Chapter 530 - Chapter 472: Three Divine Ingredients?
"I guess this is about right?"
"Ryuryu!" "Juju!"
Thanks to Pan's group's help, the broken fence was repaired in no time. Personally, I'd like to make it sturdier, like a stone wall castle rampart, but this will do for today.
"Gaju. Do the Kobolds come often?"
"Juju!"
"I see..."
Apparently, they come about once a month, and have been doing so for a long time. Each time, the Kijimunaa suffer damage, but it's a battle they can't lose as guardians of the Divine Tree.
"Do the Kobolds only attack this fort? Are other areas safe?"
"Juju~. Juju-juju."
Hmm, hmm. This is exactly the entrance to the settlement, and other areas are protected by high cliffs, blocking invasion. It was the same deep in the Armra Forest, so it seems the Kijimunaa settlement is nicely surrounded by cliffs.
"Do you know about the church?"
"Juju. Juju~juju."
"Ohh, really?"
Apparently, there was a time, long, long ago, when they coexisted with humans. However, Gaju only knew this from oral tradition. Ah, speaking of the church, that reminded me.
"There's a monster called Zackmantis, are they okay?"
"Juju."
"Ohh, so there's a flower they dislike?"
I wonder what it is? Pyrethrum, perhaps?
"Shou-kun. I'm back."
"Mion, welcome back. How was it?"
"Yes. There was Coputi, so I made as many Heal Potions as possible. Also, Ato-chan's group gave me this."
What Mion handed me was...
[Carmerie]
A plant that grows in subtropical regions. Its rhizome is used for food and alchemy.
Eh? Is this... turmeric?
"And this too."
[Xiangcī]
A plant that grows in temperate to subtropical regions. Its leaves have a unique aroma but are edible. Its seeds are used for seasoning and alchemy.
Ah, this scent is definitely coriander. Which means I need the seeds! Wait, turmeric and coriander... does that mean I can make curry if I just find cumin?
"Shou-kun?"
"Um, these are turmeric and coriander. So, if we just find cumin, we might be able to make curry."
"Curry?!"
Of course she'd be surprised. I was surprised when I first heard it too. Of course, if you want a more complex flavor, more spices are better, but these three should be enough to make curry.
"Hmm, I want to look for it, but it's almost time, isn't it?"
"Yes. So, it's about time to gather everyone."
"Roger. Um..."
Lupi's group and Raz are here. Pan's group too, of course. Sweee and the Fairies, and Ato's Ghillie Dhu group are also here. So, the only ones left are Shal and True's group, I thought, when...
"Kyuu~!" "Nya."
"Oh, welcome back. How was True?"
"Kyukyu~♪"
True happily told me that there was a coast on the west side of the settlement, and they helped the Kijimunaa with fishing there. Drive fishing? She seemed delighted to have been taught the Kijimunaa's net fishing technique.
"Nya-nya."
Shal told me that while she was gathering information, dried sardines were very popular with the Kijimunaa children. She tried to teach the adults how to make them, but the Kijimunaa apparently lacked cooking utensils. They were carefully using what they had, but it looked quite old.
"I heard there were people here a very long time ago, so maybe they got these items back then?"
"Is that so?"
There are cottages, and various rooms in the Ancient Ruins, so there must have been a fair number of people working here, and it was probably from that era. Given Gaju heard it as tradition, it must have been a very long time ago...
"~~~?"
"Juju~juju."
"Ah, so the Calamity affected here too..."
Everyone apparently gathered in the Divine Tree to weather the calamity, but that was long after the people had left.
"Listening to the fairies, it sounds like the ancient people evacuated from the Uninhabited Island before the calamity struck.
"Why would they abandon something they'd worked so hard to build...?"
Mion's gaze was fixed on the tower of the Ancient Ruins. The mining facility inside was cut off at the 11th floor underground, but the upper floors were still perfectly usable.
"~~~?"
"Juju~juju."
Sweee asked Gaju why the humans disappeared, but Gaju apparently didn't know about that either. However, he confirmed that the tools and remaining items they have now were indeed given to them by the humans who helped the Kijimunaa until the very end. Anyway,
"I can make most of the tools, so don't hesitate to ask for whatever you need."
"Juju!?"
Gaju was incredibly surprised, but once I've made cooking utensils, I can just use my Crafting (Blacksmithing) Self-Replication Arts to make more. I have plenty of Iron Ore and Iron Ingots left over.
"Kyukyu~?"
"Oh, yeah, it's fine. Just a moment, please."
True asked me to give a wooden statue of the Jade Goddess to the Kijimunaa. True is truly kind to think of such things.
"Alright, this should do it."
I picked up some of the lumber remaining from fixing the fence. Then, I quickly activated my Self-Replication Arts.
"Ah."
"Yeah, perfect. How's this?"
"Juju-juju-juju!"
"Kyukyu~♪"
Gaju, surprised by the wooden statue of the Jade Goddess he received, held it high above his head with both hands. When True explained, "We display ours by the Divine Tree," he nodded in agreement.
"Ryu?" "Uu~?"
"Nya-nya~"
Ah, I gave these to the Selkies, and Shal's group has a large one at the church, so they're fine, but I haven't given any to Pan or Ato's group, have I?
"Ryu!" "Uu!"
"Do you think Pan-kun and Ato-chan's group want one too?"
"Yeah, yeah. If I had wood, I could make them right away, but..."
Come to think of it, there's a Divine Tree deep in the Ghillie Dhu's forest, isn't there? I'll have to go there too...
"Ryuryu?" "Uu~?"
"J-Just a moment, please."
I have to wait for the Arts' cooldown to finish, but I don't know how to explain that!