Chapter 12: Lunch
I arrived at the recommended restaurant marked on the map I bought at the gate. The interior featured a ceiling arched with bricks, plastered walls, and well-maintained tables and chairs, despite a few scratches. It looked quite nice.
After a short wait, I was seated.
“What do you recommend?”
“Beef stew.”
Sensing my confusion over the dish’s name, the server explained the ingredients and cooking method.
“Then I’ll have that and some water.”
“Would you like bread with that?”
“Yes, please.”
I was hungry, and since I couldn’t quite grasp the names of the dishes written on the chalkboard, I decided to go with the recommendation.
Soon, a cart rattled over and stopped next to my table. On the silver tray were a chunk of meat about the size of my face, boiled with onions and carrots, along with some other unidentifiable cuts.
The server expertly sliced the meat on the cart, drizzled it with a savory sauce, and plated it for me. Meanwhile, another staff member brought over the bread and water.
The plate of meat was placed on my table, and looking around, I noticed many others enjoying the same dish.
On the plate with the bread, there were three small dishes lined up, and it seemed like people were dipping their meat into the sauces to change the flavor.
Wow, the meat is moist and tender, with no unpleasant smell. The unidentifiable cuts are also delicious and gelatinous. I decided against using [Appraisal] since it might reveal something unappetizing like innards.
The bread was a bit dry for my taste, but when dipped in the meat sauce, it was quite enjoyable.
Feeling satisfied, I left the restaurant. It was a secret that I thought it would be lamb dishes since it was Butler’s Choice.
Today had its chaotic moments, but I had mostly achieved my initial goals, and I gathered even more information. I managed to secure two shops that seemed difficult to shop at without an introduction.
I still had no idea what happened to that scary-faced young lady—no, was she a lady?—but I hoped she was safe. She had answered my questions diligently, though her priorities seemed a bit off; still, she was a good person.
I had thought I could browse freely in the bookstore, but the staff actually asked for my preferences and brought out the books for me to see.
The first book the staff opened for me was titled Anathema, and right at the start, it had a warning: “Steal or damage, and you’ll be cursed!”
“Not long ago, books were much rarer and considered treasures,” the staff explained. There are indeed many books with curses written in them, but they were akin to the warnings pirates would leave in treasure caves, so I shouldn’t worry too much.
“There are some curses that truly take effect, but if you purchase from our store legitimately, they won’t activate, so rest assured.”
That didn’t exactly put my mind at ease.
At the bookstore, I bought books on architecture and magic potions. I wanted a history book too, but they were ridiculously expensive, so I gave up; it was hard to justify buying as many as I wanted at those prices. When I bought the books, they even included white gloves, presumably for reading.
The quality of the paper wasn’t great, but it was available. Whether made from plants or parchment, if left as a single sheet, anything written on it would completely disappear within a year. Here, they called it a Spirit’s prank.
To preserve writings, it seemed I had to bind them into books. Parchment was easier to work with, while paper books required more complicated processes.
It was said that original books written by their authors housed Spirits, and if you loved the book, it would share its contents with you. If the Spirit’s power was strong, even copies would carry that power. According to the bookstore staff, “proper books” hold value.
At first, I didn’t quite grasp it, but when they explained that if a book was a magic tome, it could grant the ability to use magic, it made sense why they were so expensive.
After leaving the Royal Capital, I headed home. Ah, I forgot to stop by the Spirit’s Branch.
I checked on Rishu and started preparing dinner. Preparation just meant putting vegetables and meat into a pot with a handle and placing it by the fireplace. In two or three hours, it would become delicious.
While waiting for it to cook, I brought a chair by the window to read. The candlelight was dim, so I needed to read while there was still sunlight. Fortunately, this country had late sunsets, and the nights were short. During this season, the sun stayed up until around eight.
I wanted to convert one barn into a potion lab. Ideally, I’d like to add more rooms to this house. But, I guess it might be easier since I don’t have to worry too much about earthquake resistance?
Still, shouldn’t I make a lamp before any renovations? I didn’t have fuel alcohol, but I had rapeseed oil in the pantry. If I used glass or polished metal to reflect the light, it might be brighter than a candle.
“Light!”
When I tried it, a faint magical light floated into existence. Yeah, this could work in a pinch. Even if it didn’t come to that, I still wanted a lamp.
The fact that I couldn’t make what I wanted on the island due to a lack of materials and tools still lingered in my mind. When I moved into this house, I had only intended to cook. Well, it’s good to have conveniences.
For a while, I pretended to hunt horned bears and delivered them, visited the Alchemy Guild to observe, and helped farmers to learn specifically how they used their resources.
I became friendly with the Dinoss Family. They taught me how to raise livestock and showed me the process of making cheese. I even helped rebuild their barn. I was strong, and my Production Talent was useful, so I didn’t get in the way.
In the end, they roasted a pig for me, and as a thank you, I gifted them some wine I had bottled and cookies I bought in the Royal Capital that were too sweet for me to finish. They were delighted.
I apologized for giving them opened cookies, thinking they were for children, but it seemed sweets were rare here, and even the adults were happy. When I thought about it, it made sense; it wasn’t like I could frequently go to town for shopping.
Next, it seemed I would be busy making winter preserved food. I should come to help again.
In the meantime, I gathered materials for the expansion. I wanted to buy lumber and other large items, but it would be too conspicuous to buy them nearby when I wasn’t building a house. I should procure them from a town I didn’t plan to visit.
I also planned to stock up on cheap glass and iron. Here, far from the sea, it was quicker to buy broken glass bottles than to source raw materials like silica sand for glass. It seemed adventurers often broke bottles when using potions.
I wanted to make my home comfortable before winter arrived. I heard that the weather here could be quite dreary during the winter.
Compared to when winter was approaching on the island, I felt much more relaxed and couldn’t help but enjoy myself.
Ah, I should also think about what to do while cooped up inside.