Feeling full made her a little drowsy and sleepy.
Especially in the afternoon, with the sun shining warmly on her, Chizuki couldn't help but feel the urge to doze off for a bit.
"Haaah~" Chizuki let out a long yawn and rested her head on Shimamura's lap, ready for a short nap.
"Whoa! What is this fluffy blue yokai?!" Just as she closed her eyes, Chizuki felt as if a blue creature had flashed before her, startling her so much that all her sleepiness vanished.
In Chizuki's mind, any non-human, relatively cute, and self-aware creature was classified as a yokai.
Chizuki leaped to the ground with a *swoosh* and looked around.
Sunny days in Inazuma were always more precious than overcast ones. The people around were in small groups or large crowds, walking down the street, their laughter and chatter filling the air as they enjoyed the sunlight.
Chizuki didn't spot anything unusual.
"Waaahhh!" Just as Chizuki was thinking she had imagined it, a small blue creature popped out in an instant.
Chizuki was startled once again.
The small blue creature's eyes were half-closed, looking as if it hadn't fully woken up. Its nose was a bit long and drooped downward.
Chizuki wondered if a nose like that had a good sense of smell.
"Why did you wake up?" the small blue creature asked, looking quite troubled.
It had come out to forage for food during the noon hour and had finally found a drowsy Nekomata, ready to start its meal, only for her to suddenly wake up.
"What kind of yokai are you?" Chizuki felt like she had never seen this type of creature before.
"As you can see, I'm a Dream Eater," (Yumekui-baku) the little blue Dream Eater said, wiggling its nose and greeting her with a cheerful smile. "The kind of creature that feeds on dreams."
"Does everyone dream?"
"Of course."
"I'm training to find interesting dreams! Right now, I'm following the example of Senior Yumemi to become a proper Dream Eater." The little Dream Eater shook its head as it explained its earlier actions. "I have a feeling your dreams, little Nekomata, would taste quite good!"
Chizuki subconsciously flicked her two tails behind her.
Feeding on dreams not only sounded mysterious but also felt a little strange.
"What's this?" Shimamura had also noticed the small creature talking to Chizuki.
"So cute!"
"Hello," the little Dream Eater greeted her as well.
"This is a Dream Eater."
"It's a yokai from ancient legends!" Shimamura was quite excited. To encounter something so interesting just by going out was a treat.
"Besides dreams, do Dream Eaters eat anything else?"
The little Dream Eater pondered this.
"It seems I've never eaten anything else before." Dream Eaters were born to feed on dreams; she had truly never considered any other possibility.
"Let me treat you to my specialty! The Baku-Baku Roll!" It was a dish Chizuki had recreated from memory. Although the taste of her current version still left something to be desired, its appearance alone was more than enough to impress.
"Thank you." After taking the Baku-Baku Roll from Chizuki, the little Dream Eater left quickly.
"It's already afternoon. Let's go to the blacksmith to get your weapon," Chizuki said, still thinking about the Hunter's Bow for her training.
"Okay." Shimamura nodded, hopped to the ground with a *swoosh*, and grinned.
"Let's go!"
Sparks flew with every heavy strike of the hammer.
Chizuki could hear the crisp sounds coming from the smithy.
"Sorry, I've got too much on my hands, so I'll have to talk to you while I work. Are you looking to buy a weapon or commission a forging?"
"We're here to pick up the weapon that was forged this morning."
"The previous commission is complete. Please see if it's a good fit." At this, the apprentice finally set down his hammer and retrieved a reforged, well-used Hunter's Bow from inside the smithy.
"By the way, do you have any other commissions?"
"No, that's all. Thank you."
Shimamura took the well-used Hunter's Bow from the apprentice and handed it to Chizuki.
Attack: 340+80
Although it wasn't as good as her previous silver sword, its stats weren't too far off.
Chizuki slung the Hunter's Bow onto her back.
She couldn't just make the well-used Hunter's Bow vanish into thin air in front of Shimamura, after all.
After wandering around Inazuma City for a while longer, the red sun in the sky had already sunk toward the west.
"We should be heading back," Shimamura said, having kept track of the time.
"Okay!" Chizuki felt she'd had a lot of fun today, and she had gotten what she wanted.
The small boat bobbed gently by the sea.
People stood on deck, one hand on their hip and the other holding a large bag of Mora, sailing toward home against the sea breeze and the setting sun.
They looked at the piles of flour, rice, and other ingredients on the deck, their faces filled with satisfaction.
Everyone was returning with a full load.
"Meow!" Chizuki leaned against the railing, peering down at the sea below. She could just make out some saltwater fish swimming in the azure water.
"I want to eat them," Chizuki said, mentally converting the fish she saw into materials.
That was enough to make so many Nekomata survival meals!
"I'll get everything ready when I get back today." Chizuki looked at Shimamura, who was also standing beside her, and said cheerfully, "The Nekomata survival meals I make are delicious."
"Come to my place tomorrow morning, and I'll make you a tasty Nekomata survival meal!"
This was the only time Chizuki was confident in her own cooking.
"Alright! I'll be looking forward to it," Shimamura said, nodding in anticipation.
Chizuki's gaze returned to the distance.
The first thing that came into view was the landmark of Yashiori Island, Musoujin Gorge.
Legend had it that the god of Inazuma had once struck this place with a single slash, leaving behind such a magnificent scene.
The setting sun could be seen perfectly through the center of the gorge.
The brilliant sun was now warm but no longer so dazzling.
Its serene light was slowly descending.
By the time they neared Yashiori Island, a dark blue curtain of night was gradually being woven across the sky.
"Yay! We're back!" Although the scenery of Narukami Island was beautiful, Yashiori Island was their true home.
Chizuki hopped off the boat.
"We're home," Shimamura said, following her down from the deck.
The remaining people prepared to unload the cargo, moving the supplies off the boat to be transported back to the village.
These ingredients were enough to feed the people of Higi Village for a very long time.
The beach was quiet, with only the sound of waves lapping against the sand.
A few sun crabs scuttled along the shoreline, stuffing seaweed into their mouths with a crunching sound.
Chizuki glanced back at the crowd behind her, put away the well-used Hunter's Bow, and prepared to head home as well.
"Tonight, after I get back, I can prepare the ingredients, and then tomorrow I'll make a delicious Nekomata survival meal for Shimamura."
Chizuki walked in the direction of home, planning her arrangements for the rest of the day and for tomorrow.