A Brief Respite

I entered the apartment building.

There were only a few, but I could sense that residents were still here.

Apparently, some people had barricaded themselves inside.

That said, they were on the upper floors.

I probably didn't need to worry about them.

I entered a vacant apartment at random.

The door wasn't locked, and the inside had been ransacked.

There were marks on the floor and furniture as though something had slashed at them, and the windowpanes were shattered.

It was probably the work of goblins.

For now, I stored the furniture and shards of glass scattered across the floor in the Item Box.

That gave me some room.

"All right, time for lunch."

"Woof!"

Momo's response at mealtimes was more energetic than usual.

If I brought out its favorite pet food, its tail would go absolutely wild.

"All right, then. I guess I'll have this today."

What I took out was dog food that was a little cheaper than usual.

"Wha... whiiine..."

Momo immediately looked dejected.

Its tail drooped, too.

Honestly, what a spoiled little thing. Its palate had gotten way too refined.

For a glutton like that...

"―――or so you thought. This one."

I took out a more expensive one than usual.

"!―――Woof! Woof woof!"

The moment Momo saw it, its smile returned.

It wagged its tail furiously and clung to my leg, begging me to hurry up and give it to it.

Hey, if you cling that tightly, I can't move.

Honestly, Momo was such a handful.

There's not much of this left, so just this once, okay? Seriously.

"Now, what should I have...?"

Maybe I'll grab some cup ramen or something from the Item Box...

Ah... but I've gotten tired of ready-made meals, too.

Maybe I'll cook something.

I moved to the kitchen.

The stove... is it still usable?

The water supply seems to be fine, too.

I feel like eating noodles. Should I make yakisoba?

I cut up some vegetables and pork I'd gotten at the supermarket, then stir-fried them.

Then I added the noodles, followed by some tempura bits.

I added the powdered sauce and Chinese-style soup stock powder and stir-fried it.

I topped it off with a little white sesame and bonito flakes, and it was done.

It's easy to make, but it's delicious.

All right, done.

"Well then, let's eat."

"Woof!"

I slurped up the noodles and stuffed them into my mouth.

Mmm, delicious.

There's something good about this cheap taste.

The crunch of the bean sprouts and cabbage, along with the flavor of the tempura bits, went perfectly with the sauce.

It was good with a little pepper, too.

I had oolong tea with it.

It went well with such strongly flavored food.

Momo must have been hungry, too; it wolfed down its food.

Hey, hey, if you eat that fast, you'll choke.

Even as I thought that, I kept eating.

Ahh... that was delicious.

After finishing my meal, I lay down on the floor.

The warm sunlight streaming in through the broken window felt nice.

I was getting sleepy.

"Wuff..."

Hey, Momo.

You shouldn't climb onto someone's stomach.

Well, whatever.

I simply enjoyed its fluffy fur.

"..."

What was this sense of peace, anyway?

In this abnormal world overflowing with monsters, I could feel a taste of everyday life.

It made me realize how precious ordinary life had been.

Still, I could do without being a corporate slave.

"If things were normal, I guess people wouldn't even be able to enjoy a meal like this properly..."

With the food supply shut down, anyone without an Item Box with a Preservation Function like mine would have to consume the perishable food first.

It was mid-May.

I'd collected most of the food in this area, but fresh food at supermarkets in other regions was probably starting to spoil by now.

In a situation like this, even if people continued rationing their food, they could ultimately end up with nothing but bland hardtack and water.

That said, it didn't apply to me.

I already had more than enough food stockpiled, and my Item Box now had the 'Preservation Function.'

None of the food I had on hand would rot or spoil.

Apparently, this 'Preservation Function' preserved things exactly as they were when they were first placed in the Item Box.

For example, I could store a cup of ramen after pouring in hot water, then take it out again after some time had passed.

When I did, it came out just as it had when I put it in: it hadn't cooled, and the noodles hadn't gone soggy.

Rather than a 'Preservation Function,' it might be closer to a 'Time Stop' function.

What a cheat. Is this thing a god or something?

I didn't know what principle it worked on, but in any case, my food supply problem was solved.

If I somehow still ran out, I'd have no choice but to fish or use vegetable seeds to grow food from scratch. But that was still a long way off.

Besides, I intended to keep collecting food, even if not at yesterday's pace.

There was no harm in having extra food, and I didn't like the idea of monsters eating it.

As Nishino-kun had said, food would also be a bargaining chip in future dealings.

...Not that I thought I was capable of negotiating properly.

The Item Box really was a godsend.

If only I could store things while they were moving, too...

Even this incredibly convenient Item Box wasn't omnipotent.

There were things it couldn't store.

For example, 'living creatures.'

It was impossible to store them.

I didn't try it with Momo, okay?

I experimented with crows perched on power lines around here, but I couldn't store them.

Plant seeds, branches, and soil were fine, though.

This probably came down to either my own perception or the judgment of the heavenly voice.

Next was 'moving objects.'

Those couldn't be stored, either.

Apparently, something had to be stationary to be stored.

If it could do that, it would truly be the ultimate ability.

I could store falling objects as they were, adjust their orientation, and release them, turning them into bullets with terrifying mass.

It would be the real-life Gate of ◯Babylon.

I couldn't help picturing that certain golden Heroic Spirit.

I wanted to try it...

The Item Box's additional functions didn't include one that expanded the types of things it could store.

It was pointless to wish for something I didn't have, but that technique was the stuff of manly dreams.

I wanted to be able to do it someday.

"Oh, right, Momo. Want some magic stones, too?"

"Woof!"

There was the magic stone from the Mimic I'd defeated earlier, along with the ones I'd picked up on the way here.

I gave them to Momo.

Momo ate them happily for a while.

But...

"...Whine."

"Hm? What's wrong, Momo?"

Momo stared at the last one—the 'Mimic's Magic Stone (Tiny).' I wondered whether Momo would eat it. As I watched, Momo suddenly picked it up in its mouth.

"..."

Momo turned its gaze outside the window.

And then―――it tossed the magic stone outside through the gap in the broken window.

"Ah! What are you doing, Momo?"

Just because it wasn't going to eat it didn't mean it had to throw it away.

"Woof."

But Momo seemed to think this was fine.

What was supposed to be good about that...? I had absolutely no idea.

Well, whatever.

I could pick it up when I went outside.

I wanted to relax a little longer, but it was about time to leave.

I got ready and collected everything in the room.

"Well then, let's go, Momo."

"Woof."

Well, time to set out.

I opened the front door.

"Hm...?"

At that moment, 'it' entered my field of vision.

In the corner of the hallway, something stood there, trembling―――.

"You... don't tell me you followed me here...?"

When I asked, the Red Slime trembled, looking somehow pleased.