「Good morning. Lucie」
Lucie slowly came out of the carriage when I prepared a considerably late lunch outside.
I set up an open air fire to heat a large stone and arranged a loin of deer meat on top.
I close my eyes until the aging of the meat is sufficient.
After the coveted idle slumber for that extra hour before getting up, since there was free time, I removed the rest of the blood off of the skinned deer hide and tanned it, I divided the rest of the meat so that it is easier to eat, packaged it in maple bark and placed it in the carriage.
Even if a fire is started in the daytime it is not conspicuous now, my perception range is within a 300 m radius. It is good since I can put it out as soon as a soldier of the Empire approaches.
「I’m sorry, Syril, I, fell asleep」
「It’s understandable. Yesterday, did you wait outside for the entire time until I came back?」
「Yes, That is right but, I am up, it was necessary to be vigilant」
While Lucie was being crushed with anxiety about if I will die, she was waiting outside while shivering in the cold alone. If we failed then everyone in the village will starve so there was a strong pressure for a long time, and the carriage continued to be run so we are both mentally and physically tired from that.
Although it is easy to say it, but the physical and mental load is immeasurable. Unlike me, Lucie is a normal girl. Rather it has become necessary to praise her to have gone so far.
「That is right, I wanted to properly watch. If found by soldiers in yesterday’s state, the both of us would have died. However, the fact is that it would have been the result of my failure should the pursuers had been tailing me and extended their search over here, it was not the mistake of Lucie」
「But, I came for a purpose with Syril, but I wasn’t any useful」
「You are useful. Because Lucie drove the wagon all day yesterday It was possible to attack by allowing me to conserve my strength, if I were by myself, I might have the wrong tension, on the journey, because of Lucie’s accompaniment my mind gained composure. Besides, I was able to absolutely return because Lucie was present」
All of it is the truth. However, if I were to add one more thing, the biggest one would be that I would be too fearful of leaving Lucie all alone in the village.
While I am not there, the anger and uneasiness of the crisis to the village that I caused might turn the villagers to Lucie.
Even if a good person one by one, the heart of the individual will become ugly and distorted as soon as it becomes a group.
「Syril, I am glad you have said so but, I still can’t forgive myself」
Lucie is straightforward, but stubborn. And sweet to others but tough on herself. It is necessary to convince her.
「So? Shall I give out a punishment. When we get back to the village, you have to listen to one request from me. Then I will forgive you」
「Okay, what is it going to be?」
「Hmm? I will give it some thought. Until we reach the village, it would be good if you should just imagine the scariest thing possible.」
「Because it is Syril, I don’t think you will do something so terrible, but it is still scary」
Lucie had a wry smile.
Nevertheless……sharp. I would not force Lucie if she serious hates it. Therefore I let her speculate and make a slightly pained expression.
「There is fear if you do not know what is the punishment」
「That is a fairly tepid punishment」
「Because it is the first time. I wont permit any mistakes the second time. So there is no helping it today. Lucie is an amateur in terms of mental strength and also immature in stamina. Rather the thing about enduring for two days was a surprise. That is a talent. If it is forged, surely anything will be possible」
「Even Syril is an amateur. ……I will do my best. I don’t want to depend too much on Syril, because I want to become stronger」
「I’ll be expecting it.」
「But, I have been forgiven for two times, what happens when it comes to the third time?」
「Nothing will happen, I would have decided that person can’t do it and will never believe in them again, they wont be entrusted with anything important」
「In a sense that would be more painful than you getting angry」
Lucie makes a pained smile.
In my experience, the guy who makes the same mistake 3 times is useless where ever they go.
You cannot entrust the kind of person who fails to do a good job.
Lucie would surely be okay.
「Well then, please eat the deer that I seared」
I sprinkled salt on the seared meat. And I placed the specially seared meat on to Lucie’s plate.
The most delicious meat around the bone, is scrapped with a spoon, thoroughly minced with a knife, the smell is taken away by mixing it with lily wasabi that was carved there, salt for seasoning, and the acidity of the cranberry fruit juice is added.
「It is a waste to use so much salt two days in a row」
「It is okay because I was able to steal a lot of salt. For the time being there is no need to worry. If salt isn’t taken in you will be exhausted by the time you go back to the village」
「It would be a hard time after remembering this luxury」
To tell the truth, the salt was a considerably high-ranked priority in the raid of the supply base.
It is not possible to get salt in the elf village located in the mountains. Before being dominated by the Empire, you could buy it from the peddler who occasionally comes by, although you could go to the Fire Kitsune village where it is is produced and sold, we needed to depend on goods from the Empire after being controlled by the Empire.
Salt is an essential thing for life, a long time ago the partner’s sale price was what you named, because the Empire only gives the bare minimum, it became custom to use salt considerably carefully in the Elf Village.
Even if you make a mistake, as I did the salty taste works and is good!The impression to not use such amount comes out.
Although I was able to secure the present amount of salt in the raid, it is necessary to develop a supply route of salt in the near future.
Next time, let’s face the Hikitsune Village. [TLN: Hikitsune is Flame Fox, I like to switch things around sometimes if you haven’t already noticed.] The Flame Kitsunes excel in fighting power, and to the rule of the Empire, they still continue to resist, they are old friends. A relation of friendship is possible to be established.
「About now, it would be nice. Because it is only two times that it is possible to be luxurious. Later, there will be more」
「Honey liquor《 mead 》! I have never had such a thing!」
Honey liquor《 mead 》 is alcohol made from honey. The Elf village included, this continent itself is cold, sugarcane which is the raw material for sugar is not raised, it is an ultra luxury good that relies on imports from over the sea.