142-Chapter 9-1 Family

'Temma, the river should be in sight by now. A short distance along that river is a place suitable for camping. It's a little early, but we'll rest there for the day.

Blanca opened the window and suggested to me, who was controlling Raiden.

Looking at the sky, it was still bright, but I heard that there was no better place to go than there, so I decided to accept Blanca's suggestion.

'Temma, there it is. That's where that hill is going to be.

Okay.

As Blanca had said, there was a place near the river that was high up like a hill, and I let Raiden advance to it.

When we got to the hill and looked around, there was a grassy field of low-tall grass all around us, and if anything was going to come close, it would be easy to spot it. And it would be even easier to spot tonight since it was a full moon.

'We're close to a watering hole, so it's a good place to take a break.

Yeah, there's one drawback, though: it's easier to spot the enemy and easier for them to find you.

You two, let's finish getting ready before we have a chance to talk.

As I was talking to Blanca, the old man got out of the carriage and was looking for a place to start a fire. In a place like this, there should be traces of those who used this place before, so that's where he's looking for it.

'Lord Merlin, I believe it should be at the back of the carriage.

Oh, here it is.

Just as Blanca had said, there was one spot in the back of the carriage where the dirt had been dug up, and there were wet coals and cinders lying around.

''Whew~.......Are we there yet?''

After checking the surroundings and exploring, Amur came out of the carriage with a yawn. Behind him, Shiroumaru and Solomon, who was also asleep, followed.

'Young lady, you sleep too much. Go wash your face quickly.

Hmmmm....

Amur walked back into the carriage with his eyes half closed. The next time he came back, his eyes were completely open and his sleepiness seemed to have dissipated.

'We still have some time before nightfall, let's find something to burn nearby. And something to eat while we're at it.

Everyone nodded at my suggestion, and we're going to look for them until we can see them from the carriage. Raiden was near the carriage, and I had Slarin and the others waiting just in case, so I instructed Shilomar or Solomon to go and let them know if anyone was too far from the carriage.

'I'll go down to the river,'

I'm coming with you.

Grandpa and Blanca went towards the grassland, so I decided to head to the river where food seemed to be the easiest to get to. Amur said he was going to follow us, so we went with him.

We've arrived at the river. We're at the river, and I can see the carriage clearly.

We checked the location of the carriage, but since the carriage is less than a hundred meters away from the river, it seems to be useless concern. A quick look at the riverbed shows that there is quite a bit of driftwood, so it should be easy to find anything that might be useful.

"Amur, I'll look on this side, don't look on the other side.

Okay.

Amur and I split up, and while we were looking for driftwood and reasonable stones, we somehow got our eyes on the river. I didn't have a rod or net with me, so I wasn't going to fish, but I decided to check out the river, thinking I might be able to go fishing for gagging or billies or something.

'It kind of reminds me of the time I met Namitaro,'

As I was thinking about this, something huge approached from the water.

"I didn't think it was going to collect the flag!

I regretted my words a bit, but the moment I prepared for the creature that might be Namitaro, something in the water jumped out at me.

'Namitaroo... not!

It was a huge salmon, lightly over three meters in length at a glance. Maybe it was a trout, though.

It leaped out of the water with its mouth wide open, trying to eat me, but I didn't rush, and caught it with my Guardian Gigant, which I had prepared for Namitaro.　

Food, got it! So let's just get it over with.

It would have been better to remove the nerve or bleed it out, but it was too much trouble, so I used a gigantine to break the neck bone and dispose of it. The processed salmon was immediately placed in a magic bag, so I decided to dismantle it later and used 'search' for the water.

'Another big one among the smaller reactions, I see.

According to the results of the appraisal, it seemed to be Tyrant Salmon, so I thought it must be the same kind of fish as the salmon I had just caught.

I wondered if he was trying to catch it.

I knew in a previous life that there were things called gachinko fishing and bili fishing, but I had never actually tried it. I had never tried it, because I was told that fishing for them was banned in most of the rivers in Japan. However, there is no such law in this world, so I decided to give it a try.

'I guess it's like running an electric current........hooray!

When I used lightning magic to pass through the salmon's area, it seemed to diffuse a bit, but the salmon floated to the surface of the water just as I expected. In addition, dozens of small fish floated by itself, but it was difficult to retrieve them, so I decided to leave all but the largest fish, such as carp, alone. If we were lucky, they would revive, and if not, they would be food for other fish and birds.

'Then again, I've never had a salmon before. I'd like some sashimi, but I don't know if that's a stretch.'

I had seen trout in this world before, but I hadn't seen salmon yet, so I was excited to see what they tasted like.

We decided to give the salmon and carp we had just taken a quick treatment and then return to the carriage. With all of this, we won't have any trouble finding food for a few days.

"I know from the 'appraisal' that it's not poisonous, but I wonder how it tastes?

Thinking about this, I looked for Amur, and for some reason, downstream, a flooded Amur was coming towards us, carrying a puffy burlap sack.

'Temma, big catch! For some reason, the fish washed up!

Amur opened the bag with a shout of joy, and it was full of the small fish I hadn't collected earlier.

''Well that's good to know.

I had a few mixed emotions, but I didn't think it was worth mentioning to a delighted Amur, so we walked back to the carriage together, talking about bland things.

When we got back to the carriage, Slarin, who was standing guard on the roof, was looking at us as if he wanted to say something. Apparently, Slarin knows how easily Amur was able to catch the fish. However, Slarin is an air-readable slime, so he didn't try to tell Amur about it.

'Ooh, that's a lot! Shamefully, there's almost zero for me.

I'm the same way. It seems that small animals and demons have found this area to be a danger zone.

The two of them were gathering wildflowers that they could eat well while talking about such things. Moreover, they were things like nobile, lily pads, dandelions and honeydew, all of which were easy to prepare. Just to be sure, I confirmed the presence or absence of poison in the 'appraisal', but there seemed to be no problem.

I also killed a big fish, but today we can cook with Amur's fish and the wildflowers the two of us picked up.

Many of the fish Amur caught were things like chaya and crucian carp. So the huna were lowered into three pieces and exposed to water to get a little bit of the muddy smell, and the chaya were gutted and shaken lightly with salt, and a few of them were put together on a single skewer.

'Grandpa, make sure you wash the lily pads and nobile well. Blanca and Amur will make two kamadoes and ask them to start the fire. Once the kamado is made, put a pot of oil and a pot of water on the fire.　

I'll give instructions to each of them and proceed to prepare the food. Today's menu doesn't use any meat, so Shiroumaru and his friends may not have enough, but they'll have to put up with it since they'll be using the carp and salmon.

Now it's done.

Within an hour of starting to cook, we were able to make a few dishes. The menu consisted mostly of boiled wildflowers and fried or baked fish, but with several different flavors, so it wasn't the kind of food you'd eat in an encampment.

'And there's a little bit of booze, too. I only made enough for each of us to have one drink, just in case.

Even though it's called liquor, it's distilled liquor mixed with more water, so you won't get drunk unless you're very weak on liquor. At least, it's made so thick that grandpa and Blanca can say that there's no way they'll ever get drunk with this much alcohol.

I took the liquor out of the magic bag, and sure enough, Grandpa and Blanca poured the liquor into the cups as if they were fighting to get ahead of me. Well, since the food in front of us is all the kind of stuff that can be used as a snack, I can't help but say that it's inevitable.

In the end, the two of us drank a portion of the liquor for me and Amur, and ate only the most flavorful of the dishes.

''It's the night shift today, but is it okay if the first one is Blanca, the second one is me, and the last one is Grandpa and Amur?''

Normally, the theory is to bring the most experienced person as the second most burdensome, I thought, but I chose Blanca as the first because she was the longest serving person in the daytime and could sleep longer, and Grandpa as the third because he wanted to pair her up with Amur, who was the least experienced.

I told them the reason and got their approval, so we each began to prepare for the night. By the way, I made a few impasses for this trip, so I was able to secure separate spaces for men and women. Well, I say space, but it's a simple thing, so we had to be careful about a lot of things, but even so, the mental burden (mainly on me) was significantly reduced. At any rate, Amour would deliberately try to undress in front of me or peek at me to see if I was changing. When this happens, I try to escape to the bathroom, but only then can I escape to the bathroom because either Grandpa or Blanca is using the toilet. He's a promising newcomer who has nearly double-digit success, even on his debut day.

It's time to go to bed. What are you two going to do?

I'll stay up for a bit longer because I have a few questions for Blanca.

So I'm awake, too.

'No, girl, go to bed. What's the point of creating anxiety if you're just unfamiliar with the encampment?

When Amur tried to sit back down, Blanca blackmailed him and forced him to go to the carriage. Reluctantly obeying, Amur turned around several times as if he wanted us to stop him until we reached the carriage, but each time Blanca glared at him and made him move his feet forward.

'So what does Temma want to hear? Well, that's pretty much a given.

Blanca, who seems to have an idea of what I want to hear, seems to have deliberately chased Amour away with harsh words.

Well, I think I'm probably right in my estimation. The question I want to ask is about Amur's family. Amur says he's going to marry me, but it's not going to be so easy for the Viscount's daughter, is it? If I'm not good at it, I think I'm going to displease my father, Viscount Lobo.

Honestly, for me personally, it doesn't matter if someone I've never met hates me, even if it's Amour's father and Viscount, I don't care if he hates me. But as long as I'm going as a messenger from the royal family, the fact that I'm going to displease Viscount Lobo means that the relationship between the royal family and the viscount may deteriorate. If this is just a Viscount, there's no problem, but I've heard that Viscount Lobo is like a person who is the organizer of the Southern Autonomous Region. In other words, he has too much power for a viscount.

''Well, to put it bluntly, my brother-in-law (Ani) will be hostile to Tenma. That man dotes on Amur. Early on, he's not able to get rid of his children. That's why I think Amur is going to be so hard on Tenma, for whom he has feelings for. Give up on that. But I can tell you this. The Southern Autonomous Region will not be hostile to the Royal Family.

I was surprised at Blanca's clear statement, but I was a little relieved to hear that she would not be hostile to me once and for all.

What makes you so sure?

It's simple. I won't let you. If you did, I'd stop you, even if it meant stabbing your brother-in-law in the back. I don't need to know which is heavier, my brother-in-law's selfishness or the lives of the inhabitants of the southern region. Well, I think my sister-in-law (Ane) would stop him before that. She doesn't have any respect for her sister-in-law, and her sister-in-law is stronger than him. Besides, although my brother-in-law is the heir to the viscount, my sister-in-law's bloodline is more direct. My brother-in-law is like a son-in-law.

I've been told that even if Viscount Lobo seriously revolted against the royal family, the residents would still side with his wife. In the first place, there is no chance that Viscount Lobo will force Amur to dislike him.

I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this in the next few weeks. That's how much they look like each other.

The last information is just a cause for concern for me, but I heard that she has normal common sense, so I don't have to worry too much about that.

I'm glad to hear that Amur's mother has common sense. And I want to ask you one more thing, what kind of person is Amour's great-grandfather, Grandpa Kay?

In my mind, the only thing I can think of when I say "Cage, Tora, and the Big Man" is that Sengoku-era leaning man who is most famous in Japan. It's possible that he may be a fan of that leaning man, but either way, there's a good chance that he's a reincarnation like me.

It makes me wonder how such a senior reincarnate from another world has lived. I don't think he told me he was a reincarnated person, but I wanted to know if there was anything in common between me and Kayiji that I could use as a reference. By the way, I haven't counted Namitaro, who is also a senior member of the same otherworldly reincarnation, and I don't plan to include him in the future because I don't think he can be very helpful.

'Well, simply put, he's the most powerful man in Southern history. And this is my personal opinion, but I also think he's the strongest man in the history of beastmen. Even if I had two ... no, even if there were three of me, I wouldn't be able to beat that man in his prime. He's enough of a man to make you think so.

Judging from Blanca's expression, it seems that he is not exaggerating.

There are no absolutes in a fight, and since they are compatible with each other, it may not be that they are generally three times stronger than Blanca, but it still shows that he is a substandard man.

By the way let me ask you... if me and Grandpa Kay fought, who do you think would win?

I asked him a stupid question, and Branca looked at me with a difficult look on his face, thinking seriously.

'It depends on the situation, but in a one-on-one fight, if it's a close fight, it's nine to one for Grandpa Kay. If you fight from a distance, it's seven to three to Tenma. That's just in my own imagination.

So in Branca's opinion, me and Grandpa Kay, I've concluded that Grandpa Kay is stronger overall.

I don't think I'm the strongest ever, but I couldn't believe it for a minute. Of course, I don't think Blanca is being patronizing, and I don't think it's far off that Blanca (a competent person), who knows both, would say that after much deliberation. But it's still true that I thought he was the best ever if only for his talent in this world. After all, it was a talent given to me directly by the gods of this world. Moreover, they each packed multiple abilities into it.

So I took a slightly different angle. Let's assume that this world's physical abilities are slightly inferior to Grandpa Kay's, but his talents are superior. Then they should be close to even in overall ability. In other words, I think the cause of the difference is not in this world, but in his previous life.

So if the identity of Grandpa Kay is who I think it is, then the difference between the two can't be helped. I have been taught by various masters in my previous life, but that was in a peaceful time. I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot more information on this topic.

'Have I offended you?'

Seeing me thinking about it, Blanca called out to me that, but when I put my thoughts together in my own way, it all made sense.

'No, if Blanca says so, then it must be true. But, you know, if Grandpa Kay, the one Branca used for comparison, is in his prime and I'm still growing up, then it means that we still have a chance to turn the tables, right?

It might be ridiculous to compare his abilities with those of the past, but it was still frustrating to lose, even if it was imaginary for Blanca to be there.

''Guhahahaha! That's for sure. I may know Grandpa Kay in his prime, but I don't know about Temma in his prime!

Blanca heard my words and let out a bold laugh. It was so loud around me that a sleepy-eyed Amur even threw his weapon, a spear, at me while leaning out of the carriage window.

''Huh~ That was a close call. Even though I was half asleep, you aimed precisely between my eyes. Surprisingly, the lady's accuracy of hitting the target is better when she's sleepy.

Despite his words, Blanca easily grabbed Amur's spear and thrust it into the ground nearby with a spare face.

''Is it about time for a change? Okay, Temma, take care of the rest.

Due to the fact that I continued to talk to Blanca directly after the Amur spear incident, it was time for me to keep an eye on her. Well, since I'm in charge for at most three hours, there's no problem if I continue to stay awake. It's better than sleeping halfway through and then keeping watch.

''But you're a little stiff from sitting around. Let's do some light exercise.

I didn't want to make too much noise or get too enthusiastic about the exercise, so I passed the time by doing radio exercises and walking around the area in a circle around the carriage.

As I was doing the radio exercises for the second time, I saw that the time for the change of guards was approaching.

'What are you doing, Temma?

Grandpa didn't know what radio exercises were, so he seemed to think I was doing something strange again, but he soon realized it was to relax his body and started doing them, asking me how to do them.

'Huh? Why is my spear here?

As soon as Grandpa finished his radio exercises, Amour's consciousness, which had been sleepy until then, seemed to be fully awakened, and he noticed the spear that Blanca had thrust up and made a strange face.