TNZKMA 103

１０３

 

[Did you buy the pot?]

 

Dole looked curiously at the pot on the table. People around here rarely cook for themselves, so maybe cooking utensils are a novelty. The grandpa next door only has a small pot for boiling water. We even lent him our utensils to cook the shrimp we shared with him.

Saine’s house has cooking utensils, but they belonged to the previous resident. Apparently, the former resident left them behind when they moved out, and neither the previous resident nor Saine threw them away. But they didn’t use them either.

 

[Yes. This is the pot I’ve always wanted. You can use it to cook rice. I’ve wanted one for ages, but I didn’t have a stove in the garden, so I had given up on the idea. But then the guys in the neighborhood built me ​​a stove, so now I can finally cook rice.]

 

I was so happy that I rubbed my cheek on the pot. The rough rope that was used to tie it so that it would be easier to carry hurt a little.

 

[I knew this pot was heavy, so I waited to buy it. There’s no way I could carry it by myself, and it would be impossible without Saine. Oh, but I’ll take over halfway through, okay? It would be bad to ask Saine to carry such a heavy pot all by himself.]

[It’s not that heavy.]

 

When Saine flexed his arm, a huge bicep bulged. I clapped for it.

 

[Wow~! As expected of Saine. Right? You also think so, right, Dole? He trains even when he’s at home, isn’t he amazing? Even when chopping wood, he does it with just one hand. I can’t even do it with both hands, but Saine easily swings the axe with a single hand, truly, he’s so great!]

 

When Saine wasn’t around, I once tried to imitate him by holding the axe he always uses for chopping firewood with one hand.

I could hold it. I could even lift it up to my waist. But that was my limit. When I tried to lift it to shoulder height, my arm started trembling, and there was no way I could lift it above my head without being scared.

Watching Saine make firewood is mesmerizing. He splits wood so easily with a clean slice. I imagine it must feel great to handle such heavy things with such ease.

 

I really think that Saine is amazing but Dole just keeps on grinning.

 

[Can you also do it, Dole? Use the axe with one hand.]

[Well, reasonably.]

[Hm~m. As expected, guards are really strong. Do you think I can also do it if I train myself?]

[I don’t know. But I think that you shouldn’t force yourself. After all, Saine wants to do it himself.]

[Really?]

 

When I looked up at Saine sitting next to me, the area around his eyes were turning red for some reason.

 

[“Exactly. Everyday activities, they’re training too.]

[Oh, I see! That makes sense! When Saine splits firewood, he uses his right hand and left hand equally. If he only used his right hand, his left hand wouldn’t get stronger, so he makes sure to swing the same number of times with each. Even blocking the kitchen window, that’s training too.]

 

When I grinned and looked up at Saine, his big hand gently pats my head.

 

[That part of Saine hasn’t changed since before.]

[Saine trained like that ever since he was a kid?]

[That’s right. He would practice swinging a log with the handle carved down to make it easier to grip, and he’d make countless trips from the outskirts of town to the forest fully armed. He’d go out to the forest and into the mountains even though it wasn’t work. That’s why he learned the way before anyone else.”

[You mean the way to the forest?]

 

When asked, Dole burst into laughter.

 

[No, no. There’s only one path towards the forest, isn’t there? No one would get lost on the way there. That’s not it, it’s the monsters’ paths.]

[Monsters’ paths……]

[You’ve heard about animal trails before, right? Just like those, monsters have their own paths, too. There are quite clear divisions between their habitats, and even though monsters may seem reckless, they live by strict rules.]

 

Now that I think about it, when we went to the forest to gather materials, Saine and the others would say, “This material is found here,” and similarly, they would talk about the kinds of monsters that could be found in those places. And I never saw the same type of monster anywhere else.

Do monsters have territories too? It seems like some of them move in packs, but even those that don’t have specific places where they live.

 

[Are paths important?]

[They’re very important. Extremely important. For example, there are powerful monsters. In the forest beyond the Eastern Section, there’s a monster we call Lezas. It’s strong and moves throughout the forest. However, it always follows specific paths. I don’t know why, but it sticks to these paths. So, as long as you stay away from these paths, you’re safe for the most part.]

[It’s like the paths in town. Even if it’s faster to go diagonally to your destination, you can’t just trample over houses, so you stick to the roads.]

[Yeah, something like that. But it’s not that all monsters use the same paths. If Lezas goes this way, another strong monster, Mirta, will go that way.]

 

Saying this, Dole slid his finger across the table and drew an invisible X.

 

[The paths of powerful monsters intertwine in a complex way like this. In the forest beyond the eastern district, there are at least 11 monsters that should be avoided, and you have to remember all of their paths to become a hero.]

[How long did it take for Saine to remember them all?]

[About a year.]

 

Saine snorts and says. He looks a little proud.  I wonder how fast it is to remember the monster paths in 1 year.

 

[What about you, Dole?]

[Ah, you’re trying to confirm Saine’s greatness by comparing him to me, right? Well, I don’t mind. I memorized it in 1 and a half years.]

[A half year difference, huh……]

 

When I thought that it was subtle, Dole laughed and told me.

 

[By the way, that guy over there took five years. This guy over here took seven years.]

 

Dole laughingly pointed at the big brother sitting at the back. That big brother looked over with a scowl.

 

[Let me tell you, I’m normal. 5 years is considered fast, and normally it takes 7-8 years.]

 

Of course, the familiar big brother said with emphasis.

What the other guards normally take 7 years to learn, Saine remembered in 1 year. That’s just awesome.

 

[Wow! Saine, not only are you strong and powerful, you’re also smart! That’s amazing! I was terrible at studying in school. I was the last in my class to memorize the multiplication tables, and I’ve never gotten more than a 10 on a kanji test. By the way, did you get a perfect score?]

 

There are no schools in this world. The bodyguards tilted their heads, not understanding what I was saying.

 

Here, there’s no multiplication tables or kanji. If I hadn’t been reincarnated and had been born here, maybe I wouldn’t have been left behind.

Ah, but you can’t survive here if you’re weak. Priests have to be born to a Priest’s family, and officials need to be smart. Hmm, I’d still be a dropout even if I’d been born here. I’m glad I met a capable husband.