135 - - 133rd episode, Sen.

It's been a few days since we got rice. I never used to cook much, but now I'm trying my best to cook every day to make my meals more rice-based. However, there are many dishes that I can't cook due to the lack of seasonings and ingredients. I wish I could use soy sauce and eggs as much as I want. .......

I am trying to cook a lot of rice every day with Sara's help, and also trying to mass-produce rice dishes such as onigiri, fried rice, chicken rice, and donburi (pork belly), and side dishes that go well with white rice such as grilled fish, dried fish, and asazuke (lightly pickled vegetables).

If I could get eggs, I could make katsudon (pork cutlet served on top of a bowl of rice) and oyakodon (a bowl of rice topped with chicken and eggs). Also, I have a craving for curry. Even if I can't get soy sauce, I should be able to get eggs. I want to eat ginger-yaki and hamburgers, too. The richer the food, the more comfortable my life will be.

When I came to the land of death, I was frightened of hunger and thirst, but now I've come to be able to worry about the luxury of food, that's a great progress.

However, I, the one who suffers from food problems, tried to eat the rice that Sylphy had me dry in the wind, but I couldn't tell the difference between it and the rice that I had asked Dene to dry.

I should be able to feel some difference since the rice had been in the sun even for a few days, but my palate is not that sophisticated, it seems. I'm a little worried that I won't be able to tell the difference between this rice and the rice that I plan to dry completely in the sun.

But I'm positive thinking. If you have a keen sense of taste, you may not be satisfied with your meal because of a slight discrepancy, but if I can make something similar, I can be satisfied with my meal. It's a very useful ability in an environment like this.

Yuta-san, may I have a word?

I finished cooking and was sitting in a daze when Dolly came over to talk to me. Tulu and Tamamo are floating next to her. They seemed to be in a good mood.

"Okay, what's up?"

"Tulu and Tamamo have worked very hard to take care of the first forest we created, so it should be ready to bear nuts and berries soon."

"Oh, you're ready to go?　I thought it would take longer."

Dolly said that the tree had made all its growth at once, which can take several years to a decade, and that it would need a little time to bear fruit with better soil, so I thought we'd let it rest for a few months.

"Coo-coo!"

The tamamo buzzes and wags its tail, a little proudly. I did my best!　I guess that's what he's saying.

"I see, Tulu and Tamamo did a great job, thank you."

I thank him, and then I stroke Tulu's head with my right hand, while I fluff Tamamo's head with my left hand. Tamamo was in a good mood with a "coo-coo-coo", while Tulu was ticklish and his eyes were on Tamamo's tail. Tulu is happy to be praised, but he wants to fluff Tamamo, too!　I'm sure he's thinking about it.

"Dory, how many fruiting plants grow in the first forest?　Do you think it will be safe to release small animals?"

I would appreciate it if the environment is hospitable enough for creatures to contract with the spirit of life.

"Yes, ...... not a lot of them, but a certain number would be fine. We can start with about 30 small herbivorous animals and see how it goes. If you want to increase the number of animals, you can do so after the second forest is able to bear fruit.

Thirty animals. What kind of small animals should I bring?　Rats are going to explode, or cute little squirrels?　Huh?　Squirrels are rats?　That's a tough one. I guess small carnivorous animals are necessary for the balance of nature, but I don't know when to introduce them.

For now, let's release small herbivorous animals in the two forests, make a contract with the spirit of life, and then listen to his advice to create an ecosystem. If possible, I'd like to shut out insects and animals that would harm the crops. Will fleas and ticks be okay as long as we cast a cleaning spell before bringing the small animals?

I'm afraid that if I bring animals or insects here without thinking, they will multiply before I know it because there are almost no natural enemies.

"Okay. It's late today. I'll ask you to come back tomorrow. Then we'll ask Sylphy to show us around and we'll go catch some small animals."

"A picnic?"

Hmm?　Yeah, right. It's like a picnic. Last time we went to catch small fish, this time we're going to catch small animals."

"Animals ...... mofo mofo."

Tulu nodded happily. He seems happy, so I leave him alone. I didn't say "picnic" because it seemed more like a hunting trip. It's hard to call it a picnic because the screams of the animals seem to echo all over the place.

I've been taking it easy since the rice was ready, but tomorrow will be the first event in a while that will keep me busy.

**

After breakfast, we all went to the forest. I'm a little excited to see what kind of fruit will grow.

"Okay, Dory, you take care of this."

"Yes, sir."

Smiling, Dolly waved her hand softly and said, ...... well, ...... oh, there's some berries over there. They're a little more subdued this time around. If you pay close attention, you can see some fruits growing, but they don't have the same intensity as when they grow in the forest. It's not surprising, but it's a little disappointing.

It's over.

"Thank you, Dolly. Well, let's take a look around. Belle and Sarah, I want you to search the woods and bring me one or two nuts or berries if you see them."

Let the children who are itching to see the fruit grow go ahead and explore, and I'll take a leisurely stroll. At my request, the children dashed off into the woods at once. ......They actually jumped into the woods, so it's not wrong, but it's not the right word.

The word is supposed to express the momentum of flying, but when they actually fly away, it seems to be a contradiction in terms. I walk through the forest, thinking about trivial things.

"Yoo-tah, Belle, I found it!" "Cu-cuee!"

Immediately, the duo of Belle and Rain came back excitedly with a harvest of what looked like fruit. They held out their tiny hands and fins in front of me, and I saw what looked like raspberries and acorns. ...... I was concerned about the seasonality of the fruit, but it seems that neither the season nor the climate matters to the spirits.

"Oh, thank you. Did you have a lot?"

"full of flowers..." "cucumbers..."

They spread their arms out in a fierce appeal, as if they wanted to express that they had a lot. It's very cute, but there are raspberries and acorns falling out.

"Well, you must have had a lot. Thank you for finding them."

I thanked them and nudged them. "I'll find more," I said, and Belle and Rain flew away. They are so full of energy.

"Dory, aside from acorns, are these raspberry-like berries edible?

"Yes, they are delicious."

They say it's edible. I purify it and put a piece in my mouth. ...... It has a strong sourness and a weak sweetness, but the berry-like aroma escapes into the nose, and it tastes quite refreshing. It reminds me of my grandma's house in the countryside.

After feeling some nostalgia, I start walking in the forest again. As we walked leisurely, Tulu and Tamamo brought us walnuts and chestnuts, and Sara and her friends brought us loquat-like fruits. It seems that there are other plants that grow berries that are inedible to humans, but are favored by animals.

I found a flower I had seen before, and upon closer inspection, I found a camellia flower and fruit. I wondered if camellia nuts are edible.　I've seen camellia oil on the Iron Arm show, but I don't think I've ever seen people eating the fruit. ...... but I'd like to have some camellia oil.

I think they said on TV that camellia oil is a luxury item and good for your health. It might be a good idea to cover a block with camellia later.

We have camellia oil and flour. If we can find eggs, we will have to make tempura. No, I don't have the confidence to make it myself, so I'll leave this to Mr. Toruku.

I have given him the recipe for deep frying and he will have the eggs. I've already given everything to the Adventurers' Guild, so let's give them some magma fish and have them cook up some different dishes for us. My dreams are growing.

"Dolly, I'd like to plant that camellia in the next block, okay?　I need a lot of camellia seeds."

I thought about planting it in the block next to the spirit tree, but since that area is in a good location, it would be better to use it in a more vegetative way. I would like to plant trees that grow a variety of fruits anyway. Apples, pears, grapes, tangerines, etc., would bear delicious fruits.

Oh, but we don't have to worry about the small animals that would devour them if we let them loose ...... as long as we have Dolly to grow the fruits for us. If we harvest them the moment they're grown, we'll have more fruit than we can eat.

"Don't worry. Do you want it to grow right away?"

"...... hmmm, the kids like to plant seeds and stuff, so we'll take it from there. Please help them grow and prepare the seeds."

I am a little relieved when Dolly nods at me smilingly. I had seen that she was surprisingly unforgiving at the Adventurers' Guild. I'm a little afraid that I have to be honest with her so that she won't be fooled by my appearance.

We arrive at the pond in the center of the forest, listening to the children's reports. I wonder how the aquatic life is doing. I looked into the pond and saw some plants and mosses established on the bottom of the clean water, and a few small fish swimming in the water. The plants are not discolored and look good, but what do you think?

Next to us, Bell and Sarah are peering into the pond. They are happy to see that the fish and plants they have taken are doing well, and they seem to be enjoying themselves.

"Deanne, the plants and animals in the pond seem to be doing well, but are they really doing well?

"Hmmm...yes. Some of the fish died because they couldn't stand the change of environment, but I think everything is going well. I don't know about the plants, so please ask Dory.

I looked at Dolly and she said, "No problem. The Great Spirit of the Water and the Great Spirit of the Forest say it's all right, so it must be going well. If we keep growing at this rate, a fishing pond will be a dream come true.

The pond is doing well, and the food in the forest seems to be okay. If the food supply is this abundant, there should be no problem even if there are 30 or even more, but considering reproduction, it's probably better to start with a few at first, since there are no natural enemies and they will multiply very quickly.

We also need grass on the ground as well as trees. I'll have to ask Dolly to do that too. I've been taking it easy, but I'm getting busy. I'll ask Sylphy to take me there right away.