"Is this a wild boar? Why is it so small?" Mikasa asked curiously as she walked beside me.
"It's a young wild boar," I replied, patting the animal resting on my shoulder. "The meat tastes great. I even brought back some seasonings, so tonight we'll make roasted suckling pig."
"Yay!" Mikasa clapped happily.
After eating meat almost every day for the past two weeks, she had clearly grown fond of it. She now looked forward to whatever game I brought back from hunting.
"I've never eaten roasted suckling pig before," she said excitedly.
After returning home and washing up, dinner was already prepared by Yato. The family gathered around the table, eating while chatting casually. I quietly enjoyed the warmth of the moment.
"Oh right, Mikasa's ninth birthday is coming up next Lumbai Five, isn't it?" Hank suddenly asked.
In this place, a lumbai functioned similarly to a week, except it lasted eight days instead of seven.
"Yes, turning nine is an important age," Yato said with a smile, briefly glancing at me.
I felt slightly confused but nodded anyway.
For ordinary people, nine years old was nothing special. However, for someone connected to certain traditions, that age carried meaning. Still, Mikasa was simply human.
I blinked, pushed the thought aside, and continued eating. Hank soon began talking about the carpentry work he had completed that afternoon while Yato added comments from time to time. Mikasa and I mostly listened, occasionally joining the conversation.
After dinner came the moment everyone had been waiting for, the barbecue.
I had already prepared the small wild boar earlier. Lighting a bonfire outside, I secured the meat on a thick branch and slowly roasted it while sprinkling seasoning over the surface. The rich aroma quickly filled the air.
Even though I had already eaten, the smell alone was enough to awaken my appetite again.
"Jax, Jax, I want some!" Mikasa called as she clung to my back, staring eagerly at the roasting meat.
I sliced off a piece with a small knife, placed it on a wooden skewer, and handed it to her.
Mikasa immediately took a bite.
"Mmm... wow, it's delicious, but hot," she said, enjoying it before quickly frowning from the heat.
I gently rubbed her head. "Slow down. Eat after it cools a little. No one is going to take it from you."
"Mhm."
She leaned closer, lightly rubbing her head against my shoulder.
"Jax is the best."
A quiet sense of accomplishment rose in my chest.
Across from us, Hank and Yato watched the scene unfold. For some reason, the expressions they gave me felt slightly strange, though I chose not to think too deeply about it.
The next day was Lumbai Seven.
Mikasa's birthday was only six days away, which meant I needed to prepare her present soon.
This region had a cold climate similar to subarctic areas, so a scarf would be practical. Animal fur would make excellent material.
At the same time, I also needed to begin crafting weapons.
All the equipment I possessed before arriving in this world had disappeared, leaving me with nothing except the clothes I wore. Starting from scratch was unavoidable.
Weapons made from holy silver required actual silver, which I currently lacked, so close combat weapons were not an option. Crossbow style weapons consumed too much energy to create and were complicated to assemble, making them impractical for now.
After careful consideration, the only viable choice was creating Leta talisman cards.
Until my teleportation and Holy Flame abilities fully recovered, talisman cards would remain my most reliable safeguard.
"Jax, stop sleeping and get up already!"
Mikasa's voice came from outside the door.
I yawned loudly. "I'm coming."
Climbing out of bed, I prepared to start another day.