Chapter 33

After that, I continued to take Giselle to the tobacco leaf field in the forest.

Shibby also came along about once every three days.

Occasionally, we would run into Noswell on the way.

He would grin and ask, "How's the tobacco leaf field?" I would give a vague answer.

Each time, he would laugh with satisfaction.

He probably thinks I'm in a tight spot.

If he’s mistaken, that’s fine.

I’d like him to just leave it at that.

If he starts to act seriously, I don’t know how far he’ll go.

One day, Noswell said, "If you offered your sister as an apology now, I might forgive you for defying my family. After all, it would become my wife’s family, and I wouldn’t want to do something so cruel."

If the tall, excited lackey hadn’t stopped Noswell from hitting me, I would have been the one to punch him.

It was close. I need to calm down.

Thanks, tall guy.

If I had hit Noswell, I might have been put in an unfavorable position.

I don’t want to provoke the usually calm Noswell.

Later, Noswell was choking the tall guy, but that’s none of my business.

While visiting, I increased the number of otems.

As I watched them grow, I started to notice things that could be improved.

Once I noticed, I couldn’t help but increase them.

I also found a magic to make plants grow rapidly.

It’s quite complex, so it was difficult to make everything grow rapidly, but I used it to grow some distinctive samples for observation.

However, there’s a possibility that the properties could change, so it’s just for observation.

Recently, I often run into Philo on the way to the forest.

"Is it you again? You seem to be going to the forest every day. What’s up? You hate hunting, so it’s unusual."

"What are you doing here every day?"

"Well, no, I have a task given to me by Grandfather. What, what’s that look for!"

"Maybe I’ll check with the chieftain."

"It’s a secret task… um… that’s not important! I’m the one asking the questions! What are you going there for? Why are you trying to change the subject!"

He might be worried about me going to the forest and is keeping an eye on the path.

He might suspect that I’m involved with the Kalko family.

If the chieftain is involved, it could complicate things, so I’m keeping it from him.

So, I don’t plan to tell Philo either.

It might be futile, given how Noswell is acting…

The chieftain might be worried about me.

Maybe Philo was really asked by the chieftain.

"I’m sorry to worry you. I’ll explain to the chieftain eventually."

"Y-You’re the one asking, so you don’t have to skip over it… I’ve seen you go with others besides you two… why do you only do this to me…"

Philo shrunk and looked down.

"It’s not like that, but… um…"

"Besides, I’m not worried! I just wanted to check because you do something crazy when I’m not looking! That’s it!"

Philo’s white cheeks turned red, and she ran off.

…She always gives off a vibe like she’s following me, but I’ve been using her lack of honesty to get rid of her.

I feel bad, but it can’t be helped.

If the chieftain’s granddaughter is with me, it might be advantageous, but it would also be a burden.

I’ll explain properly later.

After two weeks, we started harvesting the tobacco leaves.

Giselle and I hugged, and Shibby and I high-fived to share our joy.

I kicked Shibby when she tried to hug Giselle in the chaos.

She stopped, but it didn’t seem to damage Shibby. She’s strong.

If we dry them near our house, there’s a higher chance Noswell will hear about it.

So, we decided to hang them in a sunny spot in the forest.

I carved a kiseru with a wooden knife a bit early.

Since I’m used to otems, this was easy.

I completed it by applying a coating mixed with the blood of a magic beast. This makes it less likely to burn easily.

I decorated it with dragon motifs. It looks cool.

Shibby also asked for one, so I carved a kiseru with Simparrot decorations.

She had a complicated expression.

Another week passed.

My coming-of-age ceremony is approaching.

The drying period for tobacco leaves is about ten days.

It should be ready to try now.

I crushed the dried tobacco leaves and put them in the kiseru.

I lit a small fire with magic, and smoke rose.

The smell is quite good.

I put my mouth on the other side and took a puff.

"Cough!"

As expected, I still can’t get used to the smoky feeling.

I tried the Kalko family’s tobacco leaves, but the result was the same.

It’s probably due to my constitution.

I don’t think I’ll get addicted.

However, not being able to taste it is a problem.

I asked my father about the "delicious points" of tobacco leaves and aimed for them theoretically, but I’m a bit scared of what people who actually smoke will think.

"I want to try it too! Brother, can I have the kiseru?"

"No. It’s too early for Giselle."

I don’t plan to let Giselle smoke.

To be honest, I have a slight aversion to tobacco leaves.

Maybe it’s because of my previous life, but I suspect they might be bad for the body.

Fortunately, only men smoke tobacco leaves during the coming-of-age ceremony.

I’ll have Giselle wait until she’s twenty.

The thought of my underage sister smoking makes me feel a bit uncomfortable as her brother.

"Okay… then, can I just put it in my mouth? I want to experience the atmosphere!"

"So, you’re interested in these adult things?"

"It’s not like that… but, yes!"

She seems to be at the age where she wants to act grown-up.

It can’t be helped; I guess that’s fine.

When I tried to wipe the kiseru with a cloth, Giselle stopped me.

"Leave it as it is! I’ll return it right away!"

"…You really just want to try the tobacco leaves, don’t you?"

But how can I confirm the taste? Shibby isn’t familiar with the taste of tobacco leaves, and Giselle has never smoked.

I think I’ve hit all the target points, but I want to do a final check.

At this point, I don’t want to involve adults.

If it fails, the damage would be significant.

Giselle and I are still children who haven’t completed the coming-of-age ceremony.

Noswell’s parents probably wouldn’t go as far as to exclude us.

But if possible, I’d like to hear the opinion of someone who is used to smoking.

After some thought, I came up with the idea of secretly switching my father’s tobacco leaves.

I decided to conduct the experiment as soon as I got home.

When my father went to the bathroom, I opened the small box of tobacco leaves and threw the contents away.

I replaced them with the homemade tobacco leaves I brought back.

"Today’s tobacco leaves are good."

"Is there a difference in taste?"

"Yes. The quality can change depending on the storage conditions. The position of the leaves, the individual differences of the otems, and the weather can also affect the taste. You’ll understand eventually."

His response seemed a bit off, but he seemed happy, so it should be fine for now.

At the coming-of-age ceremony, my father’s acquaintances and close relatives will attend.

Since I’m the chieftain’s disciple, many will come to please the chieftain.

I’ll use this opportunity to promote our homemade tobacco leaves and then take them to the exchange market to distribute them in large quantities.