Chapter 613: Gaining Motivation
As I sipped my lassi, I watched the butler elegantly enjoying his meal, pondering whether curry and wine go well together. I’ve gotten used to drinking alcohol, but I’m still not quite sure about food pairings.
However, I feel like curry and chilled beer would be a good match. It’s carbonated, and it reminds me of a commercial I once saw. Though here, the beer is at room temperature. There might be chilled options out there that I just don’t know about.
For dessert, we had strawberry cream puffs topped with ice cream.
“Such unusual food, huh? Eating this by the fireplace makes me feel like I’m indulging in something really luxurious. I bet the ingredients are quite expensive. I won’t ask, though, because I might get a scary answer,” Dinoss said, munching on his cream puff with his hands.
“Indeed,” Ash replied, using a knife and fork.
Ash prefers fluffy whipped cream over ice cream, but Shiva loves ice cream. Though he doesn’t show it much on his face, he seems to be enjoying it. When Shiva eats happily, Dinoss also looks somewhat pleased, so we decided to go with the ice cream. After all, it’s a welcome home meal for the Dinoss Family.
Ash has a cream puff set aside for himself.
“Gene, look! This is the bear I defeated!” Tina exclaimed, showing off what appeared to be two horns from a gray bear.
The fact that the horns are intact makes me think she must have struck it down with her hammer from above, but maybe not? Though there’s also the possibility she hit it from behind.
“I got this! A gray wolf!” Baku chimed in.
“I got this too! A gray cougar!” En added.
Baku and En held up two smaller horns than Tina’s.
Tina’s hammer, Baku’s greatsword, and En’s one-handed sword. It seems the three of them are fond of the weapons I crafted for them.
“You all are amazing.”
One of En’s horns is about the size of a pea, but he has the [Storage] ability. The spirit he bonded with still rests on his shoulder, taking the form of a squirrel. Dinoss mentioned that while the squirrel and my Spirit Sword aren’t incompatible, using magic power for both is quite challenging.
So, I think it’s impressive enough. I’m not quite sure how to gauge what’s truly impressive, though.
“Here, Gene, this is for you,” the three of them said, extending their hands.
“Thanks. I’ll take one from each,” I replied. Is this a thank you for the weapons? I’ll gratefully accept.
My collection at the Island Tower has grown again. The three of them smiled happily as they handed something beautiful to Ash next.
“From Shiva and me, a rather rare food item. We always take from you, after all. I forgot the name, but it’s delicious when sautéed in lard,” Dinoss said, while Shiva held a basket and smiled.
“Thanks! Honestly, your home-cooked meals are more than enough for me. —White?” I said, recalling how delicious Shiva’s cooking is.
“Is it the Shimo-furi Elkhorn?” the butler speculated, peering into the basket.
“Elk…”
“Yes, yes. That was the name. It grows in cold areas with many demon beasts.”
Shimo-furi likely refers to marbling. I assume it’s the white fur covering the leaves? The shape does resemble the branched antlers of an elk and is a bit thick.
I’m looking forward to trying it.
After sending Ash off and handing him a cream puff, we parted ways. It felt nice to be hugged by the kids after a long time, and Dinoss let out a cheerful squeak, filling the atmosphere with warmth.
I [Teleported] back to the House, surprised to find Rudil in the shadows, and caught Rishu as he ran towards me, ruffling his fur affectionately.
As I entered the house, Dan-chan by the fireplace stoked the fire for me. The flickering orange light illuminated the room, and I spent some time playing with Rishu.
Rudil had moved to a spot where the light didn’t reach. I wonder if he has to stay in the shadows just because he’s Rishu’s retainer.
Is Rudil enjoying watching Rishu from his cozy darkness?
There are aspects of a spirit’s perception that I can’t quite grasp. I usually just accept things as they are, but it feels a bit off since Rudil takes on a humanoid form.
Well, tomorrow I’ll meet Soleil to hear about the developments after the fortress was connected, and based on that, I’ll decide the types and quantities of seedlings to prepare.
It seems the Amijin people are also willing to interact and help out if there are any requests. Soleil mentioned during the founding banquet that it looks like cotton can be cultivated on their land.
Though they are nomads, there are still a fair number of people who want to settle down. The goddess has two people for hunting and farming, after all.
The land of Talia, where the statue of Chris is enshrined, is doing well, and like Blue Spirit Island, it’s successfully branding itself and becoming a base for spreading tomatoes across the world. Now that the issue with Karianto Manju has been resolved, nearby regions should also be revitalized.
To keep moving around and staying in various places, I need to expand my hygiene standards and food supplies! The kids are working hard too, so I need to do my part!