The sunlight that got inside the shrine forced me to open my eyes, and I woke up walking outside.
It’s morning already.
When I slept, I was sure I was far enough away from the entrance that the sunlight shouldn’t have reached me, but I guess I drifted to sleep near the entrance after all.

“Gru~u~o~o~ooooo……”

I stretch my neck and yawned facing the sky.
My yawn woke Partner up and she opened her eyes.

Like always, the egg sac is still stuck on her head.
To be honest, I thought that it’d be nice if things were like this everyday and I don’t need to go back anymore.
Partner, I think you’re reminiscing about Ball Rabbit with that spider egg sac.

“Gru~u~a……”

I was sure you had enough sleep, yet you still want to sleep? Partner stares at me with a gloomy face.
And then, when Partner saw the remaining tributes from last night, her eyes opened wide.

“Gru~a! Gra~a! Gra~a!”

She’s forcefully stretching her neck to reach the tributes.
Hey, after all the food you ate last night, you still want more, why you-…
The plan was to slowly eat them all and keep reserves for later meals, but you ate more than half of the tributes last night.
Haa~ah, the other half is going to be wasted away this breakfast, huh.
Well, you do work hard when I ask you to, so I shouldn’t complain much, but it would help us more if you had more prudence.

I’d like it if the Lithuvar Tribe comes again and bring us offerings, but I know they’re nowhere near the area, and I can’t sense them in the forest.
Did my behavior from last time scare them? Did they find out that I’m not they’re Dragon God?
Or, maybe there’s a fixed date for them to offer tributes…… yeah, I think that’s it, so there’s still hope! … … right?

While I was lost in my thoughts, Partner stuffed herself with the remaining tributes.
It didn’t take long for all the chicken meat and boar meat to turn into bone scraps.
I guess you’re done eating now.
The food that Partner eats go in the same stomach though, so I can just let her eat for the both of us, and it’s better to have Partner on her good side…… guh, if only we can just talk each other out.

“Hyufuu!”

…… After Partner exhaled with a satisfying burp, I was left to nibbling the boar scraps that she spat.
It doesn’t really matter anyway…… yeah……

When I found myself enjoying it, I spat out the remains of the boar scraps.
Partner looked at me with pity.

【”…… If ya just said so, I'd hav given ya ur share.”】

I-I just heard something in my head.
It feels like〖Communication〗is slowly getting better.

I glance at Partner’s food mess on the ground and notice a large jar.
Looks like she hasn’t touched this yet.

I sniffed it up and it doesn’t smell like something to be swallowed.
If it was meat, Partner wouldn’t have ignored this.
I slightly push it with my claw, and I heard a splash of water.

So, this is a drink?
I open the lid and check inside.
It really was colorless and transparent water. But wait, this smell coming inside my nose…… wine?
This is this world’s alcohol, then.

I remember an old story that an 8-headed, 8-tailed snake was offered wine and got slain when it was drunk.
Although that was a snake, I feel like this is a bad omen.

While I was peeking inside the jar, Partner suddenly shoved my head out of the way and inserted her snout in the jar.
And, just like that, Partner immediately drank it all.

She then turned her head and dropped the jar on the ground.
The jar broke on impact.
Partner licked her lips for some of the wine dripping on her mouth.

“Gra~aa~!”

Partner made a satisfied growl after burping.

W-Why you!
Even though you said we can split it next time!

Also, don’t break stuff so casually like that, it’s such a waste!
Be a lot more careful next time. If the Lithuvar Tribe finds out, they might get mad.

Oh yeah, what if I use〖Fake Life〗on the broken jar to fix i-……I guess that'd be asking for too much.
Oh, that’s right. There’s also the chance that the jar fragments would scatter everywhere.

“Gra~a~a~a”

Partner is happily licking the broken insides of the jar.
It seems she likes the taste of alcohol.

Well, you’re still me in a way, so would you please not do stuff so carelessly like that.
Wait, did some of those broken pieces enter your mouth just now?
Hey, spit it out, you might ruin our stomach later.

…… That reminds me, there was that time when we ingested the Holy Sword before.
That’s more worse than broken jar pieces, so does that mean it’s okay?
I wonder what’s going to happen right now.
Is it still inside our belly, or has it been digested into dragon fluid?
Either way, I can’t even use that sword in this form, so nothing to it.

Okay then, now that the tributes are all gone, it’s self-sufficiency time.
We’re forced to hunt for prey now.
I’ll provide backup to Wight as we let it stack exp points…… hang on, where’s Wight?

I didn’t see it inside the shrine.
Using〖Presence Sense〗on the surrounding area, there’s a faint response behind the shrine.
This presence is probably from Wight.

I circled around the back of the shrine and followed after the faint presence of Wight.
Just like I sensed it, Wight really was behind the shrine.
It leaned over with its hand extended and was pushing the soil aside. It was digging something out.
It then pulled back the shallow part of the soil, and then the pile of soil gathered on the sides…… there’s something there.
That’s… a cloth buried underground.

Wight wipes the dirt off the cloth, and I can see that it’s color black. It’s an embroidered ivy.
It’s the same as the Lithuvar Tribe’s clothes.
Is that what Wight wore when it was still alive?

After Wight finished wiping off some of the dirt, it clattered its jaw with satisfaction.
But then, when I approached it, it got surprised and was frozen still before it turned around and saw me.
Our eyes met.
Wight looked embarrassed, then it turned around and bundled in the corner.

I feel like I saw something I shouldn’t have, so I look away.
…… Up until now, it's been naked this whole time. Don’t tell me you’re starting to feel ashamed about changing clothes now?
Well, it’s not like I don’t understand how you feel.

After finally finishing to wipe off all the dirt in the clothes, it still looks a bit dirty though, Wight raised its head and firmly wore the clothes.
It might look ragged and kind of worn out, but it’s clearly a black one piece that’s been tied from top to bottom.
It’s a bit similar to that Lithuvar girl I saved from the Manticore before.
The Lithuvar man who was carrying the tributes here only wore pants, so I guess that means that Wight really is a girl.
I mean there’s no way you’d wear clothes that you just randomly found on the ground unless you already know about it.

Wight, while clattering its teeth, turned around at me.
I feel like it wants to say something.
As I stare in silence, I lean over a tap.

A-Are you perhaps… asking for my impression on your looks?!
Bu-, but…… it’s hard to unsee your bone features……
“I-It’s cute”…… yeah, I can’t really say that now, can I?
Right, I’ll say that later. But first, let’s go to the river and completely wash all the dirt that are still stuck on the clothes.
Other than that…… No comment……