Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Ed ran out of the bushes, giddy with excitement. He headed over to the wooden basket.
Lifting it, he immediately pressed the chicken’s head down against the ground with one hand, preventing it from fleeing.
The chicken had felt that something was wrong amidst the joy of feasting on the delicious bait.
‘Wasn’t I just eating a second ago? Why am I suddenly pinned down?’
The chicken flapped its wings frantically, trying desperately to break free from Ed’s restraint.
“You still want to run?”
Ed still had quite a bit of strength. He wouldn’t let this chicken fight against him for long.
After a while, the little chicken gave up resisting, eventually quieting down. It was no longer as noisy as before. Taking out a piece of cloth, Ed tied the chicken to a post of the small cabin.
He walked away, heading back to the wooden basket again. The bait had not been completely used up. Ed thought to himself that the bait could be reused next time. Anyway, the chicken he had just caught would be enough for a few meals.
Just as he was about to put away the remaining bait…
Cluck! Cluck!
The cries of another chicken crowing came from the depths of the forest behind him. At the sound, Ed quickly propped the wooden basket back up again before returning to the bushes.
His luck today was too good!
One small bag of bait had attracted two chickens.
This bird looked similar to the one from before. Yet it seemed to be more vigilant than the last. It was a long time before the chicken finally gave in, unable to resist the smell of the rice, and began to eat.
Splat!
The wooden basket fell again, trapping the bird inside.
Two chickens!
The bait was all eaten up. Ed noted to himself that a bag of bait was just sufficient to catch two chickens. Furthermore, there seemed to be quite a number of chickens hiding around the forest. As long as he had bait, he would have chickens to eat.
Of course, this was only a guess. He could only be sure when he tried this again in the future.
The sky gradually darkened.
Ed decided to check on the water collectors first. It had been a while, so they should have collected some water. He would need it later.
Using some wood, he crafted a simple bucket for storing water.
Everything was ready.
He went over to see how the collectors were doing. Picking up the bucket, he began to collect.
As evening came, the bucket was finally full.
Ed wiped the sweat from his forehead. Running back and forth had tired him out. Yet, looking proudly at the bucket full of water, Ed felt that it had all been worth it. The busy day had paid off.
His mouth had begun to crack, a clear indicator of dehydration. He looked longingly at the bucket, but in the end, reason prevailed over temptation.
He wasn’t willing to gamble. What if the water was contaminated with parasites or something else? Falling sick in such an environment would be tantamount to death.
There were countless beasts and monsters in this forest.
If one fell sick, all that awaited was death. Here, there would be no medical equipment or medicine to treat illnesses. As such, it was of the utmost importance to be careful!
Ed put down the bucket. He would have to build a fire first.
Finding that he possessed the materials required to start a simple fire, he crafted one.
The fire gave a relieving bit of light amidst the gloomy night. It also gave him a sense of security. Of course, the fire still had to be fuelled. He threw in a few blocks of wood, preventing it from going out.
The prep work was ready.
Using some metal pieces, he crafted a simple iron pot. Placing it on top of the fire, he found that it did not disappoint, and was able to withstand the heat.
He then poured most of the water into the pot. However, he did not use all of it, leaving a fair portion behind. After all, this was water that would be used to save his life. He must not waste it.
The air above the iron pot started to heat up.
Ed did not rush. The water in the iron pot was still bubbling, it had not yet been completely boiled.
He turned, moving his gaze to the two chickens tied to the small wooden house.
Cluck! Cluck!
They felt immediately uneasy as they noticed Ed staring at them, beginning to cry out. As their feet had been tied up with strips of cloth, they could only jump on the spot. It was a small measure he had taken to prevent them from escaping.
“I’ll take you.”
Ed’s gaze locked onto one of the chickens.
This one was a little stronger, so he had decided to use this one first. It would take the first cut.
He dragged the chicken out of the cabin.
He raised his axe up high before forcefully bringing it down.
The chicken stopped moving immediately as its life came to an end, its blood streaming in a simple wooden cup.
Ed had done this for two reasons. Chicken blood was very nutritious, and can be cooked. Furthermore, if he had let the smell of blood spread into the forest, it may have attracted fierce beasts.
He had seen this on TV. Beasts judged the direction of the prey based on the smell of blood.
Bloop. Bloop.
The water in the iron pot was completely boiled.
Using a cup, Ed scooped up some of the water, pouring it directly on the chicken.
He was going to depilate it.
If he had tried to pluck the feathers as it was dry, it would have taken ages, not to mention unhygienic. It was a different case after it had been soaked in hot water. It was simple to defeather it afterward.
The outer feathers were soon cleaned out, revealing the pale skin. Ed cut open the chicken’s stomach.
He buried the internal organs and other inedibles in the ground, intent on using them as fertilizer for crops. This would improve the soil, allowing for easier cultivation.
Ed washed down the chicken once again with hot water, taking care to remove the bloodstains on the surface of the skin.
He was going to make Beggar’s Chicken.
It was quite a simple recipe. He had learned it from watching TV, fortunately memorizing it.
Using some wet leaves, he covered the chicken in a thick layer. Following that, he coated the leaves with the wet soil before patting it down.
Throwing the simplified version of the Beggar’s Chicken directly into a pit underneath the fire, his preparations were complete.