Chapter 189.1
The next day .
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“Uu!?” [Ryouma]
I was woken by a sound, but when I looked out the window, I noticed that it was still early and the sun had yet to rise .
Maybe it’s because we’re close to a lake, but it’s really cold .
I endure the cold and prepare myself, then I leave my room .
Looks like the sound is coming from the kitchen up ahead .
“Good morning!” [Ryouma]
“Oh my! Good morning . ” [Mother]
“Did we wake you up?” [Mei]
When I entered the kitchen, I found Mei-san with her mother . They were cooking with the little light they had from the fireplace and the small candles .
“I retired early yesterday, so I was able to recover my strength . If you don’t mind, I’d love to help with the breakfast preparations . ” [Ryouma]
“My sons would do well to learn a thing or two from you . ” [Mother]
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“Well, since you’re offering… Do you know where the well is? If you do, then can you fill this jar with water?” [Mei]
The jar Mei-san showed me was about as big and deep as I was tall .
I know where the well is, but if she just wants water, then…
“In that case, ‘Water’ . ” [Ryouma]
“Ryoumkun, you can use magic?” [Mei]
“Yes . Come to think of it, we didn’t really get to talk much yesterday, did we? All I really got to tell you was my name… By the way, will this do?” [Ryouma]
“Yes . That’s plenty . Next… Can you grind these using these?” [Mei]
Mei-san handed me a wooden pestle and mortar . The things she wanted me to grind was…
“Wasabi?” [Ryouma]
It looks just like wasabi, but the color is yellow .
“Wasabi? Is that what you call ‘Horas’ where you’re from? You also called the ‘Water Spider’ yesterday crab . ” [Mei]
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When I heard the word ‘Horas’, the relevant information on medicinal herbs appeared within my mind .
It’s raised in shallow rivers or in mud and has a peculiar sharp taste .
It has high sterilizing effects and is even used as a deworming medicine .
It’s not exactly the same as wasabi, but…
“It’s probably very similar to it . How much should I grind these?” [Ryouma]
“We’ll be sprinkling it over the soup, so make sure to grind it until it loses shape . ” [Mei]
“I understand . ” [Ryouma]
This must be that thing I tasted in the soup yesterday .
As I realized that, I started working .
I started by removing the leafy part, then I quickly washed the roots in water . After that I cut the them into small pieces and placed the cut roots into the mortar .
After grinding the roots with the pestle, I ground them again .
I’m just doing as she told me to, but this sure are a lot of ingredients .
Still, this peculiar and stimulating aroma…
“By the way, is there a dish here where you eat raw fish with this?” [Ryouma]
“There are people who eat like that, but there are worms that can hurt your stomach . Especially during this season, so it’s best not to . ” [Mei]
That’s unfortunate, but I better take her advice since she’s the local here .
Besides, the worms can be dealt with by cooking and processing the food, so I think I’ll just enjoy those kind of food while I’m here .
As I thought that to myself, it suddenly dawned on me that I wasn’t able to give the souvenirs I was supposed to give yesterday .
“Souvenirs? For us?”
“Yes . If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be right back . ” [Ryouma]
I left the kitchen for a moment and entered my Dimension Home . My Dimension Home is already a little bigger than a gym . I walked to the corner where my new friends, the clever chickens, are staying .
“Kokeh! Kokeh!” [Clever Chicken]
The chicken that noticed me chirped loudly, and then a black chick came out of the brood huddled together .
“Good morning, Aniki! You sure are early today!” [Genius Chicken]
“Good morning, Kohaku . It’s a bit early, but can I get the eggs for today?” [Ryouma]
“Don’t worry, Aniki . It’s already been prepared . ” [Kohaku]
This baby black chicken is the boss of this brood, as well as the only advanced variant among it . The genius chicken, Kohaku, rubbed his hands nastily while facing several clothed baskets that were lined up . Two of the baskets were filled to the brim with eggs .
“I’ll take today’s eggs then . I’ll bring you your food after I’ve checked the goods . ” [Ryouma]
“Yes! We’ll wait in front of the feeding box as usual . ” [Kohaku]
Not a hint of that oppressive aura from when we first met could be seen as I took away the basket of eggs . After the chickens, the next living space I went to was the slimes’ . I had the big cleaner slime clean the eggs and made sure that there were no cracked eggs .
I had prepared several clothed baskets for the chickens, but they only used two and filled them to the brim . It seems the clever chicken don’t really care about the eggs they lay . Of course, these are all unfertilized eggs that won’t turn into chicks, but I still think they’re being too rough with how they handle them .
As the big cleaner slime extended its body like a tentacle and brought the eggs inside it one after another, I turned to the baskets that were lined up on the other side and sighed .
My relationship with the clever chickens is purely business now, so the situation has calmed down a lot, but it was really bad at first when I tried to treat them as friends . The employee of the Saionji Company tasked with taking care of the clever chickens knew about the original contract of the previous owner . The previous owner was a professional poultry farmer, and I agreed to continue the terms he had promised the clever chickens . The clever chickens were fine with that, but their living space became an issue .
I had brought them back home with me to the mines and tried to negotiate where they would be pasturing, but it turned out that forming a contract with every chicken, so that we could understand each other wasn’t the wisest course of action, as they just ended up demanding one thing after another . They were very picky .
In the end, it was agreed upon that they would be staying inside my ‘Dimension Home’ for the time being . As for why, apparently it’s because it’s too cold because of the winter . It turns out that they’d much rather live a carefree life inside the Dimension Home, where it’s warm, than be able to go out and eat earthworms or other bugs when it’s so cold . And besides, it wasn’t as if they wouldn’t be able to eat when I’m here to keep them fed .