93-083 Clean up after

We divided up the work, with Toya (the strongest) and I (a man) taking care of dismantling the hut and collecting the scrap wood, and the women taking care of dismantling the orcs.

Orc entrails and scrap wood pile up.

When the pile has reached a certain level, we light the fire.

It smells good, which is a subtle feeling.

"Hey, Nao. Is this okay?　It's burning pretty big.

Indeed, it's burning like a campfire. The fatty oak may be the fuel.

It's pretty open and there's not much wind. It should be fine. We have Extinguish Fire if we need it.

This spell is a level 3 fire spell, and as the name suggests, it is used to put out fires.

The description says that it's a spell that's highly valued at the scene of a fire, which is unusual for fire magic, and emphasizes its use outside of combat.

I only tried it on a small bonfire, but the fire was extinguished in an instant, with no smoke or smoldering. Also, it does not re-ignite after the fire is extinguished, probably because the temperature is lowered to below the ignition point at once.

However, the charcoal was hot enough that I couldn't touch it with my hands, so it seems that it doesn't cool down completely.

Then we can throw them in with no worries.

Well, there's still about half of it left.

The branches used for the roof were raw wood with leaves on them, but the rest of the wood was dry and burned well.

We repeatedly knocked down the hut and threw it into the fire.

There's something about a fire that makes me feel calm and ...... good.

"I know, I know. In some countries, there are TV programs that only show the fireplace burning. Maybe it's just human nature?

"...... You guys, I understand the feeling, but is this really a bonfire?

...... Hmmm, is the flame too big?

We can't deny that possibility.

In the event you're not sure what to do, you'll be able to find out how to do it.

"In my country, we have a bonfire like this.

I want to bake some rice cakes.

The fire's strong. Be careful it doesn't fall apart, okay?

I'll take care of it.

Since the dismantling of the hut is almost finished, I'll save a long pole to use for adjusting the fire.

The posts were only about two meters long, so there was no danger of them collapsing if they were two meters away from the fire.

By this time, the women had finished dismembering the animals, and the meat chunks and skins were being put into the magic bags one by one.

The total number of orcs and orc leaders was 38. The amount of meat was enormous.

The amount of meat was enormous, to the point where it had to be weighed in tons instead of kilos.

Once the cleanup is complete, Natsuki and Haruka apply Purify to all of them to remove the dirt.

All that's left to do is finish this bonfire and we can go home. .......

It's going to take quite a while for this to finish burning.

Yes, it will. There were a lot of huts.

There must have been about thirty in total. Each one had four pillars. There were about four beams supporting the roof.

They are not very thick trees, but there are hundreds of them. Gathering them together and setting them on fire, they would naturally still be burning fiercely.

Let's have lunch here, though it smells a little like blood.

It's after the battle.

The main battle area was the periphery of the nest, but the waste wood was being burned in the center of the nest to prevent the fire from spreading. Although we were far away, the dismantling work was done by the fire to burn the unnecessary parts, so the smell of blood was rather thicker in this area.

Well, we've gotten used to it, and it doesn't make us nauseous.

"I agree with you on the grilling. Let's have a barbecue after all these years.

"Well, I haven't used most of the cookware I bought.

I've only used it once or twice during my adventures.

Rather, I've used it more often during training. I used them to make a fire, drink tea and roast potatoes during breaks.

Roast meat? That's nice.

"I've heard about it, but we haven't done much of it since we joined up.

Natsuki and Yuki heard our conversation and approached us with happy expressions on their faces.

You're right, you're right.

In the event that you've got a lot of time, you may want to take a look at a few of the things that are available in the market.

"Well, let's get ready. We have a net this time, so let's grill it.

Okay.

We moved from the place where we were dismantling to the other side of the fire, and made a simple cooking stove with the stones we had found there. You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of them.

The meat that Haruka and his friends had sliced was laid out on top of it.

The fat immediately melted and fell onto the coals, creating a plume of smoke.

It's a little smoky, but that's okay too!

This is the best part of yakiniku, isn't it?

"I agree!

You can cook meat on a teppan, but it's not the same as on a charcoal grill.

But with so much meat on the plate, it's ......

I know. I want vegetables, don't you?

"Maybe we should have bought something.

While we were happy with the meat, Haruka and the others seemed a little unhappy.

Well, it's certainly a spectacular sight, but it would have been nice to have something else to take the edge off.

What kind of vegetables do you use for yakiniku?　Cabbage, onions: ......

You can grill peppers, eggplant, carrots, asparagus.

I like corn, the sweet kind.

Sweet corn. But it can be difficult.

First, there's the question of whether there are sweet corn varieties.

And then there's the issue of shelf life after harvest.

It is said that sweet corn loses its sweetness as time passes after harvesting.

To avoid this, the corn should be kept at a low temperature or heated as soon as it is harvested.

So the best way to eat them is to harvest them early in the morning and boil them right away. If you grow it in your vegetable garden, you can eat very tasty corn.

Is that why some of the corn I buy at the store is not sweet at all?

The problem with corn is that you can't taste it, even if you know how it grows.

I've heard that corn with a lot of hairs is good, but it's hard to know how long it's been harvested and how to store it.

In this world, we can't expect a supply chain with low temperature, can we?

Yes. Magic bags are perfect for this, but they're not something that the average farmer can use.

...... Okay, I'll make it in the garden!　I've got a big plot of land.

Sure, we have enough space for a vegetable garden, but ...... Toya, can you do it?　Do you have any experience?

No!

No!

I don't have a garden in my house.

We all lived in detached houses, but Toya's yard was certainly not that big.

Haruka and I had a reasonably large garden, but we had no experience in vegetable gardening.

What are you going to do then?

As I said this, Toya looked at Yuki and clasped his hands together in worship.

Yuki, you're into gardening, right?　Will you do it for me?　I'll help you.

"What?　It's true that I like to grow flowers, but it's not exactly the same as vegetables. ......

Didn't Natsuki sound like an experienced gardener?

Yes, a little in a corner of the garden. In my case, I just bought fertilizer, soil, and seedlings and planted them, so I don't know much about it. ......

At Toya's request, Yuki and Natsuki looked a little puzzled.

There is no fertilizer or soil for sale, and the varieties are not the same as the ones that have been improved to be easy to grow in a vegetable garden. The chances of failure were probably higher. I can understand their hesitation.

However, it was surprisingly Haruka who pushed them forward.

Why don't you give it a try?　We're not farmers, so even if we fail, it won't be a problem for us to make a living. We don't have enough to live on if all we do is work, so I think it could be a good hobby.

It's true that up until now I've been working and training all the time in order to save money for my life, so it would be nice to have some leisure time once I have a house.

Maybe I should think of something too. There is no internet, no books to buy, no games to play in this world.

...... if you're willing to fail.

"I'm okay with that, too, if it's a little loose?

Okay, okay, okay. I'm okay with that, too.

The two of them chuckled at Toya's casual smile.

I'd like to eat sweet corn too, so I'd like you to do your best. But first, the question is whether or not the variety is available.

Well... The meat is almost done. Let's eat.

Bon appétit!

As soon as Haruka said this, Toya immediately flashed his chopsticks.

He grabbed the meat from the net and threw it into his mouth. --By the way, chopsticks are not sold, so I made them myself.

"Yes, it's delicious!

I followed suit and took a bite of the meat.

The seasoning is salt and a little spice. It's simple, but it's good.

"Sometimes it's good to have yakiniku outdoors!

"Yes. It's a pity there's no variation.

Some lemon juice would have refreshed it a bit.

That's true. Basically, it's all salt.

There is an inspiration sauce, but I am hesitant to put it on yakiniku.

I want yakiniku sauce, right?

"It's amazing, isn't it? If you season the meat and vegetables with it, you can eat a lot of rice.

Some people can eat a meal with just that.　--Can you make it?

He looked at Haruka and the others, but they all shook their heads.

It's difficult, you know.

I can handle fruits and vegetables, but...

You need soy sauce or miso to make it taste right.

Soy sauce and miso are the greatest.

The ingredients are rice, wheat and soybeans, right?　If you have those, who can make it ......?

Haruka and Yuki shook their heads, but Natsuki raised her hand modestly.

I've made it before. But you need to find the koji mold.

"Koji fungus. ...... They don't sell it, do they?

"Well, I don't think they do. But koji is a type of yeast, so you can find it if you work hard.

Then Haruka explained various things to me. ...... Well, anyway, I understood that it would be difficult.

I'll take it as a good sign that it's not impossible. All I can do is to support him and help him when he asks me to do chores.

Well, leaving the soy sauce aside, what are you going to do tomorrow?　Now that we've destroyed the orc nest, we can't make any more money from orcs, right?

"Right. There won't be zero Orcs, but we won't be able to find them as often as before.

Orcs are a nuisance to some people, but to us, they were a good source of money.

Therefore, we had a plan to use them as a sustainable resource by repeatedly thinning out their nests to a moderate level without eradicating them, but we gave up when the guild asked us to eradicate them.

If we left them alone, the guild would take the initiative in eradicating them, and we would not benefit from it. In that case, it would be better to destroy them first.

What do adventurers who have just graduated from Orcs do for a living?

"The Southern Forest. Ordinary adventurers seem to move there when they can kill hobgoblins.

Come to think of it, orcs aren't popular because they don't pay well.

I'm sure you'll be glad to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this.

What's in the Southern Forest ......?

"If you're talking about the next rank, it's a woodcutter's escort. After that, you can find herbs that are a little more valuable than those in the eastern forest, and hunt demons to collect magic stones.

If that's all you're asking, it sounds a bit sensitive. ......?

Well, yes. To put it bluntly, even if you move to the southern forest, you won't be able to earn as much as you can by hunting orcs. That's why there are no high-ranked adventurers in this city.

"Orcs, they make good money. ......

If you sell four orcs, you can easily make over a million Japanese yen.

I think it's reasonable or even cheap considering the amount of meat, but it's a lot of money for those of us whose monthly allowance was a few thousand yen.

Well, let's take our time and think about what to do. We have quite a bit of Orc inventory, and I think we should take it easy until it runs out.

That's right. You have enough money, you need a vacation. --Yes!　Why don't we have a victory party to celebrate the successful eradication of the orc nest?　Let's make a reservation at Aella's restaurant.

Oh, I like that!　Aella-san's food is delicious, but I've never eaten anything but the food she sells in the morning and lunch.

Yuki smiled and clapped her hands together, and Toya agreed with her.

There was no reason for us to disagree, so we looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

So let's sell the meat and go make a reservation when we get home.

"Yes!

Then we took a rest for a while until the huge campfire went down.

Then, when the fire was almost out, we threw all the burnt remains into the hole with Yuki's earth magic, and left the forest.