Chapter 361: Neutral Island
The materials I need are in the pantry. Cooking in the tower should bring the spirits wandering around to enhance the flavor, but…
“Here you go.”
Given the high temperature on the island, maybe a salad udon would have been better?
“Ah! What if it gets scratched?!”
As I set the bowl down, Soleil let out a shriek.
“No worries. The furniture here is so mysterious that even if you slash it with a sword, who knows if it would get scratched?”
I lifted the bowl to show her.
“Stop it! Even if that’s true, my nerves can’t handle it…!”
Soleil looked like she was about to cry.
With no other choice, I laid a fresh sheet over the table. Is this what I have to do to make a tablecloth?
“Are you eating over there, my lord?”
“Yeah, this side is easier for me. Feel free to eat comfortably.”
It seems like handling the thickness and length of udon with a fork might be a challenge.
“It’s like trying to eat soba with a fork,” someone once told me, which made me stop using chopsticks for spaghetti at home. But switching it around seems like it would take practice, so I won’t force it. I still find myself wanting to switch to a knife and fork after cutting my food.
As a result, Auro and Soleil seem to be taking on the challenge.
“Is this a seafood soup? It goes well with the noodles.”
Soleil’s decent evaluation made me feel relieved.
“Wonderful!”
“Everything tastes… amazing!”
“…It’s delicious.”
The changelings’ feedback tends to focus on whether it tastes good or not, so even when they praise it, I can’t fully believe them.
All four of them can slurp up the udon, but they can’t manage to slurp it up properly, instead taking small bites and chewing. They can’t just twirl it like spaghetti and take a single bite.
They’re also not good at taking in air with their food, which means they can’t cool down the broth in their mouths, making them a group of sensitive tongues. The broth is warm for everyone except me. It’s like trying to drink hot water through a straw. I thought that having air would help spread the flavor of the dashi, but it’s a bit disappointing.
The crispy tempura on top of the noodles can sometimes absorb the broth and become fluffy and juicy, but it seems the locals prefer it to stay a bit crispier.
However, Soleil and Auro’s udon and tempura are soaking up the broth like sponges.
“How about switching to forks until you get used to it?”
Some people like their udon long and soaked in broth, but those two are different, right?
“The tomato is delicious…!”
Her voice was quiet, but Faramia looked like she was quietly shocked, as if thunder was rumbling in the background.
The salt came from the spirits in the salt mine, and the olive oil was made from fruits harvested from the orchard at my house, stored in the barn’s underground where spirits can come and go freely. I’d like to prepare some pepper too.
It seems Faramia has found a flavor she likes. That’s good, but it might also be a flag for trouble with the raiders from the fields.
“It’s cold and delicious. With this flavor, the tomato should spread quickly, right?”
Ah, Soleil’s back straightened.
I thought cold udon would be better, but since this room is cool, warm udon seems to be the right choice. I didn’t intend to chill it that much, but everyone else isn’t used to the coolness.
It seems everyone enjoys warm udon, and pairing it with chilled Caprese or cold tofu is just right.
After dessert, Kiel and Auro had a bit of a spat, and Soleil nearly fainted but managed to calm down and sip her tea.
“There have been many inquiries about the spirit lamps. Especially from Naruadeid, which has spirit’s branches, and from Marina’s homeland. Others seem unsure if they can get lights in their own houses.”
“That’s because they’re ridiculously expensive.”
Kiel interjected after Soleil’s explanation.
“They’re divided into tens, so they might be gauging each other’s reactions.”
Auro added.
The first magic circle class is set to focus on the magic circle for spirit lamps. I plan to have residents with potential become craftsmen for the spirit lamps.
The spirit lamps I installed in my tower and various places in the town have drawn a lot of attention, leading to a mountain of inquiries. After making ten and handing them to Soleil, it seems most pulled back when I hiked up the price.
Soleil managed to secure a glassblower who can create beautiful, evenly rounded blown glass.
I could mass-produce the magic circles myself, but since I want to spread them, I decided to increase the number of people who can create them. Spirit lamps are truly tools where materials and spirits coexist. I was so caught up in making my own place comfortable that I almost forgot that.
If the world leans too much toward materials or spirits, it becomes unstable. I think I had a vague goal of creating magical tools or spirit tools to stabilize and develop the spirit realm and material realm.
“Naruadeid is quite bold. What if they decide to raid us when push comes to shove?”
Once again, the Merchant Guild and Shipping Guild have stepped forward to make a purchase.
“They’re the strongest armed group. It takes quite a bit of resolve to take action against them.”
“Huh? Aren’t they neutral and unarmed?”
Didn’t they say something like that at the lighthouse?
“They just don’t fight in Naruadeid. The competition in trade on land is fierce, and that’s scary too. Both guilds have ships equipped and manned enough to retaliate if attacked on the open sea.”
Soleil gave a wry smile.
“It seems they often feign weakness in the open sea, allowing themselves to be attacked so they can retaliate.”
Auro continued.
It’s basically piracy, but is it safe since they don’t initiate? Is it really safe? Or maybe it doesn’t matter in the open sea? Perhaps Naruadeid and the surrounding inland sea maintain their neutrality for the sake of trade.
“Naruadeid is a scary island.”
“Is it the lord of this island saying that?”
I sighed without thinking, and Kiel called me out on it.
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
Kiel looked surprised, but really, what is going on with this island?