273 - - Episode 271. Could it have caught fire?

Last night I finally had a Fire Dragon steak. It was as good as I had heard, but the meat was so different from the other meats that I was a little relieved that the other meats would not go to waste.

After finishing breakfast, I lean back on the sofa and relax for a while. What shall we do today?　Marco and the others have already finished the plaza, so it's either a good night's rest or a good day off since we all worked so hard yesterday ...... to defeat the undead. So, after patrolling the paradise, Bell and the others will have some free time.

Now that paradise has become a sanctuary, we don't have to make the rounds. ......Bell and the others are having fun, so let's let them continue with their stroll.

Then the problem is me. It will be a little while before the guests of the spirits arrive and we have a rough idea of what's inside the paradise. There's not much to do unless we plan to build another facility.

Maybe now is a good time to take a vacation?　I'm going to ask Sylphy to take me to another town so I can relax and stretch my wings by myself. Maybe I can go to some adult stores.

Now there's no problem if I'm away for three days or so," Yuta's brother!　I got a lot of cooking to do, and I need you to store it!" ......There was a problem.

I see, I forgot about the rubies. Now I'm too busy trying to recreate the recipe to tell them not to cook because I want to go out and play. But my need to stretch my wings alone has been ignited. I'll see what I can do.

It would be easier if I could just give him the magic bag of pioneering tools, but that's not going to happen, so I don't know what to do. There's a limit to how much food we can store in the ice room. If I freeze the food, it might last for three days, but I don't want to ruin the taste of the food for the sake of my fun. ......

I'm not sure I'd like to see the food taste bad for my playtime.

...... I don't have the authority to give orders to the spirits in the brewery, and I can't force the little army + Gina and Sylphy to do anything. Especially if I ask Sylphy and the others to eat all the food that Ruby and the others make so that I can stretch my wings alone, I'm going to get a lecture from them.

"Yuta's brother?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking. I'll go get the food now."

"Thank you, Yuta's brother!　You'd better get going!"

"Wait a minute, I'll let everyone know what we're doing today. Let's see... Sylphy and Gina are off today. Belle and the others will make their rounds of the paradise, and then we'll be free to go on our own.

I tell everyone my plans and head for the cafeteria as if Ruby is rushing me.

"Ruby, why are you in such a hurry?"

The food will get cold. I've been making dishes that can be reheated until Yuta's brother wakes up, but now that it's a good time, I've made fried food, Neapolitan, carbonara, and so on. It's not good to reheat them when they're cold."

I see, so he only made dishes that can be reheated out of concern. So after I woke up, he tried fried food and stretchy noodle dishes. ...... Maybe he was scared of Sylphy's sermon the last time he was here.

I see...in that case it can't be helped...let's hurry up..."

I speed up a little and head for the cafeteria. It would be a waste if the fried food and pasta got cold. Once inside the cafeteria, I see Emme, Saffy, Citrine, and Onyx eating their food with big smiles on their faces, and a large amount of food on the table. It seems that they have been cooking since yesterday evening.

They said it would take 5 days until they had a certain amount of food, but from a distance, it looks like it's already pretty much done. Saffy and the others noticed me and greeted me in the morning, so I greeted them too and asked Ruby which dish I should store.

"It would be great if you could store all the dishes except for the one at the table where Emme and the others are sitting.

"Yes, sir."

The dishes on the table are stored one by one. There are various fried foods and pasta dishes lined up in various places, and the quality of the food looks quite high. From the way Emme and the others are eating, it seems that the food tastes good, so I guess Ruby is a pretty good cook after all.

"I've got it all stowed away. But you made quite a lot of food in one day."

"Yes, I was so excited because there were so many dishes I didn't know about. Emme and the others said it was delicious, and Yuta's brother wants to taste it too!"

"Oh, ...... I ate a hearty breakfast, so it's hard for me to taste-test now. Can we have it for lunch?"

"Good, then you can make dessert until then!"

Ruby ran to the ice room with an excited look on her face. You're so energetic even though you haven't slept. ...... You don't have to sleep because you're a genie. That's how a genie can devote himself to his hobbies. They can use the time they have to sleep and live longer. It's really a cheat. But it would be hell if they had no hobbies.

"Yuta's brother, let's have a little chat."

While I was thinking about the difference between human and spirit, Emme called out to me. ......I don't think there will be anyone back home, so it might be fun to have a little chat with Emme and the others. I'm a little nervous about joining a group of ...... junior high school students, but...

I'll join you then.

I sat down in an empty chair at the table and Saffy offered me a cup of tea.

"Thank you, Saffi. So, it looks like you guys had the recipe I gave you, how did you like it?"

"It was delicious. I like cream dishes!　And I'm looking forward to dessert!"

I like tomato sauce. Ketchup, that's a good one."

"Oak cutlets are the best ......"

"I liked the fried seafood better. I especially liked the fried shrimp."

Emme, Safi, Citrine and Onyx give me their impressions in turn. Each of them seems to have different tastes, but at least they seemed to like it. However, I knew from the dishes that Ruby seems to have made every single one of the recipes.

They talk about their impressions of the dishes they liked, and what they would improve upon them. Thank goodness we have something in common, I don't even know what to talk about with a middle school looking girl.

But, as we are a group of spirits who enjoy eating, our conversation is quite deep. I can't keep up with them if they even discuss about the temperature of oil used for deep frying.

"Oh, I just remembered that there is a technique of frying food twice.

"What kind of technique?"

Citrine, whose favorite food is fried food, asked me a curious question. She is supposed to be shy and reserved, but when it comes to cooking, she is very proactive. If we can get used to talking about cooking, we might be able to get along normally.

"I don't know much about it, but I think you have to prepare two pots of oil, one at a low temperature and the other at a high temperature. Thick slices of food that are hard to cook through are deep-fried in low-temperature oil for a long time, and then transferred to high-temperature oil and deep-fried in one fell swoop. I don't know the details of the temperature and timing, though, so I think it needs to be studied.

I don't know the details because I got my knowledge from a comic book. But I guess you can find the right temperature of oil if you try several times.

"Thanks ......"

Citrine thanked him and then immediately fell silent. It was still difficult for her to carry on a conversation about anything other than her interests. Just like the animals in the forest, I guess I'll just have to get used to it patiently.

"Oh, Yuta's brother!　I'd like to work the fields, is that okay?"

"Yeah?　Hatake?　I'm not sure if ...... I'm the right person to ask. Basically, the spirits are supposed to decide what happens in the spirit village, so I think you need to consult with Sylphy and the other spirits at the brewery."

Emme is going to work the fields. A senior spirit of the forest will work the fields, and since he has a senior spirit of earth and water among his friends, it is likely that he will be able to harvest a very high quality crop.

But I don't want to be told what to do. I'll just do what I'm asked to do. Well, if I'm taking it easy and thinking that the spirits won't be asking for my help, I'm sure I'm getting myself into a lot of trouble.

"Oh?　Yuta's brother is the master of this sanctuary, right? Is it okay if I decide to use a genie?"

Onyx tilts her head and asks. This girl looks like she's in middle school and has a s*x appeal that makes my heart skip a beat.

"I'm only a formality when it comes to being a master," Onyx says. The spirits can manage their own space, and I can only lend a hand if they have a problem.

If you are dealing with human beings, you have to assert your rights or you will be in trouble, but if you are dealing with spirits, you can leave them to their own devices ...... and just worry about the brewery encroaching on your entire base.

I'll talk to Sylphy about it first. We don't want to get in trouble again, do we?"

Onyx told Emme, Saffi, and Citrine, and all three nodded vigorously, their faces pale. I'm a little curious to see Sylphy's sermon that frightens them so much. I don't think I'd like to take it myself.

"Well, we have plenty of space, and I'm sure they'll give us permission to plant a field now. But if you plan to grow the village, you might want to think about where you want to put the fields.

"I see, I was going to build a field next to the store, but you have all the stores around here, and Sylphy's sisters have plans for it too. Okay, I'll talk it over with them. Thank you, Yuta's brother.

"You're welcome."

However, Ruby and the others have completely taken to calling me Yuta's brother. Well, it's better than being called "boss" or "bossy," so I don't mind.

From there, we had a leisurely cup of tea and listened to Emme and the others' stories. As you would expect from the spirits, they are classified as oddballs, so their episodes are quite interesting.

Spirits cannot use their powers freely without a contractor unless they are in a sanctuary. So, it seems that they were taking advantage of the work to restore the balance of nature, where they are allowed to use their power, to get foodstuffs.

It seems to be a gray area where it is illegal to use force, but the key point is to involve the ingredients you want with your power. I don't think it can be called "careless" anymore, but I guess they couldn't get the ingredients otherwise.

I am a little touched by their tearful efforts, but these kids don't seem to feel such hardships, and are talking cheerfully about fish from ....... ......Yes, let's cheer them up. Sylphy might get angry if we do it too blatantly, but it won't be a problem if we add a few more ingredients as a souvenir.

"It's done!"

As we were talking, Ruby brought in a tray of desserts. The eyes of Emme and the others instantly fell on Ruby. This eating spree has sent these girls running into the gray area.

"Do you want some, Yuta's brother?"

No, I'll have it after lunch. I'm limited to one dessert a day.

"I see, I'm looking forward to lunch."

"Can I bring some of my students with me?"

"Of course I am!　We're more than happy to get lots of feedback!"

I see, I'll invite everyone then. It's time for me to go back.

I wave to Ruby and the others and head home. Everyone has taken the day off, but it doesn't matter, because we're going to eat lunch after all. But the Great Spirits are probably at the brewery, so maybe they won't join us.　Oh, I didn't think anything about the vacation. ...... Let's plan well so we don't put it off because we're too busy.