CH 235

Chapter 235 : Pickled Cucumbers

There were already so many people gathered in the village square when we arrived.

They were chatting with each other while eating food, enjoying the festival.

A wooden stage had been set up in the center of the square, and a lot of vegetables, meat, and fruits were neatly arranged on it.

Noticing my curious gaze toward the stage, Ester explained before I could even ask her.

「The villagers who produce food and hunt animals should put some of the food they bring on that altar as an offering to show their gratitude to the gods for this year’s harvest and pray for a bountiful harvest next year.」(Ester)

「Hee, I see.」(Mark)

So this is not a stage but an altar, huh?

Then I should offer some of my cucumbers too.

I took out some fresh cucumbers from my Item Box and arranged them neatly next to the other vegetables the other villagers brought.

After that, we went to the spot where we usually sell our food at the morning market and began to set up our stall there.

People started gathering before we even finished setting up our stall.

Some of them seemed to have been lured by the delicious smell of the beef stew Ester brought from home, and some others seemed to be waiting for my cucumbers.

Seems like my cucumbers have gained a lot of recognition from the villagers over the past month.

Since today is a festival day, people don’t have to pay for all the food in the village square. Of course, my cucumbers are free as well.

Probably these people came early because they were afraid of not getting any of my cucumbers because they thought my cucumbers would be gone in no time.

As the person who raises the cucumbers, I couldn’t be happier.

However, I don’t think they have to worry because I’ve prepared three times as many cucumbers as I usually sell at the morning market, so they won’t run out anytime soon.

This time, I didn’t serve them with mayonnaise. I pickled them, so it didn’t cost me as much as usual.

While I was still setting up my stall, a man with green clothes and a green robe walked over here, passing the crowd of people who seemed to be waiting for my cucumbers.

Yup. It was the most annoying person in this village, Deel.

「Fwahahaha! Yo, Kid. I’ve been looking forward to eating your cucumbers! Since all the food here is free today, I want all the cucumbers on those platters!」(Deel)

「Eh? But…」(Mark)

They are indeed free, but isn’t that too greedy?

Deel looked at me while pointing at the cucumbers that I’d just arranged on platters.

As usual, he can’t read the situation.

The people who were lining up, waiting for their cucumbers, were glaring at him.

Before I could say something to Deel, a man approached him and slapped his back.

「Ouch! What the heck, Godoy!?」(Deel)

「Deel, are you stupid? Well, I know you’re stupid, but can’t you at least read the situation? You’re not a little kid anymore! They’re free but you shouldn’t take more than one because you’re not the only one who wants them.」(Godoy)

The man named Godoy, face-palmed and shook his head.

He was the villager who taught Deel about bartering when Deel tried to buy my cucumbers for just a piece of bean a while back.

「Is that how it works? …Alright then. Kid, I’ll have one. It’s not enough but it’s better than none at all. …Hm? Hold on. I don’t see the white sauce.」(Deel)

「You mean mayonnaise? I’m not serving them with mayonnaise today because they’re not ordinary cucumbers. They are pickled cucumbers!」(Mark)

「Pickled cucumbers…?」(Deel)

Deel took one of the pickled cucumbers and looked at it closely.

「Yeah. I was thinking of serving the cucumbers in a different way than usual.」(Mark)

「Certainly, it looks somewhat shiny and smells kinda sour. Let’s see…. Mmm! Not bad, not bad at all!」(Deel)

While Deel was enjoying his pickled cucumber, I finished the preparation and was ready to give out my pickled cucumbers.

「Everyone, my stall is open now! You can have one pickled cucumber for free!」(Mark)

As soon as I said that, the surrounding people reached out for the pickled cucumbers on the table.

The cucumbers disappeared from the platters at a high pace.

I kept refilling the platters with the pickled cucumbers from the earthen container while listening to people’s reactions.

「Whoaa… It tastes different than usual.」

「Yeah, it tastes sour and refreshing.」

「I think I like this one better than the normal one.」

「The deep taste of greenery makes you think that the god of vegetables is descending to this world at this very moment!」(people)

There’s someone with an exaggerated food report but all of them seem to like my pickled cucumbers.

I think I should sell the pickled ones with the mayonnaise ones together in the future.

People are not paying today, so my work is easier than usual.

While continuing to refill the platters, I glanced at Ester and Nicola who were working next to me.

Ester pours the beef stew into wooden bowls while Nicola hands them out to the villagers.

After we were working for a while, Celine, who was wearing her usual black dress, walked toward our stall.

「Good morning, Mark, Nicola-chan, Ester~ Looks like you guys are doing great.」(Celine)

「Celine, good morning!」(Ester)

「Good morning, Celine onee-chan!」(Nicola)

「Good morning. Today I have pickled cucumbers. You wanna try them?」(Mark)

「Hee~ So these are pickled cucumbers you were talking about yesterday. Let’s see~」(Celine)

Celine picked up a pickled cucumber, looked at it closely for a moment, and then put it into her mouth.

「Mmm~ The sourness is so refreshing! I think it will go well with alcohol! By the way, my mom opened her stall over there. Can you bring some of these to her later?」(Celine)

As Celine said, pickled cucumbers can go well with sake.

Eclain-san complained endlessly during dinner yesterday, saying that she didn’t want to work, but in the end, she opened a stall today. It’s definitely because Celine forcing her to work.

I hope my pickled cucumbers can cheer her up even for a bit.

「Alright. I’m thinking of wrapping things up now and looking around the festival. Do you want to go with me?」(Mark)

「Ara~ Of course, I’ll go with you. Ester, Nicola-chan, how about you?」(Celine)

「I’ve handed over all of my beef stew, so of course, I’m going too!」(Ester)

「Me too!」(Nicola)

That’s Ester’s family’s beef stew for you! No one can resist its delicious smell. It ran out in no time.

I still have some cucumbers because I brought a lot of them. I think I’ll save them for us to eat together.

I put all of the remaining cucumbers into my Item Box and began to clean up the stall.

After that, the four of us walked around the village square, enjoying the festival.