Chapter 559: A Tranquil Morning
“Hey! We got the approval for the banquet!”
“It’s a festival!”
“Time to prepare!”
“Let’s treat the Island’s Soleil!”
“We’ve always been the ones receiving!”
“Let’s serve for a change!”
“Call out to Sulfur Valley!”
“Call out to the Valley of Red Silver!”
“The Black Charcoal Cave wanted to join too, right?”
“At this point, invite everyone!”
“Welcome anyone who brings prey!”
“Welcome anyone who brings alcohol!”
“Where’s Harvgova?”
“She’s where the Puffins fly!”
“Bring the sea monsters to the Island’s Soleil!”
“Bring the sea monsters to the Island’s Soleil!”
For a moment, I thought I’d have to go hunt a dragon, but it seems the Earth Folk are preparing a feast for the festival.
By the way, what exactly is Harvgova? I can’t help but picture a grand roast of a scaled beast, larger than the room I’m in.
And thanks to the constant mention of the Island’s Soleil, I can’t shake the image of Soleil looking utterly lost in front of that roast. I can even picture Faramia serving as usual behind him.
I’m all for unique ingredients and dishes, but I can’t help but feel a bit anxious about what I’ll be served.
Usually, it’s simple fare like bread and meat, with some alcohol! But for the festival, it seems they’ll be preparing a variety of dishes with all sorts of ingredients. At least the sea monsters will be the main attraction. Yeah, monsters. There are dragons, so they must be around, right?
I can’t imagine what Harvgova is, but whether a Kraken is a squid or a ray, it’s definitely a monster in this fantasy world. I sip on drinks and eat meat alongside the Earth Folk.
It’s delicious, but they keep pouring more and piling on the food, leaving me no time to savor it. I feel like the Earth Folk are drinking more than their own body weight.
And then I return home, where Rishu sniffs me.
“Sorry, Rishu. I probably smell like alcohol, huh?”
And I might also smell a bit sweaty. After all, when the Earth Folk get drunk, they tend to cling to each other, throwing their arms around and patting one another.
Those usual round eyes looking up at me seem to accuse me. I pat Rishu’s head and head towards the bath. I know I shouldn’t bathe while drunk, but I’m fine.
This body doesn’t suffer from any debilitating conditions, so I feel a bit floaty, but nothing more. I’m not worried about drowning, so I plunge into the bath. I want to get rid of the smell quickly. I could ask the Spirit to help, but I’ll endure it like a human for now.
After soaking for a while, the floaty feeling doesn’t go away, and neither does the smell, so I give up and say goodnight. As I slip under the cool sheets, the drowsiness hits me while still feeling a bit floaty.
After a night’s rest, I feel refreshed.
“Good morning, Rishu.”
I reach out to the basket beside the bed, and Rishu licks my fingertips.
“Alright, time for a walk!”
I spring up and get moving.
Rishu and I drink a cup of water and set off for our daily stroll—no abnormalities in the mountains. In the fields, there’s Pal, in the orchard, Kadal and Haralfa, and in the waterway, Ish and Mishto—everything seems normal? I wonder if it’s okay to consider the Gods as part of the usual scenery, as I think to myself.
The Gods seem busy admiring their respective domains, so we exchange a few words and part ways. They’re not in a rush, but they’re gently touching and gazing at things, so I feel it would be rude to interrupt.
The water in the fields and orchard sparkles! Is it because they’re Gods and not like the little Spirits? The power they’re radiating is no joke. I want to ask them to tone it down, but I can’t bring myself to say it. It’s been a while since they’ve been here.
I’ve given up on taking the vegetables and fruits I’m currently growing to Kanum. …Would it be alright to take them to the Earth Folk or the Island…?
Thanks to Ish pouring his power into it or Mishto playing with the sparkling droplets, the banks of the waterway are covered in blooming dandelions. Dandelions close their flowers at night and open up to the sunlight, but thanks to Mishto, they’re in full bloom even in the early morning.
Since they all bloomed at once, they look soft. Some of them even seem to have a golden hue to their petals, but maybe that’s just my imagination. Alright, let’s make some dandelion honey.
I pull out a basket from [Storage] and start picking dandelion flowers. I fill the basket to the brim and head home. I give Rishu a good petting and brush him. After a little tug-of-war play, I prepare water and meat for Rishu’s meal.
The dandelions go into [Storage] along with the basket. My daily routine with Rishu takes priority. Alright, it’s time for breakfast for me too.
I take out some grilled rice balls from [Storage] and start a fire to make miso soup.
Um.
“Good morning?”
“Yes.”
—Van. I know he’s the God of Fire, but it’s quite a different image to see him in the kitchen, so please refrain from that. At least stick to the fireplace over there? It’s really hard to cook when you’re here!!!
I resolved the issue by lighting the fireplace. It seems Van was aware of how out of place he was. I’ll make some glass bottles in the barn later.
After an uneasy breakfast, I turn my attention to the dandelions. First, I wash the flowers, but it’s a challenging mission to remove any dirt while trying to keep the pollen intact. However, since these dandelions just bloomed, a quick wash does the trick.
Even after picking and washing, the petals remain vibrant and beautifully open—truly a suspicious mix of Ish and Mishto’s magic. I add water and lemon juice and bring it to a boil. Once the liquid turns a light brown, I take it off the heat and leave it in a cool, dark place until tomorrow. —Hey, it’s not turning light brown? It’s golden? Well, whatever.
Tomorrow, I’ll strain it and add sugar to thicken it. That’ll be the dandelion honey I’ll bring as a souvenir when I go to deliver the mail.