The Base for Wild Bird Hunting
I had previously promised Raina that I'd go bird hunting with her.
The location was on the northern side of the Baroa Forest. Instead of heading down the well-traveled path from the east, we opted for a less crowded, hidden spot.
I'm not sure how Raina managed to convince the members of Artemis, but we planned to have a full-blown hunt, camping overnight. I was flexible with my schedule, but I wondered if Raina would have any issues with it.
「Actually, I used to camp out and do risky things all the time before joining Artemis. So, no biggie for me.」
「Well, that's true.」
As a broke guild member, even staying at an inn could pose a challenge.
If someone asked if they preferred a drafty, cheap shared room at an inn or rough camping, I think a lot of folks might struggle to answer right away. Personally, I'd always choose camping over sleeping in a filthy inn.
Scratchy sheets, tiny creatures crawling on the ceiling, someone else's snoring... No thanks, can't handle it.
「We'll camp in the forest tonight and head back sometime tomorrow.」
「I hope we catch a lot before heading back!」
「Agreed.」
In spring, many types of magical beasts and animals have open hunting permits.
The more you catch, the more money you make, so the forest tends to get lively. Plus, with the warmer weather, camping out is no big deal.
「... Mongrel-senpai, you're carrying a lot, aren't you?」
「Is that so? I usually carry this setup when I camp.」
「Really? Now that you mention it, I haven't camped with you before, Mongrel-senpai.」
「Ah, that's true. Now that you mention it, it's our first time. Well, tonight, I'll cook us a delicious meal, so look forward to it.」
「Yay!」
Since we'd be staying overnight in the forest, I had brought along a larger knapsack than usual. It was my camping kit. I suppose the slightly bigger pot I brought made it bulkier, too.
Raina, on the other hand, wasn't carrying much different from her usual gear. Her pack was slightly larger, and she had a cloak draped over her shoulders.
A long cloak is handy for resting or sitting on the ground at night. Although I don't use it much.
「For now, we should walk around and find a good base in the forest. It's easier if there's a river close by.」
「Sure. If we spot any game on the way, can we shoot it down?」
I made the string on my bow and sword twang with joy. This never gets old.
「Yeah. I hope we find some good game.」
「I wonder what's out there this time of year. I don't usually target birds, so I'm not sure. Maybe Marukko doves?」
「Ah, Marukko doves aren't really fattened up this time of year, so they're not ideal. Instead, puff birds with big courting fluff are the way to go.」
「Interesting.」
Puff birds, during mating season, fluff out their plumage, making them look like little balls of fluff. I've seen them before since they're quite noticeable.
I've even seen some dead ones with chests resembling tightly packed dandelion fluff. I remember using that fluff as tinder once; it caught fire pretty well...
「Oh, speak of the devil... there it is.」
「Oh!」
Looking up in the direction Raina pointed, there it was—a straightforward bird.
It had light brown feathers fluffed out, resembling a misshapen ball or a wasp nest—a somewhat ugly bird.
「Mongrel-senpai, how about giving it a try?」
「Nah, I'm good. You go ahead, Raina.」
「Practice makes perfect, you know?」
「... Sorry if I scare off the game.」
「It's fine. Practicing on moving targets is important.」
Urged by Raina, I nervously drew my bow. The tree was about 12 meters away, not too far. In fact, it was quite close.
「I apologize in advance if I miss.」
「If you aim to miss, even shots that should hit won't. Remember your winter practice... yes, get your eye in position like this...」
Targeting a branch high up, I hesitated, feeling uncertain as I'd never tried shooting from that angle before. Following Raina's advice, I adjusted my stance and took aim.
... Alright, I can do this.
I'll knock those pretty feathers off you!
「Popo!」
「Ah, I missed.」
I completely missed my target. Instead, my arrow pierced through a branch almost a meter off.
The puff bird, despite its goofy looks, seemed to have a survival instinct and quickly flew away. For something so fluffy, it took off surprisingly fast.
「Not bad. Your arrows are landing closer to where you aim,」
Raina encouraged.
「I really wanted to hit it, damn it it.」
「Just keep practicing.」
And now, of course, I had the annoyance of retrieving the arrow that had gone astray. It was tedious, to say the least.
I began to understand why Raina suggested using brightly-colored feathers to make the arrows easier to find. Searching for them in the forest was a real hassle.
「This spot might be good; the river's close by.」
「There's a fire pit nearby as well. Let's make this our base camp.」
After walking for quite a while, around noon we decided to set up base where an old stone fireplace remained. It seemed like a decent place for a base camp.
Leaving our heavy gear here and setting up traps or deterrents for magical beasts should mostly ensure its safety.
There is some risk of fellow guild members messing with the camp, but that's something we'll have to hope against. Luckily, this area isn't frequented by many people.
「We should try to capture more birds while there's daylight.」
「... I can't believe you already got three birds just on the way here. As expected from Artemis's young ace.」
「There are a lot of puff birds around this time of year.」
Although we hadn't yet set up base camp, Raina had already caught three birds.
She has an incredible ability to spot game. While she's alert to her surroundings, I find myself more distracted by the spring plants.
「Hey, Mongrel-senpai, what's that tube... that armor?」
「Hmm? Oh, this? It's a chimney.」
「A chimney!?」
Sure, seeing a cylindrical piece of metal like this, one could mistake it for a part of armor.
But this was a piece of camping gear that I commissioned with a hefty price.
「This tube fits smaller tubes inside.」
「Whoa...」
「And when you flip them and stack them in a specific way... they form one long tube. Though 'long' means about 2 meters.」
「Wow, it's connected. Cool... but chimneys are for houses, right? What do you do with it?」
Some campers use wood stoves.
It's a box with a combustion chamber attached to a long chimney tube—the kind I have. You put firewood into the box, and the smoke escapes through the chimney. Because the smoke rises, it doesn't get smoky inside, and the chimney effect allows for efficient burning and warmth.
However, I only brought the chimney part, not the box for burning wood.
Why didn't I bring the box? Simple. It's bulky to carry around. The tubes can nest inside each other like Matryoshka dolls, but the stove itself is too heavy and cumbersome. It's not viable with the large pot I also brought.
「I'll use this for the stove part.」
「... Wait, from the stone fireplace remains.」
「Exactly. We'll arrange these stones into a rectangular shape, set up the chimney, and secure it. Place this metal plate over the hearth as a lid, and it's ready.」
「Wow.」
I only brought the chimney and the stove's top plate. The rest I make do with stones and dirt each time. It's not like we're camping for weeks at a time. I try to streamline the gear I bring.
「Today, I'll make a delicious soup with the puff birds you caught. I'll practice with the bow, but the main hunting is up to you.」
「! Of course! I'll do the catching while you do the cleaning, Mongrel-senpai! I'll go hunt a little more nearby!」
「All right, you can rely on me. But if you encounter any dangerous magical beasts, call for me immediately. It's risky to go solo as an archer.」
「Got it!」
Raina dashed off, full of excitement.
Well, in this area, it's mostly just birds. At most, you'd encounter goblins. As long as she doesn't venture too far, it shouldn't be too risky. Sharing the tasks seems reasonable.
「This fluff really is soft... shearing it off releases clouds... ahchoo!」
Puff bird feathers are as light and soft as cotton. Pulling them off creates a cloud of fluff, making me sneeze.
However, if you gather these and stuff them into thin leather, it makes a great cushion. Like down comforters. Raina mentioned that gathering enough would fetch a good price. So, I can't just toss it. It's easier to burn and turn it into charcoal, though...
「Ah, the blood is awful. So gross...」
I performed the butchering by the river.
First, I chopped off the head, sliced open the belly, extracted the innards, and weighed it down with stones to cool in the water.
The feathers, though, were the tedious part. The sheer act of plucking them was exhausting.
Raina said it was better to pluck them while alive, but I couldn't do it. It's hard on both the eyes and the soul.
「Oh, a Crater Toad.」
「Ribbit.」
While I was cleaning the blood, a small Crater Toad approached me from across the stream.
It was making a beeline for the puff bird, unafraid of humans. Hey, that's our puff bird, mine and Raina's. You've got some nerve, haven't you?
「If I'm already messy, I might as well butcher you too... frogs don't give me as much guilt.」
「Ribbit!」
Sensing my murderous intent with my bastard sword drawn, the Crater Toad shifted its posture.
It's the motion before a frog leaps.
The Crater Toad's forte is using its weight to stomp and kick. Not much of a threat to me. If anything, it's easier because it won't run away.
Come on, then. Let's get this over with. I'll make you into stock for the soup too.
「Coming... wait, what?」
I watched the Crater Toad leap. I expected it to.
But, surprisingly, it landed not towards me as expected but slightly ahead.
「Whoa!?」
While it didn't land on me, its belly flop into the stream sent water splashing high above. It was an unexpected annoyance attack. Annoyingly, it did the trick because I got wet.
「I only brought this one set of clothes!」
「Ribbit.」
Though I quickly dispatched the goofy Crater Toad by lopping off its head, I was soaking wet. Ugh, this really sucks.
It executed the attack I hate the most.
「Damn it... the delicious soups at Regor wouldn't dare do this...」
「Senpai, senpai, Mongrel-senpai, I brought down another bird already... oh wow, why are you so wet!?」
「Listen, Raina, this guy...」
「Ahahaha!」
「Don't laugh, you idiot! Hand over the bird! I'll clean it!」
「Okay! I'll come back with more nearby!」
Raina handed me the fourth puff bird and rushed off again.
... Wow, this bird is still warm. She's really skilled.
「Ahhh, I can't keep up with the disassembly pace... I hope I don't fall behind Raina's pace...」
I wasn't competing with Raina about anything, but it felt a bit vexing to lag behind in preparing the game she caught, so I started sped up my work.
Ugh, maybe catching that Crater Toad was a bit premature.