Hideout in Another World: I Tried Building a Secret Base in the Middle of Nowhere

Chapter 110: The Otter-Like Creature

I had been feeling a small weight on my shoulder for a while now.

I thought it was Kuro leaning against me, but it seems I was wrong. The otter-like creature had placed its hand on my shoulder and was peeking over my back to watch the fish grilling.

Maybe it was drawn by the delicious smell, or perhaps sea fish were rare for it.

Mil and Zamza stared in astonishment at the scene.

Receiving all the attention from everyone around, the otter-like creature also looked a bit bewildered for some reason.

Gisella’s eyes sparkled, her hands trembling, which seemed to slightly frighten the otter-like creature.

Meanwhile, Kuro and Shiro, unconcerned, casually waved as if to say hello. They must have noticed its presence long before.

“Uh, this guy… lives in this lake and sometimes gives us fish… It’s like a neighbor,” I explained.

“Didn’t know there was such a thing…”

“I’ll make a note on the map…”

“Nii…”

“Well, sea fish are rare, right? Go ahead and eat.”

“Nye~”

“Here you go… Oh, it’s hot, isn’t it?”

Gisella hesitated, holding a piece of grilled fish, unsure if she should give it. The otter-like creature, seemingly unbothered, took the steaming fish with both hands and began munching from the head.

“Oh, it’s eating so deliciously…”

“Nnyamnyamnyam… Nii~?”

“Hahaha, it’s eating, it’s eating!”

“…Shall we eat too?”

“Yeah.”

“Gyau~”

Gisella clapped her hands in delight, pleased with the sight of the otter-like creature eating eagerly. Meanwhile, we all took our portions and began to eat.

It was clearly a sea bream. The flesh was fluffy and soft, and it tasted great. It had a nostalgic flavor.

We didn’t particularly like fish until recently, but ever since we started fishing in the lake, we’ve grown accustomed to fish dishes. Everyone seems to have their preferences for fish and how to eat it, each with their own strong opinions. However, everyone seemed to enjoy the grilled fish before us.

As we continued eating, Elizabeth slowly approached from the lake. Kohaku, looking sleepy, was perched on her head. In addition, several otter-like creatures clung to her back. They all looked unusually happy, but Elizabeth had a troubled expression as she looked at me.

“Meeeh…”

“We don’t have much, but want to try some?”

“Nye.”

“Nii~ Nii~”

“Nye~”

“Wow~”

When I called out, the otter-like creatures slid off Elizabeth and waddled toward us in their distinctive manner. They were cute, but their approach with outstretched hands was somewhat eerie. Gisella, however, seemed enchanted by their behavior.

Since we didn’t have much fish, we cut the grilled fish into smaller pieces and, with Gisella’s help, distributed them. The otter-like creatures quietly lined up and took their portions, moving to a slightly distant spot to eat. They munched on the fish just like the first one did.

In the daylight, their yellow feet didn’t seem to glow as much…

“I thought they were timid creatures, but maybe they’ve gotten used to us after staying up late that night?”

“Gyau~?”

“Maybe?”

“Wow, wow, they are so cute!”

“Nyeee…”

Gisella gently picked up one otter-like creature that was engrossed in the grilled fish. For a moment, The otter-like creature makes a face that says “oh no!” for a moment but soon resigned and continued munching on the fish while being held.

Zamza and Mil, no longer concerned, were amicably discussing their impressions and cooking methods of the sea fish. Shiro was happily eating a potato, and Kuro was singing an incomprehensible song with the birds.

Feeling relaxed by the carefree atmosphere of my companions and the otter-like creatures, I lay down on a stone. In the distance, I could see small birds flying.

Just a while ago, I was close to dying…

Thinking back, that monstrous bird was really dangerous. Even if it happened again, I couldn’t think of a countermeasure. The initial explosive attack was especially terrifying. There was no warning, and I was just attacked one-sidedly.

Surviving was just pure luck. I lack knowledge about magic. Even if I study it, I might not be able to respond effectively, but I should still gather information… maybe I should ask Laura.

My back still hurts. Trying to escape the pain, I rolled over on my stomach and saw the yellow feet wobbling toward me.

“It’s always this one that shows up first. It’s easy to recognize because its limbs are plumper than the others. It’s inconvenient not having a name for it…”

“Nyé.”

“I’m thinking of giving you a name…”

I ponder whether to give it a species name or an individual name. This particular otter-like creature doesn’t seem to be the leader of the group, but it’s usually the first one to come to me and often stays around me.

“Nyí~”

“Alright! From now on, you’ll be Nietzsche! I’ll call you Nietzsche from now on.”

“Nyinyé…”

“That’s a good name!”

“Gisella thinks so too—hey, stop it, Nietzsche! That tickles!”

“Nyí~”

I have no idea if Nietzsche likes the name, but it pats my back with its small hands. The spot is badly bruised, but it tickles rather than pains. While I’m squirming, another otter-like creature wobbles over and starts patting my back alongside Nietzsche.

“What, what? Wait, that tickles! What are you doing!?”

“Wow, a bunch of them! …Huh?”

Gisella, for some reason, joins in and starts touching my back. The size of the hands is entirely different.

“Hey, Bonus. Your back, it might be getting a bit better… maybe? This is interesting.”

“What, really? Gisella, it tickles!”

While I’m squirming alone, Nietzsche and the others seem satisfied and wobble away. Nietzsche lies down beside me as if it has finished its work.

“Bonus, how’s your back?”

“Yeah? Ah, right… it does feel less painful…”

“So, it seems like these little ones helped a bit. Not a strong force, but they seem to have some healing ability.”

“Seriously…?”

I don’t understand how it works, but Nietzsche’s yellow hands seem to have a healing touch. However, the bruises haven’t completely disappeared, so it doesn’t seem as effective as Shiro’s self-healing ability. Even so, the pain has significantly subsided. I had resigned myself to not sleeping much tonight, but now it looks manageable.

“Thank you, Nietzsche! You really helped me.”

“Nyé.”

I thank Nietzsche, who is sprawled lazily next to me. The creatures living in the hideout, whether small birds or otter-like creatures, are hard to understand just by looking at them. Even the bee that gets along with Shiro is suspicious. Kuro occasionally catches and eats unidentifiable things, but I wonder if that’s okay. It’s better not to disrupt the hideout’s environment recklessly. We need to be careful about our neighborhood relations.

“Haha, these little ones are interesting.”

“They’re really good at catching fish, you know. They’re incredibly fast in the water.”

“Nyí~”

Gisella seems to have taken quite a liking to these otter-like creatures. She lies down between the two of them, laughing softly.

“Kyau~”

“Nyí~…”

Kuro, who had been playing with the birds earlier, comes over and extends a hand to Nietzsche. Nietzsche takes it reluctantly and gets up.

“What is she doing?”

“Um? Ah… they’re going to dance, I think. They were doing that all night the other day.”

“Dance? Oh, they are dancing! Haha!”

Nietzsche and the others start dancing as if hypnotized by Kuro. They hold hands and form a circle, making me feel like a sacrificial offering at the center along with Gisella. Gisella finds this hilarious and laughs until tears come out.

“Haha, what is this! I’ve seen the sea for the first time, gone fishing, almost died… and now these cute little creatures are dancing around me. Bonas, my life is amazing! Haha!”

“Yeah, today has been quite eventful… We should take it easy tomorrow…”