Chapter 37

"Hmm?" Kokushin suddenly let out a muffled voice. When I turned around, he was staring into space, dazed. Is this it?

"Did something increase?"

That's right. It's the look he has when he's checking his status.

"Oh... The magic manipulation was listed."

"Wow. That's amazing. It might become easier to use."

At the same time, a new skill was added. We really do have good chemistry.

"Hmm. Thanks to this, the accuracy might have improved. Can I do various things like Reit?"

"I don't know. Mine is quite unconventional, or rather, too self-taught, so I often get laughed at."

"You understand well. But it is convenient. Just because no one thought of it doesn't mean it's not useful. If it works, it's valid."

That's right. You can't reproduce or even imagine something you've never seen or heard of. I guess there's a fixed notion about these things.

"Hehe. It's really nice when something increases. I'm suddenly motivated."

Kokushin is full of enthusiasm. It's great when the results are visible.

We returned to the Adventurer's Guild and reported the completion of the quest. I also handed over the Toki grass I had collected. I was told the same thing as in the guild in Nitz, but I just smiled. It's too much trouble to explain every time.

I asked about Shugger. I confirmed its existence, but it can't be eaten and the alchemists won't buy it. There was no further information.

As expected, the appraisal is dangerous.

I went to see the horses. I was told that the preparations were complete and that I could take them anytime. If the weather is good, we'll leave tomorrow.

By the way, there's a skill called "Weather Forecast." It seems that farmers and sailors, whose jobs are affected by the weather, can obtain it. If I can read the clouds, maybe I can get it too.

I decided to make sugar.

I put a pot full of crushed Shugger fruits. I was unsure whether to add water, but the moisture inside seemed sufficient. As I boiled it, more and more scum came to the surface. I diligently removed it.

"It looks bad..."

Kokushin, who was tending the fire beside me. Yeah, it's red and black. And it smells like miso. It's confusing. Will it turn into red and black sugar?

I boiled it for about an hour.

The color started to fade. Maybe the pigment is sensitive to heat. The miso smell also disappeared, replaced by a faintly sweet aroma.

I decided to strain it. I lined another pot with cloth and slowly poured it through. The seeds remained mostly intact, but the fruit had dissolved.

I continued to boil the strained liquid.

I boiled it for about an hour.

"Is this good enough?"

A soft, slightly pink sugar was made. If I dry it, it should look similar to store-bought sugar. Well, the particles might be a bit larger.

"Hmm"

When I licked a bit that stuck to my finger, a gentle sweetness spread. I offered some to Kokushin.

"It's pretty good. This much from a whole pot...?"

He had a thoughtful look.

A whole pot, over two hours, and only a cup's worth. I don't know if this is a lot or a little, but if I can make as much as I want, it's a good deal. Sugar is expensive. I'll try using it in cooking to see if there's any difference.

We ended up leaving around noon. There was no special send-off. I had already said goodbye to Door when I took the horses.

By the way, I heard a rumor at the Adventurer's Guild. The guild master apparently accepted bribes, adding extra points and covering up scandals. Some staff members were also benefiting, and it seems the headquarters will send an auditor.

Well, it doesn't matter anymore.

The horses trotted along briskly. They follow the road without any direction, making it easy. However, it's tough for me, who isn't used to riding. My waist, buttocks, and inner thighs, which I don't usually use, are screaming.

Thinking about it, the horses were friends, but I didn't ride them. They were draft horses and stayed at home.

Kokushin, with his skill, looks the part and doesn't show any signs of fatigue. He would look great on a white horse, but he'd probably refuse. No, Croco is also cool. He has sharp, cool eyes. By the way, my horse, Blanca, has round, gentle eyes and a calm demeanor.

We occasionally stop for breaks and gather things from the forest. The horses wait patiently without being tied. They're good kids. It's a shame they didn't have better owners with such good heads.

There were a lot of berries, so I thought I'd make jam. I'll make pancakes. I don't have baking powder or eggs, but maybe it will work. It's a fantasy world, after all. It should rise.

That alone won't fill the stomach, so I prepared some meat. It's just sliced char siu I bought. The seasoning is a mystery, but it was delicious, so I bought a few.

I also added some random vegetables.

When I got the magic bag, I thought, "Cheats are here!" and I still find it very useful, but I really want time stop. Since I know dimensional magic exists, I want to get it somehow. There might be time magic too.

"It looks bad, but it's edible."

The pancake-like thing with berry jam was normal. It rose a bit, but it was more like a naan than a pancake. Hmm. In my previous life, I used a mix. Everyone does a good job reproducing Earth food.

"It's delicious, but how about for dinner?"

Kokushin is eating it but has meat in it.

"Yeah."

How about boiling the jam with wine and pouring it over the meat? Well, I can just bottle it and keep it.

However, I found out that the sugar works normally. Since I still have some Shugger fruits left, I'll make sugar when I have time.

Until bedtime, I grind away at potion-making. It's amateur potion-making without relying on skills, but it has been quite useful so far. I bought a lot of small bottles, so I can make various preparations. I replenished the sleeping potion, made stomach medicine, beginner's recovery potion, explosive, blinding agent, chili oil, and poison. What? You say there are some odd ones mixed in? It's just in my head, just in my head.

I fed the leftover recovery potion residue to the horses. Door said that Toki grass isn't eaten by wild or domesticated horses, but my horses eat it. They don't look like they enjoy it, but they seem to feel better.