Chapter 564: Appearance
For the preparations of the banquet with the Earth Folk, I asked Soleil to arrange for the strongest alcohol possible. As for the port, I decided to consult those who use it, so I just sent a message through the Spirit to Captain Cat.
Before the people of Amijin start saying we should stop development because it’s a sacred place of the goddess, I thought it best to get everything in order. Even if they suggest a different location, the deeper areas, of course, have no sea.
I wondered if we could dig a tunnel from a different location to the stone where the goddess is depicted, creating a separation. With the blood contract in place, the Amijin people can’t do anything about it anyway.
I Teleported to the mountain house to play with Rishu. I ignored Rudil’s gaze; the trick is not to make eye contact.
For dinner, we had deer meat curry. Big chunks of potato, carrot, onion, and meat! The moment you bite into it, the meat crumbles into fibers. The aroma and flavor of the curry spices!
Even with wealth, you can’t buy curry roux. The vegetables and spices are in their original forms, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t get them. Even if I use the Spirit’s Power for selective breeding like I do, it would surely take time without the vegetables from the Pantry as a reference.
We have wheat and onions, and there’s meat too, so for anyone other than those who can manage with three meals of bread and meat, roasted vegetables, or soup, transitioning to this world must be tough. Sometimes I think to myself, “Serves you right,” about my sisters. I hope that kind of wickedness is forgiven.
I served water and meat to Rishu, and quietly offered wine and roasted onions to Rudil.
Should I ask Rishu to dig a few holes for the orchard and field? Since Rudil prefers wine, it’s not as impactful as Ish’s salt, but I want the Gods to increase the food supply.
The day after boosting morale with curry, Kanum was away, so I headed to Karn’s Country.
“Did the adjustments to the waterwheel go well this time?”
“Yes, this time there were no issues. It seems that Mail Wheat is indeed better suited for Nakahara-style bread.”
“Since we’ve just moved here, that’s perfect. It’s better to stick with fluffy bread for a while rather than have a complete change in food. But what we can harvest here will probably be non-rising wheat, so we should plan for flatbreads in the end.”
I spotted Haulon. He was talking to someone I didn’t know, probably someone involved in the management of this country. Karn was in the same room, looking at a blueprint on a stone pedestal or table with a serious expression.
The blueprint Karn was looking at was probably a layout of the town. Haulon seemed to be discussing the places for grinding wheat and baking bread. While Nakahara and Mail wheat rise, the wheat harvested around here doesn’t rise much. Was it because it has low protein content?
So, it would turn into flatbreads like pita or chapati. Karn prefers the fluffy bread that became popular in Es, but the bread from his homeland is called Aishi, a flatbread.
“Hello.”
“Oh?”
I greeted Karn and Haulon once the others left.
“It’s rare for you to come here. What’s up?”
Karn looked up and asked.
I simply felt comfortable here since everyone was at Kanum’s place, plus it’s hot.
“I wanted to discuss the delivery for the Wanwan House since it’s almost finished.”
I could set it up without permission, but it is the guardian deity of this country.
I also had business to ask Haulon about the Amijin ruins, but I wanted to sort out the more complicated matters first.
“…”
“…”
They both gave me a somewhat indescribable look.
“I would like to showcase our guardian deity, who oversees storms and battles, to the people, if possible including Asas-sama—”
Karn’s face showed his dilemma.
It’s like treating him as someone whose name shouldn’t be mentioned, like Wanwan.
“Should we make a separate nameplate and do a performance after the delivery to display it on the house?”
Like how they hang a plaque on a shrine’s torii gate or a mountain gate… A plaque is essentially a signboard that displays the name of the building or the founder’s thoughts.
“…I can’t keep pretending… You really want to make it a doghouse, don’t you…?”
Haulon muttered weakly.
“I never intended that, but I admit the image is being dragged along. However, I’m sure the Earth Folk are excited, so I think it will turn out splendidly.”
“…”
“…Is that really okay? The contrast with Asas-sama’s pedestal—no, Asas-sama’s pedestal is beautiful, but…”
The pedestal is impressive, but what’s on it is just Asas’s face peeking out from a log.
“Let’s make the temple sacred and inviolable, allowing only royalty and priests to enter.”
I gave up on the unveiling.
“Should we ask the two deities whether they prefer a lively celebration or a serene atmosphere?”
Karn said while rubbing his eyes.
“If Asas-sama fully manifests the power he governs and is filled with that fertility, surely his appearance will return to normal… We should prepare to ensure that his power reaches every corner while receiving his blessings.”
Haulon said seriously, looking at Karn.
“While it’s true that Asas is in that state because Wanwan has been cut into pieces and weakened, the decisive blow was when Es split him in half and took half back. Unless we get that back, it’s going to be difficult for Asas to regain his ‘appearance’.”
I thought Es would never return it, and it would likely stay that way.
I believe that image is probably burned into him as well. Or perhaps if he gains strength, Asas might break free from the image of being sealed in a log or being cut into pieces and change his form? But I still feel like Es wouldn’t let him forget.
“It’s such a shame that these ancient and powerful gods can be seen by everyone…”
Haulon buried his face in his hands, clinging to the stone pedestal.
“Don’t worry! Asas’s appearance is not my responsibility!”