Chapter 489 - Relaxed Preparations with the Fairies
Saturday
As I descended the slope leading to the port, the Selkies waved to greet me.
I watched Sweee's group fly off towards the Camlus Tree, with Raz, Leda, and Roy chasing after them.
"Kyu~!"
"Oh!"
I caught True as he leaped at me, but then,
"Kyu?"
"Sorry. Mion isn't coming today."
Since it was Saturday afternoon, Mion had voice training.
So she was staying home at the mansion, but I planned to have Sweee and Shal pick her up after the live stream tonight.
When I told him, True looked happy. It was good that he'd become attached to Mion too.
"Kyu~"
"Okay. I'll go launch the boat for a bit, so wait for me."
I put my luggage in the old bar and immediately… no, first, I should brew some wine.
I had prepared the materials for wine barrels, so I quickly crafted them with the Self-Replication Arts skill, filled them generously with Grapeful, and set them up.
"Nya?"
"Hm, Shal, what's wrong? Is Sweee's group okay?"
"Meow meow. Nyaow?"
She said Leda-san and Roy-san were over there, so they were fine.
More importantly, she seemed curious that I was trying to make alcohol.
"You can drink alcohol, Shal, right?"
"Nyaow."
She looked a little smug, as if to say she was quite discerning about the taste of alcohol, which was cute.
But if that was the case,
"The Fairy Flower Honey Wine I made with Sweee before, did you operate this?"
"Meow…"
"No, I'm not mad, I'm not mad. In fact, leftover crops last longer if they're turned into alcohol, and they can be used as gifts, so I'd like to ask you and your group to do that."
"Nya!"
It felt like it would be better to leave it to Shal than to me, who didn't really understand the taste.
The problem was how to transport the finished wine barrels. I had an inventory with storage expansion and had raised my STR considerably.
Well, for the time being, I can just let them age in the other empty warehouse, I guess…
"Alright, then I'll mass-produce medium-sized barrels, so Shal, you can use them as you like. Consult with Sweee's group too… Oh, Fairy Flower Honey Wine is forbidden, okay?"
That stuff was too dangerous, so I'd keep it forbidden for now.
As for other regular alcoholic drinks, they could make them whenever they passed through using the Divine Tree, even when I wasn't around.
………
……
…
"True! Let's wrap it up soon!"
"Kyu~!"
Wooden boxes lined the deck of the Small Magic Boat.
Various fish were laid out with ice, reminding me again how amazing the Selkies were.
"""Kyu kyu~"""
"Thanks!"
The Selkies swam alongside, no, parallel (?), to the returning boat.
They were cute, but their tridents made them look cool.
When we reached the port, the Cait Siths carried the wooden boxes, and the Selkie girls were sorting the fish.
The palm-sized small fish were to be made into dried sardines, mainly destined to be snacks for the Cait Siths.
There was also the option of using them for dashi, but the soy sauce was the issue…
We had kelp, katsuobushi, and dried sardines, and even soybeans, but no soy sauce, which was frustrating. And no mirin.
"Kyu kyu?"
"Oh, could you fillet the large fish? Today, let's all have seafood hotpot."
"""Kyu~!""
For the seafood hotpot, I planned a Western-style tomato hotpot, and for Sweee's group, sweet corn potage.
It would be good if I could get it ready before the main event started, so what should I do with the remaining time…
"~~~♪" "Meow."
"Hm? The alcohol is ready?"
"Nyaff. Nyaa nyaa."
She said the Grapeful Wine I set up earlier was done and placed in the warehouse.
And that new alcohol had finished brewing, and she wanted me to see it.
Let's see…
[Aquavit (Urisk Cultivated)]
Alcohol made from Odapra cultivated by Urisks. Herbs and medicinal plants are sometimes added. Very high proof, so be careful.
Cooking: Can be used as a seasoning.
Oh, right, this was the alcohol I meant to try before but forgot about.
Since it was very high proof, like Bourbon, I suppose it would be a gift for Argenta-san?
"~~~?"
"Yeah, no problem. Thank you."
I gave Sweee the okay and watched the two of them leave.
Oh, right. I need to tell True and his group about this.
"True. I'm going to put the alcohol in the empty warehouse, but do Selkies drink alcohol?"
"Kyu kyu."
"Oh, you don't drink?"
True shook his head vigorously.
He wasn't completely against alcohol, but he generally didn't drink because it made it impossible to swim if he was drunk. Well, swimming while drunk is incredibly dangerous, after all.
Whoa, that's right. I remembered!
"True, look at this?"
"Kyu?"
From my inventory, I took out a wooden statue of Lupi that was quite close to being finished.
"Kyu~♪"
"Thank you. And True, I'd like you to be a model for me, if that's okay?"
"Kyu!?"
He looked surprised, but I wanted to make a cool and cute statue of True with his custom trident.
True looked happy but embarrassed?
"~~~?"
"Kyu~"
Sweee returned, asking if I wasn't going to make one for her.
True agreed with her, or rather, insisted Sweee go first, but,
"No, I think Sweee should be first based on the order she came to the island, but Fairies' wings are difficult, so I want to put that off a bit. You wouldn't want your wings to break, would you, Sweee?"
"~~~♪"
When I explained my reason for doing True first, she accepted it.
For the wings, I wanted to try using the crystal I requested once it arrives.