Chapter 607: The Chilling Grapes
“Alright, let’s drop that topic. Before I forget, can I have something ‘nice’?” I urged Dean and Chris.
I felt an unsettling presence, so I decided to change the subject.
“Wait! You’re stopping there?!”
“I’m stopping. It was too early for humanity.”
Too early for humanity? Whose line was that again?
“Huh?! Is it really that grand?”
“No, not at all.”
“Hey!”
Haulon was busy.
“Um, can I take it out?” Chris lifted the bag to eye level and gave it a gentle shake.
It didn’t seem too big. What could it be?
“Please, show me.”
I was curious.
“What about Luf?”
“I think Haulon would enjoy researching Luf on his own, so I’ll keep quiet. Even if you rush to learn, it won’t change much.”
Well, I guess it might matter to those with a bloodline obsession. But the people of the Kingdom of Luf were human, and they seemed to have been more adept at using Spirits than the current folks. That’s pretty special, right? Besides, the community is mostly made up of Lufians.
I figured my relationship with Spirits was similar to Luf—Luf A—and the Lufians—Luf B—who used Magic Circles and fragmented Spirit language (spells) to command Spirits.
Things like the Spirit Lamp and the Transfer Circle in Karn’s Underground Temple belonged to the latter culture. There might be remnants of Luf B’s era scattered around the world, but Luf A’s reliance on direct Spirit requests likely left little cultural trace, which could explain the confusion.
What’s written in books isn’t always true, and fieldwork is essential. I was satisfied with my research at the Spirit Library, but if Haulon reached the same conclusions, I’d trust that what was written was indeed correct.
Well, the book was written around the time when the Luf were around, so I believe it has more credibility than the tales passed down today.
“Ugh…”
Haulon groaned, cradling his head.
It seemed like he was torn between the desire to know quickly and the wish to discover things on his own. Hang in there! Traveling the world and gathering traces is fun too…!
Right now, I was focused on collecting Traveler’s Stones, though…!
“You… Here, a plate.”
Retze placed a new plate in front of me.
“Now, behold.”
Chris dramatically tilted the bag with a solemn flair.
“I doubt you’ve ever had this, but what do you think?”
Dean said as he watched.
What emerged from the bag were round fruits in a beautiful muscat green—fruits, right?
“It looks like glasswork. Such a lovely color.”
The plate was piled with a light green.
“Give it a try!”
“Put it in your mouth and chew.”
With Chris and Dean’s encouragement, I picked one up.
“Wow! It’s cold!”
As I lightly bit into it, it shattered in my mouth, releasing a cold, slightly sweet juice.
It tasted like flavored ice-cold soda?
“Wow, this is amazing! It’s fun and delicious!”
It was my first time tasting this!
“Oh, it’s called ‘Chilling Grapes.’ I see why it’s cold.”
So, they were grapes.
They weren’t in bunches, but saying that made me think they might taste similar to Shine Muscat? Refreshing, and it vanished quickly without leaving a lingering aftertaste.
“‘Chilling Grapes,’ huh? It’s not exactly freezing, but it is cold.”
“The chilling happens when you harvest them. When you touch the fruit, a cold aura emanates from the roots at your feet, which is a Demon Beast plant. They should be quite rare.”
Haulon explained.
“So, it’s tough to gather them? Thanks.”
I thanked Dean and Chris.
“They’re stationary Demon Beasts, so we leave them be. However, the fruiting season is incredibly short, and I missed out on them last year and the year before.”
Saying that, Dean picked a Chilling Grape.
“If next year is clear, let’s go together. Weather and temperature depend on the wind, so if conditions are right, we might have to go see them that very day!”
Chris winked.
“They’ll spoil by tomorrow, so don’t hold back, Retze and Haulon.”
Dean grinned and encouraged them.
“Thanks. I’ll partake.”
Retze reached out.
“This is delicious! Thank you.”
Haulon added.
Dean and Chris watched us enjoy the Chilling Grapes, looking pleased as they also brought some to their mouths.
The Chilling Grapes were ephemeral and delicious. They didn’t linger in the mouth, making it easy to eat a lot without getting tired of them. But the timing for gathering them seemed tricky, and their numbers appeared to be few?
…I felt like I wanted to take one and grow it, but never mind. I’m looking forward to next year. I want to wait together and enjoy it. Having plans with friends for the future is nice.