3 bar menu

Chapter 222: Reason for Going to the Brothel

For today’s breakfast, I prepared grilled mackerel filets, rolled eggs with dashi, pickled octopus, steamed chicken, okra and ginger with plum paste, boiled seasoned veggies, soft fluffy freshly cooked rice and miso soup.

The temperature’s been climbing up since morning so I chose dishes that are refreshing to the taste. Ah, but the miso soup I made was piping hot clam soup with a generous amount of chives sprinkled on it.

Daifuku spent the day curled up in the box with a chilly plate in it, so I also spent it ruffling and kneading him. It was such a great day; I hope today’s gonna be a good day too.

I finished our daily stroll and field work routine 【Teleport】 to the tower. Riche wanted to tag along, but the place is too cramped with all the materials lying around and it’s dangerous. I’Il take him when it’s completed.

Building the cabinets, installing the bed frames, adding more chilly plates… It’s really hot, you know! The tower is hidden behind thick walls, but it’s still hot. This tower is perched on a high cliff with nothing that could shield it from the rays of the southeast sun.

I cooled off for a bit on the chilly plate before resuming working on building the cabinets. Maybe it’s better to stick the chilly plate on the ceiling, but I already finished fixing the ceiling beautifully, and it might be dangerous adding it later only for it to fall out.

Ahh, should I just write on the stone walls directly? I smoothened the bumpy parts of the wall with 『Zanzenken』. I had to avoid the borders of the stoneworks out of necessity, but it’ll probably work if I draw a few small ones on the wall and create a pattern.. However, it is more troublesome than simply drawing a huge one and being done with it after.

Alright, let’s finish this before it gets hotter than this.

I made two wooden step ladders, and added boards on them so that they could be positioned horizontally too.* I also did lots of scribbling afterward. Lizard-kun came to check on me, and tiny spirits also drew closer. I couldn’t help but wish for a copy ability as I scribbled away.

The tiny spirits came, so as long as I don’t make a mistake while drawing, I’m sure it’ll turn into a very efficient cooling plate, uh, yeah, I’m sure of it. Yup, I have to work hard.

So, what should I do with the placement of the magic stones? It’ll be a lot easier for me if it’s downstairs — ack, then I’d have to draw again!?

In the end, I decided to install wooden panels with huge magic circles on the walls of the other rooms, and also engraved magic circles on stone plates and hung them like paintings.
This storage room will be the only one that gets cooled evenly, but that’s fine. I’ll be storing potions, medicines and other stuff in here so it’s just right.

For the lighting, I decided to make sleeping chambers for the light spirits, just like how I learned back in the temple. I can name the spirits that came there; it’s so convenient that it felt like a cheat. Some of the light spirits also generate heat so I asked them to hold back.

Ceiling-high shelves lined the room. The tower is already narrow as it is, so although it doesn’t seem to be that spectacular, the ambience is nice. Yup, I did a good job on this.

I immediately filled them up with some goods.

Here goes the vials with potions made from Cinca grass, salves made from the red lizards, medicines that I learned from the Healer’s Guild.

And here, antidotes made from crushed southernwood berries, hair-regrower potions made with blended cinders and oil, a medicine made from mixing white wine with the orange-colored extract from celandine, and also betony, which was planted here and there and used a lot in folk remedies.

Next up are the needles made from the horn of a monitor lizard, square waterproof cloths made from its hide, and small jars of various magic stones — one in each jar. Actually, I also made a workbench, but this room would be my collection room. Let’s gaze at them from time to time while grinning from ear to ear, alright.

I worked hard day after day, and Auro would drop by from time to time and leave a drink for me — I wonder how he knew I was here. The drink seemed to be made from squeezed ‘tiger nuts’ which are tubers of yellow nutsedge, mixed with honey. It looked like soya milk and it’s sweet thanks to the honey, but the strange after taste made me feel refreshed. Auro said it’s effective against summer heat fatigue. They don’t have refrigerators here so the drink is warm, naturally, so I put it on the chilly plate and it’ll be nice and cool. Currently, I’m working on how to make chilly plates that are cooler through trial and error.

Oh, maybe he’s worried that I’ll suffer from heatstroke since I’m cooped up in the tower? Ah, sorry, but you see, it’s hot in the entrance hall, but it’s cool elsewhere.

I felt bad so I made him some sandwiches and cookies from time to time. The cookies are rich since they’re made from edam cheese and salt, but there’s a tangy after-taste, perfect for those who don’t like sweets.

Come to think of it, how do sandwiches, Earl Gray and Darjeeling translate here? They’re named after people and places in my world after all. Oh well, I guess it’s fine as long as they understood, huh.

Even so, Auro had been acting really differently from how he did in the beginning. He might not overly care for nor mess with me, but I can feel his concern through his actions. Hey, did his soul get swapped or something? Is he okay?

***

I spent my days working on renovating the tower, tagging along with Retze while he showed Khan around and enjoying long rides with Ash and Ruta. Then Dean and the other guys finally returned.

「How was the pretty onee-san? 」
「Ou! It’s paradise! 」
「That place is a totally different world, where the gloom of everyday life and the accumulated dregs from battling the monsters are all blown away!」

Ah, yeah. Right — didn’t they say some sort of tiny black stuff scatters all over you when you slay malicious black spirits and monsters and that would pile up battle after battle until it drives you crazy?

Usually, the tiny stuff vanishes right away, whether it’s from the good or bad spirits. However, adventurers had to kill the next monster even before the stuff could disappear, so it makes sense that they’re going to pile up. The dregs that Chris referred to must be that tiny black stuff.

I wonder if they are so proactive in going to the brothels in the fortress city because they have a gist of what’s going on? Eh? Then what about Retze, is he okay? What about Butler?

Dinosso’s family are being healed because of their warm family time, Ash is soothed with sweets.

「Oh my goodness, Enda-chan’s boobies are the best! 」
Ah, I take that back. Dean is just a lustful guy.

「How’s Reid? 」
「Ahh…. 」
Dean averted his eyes and let them roam elsewhere when I asked.

「He felt a bit dejected because he saw something that isn’t a unicorn, but he’s fine. My brother isn’t that weak. 」
Chris replied with a grin.

It’s not like Chris is overly concerned about Reid, but I think he’s a good older brother.