Chapter 64

Summary of the previous episode ------------------------------------------------------

They discussed ways to earn money for the land purchase.

Basically, they decided to continue earning money through hunting as before.

Yuki tried to copy the "Appraisal" skill for gathering herbs but found it difficult to learn.

When they arrived at Aera's shop, the sign that Yuki had written yesterday was properly set up in front of the shop.

The menu was written by Aera herself, and the prices were also listed, making it easy for first-time customers to feel comfortable entering.

"Welcome... Ah, everyone!"

As we entered the shop with me leading the way, we were greeted by Aera's voice.

It seemed that a group of customers had just left, as she was clearing the table and gave us a bright smile.

Looking around, the shop was almost full. Only one table, which Aera was currently clearing, was empty, and the other tables were occupied. Only two seats at the counter were available.

"Hello, Aera. I was a bit worried, but it seems like my concerns were unfounded."

"Yes! Thanks to you. Please wait a moment, I'll clear the table right away!"

Aera quickly cleared the dishes and wiped the table, then brought over a chair to make five seats for us. Her speed reminded us of her training days in the food industry.

"Here you go! What would you like to order?"

"I'll have the daily special. Is that okay with everyone else?"

"Yes."

Natsuki responded to Haruka's question, and we all nodded.

"Then, five daily specials."

"Understood. Please wait a moment."

Aera smiled and retreated to the kitchen. We looked around the shop again.

There were 18 customers, 4 of whom were men, and the rest were women.

Everyone was eating at a leisurely pace, and there was no hustle and bustle like at the Drowsy Bear Inn.

Perhaps the slightly higher price range for lunch or the atmosphere of the shop was affecting the customer base, as it seemed to be the demographic we had anticipated.

"That's good. It seems to be going well."

"Yeah. At least, the first day seems to be a success."

As we were talking with Natsuki, Aera returned with a tray.

"Thank you for waiting. Today's daily special is made with the meat you gave me yesterday."

Actually, the Task Boar we hunted yesterday, except for its tusks and hide, was given to Aera as a gift.

Even with Toya, who eats a lot, the amount of meat was still considerable, leaving enough for the shop.

"Also, it's a limited quantity, so it comes with bread."

"Really, Aera made the bread?"

"Yes. It wouldn't work with a low profit margin, but it's possible with a limited quantity."

"Then, let's dig in."

"Yes, please enjoy your meal."

Aera bowed and returned to the kitchen. I wanted to ask about the morning, but since she was running the shop alone, she must be busy.

If we have time on the way back, I'll ask. For now, let's enjoy the meal.

First, the bread. When I picked it up, it was soft and fluffy, the softest I've had since coming to this world.

And it even has nuts in it?

"Mm! It's delicious!"

The nuttiness and sweetness, along with the satisfying crunch, were irresistible.

The texture was like almonds, about a third the size, and the taste was similar to cashews.

I want these nuts. Depending on the price, they might make a good snack.

"Really. Father's bread was delicious, but this is even better. I think the cost is different, though."

"The meat is also very delicious. Honestly, I could come here every day."

"Why is there such a difference between the same chefs?"

It seems that everyone else also enjoyed it. Natsuki is comparing it to Saarstadt, but I don't think that place is even in the same league.

"I think the quality of ingredients also plays a role... It's nice to see more good restaurants."

We continued our meal while having such conversations.

However, Yuki was the only one who, while eating, was staring intently at the dried dindles on the table.

Objectively, it looked quite strange, but Yuki must be very serious about it.

"Still no good?"

"No, it's not working. Can I do it?"

"Toya's level hasn't increased, right?"

"Yeah. I think it was said that without using it or studying from a guidebook, it wouldn't work."

"Wait, really? Then, is what I'm doing meaningless?"

Yuki looked up suddenly, her eyes wide. Haruka shook her head to deny this.

"That's just a possibility. There's no manual—by the way, what did it say during character creation? Naoto, do you remember?"

"No, sorry, I don't remember."

I had completely forgotten about "Appraisal." It's a standard skill, but...

I think the initial description in the help menu said something like "obtain information about the target," but I didn't check it after that. Normally, I should have taken "Appraisal" at level 1 before upgrading "Insight" to level 2.

"I remember a bit. I think it said something like, 'appraising the same item repeatedly is meaningless, and studying is necessary.'"

"Ah, good job, Natsuki. If that's the case, does appraising things still give experience?"

"Probably. Appraising various items and studying should increase the level, right?"

Toya nodded in agreement.

"I see. Then, I'll use the appraisal skill more often from now on. It doesn't seem to have any cost."

"Go for it, go for it. If the level increases, it might become easier to use."

The skill is already useful for identifying the necessary parts of herbs. If it levels up, the possibilities expand.

By the way, we also got a shovel, so it's easier to collect herbs that require roots. We can add those to our gathering list.

"But, then, isn't what I'm doing with the dried dindles meaningless?"

"Yuki, you're not even at the stage of having the skill yet."

"Oh, right."

"And Toya, you should guide her properly."

"Don't be unreasonable! How am I supposed to do that?"

"For now, just watch Yuki's efforts. I don't fully understand the skill system."

"You're not very reliable. Well, I'll watch for now."

After a while, we finished our tea and stood up.

The shop, which was almost full, now had two empty tables and four empty seats at the counter. Considering the current time, which is a bit late for lunch, it's not bad.

Aera also seemed to have a bit of free time, so I decided to ask her a few questions before leaving.

"Aera, how was the morning sales?"

"Yes, it was the first day, so I kept the quantity modest, but thanks to everyone, everything sold out. It seems that it wasn't familiar here, but writing the explanation and prices on the blackboard helped."

The dish with mashed potatoes and meat—what was it called again?

"Aera, what's the name of that dish?"

"That one? It's called 'Poste.' The one I served yesterday was 'Meat Poste' because it had meat wrapped around it."

"Did you sell that today too?"

"Yes, I used the meat you gave me. I priced it at 15 lea, and it was very well-received."

Meat is expensive, so even thin slices are popular.

Today's daily special was also well-received, and there was only a little left.

"But, is it profitable? If you buy the meat normally."

"I've done the calculations, so it's fine. ...But, if everyone brings meat to sell, it would be a great help. I also buy offal."

"Yeah, that's true. We might bring some when we go hunting. Especially offal, which the guild doesn't buy."

The butcher might buy a little, but we also owe Aera for teaching us how to prepare offal. If she buys it, there's no reason to refuse.

"By the way, is it okay if it's not Task Boar?"

"Yes, most things are fine. If the preparation is poor, I'll evaluate it. Fortunately, I have a large refrigerated storage, so I can handle a fair amount."

She bought it for low-profit, high-volume sales. When I saw it yesterday, it was quite empty, so it should be able to handle a whole boar or two.

"Preparation... If the preparation is poor, can you give advice? We don't know much about offal."

"I can give as much advice as I know. I believe Haruka can use water magic, right? You can bring the meat frozen."

"Oh, right, freezing is an option... I'll take that into consideration. See you again."

"Thank you for coming."

"It was delicious."

"Yes, thank you very much."

We each said our goodbyes and were sent off by Aera's bright voice as we left the shop.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Hey, Haruka, can you freeze things? I remember you struggled to learn how to make ice."

Until now, to prevent the meat from spoiling, we've been putting ice that Haruka can make with it.

This has been quite convenient, but it's a bit of a hassle to replace the ice occasionally and dispose of the melted water. If we could freeze the meat itself, it would be more convenient.

"I haven't tried it, but I think it's possible. After all, making ice involves freezing water, right? So, wouldn't it be easier to freeze something directly without releasing water?"

"That makes sense, but what about the temperature? Water freezes at zero degrees, but freezers are usually around minus 20 degrees."

"Ice isn't necessarily frozen at minus one degree, right? I can't measure it without a thermometer, but I think I'm lowering the temperature significantly. Also, the ice seems to melt more slowly than before, don't you think?"

"You're right, I've noticed that too."

It's a subjective feeling since we don't have a clock, but considering the size of the remaining ice when we replace it, I think Haruka is right.

"But, Haruka, wouldn't freezing the meat make it tough? If it can be kept frozen, that's fine, but repeated freezing and thawing can be problematic."

Natsuki pointed this out. It seems to be common knowledge among cooks that repeated freezing and thawing of meat is not good.

"Oh, right, it would be tough... How about lowering the temperature drastically and recasting the spell before it thaws? We need to experiment to see how long it takes to start thawing... Naoto, how about the time-space magic? Can you make a magic bag?"

"Sure, 'Spatial Expansion' is one thing, but 'Time Delay' or 'Weight Reduction' alone should be doable... I can try it, at least."

A typical magic bag increases capacity, and high-end models add time delay or weight reduction.

However, after carefully reading the time-space magic grimoire, I found that it was slightly different.

While 'Spatial Expansion' is the most in demand, the difficulty of adding it is about the same as 'Time Delay' or 'Weight Reduction,' or even a bit easier.

The reason why high-end models have these features is that it's difficult to add multiple effects. So, a magic bag with only 'Time Delay' without 'Spatial Expansion' can be made with a relatively low difficulty.

"That's good. Then, shall we try it? I've read the alchemy book and learned the theory."

"Let's try it. If it works, we can earn more money."

"Then, let's buy the necessary tools on the way back."

For alchemy, various tools are needed, so we decided to buy the minimum necessary ones this time.

"Natsuki's 'Pharmacology' also requires tools. When we get a house, we should get those as well."

"That's right. We all have 'Toughness,' but we're not immune to illness."

"It feels a bit strange, but Natsuki is the strongest in that area now."

"Hehe, yes, I've put some effort into it. If anything happens, I'll take care of everyone this time."

Natsuki smiled and said this.

I haven't been, but Haruka has visited Natsuki when she was sick, so she must have taken care of her.

Natsuki doesn't look very strong, but she is the least likely to get sick among us.

"I see it!"

"???"

Everyone turned to look at Yuki, who suddenly shouted.

"What's wrong, suddenly?"

"I see it! Look, this!"

She showed us the dried dindles. Of course, I can see them—oh, wait.

"Is it 'Appraisal'!?"

"Yes! It only shows 'Dried Dindle' for now, but I can definitely see it!"

"Wow, 'Appraisal' can be copied. Great job!"

"If 'Appraisal' can be copied, maybe the concept of 'teaching' is more flexible. After all, that counts as teaching."

Toya's explanation was indeed vague. I don't know how to teach it better, but...

If being in the same place while practicing is a condition, it can be quite troublesome. Even if there are other people with 'Skill Copy,' they probably wouldn't casually teach if it takes an hour.

"But, this will be useful for gathering herbs from tomorrow!"

"Right. Haruka, let's try to make a magic bag."

"Sure, it's worth a try. And Yuki, since you're at it, I'll teach you alchemy."

"Huh? But I just learned 'Appraisal'?"

Yuki's eyes widened in surprise after finally learning a skill.

"By the way, Yuki has a talent for time-space magic, right? I'll teach you that too."

"I also have a talent for water and fire, so please teach me those as well. 'Staff Mastery' isn't very useful yet."

"Huh? Huh? Spartan? Is this spartan training?"

We pushed Yuki, who was bewildered, and headed back to the inn.