I woke up early. So early, it might still count as nighttime, but I felt too well rested to go back to sleep. That's what happens when you go to bed when night falls. 

Standing up, I shook a few blades of grass off my makeshift pillow and threw it into my Inventory. Stretch the legs, crack the neck, cast over and over.

There are plenty of things like hygiene going on behind the scenes during my adventures. Luckily magic typically not allowed to affect living creatures could sometimes be used on the caster. Quicker and more efficient than a toothbrush, more thorough than washing hair by hand.

This morning’s cleansing, something peculiar became apparent. was clearly using less mana than on the first day I attempted it. Nine castings is the around how many times I use it at once, two times a day. At two mana each theoretically, I should only spend 18 mana on the process. On the first day, it took a little less than a third of my total, around 40 or so.

Now it seemed the number decreased appropriately by 18, a large difference from 40. The reduction in cost accumulating over multiple castings was now apparent.

Slowly casting, I observed the spell shape. It had become so second nature, I hadn't really been paying it any mind. Watching the mana fill in the spell shape, was cast easily, cleaning my clothes again.

For comparison, a was sent to strike the earth. The mana for its spell shape was filled in as well, but also was in the surrounding area.

That was it! I discovered the reason behind my spell inefficiencies! When pouring mana into spell shapes, some could miss and dissipate. After casting about 20 times a day, it seems like one naturally would become more accustomed to filling in he mana properly!

One may think this practice makes perfect result should have been obvious. In retrospect it was, and luckily it didn't take me weeks or months to figure out. I had just been focusing too much on the game aspect of my abilities, where it was levels and stats that increased your abilities, not practice.

Upon this realization, I wondered just how efficient I could make my spells. Could I reduce the cost to below the values in Underworld of Armok? It was a good thing I had yet to accumulate a great deal of obligations, because I was about to spend a lot of free time practicing.

First, I would check up on my only existing obligation. I stepped into the house assigned to myself and Ria.

The light was dim outside, and even weaker inside, but I could make out Ria’s sleeping figure beneath the cover. Listening, her breathing sounded soft and even.

Only silhouettes could be made out inside, but there also wasn't much furniture. Stepping over to what was going to be my bed, I crouched down and felt her forehead.

It was still feverishly warm, and slightly sweaty. Feeling her arm and collar, they too were damp. Thinking for a second, I wondered if I should wipe her down. But wasn't the point of sweat to cool off? If it was gone, then it couldn't help.

Compromising, I dried her clothes and sheets using magic. The water there probably wasn't helping maybe. Well, I’d make sure she drank plenty of water during my stay.

Leaving her be, I headed outside to practice. Although other spells may have been more useful, was my greatest, non-necromancy defense. On top of that, using it helped my judgement of range and aiming capabilities.

Snapping long branches from the forest, I stuck them into the ground. Maybe a two inch wide target was a little much for a beginner, but by the time the sun rose I could hit it while running at 10 meters and while stationary at 20. I made sure to move about between targets so it wasn't just muscle memory either.

Eventually I spotted Rion and Tagalong Girl, and they noticed me.

“Rion take Alric to Pan?” I asked. Alric not interested in better grammar. Alric wonder why language is structured exactly like English. It wasn't like they would know, so I didn't bring it up. Don't ask how the talking gift horse can make appropriate phonemes.

I met with Pan and asked him about breakfast. Or in my own words ‘small day foods’. Unlike his son, he understood what I was asking and taught me the words for lunch and dinner as well. These were important words to not forget.

He went with me in the morning to check on Ria with another bowl. Pointing at her on the bed, he gave me a questioning glance.

“Alric sleep grass. Ria sleep dirt no; Ria sleep there yes.” Pan seemed to understand and after giving me fish and bread for breakfast headed out to go do whatever he did. I went to find Rion and hopefully learn some pronouns and prepositions.

That day we spent fishing, with myself speaking in incredibly broken...whatever we were speaking. Conversing to hammer out the kinks in my speech; the gaps were gradually being filled in, but mostly I was just forgetting old words. It was only the second day, no one can be blamed for not learning a language in two days.

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Catching another bream, I tossed it into my Inventory. Judging by the fact that my bread didn't go stale, it seemed that food would stay fresh and since the fish from yesterday was still cold, it preserved temperature.

I wasn't 100% on it keeping bacteria from growing, more testing would need to be done for that. The results were looking edible enough at the moment.

Since it was almost noon, I went to check up on Ria again. The children kept a distance from the house, as if wary of something. Rion would end up a few paces closer than Tagalong Girl, but neither would cross into the house with me.

“Girly girly, vision swirly, please don't, please don't go hurly hurly.” When people can't understand you, there is a tendency to be more free with what you say. This is probably why people are comfortable saying such gibberish lines to their pets. The tone was lighthearted and upbeat, that was enough of a message.

Taking out my X flask, I tilted Ria up to get her to drink more. She seemed to be adjusting her own position ever so slightly, however I doubted it could be due to my own doing. One day wasn't enough for recovery, it was likely just something I missed.

Trying to get her to drink as much as possible, it took around fifteen minutes to get her to finish the flask. Since the flask was meant for water and not spirits, the volume was a bit excessive. That would keep her hydrated for a time, and since it had been cooled down in the stream it should also help keep her body temperature down. I felt a little clever when doing that.

Tossing Xflask back into Inventory, I began to set Ria back down. For the first time, she reacted in an unsubtle way.

It still wasn't anything grandiose, but Ria shakily held out an arm as if reaching for something. Her eyes were closed, so she must have been in some sort of delusional state. Motor skills were coming back online though, that’s progress.

At this point if she could move around, leaving her alone would probably be a bad idea. Since I ran out of the poor man’s panacea, I stepped to the doorway and tossed the Xflask to Rion.

“Water. Water to eat.” The message seemed to get across, and Rion and Tagalong Girl went to the good spot for collecting stream water. Not really the best for someone who’s already ill, but there aren't many options in Peasantville.

Ria’s slow motion flailing calmed down after a short while. This was a good thing, except for the fact that there was nothing to draw my attention. Just because she had stopped at the moment didn't mean it wouldn't happen again, so I felt it was my duty as doctor to observe the patient.

A productive way to spend time was cleaning up the room. The evening prior, I’d complained about the dead skin piling up, so that was something that could be fixed. Not so skittish as to be averse to touching it with bare hands, I still figured was the better way to deal with the problem.

With only one available at a time, the process consumed more of my time than a NEET with a new MMO. The scraps of epidermis were shifted to outside the hut in a small pile. If only worked on larger objects, it would have gone much faster.

Eventually Rion called from outside the house to get my attention. Taking the flask with , I started a fire up with .

Now that I needed to concentrate on keeping the hand afloat, I couldn't even distract myself with other spells. Wheee.

The flask dropped into the fire several times as vanished when I teetered on the edge of dozing off. Xflask had a bit of soot over it, but was otherwise unharmed. In time Ria got fidgety and my attentions were diverted again.

There were only more unintelligible mutterings, which weren't helping at all. Is there a pain in your chest? Is your throat dry? Are you cold? I don't know! Whatever it was, the green mist in disappeared some time between morning and noon, so she was getting better, even if she did seem to be wriggling around a bit.

Oh.

Ooohhh.

My religion quickly converted to being a true believer in the miracle that is . The miracles of cleanliness it works are to be praised without reserve. I keep the details of what happened between myself and Lord .

Even so, Ria needed to remain hydrated to get better.

Forget Yato, I’m dedicating a shrine to Lord .