Chapter 125: No Abnormalities on the Journey
“Well then, take care of things. Here are some snacks, just leftovers from yesterday. Feel free to help yourself to the soup in the pot,” I said, passing the responsibility to Shiva for the next watch.
“Oh, thank you! Make sure to teach me how to make it later,” she replied.
“Sure, sure.”
With the rain falling and a slight chill in the air, the campfire was adorned with a pot of soup.
The snacks I handed over were marshmallows. Here, gelatin is made from the legs of calves and the hooves of heifer calves. Well, if there’s glue, I suppose it makes sense.
However, it’s not just used for sweets; it’s mainly used in dishes that crush frog or chicken meat and set it with jelly. There was apparently a strange trend among women for a time that deemed “chewing to be uncouth,” which made it popular.
Since I used the powdered gelatin from the pantry, I’d have to make it from scratch by boiling down the hooves before teaching Shiva.
“You’re going out even though it’s raining?”
“Yeah.”
In addition to taking Rishu for a walk, I had to care for the livestock, so I needed to hurry.
As a formality, I donned my hood to shield myself from the rain and entered the forest, ensuring I was out of sight before using [Teleportation]. At home, I was greeted by Rishu, and I washed my hands and face before heading to the restroom.
Here, the sky was clear, and the stars twinkled against a slightly brightened backdrop. I wondered if there was a morning star in this world too.
Rishu trotted ahead, clumsily carrying a branch longer than himself that he had picked up from somewhere. The trees on the mountain were sprouting new buds, and the apricot and plum blossoms were beginning to bloom, which I looked forward to.
The plum trees were in full bloom, filling the air with a delightful fragrance. Though they were not ornamental, the pristine white flowers were a treat for the eyes.
I tended to the fields and took care of the livestock, collecting eggs from the chickens and milk from the cows using [Storage]. Hmm, while chickens are manageable, the other livestock requires daily care, which can be a bit of a hassle. There might be times when I can’t return, so I should probably pass this responsibility to someone else.
Ah, once the house on Naruadeid Island is built, I should hire some servants to take care of things. Yes, that sounds good.
The problem is finding a representative or a steward—someone who can manage things on a daily basis and handle dealings with merchants directly.
But I have no confidence in my ability to judge people, so I’m not sure how to go about it.
When I returned to the campsite, Retze and the butler were already up, starting to prepare breakfast alongside Shiva. Today, I left everything except the soup to them.
Ash was also awake, tending to his shoes.
“Good morning, I’m back,” I greeted.
“Ah, good morning,” Retze replied.
“Welcome back,” the butler said.
“Welcome back, sir,” Shiva chimed in.
“Good morning, kids. Should I go wake them up?” Retze asked as he got up.
The campsite quickly became lively.
“Come on, wash your faces!” Shiva called out, and the children and Dean cheerfully responded as they headed toward the river. Dinozzo followed behind, yawning sleepily.
Today’s breakfast consisted of bread, cheese, dried meat, sausage, and soup. The locals don’t put much effort into breakfast; when I’m at home, it’s considered a luxury if there’s an egg dish alongside.
While sipping the warm soup, I toasted the bread over the campfire. The dried meat was Shiva’s handiwork, made by marinating beef in a seasoning liquid and then drying it. It had a slightly peculiar aroma, but its texture and saltiness were reminiscent of prosciutto, and the flavor deepened the more you chewed.
The cheese was a hard type that I wasn’t particularly fond of, but the sausage looked delicious with its nice browning.
Meal times are pure bliss!
“This is delicious. It tastes even better when someone else makes it,” I said.
“It’s an honor to hear that from you, Lord Jean,” the butler replied.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” Shiva added, while Retze merely raised an eyebrow.
After packing up the hammocks and mats, I gave water to Ruta and the others before we set off. With the children around, or perhaps due to the campsite’s circumstances, we had a leisurely schedule, allowing us to leave a bit later in the morning.
With everything going smoothly, we arrived at the abandoned mine without any issues.
“I thought it was just an abandoned mine, but there’s a fortress too,” I remarked.
“The fortress is a remnant from when this mine was operational, but it’s still in use today. It serves as a toll station,” Retze explained.
This abandoned mine had fallen into disuse due to a drop in production and the presence of demon beasts. However, the presence of these beasts had caused the minerals to become magically infused.
To be specific, it’s where we can find magic iron and magic silver, like the ones Ash gave me. Regular miners don’t enter because it’s dangerous, but adventurers like us do.
The lord of the fortress city, who owns the mine, apparently charges an entrance fee. It costs money, but they also take care of the horses, which is convenient.
“With horses, we can carry back more. The downside is that we need to prepare torches,” Dinoss added.
Ah, I hadn’t realized it would be dark inside. How do we proceed?
Dinoss and Retze took the lead to handle the paperwork, while we reorganized our necessary supplies and bought torches from a man at the fortress.
Retze had packed a lantern, but are we really using torches? Is it a backup?
“Ruta, keep an eye on things for me,” I said, giving him a sugar cube and patting his neck, hoping he would stay calm and not cause any trouble.
“He might be a bit temperamental, but I’ll do my best,” the stablehand replied, taking a tip for looking after Ruta.
“You’re spoiling him, even though he’s a borrowed horse,” Dean remarked, sounding exasperated, but I couldn’t help worrying about him.