"Ugh… haaah…"
I stretched and sat up in the early morning. I boiled water in the electric kettle, made a cup of coffee, and then hugged Haru as he ran up to me. I sat in my chair outside, sipping my coffee and looking out at the lake. It was a perfectly established morning routine. But from today, I needed to add one more thing to it.
"Alright…"
I was now wearing a straw hat. In my hands were a hoe and a spade. My usual hiking clothes had been replaced with a red plaid flannel shirt and a pair of trousers held up by suspenders. That's right. Today, I was going to start farming.
And on this momentous day, the first thing I would plant was, of course, potatoes.
I took out a basket of sprouted potatoes from Conve∞ and set it down. Haru sniffed at them, then bounded into the field, running around without a care.
"A perfect day for farming."
The sun was warm and bright. Potatoes planted in this weather would surely grow well.
*Thwack, thwack.*
There were many crops to choose from, but I picked potatoes for a reason. They are a hardy crop that can grow even in barren land. That's why potatoes are always on the top-10 list of easy-to-grow plants for beginners.
*Thwack, thwack.*
And since this was my first time farming, I was a complete novice. I planned to start with potatoes and then move on to other crops.
*Clink, clink, clink.*
I used the spade to pick out stones and toss them into the lake, then used the hoe to dig up the soil and plant the halved seed potatoes. I repeated this process over and over.
"Ugh… my back…"
I had been planting potatoes from morning until noon without a single break. My back was starting to ache. I stood up, stretched, and walked out of the field to survey my work.
"I'm not even halfway done…"
I thought I'd made a lot of progress, but I hadn't even finished half of the plot I'd marked out. I had thought it wasn't that big, but it seemed I had severely underestimated farming.
"It's past noon. Time for a break…"
*Woof!*
Haru, who had been rolling around in the field, ran out, shaking his head and his body.
It had been about a month. I hadn't been to the city except to deliver shampoo to Megan. So this time, I decided to go into town for a meal and to visit Hans and Latia.
*'I won't get food poisoning like last time, right…?'*
I was a bit worried since I'd spent a whole day in the bathroom after a delicious meal in the village before, but… it should be fine. And now that I was starting to farm, it might even be a good thing. I'd have some natural fertilizer.
***
The city was bustling with people. After visiting the inn and saying hello to Hans, I was now standing in front of the Merchant's Guild.
"This place never fails to amaze me."
The sheer size of the Merchant's Guild always made my heart race. I opened the door, and a jingle from above welcomed me. At the same time, I heard a man's voice, choked with tears, cursing, "Damn it… damn it all!"
I looked toward the voice and saw a man surrounded by other merchants.
"What happened?"
His clothes were torn, and his face and body were covered in scratches. The thought that the other merchants might be bullying him crossed my mind, but seeing the claw marks on his body, I knew this wasn't the work of a human.
"Latia."
"Oh, Yuji!"
As I approached the counter, Latia beckoned me over.
"What's going on?"
"Yuji, have you heard? The rumor?"
"A rumor?"
I tilted my head, and Latia looked around before covering her mouth and whispering.
"They say a ferocious beast has appeared around the city recently."
"A ferocious beast?"
"Yes! That man over there, he was chased by it and lost his cargo and wagon. He barely escaped with his life."
"Ah…"
So that's why he was back here, crying and covered in wounds. For a merchant, their wagon and cargo were their entire fortune. To have it all taken away by a force of nature…
But then, a crucial fact hit me.
*'If it's appearing outside the city… that means it could come to my place, too.'*
I wasn't living in the city; I was living outside of it. That meant the beast could very well come to my log cabin. Since it attacked a wagon, it clearly wasn't afraid of human scent. If it followed my scent to my cabin in the middle of the night, I'd be eaten alive before I could even fight back.
"Where was this beast spotted?"
"Probably… the path through the eastern forest."
"The eastern forest path?"
"The person who saw it before said they saw it in the south."
*'Doesn't that mean the north is next…?'*
I was living in the northern forest. If it came from the south to the east, there was a high chance it would come north next.
"What does it look like?"
"From what I hear, it has huge eyes that look like they were carved with an axe, orange fur with black stripes, and sharp fangs and claws that can kill a horse with a single swipe. And most importantly…"
Latia raised her hands as if she were about to pounce, her face contorted in a scary expression.
"They say its roar, 'RAWR,' sounds like thunder!"
She then turned to Haru, who was sitting next to me, and roared "RAWR" again. Haru yelped and hid behind me, barking.
The beast she described. I knew what it was.
*'Isn't that a tiger?'*
Black stripes, sharp fangs and claws. And above all, the "RAWR" sound. It had to be a tiger.
*'This is… not going to be easy…'*
A wild boar was a simple opponent that just charged straight ahead, so taking it down with a crossbow wasn't too difficult. But a tiger was different. Not only was it fast, but as a feline, it could change direction on a dime. Once it had you in its sights, there was no escaping.
"Yuji, if you ever go outside the city, make sure you take a weapon or hire a mercenary! It's really dangerous!"
"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind."
Latia smiled and nodded.
"By the way, Yuji, did you need something from the guild?"
"I've just been so busy, I haven't had a chance to see you in a while."
"You came just to see me?"
"Yes. I was in town, so I thought I'd stop by and say hello."
Hearing my words, Latia came out from behind the counter and nudged my side with her elbow.
"Yuji! You shouldn't say things like that to a lady! You'll give her the wrong idea."
"I will?"
"Yes, you will!"
I couldn't see how that could be misinterpreted.
"Well, I should get going then."
"What, you're leaving already?"
"You seem busy, and I don't want to be a bother. Besides, I need to get some lunch."
"Then, let's go together—!"
"Ahem."
Just as Latia was about to follow me, someone grabbed her by the collar. A woman with long red hair tied back, wearing a red leather vest and tight cotton pants, was glaring at Latia.
"Ugh… Teni…"
"Latia, where do you think you're going?"
"Let go! I'm going out to have fun!"
"Absolutely not."
Seeing the red-haired woman glaring at me, I decided it was best not to get involved.
"Well, see you next time… Come on, Haru, let's go."
*Woof!*
I waved goodbye to Latia and quickly walked out the door.
***
After finishing lunch with Haru, I sat on a bench in the city square, opened Conve∞, and browsed.
*'The crossbow probably won't be enough…'*
A crossbow might work on other beasts, but with a tiger, a single missed shot could be fatal. I needed a more powerful weapon. And among the weapons I knew, there was only one that could easily take down a tiger.
A gun.
"The price isn't that high…"
With the money I had, I could buy shotguns, submachine guns, and plenty of ammunition. But a "gun" was a product of a new civilization to these people. If someone saw me using one and got curious, they might start investigating me, which would be a huge pain.
My finger hovered over the purchase button, but in the end, I closed the window without pressing it.
"There's a chance it won't even come north."
Just because it was spotted in the south and then on the eastern path didn't mean the northern forest was next. That was just my guess. It could have changed direction from the eastern forest and moved far away. There were many possibilities, so buying a gun now might be a hasty decision.
*'But if it really does come to the northern forest…'*
I opened Conve∞ again and agonized over the list of firearms.
"Ugh… oh, to hell with it!"
Living alone in the forest meant I had no walls to protect me. As long as a human was living there, there would be a scent, no matter how much I tried to hide it. And that scent would surely reach a tiger roaming the forest.
*Ping—*
One handgun probably wouldn't be a problem, right?
*Click.*
If I checked it here, I'd draw too much attention. I bought a 9mm pistol and enough bullets to fill the chamber and magazine, stored them in Conve∞, and started for home.