There was a particular variable that had been nagging at the back of my mind regarding this plan. To truly grasp its significance, however, we must take a step back. Setting aside my decision to incorporate the Midnight Shades, why do I require a slingshot and a rat trap?

Well, from what I understand, these items are necessary for—

“No, not you. You already know.”

…Then who the hell—

My entire strategy revolved around the goal to ensnare a creature larger than the insignificant insects I had been relying on, which is why I had set my sights on a small rodent, like a rat. Naturally, as I mentioned earlier, it was unrealistic to assume that I could not only construct a trap to catch one but also kill it. There was no conceivable way for me to secretly fashion a trap that would remain unnoticed by my family, coupled with the potential outcome of my parents wondering if they had been raising a psychopath if they caught me killing the rat. As you can probably guess, I was already at a loss regarding how to create an opportunity to soul absorb a larger creature. The thing is, I realized I had been approaching this problem incorrectly. I didn’t need to personally fabricate the trap. As long as I could procure the trap, then the plan would become viable. This meant I needed to get someone else to build it for me. But how could I achieve that? Well, for starters, one could feign an injury. A self-inflicted cut on the finger could be helpful, if the person then attributed it to a rat-like creature. This belief in a rat problem could then be reinforced by creating a small hole in the wall beforehand; a simple task if one were to utilize a stick in a drilling manner, gradually forming an opening just large enough for a rat to squeeze through. If someone meticulously executed this plan in the shadows, out of sight of the family, while stealthily stealing food and scattering crumbs throughout the house, perhaps the parents would become concerned about a rat infestation, prompting them to create traps.

Alright, there you have it. You've explained that and have now convinced me of your mental instability for talking to yourself.

………

……..What?

……..

Are you waiting for me to ask you to explain why you need a slingshot?

I wanted the slingshot for one primary purpose: as a weapon for ranged combat to compensate for my current lack of magical abilities. It may not be the most formidable option, but it would suffice for hunting small creatures to absorb in order to elevate my soul rank. To obtain it, I would need to figure out how to persuade Arthur to create it for me. It seemed unlikely that Arthur would agree to make a slingshot if I had requested it earlier, given my young age. So, I decided it would be best to wait until my birthday. I figured he would be more inclined to oblige if I had matured and demonstrated responsibility, and it would appear to be the perfect birthday gift.

That’s all well and good, but how does pretending that your leg hurts fit into this plan of yours? Are you sure you weren’t simply seeking attention? Because, hey, I’m not one to judge, but—

Before Sys finishes that statement, I’ll continue on. I understood why Sys might be puzzled about my choice to feign an injury, given that it didn’t align with my original strategy. The reason is simply that I hadn’t mentioned it previously nor had I considered it until that moment. The idea had struck me spontaneously. Upon our return from refilling the cans, I began to contemplate the limited time I had left. Time was a perilous variable in my plan, and should I take too long to execute it, I risked losing this opportunity.

“Hold on a minute. You’re making this sound like a life-or-death situation. Can't you just……I don’t know, wait until tomorrow?

“...Why would I allow that? If an opportunity to grow stronger presents itself, would it not be obvious that I should act upon it instantly?”

……I suppose, but it’s not like you’ll suddenly collapse and perish if your plan fails. You always have tomorrow.

“You always have tomorrow.” Frankly, I abhor that way of thinking. It’s this self-imposed reliance on the fragile hope of “tomorrow” that leads people to procrastinate and evade their responsibilities. Instead of exerting their best efforts to complete the tasks they set out to do, they succumb to their carnal desires, resulting in the absence of progress. They consciously allow this intangible concept to dictate their actions, determining whether they work or rest. As long as tomorrow exists, what’s the harm in postponing just one more day? And therein lies the issue. It's as if they assume tomorrow will always be there for them, that it will somehow be different. It’s as if… it’s normal to look forward to the future.

…So, you dislike procrastinators, I take it?

“...You could say that.”

Oooooh, let me guess. You had to partner up with someone for a school project, but they were a huge procrastinator and they didn’t do any of it, causing you two to both get F’s.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

………

Did I get it right?

Anyway, I was aware that time was of the essence, which is why I was contemplating during our arrival back home. Knowing Elaine, she was most likely hanging up and drying clothes. The fact that her outside clothes were also wet helped strengthen my theory. If this were the case, she would probably assign Arthur and me to water the remaining crops, to help cut time. It stung even more that I had volunteered to do this, to help raise her image of me. It sucked, but I couldn’t spend much time moping about it. If I let Arthur and I do as she says, then there would be no time left for Arthur to construct the slingshot, nor for me to be directly involved in creating the rat trap. I needed to be present to include a specific fruit as bait in the trap, which meant it was necessary for me to be with Dad. So, what do I do? First, I took into account my age and body, as well as how Elaine viewed me—as her lovable, responsible baby brother. If I could somehow persuade her to exempt me from watering the crops, I would then only need to convince her to let Arthur be excused as well, enabling him to focus on building my slingshot. That’s why I intentionally stumbled while walking back; I wanted to appear as though it was challenging for me to walk. I also made sure to drop the can with some force to create a dent, to create another task.

How did you know Arthur would also be exempt?

“I anticipated that Elaine would reason it would not only make me happy, but also save time if she allowed me to stay with Arthur. If she permitted him to construct my slingshot and suggested we both go to Dad to fix the can and build the rat trap, she could finish her tasks more efficiently. This arrangement would please everyone and ultimately save time. In short, I came up with a way to guarantee my slingshot and participation in the creation of the rat trap without wasting too much time.”

Hmm… that’s actually quite clever.

“I wouldn’t go that far yet. Now that everything is laid out, it’s time to address the specific variable.”

Floor’s yours.

My initial plan was to use Dad’s rat trap for soul absorption. However, there was a slight complication. I had the bait, the trap, a method to distract everyone while I executed the absorption, and a way to hide any evidence of my actions……..except that I had no assurance that any creature would actually fall for the trap. See, one of the reasons I wanted to go outside was to scout the area and observe what small critters were nearby. Using my soul sense, I determined there were plenty of rodents and rabbits scurrying close to home. The only issue was whether they would come near the trap today. If no critter fell for it today but instead did so at a later date, I would lose this golden opportunity. Dad would likely assume the rat problem had resolved itself and decide to store the trap away. I couldn’t allow that to happen, so I needed to devise a quick way to lure small animals toward the trap… which brings us to my current predicament. I…..have absolutely zero clue on what to do.

…Huh?

The hole in the wall was already sealed up thanks to Dad. This meant I would have to find a way to transport the trap outdoors while ensuring that rodents and the like would actually fall for it. Because of this glaring issue, I was at a loss until I stumbled upon the Midnight Shades. If I could find a way to use them to put my family to sleep, I could utilize that free time to hunt small animals. However, several potential issues could arise from this. First, from what Sys had told me while I was crushing the Midnight Shades' bulbs, they possess a very distinctive taste. It's somewhat akin to lavender, a floral flavor with hints of mint and rosemary, yet it leaves a burning aftertaste due to its high content of a specific spicy compound. If my family awoke and noticed this unusual sensation in their mouths, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to think that they were capable of assuming that someone had drugged them with Midnight Shades. Arthur could even end up mentioning that I had personally picked them, leading to unwanted attention. Another concern was the potential attraction of predators. If I were to hunt for wild animals near our home, the scent of blood could draw in dangerous creatures such as wolves and bears. Additionally, there are rumors of orcs and kobolds inhabiting the deeper forest, so it would be wise to avoid any reckless actions that could attract unwelcome attention. This then brings us back to the rat trap.

Dad's trap employs a spring-snare mechanism. He began by securing a thick vine to a large branch and bending it toward the ground. He then fashioned a small loop at the vine's end using a twig, large enough for a rat to enter but small enough to ensnare it. After inserting a stick vertically into the ground, he placed a lightweight twig to connect the stick and the loop. After Arthur gathered the bait, while I also made sure to add my own bait, the trap was complete. However, this is where the same problem emerged. I had no means of disposing of the rat’s body. If a rat were to get trapped—if it even ended getting trapped today—I would have to kill it myself, likely by smashing it with a rock, brutal as that may sound. However, that would result in a significant amount of blood, which is why I had included sunflares in the trap. Sunflares resemble red, star-shaped fruits that grow like berries. My family grows them on our farm, which is why they were easily accessible. I chose them as bait for one reason: when squished, they release a liquid mess, the deep maroon color remarkably similar to blood. My intention was to use this to disguise the rat’s death and convince my family that a rat had merely escaped after feasting on sunflares. Unfortunately, there were two significant issues. First, as I mentioned, I had no means of disposing of the body. And second, even if it’s just a small chance, the blood could possibly also end up luring predators.

Ahhh.

“Do you see the issue now?”

Not really.

…..So, having explained everything, it is clear to see where the problem lies: luring the rat, executing the kill, and disposing of the body.

Damn. That’s a shame. If only you had another way of luring rats…..rather than depending on the rat trap. As it is currently, it’s sort of useless.

“..........Wait, say that again.”

That again?

Another way... my reliance on the rat trap... That’s it! If I distract her with the trap…….while putting those inside the berries………and using my slingshot……

…..Hello? I’d also like to know what’s going on.

All I need to do is wait………then use the trap, wait again, shoot at it……..and kill the rat…..

Alright, have it your way. I’ll just be over here, listening to music and whatnot……….what’s your eta, what’s your eta-