963 Start of Rainy Season (1) ~ Morning ~

"Aster, it's morning. Just wake up."

That day I woke up with the most precious voice in the world.

When I lifted my heavy eyelids, Eye Fa, who tied her golden brown hair beautifully, peeked into my face from a close distance. The room was fairly dim, but the shine of Ey-Fa was not compromised by it.

"Already in the morning... reflectively, you're going to want to say another five minutes..."

"You're not saying something you don't understand, so you better get up.... it looks like you're going to have a bad night's sleep during the rainy season."

While saying harsh things in his mouth, Ei Fa's eyes were somewhat gentle. Somehow it felt like she was watching over her young child, and I was immediately embarrassed.

"I think I told you last year, but when the temperature drops, the comfort of the bedding doubles and you don't want to keep up... ah! That's why you're not going to take your morning job for a second.

"What are you suddenly in a hurry for? If you don't want your bedding to burn, show it in action."

"Yes" frankly, I got up on my bedding.

Neither I nor I have changed into long-sleeved clothes since yesterday, and the number of blankets has increased. When I pulled on the warm blanket, the cold air hit me as expected.

"Oh, it's cold.... and it's a lot darker. Maybe it's raining outside?

"Hmm. This should be considered a real rainy season."

As the rainy season approaches, the window of the lattice is also marked with curtains. The book had already been opened about half by Ai-Fa, but on the other side there was thin rain hidden for a while.

There was a declaration of rainy weather in my hometown, but there is no such thing in this world. The temperatures slowly descend and are considered to have "entered the rainy season" around the time of the rainy weather in the morning.

Today is the fifth day of the red moon. It was three days after Gerd's gentlemen's return dinner in the castle town. If the temperatures are dropping and the weather outside the window is rainy, it should be judged that the rainy season has finally arrived.

I was asleep in my underwear, so I quickly cleaned up my bedding while wearing a long-sleeved top I had prepared under my pillow.

During this period alone, I and Eye Fa will look the same. Long-sleeved outfits like a shirt with no collar woven into a swirl pattern and a waistband about the length of a knee. It was still the second day of dressing, so I couldn't see Ai Fa's appearance very fresh either.

"... what? It's stopping, Aster."

"Oh, no, it's nothing. I was just looking at Ai Fa."

I answered honestly because it was a sin, but I was struck in the head.

As I warmed my heart to the handicapped blow, I lay my bedding on the already folded Ai-Fa bedding, and I heard the accusation of "becoming" from the inside.

"Sorry, sorry. You were lurking there?"

The black cat satin burst out of the gap in the bedding.

After the sachi came to our house, two moons and a little. She's grown a lot, she's about 40 centimeters long, and it's getting harder to get on my shoulder.

In addition, since they are beetles who do not like to bathe in the water, there are more days to stop accompanying them to their workplace town after the rainy weather has increased. At this rate again today, it seemed like I wanted to spend a warm time at home.

"Absolutely lazy. Does the bedding in the rainy season evoke laziness?"

"Ahahah. Maybe it's the magic of bedding."

When I tried to get out of bed, my nose became itchy.

Put your hands to your mouth and sneeze. Again, you seem to be cooler this morning than you were yesterday.

"Excuse me. Let's get to work in the morning."

Ey-Fa suddenly made my shoulders twitchy.

Blue eyes filled with intense light looked straight at me.

"What's going on? Is it modulating your body?

"Oh, no, that's not true. You're exaggerating with a sneeze.

"But didn't you get sick last rainy season?

"Amsulphon's Breath" only happens once in a lifetime, right? She says she's in no condition at all. "

Ey-Fa glanced at my eyes for a while before breathing.

"Your eyes have the usual power.... but if you get sick, report it right away? You'll never be able to do that, will you?

"Yeah, okay. Thank you for your concern."

When I laughed deeply, Ai-Fa looked like she had swallowed a pebble, and then scrambled my head.

"Don't give me that smile all of a sudden.... then I'll finish my morning job."

"Understood, Parent."

Wear a raincoat when you leave the house. It is a hooded jacket with the guinea pig fur turned over to distinguish it from the hunter's clothes. The fur lining facing the front is dyed with a colorful pattern of red and green dyes. Mine was made by a nearby crowd, and Ai Fa's was a birthday gift from Fow and Run.

(Ei Fa's birthday is five days away.)

Chewing on that sentiment, I put on a raincoat.

Gently softened and tanned, Gibba's fur is pleasant and warm to the touch. It was depressing to set foot outside in the rain from now on, but I had no choice but to take advantage of this warmth.

Outside the house, Braves are already running around cheerfully, and Gill is hanging out in the shadow of the trees with the interesting leaves of the branches. In the inhabitants of Pharaoh's house, the only ones who hated rain were the bees.

It is raining quietly.

During the rainy season, it was mostly foggy rain rather than scorched rain.

Looking east, the dark green Morga mountains are smoking in the fog rain.

Tia, I wonder if it's time to wake up and get to work in the morning.

Whether the red people have extended their hunting grounds to the forest at the foot of the mountain, as Luja proposed - we have no way of confirming that. All we could do was pray that Tia and her compatriots were healthy.

◇

As I finished my morning work and was preparing to go to the cabin, a crowd of helpers came in from all over the place.

Today's help consists of the people who participate in the stall business and the women of Fow and Run, with a total of 10 people. It is difficult to assemble at the exact time if the sun clock is not used, but sales also declined sharply during the rainy season, making it easier for me to do my job.

And the women who came to Pharaoh's house also, of course, wore raincoats.

Underneath it is a poncho-like jacket and a waistband about the length of a knee. It was the custom of the rainy season around the forest to let the knees get wet and purify the feet when going up to the house.

"Aster, please take a tour."

And it was Platica who eventually appeared. After her return dinner party, she quickly bought Totos and a luggage truck and resumed her nightlife by the forest.

Platica is followed by Yun-Sudra, who says, "Excuse me." Platica wanted to visit various clan houses, not just Fa and Lu, but also Sudra's house yesterday.

"Hi, Yun-Sudra. How was your dinner picking up Platica?

"Yes, I had a very pleasant time. The rest of the family are looking forward to Platica's return."

That said, Yun-Sudra smiled at Platica.

After all, Platica's eyebrows are frowning. Because she is still young, Platica often moves her expression. Now it looks a little rugged, but it seems to be the result of suppressing the expression of joy.

Regardless, Platica and Yun-Sudra also pay for the water in their coats and enter the cabin. Now the members of today's meeting seemed to be crowded.

"Well then, let's start the downstairs. Thank you again for today."

When the mud was lit, the scene was filled with brightness and enthusiasm as usual.

Rain is strong enough to destroy people, but it is not much in front of the people around the forest who are clean and tough.

"One, two, it's finally the rainy season. This is the first time I've worked in a stall during the rainy season, so I'd like to be more careful not to let anything go wrong."

"I feel the same way. After all, in the rainy season, things are quite different."

It was Marfila-Naham and Kruer-Sung who raised their voices as they worked. They are classified as new recruits and this will be their first rainy season business.

"That's right. Well, I think the most important thing to be aware of is the round-trip travel time. My vision and feet are bad, so I think I need more attention."

"Yes, and will the contents of the dishes change?

"Of course, the kind of vegetables you can use will change."

Decreased sunshine hours also have a significant impact on field crops.

During the rainy season, Tarapa, Tino and Pra can no longer be harvested, and instead, Pumpkin-like stripes and gobo like leggy are on the market.

Originally, Onda, which resembles Moyashi, was included there, but in Genos it was possible to buy Onda even during the rainy season. This is a crop grown in a hut, not in a field, and could have originally been grown regardless of the weather. So, even after last year's rainy season, Onda established a sales channel to be bought and sold regardless of the season, at the request of a town that said nothing about me.

And more importantly, Fuwano, Poitan and Aria.

Fuwano cannot be harvested, but it was originally regarded as an essential grain for diet, so reserves for the rainy season will be released at a high price. And as for Poitan and Aria, the size of the fruit that can be harvested will be extremely small, so the price will jump from 30% to 50%.

However, a sufficient amount of Poitan was available this year. Last year, the Poitan fields were not expanded, and our stalls have become feathers for high-value fuwanos, but this year, thanks to the dedication of Durham's people, stocks of Poitan were secured as usual during the rainy season.

As I explained these things, Kur-Sun leaned his head strangely.

"Nevertheless, the value of Poitan will not change. Still, won't you change the price of the food you sell on the street?

"Yeah. Last year, even if I used a more expensive fuwano, the price would have stayed the same. If the price goes up, the customer will fall, so I decided to work hard on the low profit and high sales."

"I see. If you're doing business because you want to convey the deliciousness of gibberish cuisine to the people of the city, that's the right thing to do."

After saying that, Kur-Sun smiled at Hisoyaka.

"As I remembered in Poitan's story... in fact, even at Sung's house, I was talking about buying Shaska."

"Oh, Shaska is a little expensive, so you haven't bought it at Sung's house yet, have you?

"Yes, but if the value of the Poitan doubles, the difference with Shaska will be smaller... the parents allowed me to buy it."

I see. Then it's finally Kruer-Sung's turn. "

When I answered like that, Kur-Sung nodded "Yes" with his silver-grey eyes shining brightly all the time.

The Sung family has not yet acquired such a great deal of wealth, so they have not put their hands on the expensive ingredients that can be delivered from afar. Still, Kruer-Sung attended study groups whenever possible to learn how to handle various ingredients. I believe that the Sung family should one day be able to get enough of these ingredients, and I have encouraged Kamado to train.

"And now that the Sung family has taken on the responsibility of preparing the bowel meat... we have been able to get an incredible amount of copper coins. Of course, we won't allow it to go to waste, but the parents said it would also be necessary to enrich dinner for the well-being of the family."

Parents are said to be parents, but that is Kuru-Sung's own father.

While recalling the eyes of that honest parent, I laughed, "I see."

"Really, what's more important than that. Kurua-Sung sifts his arms and cooks a delicious Shaska dish."

"Yes, thank you."

Then, Ray-Matua, who had carved the meat for "Gibba Man", turned his face towards us.

"Speaking of which, it was now time for the Sung family to prepare the bowel meat. Have you ordered less or less?

"Amount ordered? Yes, I don't think anything has changed since last month...."

Really… Raw fresh meat seems to be a lot less. "

Well, since some of the fresh meat is bought by dormitories in the dormitory town, there will be a restraint during the depleted rainy season. After all, there are many customers who are noble, so there is no significant impact.

"At this rate, sales are likely to fall during the rainy season for an entire two months out of the three months I've had a job. This is a little unfair, isn't it?"

That said, Ray-Matua shook her hand in a hurry.

"Ah, no, no! I am not saying that the Sung family is getting a profit! Otherwise, I thought the clan that became the duty of fresh meat during the rainy season would lose. If it weren't for the rainy season, we would have sold more meat."

"Oh, I see. Um, since last month, the fresh meat has been on duty... baim and die."

Since last year's white moon, each clan around the forest has received a three-month rotation to sell fresh meat and stuffed meat. Now it is the eighth month, so it is the third period of duty.

"However, Baime used to perform the duty of bowel filling before, and the dies received the duty of fresh meat before the parents' meeting, so this is the second time each of them will be on duty. In that sense, are we getting along?

"Yes, it would have been the order that Zaza's blood family would have been on duty for fresh meat, wouldn't it?

"Yeah, that's right. But they were about to bump into each other during the rest period, so the order was in jeopardy."

When I answered like that, Ray-Matua began to twist herself. She is finally fourteen years old, but there has been no significant change in her petite and adorable figure.

"But when I think about it... the Gazz and Rats blood families already take on the duty of fresh meat and stuffed meat one at a time. It wasn't rainy season either, so... wouldn't it make sense that only Gaz and Ratz blood tribes are getting paid?

I laughed.

"Is that so? Ray-Matua is worried that all her blood is getting paid, right?

"Yes, Baymax and Die were on the same side, but sales of fresh raw meat fell during the rainy season...."

"But it wasn't until the end of the blue moon that Gaz and Ratz were getting ready for the bowel meat, was it? In that case, it would be less than three months, and I would have shared wealth with Rats, so I would have earned less than half."

After the white moon, I had to prepare my bowel meat with a single clan. The first three months are Baime, followed by Zaza, and now Sung.

"Besides, in that sense, there must be bias in any clan. For example, Zaza was prepared for intestinal meat in five families, excluding Din and Lid, but Sung had no family and received it alone, so he earned five times as much wealth as Zaza by simple calculation."

"Hah...."

"Now we're watching all the clans learn to sell fresh meat and stuffed meat. So once all the clans have experienced it, maybe we can decide on the order and duration so that wealth can spread fairly."

"Is there already such a story among the chiefs?

"No, I haven't heard that much, but I'm sure the people around the forest who value fairness will come to that conclusion."

That said, I made Ray-Matua laugh.

"Ray-Matua was actually worried that they were all getting paid, right? The people around the woods must be more sensitive to profit than to hurt unjustly. I'm sure things will be on the agenda at the next parents' meeting."

"Really... that's right. There's no way my chiefs or my parents can think of anything that comes to mind."

Ray-Matua finally looked reassured and smiled.

"Thank you! I was wondering who to talk to, but I'm glad Astor asked!

While saying, "You're welcome," I felt kind of satisfied. Whether it's Kruer-Sung, who looks good in the rain, or Ray-Matua, who blows up the damp air, I can't stop feeling the charm of the forest people.

"Somehow... the air feels soft."

And Yun-Sudra said such a thing.

When everyone looks back at you, Yun-Sudra lowers her head and says, "I'm sorry" while dyeing her cheeks a little.

"Ah, I put the words that came to mind into my mouth. Please listen to me."

"No, I feel like I understand somehow. Compared to Easter, the atmosphere is completely different."

Laughing, I tried to answer like that.

"Starting today, I've narrowed down the amount of food I serve at the stall to half. I wonder if the atmosphere is more relaxed because my job is not so crowded."

"Oh, I'm really sorry. I never meant to relax...."

"It's okay. You'll see that Yun-Sudra works hard for you. No matter how soft the air gets, people won't be distracted."

When you look around, the other faces also have a relaxed expression, but only your hands are moving as usual. No matter how easy the job is, there are no human beings around the woods who are idle.

"Both busy and idle times need to be fun. I think we should enjoy this kind of mild air during the rainy season."

"Yes! Last year, it was rainy season, and Asta fell down in The Amsulphone Breath!

And Ray-Matua said that with a clear smile.

"Besides, I was going to look after the people of the north in the settlement of Saudi... and I was just listening, but wasn't Schmiral-Lillin injured in the hunting job?

"Oh, sure. Last year's rainy season was quite a turbulent start. I feel terribly sorry that I fell asleep when Ray-Matua's training started."

"I didn't care what to do if Astor gave back his soul! I hope it's a peaceful rainy season this year!

It was entirely sympathetic.

Five days later, Ai-Fa's birthday is imminent, and by the time the rainy season vegetables come out, Alvach promises to cook. It's time to head back to Vulcus - for now, all the events of the mind are waiting.

(Well, the rainy season has two moons, so it's no wonder there's some kind of accident... but I'll try to get over it.)

With that in mind, I decided to proceed with my work.