THE MARGRAVINE COMES VISITING! ①

“Ah, Kili.
There are some herbs here as well.”
“You’re right, thanks Aria.
[Collect].”

We were all once again in the Demon Forest, to train early in the morning.
It has been a month or so since we began this routine.

“There’s some, here too.”
“Thanks you Sui.
[Collect].”

Aria was now able to carry a considerable amount of luggage, and could now carry more than five times as much weight she should be able to.
Her appearance hadn’t changed much, so seeing her carry all that was a sight to behold.

Sui too had become accustomed to manipulating large amounts of magic, and could maintain the strengthening on Aria’s bags even at considerable distance.
Before I knew it, she’d begun assisting Kili and the others with foraging.
When I was about as proficient as Sui with magic, I felt like my magic would release as soon I it left my sight.
She must really be a genius when it comes to magic.

“Lain nii-chan, A pack of Greywolves is headed our way from that direction.”

Reno informs me after approaching my side.
She could now easily spot greywolves from large distances.

Even if we gradually withdraw after she gives report, we would still be able to outrun the greywolves.

“I see.
It’s already past lunchtime, so how about we head home?”
“That’s fine.
My [Blessing] may last for an hour more, but I think I’ll become famished before that.”

Milia had only recently become able to apply values to her magic, but in exchange, she was the first to find out the exact amount of magic reserves she had.
Her [Blessing] used the most magic out of all of them, so she was always the first to run out of it.
Knowing her magic reserves means knowing the maximum output she can bring.
There aren’t many gaps either, so it’s very easy to plan things around her.

“Alright, let’s head back you guys.”
“Okay.”

At my signal, the foraging three form a line, and begin their return home.
In the end, there wasn’t even a need to run, and we came back without the greywolves catching up to us.

***

“We’re back.
Kili, I’m putting this in the workshop.”
“Thanks.
I’ll sort it out before lunch.”

When we return home, we quickly sort out our loot before having lunch.

“I picked up some mushrooms today, so we’ll be having mushroom soup for lunch, okay?”
“Alright-!”

Doing the same work for almost a month has allowed them to get used to it, so they’ve even begun fetching ingredients from the forest, which made food slightly more luxurious.
With a bit more practice, they might even be able to hunt animals while walking.

The Demon Forest was rich in vegetation.
You had an abundance of vegetables year-long, and wild animals were also there.
Though since they’re also running from monsters, they’re quite cautious and much more difficult to find than animals in a normal forest.
However they’re not impossible to hunt either.

Until now, even if I’d told them that, they’d have no choice but to run once they encountered a monster.
With their current level though, they might be able to take monsters down.

I believe it’s time to teach them about monster hunting.

“Hey, I wanted to tell you guys something.”
“What? Don’t worry, I’ll make your soup with extra ingredients.”
“Aah! Only Lain is unfair! Me too, me too!”
“Yes, yes.
I’ll add extra ingredients to Reno’s too.”
“Yaaay-!”
“No, that’s not it.
Though I would like extra ingredients, that’s not what I wanted to say.
I was thinking it’s about time you guys learned how to defeat monsters.”

In an instant, the five become frozen stiff.
They then surround me all at once.

“Will you really!?”
“Alright-! I wanna learn magic which blows away all enemies in one go!”
“Attack magic, hurry, want to learn.”
“Can I also learn something like that?”
“How do we defeat monsters?”

I involuntarily take a step back, seeing their overeager expressions.
It suppose it’s just that important for Aria and the rest to be able to fight monsters.

The trigger for starting their training, was because they almost got killed by one, after all.

“I can’t give an answer to all of you at once.
In any case, don’t we always do our learning after lunch? Also, Sui’s strengthening magic has worn off.
First sort the materials out, before their magic scatters away.”
“””””Ah.”””””

All five of them take a step back.

“T, that’s also true.
I’ll carry it all, so come with me Sui.
We don’t want the magic to dissipate, do we?”
“Coming.”
“I shall also help with sorting, before the magic disappears.”
“Then, I’ll begin on lunch while everyone does that.”
“I’ll also get on lunch!”

Saying that, the five get into their own work.
I go to the workshop to help with Kili’s extraction process, as usual.