Chapter 673 - Delicious Sweets Shrouded in Mystery
"Okay, start!"
"Ryuu!" """Ryuu!""" "Y-Yeah..."
At Pan's command, the work of securing the beams began. Emeraldia-san had returned to her beautiful green dragon form. She used her right hand to support the wooden beams being placed atop the pillars, while her left hand held Pan and the others as they hammered in the nails.
[Missama] "This really is heavy machinery lol." [Karin] "Having extra help (?) makes such a difference!" [Daytron] "
I had carefully prepared the foundation myself, so the most important part of the remaining work was placing these beams. Once the beams were set on all four sides, I planned to add sturdy bracing for reinforcement before moving on to the roof.
"So, first, I'll talk about going to the Southern Island."
Yes, please.
I explained how I'd heard the Kobolds were becoming active on the Southern Island and had my friend Natto look into it. I deduced that the Forest of Confusion would likely require the Kijimunaa's power to see through truths and lies to bypass. While I could have left it to Gaju and the others, I wanted to see it for myself, so I joined in.
[Mattoru] "I wanted to go too... orz" [Nireno] "What about Mion-chan?" [Emdeiku] "Can we assume you are friends with the Kijimunaa?" [Rogappo] "Will you be going back?" etc.
Ah, I do not have any plans to go.
"As for me, once the talk about the Remote Island Mutual Aid Association progresses, I think I'll have to meet up with them eventually. I'm not sure exactly when that will be, though."
As I answered, I prepared the next beam. Emeraldia-san and Pan's group moved to the next spot as well.
"Ryuu~"
"Thanks. This one next."
The timber was quite heavy. In reality, there was no way a single person could lift this. It was only possible thanks to my increased STR and the Gravity Reduction from spatial magic making it lighter.
"Ryuu?"
"Yeah. Okay."
"H-Hi..."
Once I confirmed the alignment was correct, I left the rest to them. Now, to continue the story... I decided to skip the details of my relationship with Gaju's group. I figured I'd let the viewers' imaginations run wild.
"Oh, that's right. Regarding the seasonings and cooking tools... as I mentioned before, I've decided to leave that to an expert."
The comment section lit up at the announcement. Even though they didn't know for sure, everyone was guessing it was the Master Chef...
Shall we announce who it is?
"Yeah. I got his okay, and just as you all suspected, it's the Master Chef. I'm planning to leave most of it to him, so I think we'll be able to release things like Kohaku in addition to alcohol."
[Shakeena] "IT'S HERE! ♪───Ｏ（≧∇≦）Ｏ────♪" [Peater] "The possibility of drinking island wine in Revanderi!" [Master Chef] "It is an honor. I look forward to working with you!" [Chromul] "How much will the volume be?" etc.
Joyful comments and a massive flood of questions poured in, so I figured I'd have to leave the rest to Mion. Since the second beam was just finished, I decided to prepare the next task while things settled down.
"Thanks. This timber next."
"Ryuu~" "H-Hi..."
They set to work on the third beam. I decided we would take a break and have the Q&A session after the fourth one was finished.
"Is it about time?"
Ah, yes.
Thanks to Mion guiding everyone toward the question corner, the comment section seemed to have calmed down. Now, was it time for the talk about glass?
"I've received the additional order of waste glass for the stained glass. Thank you very much."
I was extremely satisfied to have obtained five wooden crates' worth of glass bottles for about a quarter of a Green Gold Ingot. The small wood-carved Lupis I included as a bonus seemed popular too, so I thought I might include them next time as well. They were easy to mass-produce myself. I also wanted to try making tableware and wine bottles. The crystal ore I asked Natto for should be arriving soon. However, stained glass was the top priority, so...
"I'm still looking for information on red and yellow colored glass. I would appreciate any help."
We look forward to your assistance.
[Yuusen] "Leave the investigation to me! Full power!" [Mii] "I am currently digging through documents!" [Comet] "Please wait patiently..." [Yuumi] "Tell me if there is anything else to look up!" etc.
I guess that was about it. Now, I would help out with the final beam and finish this up quickly.
...
We took a break once the four beams were set. Everyone sat down in the grass.
"Well then, let's eat."
"Ryuu." """Ryuu~"""
"Woof!" ""Bow!""
Today's snack was a homemade Siberia. I had been looking for a new snack to make and found that castella could be made with eggs, wheat flour, sugar, and honey. By sandwiching anko in between, the Siberia was complete.
It is a new sweet.
"Yeah. I'm sure many of you know it, but it's a Siberia made with island ingredients."
[Choccol] "The calorie bomb is here!" [Ashleaf] "Azuki was on the island too!?" [Karuserun] "What is your cooking skill level?" [Kokudo] "Appraisal! Appraisal! Appraisal!" etc.
"Well, I'm growing the Azuki on the island from seeds I got from Natto. Though I've left the actual farming entirely to Pan and the others."
It was delicious even just put on toast.
When I made it, my Cooking Mastery and Confectionery Mastery levels both reached 6, catching up to my Medicinal Cuisine Mastery. I wondered if that was usually the other way around. Oh, I hadn't appraised it yet.
[(Temporary) Siberia]
[Azuki Anko made by Uri-shuk sandwiched between Fairy's Castella. (Explanation can be edited/added.) Effect: MP recovery +10 every 1 minute (1 hour) Dish Name: (Undecided), Creator: Shou]
[Mushinko] "Siberia???" [Dasatoshi] "MP recovery!?" [Nightny] "The recovery power is higher and lasts longer than the mainland Yokan..." [Mogrin] "Even the castella alone seems amazing." etc.
Wasn't the name originally derived from the place name Siberia? It felt really strange to see the name "Siberia" even inside the game...