Chapter 611: The Dilemma
The sixth stone: the Guide Stone, Sunstone, Blue Ring, Moonstone, Traveler’s Protection Stone, and now the Night Safety Stone.
What remains is the Blue Light Stone, which points to the correct path used by Chrisdrum’s sailors. The Opaque Light Blue Stone worn by the Wandering People Atlas.
According to the description of the Traveler’s Stone Collection, the Traveler’s Stone of the Wandering People Atlas is “Opaque Light Blue.” This means the purple mottled stone given to Etoru by the Wandering People Atlas is not his Traveler’s Stone.
I picked up various items from the sunken seabed of Etoru, but there was no light blue stone.
According to Papona, the Wandering People Atlas seemed to be on the move, chased by the blackened King’s Branch. Where should I search?
For now, I guess I should start by investigating the submerged country or town at the Spirit Library?
I’ll show Haulon the Night Safety Stone from Etoru once I have the others gathered. I should also inform Retze, who told me about the Traveler’s Stones.
But today, I’m making sweets. The island’s treats are mostly baked goods that last long, so it’s nice to change things up. They seem to disappear quickly anyway, so keeping them fresh doesn’t really matter.
Tomorrow, I’m meeting Soleil, and while it’s not part of our agreement, I thought I’d treat him as a bonus.
With that in mind, I baked the choux pastry. Once cooled, I cut off a bit from the top, filled it with custard rich in vanilla beans, stuffed a strawberry in the center, and piped whipped cream on top. I placed the cut-off piece back on like a lid and called it done for now.
I repeated the process, lined everything up, and dusted powdered sugar over them to finish.
Speaking of strawberries, I have to prepare some for Ash.
For his portion, I arranged the halved strawberries so their insides were visible, decorating them around the whipped cream. I also made another type that resembled a strawberry cheesecake. Both got a sprinkle of powdered sugar for the finishing touch.
Alright, I packed everything into containers and got ready.
It was still a bit early for evening.
“Delivery!” I announced, placing the treats in the living room of Retze and the others’ rental house.
I had two baskets: a shallow square one filled with choux pastries and another with bread, both covered with cloth to keep off the dust. It seemed no one was home.
I hadn’t promised anything here. The only commitments I had were to Ash’s house and the Dinoss Family. This was just a side delivery.
Since Dean has a meat-and-bread-heavy diet, I brought a larger amount of bread. I also made a hearty pot-au-feu packed with vegetables, stored in a cooking pot that could go straight into the fireplace to warm up.
Next.
“Delivery!”
“Thank you as always. Please, come in,” the butler said, accepting the basket of bread and inviting me inside.
At first, he seemed hesitant about me entering through the back door, but now he seems accustomed to it. I suppose he prefers to greet guests properly at the front.
I deliver bread to Ash’s house every three or four days. I usually aim to arrive in time for breakfast, but today is different.
“Gene!”
“Excuse me.”
Today, the Dinoss Family, who had ventured deep into the Demon Forest, should be back. Or rather, they might already be home. They wouldn’t be out of food, but I’m responsible for bringing dinner.
The three children are training to become adventurers, so the family has been exploring labyrinths and the Demon Forest. Recently, the kids have been learning a lot and getting stronger, so they’ve been going deeper into the woods. That’s why they’ve been away so often.
Ash is close with the children, so he’s been going along with them, but first, we’ll have tea together.
“Is the country settled?”
“Yeah, it’s a bit of a breather.”
Though Ash has left the country, he’s been doing what he can from Kanum for his hometown and friends. If there’s peace, it’s unnecessary, but until recently, Shulm had been stirring up trouble across Nakahara.
Right now, several surrounding nations, including Rosa’s Group, are launching attacks against Shulm, so while the western areas are noisy, the rest seem to have caught a break.
Even without Shulm’s interference, small skirmishes between the minor nations are a daily occurrence, so it’s not perfect peace, but it’s peaceful.
“Good to hear.”
Our brief exchange about the country ended there.
Knowing I’m not fond of conflicts between nations, and perhaps to avoid relying on my strength, Ash doesn’t bring up the topic much.
“Please,” the butler said, serving tea.
“Thank you. This is Ash’s share of the sweets, even though it’s before dinner, I thought I’d give it to him early.” I moved the basket of choux pastries to the center of the table and removed the cloth covering it.
“Mmm. What’s that delightful aroma?”
As the cloth stirred the air, a faint scent of strawberries and sweetness wafted through.
“Once again, it looks beautiful. It’s hard to resist the urge to eat it.” Ash peered into the elegantly decorated strawberry choux pastries.
“I also brought a slightly different type of choux pastry for the Dinoss Family, so there will be some after dinner too.”
“Mmm… How tempting.”
He’s making a scary face! A scary face!!! A maiden troubled by sweets, come on!!! Get it together!!!