Chapter 6

When we emerged from the cave, the sun had indeed begun to set.

So, that night, we camped again, and following Alyusha’s instructions, we prepared to butcher a bird.

I thought it would take a lot of resolve for me, a mere salesperson, to wield a sword, fight, kill, and butcher a creature, but surprisingly, I was able to do it quite easily.

It seems that being reborn as Yumir has made me mentally much stronger.

This change is also evident from the fact that I was able to decapitate a creature without hesitation during the battle.

I plucked the feathers, slit the belly, and removed the organs, then hung it on a makeshift stand made from multiple swords to drain the blood.

I had dug a hole where the blood would fall, so burying it later would reduce the likelihood of beasts being attracted by the smell.

Processing the organs requires a lot of water, so we would have to return to the cave again.

Since it was getting dark, I didn’t want to go back, so I decided to burn the organs.

I put on the crown of the Holy Fire King and shot a Fireball into the hole, turning everything to ashes.

I gathered firewood from near the shrubs and used the Holy Fire King as a fire starter to make a campfire.

Although there was no salt or pepper, making it rather bland, I still had some salted fish in my item inventory, which helped to alleviate the taste somewhat.

"Big sister, it’s delicious!"

Alyusha, with her face smeared with the bird’s fat, smiled brightly as she munched away.

Her innocent smile healed my tired heart from the butchering and fighting.

I’m still young and haven’t had children, but is this what paternal love feels like? Or, since I’m a woman now, maternal love?

"Don’t eat too quickly, or you might choke. We don’t have much water, you know."

Fortunately, after drinking the potion to increase attack speed, we still had empty bottles.

Though they could only hold about the same amount as a small can of juice, I had filled two of them with water.

Thinking about it, without a way to carry water, leaving this place would be fatal.

If we were to leave and travel, we would need to consider a method to replenish our water supply.

I only had about ten attack speed potions, and even if I emptied all the other potions, I could only carry about three liters of water.

If we were to leave and embark on a long journey, this amount would be far from enough. We would need to find a means of transportation.

"We need to prepare some bottles for water."

"I don’t know how to make glass?"

"I wasn’t really expecting you to know that."

I patted her head and took out some ice for dessert and handed it to her.

She took it with a big smile and immediately put it in her mouth.

After one bite, she closed her eyes, stiffened her body, and shivered.

"It’s delicious, but it’s so cold!"

"Well, it’s ice. If you eat too much, you might wet the bed, so just this one, okay?"

"Okay."

After the meal, we cut nearby grass and carried it to a rock to prepare a bed.

I laid out the mantles from my equipment to make it more comfortable. Since I had multiple types of mantles, I used them as blankets as well.

Alyusha helped enthusiastically, so it didn’t end up being a solitary task like the previous day.

By the time the bed was ready, the moon was high in the sky. It took a lot of time.

We got into the bed a bit early. To avoid setting the grass on fire, we used the red light from the magic sword 'Purple Flame' as a light source.

While the faint light was almost like a nightlight, I thought it would be better to put it away before sleeping.

It would be too noticeable from the sky, and the birds that were inside the cave might still be outside.

"Big sister, camping is so fun!"

"I’ve only been here for two days, though."

Alyusha was in high spirits, feeling like it was a camping trip.

Despite making a bed for sleeping, she was wide awake.

Perhaps she was worried that I seemed uninterested, so she asked with a frown.

"Is it boring? The smell of the grass feels good?"

"Yeah... I guess. Oh, since we got the bird’s feathers, maybe we can make a blanket?"

"A blanket! Let’s make one!"

The bird’s feathers could be used as fuel, so I had stored them in my inventory.

If we could get some fabric to wrap them in, we could make a down blanket.

"But we might not have enough... We’ll need to kill more birds."

Those birds were weak enough that, as long as we didn’t get caught off guard, they wouldn’t be a problem. They were so weak that it felt silly to have been scared by their strange noises.

If the monsters in this cave are this weak, it might be a good idea to thoroughly explore the inside.

The only issue is...

"Alyusha..."

The best option might be to hide Alyusha in that small room and explore alone.

According to Alyusha, the small room with the fountain doesn’t seem to be entered by enemies.

However, it’s scary to leave a young child alone.

There’s no telling when she might get bored and run out of the room, leading to a disaster.

For her safety, it might be better to keep her within sight.

If I do that, she might get involved in the battles, but I don’t think I’ll push myself too hard.

Having her around might also serve as a good stopper.

If the cave’s enemies are weak, I might become overconfident and take reckless actions.

There’s also the issue of water.

I don’t intend to stay here forever, so I need to prepare for a journey.

However, while I have a source of water, I don’t have a way to carry it.

I need to get a canteen or something similar...

"In a fantasy world, a water bag would be ideal... Do you know how to make one, Alyusha?"

"Yeah, I know! You dry a big animal’s ‘bladder,’ rub it with leaf juice, and tie the top and bottom to complete it!"

"Alyusha, you’re so knowledgeable. I’ve never heard of this method before."

I doubt many modern Japanese people know how to make a water bag.

Moreover, Alyusha seems to have a lot of knowledge for her age. Is this the average for people here?

If so, it seems to be a world with a surprisingly high level of education.

"But I might not be able to kill a big animal."

"That’s not true, big sister is strong!"

"Ahaha, thanks. Even if it’s flattery, it’s nice to hear."

I’m not so foolish as to overestimate my abilities just because a child flatters me.

I’m still a modern Japanese person, and I don’t have any special background like swordsmanship or ancient martial arts.

I’m just a regular person who likes games and has a special fondness for game characters.

"But I think I can hunt smaller animals, so let’s make a lot of small water bags. We’ll try our best to reach a place with people, okay?"

"Um... Okay..."

Alyusha was already starting to drift off.

For a child, staying up late is a formidable opponent. It’s healthy, I suppose.

For now, the immediate goals are to make water bags and secure preserved food.

I had butchered three birds, so there was a lot of leftover meat.

I wrapped the remaining meat in grass and buried it to hide it from beasts, but I think this place is probably safe.

With the next day’s plan set, I put away the magic sword 'Purple Flame' and went to sleep.

---

The next morning, I faced the biggest problem: the toilet.

"Big sister, it’s prickly."

Digging a hole and using grass to wipe is the same as before, but if we keep burying it, this place will eventually be full of toilets.

We need to think of a different method of disposal.

We also need something to use instead of paper.

I’ve been using cut grass, but as Alyusha pointed out, the sensation is very poor. There were probably rough, prickly grasses mixed in.

There are many types of weeds, so it might be better to find a type that is more suitable for wiping.

"Hmm, instead of burying, maybe we should burn it."

Using the Fireball from the crown of the Holy Fire King to burn it might be a good solution.

Since we’ve already dug a hole, it won’t scatter.

The small room in the cave had a drain, but using it for a toilet would be mentally unpleasant, especially since we plan to use the water for drinking.

Burning and covering it could serve as a functional toilet.

Leaving it exposed is also not good. After all, I’m a girl now, and Alyusha, though around five years old, is also a lady.

The surrounding area is overgrown with grass about fifty centimeters tall, but it’s not a pleasant feeling.

"Yeah, we need a wall."

"I think a toilet needs a wall."

"We’ll think about it when we get the materials. For now, we’ll have to bear with it."

"Okay, I understand."

I added 'toilet construction' to my mental to-do list and started breakfast.

---

After using the toilet, I washed my hands with the remaining water, finished my meal, and began exploring the cave.

Alyusha is wearing the crown of the Holy Fire King, so as she grows, she should be able to use Fireball in battle. That’s still a long way off, though.

But what we need now is immediate help. I put on shoes that increase MP, so she should be able to cast Fireball once or twice.

I’m a bit worried about her HP, but it’s better to give her a means of self-defense.

"Alyusha, you must never get close to the enemy. And you must not cast Fireball during my battles."

"Understood."

"Also, don’t wander around on your own. If you find something strange, don’t touch it."

"Understood. Yumir big sister, you’re so naggy."

"I’m worried about you, Alyusha!"

I drilled the precautions into her before entering the cave and repeated them frequently while inside, so she was getting exasperated.

But she’s still a child, so I need to remind her repeatedly, or she might forget quickly.

Alyusha is a smart child, but she’s still a child.

"Really, really, don’t forget!"

"Okay."

She was walking with the energy of a child who might start skipping at any moment.

My current equipment includes a fire-attribute mana blade, a pair of fire gloves that automatically cast the single-target fire spell Firebolt, and a halo that automatically casts both Firebolt and Fireball.

The halo emits a bright light, serving as a light source alongside Alyusha’s crown.

This bright light serves as a perfect target for monsters.

"They’re coming. Alyusha, stay back."

I heard footsteps from the corridor and moved her to the back.

Four creatures, each about two meters long, appeared from the depths—were they dogs or wolves?

"Grurrrr..."

They realized we were on guard and began to circle and threaten us.

But keeping our distance in this situation would be a poor strategy.

While the wolves were focused on me, Alyusha activated Fireball, burning them.

Though her Fireball was much weaker than mine, it still disrupted their formation.

I took advantage of the opening to rush in and attack with my sword.

With just four swings, and the help of the Firebolt spell, the battle was over, leaving only charred corpses.

"These aren’t very strong. Their reaction was slow."

"That’s definitely strange."

Their slow reaction when I rushed in made me doubt if they were truly wild.

They were also weak to Alyusha’s magic, and this cave might be designed for beginners.

For a child like Alyusha, those wolves might have seemed like formidable enemies.

I stored the corpses in my item inventory and thought about this.

The young girl turned out to be a knowledge cheat.

Incidentally, regarding the strength of the monsters, Alyusha’s opinion is more accurate.

I plan to update two chapters today.