"Baal, please wait for me here for a moment."
Kikyo glanced at the clear river nearby, then withdrew her gaze and looked at Baal, softly saying:
"I've already set up a barrier nearby, so no outsiders should intrude. However, if possible, still don't go too far."
"Mm... I understand."
Baal gently placed her slender hand on her chest, revealing a gentle smile. She knew Kikyo was going to bathe in the river.
And this was one part of a miko's training, 'purification'.
Seeing this, Kikyo nodded slightly and turned to walk towards the clear river. Actually, she didn't need to set up a barrier.
After all, this area was originally sparsely populated.
However, considering the elusive Youkai Sage Yakumo Yukari, and the Youkai living in the forest, she specifically set up a barrier.
To block and resist possible dangers as much as possible.
However, whether this barrier could stop the Youkai Sage Yakumo Yukari, she didn't hold much hope.
Fortunately, it seemed Yakumo Yukari didn't harbor too much malice towards Baal.
No, more accurately, she hadn't shown too much malice yet.
"..."
Baal watched Kikyo's departing back, her delicate pretty face showing a few hints of contemplation. Speaking of which, she was also a beautiful young girl now.
So, even if she secretly peeked... it wouldn't be a problem, right?
However, she quickly extinguished this thought. Using someone's trust to satisfy her private desires didn't align with her values.
Moreover, she herself was a beautiful young girl now.
If she wanted to peek... she could peek at herself, couldn't she?
However, even with such a thought, there were still some unavoidable urges.
So.
Baal decided to do something to distract herself, for example, preparing some richer ingredients for lunch.
"With my current physique... catching fish shouldn't be difficult."
She looked at the clear river surface, clearly seeing the pebbles at the bottom of the river, and the swimming fish.
If her technique was good enough, there would be no problem even if she caught them bare-handed.
Of course, she had never caught fish before, but as long as her reactions were fast enough, there would be no problem at all.
Isn't there a saying, 'In martial arts, speed conquers all'?
After some time.
The girl stood alone in the middle of the river, one hand holding up her skirt to avoid getting wet, and the other hand empty.
Not far away, several fish were still swimming happily, as if silently mocking the girl's clumsy fish-catching skills.
She had been a bit too naive.
Although her physical fitness was indeed stronger than that of ordinary humans, the wild fish seemed to be very alert.
To catch fish bare-handed, she still needed some technique.
"...Hmph, you've angered me!"
Baal twitched her lips, put her hand into the water, and glared at the few fish swimming around.
"Come and experience the power of a god!"
As she spoke, her slender hand erupted with lightning, and a strong current spread through the water. The fish in the water jolted a few times as if struck by a hammer, then immediately floated belly-up.
However, an unexpected scene occurred.
"Yi ya!"
Upstream, Kikyo suddenly let out a cry of alarm, as if she had suddenly been electrocuted.
No, in fact... she probably really was electrocuted.
"..."
Baal suddenly fell silent, stiffly raising her head to look upstream. She suddenly remembered that Kikyo was still bathing upstream. Given the power she had just unleashed, it would be strange if she hadn't electrocuted Kikyo while she was bathing.
(Oops, it seems I've caused trouble.)
She quickly pulled her hand out of the water, her eyes darting around in panic, as if she wanted to find a place to hide.
However, unfortunately... there was nowhere to hide.
"Baal, did you do something?"
Kikyo's voice came from upstream, her pleasant voice revealing wariness, annoyance, and a hint of probing.
"...Uh, it was me."
Baal raised a hand to scratch her slightly reddened cheek, a little embarrassed as she explained to Kikyo upstream.
"Sorry, I originally intended to use lightning to electrocute a few fish, but I carelessly forgot you were bathing upstream."
The atmosphere solidified for a moment.
Kikyo's voice came calmly, without any hint of anger, only a touch of helplessness.
"If Baal wants to eat fish, just wait until I've finished purifying myself, and I'll help you prepare it."
"Mm, sorry."
Baal sincerely apologized. This matter was indeed her fault; she had overlooked Kikyo bathing and purifying herself upstream.
In the future, she needed to be more careful when using her power.
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
Kikyo's gentle comforting voice came, and then, silence fell, as if nothing had happened.
Baal exhaled softly. She didn't want to see Kikyo angry. After all, people like Kikyo... usually had very good tempers.
But when they did get angry, they were even more terrifying.
So.
Baal carried the electrocuted fish to the riverbank, then walked into the forest to find some wood and arranged it into a bonfire.
Then, she lightly snapped her fingers.
The power of lightning fiercely collided within the woodpile, igniting the wood and creating a dim, bright flame.
"The power of lightning... there's a lot of potential to develop it."
Baal used her tachi to gut and clean the fish one by one, then removed the scales and threaded them onto sharpened wooden sticks, ready for use.
Then, she selected a smaller fish and placed it over the fire to roast.
Even if self-heating ramen tasted good, eating them continuously for a period would eventually become tiresome.
And Baal no longer wanted to eat noodles.
If it weren't for the limitations of the era and the poverty of Maple Village, leaving no other choice, she definitely wouldn't choose to eat noodles.
Therefore, she now had to find a way to provide for herself, otherwise, she would eventually starve thin.
After some time.
"Ah... it's burnt."
Baal picked up the roasted fish and tentatively took a small bite. Her delicate, pretty face immediately scrunched up. The outside of the fish was burnt and carbonized, but the inside was still somewhat raw. The taste was, to put it mildly, extremely bad.
However, this was to be expected.
After all, the girl had never cooked before, and mastering the heat was not a simple matter.
Of course, the girl did not feel discouraged.
If it didn't work once, she would just try a few more times.
Isn't cooking a skill that needs to be practiced?
It's like practicing martial arts; the more you practice, the more you improve. It just requires more trial and error.
"...Let's try again."
The girl pulled out a backup fish that was skewered nearby and reloaded it onto the bonfire stand. This time, she intended to pay close attention to the heat.
She would try to cook both the inside and outside thoroughly.
"...Baal, are you trying to roast fish?"
Just then, Kikyo suddenly emerged from nearby. She glanced at the girl's roasted fish and offered advice.
"Just use the embers to roast it; that way it's easier to cook well."
"...Kikyo, you've finished washing."
Baal turned her head and saw that Kikyo's long black hair was still somewhat damp, but her aura was as clear as the sky after rain.
The ritual of a Miko's purification.
It inherently carried the meaning of removing impurities from the mind and body, just as a person feels refreshed after bathing.
And a Miko's purification ritual... could not only remove impurities.
It could also train and increase spiritual power.
"Sorry, I electrocuted you."
Baal apologized to Kikyo.
Hearing this, Kikyo gently shook her head to indicate she didn't mind. Then, she sat on a stone beside Baal and took the roasted fish from Baal's hand.
Afterward, she extinguished Baal's roasting fire, leaving only the glowing red embers, and then put the roasted fish back on the stand, turning it over.
Her movements were surprisingly... skillful.
Recommended: "The Hero Assassinated by the First Princess Wants to Be the First Princess." It's written by Yue Xiaoxiaoyang, the pioneering author of the Yuri Orange genre. It's so saucy that it got banned in the second chapter...