Chapter 233: Getting Entangled
“Your stories are always so outlandish, or rather, they’re beyond my imagination.”
“Your brain denies things before you even listen! You’ll realize just how much of a common-sense person you are.”
Dean and Chris really let me have it.
I never thought I’d end up picking up Karn!
We ate our fill and drank some wine, chatting about various things. Dinoss headed home first, where his family was waiting, leaving the four of us single men behind.
Most adventurers save up as much money as they can while they’re able, then retire, get married, and live a quiet life. It seems like Retze was planning to get married and hand over his small shop.
Male adventurers tend to marry later in life. In a world where spirits grant abilities, it may seem like there’s no difference between men and women, but the reality is that too many women lose their lives during childbirth. Because of this, women often marry early and quit being adventurers.
Even skilled adventurers like Dean tend to spend their earnings recklessly, making it hard for them to save. Since those around them aren’t getting married either, they probably think they can still have fun.
There are some, like Dinoss, who marry early, but perhaps due to the life-or-death nature of their work, many have a fleeting mindset, making it hard for them to settle down. On the other hand, it’s rare to find someone like Retze who is methodical and diligent. If someone has a practical personality, they’re far more likely to pursue a regular business.
Wealthy merchants and nobles tend to marry young. This world often sees people losing their lives to illness or accidents. Farmers who can secure their own food also tend to marry early and have large families. In short, once they can provide for their family, they quickly marry and have children to leave a legacy.
However, there are still plenty of people who remain single; the pressure to marry only exists for those with land or homes to pass on.
I was introduced to Lilith not as an adventurer but as a skilled pharmacist who makes healing potions and runs a business. It was a convenient excuse for receiving Spirit Silver or gifts of gratitude for saving lives. Thanks to that, the pressure to advance my relationship with Ash has been quite intense…
As the night wore on, Dean and Chris rambled on about nonsensical things, laughing together while I watched in disbelief, trying and failing to extract any romantic stories from Retze.
“Ask Dean about that kind of stuff. He’s got plenty of experience.”
“I’ve already heard it from Dean, and it’s always the same pattern. I’m bored of it.”
When Dean drinks, he can’t hide anything about himself.
But when the topic shifts to requests, he snaps back to his senses, and it’s a mystery whether he’s actually serious or not. As for Chris, his stories were poetic, decorative, and long-winded, so I barely remembered half of what he said.
“Just drink already.”
Hmm, you think I’ll be quiet if you keep feeding me? Well, that’s true enough.
I really enjoy these drinking sessions with the guys. We joke around and roll on the floor—though I only drink the alcohol that Dean and the others brought, and thanks to the faint effects of the healing potions, I don’t get completely drunk. But I might roll around a bit with them.
You know, it’s better to have a place where we can sit on the floor for these gatherings. A low table and tatami mats—no, that wouldn’t fit this stone house, so maybe thick carpets and cushions instead. But the only room available is the one on the third floor by the city wall. It’s too cramped for five or six guys to roll around in.
The next day, I woke up without a hangover and went through my morning routine. Rishu looked adorable as always.
Today, I prepared preserved food to take to the labyrinth and mixed seasonings for everyday cooking. So first, I put pork back fat in the pot. The fat began to ooze out, filling the pot with liquid. I adjusted the heat to prevent burning and left it to simmer.
I made a large amount of lard for frying and for rillettes. Rillettes have less of a strong flavor than liver paste and are more filling than jam, making them a great preserved food. I plan to make it a couple of days before we head into the labyrinth.
But today, it’s all about croquettes, croquettes. I’ll fry some karaage too. I chopped up plenty of shredded cabbage and also diced some myoga to go with cold tofu. Then, I’ll steam some eggplant with ginger soy sauce.
I’ll make it look healthy with vegetables, but I’ll wash it down with cola! I crave karaage and croquettes regularly. Biting into a crispy, hot beef croquette and savoring the fluffy potato and beef flavor is pure bliss. Fried food and carbonation are a guilty pleasure.
After the meal, I busily prepared fruits and vegetables harvested from the field on the first floor of the barn, working on drying vegetables, pickling, and simmering them for bottling.
In the basement of this barn, I store olive oil in a half-buried jar. There’s still a little left, but it’s from the olives I pressed myself last year.
This year, I’m also eager to make plenty of wine and wine vinegar. I’ve heard that making balsamic vinegar seriously can take over ten years. In my eagerness, I’ve already prepared barrels of various sizes, looking forward to this year’s autumn grapes.
Spirits occasionally peek out, sneaking into the jars I’m supposed to fill or sniffing the scent of large peaches in delight. While they don’t change shape like Spirit Silver, they do enhance the flavors significantly, and the medicinal properties of the vegetables and fruits seem to increase.
What I create in this barn, where spirits come and go freely, might be a bit of a cheat. But since I’m making a large quantity, I hope to be forgiven for the cramped kitchen.
Living a self-sufficient slow life certainly keeps me busy!