After returning from the lake where I had been fishing, I arrived back at the Dragon Vein Area, where the Log House stood.
Chef Carol was standing in the garden.
“Caro-chan, please prepare a delicious Matsutake dish. Tomato-kun will look up the recipes for you.”
The vegetable familiars saluted me before heading inside with the Matsutake mushrooms.
“Shall we wait outside until it’s ready?”
“Y-yes…”
Fenmaa trembled in fear.
“Are you still scared?”
For the Otherworlders, Matsutake mushrooms were an allergen. Eating them could trigger anaphylactic shock, which could be fatal.
“N-no, that’s not true…! The Saintess said it was fine to eat!”
Wow, Fenmaa was really panicking.
“You don’t have to force yourself to eat just to spare my feelings.”
“I-I will eat…!”
After a moment, Chef Carol and the others brought out the Matsutake dishes to the garden.
“Didn’t we just eat a little while ago…? My lord…”
“Isn’t it fine to eat as much delicious food as we want?”
If there were leftovers, I could store them in the Item Box and eat them later. In the Dragon Vein Area, I wouldn’t gain weight no matter how much I ate.
“Everything looks so delicious…!”
Matsutake rice, dobin mushi, grilled Matsutake with butter, tempura… It was a Matsutake feast. The delightful aroma of Matsutake wafted from the dishes.
“Meow!” “Mew!”
Feruta and Feruco, the mischievous little Fenrirs, were trying to hop onto the table.
“Well then… the dishes are ready, but what should we do?”
“We’re going to eat!”
Fenmaa, transformed into a human, raised her hand and shouted.
“I will show my loyalty to the Saintess!”
Fenmaa trembled as she gripped her fork tightly. I scooped some Matsutake rice onto a bowl and handed it to her.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you for the meal!”
Fenmaa took a spoonful of Matsutake rice and ate it.
“Nom! Munch, munch…”
“It’s delicious!”
Fenmaa exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. She wagged her tail vigorously, almost as if it would come off.
“It’s so delicious! The texture is unbelievable for a mushroom, and the umami! And above all, this incredible aroma that fills my nose! I can’t get enough!”
Her hands were moving non-stop as she devoured the Matsutake rice. Seeing Fenmaa eat with a smile made me feel relieved.
I was glad she was enjoying it.
“Fubuki, you should eat too.”
“Indeed. I shall partake… nom”
Fubuki’s fox tail swayed vigorously.
“Delicious beyond measure! I can’t believe such a tasty mushroom exists in this world!!!!”
Like Fenmaa, Fubuki couldn’t stop eating either.
“Moreover… this is strange. I feel perfectly fine! I’m eating the Angel of Slaughter, yet I’m not feeling ill at all! What is happening…?!”
Matsutake mushrooms were supposed to be an allergen for Otherworlders. Eating them was supposed to trigger anaphylactic shock and lead to death.
But it was fine.
Why?
“Because we’re in the Dragon Vein Area.”
“Fo-fo… fofofufufu…?”
Fenmaa said with her cheeks stuffed full of Matsutake rice. The little ones clung to my legs, wanting to eat too.
“Swallow your food before you talk.”
“Gulp. What do you mean by ‘because we’re in the Dragon Vein Area’?”
“When you’re in the Dragon Vein Area, you don’t get injured or sick. Anaphylactic shock is an allergic reaction, but it’s also a type of illness.”
I see! Fubuki nodded as if she understood.
“So, if we don’t get sick in the Dragon Vein Area, that means we won’t experience anaphylactic shock!”
An abnormal immune response is indeed a serious illness. The magic power of the Dragon Vein prevents it from occurring…
I had checked this reasoning with the Omniscient and Omnipotent (Internet) before serving the food, so I wasn’t worried about them eating it.
“The Dragon Vein Area only allows those permitted by my lord to enter… which means we can’t eat Matsutake dishes without my lord being present.”
“I see! Thanks to the Saintess, we can enjoy Matsutake dishes! Truly, the Saintess is amazing!”
Well, the only ones I was feeding were these kids and maybe that Demi-Goddess.
…Huh?
Now that I think about it… I’ve been eating a lot of delicious things like fried fish and Matsutake dishes lately, but she hasn’t said a word.
I thought she would be messaging me, saying she wanted to eat too or asking for some.
But she hasn’t contacted me at all recently.
“Is that Demi-Goddess busy…?”
I should take a picture and send it to her via message. Then, when she comes to visit, I’ll let her try the Matsutake dishes.
After all, there were plenty of Matsutake mushrooms around the lake. Since the locals would trigger anaphylaxis if they ate them, no one bothered to pick them.
That’s why there were so many Matsutake mushrooms. How lucky!
I would make full use of the Matsutake without hesitation. Now, it was time for me to enjoy some Matsutake rice.
Chef Carol served me a bowl of steaming Matsutake rice, filled to the brim with mushrooms.
“Thank you for the meal.”
Nom.
Munch, munch…
“It’s delicious!”
The seasoning was very simple. After all, the Matsutake was the best ingredient and seasoning, both in flavor and aroma.
The combination of rice and Matsutake was perfect. It felt like I was eating high-quality meat, savoring the texture and umami, all while shoveling it down with freshly cooked rice…
“Oh, this is the best…”
The luxury of washing down Matsutake rice with Matsutake soup. The flavor of the Matsutake spread throughout my mouth… ah… so delicious…
To be this satisfied with a mushroom… Matsutake, the King of Mushrooms, truly is something else… Being in an environment where I can eat as much as I want whenever I want is just too wonderful.
Just as I was indulging in that thought…
“Ah, my lord!” “Saintess! This is bad!”
When I opened my eyes… Fenmaa and Fubuki’s bodies were glowing brightly.
“Wha-!? What’s wrong with you two…?”
“Meow!” “Mew!” “…!?”
Even the little Fenrirs were glowing. What’s happening? What on earth is going on?
In times like this, I should consult the Omniscient and Omnipotent (Internet).
～～～～～～
Mika Nagano’s Fermar
【Level】2000
【New Skill】All Status Ailment Resistance ←new!
～～～～～～
“F-Fenmaa… Fubuki, and even the little Fenrirs… it seems you’ve all acquired the All Status Ailment Resistance skill.”
““Whaaaaaat!?””
- All Status Ailment Resistance (SS)
→ Grants resistance to all status ailments.
After checking with the Omniscient and Omnipotent (Internet), it turned out that they no longer experienced anaphylaxis after eating Matsutake.
“So, it means we can eat Matsutake even outside the Dragon Vein Area now!”
“No, no, that’s not the important part! The fact that your levels increased by 500 and you gained an SS-level skill is what’s truly remarkable!”
“? Is that so? It’s because of the Saintess’s power that we’ve become stronger. That’s how it must be!”
I searched the Omniscient and Omnipotent (Internet).
…Yeah, it seemed that way.
“It seems Matsutake has a level-up effect, but it’s limited to Otherworlders.”
As for acquiring resistance skills, it’s said that if you survive under specific conditions, such as enduring poison or paralysis, you may manifest such skills.
So, by eating the poisonous mushroom (Matsutake) and surviving, they gained resistance.
“I had heard that acquiring All Status Ailment Resistance required experiencing excruciating pain or a near-death experience…”
“Eating delicious Matsutake dishes made it feel like we were in paradise!”
“Is that what a near-death experience is? That’s… absurd…”
Well, it was a fact that they leveled up and acquired a super rare skill by eating Matsutake.
“Did you enjoy the Matsutake?”
“Yes! Very much! Thanks to the Saintess, I was able to eat such delicious food! Thank you!”
Fenmaa beamed with a big smile.
The little Fenrirs and Fubuki were smiling too.
Yeah, that’s more than enough.
There are many things I want to question.
But eating delicious food and seeing everyone smile… that’s good enough, right? Isn’t it?
The number of stars is up to your judgment, but receiving a ★5 rating would greatly boost my motivation and serve as the best support!
I kindly ask for your cooperation!