kscans

Chapter 30 - Smoking Preparations and Mireille's Blush

While the little vacuum cleaner robot scurried around the room, we began preparations to smoke yesterday's Helkaarn meat.

Actually, I had already soaked it in saltwater to drain the blood before returning from the Townhouse. All that was left was to rub in the seasonings and, if possible, place it in a cool spot.

"Mireille, I want to put this meat in a cool place so it doesn't spoil. Is there a place like that in this tower?"

Mireille tilted her head slightly, then her face lit up.

"Hmm, it's a constant temperature everywhere in here. But if it's just the meat, let's try using yesterday's slime jelly!"

Ah, the one that was sent to the afterlife by the dagger's fire attribute. When rehydrated, since it had no core, only the jiggly body remained. Apparently, wrapping the meat in it would keep it cool for a day.

She efficiently sealed the salted Helkaarn in a bag and wrapped it snugly with the water-soaked slime jelly.

"I can't wait to see how it turns out."

"Me too." We both smiled. Yesterday had been so tough that this felt like a brief respite. Though for Leonhard, just cooking with the person he was starting to fall for made him tremble with emotion, thinking, so this is what it's like to be a normie.

"If I could get my hands on the core of an ice-attribute monster, I could make a cooling box... but for now, the slime is the best I can do," Mireille said, her face pensive.

"...To be honest, I'd rather not encounter any more monsters. If something like yesterday's Helkaarn shows up again, I don't think we'll be so lucky next time." Leonhard wanted to reduce the risks as much as possible.

"Then, could we at least go to the watering hole at night? There's Moon Dew Grass growing there, and if you pick it late at night, it can be used for sleeping medicine or yesterday's Sleep Orbs. If we encounter an ice-attribute monster, I want to be able to take it down for sure."

It was a fact that the Sleep Orb had saved them. Whether they used it or not, he wanted to have a few on hand.

"...Alright. But I'm coming with you, and don't you dare forget the Monster-Repelling Bell."

"I absolutely won't forget," Mireille nodded.

---

Before nightfall, Mireille used the magic herbs to make as many Potions and High Potions as she could.

...But in the middle of her work, she suddenly remembered yesterday's 'mouth-to-mouth' transfer, and her face instantly grew hot.

--Life-saving measure. That was purely a life-saving measure. Leonhard-san probably doesn't even remember.

So it's fine... probably.

But because he doesn't remember, I feel like I'm the only one with this sense of guilt...

No, if I told him, "I gave it to you mouth-to-mouth," he'd probably be troubled too. In that case, it's better to just pretend it never happened.

...But.

If that counted as a kiss... it was my first kiss...

It's impossible to just forget.

(...Focus! I have a mountain of things to do!)

She took a deep breath and got her hands moving again.

The quality of fresh magic herbs would decline in a few days. She had even gotten her hands on material close to the 'holy water' used for High Potions. She wanted to finish them now.

Thanks to the complete set of alchemy tools, the work progressed surprisingly smoothly. As she worked silently, time passed as if in a dream.

--From the fourth floor, Leonhard, who had carried a single wooden box outside, watched her quietly from the shadows of the hallway.