“Wow,” Hina said as she handed me some food. It appeared to be a slab of meat with something that looked like mashed potatoes next to it. “Did you do this?”

I looked at the tree. I mean. I didn’t know magic but I guess in some way you could say it was my fault. It was my mana at least. “Yuto made it.”

“He said he made it with your mana though,” Hana said.

“I suppose that’s true,” I said.

The boys that would be staying for guard duty seemed to look at the tree but they didn’t say anything of note. I guess men tend to be quieter in this world too.

“To think that you still had so much mana available,” Hana said. “You must have a lot of potential. I wonder if you have a high wood affinity.”

“Wood affinity?” I asked.

“Yeah, basically if you have a high affinity for a style of magic, then your mana acts as double or even quadruple the original mana. Having a high affinity would certainly explain why you’d find the spirit tree rite and making a full koako tree on the same day.”

Koako tree? Guessing that is the name of the apple-like plant. But there is only so much I want to show ignorance on in one day. So I just smiled instead. I took a bite of the mashed potato-like food on my plate and instantly started coughing.

“Silly!” Hana said laughing. “Why would you take a straight bite of it?”

“The meat is very good but a bit planned, you eat them together to reduce the saltiness.”

I took the advice and took a slice of the meat and smeared it in the potato-like stuff. Not only was it better but it was highly delicious. The meat had a natural sweetness and the saltiness blended together well. I was quite happy with it.

“Better?” Hina asked.

Since my mouth was full I just gave a thumbs up.

The girls tilted their heads. “What’s that mean?” Hina asked.

“Oh, uhm, it means yes,” I said. Of all the things that would be a reminder that I am not on Earth anymore. Someone not understanding a thumbs up was the more surreal ones.

Hina and Hana gave me a thumbs up. I almost couldn’t help laughing seeing them do a thumbs up for the first time. After finishing the meat and potato-like item. I looked up at the fruit tree. Yuto had someone picking the fruit but I was curious if I could have one.

“Are the koako fruit good?” I asked.

“A bit sweet for me,” Hana said. “But they are filling. Never had one?”

I shook my head. “Never. Think Yuto would be mad if I had one?”

“I can’t imagine why, but I wouldn’t recommend it,” Hina said.

“How come?” I asked while looking over at her.

“Because you need mana rich food,” she said.

I just titled my head in confusion. These fruits were made with my mana, wouldn’t that make them extremely mana rich? “Koako fruit are low in mana?”

Hanako laughed. “You really are an amateur aren’t you? Any food made with magic is low in mana. Food creation is exchanging mana for material. You can hardly expect the food created to be rich in mana after it used all that mana to become food.”

Oh. Well, I guess my understanding was flawed. “I see.”

“If you want more food, we can fetch more. After using so much mana today you’d do well to eat mana rich food. That is why we brought you the steak. Meat is especially mana rich.”

I gave a thumbs up. Perhaps it was the mana use or the excitement but I was definitely super hungry.

I had seconds and everyone talked while the campfire roared. It was an atmosphere I was used to. Reminded me of dad and the family when we would go camping. This time I was smart enough to keep a few bites of steak on me so that way I could give some to Mina when she came back. As the night air grew cold, eventually everyone went to bed. I was on the first watch again.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“Captain,” Mina said as she came up to me.

I smiled as I held out the steak. “I remembered this time.” It was cold, but she had been running around all night. I figured it was probably a welcomed treat.

Her eyes shined brightly while looking at it. Nibbling fiercely while she continued to talk. I forgot that her mouth hardly mattered when she spoke directly into my head. She had found the box for my name. With that I had what I needed to forge a birth certificate, well once I had parchment and ink that is.

People weren’t really speaking about mana, except for chatter about a young girlish boy that made a koako tree bloom at once. So me. Well, it wasn’t worthless information, the fact that this was impressive enough to get the notice of a large chunk of camp was more evidence my levels of mana were abnormal. I suppose I should take it as a blessing for now.

Mina’s ears suddenly shot backwards. “I feel something.”

I looked out in the direction she pointed but nothing but darkness could be seen. The campfire really was a double edged sword here. “What is it?”

“I don’t know, but it’s hostile. I suggest summoning Kagerou at once!”

Never summoned him but I did practice. I envisioned my wolf buddy and could feel him jumping out of the book. Come forth!

“Yes, master. I am here,” he said looking at me but then suddenly looking in the same direction as Mina. “They look like me. Five or six of them, moving this way. I smell bloodlust.”

“Go forth and attack then!” I shouted. Kagerou vanished instantly and I went over to Hina shaking her awake. “Hina! Wake up.”

“Hmm? Morning already?” she asked.

“I see wolves coming this way!” I said.

“Where is Hana! Is she okay?” she asked.

“Help me get everyone awake,” I said.

She jumped up to go to Hana and I went over to one of the boys. To their credit, the boys were less disoriented by the sudden shaking and got up instantly. All three lined up to look alongside the two girls.

“I see eight wolves,” one of the boys said.

“Aki is it just me or does it look like one is fighting the others though,” Hana said.

They could see that! I couldn’t see. Not even now. I’d consider the idea that their eyes were adjusted to the dark but how did the fire not ruin that the moment they woke up.

“Yeah,” Aki said. He pulled an arrow from his quiver. “Aka, go report to Yuto. I got this.”

Aki unleashed an arrow and then the two girls and the third boy charged out towards the darkness. He then turned and looked at me. I felt like he was judging me.

I got up next to him and looked towards what sounded like a battle. I could hear the grunts and thuds of them attacking. “You think they will be okay?”

“Why aren’t you preparing your own fighting method?” Aki asked me.

“I don’t have one. I don’t currently have a weapon,” I said.

He snorted. “Useless. Why even have you on the guard.”

I almost wished I could tell him that Kagerou out there was mine but I didn’t know enough about magic. For now I would hold that card close. “Not like I asked for guard duty.”

“It’s over,” Aki said as he put his bow down and sat down.

I certainly didn’t hear anything else. It took a few minutes but eventually Hana, Hina and the third boy returned.

Hana plopped down. “Man,” she said. “Hate to do it. Lycanthropes are sacred.”

Aki grimanced in response. “An attacker is an attacker.”

“Don’t you-”

Everyone gasped suddenly and I realized that fur was rubbing against me. Kagerou? Aki drew his bow and before I could even fully register what happened he fired an arrow and it hit the empty ground next to me. Kagerou was gone.

“What?” I exclaimed.

“Was that shadowstep?” Hina asked.

“Where is he!” Aki shouted, another arrow already on the nock.

“I come in peace,” Kagerou said.

Aki didn’t listen and fired again but again he hit nothing but dirt. Hina then punched him in the face. “Don’t make an enemy out of a helpful lycanthrope,” Hana said.

“What’s your problem dog fucker,” Aki said.

“Take that back!” Hana shouted.

Kagerou appeared again. Shit, maybe I should dismiss him? No, if I do that now the entire camp is going to panic. I needed to act. I was his master after all.

“What is your name?” I said looking at him.

His eyes went wide but then settled, I think he understood what I was getting at. “My name is Kagerou, those foul mannered brethren of mine could smell this tree. I could not standby and watch them attack peaceful humans.”

“See!” Hana said.

“She makes a point,” the boy said. “He could have attacked by now if that was his actual goal.”

“Ugh! He is a monster,” Aki shouted.

By this point Yuto arrived. He saw Kagerou but didn’t immediately react. “Enough. You’re all acting like children!”

I mean, Yuto, I am seventeen, I am a child. Or definitely not an adult yet. Didn’t look like anyone else around here was much older than me. Well except Yuto, that is.

“Should we do something specific since there are monsters nearby?” I asked.

“Yuto! Sir. This dog has shadowstep, he is a threat!” Aki shouted.

Yuto sighed. “I will give you some meat,” he said to Kagerou. “Just sleep here tonight.”

“Sir!” Aki shouted.

“Aki, Theodore, with me. Hana, pet the lycanthrope already.” I walked over to him about twenty feet away from Kagerou before he began speaking up again. “Shadowstep makes this more complex. The best thing to do is to act nice. If we antagonize him, he could turn hostile and attack anywhere in camp. If you scare him off we are going to need the entire camp on full alert but if you keep him here and satisfied then just your squad needs to be on high alert. Understand?”

I nodded. “Make sense.”

“Are you a dog fucker too?” Aki shouted.

I really hope he wasn’t meaning that literally.

“Aki. I know how you feel. Enough! If you want to be at camp here tonight then chill.”

He walked away without a word.

“Sorry,” Yuto said. “I guess the mana in the tree attracted them. It was a risk but I didn’t think we would attract something as dangerous as a shadow walking lycanthrope. Try and get some sleep, okay?”

I just nodded again. Frick. I guess that meant I couldn’t dismiss Kagerou, if I did the entire camp would be put on full alert. With Yuto gone, I walked back over by the campsite. The two boys seemed to be trying to calm Aki. While both Hana and Hina were petting Kagerou, their smiles were bright and lively. Perhaps I was biased given I created him, but I much preferred sticking with the girls and petting the big fluffy dog. So that’s what I did.