Chapter 304 - Chapter 268 What's on the Menu for the Next Stream?
Thursday
"So, there wasn't any particular trouble after all, then?"
"Yeah, the remaining Hegemony members are exhausted, they said. They told us to buy whatever supplies they have left for dirt cheap. They're going to use it to pay off their debts."
"How selfish…"
Iincho sighed in exasperation, and Mion nodded in agreement, a sentiment I mostly shared. Monopolizing the [Frontline Base], inflating prices, and then retreating when things looked bad…
"The Hegemony guild master apologized profusely, and we don't want to bring it up again and cause more trouble, so let's just let it go. They said the higher-ups messed up on their own, and the responsibility lies with them."
"Ah, so there were many people who found themselves in that situation without knowing it?"
Apparently, it was originally a very large guild, and the lowest-ranking guild members were just being tossed around. "And it seems we can finally 'purify the district' as planned!"
He watched yesterday's live stream, huh? Well, of course he did… I glanced at Mion, and she looked embarrassed, making me feel a bit ticklish.
"That little girl who came to the live stream… is she a dragon?"
"Ah, yeah, Argenta-san said so. I haven't actually seen her in dragon form, though."
I didn't need to hide that the [White Dragon Princess] could 'awaken' (?) and become mentally mature, though it wasn't strictly necessary to mention it either. There was also the Administrator's Ring issue.
"By the way, I have a question. Why can't a dragon do it?"
"They have more MP than players, right?" Iincho tilted her head.
"The [Dragonfolk] don't worship goddesses in the first place, apparently. Well, I understand why that would be a problem…"
It was a mystery why even her Dragonfolk subordinates couldn't do it. When I asked Miki about it, she said it might be because they've never actually seen a concrete image of a goddess (like a goddess statue). So then, how did they become priests, I asked, but then she said,
"Perhaps their faith in goddesses is closer to nature worship?"
Something like that. Since they worship things like the moon, sacred rocks, [Divine Trees], and stars as goddesses, they might not be able to imagine a specific goddess figure at all. "…That's what she said."
"Oh, as expected of Miki-chan!"
"I see…"
Also, since the goddess statues were originally made for humans, there's a possibility they won't react unless they closely resemble the goddess image humans imagine, and so on…
"However, she said this at the end: 'NPCs are probably programmed to interact with players. Game-wise, you know.'"
""Ah…""
It was set up so that NPCs wouldn't solve problems on their own, but rather involve players as much as possible, and I was the one who got caught up in it…
"That aside, are there enough [Nameless Goddess Statues]? Miki said volunteers collected them, but will those people help?"
"Yeah. Not immediately, but they'll come in sequence, they said. Well, I think the full-scale conquest will restart around tomorrow or the day after."
Apparently, the people who collected them were originally fans of Mion's and my channel. Miki also said that everyone, including her, suspected 'something was up' ever since I got it. And then, I actually turned it into the [Jade Goddess Statue] on the live stream…
"Sigh…"
"?"
"No, I was just planning to lie low until the [World Quest] ended, you know."
When I muttered that,
""Impossible (you can't) (you won't)""
You guys are so in sync!
*
"Thanks for the meal."
"Woof."
""Bow!""
After school, first things first, dinner. Today was a simple stir-fry of bacon and [Lexon] (cresson). Adding [Osterasauce] (oyster sauce) instantly made it feel more like a proper side dish, making me crave rice.
Are you continuing the goddess statue today?
"Yeah. I'm hoping to unveil it at Saturday's live stream."
That's nice! Oh, speaking of which, we received fabric and thread, so how about covering it before the unveiling?
"A curtain reveal, right? That sounds good."
The folded fabric was enough for five futon-sized pieces, so one should be plenty. I probably should make something with that fabric with my [Sewing] skill.
"If I were to make something with that fabric, what would be good?"
How about bandanas for Lupi-chan, Leda-chan, and Roy-kun?
"Then, I'll make matching bandanas for everyone. Mion, do you have a favorite color?"
Me? No, not really.
"I see. A white bandana feels a bit off, so I'd like to dye it…"
The [Amama Fabric] I received was white. Making it into a bandana as is would be fine, but I wonder about a white bandana. I think a color would be better.
Since it's the [Jade Goddess], green would be nice, wouldn't it?
"Got it. Green, so I guess plant dyeing would work."
As for plants on the island that could dye green… [Heal Potion] made from [Coputi] is green, and the bamboo grass potion was a darker green. I'll try potion dyeing. "Will True and the Selkies want them too? I'm swamped with goddess statue work this week, but I'll have to go to the harbor sometime next week."
Ah, Shou-kun, Tsubaki-san says the gaming chair has arrived, so when should we bring it in?
Ooooh, finally, a super high-class gaming chair at my house! Weekdays would be a bit chaotic, so either Saturday or Sunday, but Mion has lessons on Saturday.
"Then, Sunday would be good, I guess. If you're coming to my place, I'll make lunch."
Y-yes! I'll tell her!
I should do some gardening while it's cool. I also hope it doesn't rain, but it just entered the rainy season yesterday…
"Hokkaido doesn't have a rainy season, right? I wonder what Bell-san is doing today. Any more photos?"
It would have been good if I had gotten her schedule. Ah, sensei is here, so I'll step away for a moment.
"Got it."
I continued carving the wooden statue while chatting. The rough shaping was mostly done, and now it was time for fine details. I think I'll be close to finishing it tonight, but I want to take a break and clear my head tonight.
I'm back.
Hello~, you've made a lot of progress~. Will it be finished tonight~?
"Ah, hey. I think I can finish it tonight, but I'm planning to take a break and clear my head."
I want to take Lupi and the others on a round trip to the south side and check on the fields behind the church. To dye things, I'll need a mordant. Since I can mine copper, I need to try making my own copper mordant. And then, I think…
"Ah!"
What is it?
"No, I was planning to make soy milk, but I completely forgot. I remembered that you use soy milk for dyeing…"
If I make soy milk, I can make ice cream! I was a bit unsure if Sweee and the others could eat cow's milk, but soy milk should be fine, right?
That'll be Saturday's live stream.
"Got it."
If I can make soy milk, I can also make tofu, so I need to plan a few things.