Chapter 81: Justification
“Milk, aside from sugar, is quite ordinary…” The butler seemed more reluctant than puzzled.
The materials are different, so even if I gather the same items here, it’s difficult to recreate it.
Sugar is expensive. It seems they grow sugarcane south of Thermist to produce it, but it’s still not an ingredient that common folk can use casually. Nobles boast about their tea parties, where they add so much sugar that the spoon stands upright in the cup, making it a status symbol.
By the way, since stirring sugar with a spoon is the norm, the handle of the cup is placed to the left—an unnecessary tidbit from the butler.
Milk isn’t that rare, but goat’s milk is more common since goats are easier to raise than cows in the city. Cow’s milk is usually processed into butter or cheese before it’s sold.
Maple syrup is abundant. While syrup from sugar maples is scarce, other types of maple syrup are widely available. There’s also walnut syrup from walnuts and syrup made from birch trees. It’s pricey when you venture away from the forest, but it’s easy to obtain in this town.
I’ve heard that if you go further north to the fortress, you can find even more varieties for sale, so I should check it out later.
“…” Ash was silently eating, but it felt like flowers were about to bloom in the background.
“Ash, I need your help with something.”
“If it’s a request from Jean.”
“I want to make medicine from Gold Coin Grass, but it’s quite a hassle. The process is simple, but doing it alone is a bit much.”
It’s true that the steps are tedious, but I don’t really have a reason to make a large quantity.
“While Lord Ash is working here, I’d like to have a bathroom constructed.”
They’ve given up on a porcelain bathtub and instead prepared a custom tub that resembles the shape of mine.
It seems that the idea of a steam bath without boiling water was appealing, so they decided to build a kiln next to the fireplace, just like in my house. It sounds like it’ll take quite a few days. The butler seemed uneasy about leaving the workers alone while I’m away, so this arrangement works out perfectly.
We set the daily wage and duration, and since I just returned from the subjugation, I’ll take it easy for four or five days before Ash starts helping out.
I have Severance to rely on if things go south, but what should I do if someone close to me gets tangled up in trouble? I suppose I could just firmly refuse or keep my distance, but Ash seems like he’d take on a troublesome request if it has a legitimate reason.
He turned down Chris’s request, so he’s being selective. This time, there was an incident that led to our retreat, but it seems there were more powerful demon beasts than expected. If they ask to go back and reduce their numbers, he probably wouldn’t refuse, even if that’s just the surface reason.
“The outbreak of Yellow Spot Disease begins with the prominent yellow of the Gifu Butterfly’s wings during the summer phase. I want to gather enough before then, just in case.”
The Gifu Butterfly has three variations: spring, summer, and autumn, each with different patterns. The spring type has a light yellow or cream color with black, the summer type retains the black but has a deeper yellow with two orange spots, and the autumn type is black with cream spots.
“I wasn’t aware that the Gifu Butterfly was the cause of Yellow Spot Disease, but considering how many lizards have turned into demon beasts, it’s possible they might breed in large numbers soon.”
The Giant Lizard is smaller than its demonized form but still quite large. It’s big but doesn’t move much, making it efficient in terms of energy consumption. Usually, it eats plants and occasionally snacks on butterflies or insects. When demonized, most animals tend to become carnivorous, so they don’t eat insects as much.
It’s not just lizards that are the butterflies’ natural enemies, but the butler is stirring the pot. Just because there are many doesn’t mean Yellow Spot Disease will definitely spread.
I’ve found a cluster of Gold Coin Grass deep in the forest, so I’ll gather the other materials over the next four days. I feel like selling the Gold Coin Grass as is might fetch a better price, but fortunately, the medicine I make will have a long shelf life.
“Lord Jean, about the promised party, is the evening of the day after tomorrow convenient for you?”
“That’s fine. I’m looking forward to it. Also, here, have this for dinner.” I handed him a meat pie wrapped in a cloth-lined basket.
“Thank you. This looks delicious too.”
“Thanks a lot.”
I also need to think about the lunch menu during that time. I’m responsible for preparing lunch for Ash and the others. I need to gather genuine ingredients from the underground storage here, and I ponder this after Ash and the others leave.
It’s frustrating that vegetables other than root vegetables aren’t really circulating here… For now, I’ll transfer the alcohol from glass bottles to ceramic containers and stock up more. Should I buy some local alcohol too?
I can add flour and legumes later, and other items can wait until just before the party. Oh, I should go gather some Amigasa mushrooms and Shiba Ufuta mushrooms from the forest. The omelet with Ufuta mushrooms served at the Dinoss Family was delicious. The green onions are a bit out of season, but they’re still tasty, so I’ll buy some.
There’s no rush to do this, and the work will take place from morning until noon. My plan is to take Rishu for a walk, have breakfast, do the work, eat lunch, and then spend the afternoon at the library or doing something free-spirited. That sounds about right.
I could leave all the work to Ash and go out, but I intend to stick around for a bit.