CH 19

It was beginning to get cold even during the day.

Because of the sheep wool, I was able to knit a sweater with the [Alchemy BOX], and doing the farm work outside wasn’t as bad.

I’m sure I’ll still be in the service of those Sheepoos, so I made another glass greenhouse and made it specific for growing carrots.

Since coming here, I feel like I’ve been living every day to its fullest.

When I was still with the Lonneberg Family, the harder I worked, the more fat the Orc Mother and Son gained.

But now, look at all this.

The more I work, the more fat I gainーーerm, I mean. I guess that’s a weird way to put it.

Anyways, now I’m able to live for myself. I think that’s why it feels so fulfilling.

Ain: “Lou Quain. Lou・Q-U-A-I-N.”

Sia: “Auーu…..AUー”

Ain: “.........Luke.”

Sia: “Uuー......Uーk”

Ain: “Oh, you got the ‘K’ sound. That’s right. It’s Luke.”

Sia: “Uーk!”

Close.

Sia is also growing and improving day by day.

At first, she had a hard time using forks and spoons and used her hands instead, but these last few days, she’s now able to use forks and loves to stab the meat to eat.

Her words are few, but she’s starting to learn to pronounce them better.

And she’s also growing physically.

Her razor thin body now has a good bit of meat on her bones.

As we continued practicing our pronunciations, light flashed through the window.

Ain: “Whoa, was that lightning?”

Sia: “UAAaa, An-eerrr!!”

Sia immediately held her ears down, but no sound followed.

Relieved, she slowly released her hands off her ears, and I followed up with…

Ain: “Ligh-t-n-ing”

I teach her the correct pronunciation.

Sia: “A,a-i-n-in”

It was dark outside the window, but I saw some lightning flash in the distance. It’s far enough away where the sounds of the thunder won’t reach us.

Looks like it’ll be a stormy night.

Ain: “Okay, we can continue the pronunciation practice tomorrow. Let’s go to sleep. Tomorrow, we might not be able to work in the fields.”

Sia: “Uuuuuu….”

Sia’s ears and tail drooped to the floor as she glanced out the window. Looks like she doesn’t like lightning.

Ain: “We’ll need some buckets in case the roof leaks water. And…...I’d like to at least keep our beds dry through the storm.”

Sia: “Uuー”

Ain: “Sia, you can go ahead and sleep. I’m going to be in the kitchen area, and use the tables and chairs as material.”

I needed those supplies to make a large wooden square to support the roof above the beds.

I picked up the scattered chair and table pieces, and stuffed as much of it as I could inside my [Alchemy BOX].

As I return to the room with it, the lightning flashes again.

As the flashes come through the window, I also catch a glimpse of an enormous shadow right outside of it.

WaitーWhat?!

[UNBehhhhhh]

Ain: “Whaー Boss Sheepoo?!”

I thought he disliked going near the town!

I quickly opened the entrance door in shock, and without a doubt, the Boss Sheepoo was there.

Sia: “Eeーpoo?”

Ain: “That’s right. It’s the Sheepoo. What’s wrong? I thought you didn’t like coming into town.” [UNBeh, EBeeehhー]

Ain: “Sia, do you know what he’s saying?” Sia nods, and with broken words and annunciations, spoke the words desperately.

Sia: “Freーeh…...hole…...f……..fel…..”

Ain: “Hole? As in a hole in the ground or a cave? That kind of hole?” Sia: “Yea”

I guess by a hole, someone might have fallen into it or something. So the first part freーeh….fr……..friend?

Ain: “A friend fell into a hole?”

[Unbehー]

Sia: “Aーad. Aーad, Uーk!”

Ain: “WhーWhere did they fall?” [Beh]

He’s trying to guide us, but it’s already started to rain outside……..

Ain: “Sia, you wait here. I’ll go and rescue them.”

Sia: “Oo!”

Her response was hard to hear.

Ain: “It’s raining outside. It’s dangerous so [No!], oh, good job pronouncing that……..fine. Then bring the rope here.”

Sia: “Yea!”

I take the sword just in case and hang it on my waist.

I bring the extra sheets in a bag, and take the rope Sia brought on my shoulders. I’ll have Sia hold the light, and the Sheepoo will be the guide.

We all headed towards the mountain and we turned right before we arrived at the Dungeon Sign.

Beyond that, I something white floating in the darkness. It’s probably the other Sheepoos.

They were all crying and yelling below them.

Ain: “Is it here? That’s a pretty small hole.”

[Unbehー]

The Boss Sheepoo is also worried for his mate who fell down the hole.

The hole’s bottom was dark, and it seemed to be quite deep.

Ain: “Sia and I will climb down on the rope. Boss Sheepoo, can you hold the end of the rope with your mouth?”

[Unbeh]

Ain: “Good.”

I climb down the hole first.

The rope was about 5 meters (～17 feet) long…..but climbing all the way down the rope, our feet still didn’t touch the ground.

But from our lantern, we could see the ground from here. And also the white blurry mass down below.

To make sure we didn’t land directly on the female Sheepoo, I swung on the rope before jumping down.

Ain: “Sia, the last 2 meters, you’ll have to jump down yourselves. The Sheepoo is directly below the rope, so be careful.”

Sia: “Yea”

I heard her voice from above, and Sia climbed down the rope swiftly and landed without any issues.

Yeah, her physical abilities are far superior than mine.

Ain: “Heーy, can you drop the ropeー? There’s not enough length so lifting her up with the rope will be impossible. We’ll walk around and look for an exit!”

And with that, the rope was dropped down to us.

[Unbehー. Beh-behー”

Sia: “Ungeon, meet, aー, eーit”

Meet at the Dungeon’s exit?

Well, at least, that’s what I think she said.

And well, we did find her, but is she alive? Ain: “Hey, are you okay?” As I call out to her, the female Sheepoo slowly lifts her head up.

Ain: “She’s alive! Okay, good for you to hang in there. Can you stand?” But she shakes her head at my question.

Sia began speaking with her and after exchanging a few words, she interpreted for me.

Sia: “Hurー”

Ain: “She’s hurt?” Sia: “Yea. Hurー. Foot. Stomaー baーy”

Baーy?

But then, Sia made a gesture showing how her stomach was bulging out and getting bigger.

Stomaー = Stomach

Baーy = ………

Ain: “BABYYYYYY?!”

Sia: “Yea!”