Chapter 241 - Episode 214: One Step Forward
"This is it! Thank you!!"
Fairies humming joyfully
On the south side of the Observation Deck, along the slope descending from above the waterfall, the fairies discovered the Bluegaris we were looking for.
[Bluegaris]
"A plant with oval leaves and a blue, round root. The root is processed into sugar. Material Processing: Becomes a raw material for sugar. Animal Husbandry: Leaves and leftover roots from processing become feed."
"Oh, the Animal Husbandry description has been added. So it can be food for Kocko too."
"It's good that nothing goes to waste."
"Yeah. Alright, alright, now I can make even more things."
First, I need to check how much sugar can be made from a single plant. But if I turn it into sugar, it'll last a long time, so if I can secure a certain amount, I might only need to come gather it occasionally.
Sweee demanding sweets
"Sweee, you're ruining it…"
The queen, begging for sweets right in front of me. It was your subordinates who found it, not you, your Majesty?
"Shou-kun, please give them a reward, okay?"
"Ah, yeah, of course. After we harvest them, let's go to the riverside for a break."
Quite a lot were growing there, so it seemed fine to fill my inventory with them. Later, I'll process one by the river into Bluegaris sugar, or rather, Bluegaris Sugar.
…
…
…
After the harvest, we arrived at the riverside below the waterfall without incident. I distributed Roopaguma meat to Lupi and the Drab Wolves, and Dried Grapeful as a treat to Sweee and the fairies. While they all ate deliciously, I built a stone kiln and started making Bluegaris sugar.
I washed the large roots with river water, peeled them, and chopped them into dice. The sugar should have leached into this broth, but…
"It smells really awful…"
It tricked me into thinking it would be sweet… it's an indescribable smell. Lupi, the Drab Wolves, Sweee, and the fairies all fled upwind.
The source of the odor, the leftover pulp after squeezing out the sugar, was dumped into the river. Then I boiled down the broth further, and it should have been done.
"Hmm…"
It turned into a subtly pale bluish lump, which wasn't what I expected.
"Shou-kun, Appraisal."
"Yeah."
[Sky Sugar]
"Rough sugar made from Bluegaris."
"Ah, I see."
"Huh?"
That makes sense. This is what's called raw sugar, isn't it? If I refine it further from here, I should get pure white sugar, right?
"Um, essentially, it's the state before it becomes pure white. It has impurities mixed in, but it should still be sugar."
For the final touch, I dried it completely with magic, turning it into lumpy Sky Sugar chunks. One of those fragments, about the size of a fingernail…
"Yeah, it's properly sweet."
It feels like the sweetness has a bit of a peculiar taste, but if you call it richness, then it's richness, I suppose.
Fairies staring in silence
Perhaps because I said it was sweet, Sweee and the fairies were staring… I'm happy that one fully grown plant yielded nearly two cups' worth, but I feel like eating all of this wouldn't be good for my health.
"Sweee, if you eat too much, it's poison, so just this much, okay?"
I handed out fingernail-sized pieces, the same as what I tasted, to the fairies, and they each munch…
"Huh?"
"Isn't it delicious?"
Sweee and the fairies both had expressions like "Yep, yep, it's sweet~." This is definitely one of those things that needs to be paired with some fruit… a very normal palate, I guess.
"Wait a minute. Lupi, I'm taking one Lycos."
"Woof."
I took out one Lycos (tomato) from my inventory, which I kept for Lupi's snacks, and roughly chopped it into bite-sized pieces for Sweee and the fairies. Then I finely crushed this Sky Sugar and roughly mixed it in…
"Here. Try it."
Fairies cheering excitedly
More excited fairy cheers
"Oh, come on, fighting over it like it's every fairy for themselves isn't very fairy-like, is it?"
"Tomatoes with sugar, they're delicious, aren't they?"
"It feels more like a dessert than a salad, right? At my house, we usually use salt, dressing, or mayonnaise, but this is something Dad used to do to make tomatoes easier for Miki to eat."
I took out another Lycos and cut it into eight wedges. After sprinkling Sky Sugar over it, I gave some to Lupi and the Drab Wolves.
"Woof~"
"Bow~"
Yep, yep, glad they seem to be enjoying it.
"I wonder if Buchou and Seth-chan are also eating this slightly blue sugar?"
"Probably. I feel like if it's mixed with eggs or milk, you wouldn't notice it. Ah, instead of asking them directly, it might be better to ask during a stream. There was someone who seemed like a professional."
When I review the archives, I'm surprised to see comments like "that's a real chef" sometimes pop up.
"That's a good idea!"
"If I may say so, doesn't it feel a bit off for someone who seems like a pro to come watch my food porn stream?"
"Is that so?"
If anything, I'd want them to teach me…
…
…
…
"Phew, I'm home."
It was just before 11 o'clock when I returned to the mountain cabin.
[World Quest has been updated!]
"Oh!"
"It seems to have progressed to the next stage!"
Now, what happened? Quest info, let's see…
[World Quest: Necropolis: Part 1 "Negotiation"]
"A ruin discovered deep in the Jet Black Forest. This city, occupied by undead, was the epicenter of a catastrophe caused by the Ancient Magic Civilization. To investigate the Necropolis, which is under the Dragonkin's surveillance, players will need to obtain 'Dragon Coins,' proof of trust from them, and establish a path to the Necropolis. Objective: Acquire Dragon Coins. Establish a path to the Necropolis. Completion Rate: 67%"
"So Part One is still the same."
"Did it exceed two-thirds because all the players learned about the runaway accident that happened long ago?"
"Ah, that's what it is. So, once a path to the Necropolis is established, it'll be the next Part Two?"
"I have a feeling so."
Buchou, Seth, and Nat all have Dragon Coins now, so the next part will probably be the start of the internal investigation. Watching the PV, it feels like an entire huge city is a World Quest exclusive stage, which makes me a little jealous.
"Shou-kun, you're going to the port tomorrow around noon, right?"
"Yeah. That's the plan."
"Okay. What do you plan to do there?"
"Umm, first, I'll try out this 'Selkie Whistle,' and then confirm the work and reward details, I guess."
If Sweee is there, communication seems possible, so I want to express my gratitude for the whistle during the day.
"I see. Will you go fishing again?"
"It depends on the Selkies, but I'm thinking of trying to dive into the sea with them."
"I see!"
The camera is already fixed, so I hope I can dive and gather some shrimp or something. I also have a feeling that shrimp, just coated in potato starch and deep-fried plain, would be delicious enough.
"But Shou-kun. What about Lupi-chan and Sweee-chan during that time?"
"I'll clean up the area around the Camlus Tree beforehand, so they can relax there. I'm planning to bring the fairies this time too… what do you think?"
"Woof."
Sweee humming
Both Lupi and Sweee responded with an affirmative. The inside of the cove seems safe, and I want to clear out the undergrowth and obstructive branches around there to make it sunny. Actually, that area seemed to have been terraced fields, so I'm hoping to find something else there, but…