Chapter 7 - One Day, in the Forest, I Encountered the White Fenrir
As I continued southward on the plains with my camper van, the entrance to the forest appeared.
There was a road, likely frequented by travelers and carriages, but it seemed rather narrow, so I was worried whether I could drive it properly.
Just to be safe, I checked the detour route on the GPS, but going a different way would lead me down a more rugged path and increase the distance.
I had just added a vehicle function earlier and used up some CP, so taking a big detour might drain the fuel.
"It’s probably wise to just go straight through the forest..."
Steeling myself, I decided to follow the GPS’s directions and entered the forest.
I slowed down the camper van more than I had on the plains.
I could feel the soft earth and fallen leaves under the tires.
Trees spread along both sides of the road, and sunlight filtered through, casting dancing shadows on the ground.
Ferns and wild plants lined the road, and small, colorful flowers quietly bloomed here and there.
"...This actually seems like a nice spot for camping."
I couldn't help but murmur as I gazed at the scenery.
It had a peaceful stillness, unlike the plains. The occasional calls of wild birds and the rustling of the trees created a soothing atmosphere.
The air coming through the open window was incredibly fresh, and being surrounded by greenery seemed to have a calming effect.
That said, this was a world where monsters roamed.
I could be attacked by monsters like the goblin from earlier.
If anything happened, I’d stop right away and set up a barrier.
With my heart pounding, I gripped the steering wheel and continued, gradually noticing that the surroundings were getting darker.
"It gets dark quickly in the forest..."
I glanced at the clock inside the van; it was only around five o’clock.
Yet, the forest was already dimming.
The tall trees and plants blocked the light, and less sunlight reached the ground and the surroundings.
"I’d better decide on today’s campsite soon."
While driving, I looked around for an open area, and soon enough, I found a clearing without trees.
It seemed flat, and there was enough space to park the camper van.
I quickly decided this would be the campsite and moved off the road to park the van in the open area.
I turned off the engine and immediately activated the barrier.
That made the area around the van safe.
When I got out of the driver’s seat, I could smell the slightly damp earth and the refreshing scent of the trees.
"Hmm, this is a good spot."
Stretching to loosen up my body, I took out my favorite table and chair from the external storage and set them up.
"And next, a campfire."
As the night would get deeper, the forest would grow darker.
I needed a campfire to provide light, and I wasn’t sure how cold the night in this other world would get. Well, even if it didn’t get cold, I just liked having a fire.
I had firewood stocked in the camper, but I preferred to gather some locally.
There didn’t seem to be any sign of life outside the barrier, so it should be fine to gather a little.
I walked around a bit and noticed that, perhaps because I was in nature, there were plenty of fallen branches and leaves.
"There are a lot of them."
I snapped a branch, and it cracked loudly.
This sound was a good sign—it meant the wood was well-dried.
Thin branches burn easily, so I made sure to collect some of those as well.
There were fewer thin ones, but I could split the thicker branches to make up for it.
After gathering plenty of firewood, I looked for tinder.
I planned to use matches or a lighter, so I needed something easy to ignite.
The typical tinders in mountains and forests were pine cones or cedar leaves, but I couldn’t expect to find those conveniently in this world.
The best tinders were soft materials that contain plenty of air and, ideally, oils. There were some strange plants at my feet, but I wondered if they could work as firelighters.
[Tear Spider Bark]
Dried tear spider bark. When burned, it releases smoke containing tear-inducing components.
[Ashidara Leaf]
Ashidara leaf. It burns easily, but produces a lot of smoke. It burns up quickly, so it's not suitable as a tinder.
[Konroi Nut]
Contains plenty of oils and burns well. It may explode if damp, so be careful.
When I appraised the things lying at my feet, I found that the konroi nut seemed suitable as tinder, so I decided to use that. The other two types weren’t suitable, so I discarded them.
After gathering a lot of firewood and konroi nuts, I returned to the safety of the barrier.
I adjusted the legs of the chair to tilt it forward and sat down, arranging the collected firewood.
Since I was short on thin wood and small twigs to increase the fire, I decided to split some thicker firewood.
I put on my gloves and took out my knife.
I pressed the knife against the wood and struck the center with a stick.
When the knife’s back was embedded deep enough, I used the stick to tap the tip of the knife and split the firewood completely.
—Clang, Clang, Clang, Crack.
The sharp sound of batoning echoed through the quiet forest.
The crisp sound was quite satisfying.
By the way, this knife was an American-made full-tang model, very sturdy and shock-resistant, making it perfect for batoning. It won’t break easily.
After enough firewood was split, I laid down a groundsheet to protect the vegetation and set up the firepit on top.
Since this was a forest in another world, there were no rules prohibiting open flames, but I decided to use the firepit just to be safe.
If I was in a more open area, like near a lake, I would try an open fire.
Once the firepit was set up, I placed some dry leaves on top to help the fire catch, followed by the konroi nuts to act as tinder.
Next, I arranged the small twigs and sticks I had split, layering thicker wood and branches on top.
I aimed to create a pyramid-like shape, ensuring enough airflow.
Once the firewood was arranged, it was time to light it. This time, I used Fire Lighters.
These firelighters, which came with matches, burned for about 8 to 12 minutes, unlike regular matches, providing enough time to get the fire going, making them very convenient for outdoor use.
I pressed the lit match onto the firelighters–dry leaves and the konroi nuts.
The fire caught onto the konroi nuts, and from there, it spread to the small twigs and then the larger branches. The key moment was here—if I meddled with the wood or hastily added more, the fire could go out.
I stood still, patiently watching the fire spread.
Instead of just starting the fire, I was nurturing the campfire.
Gradually, the fire grew, spreading to the larger wood.
"Now that it’s going, it should be fine."
I felt the urge to add more firewood to keep the fire going, but adding too much would restrict the airflow, which would cause the fire to go out. For combustion, air was needed.
On the other hand, leaving too much space between the wood would cause the heat to escape.
Balancing this was tricky, but once I could sense the airflow and heat, I found it enjoyable. I was still learning.
The glow in the darkness and the gentle flicker of the flames were calming. Occasionally, the firewood would crackle and pop, a sound I couldn't get enough of.
As I gazed absentmindedly at the fire, I realized the surroundings had become pitch dark.
"Guess it’s time for dinner..."
I had only driven all day, but my stomach was definitely growling.
For dinner, I was pairing some Wagyu beef with alcohol.
So, just like at lunch, I prepared a steak.
Since I had a campfire going, I cooked outside instead of using the camper's kitchen.
I took out the Wagyu beef from the fridge. The second sirloin had a bit too much fat, so I trimmed off the excess with a kitchen knife. The trimmed fat could be used as tallow, and if I grilled it crispy, it would make a perfect snack to pair with alcohol.
After trimming the fat, I left the sirloin on the cutting board to return to room temperature.
This small step helped reduce the temperature difference, making it more efficient to cook.
While waiting, I prepped grilled vegetables like carrots, broccoli, and bell peppers.
By the time I was done, the sirloin had reached room temperature, so I placed a cast-iron pan on the firepit.
I heated the pan and added the small fat trimmings to use as tallow.
"It’d be boring to use the same seasoning as I did at lunch. For dinner, I’ll keep it simple with wasabi and salt."
As I placed the sirloin steak on the heated pan, I also tossed in the grilled vegetables.
This time, I seasoned them lightly with salt and black pepper while grilling.
I cooked the sirloin until the surface was nicely seared, then moved it to the cooler part of the pan and flipped it with tongs.
After cooking it for about half the time on the surface, I removed it from the pan and covered it.
Five minutes later, after letting it rest, the sirloin steak was perfectly cooked.
I cut it into bite-sized pieces on the cutting board and arranged it on a plate with the grilled vegetables.
"Finally, just top it with salt and grated wasabi, and the sirloin steak is done."
Once the main dish was ready, I used the remaining fat to make a simple snack.
I threw the fat trimmings into the same pan and added some salt and black pepper.
I placed the fatty side of the trimmings against the bottom of the frying pan and began to cook them. Once a crispy brown crust formed, I flipped them over.
I pressed the fattier pieces with the tongs to ensure they cooked evenly. When they became crispy, I placed them on a plate.
Next, it was time to make the sauce.
I discarded most of the fat left in the pan, then added butter and a little garlic.
Before the garlic could burn, I added some soy sauce and heated it up. That’s how I made the garlic butter soy sauce.
I poured this over the crispy fat from the sirloin I had just fried, and the crispy beef fat chips were complete.
The sirloin steak and crispy beef fat chips looked delicious.
I laid the food out on the wooden table and went back to the camper to grab a bottle of red wine and a glass.
After pouring the red wine into the glass, everything was ready.
"Let’s dig in!"
I speared a piece of the sirloin steak with my fork, dipped it lightly in salt, and popped it in my mouth.
"The salt’s really good too!"
The strong garlic flavor from lunch was great, but the light touch of salt really brought out the delicate sweetness of the sirloin’s fat.
After savoring the salt, it was time for the wasabi.
"Ah, the wasabi’s great too!"
The juicy fat of the meat spread across my tongue, melting in my mouth. Then, the sharp spiciness of the wasabi hit my nose, followed by a refreshing flavor that enveloped the whole experience.
Finally, I took a swig of red wine.
The juicy umami of the sirloin combined perfectly with the fruity and aged aroma of the wine, enhancing both flavors.
"This is amazing!"
The crispy beef fat chips paired really well with it.
The combination of the meat and wine was so good that I couldn’t stop drinking.
Alone in the forest, watching the campfire, I enjoyed my steak and red wine for dinner.
What a perfect night.
In addition to the warmth from the fire, my cheeks started to redden.
Looks like I was a bit tipsy.
It’s been a while since I had red wine. Maybe I’ve become a bit weak to alcohol.
I didn’t want to rush through this luxurious moment, so I slowed down my drinking.
As I sipped slowly, savoring the wine, I suddenly heard the rustling of branches ahead.
"What’s that? Another goblin?"
I looked over suspiciously, and from between the trees, a huge wolf emerged.
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