kscans

Chapter 307 - An Acquired Taste? A Strange Taste? Mand (Part 1)

On that day, Mand summoned Yuri because a certain question about Yuri's eating habits had reared its head. According to Eto's report, who had accompanied him to the north market, Yuri had been ecstatic to see livestock feed like Chard, emergency crops like Ipo and potato beans, and even leftover, crude dried fruits, and had joyfully bought them up.

(The crops he showed to Adon-dono were all top quality, though...)

Despite that, what was the reason for him to gratefully buy up such poor quality food? Mand could only think of one thing.

(...Aside from staples like wheat... he must not have anything for side dishes, huh?)

There could be no other reason. Mand was almost certain of it, but he felt he should confirm with Yuri just in case. With that thought, Mand had summoned Yuri.

"Eh? What I usually eat?"

"Yeah. Eto told me about it, and it got me a little worried."

Mand, who had initially addressed Yuri with polite language, now spoke in a much more casual tone, having apparently recognized Yuri as one of his own kind. Of course, at the root of this was a sense of kinship towards Yuri, which was precisely why he was concerned about Yuri's circumstances.

"He said you were over the moon buyin' up livestock feed and emergency food. ...Nah, maybe it's none of my business, but I got to wonderin' what kind of stuff you usually eat."

"Oh, so that's it..."

Yuri, looking convinced, thought for a moment. Then, as if to say 'a picture is worth a thousand words,' he took out several samples from the magic bag he always wore... but upon seeing them, Mand nearly let out a sob. And for good reason. The "ingredients" that Yuri had presented at Mand's request, for some reason with a proud look on his face, did not seem like proper "crops" at all from Mand's perspective. And that was only natural... because what Yuri had presented at Mand's request were not "crops," but rather things from the category known as "wild edibles." To Yuri, who was Japanese in his past life, these wild edibles had a strong sense of being something special that did not usually appear on the dinner table... but Mand's opinion was different. He could agree that they 'did not usually appear on the dinner table' and that they were 'special'... but for Mand, that 'special' time was when 'there was nothing else to eat.' Therefore...

(Climbing vines and tree leaves... that's not proper food...)

It was only natural that Mand held such a thought.

Looking at the picture of health that was the boy before him, he could tell that he was far from malnourished. But, Mand wanted to say forcefully. Daily meals were not supposed to be such tasteless things where just having enough nutrients was good enough.

(To think his only occasional treat is flower nectar... it's too pitiful...)

Mand had been told by his master, Adon, that Yuri used wood honey. He also knew that Yuri had given Sayo and Sena's sisters wood honey confit of cherries (klick) and chestnuts (Ritz). However, Mand, with his extremely common sense imagination, had assumed that this wood honey was something collected little by little from wild Mapel trees. Thinking about it with common sense, it had to be. But unfortunately... the person furthest from that "common sense" was Yuri. That Yuri, relying on his overflowing magical power, was mass producing Mapel and fruit trees, and wood honey was nothing more than a daily consumable. Even a noble probably did not treat it so carelessly.

And that Yuri, seeing the pity in Mand's expression, seemed to have some thoughts of his own and desperately came to the defense of the wild edibles. He said that regardless of their appearance, they were well balanced in terms of nutrition.

"Those leaves are?"