Published: September 10, 2025
Satou here. From the outside, actions that seem eccentric often have some kind of reason once you look inside. That doesn’t necessarily mean those reasons are justified, though.
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“...So this is heaven, huh?”
A girl muttered as she woke up on the bed.
] “You have acquired the ‘eastern countries’ languages’ skill.”
I gained a new skill, but since it’s a dialect of the Shiga language, I can understand the meaning just fine.
I don’t intend to activate the skill, but I’ll cast a translation magic to adjust the nuances.
“...Um?”
The girl looked up at me with a confused expression.
She is Pipine, a village girl from the Kiwalk Kingdom’s snowy mountains who was attacked by a large monster, a rocket wolf. Pochi saved her.
Her woolen clothes were stained with the rocket wolf’s blood, so I put her in a white cotton one-piece dress for now.
Since she was lost in the mountains, starving, and severely weakened, I gave her a magic potion for nutrition and took her to a lodge in the snowy mountains to rest.
It seemed she had been enjoying the feel of the bed with sleepy eyes until a moment ago, but she finally seemed fully awake now.
“No, this is a mountain cabin near your village.”
“—A mountain cabin?”
Understanding her mistake, the girl hastily tried to get up from the bed but fainted from anemia.
I quickly supported her and placed cushions behind her back so she could sit comfortably.
“For now, drink this and calm yourself.”
“Tastes good... like summer honey water.”
The girl slowly sipped the yuzu tea I offered her like it was a treasure.
This is a sweet tea made by dissolving yuzu marmalade in hot water.
Zenzai (sweet red bean soup) is a bit hard to drink, so I chose this instead.
“Lulu’s special milk porridge is here!”
“Hamburger steak with thick sauce too~?”
“Meat is necessary after all!”
“Hmm, white bread.”
Just as the girl finished the yuzu tea, the younger group arrived with food.
I think her stomach has settled with the nutritional potion, but meat might be tough for her.
That concern was unnecessary; the girl quickly devoured the milk porridge, marveled at the softness of the white bread, and curiously tasted the small hamburger steak with thick sauce.
By the way, the meat used in this hamburger steak came from the rocket wolf that tried to kill her.
Despite being a carnivorous beast, its meat tasted like beef without any unpleasant smell, and everyone, including the beast girls, praised it.
I plan to hunt more of them later, but not enough to wipe them out.
After finishing the meal and feeling full, the girl seemed to remember something and expressed her thanks to Pochi and me, then apologized.
“Ah, sorry for eating so eagerly without even thanking you. My name is Pipine from Avalanche Village.”
“I’m Satou of the Shiga Kingdom.”
Since I probably wouldn’t see her again after sending her back to her village, I didn’t mention my noble title or family name.
“Ah~ I wish you’d said you’re a retired Echigo silk merchant or something~”
“Silk merchant~?”
“Pochi prefers dried meat to fish.”
“Shiso furikake.”
The younger group, misunderstanding Arisa’s words, started to go off on a strange tangent.
“Um, are you a slave trader?”
“No, I’m not. Just a traveler.”
I denied it, and Pipine looked disappointed.
I didn’t think she’d willingly sell herself—so I decided to scan her village area out of curiosity.
—Surprisingly, 90% of the village is starving.
Apparently, they are in such a bad state they have to sell themselves for food.
Moreover, many villages in this country share the same condition.
It reminded me of the old Muno Territory.
“If you have any troubles, please tell me, okay? I might be able to help.”
After hesitating, the girl seemed to decide that desperate times call for desperate measures, and she described the village’s dire situation, pleading for even a small share of food.
“Please! Our village has no money, but there are nine unmarried girls, including me. We can sell them as slaves in the Shiga Kingdom and use the money for food—”