Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter

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“Well then, I’m off.”

“See you later.”

[[[Go!]]]

“Hyulolololooo!”

After saying that, Reigi and the patriarch of the village with his baggage for money exchange floated up to the top of the village of Samsara Egg, and then flew at high speed in the direction of the west.

Gorky really wanted to accompany them, but this time the patriarch decided to only bring Reigi, who had the best negotiating skills out of all of them since they would meet the prominent person in the town called Kunukihappy and would be exposed to the public eye, which was unmatched to Maunpir Village.

Besides, the patriarch could not bring more members to the meeting in order to buy necessary supplies for the winter.

“Then shall we head off too?”

“Right.”

“Preparations are ready.”

“Perfectly done.”

[[[Bububububu.]]]

Well, it couldn’t be helped that we couldn’t follow them, so we did what we had to do.

Hence, Gorky, Kakeru, Tsukitsuki, and May, along with the four Hunting Bees contracted by each of them, prepared themselves thoroughly before proceeding to the gate that served as the entrance to the village of Samsara Egg.

[[Open the gate!]]

Along with the words of Spalpkin, who was in charge of the gate, the log gate at the entrance of the village was opened, and a bridge was built over the village’s moat.

The purpose of this moat was not to restrain the entry of large animals such as the Clawing Boar but to prevent the entry of small animals such as Anregirat.

“So, off we go!”

[[[Ooh!]]]

[[[Bubububububun!!]]

After crossing the bridge, the four of them raised their weapons and braced themselves, entering Lean Forest.

——————-

“Grape.”

“Mushroom.”

“Acorn.”

“Chestnut.”

[[[Bunbubun.]]]

Having entered Lean Forest, Gorky and the others were gathering fruits, wildflowers, and mushrooms at a pace that did not distract them from their surroundings.

As expected of the forest that they were born in, if searched for a little bit, it was possible to spot a lot of autumn fruits, which made Gorky believe that this forest was amazing.

Gassa…

[[[!?]]]

A faint noise was heard behind him, so Gorky promptly readied his favorite Ash Hardwood sword and shield, and as he moved, the other members likewise adopted their respective weapons and assumed combat posture.

It might seem like cowardice to be doing this, but in Lean Forest, they, the Spalpkin and Hunting Bee were still the hunted in solitary, and could only fight in a battle if they operated in a group.

As a result, they would always be vigilant anytime they were in the forest. A momentary slip of vigilance would be the most lethal thing in the wild.

“Kyu?”

“A squirrel huh.”

And out from the place where the noise came was a squirrel about 15 centimeters long. As with the Anregirat, there was a visible gathering of magical power in its front teeth.

Gorky did not let his guard drop even after discovering that the source of the noise was a squirrel.

They may be caught off guard and have their necks severed by the squirrel if it had enough magic power to build up in its front teeth.

All of them were wearing neck guards made of Clawing Boar fur as a precautionary measure. But prudence was nonetheless necessary. After all, they were still very weak. Unlike the patriarch, they can’t constantly strengthen their bodies.

“Kyukyu.”

“…It’s fine now.”

The squirrel eventually departed, as though it had made the decision that it would be hunted if it stayed in the vicinity. They laid their weapons down when May, the most perceptive of the Spalpkin, informed them of this.

“That was nerve-wracking.”

“My habit of escaping is getting worse.”

“Hoo.”

[[[Bububububu.]]]

And when the weapons have been set aside, Gorky left a minimum amount of caution and eased up his mind.

Incidentally, this time it turned out to be a squirrel, which was a fortunate situation, but if confronted with a Clawing Boar, it would be a definite battle.

And in that case, the Hunting Bees would have been in control, with Gorky as the tank equipped with a sword and shield, and Tsukitsuki with a spear as the main attacker, supported by Kakeru and May with a dagger, so it was a relief that the Clawing Boar didn’t show up.

Eh, yeah. Cowardice? That’s fine by me. A tank role is basically timid, being courageous only when necessary. There’s nothing wrong with not having a fight.

“What about the luggage?”

[[[There’s a lot of item collected.]]]

“And the honey?”

[[[Bunbububun.]]]

“Then, let’s go home.”

When the threat had passed, Gorky confirmed with the other members how much stuff had been gathered, and discovered that the item pouches containing the collected nuts and berries were full, as were the honey sacks of the Hunting Bees, so it was time for them to return to Samsara Egg.

The patriarch taught them that “you are not allowed to go any further if you are not at the point where you are ready for it,” and the conduct of carrying more than necessary would hinder their ability to evade or make split-second decisions in case of an emergency.

Furthermore, the item pouches that the Spalpkins wore were originally designed to be inflated to a size that would not impede their movement, so if they were full, any more luggage would only be a hindrance.

According to the patriarch’s teaching, “It’s an excursion until you get back home”. So, Gorky and the others returned home with the utmost caution.