110-100 Revisited, Oak Nest

Our first morning in our new home.

After breakfasting on the leftovers from last night's party, we headed for the Orc's nest in the eastern forest.

It had been a long time since we had been in the eastern forest, but the leaves had fallen off the trees and it looked like winter.

Confused by the slightly changed scenery, I arrived at the Orc's Nest and found that it had been left in the same state as the last time I visited.

After confirming that there was nothing that responded to [Search enemy], we split up to investigate the surroundings.

"What do you think?

There's nothing to worry about.

All the huts have been burned, so all that remains is a cinder in the center of the nest.

Perhaps it was because we burned the remains of the dismantled orcs along with them, but there was no sign of other beasts scavenging for leftovers.

The only difference I can think of is that the grass is sprouting.

Thanks to the several rains that have fallen since then, the site of the nest, which was completely covered with soil, has become quite green.

There was nothing special here either.

"No. No new orcs here.

That's a little disappointing. We can't get any new meat.

It seems that Natsuki likes the orcs because they provide usable meat and fat at the same time.

It may be that vegetable fats are more expensive than other foods in town.

I've seen them for sale, but if you wanted to make tempura with them, you'd have to pay a very high price.

Or perhaps I should say that the oil sold in Japan is very cheap if you consider the trouble of making it.

Rapeseed oil is made by growing oilseed rape, collecting the seeds, and pressing them, right?

You can get less than a handful of seeds from one oilseed rape. If you grow and press the oil yourself, how much work does it take? Even the sesame oil squeezed from those tiny sesame seeds looks like a lot of work. .......

Well, let's just be happy that nothing happened. What should we do?　Do we turn back now?

It's a shame we've come this far without a harvest, isn't it?

But the fruit is almost gone, isn't it?

Lately, we haven't been able to pick up many nuts even in the southern forest.

Of course, it's not only humans who are after nuts.

There are also squirrels and other animals that fight for the fallen nuts. They also need to save them for the winter.

Of course, that doesn't mean that we should shy away from them, but unfortunately, you can't pick up what you can't find.

"......, uh, firewood?

"Firewood. We'll need it. It's not an inn.

We need firewood because we're not in an inn.

We don't have a gas stove, so we basically need wood for heat.

We can live with it for now, but when the weather gets colder, we'll need it for heating.

The problem is that you have to dry the wood for a long time before you can use it.

Well, if the need arises, there is a spell called "Heating Worms" that can withstand the cold, but it will be necessary to reapply it from time to time for Natsuki and Toya, who cannot use fire magic.

As for the stove in the kitchen, I want to change it to a magic tool as soon as possible. It was in Aella's store.

What about heaters?

Would you like to use a magical tool for that too?　You don't have a problem with magic, do you?

Even if you can't use magic, everyone has a certain amount of magic power, so even ordinary people can't use magic tools.

In fact, since they do not consume magic power, they can use them more easily than those who can use magic.

Of course, the total amount of magic power is much greater for those who can use magic.

But since we have a fireplace, we might as well use it.

Oh, a fireplace. There's something nice about a roaring fire, it gives you a warm feeling.

There's a fireplace in the dining room, but not in your room, right?　Is that okay?

Fireplaces are installed only in the dining room, living room and parlor.

They are not installed in laboratories or private rooms. Considering the frequency of use, the cost of installation, cleaning, and fuel, there is little benefit.

Hmmm, isn't it better to gather in the dining room or living room during the cold season?　We don't spend all our time at home, and if it's cold, we can use the Worms heating system to keep us warm for a while, right?

If we all turn on Worms before going to bed, we won't feel the cold until we get back to our rooms and get under the covers.

"Now that you mention it, do we really need to get a stove?

Natsuki and Toya are the only ones who don't have access to their own heating systems. The only ones who don't have their own heating system are Natsuki and Toya. Natsuki can use it whenever he wants, and Toya has his own fur.

No, I don't!　Only the ears and tail have fur!

Oh, really?　I've never seen it before, so I thought it was .......

I've never seen it before, so I thought I'd check it out." Yuki laughs and says something silly, but I'm pretty sure she knows what she's talking about.

I'm sure you're aware of that, but I'm not sure if you're aware of that.

You'll be able to find a lot more information on the web.

I'm sure you'll be pleased with the results.

You're going deep into the forest now?

You're going to expand your search there, aren't you?

That's true, but ...... the further we go into the forest, the more the demons are distributed, right?

Yes. If the base of the mountain is divided into three layers, the first, second and third, then this area is near the end of the first layer. The guild has designated this first layer as a buffer zone, and when a group of Orcs appear here, they send out a request to kill them like this.

From our point of view, we thought we had gone into a lot of detail, but it seems that the guild's classification is still in its infancy. Well, maybe that's the way it is, since goblins do appear in the area.

And it seems that the guild of the city of Raffan is basically not going to touch the second and third levels.

It seems that the main reason for this is that it does not affect the safety of the city or the roads, and the danger of the area is not balanced by the profit to be gained.

As a delegate of Rafan, I would like adventurers to go and get the famous tree in the depths of the forest, but I can't offer a reward that is worth the danger, and as a guild, adventurers who are willing to work for a low reward are likely to die, so I caution them not to enter.

However, the guild does not forbid adventurers to go into these areas, so they are free to do so at their own risk, but there are few adventurers who go into these areas even after being stopped by the guild.

So there's no information on the second and third levels?

"No, they're investigating. According to the guild's data, there are three types: the sculpted ape, the bound viper, and the ogre.

"Scalp Ape?　That's a weird name. ......?

Well, ...... said that when they were first discovered, they were making a lot of noise with their human 'it'.

"...... Oh.

Scalp, by the way, refers to the scalp.

Scalp Ape is a bit tricky. They are about the size of a gorilla, and they generally surround their prey in groups of 10 or more, attacking with clubs and throwing stones.

In addition to their gorilla-like appearance, they are also very strong, and a normal human being can be seriously injured by a bare-handed blow. When the prey is weak, it will grab the head, arms, and legs, swing them around, and slam them into the ground.

Seriously, ...... their numbers and the intelligence to use their tools are a threat.

Yes. It's important not to get surrounded by them anyway.

Just being surrounded by 10 or more of them and having them throw rocks at you at once is enough of a threat.

And with the arm strength of a gorilla.

In some cases, you might want to prepare a shield.

The Bind Viper sneaks up from the trees and uses its long torso to choke or suspend you, but like the ...... Branch Eater Spider, it may not be as dangerous if you spot it first.

A huge snake, about five meters long, creeps noiselessly from the tree tops.

If you don't have an enemy spotter, it can be quite a threat.

But even if you can find it first, it's not a small fish, because it's hard to hit.

"Toya's attacks are ineffective?

No, no, no. I can stab with my sword, okay?

No, no, no.　Can you reach it?

Again!　I haven't even killed a single Branch Eater Spider!

I've never killed that many Branch Eater Spiders in the first place, but the top shooters of Branch Eater Spiders are Haruka, who uses a bow.

Haruka's sniping was quite impressive, as if she were piercing a needle, and she was able to kill them without fail even when they were hard to see due to the thick branches of the trees.

Incidentally, I had no kills either. I refrained from attacking with magic, since it was in the forest and the proof of defeat might be burned.

The Bind Viper's hide is tough, so I don't think it will be as tough as the Branch Eater Spider. You may be able to smash its head with a good ...... maybe, but it may be more effective to use Haruka and Yuki's small swords to cut through it.

It sounds like a pain in the ass.

It's a good thing that they appear alone.

"Ogres are genuinely strong. They're slightly smaller than orc leaders, but they're much faster and stronger. I'd recommend running away from it, but it's probably too fast for us. It's best to rely on Nao's [Enemy Search] to avoid encountering them.

It's impossible to be much stronger than the orc leader.

If they're that strong, they'll be easy to spot even with [Spotting enemy]. I'm sure.

If you don't know, you can go to ...... and if you're not good, you'll die. The pressure is on.

As for other animals, the most dangerous ones are vipe-bears, so you don't need to worry about them. There are also wolves, but they don't usually dare to attack humans, just like they didn't attack me when I went fishing.

So it's the demons that are the problem.

If there are no demons, there is no difference between the forest of the original world and the forest of ......?　I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.

I'm sure you've heard of them.

I forgot to mention that. There are some non-monstrous snakes and poisonous insects. But they can be treated with Haruka's light magic, so I don't think they're much of a threat. --But without magic, they'll die.

"Oh, I see. ......

I was told I would die easily.

I think I read that some kinds of bites are dangerous.

There is no serum, you know. There's no serum, and transport is limited.

Isn't there some kind of 'antivenom'?

If it's a game, it's in the realm of alchemy. There's no such thing as a cure-all for anything, because there are different poisons for different things.

Of course, Japan doesn't have such a convenient thing, and we need to find a corresponding serum right away. Of course, we don't have such a convenient thing in Japan either.

In our world, you would die before you could get it, and it is more likely that you would never make it back to the city.

However, since we all know that poisonous snakes are dangerous, people who go into the forest use sturdy boots to protect themselves, and it is said that accidents such as bites do not occur very often.