Summary of the last chapter in three lines
Hungry.
Make a square.
The meals are hot.
Souta awakes in the early morning according to his biological clock, though the forest is still as dark as ever, so there"s no way to know the actual time.
While casting a sideway glance to Ed and Arezel occasionally, Souta begins preparing breakfast.
He cuts the vegetables and meat on the chopping board and puts the strong-tasting vegetables in the water bowl.
While cutting the ingredients, Souta boils the vegetable sc.r.a.ps to make the soup stock.
After he finishes cutting the ingredients, he puts the vegetables into the pot together with the broth and then closes it with the lid.
Waiting for the vegetables to get cooked, Souta is taking care of his iron sword.
After a while, Ed wakes up, but when he sees that Arezel still sleeping, he doesn’t make any sound and just greets Souta with his head gesture.
Souta also doesn’t make any sound and returns the greeting.
Once the vegetables turn soft, Souta puts the meat into the pot. Because Souta tries to make pork miso soup, the meat he uses is boar’s meat.
The boar’s meat here tastes slightly more like pig’s meat instead of boar’s.
When the heat reaches inside the meat, Souta adds seasoning that tastes like miso.
The smell of the pork miso soup wafts around. Reacting to the scent, Arezel wakes up.
「Fuahhh, Souta-san, you woke up already? Food…moring.」
Arezel raises her body while yawning.
「Good morning, there is still some times until the breakfast is done, you can go back to sleep.」
「No, I won’t go back to sleep. I"ll help you. That’s breakfast right? What are you making for breakfast? 」
「It’s normal for me to eat this for breakfast, but I don’t know if Arezel able to eat it or not.」
Souta takes the lid off the pot and shows the contents.
Along with a large amount of steam, the fragrance of the pork miso soup is released at once.
「Wahhh, that smells good. It looks delicious! 」
Arezel leans out and tries to peek inside, but Souta closes the lid without giving her a chance to.
「Not yet, it needs to cook for a bit more before it’s ready. Before that, there is a bucket over there filled with water, you should wash your face.」
Apart from Ed’s drinking water, Souta also puts water in a smaller bucket and puts a towel near it.
「Thank you. I feel like I"m only receiving without giving anything back. My debt will only keep increasing …」
She says the latter part in a whisper so Souta"s unable to hear it.
When Arezel finishes washing her face, Ed already starts eating.
「Souta-san, can I help you with something?」
「No, it’s okay, It’s already done.」
Arezel’s shoulder drop because she feels useless to her benefactor.
「Ah, after you finish eating, it will be great if you can clean up the dishes. Cleaning them with a full stomach is troublesome.」
「Yes, please leave it to me, washing things is my strong point!」
Arezel swiftly raises her head and strikes her chest with her fist.
「Cleaning up the equipment we used in alchemy is always my job!」
「Reliable, aren’t you?」
Because there are also precision instruments for alchemy, letting Arezel do it means she’s not just doing it as simple ch.o.r.es, but actually has skills for it.
「It’s just cooked, let’s eat. Here, here"s yours.」
While inviting Arezel to eat, Souta scoops the pork miso soup into a bowl.
He also takes out the freshly baked bread and jam and hands it over to Arezel along with the soup.
Although he isn"t used to this kind of food combination as breakfast in j.a.pan, he surprisingly likes it.
Arezel carries the first bite slowly to her mouth.
「Hot! But … it’s delicious. It’s got something like a relieving flavor.」
「Do you have cat tongue by any chance? This one should be far hotter than yesterday’s dinner … Here, drink this water.」
She keeps a bit of water in her mouth to reduce the feeling of numbness on her tongue.
「Yes, since a long time ago, eating hot things is somewhat …」
Arezel sticks out her tongue and fans it with her hand.
「It’s in the pot until a little while ago, you should cool it a bit before continue eating it.」
After Souta saying that, Arezel puts down the bowl and eats the bread.
The bread is something Souta bought when it was still freshly baked, but it’s more warm than hot.
「It’s very soft and delicious, fluffy warm food. That bag is amazing.」
「I know right. The soup should go well with the bread, but please eat it slowly.」
「Yes!」
Arezel talks while blowing her foods to cool it down.
「Yeah, it’s really delicious! I wonder if it will be more delicious with the bread? 」
Arezel cuts off the bread she has in her hand and soaks it in the pork soup, then eats it.
「Delicious, it’s the first time I"ve tasted soup this good! Is this the taste of Souta-san’s hometown? 」
「That’s the case, I used to make it often at home. The ingredients and seasoning I use this time is different though.」
「Uuu, if only I’m good at cooking. No matter what, it’s impossible for me ….」
Although depressed, Arezel doesn’t stop eating.
「I’ve been doing this so long that without me noticing, it already becomes a natural thing for me. Arezel is still young, so just keep practicing.」
Elves keep grow up normally like humans until they’re 20 years old, and then their development slows down so much it almost stops.
It takes hundreds of years to reach Carena’s level of development.
「Yeah, that’s right, I will do my best!」
After the second helping of the bread, they finally satisfy their hunger.
Arezel is in charge of the washing just as she promised.
When she finishes washing the dishes, they put away the dishes and prepare to continue the journey.
「Now then, I think that’s it. We’re going to go soon.」
「Yes! I want to get out of the forest today. I’m not sure, but we"re probably not that far anymore」
「Yeah, and if we take too long, the search party might find us first.」
「I-I know right. Somehow before that …」
Sweat can be seen dripping from her forehead.
After confirming the luggage, Arezel gets on first. Souta gets in later, as he needs to put water on the bonfire and cover it with soil to extinguish the fire.
「We’re going.」
Ed neighs once to reply to Souta’s command and starts moving.
Although the atmosphere in the forest remains as it is, the ride goes smoothly without anything happening.
After progressing for a while, they can see the light.
「Ah, Souta-san, it’s the exit! We’re finally out! 」
「Oh, sunlight at last, it’s been so long.」
The two and one horse can finally leave the forest. They’re able to leave before noon.
Gra.s.sland is spread out right after the exit of the forest. A valley can be seen in the distance.
「So once we pa.s.s that valley, we will reach country of elves, huh?」
「Yes, there will be a checkpoint beyond the valley, as we pa.s.sed the forest already, going there should be a smooth ride.」
Listening to her, Souta sighs.
「Hahh, that checkpoint is the problem …」
「It will be fine! I’m here and there are also the letters, so it will be okay! 」
Arezel says so strongly, but Souta only stares at the mountain range in the distance, feeling anxious.
t/n: i thank you guys for visiting and reading the novel on this place instead of *insert other site name here*, we reach more views than last month despite i skip some release,
it’s almost my birthday too, but it doesn’t really matter sooo…