Chapter 211 - Chapter 187 The Story of Seeds and Devices
The Grapeful Vinegar was also successfully completed. Now that I had vinegar, it was finally time for the next step, but…
"I still have about an hour, right?"
Yes. It’s before 10 PM.
"Okay. Then, let’s try Glycine."
The possibility of making soy sauce or miso from Glycine was about 50/50, I thought. Lupi was watching Sweee, so I returned to the [Magic Brewer] in the back. I set a small barrel, about half-filled with Glycine, onto the [Magic Brewer]. Now, what would happen?
[Magic Brewer: Operating]
"Raw Materials:
・Glycine Fruit
Brewing Menu:
・Glycina, Glycine Sauce… Insufficient materials."
"Hmm, this ‘Glycina’ seems like miso, and ‘Glycine Sauce’ seems like soy sauce, but… no good, huh?"
Shou-kun, can’t you view the description for Glycine Sauce?
"Oh, that’s right."
Can I view it from this menu? Click…
[Glycine Sauce]
"A sauce made by fermenting Glycine Fruit. Has a unique flavor.
Cooking: Can be used as a seasoning."
It definitely seemed like soy sauce, but I didn’t know what ingredients were missing. Wait. Click this one…
[Required Raw Materials]
"Glycine Fruit, Haku Fruit, Salt, Water."
"Haku Fruit?"
What’s that?
"Just a moment. I should be able to see its description too. The Haku Fruit description…"
[Haku Fruit]
"Small, white seeds of the Haku plant. Edible and rich in nutrients, also called ‘Moon White Fruit.’"
Small, white seeds… rice? So, Haku is rice?
Ah, I’ll have to recheck the Plant Encyclopedia once I get back to the Mountain Cabin.
Do you have an idea?
"Ah, yeah. I have a hunch that Haku is rice, and Haku Fruit means rice."
You need rice for soy sauce?
"I think it’s because koji is needed, not rice itself. Probably…"
Does this magic tool make koji from rice, or rather, Haku? Hmm, I feel like there are various types of koji, but maybe Haku Fruit covers it all?
Um…
Mion didn’t seem to grasp it at all, so I gave a simple explanation. Though, even I only know vaguely. These days, seed koji is sold in packets.
"Well, koji refers to a type of fungus, and I think that’s what’s needed."
It’s made from rice.
"My grandma told me that koji is mold that grew on rice offerings to the gods."
To be precise, was it the mold that grew on the rice that was then turned into sake?
The previous explanation also involved a goddess.
"Eh?"
The Moon White is the most important goddess in IRO, you know.
"I see."
IRO feels subtly Japanese in those aspects. Well, as a game, it’s probably simplified to "if you add the goddess’s fruit, it ferments, so you can make sake, soy sauce, and miso."
"Ah, come to think of it, could Dimaria-san from the Silver Manor make miso or soy sauce?"
No, I don’t think so yet.
I probably said something random to her. According to this [Magic Brewer]’s description, it doesn’t seem to work without Haku Fruit.
After I suggested using Holy Magic, I haven’t heard Bell-buchou or Seth say "It worked!"…
Will you talk to the club president after you’re done?
"Yeah, if she’s not busy. Could you contact her?"
Yes!
First of all, I’m also curious if Haku, or rice, has been found. If I can get rice, I could make not only white rice but also risotto, pilaf, and so on…
"~~~!"
"Ah, I guess it’s about time."
While I was busy with various things, the Camlus compote should have cooled. I’ll try a little taste.
Returning from the back to the counter, I found Lupi holding Sweee in her mouth, restraining her. The Queen of the fairies was flailing around.
"~~~!!"
"Alright, alright, just a little longer."
To avoid getting my hands directly in there, I took out a bamboo skewer and poked one. For Sweee’s size, that’s still like a whole watermelon.
"Be careful, it might still be hot inside."
"~~~♪"
As if she didn’t hear my warning, Sweee opened her mouth wide and took a big bite. At least it seemed to no longer be scalding hot, which was good.
It seems fine.
"Yeah. Since we’re here, I’ll have one too…"
The size of a kumquat, perfect for one bite. When I bit into it, a sweet and sour juice oozed out. The exquisite balance was incredibly delicious…
"This is… probably an impossible deliciousness even in real life."
That’s not fair…
I’d love to recreate it in real life if I could, but I don’t think it’s possible.
"Waf!"
"Hm, here you go."
Lupi ate it in one bite, her eyes narrowing in pleasure. That’s fine, but somehow… Lupi seemed to glow faintly for a moment?
Shou-kun.
"Yeah."
[Managarm: Lupi: Affection: Free Action: Anti-Poison II (6 hours)]
The Anti-Poison is from eating the Camlus compote, right? Speaking of which…
"Did I glow too, by any chance?"
No, I saw you normally. Could you open your status?
"Yeah."
Opening my status, I saw [Anti-Poison II (6 hours)] added, so I also had the buff. Mion was streaming my perspective, so I just didn’t notice it myself. It would probably be annoying if it appeared in my field of vision.
That’s amazing. Is it thanks to the Camlus Fruit?
"Probably. But it also seems thanks to the Fairy Honey, so should I report this to Bell-buchou too?"
That’s right. Camlus Fruit seems like it could exist on the mainland too.
It grows on coastal slopes, so it seems like the fishing players gathered in the village could find it by searching along the coast.
Oh, the club president and the others are at the club room.
"Got it. I’ll clean up and log off."
Yes.
I’ll take my time with the rest of the preparations tomorrow afternoon.
*
"Yo."
Welcome back.
"Brother, welcome back!"
"Good work. Any new discoveries?"
Bell-buchou immediately prompted me, but Mion quickly played the archive from earlier. I explained about Haku, which I thought was rice, and Haku Fruit possibly being actual rice. Then I showed them the Camlus Fruit and its effects.
"I think Haku is rice, but has it been found in the Kingdom?"
"No, I don’t think so. However, IRO’s wheat is called Kohaku, and that’s their staple food, so they might just not have noticed."
"Indeed. It is logical that if rice is available, koji can be made. We must search for it immediately!"
So, if wheat is Kohaku, is barley Ohaku? I hope there’s some on the island, but I guess I’ll have to search beyond that church…
"Oh, and I said something random to Dimaria-san, so please apologize for me."
"It’s fine, it’s fine. More importantly!"
"Yes, this compote is a much bigger problem."
"Eh? Seriously?"