“Ah, damn it, these guys!”

  Miko screamed in frustration as she fled.

  “......Shall I step in?”

  “Please! Hulim, do something this time—these guys are way too annoying!”

  “Very well.”

  Hulim raised her Seven Luminaries wand toward the sky.

  Boom——!

  A beam of light shot forth from the tip of the wand.

  When the beam reached a certain height, it suddenly split into dozens of smaller beams, which then struck with pinpoint accuracy, as if locked onto each ape’s position.

  And just like that,

  the once noisy forest fell silent......

  “You’re a lifesaver, Hulim!”

  Miko said gratefully.

  “It was nothing.”

  “I’m back!”

  At that moment, Alicia emerged from the trees.

  “Did you get them?”

  “I did.”

  Alicia held up a pouch to show them.

  Inside were the Magic Crystals she’d just collected from the apes’ nest.

  This was their tactic:

  Miko lured all the apes out, while Alicia snuck in to collect the Magic Crystals.

  The reason they hadn’t asked Hulim to act earlier was that the current difficulty level was perfect for them to practice—if Hulim stepped in, they’d have no chance to grow. Until things got truly tricky, it was best for the two of them to handle it.

  “Oh! We got a lot this time!”

  The pouch contained more Magic Crystals than they’d collected in any previous haul.

  “That’s probably because these apes are extremely troublesome for most students,”

  Hulim said.

  “Naturally, the academy would place more Magic Crystals in such areas. Besides, I suspect the apes themselves have a knack for collecting these things......”

  Alicia stowed the newly collected Magic Crystals in her backpack, then asked:

  “Hulim, where do we go next?”

  “Hmm......”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Hulim glanced up at the sky.

  The horizon was already tinged with dusk.

  “No—let’s stop looking for Magic Crystals. Let’s find a safe spot to set up camp and prepare to camp overnight.”

  ...

  Crackle! Pop!

  Deep in the night forest,

  the faint sound of a campfire crackling could be heard.

  Inside a small rocky cave,

  Hulim, Miko, and Alicia sat around the campfire.

  Skewers of prey they’d hunted earlier were roasting over the flames.

  Once the meat turned golden brown and the aroma filled the cave, Hulim took the skewers off the fire and set them aside, then placed a pot of broth on the fire to simmer.

  While the broth cooked, Hulim pulled out a box and turned to the two waiting beside her.

  “What flavor would you like?”

  “I want spicy!”

  Miko replied immediately.

  “Then I’ll have vanilla.”

  “Alright.”

  Hulim opened the box and took out several seasonings.

  She sprinkled spicy spices on one portion of the meat, brushed vanilla oil on another with a pastry brush, and slathered the last portion with blue-purple Popom Jam using a spoon.

  After finishing, Hulim put all her seasonings back in the box and said:

  “Wait a moment—the meat’s still very hot. The residual heat will let the seasonings soak in perfectly. By the time the broth is done, the meat will be ready to eat.”

  “Oh, okay!”

  Miko nodded obediently.

  “I can’t help but wonder......” Alicia stared at the box in Hulim’s hand and finally asked her question, “You always seem to be fully prepared whenever we go out. Are you some kind of wilderness survival expert?”

  “I don’t know about being an expert, but I am quite skilled at it.”

  “......”

  Isn’t that basically a wilderness survival expert......

  After some time,

  the broth finished simmering.

  Hulim pulled out tableware from her backpack,

  ladled the broth into bowls, and handed them to Miko and Alicia.

  “It’s ready to eat.”

  “Thank you.”

  Alicia took the broth, sat upright, and took a small spoonful to taste.

  On the other side, Miko had already taken a huge bite of the roasted meat.

  “Mmm! This is delicious!”

  A look of bliss spread across Miko’s face.

  “Hulim~! Your cooking is amazing!”

  “It’s not that amazing......”

  Hulim took a slow bite of her own meat and replied:

  “I just study it occasionally. I’m still far behind royal chefs.”

  “No, it really is amazing. Even royal chefs would struggle to make something this good with ingredients gathered casually in the wild.”

  “Besides,”

  Alicia took a small bite of her meat,

  “this vanilla oil is homemade by you, isn’t it? I’ve only tasted this flavor from you. Even though it’s oil, it has a fresh, mild taste with no greasiness at all—it’s incredible.”

  “......It is homemade. The lack of greasiness is because this type of vanilla oil is special. When heated, it reacts with the animal fat naturally present in the meat. It not only reduces the greasiness of the meat itself but also transforms into a unique, flavorful taste.”

  Though it was a long-lost craft......

  “Huh? This vanilla oil is that special?! ”

  Miko’s interest was piqued by the flavor.

  “Can I try some?”

  “Of course.”

  Alicia cut half of her meat and gave it to Miko.

  “Thanks, Alicia~!”

  Miko took the meat without hesitation and took a big bite.

  “Mmm~~! This is amazing! I’ve never had roasted meat this good. Oh, but the spicy one is just as perfect too......”

  Miko stared at the two portions of meat in her hands, torn.

  “It’d be such a shame to finish something this delicious too quickly......”

  “Don’t worry—we have plenty of meat left. I can grill more for you. Eat to your heart’s content, Miko.”

  “Really?! Thank you so much, Hulim!”

  Miko’s eyes lit up. She stopped hesitating and alternated between bites of spicy and vanilla meat, polishing off what was in her hands in no time.

  Meanwhile, Hulim placed the remaining meat back on the campfire to roast......

  After dinner,

  “Burp~!”

  Miko lay flat on the grass at the cave entrance, rubbing her bulging stomach.

  “I...... can’t eat another bite, burp.”

  Hulim and Alicia sat beside her,

  enjoying the post-dinner leisure.

  In the night-time Monster Great Forest, a sky full of stars cast a faint glow over the treetops, draping the forest in a dreamlike veil.

  Beneath this veil, dense tree canopies blocked the starlight from invading the realm of night.

  In the quiet darkness, countless unknown beings slumbered or stirred.

  “......What a peaceful and beautiful night,”

  Alicia sighed, gazing up at the starry sky.

  “Yes. Tonight is probably the calmest night we’ll have in the forest,”

  Hulim replied.

  “By tomorrow night, many people will start making their moves.”

  ...