Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: The Twenty-Fourth Fragment, Carpediem
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A date.
The word refers to going out and having fun with a lover or someone you're in that ambiguous phase with. But Juda and Tia's current situation fell a bit short—no, way short—of qualifying as a date.
Since they planned to camp in the forest to hunt Black Wolves, they spent the day buying what they needed for that. Temple potions that were low in quantity and expensive but highly effective, longcoats engraved with warmth magic sold only by the Magic Tower, insect repellents and blood-stain removers from the general store, emergency kits for emergencies, spare weapons, and more. They bought a ton of stuff.
Of course, under the pretext of a date, they ate plenty and did some sightseeing too. But since they'd been living here for years, nothing really excited them. Come to think of it, it was just their usual routine.
They spent way more money than usual on shopping and snacking, but Kaseun's funds covered it all.
Money really is the best. No hesitation when buying, no need to haggle over prices. The only issue was carrying it all home. But tomorrow, everything except some of it would go into the <Bag>, so weight wasn't a concern.
As soon as they got home, they laid out their purchases on the floor and double-checked for anything missing. Tia efficiently sorted through the items, while Juda was unfamiliar with many of them.
He asked her what they were for and how to use them, and she kindly explained as if it were no big deal. Since they'd all come in handy later, he committed it all to memory.
Once everything was sorted, Juda stored it all in the <Bag>.
Preparations were complete. They planned to stay in the forest for four days at the shortest, a week at the longest, so they turned in early.
Before the morning sun rose, Tia and Juda washed up, geared up, left the house, and headed for the east gate. The gate was open, but unlike usual, no hunters or herbalists were setting out at this hour. They'd all read the posted notice in the central square and were too scared to venture out for a while. Tia and Juda passed the gate under Charles's worried gaze from his post and followed the familiar path.
After trekking nonstop for a couple of hours, they reached the entrance to the Black Forest.
Contrary to their concerns, no Black Wolves were in sight in the eastern woods. But it wasn't just the wolves—deer, boars, and other animals were absent too, and even the usual birdsong was gone. The forest was eerily silent. Only the rustle of branches in the wind broke the quiet.
"Not smoking today?"
Juda asked Tia as they entered the Black Forest, staying vigilant.
She had her pipe in her mouth but hadn't lit it. It was just a habit; she occasionally let out a wistful sigh. At his question, her eyes twitched.
"I want to, but I'm worried it might put my disciple in danger. Guess I can't."
Tia was concerned there might be too many Black Wolves gathered in the forest. No point risking it by lighting up. Juda shrugged at her unnecessary worry and kept walking.
The Black Forest didn't feel as scary anymore compared to the first day. As he scanned the surroundings, rolling his eyes, he heard a low growl from afar and stopped.
"Looks like the notice wasn't for nothing."
"Yeah, running into a Black Wolf less than five minutes in."
She blinked in surprise too. This pack numbered five—a bit many.
"Want me to take one?"
Juda shook his head and drew his sword. With a sharp shing, the blade slid free. Five was manageable. Tia activated stealth as usual and climbed a tree to watch over him. From her perch on the branch, she saw the five wolves encircling and closing in on Juda.
The fight erupted in an instant. One aggressive Black Wolf lunged at the start and crumpled, spraying blood.
'This kid really has talent.'
Not just talent—skill too. Surrounded by five, he stayed calm and methodical. His two daggers sliced through the air, embedding in a wolf's flank and nape, and he dispatched the other three cleanly. Tia descended from the tree just as he finished the last one.
"What the hell? How are you fighting this well?"
"Hmm. Well, it's all thanks to Master's excellent training?"
"Where'd you learn the lip service? You've gotten way too smooth-talking lately."
But she didn't seem displeased; she chuckled lightly. Juda had to admit, it felt easy even to him. He'd expected some struggle, but he could roughly predict their moves, making it a breeze.
He opened the <Bag> and handed her a butchering knife. She grabbed it and skinned a dead wolf in seconds. By the time she finished three, he'd only managed two. They used chemicals to remove the blood from the pelts and stored them in the bag. Piling the skinned carcasses together, the once-threatening beasts looked ridiculous now.
Juda let out a snicker, wiped the blood from his daggers and longsword with a cloth, and moved on with Tia in search of the next target.
There were a lot of Black Wolves. Packs kept respawning like monsters in a game—deal with one, walk a bit, and another appeared. The XP was juicy, enabling quick level-ups, but mentally, fatigue was setting in. He flicked the blood from his dulling blade. His body was covered in wounds.
"Ugh. How many have we got?"
They'd skinned a bunch, yet the numbers seemed to be growing instead of shrinking. They hadn't even cleared the forest entrance area, and there were this many. Astonishingly plentiful. It was a relief they came in packs rather than hordes.
"Dunno. Six? Seven packs maybe. You think they really lost a territory war?"
"Yeah. It's getting dark too—should we camp here?"
This spot was perfect for a campfire. Good sites like this were rare in the forest. It was a bit open, lacking cover, but that meant they could prepare for Black Wolf ambushes. Above all, it looked great for lying down comfortably. Tia glanced at the sky, surveyed the area, and nodded.
"Sure. First, strip. Let me check those wounds."
At her words, Juda shed his top without protest. Leveling up didn't fully heal him. It just boosted regen momentarily and restored a bit of stamina. With level-ups feeling spaced out and no full recovery, it sucked.
Tia pulled a glass vial of potion from her pouch and sat behind him. She uncorked it, scooped some gel-like potion onto her finger, rubbed it warm, and applied it to his wounds. A stinging sensation came with white smoke rising from the cuts, which began healing rapidly.
"Hng."
It felt good, like slipping into hot bathwater. After treating each wound, his body went limp with relief.
"There. Now go gather some branches for the fire."
"But we're avoiding drawing wolf attention—no smoking—and now a campfire?"
"No choice. Better than a pitch-black ambush. What're you on about? We've done it before."
"Fair enough. Be right back."
Tia nodded and shooed him off.
The <Bag> had firewood, but he gathered branches anyway. Meanwhile, she collected stones, ringed them in a circle, and loosened the soil inside. He pulled out logs for the center and surrounded them with branches. Tia struck a match to light it and stuck her pipe in her mouth.
"Time to reap some benefits from my star disciple."
At home, she'd cook, but outdoors, she dumped meals on him. Luckily, she wasn't picky, so rough cooking worked fine—no hassle. He pulled out a pot, reheated stew from the tavern, and stir-fried prepped wolf meat in a pan.
She watched him retrieve items from the <Bag> with wide-eyed amazement. Even after seeing it, it was unbelievable; she let out an awed "Hya—."
"How the hell did you get a sub-space like that?"
"Dunno. Somehow ended up with it... It's a secret."
"A secret from me??"
"Boys our age have a few secrets."
I'll tell you if you get isekai'd to another world. Probably.
But unable to say it aloud, Juda just grinned sheepishly under her envious gaze. Tia dropped the sub-space topic.
Cooking progressed steadily. For forest fare, it was luxurious. Delicious aromas wafted through the woods. After a hearty meal, Tia and Juda sat across the campfire, sharpening their used longsword and daggers.
After that, they stared at the flames in silence. Tia puffed smoke like she was making up for the whole day's missed smokes, gazing at the night sky. Juda, clutching his torn coat, nodded off.
"Juda."
"Y-Yes?!"
He jolted awake. Tia smiled kindly.
"Don't sleep sitting up like that. Why not lie down? I only need a little rest."
Tempting offer. He hesitated, but she urged him again. Pretending reluctance, he fetched a sleeping bag from the <Bag> and lay down. She smiled softly, tossed branches on the fire. The crackling helped fatigue melt away as he stared at the sky. Sleep came quick.
* * *
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Tip 18. Beastkin ears and tails are highly sensitive. Unless you're close, touching them carelessly could cost you your life.
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「Status Window」
[Name: Juda Arsher]
[Title: None]
[Level: 13]
[Job: Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman (Hidden A)]
[Revives: 1]
[Strength: 35 (D) / Potential A]
[Stamina: 35 (D) / Potential S]
[Agility: 30 (D) / Potential SS]
[Mana: 41 (C) / Potential B]
[Magic Resistance: 51 (C) / Potential S]
[Knowledge: 17 (F) / Potential B] ◀ Special
[Luck: 84 (A) / Potential S] ◀ Special
[Remaining Points: 12]
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