Fantasy Lord: I Have a Moving Castle

Chapter 45: Chapter 45 Warm Daily Life, The Sudden Storm

Chapter 45: Chapter 45 Warm Daily Life, The Sudden Storm

Under the protection of the Lantern Fireflies, the chance of encountering malice while dealing with human and elf villages was slim to none.

But even if it was slim to none, there was still some risk, wasn’t there? It could be regarded as his paranoia.

Anyway, when he only had the Lantern Fireflies and Star Worm, dealing with the natives of this world truly didn’t give him enough sense of security.

Now things were different, having recruited the Clover Mantis, he had gained enough confidence in his safety.

Next, it was time to keep lighting up the new map and start exploring outward, beginning to interact with people.

Char worked while contemplating in his heart.

Beside him, the Clover Mantis manipulated the Light Leaves, slicing like swift green blades onto the suitable wood that Char had found.

The leaves cut through the wood, sending chips flying, shaping a flower pot in no time.

Once the Clover Mantis had roughly shaped the wood into a form, Char took over, using the Wild Boar Dagger to sculpt and refine the details.

Watching the busy Clover Mantis at work, a smile involuntarily appeared at the corners of Char’s mouth.

The Lantern Fireflies couldn’t assist him with this task, but the Clover Mantis was quite suitable.

Although he was alone in the Florence Forest, the companionship of his Magic Pets meant he never felt lonely.

For the next two days, Char was illuminating the new map by driving the carriage, all the while decorating it.

After Old Ma evolved into a Wind Winged Horse, even though the carriage became several times heavier, thanks to the increased Strength, and the presence of Magic like “Light Wind,” the carriage now moved much faster than before.

Not only was the movement quicker, but many roads that had been previously impassable were now accessible.

The carriage, inside and out, now boasted numerous plants, and one wall was adorned with several animal head trophies, among which the brown-tailed roe deer head was the most conspicuous.

Beyond that, there were various pretty bird specimens arranged around the room.

The carriage now looked like a hunter’s cabin.

These specimens were either already prepared by Char or still being prepared; after all, he knew early on what tasks were required to upgrade the carriage to the next stage and, naturally, he had made preparations in advance.

Whatever the task, it’s important to have a plan and arrangement, right?

So, when food became plentiful, the next animals and even Demon Beasts he hunted, he kept a portion and didn’t eat them all as food.

Heads that were suitable for making into trophies were kept.

Those suitable for full body preservation were kept whole.

Even the Green Skull Ghost Spider was turned into a specimen; setting other things aside, its emerald green skeleton pattern was quite attractive.

He didn’t keep the Steel Teeth Pig’s head, as he found it ugly and stinking, with a persistent urine stench.

He didn’t keep the head or most of the meat, only picking parts that were balanced in fat and lean to eat, while throwing away the majority, keeping only the Wild Boar Teeth.

He ate some of the previously smoked wild boar meat, disposing of the rest, letting it serve as nutrients for nature.

He hardly lacked this small amount of meat anymore.

Now, he could easily catch creatures flying in the sky, running on the ground, or swimming in the water.

Furthermore, with the Lantern Firefly around, preparing specimens was both convenient and fast. After draining the blood, he had the Lantern Firefly control the temperature of the True Red Thorn, piercing the specimen’s body to quickly evaporate the moisture, before letting it air dry for a while.

Besides planting flowers and preparing specimens, Char also sent the Lantern Firefly to check on the Mo Yu Snails that inhabited a certain rocky area.

He didn’t expect that the Mo Yu Snails, being a rather uncommon delicacy, would reproduce quickly. Given their rarity, their fertility was not likely to be strong.

But regardless, the Mo Yu Snails were still a resource spot. Even if they could not be harvested again soon, it was necessary for the Lantern Firefly to confirm their growth rate.

Then there were the beets and tomatoes. With Betty’s help, these two types of vegetables had gone through rapid growth and had already been harvested once.

Apart from beets and tomatoes, there were other vegetables and fruits planted in the cart behind.

However, these fruits and vegetables were not obtained through Prayer. With Betty around, she could easily identify which were edible and which could be cultivated, making Prayer unnecessary.

She could even transplant magic plants if they were found, but sadly, magic plants were too hard to find in the forest—even with a Flower Fairy like Betty’s help, it was a difficult task.

Most things had progressed smoothly. The only source of regret for Char was that, up until now, there had still been no sign of human habitation.

The Green Rose Village, where Betty was from, also left no trace, leaving him clueless about its direction.

…

At night, the musicians of the forest played their usual symphony.

With the arrival of autumn, the calls of birds and unnamed wild beasts hadn’t decreased much, but the buzzing of insects was notably less, as many had completed their lifecycle and died in this autumn.

Inside the carriage, Char was carving a fruit.

The interior of the fruit was completely hollowed out, and what Char was doing now was carving out the surface of the fruit to make a few oil lamps.

The oil was already prepared, rendered from animal fat. Part of it was stored by Char for cooking and grilling, while the rest was reserved for lighting the oil lamps.

After finishing the carving, Char tested it. The firelight, not very bright, shone through the hollowed fruit, casting a hazy glow, quite atmospheric.

After admiring his work for a while, Char quickly blew out the oil lamp and lay down on the bed. Some time passed as he was drifting off to sleep when a strong wind suddenly picked up outside. Remembering that the Wind Winged Horse was still outside, Char hurriedly got up.

Upon exiting the carriage, the forest was shrouded in darkness.

Char looked up at the sky, which was completely covered by heavy rainclouds, not a sliver of moonlight or starlight could penetrate.

It became much quieter around; the animals had sensed the impending downpour in advance and started looking for places to take shelter.

In front of the carriage, the Wind Winged Horse was restlessly snorting and occasionally stomping on the forest floor.

The magic pets and Betty flew out as well, and with the light from the Star Worm, Lantern Firefly, and Betty, Char was able to see the situation around him.

Judging by the weather, there would probably be lightning and thunder soon, and Char did not want to be struck by lightning. He immediately instructed the Wind Winged Horse to move from underneath the trees to a more open area.

Afterward, using the light provided by the Star Worm and others, Char quickly untied the harness on the Wind Winged Horse, then loaded it onto the rear carriage. He also lowered the folded wooden boards of the rear carriage to shelter from the wind and rain, to prevent water from pouring in.

Just as he finished, the raindrops started to fall heavily.

Char and the magic pets hurried back inside the shelter.

The howling storm muffled all sounds of the forest. The performers hid where they could, fled where they might, lacking any desire to continue their music.