Chapter 11: Our Survival

As Serci and I made our way through the Valley, I began to notice her fidgeting around. She might have something she wants to say, but I'm hesitant to even look her in the eyes due to my previous thoughts, much less initiate conversation. 

When she finally gains the courage to, she asks me. "So, I notice you have a sword with you... Are you a Sword Caster? You have the right... height." 

At first, I thought she was looking at me like that because of Veda's height.

'Should I tell her the truth? … I don't think I have a reason to lie.' 

"No. I'm just a caster. It was Grandfather's but in his dying breath, he told me to give it to my brother. My grandmother's spell book was what is passed down to me." I brushed my hand against the book, the treasure Uldrei handed Veda. 

Serci gets flustered, "A-ah! I see... it's your grandfather's famous Counter Blade! And it's meant to be given to your brother! How silly of me! Hehe...! Heh..." 

She suddenly sped forward as she returned to being silent. I couldn't tell why she asked that, so I brushed it off. 

Meanwhile, Serci hated on herself for even thinking to ask about borrowing the weapon. 'Stupid! Of course, it's her grandfather's heirloom! Why would a weapon from the Overseas continent be here if it wasn't one?!' 

With no weapon, Serci felt vulnerable in these woods crawling with Hobgoblins, a cue I missed. 

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Hunger hits as Uldrei's words come to mind. "Time for Lunch." My stomaches growled at the same time but I wasn't alone as I heard another just ahead of me. Now we were all embarrassed as I thought of hunting for food. This is one of the few jobs Verei was better at than Veda. Being faster, nimbler, and capable of making a durable enough trap.

But on the other end, Veda had the tools she took from the wreck site, such as rope, a sleeping bag, and a skinning knife, to name a few. "Too bad he isn't here. We could be dining on horned rabbits right now." 

Serci's eyes gleam when I mention food. "Wha?! You make it sound like the horned rabbit is an easy creature to catch."

'Wait, are they supposed to be hard to catch?' "Horned Rabbits are practically everywhere in these woods. While nearly impossible to catch by hand, old... Grandfather taught us how to make traps tailored to slow them down before getting the killing blow as soon as it couldn't move. Something my brother caught onto quickly." 

It was an eventful end to the second day when Uldrei took me around as Verei. Veda was left asleep so I could immerse myself in the hunt just after finding out about my capability to use practically any and every weapon effectively.

Though he wanted me to learn how to use both bodies, taking time to learn how to catch food at all was probably the best thing he could've done. 

Serci has a look of amazement hearing about my "brother's" ability to gather horned rabbits. "Horned Rabbits are so hard to catch without damaging them, it's a delicacy even in the capital!" 

'A delicacy? Did Uldrei know that when he taught me how to catch them?' 

Serci starts tapping her foot as she tries to think of something. "Did you learn how to make the traps too? If so, I could try and catch some for us!" 

I try my hardest not to laugh at the question. Five traps have been made by Verei; the first trap just being set as we began the conversation about horned rabbits.

After a couple of minutes of teaching her how to turn a young tree that hadn't grown more than a meter into the perfect rabbit trap using some vines and attracting the rabbits using a specific berry, we were almost ready. 

Serci realized the flaw in the capture method as I explained the final step. "It requires a weapon to kill it before it can recover but... I don't have a weapon..." She's hesitating. "so...Getting the killing blow... will be... difficult." 

This weapon would've been the artifact stolen from us had their vote to raid our home gone through. And if I remember right, it was Serci who didn't have an artifact to call her own.

It's hard not to believe that she would've been given this artifact if they had been made to raid our home.

But with the sound of my stomach, the decision was made clear. I take my grandfather's sword and sheath off my back and present it to her. "You can use this." 

Serci is surprised by how easily I chose to hand it to her, "A-are you sure?! It's an heirloom of... a legendary weapon from... the sentimental value...!" 

My stomach argued against her reluctance before me, "It's not as though you'll get to keep it. Use it till we get somewhere safe, like the Capital. You don't have a weapon and I can't swing this one regardless." 

I once tried to use Veda's muscles and Uldrei told me to just keep learning magic. It actually kind of hurt how blunt he was about it.

Serci smiles brightly, relishing this moment before taking the sword as if it were going to fall apart from her touch. But the moment it was in her hands, all hesitation left. 

A few minutes pass till the sound of a bush rustles, then a blur passes over the trap only to be triggered. Its leg got caught and is pulled by the momentum to spin around the tree like a ball on a rope, the squeal of the rabbit being incredibly high pitched. It signals to nearby rabbits that it's in danger but also signals to Serci to strike. 

Serci jumps down from above the moment she hears the sound and shish kabobs the rabbit that has a horn protruding from its forehead. "I got it!" She exclaimed happily.

In fact, she was so happy she began making mistakes before I could even warn her as she wiped the rabbit's blood off the blade using her sleeve before picking up the rabbit with her hand. 

"N-nicely done... But... we won't be getting another one soon till you clean that blood out of your clothing. Horned rabbits have a sensitive nose for the blood of their kind, warning them to avoid this area their kin recently bled." 

Serci froze in place as she went over the list of mistakes made in the last ten seconds before meekly apologizing for her mistakes. The full-scope hunting was vast, and she had just been acknowledged as a novice of novices... 

'Or at least, I think she is. She mentioned it was a delicacy so maybe this is a method only Uldrei learned about? It's not like it could be used to catch a wolf or a bear as the rabbit's speed is the key to this trap's success.'

After coping with her instant mistake, Serci raised the rabbit to ask. "I-is there something else we can hunt that would go well with a single Horned Rabbit?" 

A hand on my chin, the Horned Rabbit's predator came to mind. "There is the Fanged Fox." 

"T-the monster known for traveling in groups ranging between ten to a hundred?!" 

"They do travel in packs but they're also cowards. One durable bait to draw some in before killing one of them instantly, they'll retreat soon after. We could definitely get at least three times the amount of mea..." 

"There is no way I'm letting either of us act as bait! Huff... Your brother is insane for using such a method." 

I give a dry laugh before correcting her. "It wasn't my brother that tried; grandfather showed us that method." 

More specifically my male counterpart was shown shortly after being taught to catch the rabbit. I haven't tried it myself but I do think we could manage considering the number of spells that cover a wide range. But between rabbit meat and fox meat, I prefer horned rabbit. 'Quality over Quantity.' 

Serci is lost for words at the thought of the old man doing something like that despite his age. "We... can just eat this for today. I can forage plants for something to add as I've studied up on the edible plants of this area for when the time came." 

I shrug as we go with Serci's idea to gather edible plants and split the one rabbit for the two of us. 

"Then I'll get to skinning it," I say before pulling out the skinning knife from the knapsack I found in the rubble shortly after burying the old man. 

Not the best but Verei is still in just as bad if not worse situation than Veda. Though he caught 3 horned rabbits he has no knife for skinning. The axe is rough, same with the two-handed weapon I used to break through the wooden shield, and skinning with a scimitar... A bit too ridiculous. 

Serci's hand suddenly grabs mine, or more specifically, grabs the skinning knife. "I just remembered something that can be useful!" She exclaimed in excitement.

With twinkling in her eyes, I decide to trust her and let her take the skinning knife to see what she does. There was a brutal 'snap' when she broke off the horn from the rabbit's head, a shiver down my spine as it sounded like a bone breaking in two.

"I learned from a book that their horn makes a good honing rod. While worse than a sharpening stone, it's better than nothing. One horn is enough for a Knife or short sword, but two or three were required for bigger blades." 

She begins sharpening the blade of the skinning knife before showing its effectiveness by cutting into the skin under the fur at a more decent level. 

A grin spreads across my face as I have Verei snap off the five horns from the five rabbits, a shiver still going down my spine every time I did it.

But with the Axe sharpened, it became useful enough to skin the horned rabbits, at least till I get his hands on a Knife. 

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After eating, we both breathed out a happy sigh. The rabbit was delicious. And though Veda hasn't had a lot to eat, Verei being full is having a good enough effect on Veda too.

'I should still keep an eye on how much each body eats or it will affect my health.' 

We made a good distance before the sky turned red, the sun was setting and we didn't have shelter. That's when Serci spoke up. "We should stop here and make a fire. Since there are two of us, one can be on lookout while the other takes a rest." 

I'm worried about how Verei will get to sleep and begin asking an important question I made seem like it was out of curiosity. "Just a question but, if I was alone in a forest of monsters, how could I sleep safely?" 

Serci grins at my request, priding herself on being prepared.

"In a normal forest, I've heard 'To avoid things that don't climb, you would sleep in a tree with vines tying you to the tree so you don't fall off.' But in a forest with Hobgoblins who train wolves, it would be best to mask your scent with something that gives an overpowering scent, something like pepper."

"You should also choose which branch you sleep on carefully to not to be between the wind and the wolf as you will be found, even if you're on a tall tree far away. Sleeping in a tree is also very tricky if you don't take the proper steps and set up everything. Especially for mages that either have a hard time climbing the tree, tying a loose rope, or rely on a spell that ends when you fall unconscious."

"Either way, it won't be comfortable. No fire for warmth at a high altitude where more wind blows with the threat of falling on top of a higher chance to be spotted with any light at all. But you should be able to survive the night if everything is set up properly." 

The male counterpart really drew the short straw, but can't complain much considering how unlikely he would have gotten out from under the house had he been in Veda's position. At least the wind is blowing south instead of north where the hobgoblins are coming from. 

I know there is a spell for warming the body which could be used to fight against the cold of night, but Verei has no mana. And sadly, it's a spell that requires consciousness so the moment Veda falls asleep, the spell will end. 

If Verei had the knapsack Veda has, maybe he could have warmed himself up by using the sleeping bag like a blanket. Along with grandpa's sword, practically everything that would benefit Verei more is in Veda's hands. 

'Ugh... Well, it isn't all bad. When sleeping next to the campfire with Veda, Verei feels some of that warm. It makes me feel like he isn't in as cold a climate. Like it's only a chilly breeze in the night air instead of a freezing gale of the night.' 

With one in a tree and the other safely under watch from a Keeper by a campfire, I dream about a time long gone came to mind. Back when I slept in a bed beside my other.