75 – One Night in the Great Forest
With the firestone brazier at the center, everyone in the party got ready for bed.
As I smelled the chilly air inside the soft sleeping bag, I quickly fell asleep from the pleasant warmth.
The sound of leaves sounds like a lullaby. Piyi’s tossing and turning in my arms. All of these things added comfort to a pleasant sleep.
I felt like I could sleep until next spring if someone didn’t wake me up.
But my sweet sleep came to an end with a cool feeling caressing my cheek.
“Hey candidate. “Get up.”
It was the voice of Siege, the first person on watch duty.
I slowly opened my eyes and pulled myself out of a drowsy state.
Shizu’s cold hands help relieve sleep.
After a short stretch, I crawled out of the sleeping bag.
[Ugh….]
When I got up and the cold wind entered the sleeping bag, Pii curled up and whined.
The leaves, which had turned yellow in the fall, trembled in time with Piyi’s movements.
I smiled and covered him warmly with the fur sleeping bag again.
“Hmm. Great job. “Did anything happen?”
“Yes.”
When I asked that question with a long yawn, Shizu nodded her head and answered.
Because it was close to the water and I even cooked, I thought the devil would get in trouble, but fortunately it seemed like the night would go smoothly.
“Okay. “You must be tired, but sleep well.”
After going on watch, I rubbed my eyes and threw additional fire stones into the brazier.
The flame stone burned hotly for a long time and spread a gentle warmth within the hideout.
At that time, Shizu, who had finished her watch shift, crawled into my sleeping bag and spoke.
“Then, good luck.”
“… ….”
I watched Shizu’s actions with an expression of bewilderment.
Shizu pushes her body into the fur and leather sleeping bag and lies down while hugging Piyi.
It seemed like I was planning on sleeping in the sleeping bag I was sleeping in.
‘Why are you sleeping in my sleeping bag and leaving your own?’
With that thought in mind, I took a quick look around.
However, the sleeping bag presumed to be Shizu’s was nowhere to be seen.
In the first place, Shizu didn’t even lay out her own sleeping bag.
When I looked at her in bewilderment at that fact, she smiled slightly and said, perfectly positioned.
“It was warmed up well.”
Shizu hugged Piyi and closed her eyes with a happy expression.
Pi, who was held by Shizu, whined for a moment, but the two quickly fell asleep, perhaps thanks to the warmth left in the sleeping bag.
“Aha.”
I was a little amazed, seeing such a ridiculous yet tickling sight.
By inheriting the warmth I left behind, Shizu easily escaped the chill of late fall.
Except for the fact that it was somewhat embarrassing, there really was no effective way.
‘He’s a really funny kid too.’
I smiled and carefully straightened up the disheveled sleeping bag.
Shizu, who hated me not long ago, is now sharing the same sleeping bag as me.
I don’t know if I should like this or be worried.
It was a night when Piy’s warning not to leave anything behind was felt deep in my heart.
‘The weather is really nice.’
After putting Shizu to sleep, I turned my back on the brazier and looked up at the sky.
My pupil, which had been shrunk by the bright light, widened and countless stars came into view.
The singing of grass insects heard beyond the bushes. The laughter of spirits swimming around with a soft glow.
The great forest on a moonlit night was as mysterious as usual, and also conveyed the same coziness as usual.
‘Now I’m completely used to it.’
Now that I think about it, quite a bit of time has passed since I was summoned to this world.
I was originally used to living in the forest, but before I knew it, I had come to regard the forest as my home.
It was an extremely good phenomenon from the Druid’s perspective, but it was an idea that was very far from the human way of thinking.
Every time I established myself as a true druid, I felt like my human side was gradually disappearing.
‘They said centaurs also have trouble with humans.’
As I thought about humans, the problems facing us naturally came to mind.
Humans cutting down spirit trees. Humans who take elves and beastmen as slaves. Humans trying to subdue centaurs.
When I thought about it, all the accidents and incidents in the forest were caused by humans.
“Ugh….”
When I realized that fact, my heart felt sore for some reason.
It is said that the species changed as they accepted the blessings of the wild, but they felt uneasy due to the memories of living as humans.
‘Is a peaceful alliance difficult?’
I tried to arrange negotiations with the empire by promoting improved crops, but seeing as I haven’t heard any news so far, my plan must have gone awry.
It seemed necessary to make another plan for the sake of friendship between the Great Forest and the Empire.
‘How should I approach this?’
I spent some time planning my future.
Plan to declare the Great Forest as an allied state. A plan to take advantage of the friendly humans in the east. A thousand other plans began to fill my mind.
Of course, I didn’t forget to wake up the rabbit’s hearing and be alert to its surroundings.
One hour. Two hours. Then three hours pass.
Perhaps it was because I had a lot to think about that the night watch was over in an instant.
‘Let’s wake up Kaa and go to sleep.’
There were a lot of things in my head, but no practical plan came to mind.
On the contrary, only small sighs came out one after another as my thoughts became more complicated.
It would be better to just go to sleep rather than be stressed out like this.
Thinking like that, I got up from my seat to wake up the next watchman.
‘What does he do when he sleeps like this?’
Kaa was sleeping in the sleeping bag looking quite cute.
Her hands were above her head, pressing her ears, and her face was buried in her porcelain tail.
If the usual Kaa was a polite and noble wolf, the current Kaa looks nothing but a cute puppy.
I smiled slightly and stroked her Kaa ear.
Her ears, covered with short silver fur, were really soft.
“Wow….”
After playing with her ears for a while, Kaa, who had been sleeping, slowly opened her eyes.
She cleared her tail and found me right in front of her and quietly blinked her eyes.
Immediately, the pupils of his blue eyes opened wide, as if he had grasped the situation.
I asked her with a grin.
“Kaaya. “Can you get up?”
“Ah….”
Kaa nodded, burying her face in her tail.
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She seemed embarrassed to be seen sleeping.
Seeing that, I quietly stepped back.
Kaa, who was tossing and turning with her face covered, soon crawled out of her sleeping bag.
“Soo, thank you for your hard work… “Did anything happen?”
“Okay. As you can see, nothing happened.”
“Yes… Well then, I will be on watch from now on. “You should rest a little longer.”
“Okay. Please. “If anything happens, wake me up.”
“Don’t worry.”
After putting on her fur cloak, Kaa hesitantly approached the brazier.
Now that we had finished replacing the last watch, it was time to fall into a deep sleep again.
‘What now…? .’
I looked around and looked at the sleeping bags.
Because Shizu didn’t put her own sleeping bag and took her own, the only sleeping bag she had left was Kaa’s.
In that case, I would really have to use Kaa’s sleeping bag unintentionally.
I swallowed my saliva and slowly crawled into Kaa’s sleeping bag.
“Uh huh… Let’s go….”
Kaa’s warmth remained in the sleeping bag made of fur and leather.
Your cold body is relieved and a pleasant warmth seeps into you.
I was able to immediately realize why Shizu went into my sleeping bag.
“Go, Gaul?!”
Of course, Kaa was embarrassed to have her own sleeping bag stolen.
Because I also experienced it through Siege, I was able to know well how Kaa felt.
A strange feeling of embarrassment is rising along with an incomprehensible sense of pride.
You’re probably going crazy because you’re worried that your sleeping bag might smell strange.
But regardless of Kaa’s feelings, I had no intention of giving up her sleeping bag.
“Shhh… The other kids are sleeping. Quiet.”
“Boo, why on earth are you doing that to me?” Please come out of my sleeping bag….”
“It’s because Shizu is sleeping in my sleeping bag. “You can’t sleep while hugging Shizu.”
“Ugh!”
Kaa looked towards her Shizu and she gritted her teeth quietly.
‘Like a cat like that…’ ‘, she muttered, making it seem like a fight would break out as soon as the sun rose.
It seemed like things were going to be tiring, but I guess I will take care of what happens in the morning.
The future me will take care of resolving the troubles between the forest and humans, as well as the troubles between Shizu and Kaa.
So, all I had to do now was make up for the lack of sleep.
“…… I can’t help it. “I’ll turn a blind eye for today.”
Fortunately, Kaa understood her situation and allowed her her own sleeping bag.
There is no need to worry about her owner’s permission.
I buried my face in the sleeping bag and quietly closed my eyes.
‘It smells good.’
The sleeping bag was permeated with Kaa’s unique warm scent.
When I instinctively sniffed and smelled it, Kaa next to her jumped up and whispered in my ear.
“Ugh! “Don’t smell anything and just sleep well!”
Kaa covered her tail over her sleeping bag as if telling her to go to sleep.
The warm scent is doubled, and the soft texture is also doubled.
That night, I was able to fall asleep so comfortably that I couldn’t believe I was sleeping outdoors.