Upon our return to Shiratsuki, we immediately began preparing for the party. Iris started preparing the food with the cooking set, while we were busy setting up the BBQ and arranging the chairs and tables we found around Shiratsuki, assembling them as needed.
“Hey~, Isam-san!”
“Hey~~!”
It was at this moment that Eiji and Alvy, who was perched on his shoulder, called out to us. Accompanying them were Shishu and Wool who seemed to be the first to return upon receiving our message.
Even after our initial encounter with the Nadeus tribe, Alvy had frequently come to visit. Eiji was usually the one to play with her, but other members often accompanied them as escorts. As a result, Alvy had become quite close with the rest of the group, not just Eiji.
“Is it true we’re going to have delicious meat?”
“I’ll help~ with the preparations~!”
While Shishu excitedly rushed towards Iris, Wool joined in to help with the preparations. Despite being a sheep-like creature without hands, he skillfully used his horns to carry various items.
“Big brother Eiji, what are you doing?”
“Hmm? We’ve got some rare food, so we’re all going to eat it together.”
“Is it tasty?”
“It’s definitely going to be tasty. You should try some too, Alvy. That’s okay, right?”
“We have plenty of meat, so it’s no problem.”
I had anticipated Eiji would say something like that, so I had already checked with Iris beforehand.
“Well, if it’s really tasty, Alvy would like to eat it with big sister.”
“I see. Maybe you should invite her over then?”
“But big sister says I shouldn’t play too much with you guys… she probably won’t come…”
Alvy’s shoulders drooped in disappointment. It must be saddening for her that her beloved sister is negative about her playing with her close friends. But it’s not a problem if she can’t eat here.
“Alvy, do you have space in your usual pouch?”
“I haven’t put anything in it today. Why do you ask?”
“Then you should take some wrapped up with you. Go see Iris.”
In reality, when the meat was processed, it transformed into forms with names like “200g of Thinly Sliced Shoulder Meat” or “100g of Block Thigh Meat”. There seemed to be a reason behind the notation of the meat’s part and weight. Perhaps this made buying and selling easier, but it left me feeling as though I was at a supermarket.
If she asked Iris, the latter would be willing to put together a variety of parts in an assortment for her. She could then take it home to share with her sister. I guess it would be fine if she took out the amount to give from my own share. Since I couldn’t eat it and Karl seemed satisfied, lying down asleep on the grounds of Shiratsuki, there was absolutely no issue.
“Really? Yay!”
“However, make sure to eat it as soon as possible. It seems to spoil easily.”
“Got it!”
With her spirits lifted, Alvy skipped off towards Iris. After exchanging a few words, Iris quickly wrapped up several pieces of meat in large leaves and handed them to her. It would be nice for her to enjoy them with his sister.
Alvy returned with a broader smile than usual, waving his hands as if they might come off. The vigor of her wave was more intense than usual; she was clearly excited about the good souvenir she had just gotten. Children are just honest like that!
“Thank you, Isam-san.”
“Don’t mention it. More importantly, it seems like everyone has been steadily gathering.”
While I was enjoying my time with Alvy, everyone had assembled for the BBQ much quicker than I had anticipated. I guess they are very interested in items that have a certain taste. Well then, I suppose I should at least help with the preparations!
◆◇◆◇◆◇
“Wow~, this is tastier than I expected!”
“It’s even better grilled.”
The BBQ was a hit. If I were to describe the taste, it would be like grilled chicken with a hint of yuzu pepper. The texture and the amount of fat varied depending on the cut, and each person ate the one that suited their taste.
“Hmm? It looks like I’ve gained a new title.”
“Me too. It’s called ‘Rookie Gourmet’. Does everyone have the same one?”
A new title, you say? As I expressed my surprise, similar reports began to fly in from all around. The condition to earn the “Rookie Gourmet” title appears to be “eating a cooked ingredient item of S special grade rarity or higher”.
It seemed there were no particular benefits attached to this new title. The condition required the food to be cooked, which is probably why Jigoro didn’t earn it when he ate his portion raw. However, there might be something to gain from mastering the art of gourmet within the game. While it was beyond me, I hoped those who wished to pursue it would do their best.
“The meat is plentiful, so please feel free to have as much as you want.”
“Ah, much appreciated, but… I’m already at full satiety.”
“Same here. This stuff really fills you up, doesn’t it?”
It appeared that even a small amount of the high-quality meat was enough to fully satiate their hunger, regardless of gender. The only ones who continued to eat voraciously were Eiji and Jigoro, whose races made them capable of consuming large quantities.
Their satiety too seemed to be nearing its maximum capacity soon. It seems like we were able to avoid the worst-case situation…that is, such a luxury item isn’t enough to fill their stomachs. The dilemma now was how to dispose of the remaining meat.
It was indeed possible to eat beyond one’s satiety level. However, I had read on the bulletin board that doing so for an extended period could lead to a condition known as “Obesity”. While it slightly increased one’s health and defense, it significantly reduced agility and dexterity. Moreover, it came with the added inconvenience of making one’s avatar run out of breath quickly.
Whether in combat or production, there were hardly any advantages to being overweight. Despite this, the bulletin board mentioned some players chose to maintain an obese avatar as part of their role-playing, but none of us had such interests. It’s worth noting that Eiji’s character was naturally plump, which was just his default state and not due to obesity.
“Wasting it would be a shame, and throwing it away even more so. Can’t we do something about it?”
“Um, doesn’t Shiratsuki have a refrigerator or something?”
“It does, but it’s currently being used as storage for Shiitake’s alchemy items.”
“Geh?!”
Shiratsuki was originally an ancient floating battleship intended for use by NPCs. Thus, it was equipped with facilities like refrigerators for storing food.
However, our lack of interest in tasteless meals proved to be our downfall. Since there was no need to store food ingredients, I had agreed to Shiitake’s request to use the refrigerator for experimenting with potions made from chilled items and handed it over to her.
As a result, the refrigerator in their workshop was crammed full of herbs and chemicals. While this was a game and removing them should technically be safe, the idea of eating meat that had been stored where unknown chemicals were kept just moments before was unappealing. This could be considered one of the drawbacks of the game’s realism.
Shiitake might have been interested in exploring how chemicals could alter the taste, but naturally, that was not something I could endorse. Therefore, I never suggested it to her.
“Why not give it to Alvy’s village then? As a gesture of friendship.”
“That’s a good idea, but the problem is we don’t know where they are located. It seems the Nadeus tribe has ways of hiding even from Ruby.”
Even though they were considered one of the weaker factions on this continent, we were quite interested in how the Nadeus tribe managed to live. We had asked Ruby to locate their village, which we presumed was nearby, but for some reason, she couldn’t find it.
She mentioned feeling something off with the map, leading us to speculate that their entire village might be concealed somewhere. How they managed to evade not just the players’ sight but also the detection skills of scout professions was puzzling.
“Diving into the grassroots to search for them…. that might not only make them wary but could also lead to us being marked as enemies. Maybe maintaining our current distance is for the best.”
“I think so too… huh? Isn’t that… Alvy?”
While we were discussing how to interact with the Nadeus tribe, a familiar small figure came running towards us from a distance. Alvy, who had just left a moment ago, had for some reason returned. Wasn’t she supposed to be having dinner with her sister?
“Waaaah! Big brother Eijiii!”
Alvy dashed towards Eiji with all her might and, upon reaching him, threw herself into his arms and began to cry. Something sad must have happened.
“There, there, what’s the matter?”
“Uhh… the meat Iris gave me, it was taken away by someone! Waaah!”
As Eiji comforted the sobbing Alvy, he gathered from her story that she had proudly taken the meat back to her village, only to have it snatched away by an older boy who acted as the bully of the kids. She had returned in tears.
It was a pitiful situation, even considering it was a dispute among children. While giving her more meat wasn’t an issue, as there was plenty to spare, it wouldn’t solve the underlying problem. It could end up being taken away again, which would just lead to Alvy coming back to Age in tears. It was time to think of a clever plan.
“Hey, Alvy, who can you rely on in the village… no, who is the most respected adult there?”
“Sniff… That would be Grandma. Even the beef always gets scolded by her…”
The beef…? No, she probably meant the chief. It seems reasonable to think that even in a tribe, there could be an elder whom not even the chief can defy. It’s like how a company’s vice president, who has been supporting the company since the previous president’s era, can be more influential than the current president. Both reality and games can be harsh.
“In that case, I’ll prepare two packages next time, and you can deliver one to that Grandma. Also, if she finds the meat tasty and wants more, tell her there’s still some left and she’s welcome to come and get it. Understand?”
“I understand… I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize. The one at fault is the child who took it by force. Please accept it without worry.”
“Yes.”
Alvy still seemed downcast, but she agreed to my request. If this goes well, the brat who bullied Alvy might learn a painful lesson, and it could also turn out to be beneficial for us. Now, I wonder if things will move as planned?
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