The Mysterious Journal and the Fruit
A book with a faded, unreadable cover, found deep in the closet.
When I opened it, the text inside was written in Japanese.
It seems that, as the god said, the skill for sharing language is working perfectly. (T/N: Automatic translation function)
"Let's see, what's this…? 'To the one reading this book, I pray for your good fortune'…?"
Right from the start, an ominous string of words appears.
But I silently continue reading the diary left behind by some unknown person.
—First of all, this world is not normal. You can assume there are hardly any humans. Even if there are, they're probably living meagerly in tiny territories.
—Monsters inhabit every corner of this world. The worst part is that these monsters are half, or almost entirely, human-like, or even indistinguishable from humans. I've decided to call them demons.
—Demons approach you amicably, but their appearance is terrifying. Just looking at them feels like your mind is being corrupted, inducing a nauseating evil. Yet, they use the same language as humans, which makes it all the more unsettling.
—There are also lifeforms that come from the sky. They're shrouded in mystery, and not only humans but even demons seem to want to eradicate them. But those things are far too unknown… and ferocious.
—I built this cabin and several years have passed. I can somewhat converse with demons now, but they still give me the creeps. Despite their human-like appearance, their essence is monstrous. I never know when or where they might come for my life…
—A certain demon told me I was afflicted by some curse. To break it, I'd need to entrust myself to that demon. No way, I'm not falling for that. Besides, even if I'm supposedly cursed, I feel no ailments. I'm perfectly healthy. They're probably scheming to eat me. Filthy demons.
—I'm sick of this place, teeming with demons. There's barely any food, and the air is just too foul. I've decided to abandon this house. But for anyone who might reach this place someday, I'll leave some household items behind.
—If you're reading this book, I'm no longer in this house. I might have perished on the road, or perhaps I've found kin and am living happily… I don't know. But let me tell you this: the defining trait of demons is that they make you nauseous the moment you see them. That's their key characteristic.
—Lastly, to whoever holds this book: I'm not trying to scare you, but it's best to avoid demons. And seize happiness with your own hands. That's all.
"…"
Well, how do I put it?
It's incredibly, intensely ominous. Just reading it conveys the writer's anxiety, their suffering.
Demons… demons, huh. As expected of an isekai, demons are a staple, but it seems there really are dangerous beings like that here. (T/N: Just going to put this here: 異世界, another world)
And those mysterious lifeforms coming from the sky? The information is so vague it's actually making me more anxious.
"But, well… whatever, I guess."
According to the diary, the air in this place is supposed to be foul, but in my personal opinion, that's not the case at all.
If anything, it's so clear that the more I breathe, the more it feels like it's harmonizing with my body.
Plus, the area is rich with nature and has a beautiful pond, making it a near-ideal place to achieve my goal of living a slow life.
The main concern is food, but fortunately, the person who wrote this diary left behind some kind of seeds, so I should be able to grow vegetables.
In the meantime, while the vegetables grow, I can explore the forest and probably find some nuts or berries.
There's also a knife and a bow. I've never done it before, but I could probably hunt with them.
I'll probably miss human companionship, but honestly, living alone feels freer and more relaxing than living in a crowded place.
The lack of entertainment is a downside, but exploring and developing this forest doesn't sound half bad.
"For now, let's start with exploration!"
My heart races at the prospect of an adventure I could never have experienced in my previous life's internet-driven modern society.
First, I take the slightly musty bed sheets and mattress outside to air them out in the sun.
Then, taking just one knife, I begin exploring the surroundings—
◆
To start, I head to the back of the cabin—the opposite side from where I first spotted the plateau with the cabin.
I'm not going far. Keeping a distance where I can easily return to the cabin, I explore the forest.
"…Hm, what's that?"
In the forest, there's a single peculiar tree.
Its trunk, which should be brown, is silver, and its leaves, which should be green, are also dyed silver.
Truly an isekai. Truly a fantasy-like tree. And on this silver tree, several golden fruits are hanging.
"Here we go. Whoa, it's bigger than I expected."
Climbing the tree, I pluck one of the fruits.
It's round, and both its appearance and size are exactly like an apple. It gives off a faint, sweet aroma, and aside from its golden color, it's just like an ordinary apple.
"Looks delicious… Let's cut it—huh…?"
I try to slice it into bite-sized pieces with the knife, but the blade won't cut through.
It's like trying to cut metal. No matter how much I press, slice, or poke at it, not a single scratch appears on the fruit.
"No way, seriously? I thought I'd finally found some food…"
I tuck the knife into the leather sheath hanging at my waist and stare at the golden fruit.
As a test, I apply a little pressure with my hands, and in that instant, the golden fruit splits open with a surprising ease, its juice splashing across my palms.
"W-whoa!? Why won't it cut with a knife but splits with my hands!?"
My retort is short-lived.
With so much juice spilling out, I can't let it go to waste, so I pop the golden fruit into my mouth.
I worried it might be so hard it'd break my teeth, but that was baseless. The golden fruit—skin and flesh—crunches in my mouth, and the overflowing juice flows smoothly down my throat.
The taste is a complex yet eye-widening mix of apple, mango, passion fruit, pineapple, and orange.
And though I only ate one, my slight hunger vanishes, replaced by a sense of fullness.
It's just one apple, but it feels like I've eaten a huge bowl of ramen—a deeply satisfying sensation.
"Whoa… this fruit is kind of amazing…! And I feel like I'm brimming with energy…!"
I hadn't accumulated much fatigue since I barely started exploring, but the tiny bit of tiredness I had is gone after eating the golden fruit, and my thoughts feel clearer.
This golden fruit—no, let's call it a gold apple for simplicity's sake. If I gather these, I might not have to worry about food for a while. (T/N: 金リンゴ, a straightforward name coined by the protagonist, or should I call it golden apple?)
"Alright, I'll take a bunch back! Wait, but what if they belong to someone…? For now, I'll take about ten."
Looking around, there are easily over fifty gold apples on the tree, but taking them, all feels wrong, so I pick ten and head back to the cabin.
With this, I can stave off hunger for a while.
The gold apple, as I've named it, is an unknown fruit, but it's not poisonous, and I haven't noticed any changes in my body after eating it, so it's probably safe.
Safe… right?