Fushi no Kami - Volume 1, Chapter 10

Now it has begun. The time for the first distress.

………… (Fast update at https://silver-slime.blogspot.com/)

What should I do? I stand alone in a forest I don't know at all.

My head hurts a lot.

Perhaps this headache is causing my memory to distort a bit. I remember entering the forest to pick edible wild plants in the morning. The memories from that point onward are not properly organized. I have probably awakened earlier. I remember wandering in the woods with a vacant consciousness. Don't you know the ironclad rule to not move when you are in distress? I am amazed by myself, but I am in a state of consciousness. I think I wasn't thinking about anything. That's why I probably got lost in the depths of the forest.

But my head hurts. When I touched my forehead, I got a lump of blood in my hand. Why did I hit my head hard enough to cause fainting and memory loss? I don't know. Rather than worrying about what I don't understand, let's narrow down knowledge in order to live in this situation.

"Okay, I've recovered enough to deal with reality."

When I say those words, it becomes even clearer. I don't plan to die in a place like this. I still want to read a book. I want to help Priest Folke to decipher more ancient words. I still haven't fully taught Miss Maika how to read and write too.  It's enough that the reason I want to live is thanks to the book. I'm not afraid to die. I have died once.  I'll do anything in order to live.

"First of all, I don't know where I am. As for direction... that's north, so the village is there."

It can be judged by the position of the sun and how the moss grows on the surrounding trees. I wouldn't have known it in my previous life, but the experience of surviving nine years in this world is not to be underestimated.

"The sun is already setting. Let's give up returning today and prepare for the night."

I check on what I have. First, there is a book. I'm glad that the book is undamage.  There is also a knife used to collect wild plants. I have a basket for edible wild plants, but I don't know if I have dropped the contents somewhere. When picking edible wild plants, the flint and crater, which are always available just in case, are stored in the pocket sewn inside the jacket.

"So there is also something like this!"

To think a day like this will come... I tremble when I think that preparation is really important. I'm glad. I think I can survive somehow.

"First of all, I have to prepare a fire by the time the sun goes down. If possible, finding a water source will be nice too."

While picking up what I need, I walk to the north. I pick a wooden stick that also serves as self-defense and reduces walking fatigue, also branches and leaves that are likely to catch fire. I have also picked edible wild plants for the time being, but bracken or mainspring shouldn't be eaten raw, and only eating celica won't make me full. I need to resolute myself in face of upcoming hunger. If anything, drinking water is more important. It's more important than hunger since it'll interfere with what I plan to do. Even now, I'm quite thirsty. The spring water in the forest looks beautiful, but I don't have the courage to drink it unless I find a very clear source. First and foremost, there are animals around and there could be parasites. I wish I could boil it, but I don't carry pots with me. When I was wondering what I should do, I heard the sound of water. With a faint expectation, I walk in search of the sound of water. It would be nice if I could find a clean water source.

As expected, the world is not so easy. The source of the sound is from a small river. It doesn't seem to have pooled from rain since it looks clear. However, that doesn't mean it'll be fine to drink. Bacteria are scary because they are invisible to the eyes. However, although it may not be used as drinking water, it can still be used for others.  Besides, when there is no other solution, I still have the option to drink it. I decided to use the side of this river as a campsite, and unload all the things I have picked up; the branches, leaves, wild plants, etc. I have a hard time putting away the book I have bought. In order to spend the night, I have to collect more things that can be used to light fire, and I have no more time left. The sun is warning me with a vermilion light. On the way, I found (something like) an aloe tree. Oh yeah, I feel like I found this tree just before I fainted. I just injured my head, so let's treat it with (something like) aloe.

＊＊＊

The fire ignited safely inside the circle of stone. Without flint and crater, I would have had to tremble at the darkness of the night. Though it might not seem much, but I'm not confident that it will ignite a fire with only these. I was prepared to spend the night without fire. Even if it's only a small fire, I really appreciate the presence of light and the warmth given from it. I was a fine adult in the memories of my previous life, but the forest after the sun sets is still terrifying. I think this is an instinct every human has.

For the wound on my head, I brought a towel (originally intended to wipe off sweat), so I wrapped the chopped (something like) aloe in the towel and wrapped it around my forehead. It would be better if it's grated, but I don't have a proper tool to do it now. Is it a placebo effect of using aloe? It feels like the heat has disappeared from the wound. I can't say anything about the effect without further experiments, but I found one wonderful thing. This (something like) aloe has a very hard skin on the surface, but the jelly-like part inside is not so. I can eat the jelly-like part with a knife immediately. Though I don't know whether I should call this vegetable or a fruit. 

Anyway, I think it's delicious to eat wild ingredients raw. In addition, there was a lot of water content in aloe, so my thirst was greatly reduced. The celica are also eaten after being washed in the river and lightly cooked. I was afraid to eat it as insects like to stick on it. Also, I was thinking if it's possible to get some water out of celica from cooking it. I need to pay attention to my water intake. So it's the thought based on that.  It seems that the effect was as good as the tears of a sparrow.

Perhaps it's because I have slowly gotten used to this, I feel a little more comfortable. I'm thinking about how to obtain some protein right now. I wonder if a snake will come out. I could kill him, take the blood out, bake meat and eat it. That way, my hunger would be settled.  Thinking about things like that, I fall into a light sleep.

Perhaps because of the environment and thoughts, I dreamed of eating a full-course meal of snakes in my dreams.

＊＊＊

Next morning, I couldn't continue to sleep, and I woke up immediately after feeling the sign of the rising sun. I check my physical condition while throwing tree branches into the bonfire that keeps me awake many times at night. Tiredness is hard to wipe after all. Let's rest here a little longer. I pray that this judgment is a rational judgment, not a lazy one. With a tired head, it's not clear which one it is.

I want to eat protein. I want to eat protein. I feel that the snake I ate in my dream was very delicious. I am so thirsty.

For the time being, (something like) aloe―No, from my impression after eating it yesterday, aloe is already good enough. I need to go and harvest new aloe, and eat while keeping the bonfire burning. Then, I realized. I can manage to put up with the water of aloe as long as I stay still. But if I want to move around in the woods, I need to drink proper water. Aloe is effective against wounds and skin, but if I take it too much, it may damage my body. Since it has an intestinal regulating effect, I feel that it is dangerous to eat too much of it.  I often hear that medicine and poison are two sides of the same coin.

I've heard that some types of plants contain a large amount of water. In the desert, cactus are said to be used for emergency hydration. Isn't there a similar plant in the forest? I reach for help in the book. Then, I remember.

Yes, let's make a pot with this. No, this is not a joke. I'm serious about this.

I remembered the paper pot that I saw and heard in the memory of my previous life. Even though it was paper, it doesn't burn even when heated over an open flame, and it is also a substitute to keep the water inside until it is boiled. I remember that the paper is not specially made, but something made it possible. Of course, there's no point in sacrificing a precious book.

If I can do it with paper, I can boil water even with leaves that are less likely to burn than paper. It's a very logical guess. Let's experiment immediately. Unlike books, I don't have to worry about materials, so it's easy.

However, weeds there are overgrown to survive, not to help people. If I use something bad, toxins may seep out. There, I found bamboo grass, so I decided to use it. If it is the same as the previous life, it should have an antibacterial effect. What if it's not the same as the previous life? All I can do is to pray that it's at least not toxic. I feel that the safety standards are becoming more and more sloppy, perhaps because I was exhausted both physically and mentally in just one night. Since I am the only physical strength of the child, it may cause more burden than I thought it would.

Before it becomes fatal, I need to be prepared to replenish what I can replenish. Even if I make a bamboo pot, the leaves themselves are not that huge. Therefore, it is best to make a bowl that is about the size of a glass. This may be better to experience whether it's toxic or not.  If all goes well, I can try to devise a way to make it into another thing. A tree branch is passed over the fire, and a bamboo pot is hung on the branch to heat it. So far, it's just like what I imagine it to be. 

It is exciting to think that I may have lived for nine year in this world to this day, to remember and do something like this. The water in the bamboo pot got hotter. It's boiling safely. If I could do it with paper, I would be able to do this too―I say this to myself, but it's still a strange sight in front of me. I bring the boiled water away from the fire and let it cool a little, then slowly put it in my mouth.

For the time being, there is no strange bitterness. It has a slightly bamboo flavor, but it is not unpleasant. The human body recognizes the poison as unpleasant and tries to eliminate it, so this taste will not be like "Uh, ku, it hurt!" at the moment after drinking it. After tasting it for a while and checking if there is something wrong with my mouth, I swallowed it. Oh, it ’s delicious. After all, it can be seen that the water contained in aloe and celica are not enough. I feel like I have come back to life. The water tastes better than any high-class sake I drank in my previous life. Let's look at the situation a little more and if my physical condition does not change, let's drink a full stomach.

I make a number of bamboo pots, put them over the fire, and I think about what else I can do while waiting. It's mainly about appetite. I can't really think about other things when I'm hungry. I look around with my appetite-covered eyes, I noticed something.. Fish shadows flickered on the surface of the river. Huh. Shouldn't we eat fish? If I can use fire, it's a safer ingredient than eating wild grass. The problem is how to get it, but since there is a basket for wild plants, I can use it to do the fishing method that I always do in the river near the village.

It's easy to do, first place a basket where the river is narrow. If I don't find it convenient, just put some stones and trees on it. After that, I will make a buzzing noise from the upstream and drive the fish to the downstream where the basket is installed. The surprised fish will enter the basket without realizing. Still, the basket is small, there is only a certain amount of area I can cover by myself. Even so, two fish enter into the basket. 

I warmly welcome you, protein. From now on, I will rely on you. Please take care of me. 

I jump like a child. Then, I skewer the fish with the branches of the tree around it and put it over the fire immediately. While doing so, the sun is completely approaching the middle sky. It's been a while since I drank water, but I don't feel any change in my physical condition. It seems that starvation can be avoided if replenished in this way. When I conclude everything that happens, I feel more comfortable. Let's spend today to secure water and food then return to the village from tomorrow. I swallow my saliva while looking at the almost well-done river fish, I can finally think of some carefree things.

Then, I am suddenly hit by a man who sneaks up from behind me.

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