282 - - Episode 280 Ruby's Hard Work

It has been a few days since we made miso with the help of the little army plus Gina, Ruby, and Vita. The miso making turned out to be a more enjoyable event than I had expected, and I'm glad I have such good memories of it.

On the other hand, the soy sauce preparation the next day was a tough job. I knew nothing about making soy sauce, to the point that it made me sad. As a result, Ruby and the others questioned me almost like an interrogation.

All I could squeeze out of them was the basic ingredients of soybeans, salt, koji, and after much agonizing, I was only able to recall the existence of moromi. As a result, I used all of Vita's knowledge of the fungus to prepare the soy sauce in a way that seemed to work backwards from the actual soy sauce. Vita and Ruby and the others were mainly ...... I just did as I was told and didn't really know what I was doing.

To be honest, it wasn't fun, but I can only be thankful that the soy sauce preparation went off without a hitch. After all, many Japanese people use soy sauce in their cooking. What should we eat when the soy sauce is ready? There are so many things I want to eat, I can't choose. If it's soy sauce, I guess it's seafood. Just take some shellfish from the beach and put a dash of soy sauce on it, and you've got yourself a feast. Beef bowl, meat and potatoes, simmered vegetables, udon and soba...... sounds exciting!

After preparing the soy sauce, the time passed peacefully without any major incident. Vita gave us permission to approach the animals and when we went to feed them, they ran away like rabbits, we had to go to store the large amount of food that Ruby made every day, spirits were flying around the brewery and the whole area was a wheat field, but... It should have been peaceful.

The only thing that was on my mind was the new task I had to give Gina and her friends. I thought about giving them one more block to build something without the help of the Great Spirit, but the question is what to have them build. But the question is what to have them build........

Sylphy, Gina and the others went to the park to kill the undead, while Belle and the others went to the park to play after lunch. Deanne and her friends are busy preparing ale at the brewery. I have some free time, so I sink into the soft sofa, drink my lunch coffee, and think.

Compared to the time when I was suddenly transported to the land of the dead, I can now do things much more gracefully. There are still many things missing, but I am enjoying the feeling that my life is getting richer step by step. Now, I have nothing urgent to do, so I'm going to start planning a trip.

"Yuta's brother!

BTW ...... that was close, I almost blew out my coffee. Why are Ruby and her friends stuck in the living room window?　...... I see, no one is home right now, so you couldn't get in.

"Hey, guys, you can come in. But why don't you just ring the door knocker?"

As I beckoned to them, Ruby and the others released their materialization and came in through the window.

"We've got plenty of door knockers!　I asked Bell and the others and they said Yuta's brother was at home, but he didn't come out, so I peeked through the window!"

...... Apparently the door knocker had been rung. I was so immersed in my elegant mood and thoughts that I didn't notice it at all.

Sorry, sorry, I was thinking. Sit down for now. I'll get you a drink, what would you like?"

"I don't care!　What is Yuta's brother drinking?"

"I'm drinking coffee. What's that?　Didn't I ever make you drink it?"

"I've never had a drink before!"

Come to think of it, I usually drink coffee when I'm relaxing at home, so I've only given it to the contracted spirits in my house and Gina and the others. It is a good opportunity for me to introduce coffee to you since you seem to be interested in it.

I explain about coffee from the beginning to Ruby and the others who are peering at my coffee with interest like Belle. I also explained a little about the hardships involved in processing coffee, but I think it's all right. I am pleasantly surprised to see the impressed gazes of Ruby and the others. I take out a cup of coffee and a cup from my magic bag and pour it over Ruby and the others.

They are curious about the coffee, smelling the aroma and seriously examining the coffee. As was the case with Gina and Sara, they seem to be more focused when they are interested in food. Compared to Sylphy and the others, Ruby and the others are tasting the coffee more carefully, which makes me a little happy.

After tasting the coffee black, they add sugar and milk as I taught them, trying to find their favorite taste.

"Yuta, this drink is soothing. I especially like the color. Can you share it with me later?"

"I want one in the cafeteria!"

After tasting the coffee for a while, Onyx asks me happily, "What do you think of the coffee? Rubies are good, but Onyx's ...... color is good because it's black?　Do dark spirits like black?

"Oh, I'll give it to you later. Oh, by the way, didn't you come here for something?　Did you store the dishes in the morning and now you have more dishes to store?"

"It was!　I'm getting used to the recipes that Yuta's brother taught me, and now that Emme and the others know their own restaurant, I'm here to tell them that it's okay to bring guests to the village of spirits!"

Come to think of it, we were waiting for Ruby and the others to open the village of spirits. I was going to have a cup of coffee and think about my travel plans, but now I'm suddenly very busy. Well, once the opening is over and paradise is settled, we can start our trip. That's good news, isn't it?

"Ok then, let's have a meeting with Sylphy and the others this evening. It seems like there are a lot of spirits waiting for us, so we'll have to open the village soon, are you sure?

"Well, we've already decided on the menu, and Emme's general store, Safi's inn, and Citrine's money exchange are all ready to go. And we've discussed Onyx's support system, so we'll be fine!"

You weren't just cooking. As expected of a senior spirit, preparations were being made in a way that we couldn't see. I knew it because I had consulted her several times, but I had not seen her in action, so I was caught off guard. I'm sorry, I thought you were only interested in cooking and eating.

"Well, I guess we'll be your guests at Ruby's diner tonight. Then we can go over the business process and discuss the opening of the village with Sylphy and the others.

In the meantime, it would be better to check the situation with customers present. Even if I, Sylphy, Gina and the others are OK, Belle, Fukuchan and the others seem to be strong opponents.

"Shop practice!　It's going to be fun!"

Ruby is pleased at the suggestion of a rehearsal. I know it's short notice, but it doesn't seem to matter if we do it tonight.

"Yuta's brother, I'd like to have a general store, an inn, and a money changer for practice, no?"

Emme asked for additional preliminaries. Saffi, Citrine, and Onyx nodded their heads, which meant that we had better do some rehearsals. Then Gina and Fukuchan would be back in the evening, and we'd be short on time.

"Okay. I'm sorry Ruby, but let's skip this evening and have Belle, Gina, and Fukuchan come to the village tomorrow for a day to play. It'll be a good rehearsal for the whole village, wouldn't it be better that way?"

Ruby and the others put their heads together and nodded their heads in agreement. Tomorrow will be the pre-opening of the village of spirits. Belle and the others are visiting the stalls, but they are just watching, and they will be happy if they can shop for themselves.

Then, I'd like to recreate the flow of the village of spirits properly, so I'll ask Belle, Fuchu, and the others to make some broken pieces of spirit stones this evening. Sylphy says that even floating spirits can be made with some ease, so it should be fine.

But it's a long time to be a ...... spirit stone. The word "nihongakurenai" doesn't give a good impression, so let's discuss and decide on a name for it.

Ruby and the others returned to the meeting with high spirits. They are now going to do a rehearsal of a rehearsal of a rehearsal. There are only four stores, and it doesn't look like there will be much to do, but it is important to prepare in advance.

**

"Ohaiimono!" Cue!""" HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE! Cooooo!""" I'll buy it!""" ............!"""" Hooo!"""" Pugyah!""" Wahooon!"" ............!"

...... When I told Belle and Fukuchan and the others about tomorrow, their tension exploded. They couldn't control their feelings, jumping around the living room and moving their arms, legs, and tails around pointlessly, wreaking havoc.

"I think it will be just Belle and Fuchu-chan staying with us, but would you like to stay at the inn in the village of spirits?"

In the midst of the chaos, I added more fuel to the fire. As expected, Belle and Fukuchan were even more excited. I knew they would be happy, but I didn't expect them to be this happy. Even Tulu, who is usually so reticent, is excited with a blush on his cheeks. It seems that shopping and a sleepover were quite a big event for the spirits.

If Belle and Fuchu, who are usually with us and eat meals with us, have this reaction, I'm afraid of the reactions of the children who came to ...... the spirit palace. I'm not sure if Ruby and the others will be okay.

"Yuta, I know this is sudden, but are Ruby and the others okay?"

Sylphy looks a little worried, but I feel that she and I have different concerns.

"I heard that they've been doing a lot of preparation besides cooking and that they're going to have a rehearsal with Ruby and the others today, so I'm sure they'll be fine. Will Sylphy and the others join us tomorrow?"

"...... Well, we'll be fine, but the spirits at the brewery will be on hand. Is that a problem?"

I guess the spirits of the brewery are not participating or they are busy ....... I think it's time I took a tour of the brewery. But it's a shame that fewer people will attend the pre-opening, considering the experience they will gain. Well, it's the first time, so it's better if it's just us to go over the procedures. Bell and Fukuchan are very excited.

"Yeah, no problem. Well, will you tell Deanne and the others?"

"Yes, I'll let them know."

The spirit participants are now secured. Now it's up to Gina and the others who are less responsive. Gina and the others are a little less responsive, perhaps because they are doing normal shopping in the labyrinth city. But that doesn't mean they're not looking forward to it.

"Master, is it okay if we join in as usual?"

"Yes, the main focus is on the spirits, but if there is anything you notice while participating with them, please let me know. Especially Gina, who is the daughter of the diner, you can give her a lot of advice.

"Okay. The atmosphere in the cafeteria is totally different, but I'll let you know if there's anything you'd like to know!"

Gina's family's diner is certainly near a slum, so the atmosphere is quite different. Sara, Marco, and Kikka are also discussing what to order at Ruby's diner.