Chapter 434: Progress
Apples and oranges are in abundance this season, so let’s make some sweets and jam.
Ah, but let’s squeeze the oranges first and make some juice! So I grab two oranges and did just that, then drank it. Riche shook his head.
「Sorry, sorry, did I splash some on you? 」
I washed my hands and patted Riche.
I changed Riche’s water and rubbed him all over, and got to work. Today I’m making hearty classic apple pie, rectangular, gooey apple pie, thinly baked apple tarts, tarte tatin, apple crumble and honey apple cake.
I added a bit of extra flair with some decorative touches to the Dinosso family’s share. As for the snacks for the island, they should be in portions that are easier to share. I also made some palm-sized and bite-sized pieces that are perfect for picnics or outdoor eating, and chucked all of them into 【Storage】while still piping hot.
The oranges are also turned into delicacies ー orange cakes, orange cheesecakes, chocolate-covered orange peels ー
It took me three and a half days to make a lot of things. I wish everyone will be back to Canum soon ー their absence is making me fidgety. Since I’ve been feeling restless, I thought I might as well get busy with cleaning, cooking and other daily chores ーbut I realized I made a bit too much.
◇ In the depths of the Magical Woods at that Time ( Retze’s POV) ◇
「Is this for real… 」
Dean was beside me muttering under his breath.
I also broke out in cold sweat in this freezing place. The black spirit that the fief lord’s daughter managed to track down had already possessed flesh and is on the verge of turning into a full-blown monster. Well, technically, it’s already a monster, but it seems like it hasn’t fully adapted yet… It’s moving sluggishly.
「Even I can tell that it will be a disaster if that thing starts moving! 」
Chris was rapidly firing those words in a teeny voice, clearly almost in a nervous breakdown.
It looked like a crouching owl covered in bulging black warts. Feathers grew out of them, only to be swallowed back into those bumps. This thing growing right in front of us gives of a seriously creepy vibe.
Even though it is sluggish, I know better than to make a move now. Just the sight of it is enough to make my legs shake, almost giving way.
「Small black spirits are gathering. 」
Ash frowned.
I’m just an ordinary guy who can only See spirits unless they’re really big or if they themselves allow me to, but Ash and Noth are different ー their amber eyes can See them.
Majority of ordinary folks like us who don’t have Sight can still recognize the places where small black spirits gather. Those places are known as miasma, or pools of magic essence.
「We gotta go to the temple and get purified when we return or else it’s gonna be terrible. 」
I’m feeling nauseous just being here.
Even though they’re small, when those black spirits latch onto you, they seriously mess with your head, turning your thoughts all dark and making you hate on everyone. The worst part? You end up hating yourself too.
「…Will it be enough? 」
Noth.
I’m barely holding it together just facing off against this half-formed monster, and here you are, always so calm. Makes me kinda jealous, not gonna lie.
「Nah, no matter how big the drop is, I don’t think it’s gonna work. 」
Dean glanced at the fief lord’s daughter ー at the drop that the fief lord’s daughter was holding.
Before a drop turns black, it contains power from when the spirit still held good will toward humans. This power is actually the spirit’s very essence, so there’s a chance that it can offset the current blackened state, at least to some extent.
It’s not like we’re wishing that the drop will return to how it was before, but we still held a faint hope that the monster might retreat to the depths of the forest. Ah, but Dean’s right, looking at this thing makes it clear that that’s not gonna happen. It’s like we’re trying to put out fire with a drop of water* ーutterly useless.
「It’s alright. I will ー 」
The fief lord’s daughter placed her hand on her chest and took a step towards the squatting monster.
「Stop it. 」
It’s troublesome, but I still stopped her.
「You’re a town lass who’s used to entering the Magical Woods, right? But since you’re sent here, you must be related to that fief lord, aren’t you? 」
The girl was taken aback, probably not expecting that we’re gonna stop her, but I still press for answers.
「However, It appears your behavior is somewhat unbecoming of one who claims to be of noble lineage. 」
Butler’s right, she doesn’t act like a noble young miss.
It’s noblesse oblige to protect their territory from monsters and invaders, so there are folks who actively do that and you can see it in their mannerisms. However, this lass comes off as your typical town girl that works by entering the shallow parts of the woods, which I’m very familiar with. From the way she walked, her fingertips ー it’s nothing like the conduct of warriors nor the behavior of nobles.
「Ahh, is it the whole ‘redeeming with the blood of someone favored by the spirit’ thing? Ugh, give me a break… 」
Dean complained in irritation.
What a hassle. If it’s just Butler and me here, I’m sure we’ve already dispersed after sacrificing the girl.
「It’s not a decision that such a young lady as you must make! 」
Oy, Chris’s honest grin is too dazzling.
That fief lord must’ve taken this girl’s sister as hostage, like how it usually goes, huh?
「No, I have to do something about this or else…rk…nn…」
The girl declared with a do-or-die spirit, but she couldn’t finish what she was saying, her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish.
Maybe she’s stammering, having a hard time after thinking about it too hard ー ah, no, it must be a contract preventing her from disclosing anything.
So that means we gotta risk our lives fighting this monster, try to survive, and if we make it back, we’ll get caught up in that fief lord’s business, huh. What a pain.
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
I Got Transferred in the Middle of a Mountain
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Current schedule: Every 80 hours
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