Chapter 189 - A Little Further Was Closer Than Expected
Dinner was Mackerel simmered in miso.
I recommend quickly blanching the purchased fillets in hot water to remove any blood, then simmering them.
I wonder if there are white leeks on the island...
"It's ready. Carry it out~"
"Understood!"
Miki, who had been researching something on her tablet in the living room, carried the finished dishes to the table, but then said,
"Carrots..."
"It's a vinegar dish, and I put plenty of lemon on it."
"Hmm."
I added a little twist because she disliked sweet-bitter flavors.
Apple vinegar would be better, but buying such a specific vinegar seemed excessive, so I used more lemon juice.
""Let's eat.""
Yep, yep, the mackerel, thoroughly seasoned with miso, is delicious.
The plump flesh and thick miso made the rice go down easily.
"..."
Miki picked up a slice of carrot salad with a serious expression.
She resolved herself, took a bite... looks like it's okay.
"How is it?"
"Excellent! I could eat this all day!"
Good, good.
Neither miso nor vinegar are flavors available on the island.
Ah, wait, can I make vinegar now? Grapeful Wine vinegar is vinegar, isn't it...?
"How have things been for Big Brother recently?"
"Hm? IRO, you mean? Well, let's see..."
I kept quiet about Silver Dragon Argenta.
I talked about opening the Unlock Code door and mostly going up the mountain.
About the Drab Wolves who became Lupi's subordinates, the irritating Crimson Apes, and the cowardly civet monster.
"I've seen Crimson Apes before."
Miki asked for another helping of miso mackerel, and I served her a slightly re-warmed portion.
She didn't dislike the carrot salad either, so I decided to make her eat a bit more.
"The civet was, I think, a 'Roopaguma.' It spits Fireballs from its mouth."
"Hmm, did Big Brother endure that with the Spirit's Blessing?"
"At first, yeah. But having the Water Spirit make a small shield and blocking with that is best. It kind of cancels it out."
"Hoh! That's interesting!"
Frankly, it seems many different ways to use Spirit Magic have been devised compared to Elemental Magic, but not many people can use it skillfully on the fly.
"About the Spirit's Blessing, have you verified it already?"
"Hmm. I had Polly-dono activate it, and then conveyed that through Zeld-dono to the verification team. I suppose we can leave the rest to them."
"Huh..."
It doesn't quite click for me, but Zeld-san is from the 'Silver Manor,' right?
From there to the verification team implies that the detailed conditions and such are just being passed off.
"However, even Elf players aren't as dexterous with Spirit Magic as Big Brother. Is there some trick to it?"
"A trick? Hmm, I don't think there is anything like that."
I took a big bite of the carrot salad and seemed to hit an undissolved sugar crystal...
"Ah! There might be a benefit from the 'Fairy Guardian' title? Oh, no, I think Sweee's benefit is greater..."
"Does a title have something to do with it?"
"No, I don't think it's that. You know Sweee, the Fairy who sticks to me?"
I almost said, 'The one who acts a lot like you,' but I held it back.
"Hmm. Perhaps it's because of Big Brother's sweets, she's incredibly attached."
"Sweee, despite how she looks, is the Fairy Queen. So I guess she's knowledgeable about Spirit Magic."
She probably knows a lot of other things too, but it feels like she'll only teach me if it becomes necessary. Anything else... would probably be impossible.
"Hm?"
"Sigh... Big Brother's blunders know no bounds..."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Never mind. Have you learned any other Spirit Magic?"
Other... was there anything else?
Just the Spirit's Blessing and this Water Shield? Oh, and I was shown how to water plants, but if used skillfully, that might become an attack method.
"No, not much. Or rather, aren't other players with Spirit Magic skills thinking of various things too?"
"I've seen things like restraining enemy monsters with a Tree Spirit, disrupting footings with an Earth Spirit, or deflecting arrows with a Wind Spirit."
It seems like practical applications within the realm of common sense are being used.
However, there might be a tendency to stick to conventional RPG images.
"Some players try to create a 'Wind Scythe' with a Wind Spirit and end up getting stunned themselves."
"Well, that would be... difficult, I guess."
It's dangerous if spirits start using MP without limit.
Even my blessing, being a composite of three types of spirits, means even my MP recovery equipment can't keep up.
I'd like to welcome an Earth Spirit too, but I wonder if the Spirit's Blessing can be toggled on and off individually...
"Speaking of which, what happened to the Earth Spirit Stone? I heard the Gnomes give them out."
"Oh, that's right. I'd like to ask Polly-dono for cooperation."
"Ah, sorry. Iincho said she wanted to go too, after hearing Leona-sama wouldn't be logging in for a while."
...I got scolded for not saying it sooner.
*
"Good evening."
"A good night to you."
"Good evening."
"Shou-kun, Seth-chan."
Bell-buchou seemed to have been waiting for Seth (Miki).
Mion was checking something on her tablet... Oh, right, I posted a video today.
"Sorry, sorry. I'll check too."
"Okay."
The comments were high-spirited for the first video in a while, which was a relief.
However, there were also many comments indicating they were waiting for a live stream, so perhaps reducing video posts and increasing live streams might be an option soon.
"Also, I received some fan art, so Bell-buchou was teaching me how to set it up."
"Oh, show me, show me."
"Okay. Can I use it as a header?"
"Of course."
The fan art showed Lupi and Sweee playing together, and I was surprised by how incredibly well done it was. Is it okay to receive something like this?
"Then, Big Brother, I'm off."
"Roger, wait..."
"I heard about Polly-san from Seth-chan."
It seems Seth had explained about Iincho.
After seeing the two off to IRO, I felt like it was my turn, but then,
"Shou-kun, the next video will be about what's beyond the door, but where should we start from?"
"Ah, right. I'd rather avoid going downstairs, so it's either upstairs or straight ahead..."
The path straight ahead is still under investigation, so starting from upstairs seems reasonable.
I also want to introduce the Drab Wolf family to the viewers.
"From upstairs, I guess."
"Um, it might be for the video after next, but what about Lupi-chan's mother?"
"Ah..."
How would it look to tell a gloomy story like that in this context? Mion must have been troubled by that too, which is why she consulted me.
"Good evening~"
""Yata-sensei!""
"Yes~?"