Chapter 193: Red Lizard
The mini tomatoes soaked in a shiso-infused broth were a hit. As for the yuba, they probably didn’t even realize it was Japanese cuisine.
And then there was the miso soup, with a blend of aosa and green onions wrapped in miso, accompanied by a piece of dried wheat gluten. I dropped a miso ball into a cup and poured in the hot water.
“Soup? It has a strange smell,” Retze remarked.
“This is a dish from my homeland. You can use turnips or whatever vegetables you find here; it’s quite flexible. Just mix it well,” I said, handing him a fork.
At first, I had planned to use turnips and other familiar vegetables to make it more approachable, but there really wasn’t anything among the summer vegetables that I wanted to use for miso soup.
“Wow. It had a strong scent and an unfamiliar aroma that made me hesitate, but it has a unique umami flavor. Once I get used to it, I might just crave it,” he said after sniffing and observing for a while before taking a sip.
Good, good. Compared to Dean, who prefers simple flavors with meat or bread, Retze was more adaptable.
And then the chopstick challenge began. I placed nuts on one side of two circles drawn on the ground and showed Retze how to move them to the other side. Well, it was a nice way to pass the time while waiting for the lizards to gather.
“Ha ha ha! It’s escaping!” Ex-Staff exclaimed noisily while munching on tacos.
“I never thought I’d be laughed at by the King’s Branch…”
Retze had a serious expression, but he kept crossing his chopsticks or applying too much pressure when trying to pick up the nuts, causing them to slip away. It was like the nuts rolled away the more he chased them.
As Ex-Staff said, it looked like the nuts were escaping from him. For someone as skilled as Retze, he seemed to be struggling.
Ex-Staff had a three-headed appearance, so his hands were small, and his mouth was large. While it was a bit rude to talk loudly, his big bites were quite endearing.
Though he was energetic and restless, Ex-Staff was actually a recluse. He claimed to have a personality that prefers to observe rather than interfere, like a branch or tree watching over the realm.
Even when Rishu bit him, he seemed to be in a good mood, yet he rarely came out. Apparently, other King’s Branches and Spirit’s Branches usually don’t show themselves this much. He was said to have a higher appearance rate than most.
“Usually, they don’t come out even if you call for them,” Ex-Staff said.
Listening to Retze being teased by Ex-Staff, I checked Rishu for any grass seeds and brushed him off. Not that he got dirty or had any mats, but it was just a matter of feeling good about it.
About an hour later, when I looked around the area where I had set the grass, I spotted a red lizard wriggling about.
I gently lifted the moss with the tip of Ex-Staff, and Retze slowly and quietly reached out, grabbing its neck and swiftly tossing it into the bag.
Now it was Retze’s turn to lift the moss, silently urging me to give it a try. The red lizard didn’t seem to recognize slow movements very well.
I extended my hand slowly. The red lizard, seemingly intoxicated by the scent of the grass, was sluggish and wouldn’t flee unless I made a loud noise or touched it.
The trick I learned was to grasp its neck while pressing down firmly at the base of its head. That would supposedly stop its wriggling.
It slipped away smoothly. Rishu caught the fleeing red lizard with his front paw.
“Rishu, that one’s poisonous…!” I hurriedly lifted Rishu’s front paw, which was tilting as he looked at me.
“No, it’s fine; it won’t do anything at this size,” Retze said, dangling the red lizard in his hand. He must have quickly captured it as it tried to escape.
“It slipped away and got away,” I said, checking Rishu’s paw and wiping it off.
“Well, it’s a bit tricky to catch until you get used to it,” Retze commented.
“The gloves are a hassle too.”
The full name of the red lizard is the Red Poisonous Hiding Lizard. Its eel-like, slippery body is covered in a toxic slime. After a while, this slime dries up, so it’s best to catch them alive. The slime is also said to be a material for medicine.
“The two we saw over here were ordinary lizards. The ones with horns are much quicker,” Retze said with a grin.
Damn it, I had failed the nut challenge…!
“Look, it has horns.”
“Whoa!” I exclaimed, instinctively pressing down with Ex-Staff. The demon-beastified red lizard aimed for my face and spat poison at me. Despite its small size, it was surprisingly strong, so I had to quickly subdue it.
“You… prefer using the staff over your bare hands?” Retze asked, looking at the red lizard pinned to the ground by Ex-Staff.
“No, that was just a coincidence. —But I think I’ve figured out a bit of the technique,” I replied, considering the pressure and where to hold it.
Still, it felt easier to use the staff. I pressed down firmly with Ex-Staff, immobilized it, and tossed it into the bag.
“Well, yeah. That staff is usually enshrined, but is it okay with the poison?” Retze asked, looking somewhat unconvinced.
“Since it’s a staff. I’ll wipe it down later,” I assured him.
Retze mumbled something about whether the spirit came before the staff or the other way around.
After that, we didn’t let the red lizard escape, and the learning task was complete. Later, I planned to send Retze some chopsticks and beans as a thank-you for today.