An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world - Chapter 10

An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world

Chapter 10   Is this a honeymoon too?

“Alright, keep going in the same direction!”

“Alright!”

Splish, splash, splish, splash, splish, splash.

“Steer left!”

“Steering left!”

Splish, splash, splish, splash, splish, splash.

For the past few days, after finishing our hunt, Saran and I have been practicing canoeing on the lake in the afternoons.

We have a sturdy canoe made from a whole log. It’s a two-seater.

Saran sits in the front, and I sit in the back.

Originally, the elves used a single paddle to steer and propel their fishing boats, but we made improvements by using a paddle with fins on both ends, called a double-ended paddle.

Saran is delighted with how easy it is to use. It’s powerful…

Even though I’m paddling as hard as I can, I can’t match Saran’s strength.

Since it tends to tip over easily, we attached floats to one side.

It’s always better to have stability.

We’ve made other minor modifications as well. We shaved the log thinner to make it lighter. In order to make it waterproof, we bought waterproof paint from a magic bag and applied it with a brush. We’ve been trying various things.

By the way, when Saran paddles, we achieve incredible speed…

After landing on the lakeshore, we pull the canoe ashore.

“You’ve improved a lot, haven’t you?”

“At first, I kept flipping over.”

It’s my fault for being bad at it. I’m sorry. But thanks to the floats, we’re stable now.

Seriously, Saran swims so smoothly in the water that I’m the only one wearing a life jacket I bought from the magic bag. Is this also considered hunting gear?

According to our plan, we’ll travel downstream along the river, visit another elf village called Tokor, and then head to the large human city of Saaplast. It’s said to have a market, trading post, and a hunter’s guild. Merchants also come from here.

We’ll stay there for a while, conduct market research, and if possible, obtain a hunter’s license to earn some money or cash income. Then we’ll travel back up the river.

To be honest, I haven’t thought much about the return journey.

Well, we’ll figure it out somehow.

At night, I secretly communicated with the goddess Nanotesu via wireless communication.

“Congratulations on your marriage, Nakajima-san.”

“…How do you know about that?”

Well, you’re monitoring everything, right? It’s all completely transparent, without a doubt.

“It’s good to see that you’re enjoying the other world.”

“Well, thanks. Nanotesu-san, did you have something you wanted me to do?”

“Well, yes. Like defeating the Demon Lord.”

“There’s a Demon Lord in this world?!”

I’m shocked!

Wha–?!

“But isn’t that the job of a hero?”

“Yes, it is. That’s why our country is always recruiting heroes.”

“They’re recruiting… They’re actually recruiting…”

“No need to worry. Even if they say the Demon Lord will resurrect, it’s a story that won’t happen for another hundred years or so.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“I’m sure! The heroes in this world will take care of it!”

“…So, regardless, I can continue living a normal life?”

“Yes, that’s right. Well, Nakajima-san, even though you have a gun, you’re just an ordinary human. You won’t become stronger by leveling up or anything like that. It’s irrelevant.”

I see… Well, that’s fine then.

I’ll live quietly with Saran in the elf village. Yeah, that’s good enough.

I don’t want to get involved in unnecessary things.

“There won’t be any situations where I’ll be turned into a hero or forced to assist a hero, right?”

“…Be careful with spoilers, as they can trigger flags.”

“There’s a possibility! There’s a possibility like that?!”

“There isn’t.”

“Well… If you can say that definitively, then I’m grateful…”

I feel relieved.

“Why did you choose me and specifically summon me to this other world, Nanotesu-san?”

“Do you want to know?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Well, the thing is, if the Demon Lord were to resurrect, the heroes from this world wouldn’t be able to defeat them. So, it’s possible that the goddess might summon a hero from another world.”

“I see.”

“But without any precedent, it could lead to various troubles. Since I haven’t done it before…”

“That’s true.”

“When it comes to summoning a hero, it’s common to grant them cheat-like special abilities or summon someone who already possesses cheats from the start. However, if it’s taken too far, it could cause chaos in the world, and finding the right balance is difficult. There have been cases of failures in many other worlds due to that.”

“I see.”

“So, with you, Nakajima-san, it’s sort of a rehearsal or case study…”

“Hmm… So, I’m the first guinea pig, huh?”

It’s infuriating.

“Saran-chan is cute, isn’t she? It’s nice to have a good wife and be happy.”

“Yeah.”

“…It’s irritating how easily you agree.”

Is that your way of trying to please me?

“You had a plan, right? Did things go as planned? Did you intentionally drop me near the elf village instead of a human town, anticipating this outcome?”

“Elves dislike conflicts, and they’re quite kind, so I thought the chances of you being suddenly attacked and killed were the lowest among all the races.”

“I’m in a world like that…”

I want to express my gratitude to the elves who take care of my daily life, provide me with work, and even take care of my wife. I truly, sincerely appreciate it. Thank you so much for making the best choice, Nanotesu-san…

“We’re going to a human city called Saaplast next time.”

“Oh.”

“What kind of city is it?”

“Well, you could say it’s a city where everything you expect is there.”

“That’s vague!”

Is that explanation sufficient, Nanotesu-san…?

“Well, just look forward to it. I’m always watching.”

“Now I’m getting anxious.”

“Alright, do your best! Communication terminated!”

Oh… It’s so one-sided…

The next day…

Alright! The luggage is loaded, and everything we need is already packed in the magic bag. Departure preparations complete!

I’m wearing a camouflage hunter outfit with a leather vest.

Saran is dressed in a matching outfit too. I bought it from the magic bag.

Since I wasn’t familiar with American sizes, I first bought a T-shirt for Saran to try on and confirm. Surprisingly, Saran fits perfectly in an XXL size, but the waist area is too loose.

…American sizes are something else.

Saran was busy sewing and tying strings to adjust the clothing.

Everyone came to see us off.

“I’m counting on you!”

The village chief firmly shakes my hand.

“What’s this about? I’m just going for some information gathering, that’s all!”

“Even so!”

I don’t know what to say anymore.

“I firmly believe that it will undoubtedly benefit our elves.”

“You can definitely expect that.”

“Please, you are the first human friend and family we elves have ever had.”

…Touched…

“And please take care of Saran. Protect her.”

“You can count on me.”

“Well then, it’s about time for us to depart.”

“Come back safely!”

And so, we set off.

Yeah, it’s a vast lake, after all.

No matter how much we row, everyone is still visible.

There’s no break…

The canoe journey is going smoothly.

Once we entered the river, we let the current carry us gently.

The river width is around 15 to 20 meters, I suppose.

Even without paddling, it naturally carries us along. Occasionally, Saran adjusts our direction slightly to avoid getting too close to the riverbank. There are no muddy or swift currents.

It’s like a route used by merchants traveling by boat.

When I check the compass, it mostly indicates the southern direction.

We don’t have anything equivalent to GPS. There are no satellites flying around, and we don’t have any maps, so having one would be meaningless. However, I jot down the rough terrain on the paper attached to my clipboard as we float along. It would be great if we could create a map later.

“I think we’ll eventually see the Elf village on the riverbank.”

“Is that so?”

“According to the merchant, it should take about half a day, but since we’re not river dolphins, it might take a whole day.”

“Then we might have to camp somewhere along the way.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right.”

Forest… Valley… Forest…

The elevation changes are minimal. The current remains calm no matter how far we go.

It’s a pleasant atmosphere.

“It’s our honeymoon, you know.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, where I come from, after getting married, couples go on a trip together.”

“Oh, I see.”

“They call it a honeymoon.”

“I see. Why a trip, though?”

“When you just got married, people around you can be annoying, right? So, it’s a way to be alone together without anyone bothering us.”

“Hahaha! That sounds nice. Ever since then, we’ve been constantly spied on every night!”

Wait, we’re still being spied on!?

We put up curtains and took various precautions, you know!

But are they still watching us doing those things and those things!?

I did some pretty naughty things, you know!

Originally, it was a period when we were supposed to make babies without anyone bothering us.

There’s even a term called “honeymoon baby.”

But I remember that we can’t have children between me and Saran. Saran knows that too. Still, I’m happy that she married me.

Before it got dark, we found a large sandbar and decided to camp there.

On a sandbar, we can avoid wildlife to some extent.

We gathered driftwood, made a bonfire, had a simple dinner, and took a bath in the water.

Tonight, since no one is watching, Saran is more proactive than usual.

There might be plenty of wildlife watching us.

They might be peeping and saying things like, “Look, humans mate!” as they watch for the first time.

We’re animals too. In nature, just like you guys… embracing it all.

Tomorrow, we’ll reach the Elf village. Tokor.