Chapter 442: Start of Discussion
「What a nice aroma… 」
Chris woke up, but he still looked a bit tired.
「Hmm… 」
Ash also stirred and opened her eyes, probably woken by the movements around her.
「Morning, Ash. I’m glad. 」
I casted【Heal】on her so I knew her wounds were okay, but I was still worried.
「Ohh, glad you’re safe! 」
Dean raised his beer mug. He likes using it, even with wines.
「Ahh, Twilight… I thought I was hallucinating. 」
Chris calling me by that nickname sounds suspicious, so he needs to sleep more after eating. He usually calls me Jean like he promised, after all.
「Jean…? We’re in Canum ー or not. 」
Ash seemed perplexed.
「It truly makes one’s blood run cold, Ash-sama. 」
Butler handed a cup of tea to Ash when she sat up in bed.
Oh, having tea in bed before you’re fully awake sounds great. Let’s do that next time.
ー Everyone went out to do their business right after waking up. Well, I only asked the spirits to take care of them while they’re asleep, after all.
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「Ahh, I can’t bear to be separated from Jean’s cooking! 」
Tears welled in Chris’s eyes as he stuffed his cheeks with goose meat.
I ended up serving dishes based on individual requests. Most of the dishes I’ve made in the past are usually in 【Storage】, so there’s plenty to spare. Especially Chris’s white goose ーthere’s more than enough of it since I overhunted back when I made the futons!
Goose meat tastes like duck. Crispy fried skin is delicious, but Chris prefers his goose tender. He likes drizzling it with balsamic sauce or berry sauce made by simmering reddish black berries that are quite sour and slightly astringent until it’s reduced to a milder flavor.
「Ahh, I really, really wanted to eat Jean’s meat and bread even before we got in a pinch. 」
「Mm. 」
Dean tore off his bread while Ash nodded at his words.
「What do you want to eat, Ash? 」
Ash was at the table and she finished drinking her tea.
「Vegetable soup with bone-in chicken…do you have that? 」
She seemed to be searching in her memories for the description of the food she wanted to eat.
「Is the soup clear? 」
「Mm. It’s season with salt and pepper. Consomme, I think. 」
I brought out something similar to what she described from the food I had on hand and placed it on the table. Ash’s face lit up instantly. Her expression didn’t change much, but I could tell that it was a full blown-smile for her.
「How nostalgic. 」
Ash sipped the soup.
「Nostalgic? 」
「Grilled rabbit and cookie. Back when I asked you to release Az, you also gave me this vegetable soup when I woke up after fainting. 」
「Ahh, right, it’s the same dish I served back then. 」
This soup is convenient since you can just leave it by the fireplace, so I frequently make it. Sometimes I use bacon instead of chicken, but it’s basically the same.
「What the heck, so bittersweet! 」
Wahahaha ー Dean was laughing his head off, clearly in a good mood. He’s already drunk!
「…You guys are so lively, huh. 」
Retze also woke up.
And straight to the ‘toilet’ he went.
Retze’s request was corn soup ー I put plenty of sweet corn and fresh cream, strained it, then added corn kernels.
「It’s sweeter than fruit…? It’s strange how the corn husks don’t bother me at all, I wonder why… 」
Hauron’s interest was piqued after watching Retze gobble his soup, so I also gave him some.
The corn here are either the huge ones perfect for making popcorns, or the weird variety with only 8 rows and a gritty texture, and the sweetness level is like that of cereal or grains! Like, you have to taste it properly before you get that hint of sweetness!
「Alright, I’m done eating. Jean’s dishes are really tempting, but we have to talk before Dean gets any more drunk than this. 」
Retze emptied his bowl.
「There is one among them who observed the battle without participating. He appears to have accompanied the other adventurers in order to verify the results of the quest. However, it seems he did not bring a spirit with him. 」
「That means we have a bit of time. 」
Retze seemed relieved.
I wonder if it’s the guy I pestered with the black spirits a while ago. He must’ve run quite far by now. Retze and Butler also noticed him, huh. And what do they mean by ‘didn’t bring a spirit with him so we have time’?
「He doesn’t have a spirit with him, so that means he isn’t a mage. If he has a magic circle to contact his employer, he’ll need to head to the shallow parts of the woods where there aren’t as many black spirits roaming around. Using the circle in an area swarming with black spirits might end in failure because the ordinary spirits that help him might get attacked halfway through. 」
Retze explained after looking at my face.
「I see? 」
Seems like I have to understand this as soon as possible, huh.
「Whatever, you guys are considered dead by now, you know? The guild’s duplicate copies of the contract must’ve either turned black or burst into flames by now. 」
Hauron commented.
「Come again? 」
Dean paused eating and drinking.
「Jean revoked everyone’s oath, you know. 」
「It seems to be the case. 」
Butler supported Hauron’s words.
「Ahh, come to think of it, if I’m not mistaken, the other party will either explode or burst into flames when conditions or contracts are revoked. 」
From what I heard, that was the case with the explosion after Zabuton was released.
「Wait, wait, you perpetrator! D-Did it just happen now!?」
Hauron seemed flustered.
Yes, now, even though I’ve never seen it happen before, so, yeah.
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
I Got Transferred in the Middle of a Mountain
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 80 hours
Thanks for the treat.