High School Hack and Slash Chapter 94 Part 2
*Clang, clang* I can hear a lively sound coming from all over the academy ground.
The volume of cicadas echoing through the mountains is as loud as ever, but I get the feeling that the type of cries have changed.
Toyoashihara’s school festival, the『Takamagahara Reitaisai』, will be held next weekend.
Mainly since the regular department students are putting more spirit into it than usual, everyone seems to be in a state of excitement.
Well, things like procuring materials, setting up stalls, and so on sound like a pain in a lot of ways, but everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.
「We’re going to open an all-you-can-eat tuna stall. It will definitely be popular!」
「Good graciousness…. Even if it’s a monster ingredient, it’s not safe to eat raw food this time of year, is it?」
Doggy-senpai and the others from Black Honey have come to Asagi-sou, or rather to Kurumi-senpai, to ask for advice.
Doggy-senpai, who is making a strong argument, is sporting the same sweltering fluffy level as usual.
Given the fact that she hasn’t collapsed from sunstroke, I wonder if that means that she has replaced her fur with the summer one.
「We’re properly keeping it frozen, you know~. I was thinking of making it like crispy frozen sashimi (rui-be), or something.」
「Ah. That seems delicious. Make it pickled, put it on piping hot rice, chop up some ginger and sansho (Japanese pepper), and serve it with dashi chazuke (Japanese soup stock)….」
「It’s a no-brainer that it’ll be absolutely delicious. You can leave the tasting to me.」
「If we leave it to Prez, the boss drops we’ve hunted and accumulate will run out~.」
The Black Honey members who have come to play are not limited to just Doggy-san.
Black Honey Craftsman group, Chef-san and Sculptor-san have also come with her.
Since days go, these two have been coming to Asagi-sou every now and then to exchange opinions with our Senpais.
No, well, rather than to hold an opinion exchange gathering, I should say, they come to drink tea at the club room (provisional), or something.
While they’re at it, they also come to retrieve Doggy-senpai who is caught in the trap.
「Err, in that case, along with the King Salmon King that has been taking up space in the basement ice room, make it into a Kaisen-don (seafood rice bowl)….」
「Ehh, you have the drop of the super rare boss, King Salmon King?」
「I have tried it just once, that melt-in-your-mouth fat….」
「Uh, yeah, rather than a drop, it’s more like the main body, or something…. You can even soak it in olive oil at low temperatures and make it into a semi-cooked flake.」
「This is simply torture! The only path left now is to give it a taste.」
I get the feeling that the drooling Doggie-senpai is serving as nothing but a distraction.
She must be a food-fighter-like adviser.
Although it may seem difficult in a lot of ways, for the ingredients, there are a lot of it that can be procured from the dungeon.
As for the Black Honey Club, I heard that they’re a club that specializes in such ingredients procurement.
「Ummm… Seafood donburi is absolutely delicious, so it’s bound to be popular. I wonder if we can gather enough of ingredients we stay in the ether sea until the very last minute.」
「I wonder if there are any raid quests out there that take place in the ocean?」
It is true that in the raid domain, even if you defeat monsters, they remain as『bodies』 without being reduced to EXP or crystals.
However, I am sure that such a whimsical group who would challenge a raid quest in search of ingredients would be Black Honey alone.
「We can’t leave out the squid. Octopus, sea urchin, and abalone, too…..」
「Adept Orders can provide you with salmon roe~.」
「Nice. In return, we’ll share some frozen tuna with you.」
「Yay. I’m going to try making dashi chazuke for dinner right away~.」
「Hmm~, I guess I’ll try adding the chilled dashi, with some wasabi….」
I have a feeling that today’s dinner will be gorgeous.
And then, Doggy-senpai, whose eyes are twinkling with sparkles, is showing signs that she’s going to stay for dinner.
「By the way, have you decided what you’re going to have for the Adept Orders’ stall food?」
「Yes. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, but we’re going to go with a simple roast dragon donburi. The aging of the meat is reaching its limit already. So we will strive to use it all up at the school festival.」
「… Please save some for the after party, okay. Since Black Honey will come too.」
Sporting a happy mouth, Doggy-senpai assumes the stance of not moving until she gets to eat dragon donburi and chilled tuna dashi chazuke.
She has gone quiet, but she is assuming an immovable stance, no longer allowing anyone to move her.
Of course, I’m looking forward to it too.
◇ ◇ ◇
The creepy doll, who was leading the way with a strange squeaking footstep sound, turned around.
In the deep mossy primeval forest, fully armed Miharu and Natsumi were walking.
Various fantastical creatures nestled in the forest, such as richly colorful monstrous birds, giant crustacean bugs, and multi-legged walking beasts that appeared and disappeared in the gaps between the trees.
The magical land overflowing with rich plant vitality was an origin domain.
These were not the lukewarm existence known as Null MOBs.
Origin monsters that were not under the influence of the dungeon system, this place was the home of such creatures.
It was the kind of place where, unless you were invited as a guest, you would not be allowed to survive even for even a single instance.
The creepy dolls encouraged Miharu and Natsumi, who were wheezing and huffing as they proceeded through the roadless path, with its rock ‘n’ roll action.
The two were irritated, but they were aware that he was the guide as well as the administrator of the domain.
And then, them proceeding on their own feet was a trial as well as a condition in itself.
「…」
「…」
Natsumi wiped Miharu’s face with a towel, and Miharu let Natsumi drink from a water bottle strapped to her waist.
Between the two, a communication method called conversation was unnecessary.
What they thought, what they wished, and what they felt.
They understood each other better than they did themselves.
Unlike skill or class, this ability, which they acquired upon their birth, was an archetypal power of shamanism.
It was an old primal ability to communicate with the roots of nature and illusion.
However, it was not like they could understand everything, and neither should they.
It was by no means a realm that could be accepted by a vessel known as human.
Looking at the doll who had one hand raised diagonally and one hand spinning around and around, them getting irritated was about just right.
It was a wonder how long they had walked through the illusory forest, where the mere sight of it would shave off one’s SAN value.
As they made their way and passed through the ferns, what awaited them was a view that threatened to make them be at a loss for words.
*Burble burble* The gushing forth and overflowing spring water was soaking the rock bed.
The sky peeked out from the open clearing of the tree branches.
What softly traversed in front of their eyes were the wings of a butterfly, faintly shining.
In the center of the clearing, there stood a single tree.
This place, which made one harbor awe before they could think it was beautiful, was their destination.
*Squeak, squeak* The doll, jumping up and ascending the rocky ground, pointed to the source of the spring water.
What was growing on its surface was not medicinal and poisonous herbs that grew here and there in the forest, ones that would appear in myth, but very fresh and vibrant wasabi.
「… perfect wasabi, it is.」
「… will definitely, be pleased with it.」
The two, who muttered in a subconscious manner, clasped their hands together and nodded to each other.
Grating the roots of the wasabi that grew wildly on rocky ground would get you what was commonly known wasabi.
By nature, wasabi was a fast-deteriorating foodstuff.
And then, the cultivation conditions were also very difficult.
In recent years, most wasabi was grown in the fields, but the quality was too different from that of wasabi grown in the mountain streams of spring water.
When you put a natural wasabi in your mouth, you would feel the sweet taste at first, and afterward, you would be able to feel a sharp, refreshing pungent taste as an aftertaste.
It boasted the potential that if you put it on rice, that alone could even allow you to enjoy donburi-meshi.
Needless to say, it was a condiment that went well with both meat and fish.
However, as expected, they couldn’t help but feel irritated at the creepy doll, who was giving them a thumbs up and striking a smug pose.
RELEASE RATE
High School Hack and Slash
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 70 hours
Tftc