Chapter 133: Forest – i novels

()x10-13 minutes

A few days have passed since I acquired rice. I wasn’t much of a cook before, but now I’m making an effort to cook every day to enrich my rice-based meals. However, it’s disheartening that there are many dishes I can’t make due to the lack of seasonings and ingredients. If only I could use soy sauce and eggs as much as I wanted…

Still, with Sara’s help, I cook large quantities of rice every day and work hard to produce rice dishes like onigiri, fried rice, chicken rice, and oak-barbecue meat bowls. I also strive to make a variety of side dishes that go well with white rice, such as grilled fish, dried fish, and lightly pickled vegetables.

If I had eggs, I could make dishes like katsudon and oyakodon. I also start craving curry. While soy sauce might be difficult to obtain, I should be able to manage getting eggs. Next time, I’ll make sure to get some. I also want to eat ginger pork and hamburga. The more diverse my meals become, the more comfortable my life will be. I’ll do my best.

When I first arrived in this desolate land, I was terrified of hunger and thirst. Now, it’s amazing progress that I can even worry about food choices and indulge in them.

However, it’s a bit worrisome that even after trying the rice that Silphy dried with the wind, I couldn’t tell the difference from the rice Dyne removed the moisture from. Despite being exposed to the sun for several days, I should have noticed some difference. It seems my taste buds are not that sophisticated. It would be a little unsettling if I couldn’t discern the difference from rice dried completely in the sun.

But let’s think positively. If I have a relatively similar alternative, I can be generally satisfied, even if my taste buds are sharp enough to detect subtle differences. In my current environment, it’s a very useful ability.

“Yuta-san, can I talk to you for a moment?”

While I was spacing out after finishing cooking, Dolly approached me. Fluttering beside her were Turu and Tamamo. They seem to be in a good mood.

“Sure, what’s up?”

“Since Turu and Tamamo took care of the first forest diligently, it should be fine to let the trees bear fruits and nuts soon.”

“Oh, really? I thought it would take more time.”

According to Dolly, they accelerated the growth of the trees, which would normally take several years to decades, so she said it’s better to improve the soil and give it some time before the fruits appear. I thought it would take a few months of rest.

“Kukuu.”

Tamamo made a proud sound while wagging her tail. She’s saying, “I did my best!”

“That’s great. Turu and Tamamo worked hard. Thank you.”

I expressed my gratitude and petted Turu’s head with my right hand while constantly cuddling Tamamo with my left. Tamamo seems delighted, making happy sounds like “Kukuku,” while Turu, despite looking ticklish, has his gaze fixed on Tamamo’s tail. He’s probably thinking, “I’m happy to be praised, but I want to cuddle Tamamo too!”

“Dolly, how many plants with fruits are there in the first forest? Can I release small animals there?”

“Well… there aren’t a lot, but it should be okay to release up to thirty to some extent. If you want to increase them significantly, it’s better to wait until the second forest can bear fruits.”

Around thirty small animals, huh? I wonder which ones would be suitable. Rats would multiply explosively, so maybe something cute like squirrels? Wait, are squirrels considered rodents? It’s complicated. From a natural balance perspective, carnivorous small animals are also necessary, but I don’t know when would be the right time to introduce them.

For now, I’ll release herbivorous small animals into the two forests and create an ecosystem while seeking advice from the spirits. Ideally, I’d like to keep pests that harm crops, such as insects and animals, out. I wonder if I can apply a cleansing spell to eliminate fleas and ticks before bringing the small animals.

Since there are hardly any natural predators in this place, it’s scary to think that if I bring animals and insects without considering the consequences, they might end up breeding uncontrollably.

“Got it. It’s already late today, so I’ll ask for your help tomorrow. Then, Silphy will guide us, and we’ll go catch small animals.”

“Picnic?”

“Hmm? Oh yeah, that’s right. It’s like a picnic. Last time, we went to catch small fish, but this time, we’ll catch small animals.”

“Animals… Fluffy…”

Turu nods happily. He seems content, so I’ll leave him be. I didn’t explicitly mention it as a picnic because it felt more like hunting to me. It feels like the cries of animals will echo everywhere, so it’s hard to call it a picnic.

After enjoying a leisurely time since the rice was ready, tomorrow will be a busy day with a long-awaited event.

————-

We finished breakfast and immediately headed to the forest together. I’m a little excited to see what kind of fruits will grow.

“Alright, Dolly, I’m counting on you.”

“Understood.”

Dolly smiled and waved her hand, and… oh, there are fruits over there. They seem a bit modest this time. When I focus my attention, I can see fruits growing here and there, but it lacks the impressive sight of when the forest grew. Well, it’s natural, but it’s a little anticlimactic.

“We’re done.”

“Thank you, Dolly. Well then, let’s take a look around. Everyone, if you find any fruits or nuts in the forest, bring one or two back.”

The children, eager to explore after hearing that the fruits had grown, jumped into the forest at my request. Well… actually, Bell and the others did jump in, so it’s not wrong, but it feels a bit strange when said out loud.

With a word expressing the momentum of jumping, there’s a linguistic contradiction when they actually jump. I’m thinking about silly things as I walk through the forest.

“Yuta, Bell found it!” “Kyu Kyu!”

Bell and Rain duo quickly harvested what looked like fruits and returned, brimming with excitement. They held out their tiny hands and flippers in front of me, revealing what seemed to be wild strawberries and acorns… It’s a bit strange that they disregard the seasonal context, but it seems seasons and climates don’t matter to spirits.

“Oh, thank you. Were there many?”

“We found a lot!” “Kyu kyu!”

They’re trying to convey that there were a lot by spreading their hands wide and enthusiastically appealing. It’s adorable, but it seems that wild strawberries and acorns are falling out of their hands.

“Oh, I see. So there were a lot. Thank you for finding them.”

I thanked them and gave them a pat. They responded, “We’ll find more!” and flew off. They’re full of energy.

“Dolly, never mind the acorns, but can these strawberry-like fruits be eaten?”

“Yes, they’re delicious.”

It seems they can be eaten. I’ll purify them first and try one. The taste is tangy with a hint of sweetness, and the aroma is refreshing, reminiscent of countryside berries.

After feeling a hint of nostalgia, I resumed exploring the forest. As I leisurely walked, Turu and Tamamo returned with walnuts and chestnuts, while Sarah and the others found fruits resembling loquats. It seems there are plants bearing fruits that animals would enjoy, even if humans can’t eat them.

I also found a flower that looks familiar, and upon closer inspection, it turned out to be camellia flowers and fruits. Are camellia fruits edible? I’ve heard of camellia oil on a cooking show, but I don’t recall seeing anyone eat the fruits… but I really want camellia oil.

I remember that camellia oil is a high-quality product and good for health, as mentioned on TV. Maybe I should fill a block with camellia trees later.

With camellia oil and wheat flour available, and if there’s an abundance of seafood in the sea, if I can find eggs, the only option would be to make tempura. Well, I don’t have the confidence to make it myself, so I’ll leave it to Torque-san.

I’ve given him the recipe for frying dishes, and he should have eggs too. I’ll hand over the Magma Fish as well, so they can make various dishes. The possibilities are expanding.

“Dolly, I want to plant those camellias in the neighboring block. Is that okay? I need a large quantity of camellia seeds.”

I thought about planting them in the block next to the Spirit Tree, but it’s better to utilize that area as a thriving landscape since it’s in a good location. I want to plant various trees that bear delicious fruits, like apples, pears, grapes, and oranges.

Oh, but they might be eaten up if I release small animals… But if I ask Dolly to grow the fruits for me, I don’t need to worry. I’ll have an abundance of fruits as soon as she nurtures them.

“That’s fine. Shall I grow them right away?”

“Hmm… The children seem to enjoy planting seeds themselves, so let them handle that part. But please prepare the growth and seeds.”

Dolly nods with a smile, and I feel relieved. I’ve seen how unforgiving the Adventurer’s Guild can be, so I need to interact with them sincerely without being deceived by appearances. It’s a bit scary.

As I listen to the children’s reports, we arrive at the center of the forest, where there’s a pond. I wonder how the aquatic organisms are doing. Peering into the pond, I can see plants and mosses anchored in the clear water, and a few small fish swimming. The plants don’t appear discolored, so it looks good, but I wonder how it’s actually going?

Beside me, Bell and the others are also peering into the pond. They seem happy that the fish and plants they brought are doing well, as they cheer and enjoy themselves.

“Dyne, it seems like the pond’s flora and fauna are doing well, but is everything going smoothly?”

“Well… yeah. It seems that some fish couldn’t withstand the environmental changes and died, but overall, it’s going well. As for the plants, I don’t know, so you should ask Dolly-chan.”

I turn my gaze to Dolly, and she reassures me with a smile. The Water Spirit and the Forest Spirit said it’s fine, so it should be going well. If we continue to increase their numbers, we might even have a fishing spot at this rate.

The pond is going well, and it seems we have enough food from the forest. With such an abundance of food, it shouldn’t be a problem even if there are more than thirty animals. But considering breeding and other factors, it’s probably better to start with a small number. Without natural predators, they might multiply rapidly.

We also need grass on the ground, not just trees. I’ll have to ask Dolly about that too. I’ve been doing everything leisurely, but it’s getting busy now. I should have Silphy guide me right away.