277 - - 二百七十五話 大豆の脱穀

Yesterday we had Dolly grow soybeans for soy sauce making and we all harvested them together. In the process, we also harvested edamame (green soybeans), which the Great Spirits seemed to like very much as a snack for ale. Sarah, Belle, and Fuchu seemed to like the texture of the soybeans and the way they popped out of the pods more than the taste.

By the way, Gina also looked at the ale that the great spirits were drinking greedily after eating the edamame, so she was extremely happy when we added more ale. It seems that edamame is an excellent snack in this world, too.

I have a tofu thing, should I ask Mr. Toruku to make it for me?　Teaching them as an ingredient would not be a problem, but asking them to arrange for cultivation would be a pain in the ass. Maybe I should talk to Marie or Betty.

As I recall, Gina said that the only use for soybeans is in soups, and Vita said that soybeans are used as animal feed, so they must be cultivated. If anyone should promote edamame, it should be Betty. She is also planning a ranch, so if soybeans are used as feed, she would have something to do with it. That's a big throwback.

That's all right for the use of soybeans and edamame in the labyrinth city. I think about it over a leisurely morning cup of coffee. I'm glad that I have this time in the morning to think things over calmly. Still, it's basically haphazard. .......

Anyway, I'm going to talk to Ruby about soy sauce and miso today. I should also explain about soy milk, tofu, and kinako. I'd like to finish processing soybeans before we go, since they'll want to try it. It would be better to ask Sylphy to thresh the hulls. Maybe Belle can do it too and we can try it together.

I'm going to ask Sylphy to take Gina and the others to the den of the undead today, so I'll ask her to do it as soon as breakfast is over. We leave the room now that we have a general plan. After the morning greeting with Belle and the others, which has become a regular occurrence, we all go to the living room for breakfast.

"So, you want to thresh the soybeans?　I don't mind, but it might be a little difficult for Belle."

After breakfast, I talked to Sylphy about threshing, and she replied that it would be a little difficult with Bell.

"I've seen Belle making something like the wind balls that Sylphy is making, is that too much to ask?"

"You could probably thresh them, but it would be difficult to separate the soybeans from the hulls," he said. It takes skill to control the wind delicately."

"But, Lane, you separated the coffee kernels from the hulls with water, right?"

That's the difference between attributes. There are different attributes that are good and bad at different things.

I see, the difficulty level is different between water and wind. It would be difficult to separate hulls from soybeans in wind. What Shilfi did with the rice was actually a divine feat.

"It would be a waste to waste the ingredients, so I'll leave it to Sylphy here. I'm sorry Belle.

"Bel, can't you?"

Belle, who had been floating next to me listening, tilts her head cockily and asks me. I wonder if Belle would cry if I told her clearly that I couldn't do it.　Well, Belle may look like a little girl, but she's older than me. ...... If Belle starts to cry, let her try, and we'll sort the hulls and soybeans by hand.

"Yeah, she says her skills aren't up to it yet. Help where you can."

"Okay!"

I was thrilled to say this, but Bell readily agreed.

"Yuta, what's wrong with your funny face?"

I'm sure I didn't make a funny face.

"I was just nervous when I told Belle I couldn't do it. I didn't know what to do if you cried."

"Mmm, Beru nakna nai..."

Oh no, I have honestly offended Belle. Let's just apologize and pet him around.

"Hmmm, Belle is a spirit, too, so she won't get upset just because you say she can't do something.

"Maybe so, but I'm always drawn by appearances. Well, I'll be careful from now on. Well then, I'd like you to start threshing.

Somehow I don't feel good, so I head outside with Belle in my arms, take out the soybeans I harvested yesterday from my magic bag, and pile them up in front of Sylphy. Sylphy nods with a wry smile and wraps the soybeans in the wind.

The wind floats up with the soybeans wrapped in it, spinning at high speed to separate the soybeans from the hulls. Well, I used to watch it as normal because it looked so easy to do, but when I heard it was difficult and watched it carefully, I was impressed. Belle, who is holding the baby, is also excited, saying "Wow!

"Yuta, empty the barrel."

Oh, right. If we leave the soybeans as they are, they'll be scattered all over the place. As I hurriedly prepared the empty barrels, the rotation of the wind slowed down and the soybeans were sucked into the empty barrels. I looked inside the barrel and found it filled to the brim with soybeans. Yes, it's perfect. Let's hope the rest of the barrels keep up the good work.

"Good job. Thank you, Sylphy."

You're welcome. I look forward to seeing your new seasonings.

Haha, to be honest, I hardly know how to make it, so don't get your hopes up too high. So Sylphie, this is a different subject, but the spirits of the brewery are flying around a lot today, what's wrong?"

I couldn't help but notice that the spirits of the brewery were busily flying around the brewing space on the east side while I was having the threshing done.

"Oh, that. Yuta fed us edamame yesterday, didn't he? When I told them about it, the spirits at the brewery unanimously decided to make ale. I guess Dine's happy fuss about edamame for ale was the deciding factor.

The spirits were arguing over what kind of alcohol to make and how to make it, but ale and edamame brought them together. I don't know whether to be amazed or impressed. It's just that the brewery that had been standing still is now moving. There will be some changes in paradise.

"So the brewery is finally moving. But I knew Sylphy and the others were happy to see you, but I didn't know you liked edamame so much.

"Yes, edamame is a nice snack. The simple taste doesn't interfere with the alcohol and it's great that you don't get tired of eating them. You can drink as much alcohol as you want.

...... even without the edamame, Sylphy and his friends can drink as much alcohol as they want. Oh, they were pretty drunk when they materialized, so there is a limit to how much they can drink. Sylphy at that time was rare.

"Yuta......, are you thinking of something else?"

"No, no, I'm not thinking about anything. When I drink again, I'll serve you a set of edamame."

I promised to forget about it, but you can sense it just by thinking it in your mind?　I'm usually scared.

"Am I?　...... Well, okay. Well, I'm off to the nest of the undead with Gina and the others."

He looked at me with suspicion, but gave up the pursuit, probably because he had no proof.

"Okay, I'm looking forward to working with you. Gina, Sara, Marco, Kikka, today we're going to take out the undead, but don't get confused because Fukuchan and the others will be out of sight once we leave the sanctuary.

"That's right, Shiva will be out of sight when we leave the sanctuary. It's a strange feeling since we've been together so much lately.

Gina stroked Shiva's head in her arms and murmured sincerely. Since we've become a sanctuary and are together at all hours, it's hard not to feel a sense of discomfort. Sara, Marco, and Kikka also nod their heads as they pet Fukuchan and the others.

"That's why, when you go out of the sanctuary, remember what you felt before you became a sanctuary.

"Yes, now that I can see, I can think of various formations and strategies, and I'll be fine. I'll do my best to be careful."

"Yeah, have a good day."

When the conversation was over, Sylphy flew away with Gina and the others. Gina had said to be careful, so we wouldn't be reckless and bother her. That's a relief.

"Okay, I'll go and talk to Ruby and the others, while you guys take a look around the paradise.

...... Huh?　Normally, Belle and her friends would have answered cheerfully and left for their rounds, but they stayed in front of me in a daze. What's the matter?

"Do you want some good food?"

Well, Belle's question made it all make sense. Ruby's is a diner, so I guess she wants to go with us if we want to get something to eat.

"I just had breakfast and I don't think I'll eat anything. If we do eat something, I'll summon Bell and the others.

"I'll be waiting, I'll be cuking, I'll be eating, I'll be coo-cooing, I'll be shin-men-yoooing!" ............"

"No, if I'm going to eat something. I probably won't eat anything, so don't get your hopes up."

"You don't want to eat?"

Don't look so disappointed. I'm sure I've prepared plenty of breakfast, but not enough?　I don't think "growth spurt" is the word for a genie.

"Yeah, I'm full."

The belles look a little disappointed. At this rate, if we hadn't told them we weren't going to eat properly, they'd have been waiting for us to summon them. A little disappointed, the belles fly off to make their rounds. I thought about repeating breakfast at least one more time, but there seems to be no end to it.

Well, the morning has been somewhat difficult, but the real work is just beginning. Soy sauce and miso......I've seen miso in comic books, so I can imagine what it's like, but soy sauce is hard to make, isn't it? The only thing I know about soy sauce is that it comes in a big barrel and you have to stir it with a long stick, and you need koji. It seems like we have a long way to go.

Well, we got the soybeans for the first step. Next is the second step. We need to talk to the spirits who are willing to help us out. I'm sorry to ask Mr. Toruku who is busy, but Ruby and the others don't need much sleep, and I'm sure they'll do their research once they know about the new seasoning. Okay, let's go to the cafeteria.

We arrive at the cafeteria ....... The front of the cafeteria is made of glass windows, so we can see what's going on inside. There are Emme, Saffy, Citrine, and Onyx, who are eating a delicious breakfast. Ruby is still cooking in the cooking area in the back. At this rate, Ruby would have come to me to ask me to store the dishes even if I hadn't visited her.

...... It doesn't make any difference since she's going to be in the cafeteria either way. Emme waved at me when she realized I was watching from the outside. I'm not going to stay here, so I might as well go inside. I'll have to work on my presentation to convey the appeal of soy sauce and miso.