Chapter 32

The next morning, a naval unit's ship came to pick us up.

I had been woken up multiple times by the hawk-lion and was quite sleep-deprived.

"Yawn~"

If I yawned so carelessly, Deputy Captain Berry would tell me, "You should rest on the ship." It was embarrassing to be seen with such a silly face. The hawk-lion was full of energy. I hoped its broken wing would heal, but that was something only experts could handle.

"I'll be in your care for a little while longer, so please take care of me."

"Quack quack!"

I added a request to behave on the ship.

We approached the ship in a small boat and boarded.

Let's set sail!

The ship's departure was announced by a whistle. It began to move, swaying gently.

Suddenly, the captain's face turned pale, and he leaned over the side of the ship—

"Oh, you've finally done it."

It was a terrible situation. It was a pity, considering we had just boarded.

I entrusted the hawk-lion to Gar.

For some reason, I trusted Gar a little more.

I then rubbed the captain's back, who was leaning against the railing.

"Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay, ugh!?"

"You don't look okay at all."

When I asked if he had smelled the anti-nausea sachet, he shouted that he hated strong smells.

He also refused acupressure, saying it was painful.

"Well, then what should we do—"

"Quack, quack quack!!"

Turning around, I saw the hawk-lion struggling in Gar's arms. What was going on? I left the fussing captain and took the hawk-lion.

It calmed down.

Was it hungry, needed to urinate, or thirsty?

I tried all the options by sitting it on a barrel at the edge of the ship, but it just shook its head. What was that about?

"I think it's jealous."

"What do you mean?"

Zara, who was standing next to me, explained the hawk-lion's behavior.

"Mel was always by the captain's side, right? So it didn't like it."

"Really? I didn't think so."

It must be a whim.

I politely asked it to behave again.

"Quack!"

"Oh, that's a good response."

"It's only good in response."

The captain still looked unwell.

Currently, Gar was watching over him.

"I wonder why motion sickness happens?"

"It's due to a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, which regulates the body's condition."

When riding in a vehicle, continuous movements can cause a mismatch between visual and sensory perceptions, leading to confusion in the brain and a feeling of dizziness.

"I see. So, the captain didn't get seasick when he was piloting the small boat."

"That's right."

I thought about what good food might help.

"I've heard that eating something sweet can raise blood sugar and wake up the brain."

"But he doesn't like sweet things."

"He would probably refuse."

That was a no-go.

"Ginger is good for hangovers, I've heard."

"Oh, that's a good idea."

Ginger can help regulate the stomach.

I remember pregnant women with severe morning sickness eating grated ginger.

"Wow, but eating raw ginger must be quite spicy, right?"

"You're right."

I think pregnant women would steep it in hot water and add honey to drink it.

The captain probably wouldn't like honey either.

"I guess there's no choice. Let's make pickled ginger in vinegar."

There should be the ingredients in the galley. Zara and the hawk-lion moved there with me.

"Still, I've never heard of pickled ginger in vinegar."

"That's right. In my village, we pickle, dry, or honey-soak the harvest in autumn for preservation."

I remember asking my father to put pickled ginger in vinegar on the table a few times after a drinking party. He must have eaten it to ease his hangover.

"When you bite it, it has a crunchy texture, so in our village, we call it 'crunchy.'"

"I see."

When I explained the situation in the galley, they gave us the ingredients. However, they asked us to teach them how to make it because some crew members also get seasick.

"It's not that complicated—"

The ingredients are fresh ginger, vinegar, sugar, and salt.

First, put vinegar, sugar, and salt in a pot and turn off the heat when the sugar dissolves.

While it cools, prepare the ginger. Peel and thinly slice it.

"Quack quack~"

The hawk-lion chirped, asking for raw ginger. It can't eat that. I gave it some fruit, but it turned its head away.

"There's no choice. I don't care if it tastes bad."

"Quack!"

I gave it the thinly sliced ginger. It happily ate it but then teared up and spat it out because it was too spicy.

"I told you so."

"Quack~"

I gave it some fruit to cleanse its palate.

After that, the hawk-lion watched the cooking process quietly.

Next, rub the ginger with salt and let it sit for a few minutes. Squeeze out the water, pour hot water over it, and then soak it in cold water to remove the bitterness.

Sterilize the jars with boiling water. This is basic.

Squeeze out the water, and once the ginger is cooled, put it in the sweet vinegar. It's ready in two to three hours.

Two hours after finishing the cooking,

I, Zara, and the hawk-lion watched the seasick captain with warm eyes.

Thinking the pickled ginger was ready, we moved to the galley.

The galley crew seemed interested and were peeking in.

"It's even better after two to three days."

The shelf life is about a year. Store it in a cool, dark place.

We decided to taste it together.

After the sweet vinegar's gentle sweetness, the ginger's spicy kick was felt.

The texture was crisp and crunchy.

I thought it was very well made.

"Zara, how is it?"

"It's refreshing and delicious. I think the captain can eat this."

"That's good to hear."

The galley crew also liked it and decided to add it to the menu.

They said it was sad when seasick crew members couldn't eat, and this might help those with no appetite. It was great to be of help.

I then took the pickled ginger to the captain.

When I said it was ginger pickled in vinegar with sugar and salt, he gave me a suspicious look.

"What, is it candied?"

"No, it's pickled in vinegar. It's not a sweet food."

"It's sweet and salty, and refreshing. I think it will help with seasickness."

Zara and I persuaded him, and he finally agreed to eat it.

He ate the pickled ginger while complaining that he had no appetite.

"How is it?"

To Zara's question, the captain said in a faint voice, "Not bad."

I handed him the jar of pickled ginger.

Later, the captain appeared in the galley for lunch.

Surprisingly, his complexion had improved, and he seemed to have regained his appetite, which was a relief.

"Wow, pickled ginger?"

Urgas also seemed interested and had received some from the captain.

"Wow, I like this."

He asked for another piece, but the captain, saying it was medicine for seasickness, refused to give it.

"If you want to eat it personally, ask Risris."

"No, that would be bad."

"It's fine."

"Yay!"

My casual offer was met with a serious suggestion from Deputy Captain Berry.

"Risris, the medic, should charge properly."

"I see. Then, one silver coin."

"Expensive!"

When I suggested an exorbitant price, Urgas jumped in surprise.

Gar seemed to find it funny, as he was covering his mouth and shaking with laughter.

The captain scolded me for engaging in a side business.