Here we have a freshly caught death messenger bird. It's about 5 meters long, so let's hang it upside down on a suitable tree to drain the blood. To drain the blood, boldly cut off the head in one stroke. Place the head in the prepared basin. The death messenger bird, in a word, looks like a pitch-black chicken. Its black comb can be used as a material, so let's quickly collect it. Toss the remaining parts into the hole we dug earlier.
It seems the blood has drained sufficiently, so let's dunk the whole body into the boiling water we prepared. After a while, pull it out and pluck the feathers one by one. These feathers have various uses. For example, if you make a down comforter or pillow with them, it has the effect of making you sleep like the dead. True to its name, indeed.
After plucking all the feathers, lightly singe the fine hairs with flame. Once that's done, dissect it and organize the parts for storage. This time, we'll use the thigh meat. Cut it into bite-sized pieces, marinate it in seasoning, and turn it over several times to let the flavors soak in.
After repeating this process for a while, discard the marinade from the thigh meat, toss in some potato starch, and mix well. Then quickly drop it into the hot oil we prepared earlier, wait for 4-5 minutes, and take it out to rest. After that, put everything back into the oil for 1-2 minutes, then take it all out, and it's done.
"Ah~ It looks delicious. It's a shame we don't have rice.
I sample a small piece. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and delicious. I put the finished karaage into the storage pouch for safekeeping. I toss the oil and unnecessary parts into the hole where I disposed of the head earlier and bury them.
"Alright, now that the cleanup is done, it's bath time before dinner."
I quickly take a bath to wash off the dirt and prepare for dinner. I made plenty of karaage, so I take out just one portion and arrange it on a plate with herbs and medicinal plants. It's really a shame we don't have rice. I mentally add "search for rice" to my travel objectives.
"Let's eat."
Mm, delicious. Oh, I almost forgot. I take out a wooden cup and a small barrel of ale from the storage pouch and pour it into the cup. I cool the ale with magic, eat another piece of karaage with herbs, and then gulp down the ale.
"Ah~ happiness~"
When I was in Japan, I only drank alcohol at drinking parties, but after coming here and keeping company with Master, I've learned to drink. I don't like lager beer, but I do like this ale.
Before I knew it, I had eaten all the karaage I had prepared, and about half of the ale in the small barrel was gone. Well, I still have plenty in stock, so it's fine. I'm feeling a bit tipsy, so I'll go to bed early tonight. I change clothes, brush my teeth, crawl into bed, and fall asleep. Good night.
◆
It's a refreshing morning with a good wake-up. The effects of last night's alcohol are gone. I have the constitution where sleeping once while drunk sobers me up. I quickly take a morning bath and collect the magic stones I had left set up. This morning, I'll make do with a light breakfast of fruit similar to apples. Karaage for breakfast is a bit much, after all.
I go to the basement of the mansion and collect the Monster Repelling Magic Stones that were set up there. I also pack up the bed and futon and check if I've forgotten anything. After a thorough check, I go outside, bow towards the mansion saying "Thank you for your hospitality," and fly up into the sky sitting on my staff.
If I ever come back here, it might have become a monster's den since the Monster Repelling Magic Stones are gone. But that's a problem for another time. Using the map I obtained as a guide, I decide to head east and start moving.
A little way into the flight, it becomes a normal forest, but the density of trees is not as high as in the Enchanted Forest, so I can see animals and magical beasts. I occasionally look down to check for traces of a highway, but so far I haven't seen anything that looks like one.
The warm weather is making me feel sleepy. As I fly, occasionally checking the map and direction, I finally spot what looks like a highway. There's an unnaturally straight path where trees have been cut down to make a road. Judging from the visible wheel tracks, it seems to be a highway still in use. Now, should I go south or north? Just looking at the tracks, I can't tell which direction they went.
"At times like this, I guess south? Warm is better than cold, after all."
So, I change course to follow the highway southward. As the sun is about to set, I find a small plaza. When I land, I see the remains of multiple fireplaces. This must be a place used by merchants and travelers to rest.
The presence of such a place suggests that there should be a town within walking or carriage distance from here. It might get dark before reaching town if I push on from this hour. So, I decide to spend the night here.
For dinner, I take out some bread from the storage pouch and make a sandwich with yesterday's karaage and herbs. For a drink, I prepare juice squeezed from fruits. I want to take a bath, but it's troublesome to set one up now, so I just use purification magic to remove sweat and dirt. Then I set up a barrier and move to a dark area not visible from the plaza. I lean against a suitable tree and fall asleep. Good night.
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