Chapter 97

"It's pretty cold around here, even though it's not a mountain."

"This isn't a plain; it's a large basin surrounded by mountains. Not all basins are like this, but this area gets cold in winter and hot in summer due to the wind blowing down from the mountains. It's a place with extreme seasonal changes."

"Ugh, I hate the heat."

We were on a shared magic car that took us to a nearby town, and now we were being jolted around in a beast-drawn carriage heading to the village where we had received a request. The adventurer guild had arranged for us to ride in the cargo area of a merchant's carriage that participates in the market in town once a week. The guild staff's duties include such support for requests. We always appreciate their help.

The jolting increased as we entered a dirt road with no paving. We had anticipated this, so we brought shock-absorbing cushions for both of us to sit on, but without them, it would have been unbearable.

Kohaku, who was initially very interested in the beast-drawn carriage, seemed to have lost interest. However, the jolting kept her from falling asleep, and she looked a bit bored.

In the city of Lindemen, there have been past issues with horse-drawn carriages and beast-drawn carriages, so they are avoided. Outside the city, however, magic cars are more of a rarity. Especially, domesticated magical beasts that are stronger and more resilient than horses are often preferred.

In particular, the creature called a Bone Cow is herbivorous and, while classified as a monster, has a gentle temperament, making it commonly used for farming and beast-drawn carriages. It can eat almost any plant, including tree branches, making it easier to raise than horses.

While horse-drawn carriages are faster and have their own advantages, the Bone Cow is more practical in many situations.

The jolting and shaking were so intense that I didn't feel like chatting much. Ugh, the cushions aren't enough to counteract it... This needs improvement... I tried to distract myself by looking around and keeping an eye on the surroundings.

"Finally, we're here."

"Thank you for the ride."

"...Thank you."

"Sure thing. You two are here to deal with the harmful beasts in our village, right?"

Kohaku, who was about to run off immediately, stopped and said her thanks when she saw me thanking the merchant who had given us a ride. Recently, she has been more mindful of manners and etiquette without being told, which is a good sign.

By the way, the request we received is misunderstood as "dealing with the harmful beasts that have increased in the fields recently," but we are leaving it as is. The actual goal is to "eliminate the monster that has recently settled deep in the forest, which is causing the harmful beasts to come to the village." Even gold-ranked adventurers don't want to be too proactive about this.

"But if we eliminate the cause, the beasts that are driven out of their territory and come to the village will disappear. If adventurers overhunt ordinary animals, it can affect the livelihood of the village hunters, so we want to avoid harming ordinary wild animals as much as possible this time."

"Then, we need to borrow the key to the pilgrim's room from the church and collect branches for firewood before it gets dark."

"What? The firewood we collected today would be too smoky to use in the room's stove."

"That's why we need to exchange the wood we collect for dried firewood at the church. ...Kohaku, you didn't read the part about the firewood, did you?"

"Ah, no. I just forgot. Yes, yes, we need to exchange the firewood."

I had summarized the request for Kohaku to make it easier for her to understand, but it seems she only remembered the parts that interested her, even though I saw her reading it.

She can quickly remember the vital points and weaknesses of monsters, but she's vague about the parts needed for proof of elimination. While it's not necessary to memorize everything perfectly, she often neglects to check the request details, which is a bit concerning.

In the party, we have different roles, and it's fine for the person who is good at it to handle it, but Kohaku needs to be able to do the basics on her own.

That night, Kohaku, who had become accustomed to hotel living, complained about the cold and snuggled into my bed.

"Didn't you come from a colder country?"

"While I don't feel the cold when I'm active, the village I'm from had warm, well-insulated houses where we could dress lightly, and the futons were much thicker and softer. This place is so cold inside the house."

Honestly, I was also feeling the cold due to the drafts, so I agreed with Kohaku's suggestion, even though it was a bit impolite. Unfortunately, even huddled together, we were still cold, so we decided to use the camping sleeping bag, which we hadn't planned to use, on the bed.

The bedding was so thin... If we had known this would happen, I would have aired out the sleeping bag. Since we plan to stay for two nights, I decided that Kohaku would be my hot water bottle again tomorrow. I hadn't expected to need to teach her camping skills so soon, but there will be requests where we can't use well-equipped accommodations, so I need to make a sleeping bag for Kohaku as soon as possible.

I thought about these things while trying to ignore the cold air brushing against my cheeks and fell asleep.

Fluffy, fluffy...

What is this supreme fluffiness...?

I was drawn out of sleep by the soft sensation on my cheek. Opening my eyes slightly, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling in a cold, dim room. Where am I? Then I remembered. We're on a multi-day request.

However, I noticed the fluffy sensation that hadn't gone away even after waking up. At the edge of my vision was something dark... In my sleepy state, I reached out to touch the fluffy thing near my face.

The familiar texture finally revealed its identity. It was Kohaku's tail. The black fur at the tip was touching my face.

I've touched it a few times before, but I've never rubbed my cheek against it, so I didn't recognize it by feel.

"Mmm..."

Kohaku's foot emerged from the sleeping bag. I wondered why her tail was touching my face... but it made sense when I realized she was upside down in the sleeping bag.

What a strange sleeping position... How did she manage to turn upside down in such a small space? I was impressed that she didn't wake up from it.

"Kohaku, it's morning. You were excited about the request today, remember?"

"Mmm... Mmm..."

"Kohaku~"

"...I can't eat anymore..."

The muffled voice came from inside the sleeping bag. Kohaku didn't seem to be waking up, so I decided to take a more forceful approach. I grabbed her foot, which was visible at the opening of the sleeping bag, and pulled her out.

"Good morning, Kohaku. Let's go wash our faces."

"Ugh... It's cold..."

Kohaku finally woke up and slowly sat up.

Despite the cold, I felt a sense of accomplishment for waking up early on my own. I usually have trouble waking up, which often frustrates Anna, but I can wake up when I need to be responsible.

...Does that mean I usually rely on Anna?

I tried to ignore this inconvenient realization and urged the still sleepy Kohaku to follow me to the well behind the church.