Chapter 547: Watermelon
That night, after attending a business meeting in Naruadeid, I sat in the house, petting Rishu while pondering what to plant in Karn’s Country.
Tomorrow, I plan to show Hauron and Karn what I have in mind.
Rishu’s fur is fluffy and feels great to touch. He rolls over, exposing his belly, wriggling around, and occasionally pretends to nibble at the air, making a cute “hakuhaku” sound. His face looks like it’s smiling, and I can’t help but think my little guy is the best.
Rice is a definite choice. I have this image of it becoming delicious with the melting snowmelt, but since it’s already being cultivated in Es, I don’t need to worry about the environment. But, hmm, if I focus too much on what’s in the Food Storage, will that be a problem?
I’ve heard that Karn’s Country plans to make rice, wheat, and beans their staple foods. With immigrants from Nakahara and Es mixing in, the food culture is bound to become diverse.
I’m thinking of having mangoes, papayas, and bananas planted, and maybe dates? No, dates are already common, right? Oh, and I can’t forget about watermelon! Even though it fits the tropical theme, I can’t picture pineapples in the desert.
Since coming here, I’ve been able to recall things I’ve read or seen once, thanks to my Production Talent, All Cooking, or maybe even Appraisal. With All Cooking, I can even think of things I definitely didn’t know before.
But the initial images that come to mind are quite limited. So, I’ll verify the knowledge that pops up.
As a result, everything except pineapples can grow in Karn’s Country. Even if pineapples can handle the temperature, it seems they lack the humidity needed for growth.
Papayas appear to be excellent sources of vitamin C. Some countries even use them as an injection for treating herniated discs. I’m surprised again by this knowledge I had forgotten.
I want to make a salad with shredded green papaya, and since it provides vitamin C, I’ll go with papaya. For now, I’ll set aside the back pain issue, but I wonder if the presence of spirits could help heal that. Isn’t that a bit too fantastical?
So, I’ll check on the bananas I bravely harvested. They had seeds. Right now, I’m working hard to cultivate them in the warm mountains. It seems more reliable to plant new shoots from the tubers, but well, I’m relying on the spirits.
Now, the bananas from the Food Storage don’t have seeds… So, I’ll diligently grow these bananas and select the sweetest ones to cultivate. Thanks to the spirits, they grow ridiculously fast, and they tend to have the flavor I want. Bananas are grass, and their growth cycle is quick, which is a relief.
So, the bananas are still being improved. Papayas yield plenty of seeds, so no problem there, though they take a bit longer to grow since they’re trees. Watermelons have seeds, grow quickly, and pose no issues!
And then there are mangoes. The mangoes from the Food Storage are large and sweet, but I can only eat one at a time. They’re delicious, but I can’t eat too many. Still, I’ve been diligently making dried mangoes and collecting seeds. I’ve also crossbred them with the local varieties.
The items from the Food Storage won’t grow anywhere outside this mountain.
Some of these are being cultivated in the island fields. However, both my mountain and the island have limited space, so I can only enjoy them in part. That’s why I have high hopes for Karn’s Country.
So, here I am at Kanum’s rented house.
On the table are plump bananas, ripe papayas, mangoes, and watermelons, along with several dishes.
Gathered around are Karn, Hauron, and the eating crew: Dinoss, Dean, and Chris, with Retze supervising.
“Well, even if you call me, I don’t know what suits the climate south of Es. Just because I’ve been there once doesn’t mean I know how the terrain and climate have changed,” Retze says, looking troubled.
“It’s fine. Just having you here is enough. —I know about rice and watermelon; the watermelon I know is more oval and whitish,” Hauron says, perhaps relying too much on Retze for support.
“Mangoes are the portable preserved food that Jean gave me!” Chris chimes in.
“Yeah, they’re delicious even fresh. The bananas here are still being improved; maybe steaming or grilling them would be good?” I still don’t feel like the bananas are tasty enough to eat raw.
“The final form is probably what goes into the cakes you make,” Dinoss says, lifting a plump banana.
“Yeah,” I reply. The Dinoss Family seems familiar with banana pound cake and chocolate-covered bananas. Shiva really likes bananas.
“Can I eat now?” Dean asks.
“Sure, sure,” I respond, serving up the meat and mushroom paella.
“Ahh, the meat is delicious!”
“The meat isn’t on the list of candidates. But it is tasty,” Hauron comments as he digs into the paella.
Everything Dean eats looks delicious, so I’m tempted to join him with the paella. The rice soaked in the savory flavor of the tender meat is delightful.
“This has an interesting texture. Pork and—this is papaya, right?” Chris says, eating a stir-fry made with green papaya. I think I’ve served green papaya in a salad before?
“If it can become a daily meal, that would be great. Mangoes can be preserved too, so we could export them. They might become popular,” Retze says while enjoying his stir-fry.
“That’s true. Thanks to Asas and Es, the fertility of our crops is guaranteed, so I was considering exports in that direction. Mangoes seem to have a good price point. They’re sweet and melt-in-your-mouth delicious,” Hauron replies happily.
“Until the system is in place, we’ll focus on wheat and rice. After that, we’ll gradually expand. If other countries start interfering, it could become troublesome,” Karn says.
“Can’t we win?”
“We have gods who govern storms and battles here. However, unless we win through human strength, it could draw unwanted attention,” Karn states calmly.
“The vast sands part, revealing ancient cities, and the eternal Es River changes its course. Just hearing about it paints a beautiful picture!” Chris exclaims, overwhelmed.
The sight of the city in Karn’s Country emerging from the sands was indeed breathtaking. If Es and Wanwan were to rampage with the Desert Spirit Baylis in tow, it would be quite a disaster.
“This watermelon is mostly red and sweet,” Hauron says, tasting a triangular slice of watermelon. The watermelon here is mostly filled with white flesh. Is it more like a gourd?
And he doesn’t seem too pleased.
“Is it bad if it’s sweet?” Why is it only the watermelon? Everyone else seemed happy with their sweetness.
“Watermelon is like a canteen for desert travelers. It can be carried for longer without spoiling than water, making it quite valuable. Even though the water from the Es River enriches the land, it’s not suitable for drinking as is,” Hauron explains.
“Oh, so if you’re drinking it instead of water, sweetness would be a hindrance,” I realize.
When you change places, the priorities shift.