NOVEL NEXT Chapter 31 - Chapter 31: Elizabeth
Chapter 31: Elizabeth
“What name do you prefer, Baphomet or Elizabeth? …Baphomet?”
“Meh!”
“………………Elizabeth?”
“Meeeeeeeh~!”
“Ah, I see. Then, Elizabeth it is. Nice to meet you, Elizabeth.”
“Meeeeeeh~”
“Gugyaaaa! Gya!”
“Elizabeth. Nice to meet you.”
And so, the goat’s name became Elizabeth.
By the way, being a goat, it seems she can easily climb up and down cliffs. In fact, she seems to enjoy cliffs and often runs around them.
Since then, she hasn’t caused any trouble and has been quietly munching on grass around the hideout. She seems to eat almost any plant, and her appetite is tremendous.
However, the vegetation here grows ridiculously fast, so she won’t deplete it anytime soon.
Sometimes, Kuro and Shiro ride on Elizabeth. I often see them playing around at an extraordinary speed. It looks like a lot of fun, and I’m a bit envious.
I was allowed to ride once, too. Elizabeth was just walking slowly, but it felt like riding in a large truck, so it was quite enjoyable. Although, I was half-carried by Shiro because it was dangerous.
I certainly wouldn’t be able to ride properly on my own.
At first, Elizabeth had a goat smell, but after being washed in the lake and brushed relentlessly by Kuro, the smell disappeared.
Elizabeth herself seems to enjoy bathing and brushing, often rubbing against Kuro and asking to go to the watering hole.
We also milk Elizabeth. Since she hasn’t given birth, we didn’t expect much goat milk, but she produces a small amount, which is quite a lot considering her size. It’s rich, sweet, and very delicious. Wonderful.
For some reason, milking seems to work best when done by Shiro. Others can’t seem to do it properly. It might be a grip strength issue.
At first, I was slightly worried about getting sick, but there were no problems.
Pink also loves goat milk. Dreams are coming true.
Perhaps we can also get cream, butter, and cheese from it. I don’t know how to make them, but I’m sure we can figure it out in town. But first, we should make milk chocolate.
We don’t know if she’ll keep producing milk, but for now, let’s be grateful.
By the way, Elizabeth gets along well with everyone, but she seems scared of Pink. Even now, she flinches when she sees Pink. Because of this, I, who have almost become one with Pink as its primary mode of transportation, can’t get too close to Elizabeth because I feel sorry for her.
Elizabeth has quite a lot of fur for a goat, and it feels very good to the touch. Thanks to this, everyone, including me, regularly gives her a good pat.
“Your fur is so soft and pleasant, even though you don’t get hurt by knives or machetes.”
“Meeeeeeeeh~”
“Gyau~”
“…………Feels good.”
“Meeeeeeeeh~ Meeeeeeeeeeh~”
Elizabeth seems to be rather pleased as well. In fact, her fur feels just like cashmere.
I wonder if we can harvest this fur somehow. It has a unique luster, so it would surely make excellent fabric.
But we can’t shear her.
Even with a knife sharpened by Kuro, it’s difficult to cut. It would be impossible even with scissors…
But then, Kuro had been collecting the fur shed during brushing.
Because of her large body, there was a lot. And it’s clean and fluffy…
“This feels nice~! So comfy~! Well done, Kuro.”
“Gyagyagyag!”
I’d like to make fabric out of this. I’ll try to find a solution in town next time. It would be even better if we could dye it…
—
It’s been about two weeks since Elizabeth arrived.
Somehow, she has grown about a size larger, and her fur has increased. Her horns have also become thicker and longer, curling around in a cool, devilish manner.
Maybe Baphomet would have been a better name after all.
Shiro was the same way. Is there something in this place that makes creatures grow bigger…?
My size hasn’t changed at all.
It seems like Elizabeth has gotten quite used to life in the hideout, as she occasionally walks around with Pink on her head. However, Pink acts a bit superior, which leaves Elizabeth looking somewhat puzzled.
Generally, she relaxes in the hideout, but since she doesn’t wear a collar, she sometimes goes out. However, she always returns the same day, so life here must be comfortable. Well, there’s probably nowhere else in Hell’s Cauldron that has this much water and vegetation.
But can we really call her a pet…? When you call her name, she comes from wherever she is. Maybe because she’s often on cliffs, she occasionally falls from the sky, which can be startling. Like Pink, Elizabeth seems quite smart and understands what we say most of the time. Sometimes, I think she understands more than Shiro. It seems even small creatures like Pink in Hell’s Cauldron are surprisingly rational and intelligent. The larger they are, the stronger their madness feels. There are still many mysteries in Hell’s Cauldron and with the Kidanakemo. I’d like to resume exploration once the business settles down.
Speaking of Hell’s Cauldron, sometimes Shiro rides around outside the hideout with Elizabeth. The sight of them climbing cliffs with Shiro riding is mythical and cool. Well, they should be fine most of the time… That’s what I thought until one day when Shiro and Elizabeth came back with a rabbit-like creature about the size of a light car. It seems they hunted it.
“Bonus… Shall we eat this?”
“Meeeeeh~!”
“O-Okay… Well, it’s fine, but your mace was all battered, right? How did you hunt it?”
“We hit it.”
“Meeeh~!”
“And then Elizabeth stabbed it with her horns…”
“I see…”
Honestly, I’d like them to avoid dangerous things as much as possible, but I’ll refrain from saying too much. Compared to me, who has lived a soft life domesticated by civilization, Shiro’s judgment in rough situations is far superior. Besides, she doesn’t seem to be the type who likes to fight that much, so she won’t do anything reckless.
Kuro, who was working on making milk chocolate, rushed over excitedly.
“Gyau? Gyagyagyagyaa!”
Kuro gets excited when she sees the rabbit. It seems they’re going to dismantle the fake rabbit together at the watering hole. Kuro has prepared changes of clothes and brushes, so they’ll probably bathe there too. Meanwhile, Elizabeth started eating the grass around.
“You’re excellent, huh~”
“Meeeeeeh~”
“Gyagyagyag!”
“Ah, so Elizabeth will be washed too.”
“Meh? Meeeh~ Meeeh~”
She’s quietly being led away. Well, Elizabeth does like bathing too. Even though they’re small, it seems they can now hunt Kidanakemo without Pink. Even though I haven’t done anything, the combat capabilities of the hideout have somehow been enhanced and become richer.
We have to earn money properly, or we won’t be able to stand. Maybe it’s time to go to town again. By the way, the rabbit was incredibly delicious whether boiled or roasted, with a rich flavor that was irresistible.