Chapter 15:

The plan

Becoming an adventurer in another world

After Karen's scolding of her brother and Aewyn, especially towards her brother, the four of us sat on the ground in a circle next to Wulfred.

"Well," I began to say, "we know that a lesser demon has appeared in this forest and has used the pups as hostages to prevent the wolf pack from attacking it, and at the same time, it has driven them away from their territory, causing the pack to approach the human village and leading to conflicts between them." Karen and Wulfred nodded, while Kharel and Aewyn looked downcast, still affected by the redhead's reprimand. "So we need to plan how to deal with it, assuming a peaceful solution is unlikely."

Karen brought her hand to her chin, devising a plan, and I also began to think it over. Assuming the demon had to take hostages because it wasn't strong enough to face a wolf pack and a demon wolf on its own, that means we could confront it in a face-to-face battle. The problem is the hostages; we could use Wulfred's shadow abilities, my "one with the shadows," or Aewyn's "natural camouflage" to rescue the hostages while the rest distracts it. But the issue is how we will get the pups out...

"Can living beings be put into a bottomless bag?" I said without thinking much more.

Karen looked at me strangely, but then it seemed she understood what I meant.

"Normally not," she commented, "but if they are small enough to fit in the bag, then yes. Are you planning to put the wolf pups in the bag?"

Kharel and Aewyn looked at me with curiosity, and Wulfred tilted his head in confusion."If one of us goes with the bag to where the demon has the pups while the rest distracts it," I picked up a nearby stick and began to draw what I was discussing, although with very simple drawings, "then that person can put all the pups inside and sneak out. After that, they will signal us, and together we will defeat the demon."

After finishing my poorly drawn sketch, the others stared at the diagram, and Karen was the first to speak.

"Who do you think should save the pups?" The redhead continued to look at the drawing.

To be honest, I shouldn't hide things from them anymore, but I don't want to reveal yet that I have multiple jobs, so I ruled myself out.

"Either Wulfred or Aewyn," I said, "both have abilities that allow them to go unseen by others, and the pups won't run away from them."

The wolf girl tilted her head; she seemed to have some doubts but said nothing.

"I am the one suited for this task," Wulfred stood up and touched the part of the drawing that showed the pups. "My ability allows me to enter the shadows and move through them. The demon has the pups in the cave we used as a den. I can also jump from shadow to shadow and carry objects with me, so there wouldn't be any problem."

Aewyn's eyes lit up, and she began to wag her tail side to side, probably very happy with the confidence her adoptive father spoke with. I communicated to the twins what Wulfred had said.

"I understand," Karen got up from the ground. "Now that we've decided how to act, how about we eat? It's past noon, and I don't think it's a good idea to fight on an empty stomach."

Suddenly, a loud noise came from Nozomi's body; it seemed her stomach was complaining in response to Karen's words. Embarrassed, the slime jumped into my arms. Aewyn was watching us; her ears were perked up, but her tail was still, expectant, probably waiting for a positive response from me.

"I think it's a good plan," I said, "besides, this way we can get to know our new friends better."The wolf girl's eyes lit up, and she began to wag her tail side to side, and as if they were synchronized, she, Kharel, and Nozomi shouted at the same time.

"Food!"

I couldn't help but laugh as I took out the pot. Karen had started to gather stones and placed them in a circle; with that, we could support the pot and prevent the fire from spreading. Kharel ventured into the forest, saying he was going to look for wood for the fire, and I collected nearby dry leaves and branches. Aewyn was talking about something with Nozomi, and Wulfred was looking at both of them with a sort of smile while doing something with a piece of wood. When Kharel returned with a couple of small logs and placed them in the circle of stones that Karen had created, I added the dry leaves and branches. The redhead launched a small fireball, and the wood caught fire. Karen gestured for me to place the pot, and she began to conjure icicles until she filled the pot about halfway; they melted quickly. At some point, Aewyn and Nozomi had gone to get some larger leaves, probably to place the food ingredients on, and they set them on some flat stones. I took my dagger and began to peel the potatoes. Kharel pulled a knife from his boot and offered it to his sister, who took one of the carrots and stood next to me. She was quite skilled with the knife and quickly peeled the carrot before starting to chop it. As for me, I had quite a bit of practice in the kitchen; after all, I had been living alone for four years and had spent another five preparing food for my family, so the potatoes were peeled and chopped to perfection. Karen was amazed when she saw it and began to work even harder with the carrots. Her brother had taken the pieces of meat and started cutting them into small pieces with his own sword; he also had quite a bit of skill, I suppose that's what happens when you're a swordsman—you know where to cut.

Once we finished chopping the vegetables, we added them to the pot, and Karen stirred them with one of the wooden spoons; the pot wasn't too deep. After a while, the color of the water turned slightly whiter and began to boil. We added the meat, and the redhead continued stirring the soup. Nozomi had climbed onto Aewyn's head, and both were watching intently as the redhead stirred the broth with the ingredients. It was a shame we didn't have salt or other spices; the food would be somewhat bland, but we couldn't ask for much more. The important thing was that I was having fun, a feeling somewhat strange for me; it had been a long time since I enjoyed an activity like this. This world was changing me.

While the food was cooking, we talked to Aewyn about ourselves. The twins told her they came from across the sea and had traveled here to become adventurers. Aewyn's tail was wagging back and forth quickly; she seemed very excited listening to the twins. I told her that I had amnesia and how I met Nozomi and the twins. She shared stories of her adventures in the forest with her wolf companions; she truly seemed like a wild girl. Karen tasted the food and announced that it was ready. We only had four bowls, so someone had to wait, but Wulfred brought us two wooden bowls. They were poorly made, but I suppose for having been crafted by an animal without thumbs in about half an hour, it was quite impressive. The redhead began to fill the bowls one by one, the four clay ones for our group and the two wooden ones for Aewyn and Wulfred, distributing the pieces of meat among the six of us. Without waiting for anyone, both Nozomi and the wolf girl began to eat; Nozomi swallowed her bowl whole, while the blue-haired girl buried her head in hers. Karen seemed to want to say something, but she simply sighed and started eating. I followed her lead; Kharel had already started, and Wulfred was slowly licking the contents of his bowl. The slime looked expectantly at the rest; she had already finished her bowl but clearly wanted more. However, she was controlling herself not to disturb the others, who were still eating. Aewyn, who finished shortly after and had her entire face stained, happily extended her bowl.

"I want more!"

"I do too!" Nozomi stopped holding back and joined Aewyn, although it was largely because she didn't want the wolf girl to take her food.

Karen was about to get up, but I stepped in first, collected both of their bowls, and refilled them. There was still soup left for about five more bowls. When I returned their bowls, both thanked me with a smile, and an indescribable warmth filled my body. With a smile on my face, I sat back down to continue eating. To my surprise, the soup didn't taste bad at all; the ingredients were just right, and it didn't seem bland to me at all. In fact, it almost seemed like one of the best dishes I had eaten since coming to this world, second only to all the ones from the inn. Maybe it's true what they say—that food tastes better when shared, especially if you make it with your own effort.

Kharel also asked for seconds, just like Aewyn and Nozomi again, although this time it was the redhead who took care of refilling the bowls. Wulfred had finished his bowl and was looking at the blue-haired girl with a smile. When Kharel finished, he set his bowl aside, got up, and disappeared into the vegetation, probably needing to go to the bathroom. I finished my portion but felt satisfied, so I let the others finish everything. I collected Karen's bowl and spoon and mine and set them aside. We didn't have water to clean them, but we could use the ice from the redhead. Nozomi and Aewyn finished what was left in the pot, and Karen returned. She put ice in the pot, and with the water that formed when it melted, we cleaned the pot itself and repeated the process to wash the bowls and spoons, leaving them to dry in the sun. With this water, we extinguished the fire and let the pot dry as well. We waited about half an hour and then put the utensils back in the bag. My nose seemed to have healed quite well; it was impressive what having a lot of vitality points could do.

"Alright," Karen said, "let's review the plan one last time." The others nodded, and we sat around her. "Wulfred will use his powers while carrying the bag tied around his neck. He will infiltrate the den and wait for us to show up and draw the demon's attention. Then, while we distract it—since Ray can talk to it," Karen directed a glance at me, "he will try to keep it entertained. Wulfred will put the pups in the bag and exit using his ability. He will signal us, and we will confront the demon. Any questions?"

"What if we can't handle it?" I said. "I don't want to be pessimistic, but we need to have an emergency plan."

"I'll take care of it," Wulfred replied. "When I rescue the pups, I'll help you in the fight, and if things get tough, I'll distract the demon so you can escape."

I didn't like the idea of that happening, but if he was offering to sacrifice himself, I wasn't going to argue against it.

"No!" Aewyn shouted. "I won't abandon you!"

"Wulfred, understand," his voice was calm, "that will only happen in the worst-case scenario. If the six of us can't handle it, I want you to escape with them."

"I refuse!" Aewyn raised her voice even more. "I will protect you and the pack!"

Karen touched my back and whispered to me, "Look what you've done." Her tone of reproach made me feel guilty. "You were the one who said the demon isn't that strong."

I sighed and scratched the back of my head.

"Aewyn," I held her shoulders with my hands and made her look me in the eyes, "I don't intend for anyone to die; I just wanted to have an emergency plan, nothing more." I stepped back from her and clenched my fist. "We'll beat that demon, and then you and your family can live happily in this forest."

I saw her yellow eyes light up, and then she hugged me.

"Do you promise?"

She was a bit shorter than me but taller than the twins. I patted her head with one hand while returning the hug with the other.

"I promise."

Becoming an adventurer in another world

Author:

Kaudra

The plan

Becoming an adventurer in another world

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