owing to how these materials would continue to increase in the future.

“After all, I need some kind of storage medium.”

And the simplest storage medium would be paper and pen.

If he had to dig into a stone, he wouldn’t be able to do it due to the amount of time and effort required, and if he had to write on a leaf, there would be too much of a risk of loss if something happened to it.

In this case, a pen of some kind on parchment or Japanese paper would be the best choice.

But there was one problem here.

“It would be impossible to make it by myself…”

Both paper and pen would be impossible to create by himself.

Yeah. For a pen, I could wrap a piece of string around charcoal, but then again, I can’t make charcoal. As for paper, I don’t expect anyone who lives such a primitive life like me would be able to make it.

“The only way to get paper is to go out to the countryside and buy some, but my appearance is now like this… sigh.”

He was now, unfortunately, simply a pumpkin.

Hence, if he were to venture into the human dwelling, a problem was certain to develop unless there was some sort of countermeasure, like a device or a disguise.

“At any rate, I should start by preparing for a hibernation for the winter.”

That being the case, the first thing to do was to figure out some kind of countermeasure against the impending threat of winter.

In concrete terms, improvement of the base, securing insulation materials such as straw, and an examination of the cold resistance of this body to assess how long it can withstand the cold.

So, I shall work on developing a better base today.

—————–

“…”

There were too many of them.

That was Pumpkin’s immediate reaction as soon as he started renovating the base.

“Bumo.”

“Bumo-bumo.”

“Bumo?”

“Hah…”

At present, three wild boars were gathering around his base as though they were on the prowl.

Pumpkin didn’t even know how they ended up here.

As soon as he started renovating the base, they unexpectedly popped out of the forest.

“From the looks of it, I’m guessing they’re searching for food.”

Through a gap at the entrance to the base, he probed the boars.

The boars were rubbing their noses frantically on the ground, sniffing for something.

Given the time of year, they were probably seeking food to build up their fat reserves for the winter.

“It’s not like I can’t take them down, but it’s going to be time-consuming…”

Pumpkin was trying to work out how to get rid of the boars in order based on their movements, but it seemed like it would be tough to take on all three at the same time.

In that case… yeah. I will put up a barricade and wait for them to leave.

There is no better way to avoid taking a risk.

“I should do it quickly.”

And so, he set up a barricade with the items he has gathered and decided to concentrate on improving his magic manipulation skills inside the base.

For water and light, there would be no problem as long as he could get the roots and leaves out through the gaps in the walls of the base.

—————

“How did this happen ……”

So, a few days later, the situation worsened spectacularly.

His base was now surrounded by more than 20 animals in total.

The number was constantly fluctuating because of fights among the gathered animals, but Pumpkin’s estimation was probably not wrong.

“Yeah. I guess I have to flee…”

Fortunately, the interior of the base has already undergone modifications, and the cold protection has been greatly enhanced by covering it with various animal skins. The winter season was just around the corner, so there was plenty of time to escape and come back when winter set in.

It may seem mildly ironic that the preparations for the winter retreat have been completed thanks to the fact that Pumpkin had no choice but to stay in his base of operations.

“I’ll go to the area where that tuft is growing, collect the grass, and then head for Mizuki.”

After that, he looked outside and rushed out when he thought it was safe to do so.

But there was one miscalculation on his part. While Pumpkin didn’t know why they were gathering around his base, he assumed that the reason they were congregating was because of something situated nearby his base.

So he figured he would be safe if he left this place.

[[[Buhiiiii!]]]

[[[Guruaaa!!!]]]

“Ghee… Hyulololooooo!!”

However, in reality, right after he launched himself out of the base, the animals, as if sensing something, switched their attention to Pumpkin and began to charge.

“Hyuloo!? W-What the hell is going on!?”

So he changed his destination from the tuft area to Mizuki’s, as he burst into the forest at top speed, without understanding what was going on.

All of the animals assembled at the moment were terrestrial creatures, and since both the master and Mizuki were in the lake, the animals would not be actively approaching if their magic power was weaker than theirs.

“Gurua!?”

“Nowaah! Ah, that was close!”

And here, a bear attacked him from the front, swinging its right claw, and Pumpkin made a sharp turn to evade the bear’s attack.

As I expected, the target of these animals is me.

After realizing this, Pumpkin flew above the trees, where the bears would not be able to reach him, and headed for Lake Accumulate, where Mizuki was located.