Chapter 5

After feeling the comfort of the bath the next day, I still woke up to the chirping of birds. This waking scenario feels like something out of a young lady's story, making my heart race.

I sat up, took the exchange diary from the side table, and started flipping through the pages. First, I read the reply from God.

- - - - - - -

Great job on successfully making the recovery potion! Congratulations! At this rate, Hina will become a world-renowned alchemist.

It seems like Hina is having fun, and that makes me happy too. Remember to keep smiling, okay?

By the way, I've added more items that can be exchanged for points, so take a look. I'm sure there will be something useful for you.

P.S.

You mentioned that you're missing some seasonings? If you look at the last few pages of the alchemy book, you might find something helpful!

- - - - - - -

It seems like there has been some progress. First, it appears that the number of items that can be exchanged for points has increased, so I'll check them out right away.

【Exchange Diary】 = 3 points added

【Current Points: 130】

New! 【Beginner Adventurer Set】 20 points

【Cultivation Kit】 10 points

【Small Pot】 1 point

【Vegetable Seed Set】 10 points

New! 【Fruit Seed Set】 10 points

【Herb Seed Set】 10 points

New! 【Cooking Tool Set】 100 points

New! 【Large Pot】 300 points

【Bottles: 100】 3 points

New! 【Laundry Set】 30 points

【Room】 50 points

【Roof】 50 points

New! 【Basement - Expansion】 500 points

Ah, the points from the exchange diary have been added properly. Still, there are quite a few new items that can be exchanged—six in total! I definitely need the laundry set. I also want to plant fruit seeds to add variety to my diet. I want the cooking tools too, but honestly, I'm not even cooking vegetables yet, so I'll wait until I have a better idea of how to cook.

Then... the Beginner Adventurer Set? I wonder what it is. According to God, there are monsters in this world, so it's probably a set of a sword and armor. I still have points left, so it might be a good idea to exchange for it just in case.

"Um, I'd like the Fruit Seed Set, the Laundry Set, and the Beginner Adventurer Set, please!"

【Fruit Seed Set】 = 10 points used

【Laundry Set】 = 30 points used

【Beginner Adventurer Set】 = 20 points used

【Total: 60 points used】

【Current Points: 70】

The exchange diary glowed, and a bucket containing soap and a washboard appeared. This seems to be the laundry set. However, the other items I ordered aren't here...? The points have been deducted, so they should have been exchanged. Then, I suddenly realized I hadn't checked the items I exchanged for yesterday. I must have been too focused on the bath and completely forgot.

Maybe the basement was built, and the items are all stored there. I decided to explore my small home.

For breakfast... I'll check the basement first. Well, the only food I have is vegetables.

"Oh, the basement is made of bricks, not wood... so cute."

The large spiral staircase was made of pastel-colored bricks. When I touched them, they weren't as hard as I expected. They were not cold and inorganic like bricks, but rather cute as they looked. The staircase wound around the perimeter of the house, with cute lamps lit at regular intervals. I'm a bit afraid of ghosts, so I was relieved it was bright.

After walking about half the circumference of my room, I could see the end of the staircase.

I couldn't help but exclaim in amazement when I stepped into the basement.

"Wow, wow, wow...!!!"

The basement was about one size smaller than the living space. What surprised me the most was the lighting. The ceiling was covered with plants, and the flowers blooming there illuminated the entire basement warmly. It felt like being watched over by a mother, such a warm light.

The basement itself was quite empty, but right next to the entrance, there were 200 bottles and a treasure chest...? It seems like this is a storage area, and items of that kind are placed here. I conveniently accepted this.

"Ah, I'll bring the recovery potions I made here later. And, the problem is this treasure chest...!!!"

I haven't played many RPG games... well, I've watched my sister Hana play quite a bit. But, treasure chest! My excitement is rising.

Even though I know it probably contains the Beginner Adventurer Set!

I gently placed my hands on the treasure chest. It was about the width of my outstretched arms, a bit larger. I thought it might be heavy, but the lid was as light as a feather.

"Sword... bow, and shield. And... chest plate? Armor. And a backpack!"

Yeah, it definitely looks like a beginner set.

The weapons are a sword and a bow, the armor is a shield and a chest plate. There were also gloves and boots.

This must mean I'm supposed to go into the forest and start adventuring. Honestly, if you're the type who likes games and this kind of thing, it's no problem, but unfortunately, I'm just a regular person with no attack skills. Plus, I'm in a 13-year-old body. I'd probably end up dead.

"For now... let's have breakfast?"

◇ ◇ ◇

"Here we go... phew!"

I ate the ripe tomatoes from the field as I did yesterday, then did the laundry and started plowing the field. When I went outside, I noticed a small roofed space next to the well. Upon closer inspection, it contained tools like a hoe and a watering can, which I assumed were part of the cultivation kit. There were also small bags containing the vegetable, fruit, and herb seeds I had exchanged for.

So, I'm currently plowing the field to secure food.

"Phew... I've been plowing for about two hours, I think?"

Looking at the neatly plowed field, I nodded in satisfaction. Honestly, I don't have much knowledge about home gardening, but I think if I plant the seeds and water them, it should work out. Yes, it's a bit unplanned...

I planted the seeds and watered them with the watering can, gently so they wouldn't wash away. Then, I cast the special magic I received from God.

"Please grow deliciously... 《Angel's Song》"

As if in response to my voice, small sprouts emerged from the soil. They grew rapidly, reaching up to my chest in no time and blooming with beautiful flowers.

"Wow...!"

I was a bit surprised by the unexpected growth, but the food problem is urgent, so I decided not to worry about it. After all, starving to death is much worse.

Then, I picked some of the herbs growing in the garden. While doing the laundry, I noticed there were many unusual plants, so I opened the alchemy book to check. It turned out these herbs could be used as seasonings, as mentioned on the last page of the book. I felt a bit guilty for achieving this on my own, even though God had given me the advice. Sorry, God.

"Kosho leaves, when ground finely, become spices. Satouruto, when the flower part is boiled and dried, becomes a sweet powder, and when the leaf part is boiled and dried, becomes a salty powder..."

What is this naming...? Is Kosho just pepper? Is Satouruto sugar and salt...? It's a bit confusing, but the names are easy to understand, so I can't help but accept it.

Most of the herbs in the garden were Kosho and Satouruto. At least now I can have flavored food, which is a relief. By the way, Kosho has cute round leaves, and Satouruto has small pink and white flowers with many long, narrow leaves. The ratio of flowers to leaves is about 1:9. It might be a bit difficult to get enough sugar.

"But I want sugar! And soy sauce and miso too..."

It might be asking for too much, but as a Japanese person, I do miss these things. Well, if I gradually work on it, I'm sure I'll find something similar. I'm sure.

"Ah, but I have vegetables, not meat..."

While it's possible to live without meat, as the term "vegetarian" suggests, it's important to have a balanced diet, especially for a 13-year-old. And rice or bread.

I don't know how to get these things right now, but maybe I can get some hints from God in today's exchange diary.

"Right, let's start with the cooking tools!"

I'll take one step at a time with what I can do.

I opened the exchange diary to exchange points for cooking tools. But the cooking tools set costs 100 points, and I currently have about 30 points less. So, there's only one thing to do: make more recovery potions to earn points. Right now... I've been plowing the field, eating tomatoes, and researching herbs... It's probably around early evening. Yes, I have plenty of time.

I immediately took a pot from the kitchen and headed to the garden.

"Huh? What's this red plant?"

While desperately picking stamina grass, I noticed a red plant I had never seen before. I immediately remembered the "red plant" that was one of the ingredients for the crimson recovery potion. It was a plant with a bright red color and jagged, painful-looking leaves.

"But to make the crimson recovery potion, I also need an orange plant."

Looking around, I could only see stamina grass, the one red plant, and Kosho and Satouruto. I can't make the crimson recovery potion with just these... I'll leave the red plant here for now. If I don't pick it, it will probably grow bigger by the time I need it.

I returned home with a pot full of stamina grass to start the potion-making process. There are still many stamina grass plants outside, but they have decreased since I started making recovery potions yesterday. It might be a good idea to create a dedicated space for growing stamina grass.

I entered the house, filled the pot with water, and went down to the basement to start the potion-making process. I had already moved 200 recovery potions to the basement, but I was quite tired. Since there's no immediate use for them, it's most efficient to store them in the basement and make potions there.

The pot full of stamina grass resulted in 130 recovery potions, adding 130 points to my total. This means I can exchange for the cooking tools set and still have points left over.

【Stamina Recovery Potion: Low Tier】 1 × 130 = 130 points added

【Cooking Tools Set】 = 100 points used

【Total: 100 points used】

【Current Points: 100】

Yes, perfect.

I immediately went to the kitchen to check the items I exchanged for.

The cooking tools set included a wooden spoon, a spatula, a scraper, three small spoons of different sizes, five lidded containers for seasonings, a mortar, and chopsticks.

"Can I really make delicious food with these...?"

Well, there's no point in worrying about it!

Let's start by making pepper, sugar, and salt. Sugar and salt seem like endless tasks, so I'll start by grinding the pepper in the mortar, making it as fine as possible.

Grinding... grinding...

"It's not as easy to grind as I thought..."

Grinding... grinding...

"My hands hurt..."

Grinding... grinding...

Clearly, the speed has slowed down compared to when I started. How much time has passed? I think it's been about 30 minutes, but the leaves in the mortar are still not finely ground.

But I can't stop now for a delicious meal.

Grinding...

"I wish I could use 《Angel's Song》 to finish this like potion-making..."

Exhausted and completely stopped, I looked at my 13-year-old hands. Because I haven't held anything stick-like recently, I had developed a few blisters on my palms.

It was painful, and I felt a bit teary-eyed. Not just from the pain, but from the fatigue and the reality of being alone in this different world.

"It's okay. I can do this..."

I strongly told myself and faced the mortar again. I'll make it into proper pepper for you, I thought, and picked up the pestle. However, instead of the leaves that weren't finely ground, the mortar contained leaves that had been ground to the limit... no, pepper.

"What the...!!!"

My voice echoed in the house.

Yes, I'm confident this is the loudest I've ever shouted in this world, 〈Lethisrill〉.