Chapter 222: The Reason for Visiting the Brothel
This morning’s breakfast consisted of grilled mackerel fillet, rolled omelet, octopus in vinegar, steamed chicken with okra and myoga in plum sauce, blanched vegetables, fluffy freshly cooked rice, and hot miso soup.
The temperature had risen since morning, so the meal was refreshing. But the miso soup was a steaming bowl of clam miso soup, lavishly sprinkled with plenty of green onions.
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of squishing the daifuku that had been stored in the cooling plate box, so it was a good day. I hope today will be just as enjoyable.
After finishing my daily routine of hiking and tending to the fields, I teleported to the tower. I wanted to bring Rishu along, but the space is cramped and there are materials for the shelves lying around, so I’ll wait until it’s finished.
I set about assembling the shelves, temporarily placing the bed frame, and adding more cooling plates… It was hot! The tower is covered by thick walls, but it still gets warm. It’s practically clinging to a cliff that has no shade from the southeastern sun.
I took a moment to cool off on the plates before resuming the shelf assembly. I thought it might be better to attach the plates to the ceiling, but the ceiling has already been nicely finished, and if I attach them later and they fall, that would be a problem.
Ah, maybe I should just draw directly on the stone walls. I could flatten out the bumps with the Zanzenken. I’ll need to avoid the stone joints, but if I draw a few small designs, it could look like a pattern. It’s a bit more troublesome than just drawing one big design, though.
Alright, let’s get this done before it gets any hotter.
I prepared two wooden step ladders and laid a board across them for easy movement. Then it was just a matter of scraping away. A little lizard came to watch, and tiny spirits gathered around. I wished for a copying ability while I kept scraping away.
With the tiny spirits around, if I don’t mess up, it should turn into a high-performance cooling plate. It should, so I’ll do my best.
What should I do about the magic stones? It’s definitely easier to do it from below. Wait, I have to draw again!
For the other rooms, I decided to cover the walls with wooden panels and draw large magic circles, or hang stone plates with magic circles scraped into them like paintings on the walls.
Only this storage room will have uniform cooling, but that’s fine. I plan to store medicines and various items here, so it should work out perfectly.
The lamp is a bed for the Light Spirit that I learned about in the Sand Temple. I might be bending the rules a bit by naming the spirits that gather around.
The room is lined with shelves that reach almost to the ceiling. The tower is originally narrow, so it’s not exactly spectacular, but it has a nice atmosphere and turned out well.
I immediately began to arrange a few items.
Bottles filled with medicine made from Kinka grass, ointment made from Red Lizard, and medicines I learned about at the Apothecary Guild.
Antidote made from crushed Southernwood fruit, a hair growth potion made from mixing ash and oil, a mixture of orange juice from Selandine and white wine, and Betony, which is planted here and there and used occasionally.
Needles made from the horns of Giant Lizards, square waterproof cloth made from leather, and one type of magic stone in small bottles. I made a workbench, but this is my collection room. I’ll enjoy gazing at it from time to time.
As I busied myself day by day, Auro would occasionally show up, leaving drinks for me. It’s a concoction made from squeezing the tuber of a plant called tiger nuts and mixing it with honey.
It looks a bit like soy milk, and thanks to the honey, it’s sweet but has a strangely refreshing aftertaste. According to Auro, it’s good for summer fatigue. Of course, there’s no refrigerator here, so it’s warm, but it’s just right when placed on the cooling plate. I’ve been experimenting to see if I can make even cooler plates lately.
Ah, maybe they’re worried about me getting heatstroke since I’m holed up in the tower. Sorry, the entrance hall is still hot, but the rest is cool.
Feeling guilty, I occasionally return the favor with sandwiches or cookies. The cookies have a rich flavor reminiscent of Edam cheese, but they leave a refreshing impression with a hint of acidity at the end, made for those who aren’t fond of sweets.
Speaking of which, I wonder how sandwiches and names of places like Earl Grey and Darjeeling are translated? As long as they’re understood, I guess it’s fine.
Still, Auro, who doesn’t fuss over me excessively or meddle, but conveys his concern through his actions, seems like a different person from when we first met. Has he switched personalities? Is everything alright?
As I focused on remodeling the tower, Retze accompanied Karn on a tour, and I went for a ride with Ash and Ruta. Just then, Dean and the others returned.
“How was the beautiful lady?”
“Oh! It was paradise!”
“That place is like a different world; it feels like all the worries of daily life and the buildup of battles with demon beasts just vanish!”
Ah, right. When you defeat demon beasts—those malevolent black spirits—black particles scatter, and if you keep fighting, they accumulate and drive you mad, right?
Normally, those particles, both good and bad, disappear quickly, but adventurers often defeat the next demon beast before they vanish, so they tend to pile up. The “buildup” that Chris mentioned must refer to those black particles.
The two of them seem eager to visit the brothel in the fortress city, perhaps because they have some understanding of that. Wait, is Retze alright? What about the butler?
The Dinoss family seems to be enjoying family time, and Ash looks like he’s being comforted by sweets.
“Man, Enda’s chest was the best!”
Forget what I just said; Dean is just a womanizer.
“What about Reed?”
“Ah—” Dean’s gaze wanders at my question.
“He saw something different from a unicorn and was a bit down, but he’s fine. My brother isn’t that weak,” Chris says with a smile.
He doesn’t seem overly concerned about his brother (Reed), but Chris really is a good big brother.