Chapter 47

The day after the Great Elasmos material transaction was completed, I took a day off.

I went back to the forest to check on the state of the meat.

When I mentioned going to the forest to the chief the day before, his expression quickly turned stern.

“About the meat… it’s been six days already, you know?”

“Well, um, there are various circumstances…”

The wording is not very convincing, and he was reluctant to accept it until I mentioned that I was on the verge of death with both legs broken.

Anyway, this time, I was able to obtain approval by reassuring him that I have a trump card. 

The trump card is the Elf’s “Detection Magic.”

If I had used it beforehand like I did last time to be cautious of my surroundings, I wouldn’t have ended up in such a situation.

Well, there’s no point in saying “if” now… It’s already in the past.

This time, there shouldn’t be any issues as I proceed with early caution.

Thinking that there might be another one of those wandering around would be creating a grand flag, so let’s stop considering such things.

Departing early in the morning, I attract the attention of the guards when leaving the eastern gate.

It’s only natural… because I’m pulling a wagon that is typically drawn by horses.

Of course, it’s thanks to my “Strength.”

Last time, it was a two-wheeled cart of the rickshaw type, pulled by a person.

This time, it’s a four-wheeled wagon that looks like it can carry about four or five people.

Immediately, someone calls out.

I explain that I can’t use horses, and they seem to understand, saying, “I see.”

I’m surprised that they accepted it, but I wonder if it’s common for people to pull carts like this.

“…Another subjugation mission…?”

“Well, I guess. I was just told to come, you know…”

As a newcomer employee, I play dumb, pretending not to fully understand the situation as I carry out the task assigned to me.

The guard glances at the wagon and lifts the cloth.

Loaded on it are dismantling tools like hatchets and saws, a notably large backpack, cloth for wrapping and tying, and a backpack with clothes and food inside.

In this world, these items shouldn’t be particularly suspicious.

However, the size of the wagon being pulled is already raising suspicions.

Judging by the guard’s expression, it feels like I’ve been upgraded to a person of interest due to the incident with the Great Elasmos last time.

Just a regular, diligent guild employee…

But there’s no reason to be stopped.

The guard signals that it’s okay to proceed by putting the cloth back.

“Well then…”

While wearing a forced smile, I quickly walk away.

Glancing back, I see the guard rushing inside. Probably going to report to the captain.

I hope I won’t be stopped on the way back…

Fortunately, the entrance to the forest is quite far from the eastern gate, so I manage to avoid drawing the guards’ attention.

I take the wagon as close to the edge of the forest as possible.

I unload the tools, put the dismantling tools into a leather bag, place cloth and rope on the large backpack, and carry it on my back. It’s quite heavy…

I glance around to make sure no one is nearby.

Now, let’s use the trump card right away — the “Detection Magic.”

《Show me where everything is》

I glance around, but there doesn’t seem to be any significant response.

Looking towards the forest, I see small blue lights flickering. Are those small animals?

I can’t tell if they’re far away or just small, but they don’t seem to pose a threat.

I look in the direction of the town, but I can’t see the guard’s light.

I wonder how extensive the detection range is… I’ll check on the way back.

Now, let’s activate the Elf’s body enhancement technique.

《Swift Legs》

《Leap》

Thanks to Swift Legs, I can sustain a jogging pace for short sprints.

Using Leap, I easily cover about three meters while jumping over puddles.

However, balancing is difficult with the dismantling tools in hand.

I need to be careful not to get too carried away; otherwise, I might end up tearing the bag. Let’s keep the jumps moderate.

And then, I discover the route I took last time. I remember it well — 

“Oops!”

There’s a reaction of blue light ahead!

Something is moving intensely.

I stop to be cautious and observe for a moment — two larger blue lights and two smaller ones.

“Oh… could these be those dogs and their offspring?”

There’s no sign of them coming toward me; they seem to be wandering around in one place —

What are they doing?

I deviate from the route a bit and move sideways. The dog is lured to move sideways as well.

“Oh, it looks like they’ve spotted me.”

It seems like they’re waiting for me to arrive.

Well, no problem. If they come attacking, I’ll prepare to snipe them with stone magic and proceed cautiously.

A few minutes later, at the edge of the forest, the dogs were waiting, wandering around.

“Woof woof (Master, master), woof woof (Master, master).”

“Woof woof (I’ve been waiting, I’ve been waiting), woof woof (Welcome back, welcome back).”

They were spinning around on the spot, wagging their tails vigorously.

“Huh? What’s… the barking… there!?”

Certainly, the barking is from the dogs, but the meaning is unclear.

“What do you mean, master? You’ve been waiting…for me?”

I walked slowly and emerged onto the grassy field.

Then, the puppies came towards me, barking happily.

The two parent dogs followed, approaching me at a leisurely pace.

I was on guard, but there was no sign of them attacking.

Perhaps they, too, sensed my caution and were being careful—though their tails were in full swing.

It seemed like a gesture of joy.

The puppies immediately frolicked around my feet.

As I crouched down to pet the puppies, the parent dogs also came close, circling around me.

“Whoa… hey!”

I couldn’t help but feel flustered.

“Kuun kuun (Happy, happy).”

“Guuffuun (Really happy).”

“Hmm?”

Ah, I see… I’m translating their barks!

Is this also the effect of the Creator’s Ring… it’s incredible.

While the dogs continued happily barking in my head, I decided to speak to them.

“You guys, were you waiting for me?”

In response, one of the dogs barked and answered, “We were waiting.”

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Bark (Understood, understood).”

“Bark (Master, we understand what you’re saying).”

“No way!”

‘The barking of dogs is ordinary, but it’s translating what they want to say. And our words are being understood.’

With a single bark, the meaning conveyed distinctly.

I could tell that this parent and child dogs had no hostility towards me, which brought relief.

“Am I talking in barks again?”

It felt different from the times with Rumiru and Ratchet, but there was no way to confirm.

As I sat down, the two dogs sat on my right, and the puppies nestled into the space between my legs, sniffing around.

Communicating with dogs was quite intriguing.

I sat on the ground and attempted to converse with them for a while.

The dogs’ conversation, perhaps due to their ordinary barking, conveyed meaning in simple terms.

It seemed like they were puzzled when faced with longer sentences

So I opted for short phrases and a yes/no style of conversation, which allowed us to communicate more efficiently.

“So, you were trying to protect the children.”

“Bark (Yes).”

I’ve roughly grasped the situation from the previous encounter.

Unfortunately, they encountered the Great Elasmos, and first, the father was defeated, followed by the mother.

I came across them when I went to check on the mother, who had come out of the bushes where the creature appeared—leading to an immediate battle.

Turns out, I had initially thought the father was male, but it was actually the mother.

And the dogs were “protecting the meat.”

It seems they had been guarding the chunk of flesh from the Great Elasmos until I arrived.

I had thought it would be eaten normally… they’re surprisingly earnest.

As I pet the mother dog’s head, I glance at the meat chunk… and then notice something unnatural.

“Is it just me, or does this seem strangely fresh?”

Despite being exposed to the sun for six days outdoors, it maintains the freshly cut, vibrant red color, as if it were just knocked down.

I approach and take a closer look at the meat.

“Is it just me, or is this not deteriorating at all? There are no insects, and it’s not decomposing!”

I had cast the “Preservation Magic” on it after defeating the creature. There’s no doubt that this lack of deterioration is due to that spell.

However, I didn’t expect it to be this well-preserved.

As I examine it, I catch a glimpse of the scattered entrails from when I disassembled the creature.

The fanned-out entrails are still stunningly glossy in color, as if I just spilled them moments ago.

“Even the spilled entrails haven’t deteriorated…”

I bring my face closer to the meat and inspect it carefully, but I can’t see any signs of special processing.

Even when I touch it, the texture feels like normal meat, and the magical effects aren’t apparent to the naked eye.

“Could time be frozen or something?”

However, for some reason, it feels like the scent of the meat isn’t wafting as much.

Still, it’s fortunate that the meat is intact.

Anticipating such a possibility, I brought disassembly tools with me.

Let’s get into the disassembly process right away.

First, I take off my shirt and pants. I’m left with just my underwear, shoes, and gloves.

With the meat chunk in front of me, I hold a saw.

“But how do I go about this…”

A meat chunk the size of a small car—lying on its back with its belly facing upward.

I’ve seen videos of butchering cows, but this is on a different scale, and those videos usually involve a suspended carcass, not one sitting on the ground.

“Actually, I need a chainsaw for this, don’t I? I’ve never used one, though.”

“Besides, you don’t just cut raw meat with a chainsaw.”

“In those cow butchering videos, they were using knife-like things, but those guys are professionals.”

Meat needs to be semi-thawed to be cut, and cutting it raw requires considerable skill.

Additionally, you need a very sharp knife, and even then, you have to wipe off the fat every few cuts, or it won’t slice smoothly.

That’s why I need a saw for disassembling this one.

“The spine and rib bones are pretty thick. Where should I start cutting with the saw?”

“And, how big of a piece can I carry anyway?”

The dogs are sitting and watching me as I check the meat while pacing around.

It’s still in the early morning, around 9 o’clock. Now, I need to figure out what to do, arms crossed in contemplation.

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