Chapter 6

Having cultivated the field, I set out to increase the variety of crops that could be grown, taking the golem with me into the forest of trees.

It seems to be around springtime, as the temperature is warm and pleasant.

When I breathe in, I can smell the fresh leaves, the earth, and the gentle fragrance of the trees.

The occasional breeze softly caresses my skin and rustles the branches, making a gentle whooshing sound.

The only sounds are the distant calls of wild birds; there is no meaningless noise.

The golem and I slowly make our way through the tranquil forest.

Today, I am not alone; the golem, a strong companion, is carrying the basket on its back.

If I were to carry it myself, I would have to worry about the weight, but with the golem, I don't have to worry much, making it more relaxed. The golem is also on guard for beasts and monsters.

With a much more relaxed mood, I can focus on gathering today.

"Ah? Is this mugwort?"

I suddenly look down and spot a familiar herb.

In my previous life, it was a weed that grew in any well-lit place.

It is a perennial that often grows year-round.

Mugwort is a versatile herb that can be eaten, drunk, applied, and even inhaled for its refreshing scent, which is said to have a relaxing effect and is good for the skin.

Since it is a relatively useful wild herb, I decide to gather it with its roots.

Just drinking water would be boring, so I want to make mugwort tea.

I choose the most vibrant mugwort from the cluster.

Waving my staff and focusing, the mugwort gently pulls itself out of the ground.

To prevent it from drying out, I create a pot from a tree and fill it with soil, planting the gathered mugwort and watering it lightly.

This way, it should stay fresh for a while as I transport it.

I make several of these and place them in the golem's basket.

The pots might add a bit of weight, but for the golem, it's no problem.

I continue to find and transplant wild herbs in the forest, including udo, urui, fuki, kogomi, and zenmai, which were familiar to me from my previous life.

Especially with kogomi and zenmai, it would be better to focus on increasing the number of plants, but with the power of growth, they should multiply quickly.

With this, I can create a mountain vegetable garden.

While I can always gather them from the forest, there's a different joy in cultivating them.

"But, it's all mountain vegetables. I want something to use as a seasoning."

Most of them can be boiled, the bitterness removed, and served as a side dish, but it's sad that there are no seasonings at all.

I can't even add salt or make them into soy sauce pickles.

If I had at least some oil, I could fry the mountain vegetables.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

While I was pondering this, the golem tapped my shoulder.

Looking over, the golem was pointing to a nearby plant.

There were light green fruits hanging from the tree, shaped like avocados.

【Oligo Fruit】

Inside the hard skin is high-quality natural oil.

"Wow, amazing! It's like an olive!"

It seems that this fruit contains plant-based oil, which can be extracted naturally.

Wonderful, with this, I can fry the mountain vegetables.

If I had flour, I could make tempura, but that's not possible without it.

This is a significant improvement from just having plain side dishes. I'm very happy.

I also gather the Oligo fruits and transplant the seedlings to create an Oligo field.

Oil is also an essential nutrient for humans, so it's important to consume it properly.

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Continuing to gather mountain vegetables and fruits, I reach the river where I sank the deer.

I notice a large stone along the way.

"This stone might be able to be processed into a pot."

My home lacks cooking utensils like frying pans and pots, which is why I couldn't eat the gathered mountain vegetables yesterday.

Equipping my home with cooking utensils is the top priority, so I decide to cut and shape this stone.

For a normal human, cutting such a large stone would be impossible, but I have the divine tool given to me by Elfira.

I transform my staff into a knife and try cutting the stone.

The wooden knife easily slices through, feeling as soft as cutting tofu.

"...Still as sharp as ever. I didn't expect it to cut through stone so easily."

Smiling wryly, I continue to cut the stone.

I roughly shape it into a frying pan.

The knife cleanly carves through the stone, making it easy to form.

However, it's a bit lopsided because I only used the knife.

Wishing for a file to smooth it out, the knife transforms into a file.

I file down the uneven parts, and a beautifully shaped frying pan is complete.

Next, I cut another stone and shape it into a pot.

"Alright, now I can cook!"

Yesterday, I couldn't even boil water properly.

But with the stone-made frying pan and pot, I can boil water and stir-fry. This will bring a significant revolution to our meager culinary culture.

"Tonight's dinner will be grilled meat."

Unfortunately, I don't have salt or pepper, but I can grill it with Oligo oil.

I'm looking forward to tonight's dinner.

I had been working on the cooking utensils for quite some time, and the sun was already low in the sky.

There are other things I want to make, like cups, but if I keep working, it will get dark.

I decide to stop and take the cut stones back home.

That way, I can work on them as a pastime at home.

I cut the stones with the knife and place them in the golem's basket.

"Should we head back with the game?"

Yesterday, I managed to catch a green deer by chance. It has been soaking for about a day, so the blood should have drained sufficiently.

Walking along the river, I soon see the trees I grew.

Pushing them aside, I find the deer lying in the water.

Good. It doesn't seem to have been bothered by any beasts or monsters.

Looking at it closely, it's quite large, much bigger than my body.

I wash the dirt off its body and the soles of its feet thoroughly with water. It would be a hassle to wash it when I get home, so it's better to do it here.

"Can you carry this?"

I ask the golem straightforwardly, and it easily lifts the deer and slings it over its shoulder.

"Wow, impressive!"

Despite being quite heavy from the water, it seems to be no problem for the golem. Even with the basket, its body doesn't wobble at all.

Good. If I were alone, I would have had to butcher it here and only take what I needed.

It's unclear if there are seasonal changes, but considering the future, I would also want the fur.

It's very helpful to be able to bring back all the materials without waste.

"Alright, let's head home."

Having accomplished what I needed to do today, I fetch water from the lake before returning home.