Chapter 138: Currently Preparing
Today, I’m holed up in the smithy, getting ready to make rice balls. I’ve got a variety of fillings: crunchy pickled plums, dried sardines, grilled cod roe, salmon, shiso miso, leaf chili peppers, clams, tuna mayonnaise, and meat-wrapped rice balls, all packed into grilled rice balls.
Since preparing each ingredient one by one is a hassle, I’m going to make a large batch and toss them into [Storage]. I’ve done this a few times before, eating them when I don’t feel like cooking.
I peel the large bamboo shoots of Moso Bamboo, wash them, and wrap three of them in the skins that have dried overnight. I’ll use the bamboo shoots later to make mixed rice.
I read somewhere that Japan has around six hundred types of bamboo, but for now, I have Moso Bamboo, Madake, and the bamboo shoots for menma in the pantry. Oh, wait, now I want ramen.
While using the ingredients from the field, I catch sight of a spirit in the kitchen. It’s not a large one, just a small one that seems to lack consciousness. Since there’s a barrier preventing entry into the house, these spirits must be the ones belonging to the vegetables and fruits I brought in.
Plant spirits—like those from fruit trees—are born from the wood, flowers, and fruits. Tree spirits often reside in older trees, but those born from flowers or fruits tend to leave quickly. They might even move to another flower of the same kind.
The spirits of flowers and fruits can only maintain their unique forms for a short time before breaking down into fine particles, merging into seeds, the original tree, the atmosphere, or the ground. When they break down into fine particles, they seem to have a lot of fun, which makes them a bit different from other spirits that want to maintain their forms.
When I first cut the vegetables and saw them break apart and get absorbed into the ingredients, I was surprised and didn’t know what to do. I felt a pang of guilt, too.
But as I watched, they dove into the pot and moved around happily, so I realized that being cooked deliciously was their true desire, which put me at ease. Even among the spirits of the same vegetable, some choose not to disappear and instead pour their energy into the cooking, which is quite the mystery.
Once I finished preparing lunch, I moved on to fill the [Storage] with plenty of hot water. I set up a washbasin outside the smithy, put on a mask, and got ready.
First up today is cutting charcoal. The charcoal is made from pine wood, which ignites easily and has excellent heat output. It burns inefficiently, though, so I end up using a lot.
I have some pine charcoal ready, but I need to cut the irregular pieces into cubes about two to three centimeters in size. Reading the grain of the wood and cutting it to the desired size while minimizing dust is quite a challenge. I end up covered in black, even inside my nostrils!
To make the charcoal, I need to prepare properly. A small black bird, round and fluffy like a sparrow, flits around.
For now, just stop drawing on me with charcoal dust.
After finishing the work, I pour hot water into the prepared washbasin and wash off my soot-covered body. I have a feeling my clothes are beyond saving… Will the laundry service be able to clean them? I can’t imagine charcoal or ink washes out easily.
Feeling refreshed, I sit down for lunch and eat outside alongside Rishu. There’s something special about eating rice balls outdoors.
I almost mixed up the fillings and ended up with a Russian rice ball, but I managed to sort it out with [Appraisal]. Since they’re all my favorite ingredients, I wouldn’t mind whatever I got.
The area around the house is starting to feel quite spring-like. A small grass that resembles clover is spreading out.
Most of the grass is about the same height, but occasionally, a tall one pops up, and Rishu seems curious, playfully snapping at it. It looks like she’s having fun, which is great to see.
Taking advantage of the lack of bugs in the garden, I lie down and take a nap. Rishu returns and settles next to me, still playing with the grass.
In the afternoon, I’ll melt the magic iron I collected from the mine shaft and turn it into steel, then quench it in water to cool it rapidly, trimming away any undesirable parts…
I’m using only magic iron, which is quite luxurious, but the price remains the same. I can almost hear a TV shopping pitch in my head as I work seriously.
The kids have been told by their guardians to work without spirits this time! So, I’ve banned spirits from entering while I hammer away. I wonder what to do about the fine particles that get produced during work…?
Well, it’s fine; it’s not like they’ll gain a fire attribute or anything, so I’ll just ignore it.
For Baku, I’m crafting a thick sword that delivers damage through force, and for En, a short, curved single-edged sword.
En requested something flashy! Rishu had been scolded by Dinoss and Shiva for that. I think it’s not the right time for that, but once I’ve built a solid foundation, it’d be nice to be able to protect it. It’s exciting, after all.
I finish making the kids’ swords, and that wraps up the day. Tomorrow, I’ll forge the swords for Shiva and the butler, who have overlapping requests for attributes.
The butler and Shiva want weapons made of magic silver. They say it’s effective against demon beasts like wraiths and ghosts. — Are there really vampires?
Both of them already have their main weapons, so these will be secondary ones.
Shiva’s request is for twin swords of different lengths, designed for speed and cutting, with one being ice and the other a different attribute. She mentioned that she might encounter demon beasts that are resistant to ice. Now that I think about it, I remember hearing about such creatures when I went north.
The butler wants three knives that can fit into his cuffs, hoping for dark or ice attributes.
While I can store larger items like in my and En’s [Storage], he has the ability to store smaller items that can fit in pockets or cuffs.
I’ve often wondered where Note pulls out towels from, but I figured it was a skill that came with being a butler.
By the way, it seems to be a power called [Hidden Weapon]. The name sounds a bit ominous; it doesn’t seem like a typical butler’s ability.