Chapter 27 – Akebia and Linen
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I sat down together with the four who were completely satisfied with the effect of moistening through the lotion. We were using wooden chairs to surround my work table.
It was scheduled to exhibit the ingredients upon Shion’s request. For the present, I randomly lined up everything that had been labeled as edible by my Inventory.
Everyone raised their voices in astonishment. Even Shouko and Chiyu, who had actually collected all of it, had probably intended to leave the decision whether something was suitable as food to me.
Seeing them like this meant they realized that those were edible for the first time. Then again, I’m no different in that regard as I only learned about it through the Itemification of my Inventory.
“This is…Akebia, right?”
Shijiyo picked up a violet fruit that looked like a pudgy sweet potato.
“Seems so.”
Since my Inventory said so, I agreed. It wasn’t anything of importance to me, but Shion immediately reacted.
“Akebia? If I remember correctly, it’s sweet, isn’t it?”
Hearing the word “sweet,” the eyes of Chiyu and Shouko immediately started to sparkle.
“True. They look like they’re ripe enough too, but I feel like Akebia was an autumn fruit…”
Before we left Japan, it was spring over there. But well, there’s no point in worrying about it at this point…
“It’s fine, totally fine. Let’s eat it, okay?”
“Alright. I will cut it in slices then.”
Something akin to lines were running across the fruit, and Shion used the stone knife to cut the fruit along those lines to share the pieces with everyone. After having cut up half of the fruit, she used the skin as a substitute plate and we ate it.
“It has grains inside it. Jelly?”
I had passed a wooden spoon to everyone as well, but Chiyu scratched out the fruit flesh with it.
“Ah, please be careful since the seeds seem to be bitter.”
According to Shijiyo, the skin was used like a bell pepper’s flesh stuffing and cooking oil could be extracted from the seeds. Shion took a bite like everyone else while looking very interested in Shijiyo’s words.
“Oohh, it’s truly sweet.”
“And syrupy!”
“Also, the taste is refreshing.”
I longed for fruits and sweets, but I’m happy that sweet things are eaten on this island as well.”
“Indeed…it calms down…”
Apparently it was quite popular with everyone.
“Sousuke-kun, what is this?”
Next, Shion picked up a small, red fruit.
“Umm, that’s…Pepper, or so it seems.”
“Pepper!? Wow, a spice!!”
“With your ability you can create ground pepper, right Kuno-kun?”
It certainly looks like it will be very useful for enriching our food taste. It’s still the second day, so we haven’t worried about it much yet, but since we’ve eaten a lot of stuff with one taste being predominant, it’d be nice if we could add some variation.
Afterwards we ate all the Akebia while chatting about random things.
I heard that you can also use the skin and seeds, so I put them away into my Inventory.
“It’s a bit late to say it now, but it sure feels weird to have the seeds, which you took out from your mouth, stored away.”
Shouko’s face was somewhat red. Seeing her like that, Chiyu shrugged her shoulders, looking appalled.
“Really, what are you saying at this point? In the first place, we’ve been handing our freshly-worn, still-warm panties to Sou-kun.”
“Gyaaa! Chiyu-cchi, if you point it out like that, I’ll just be even more aware of it…!”
“I-Iyama-san, Kuno-kun is going out of his way to use his ability to keep our clothes clean, so I don’t think it’s appropriate to attach a perverted label to it.”
“Ahaha, it’s fine, Shijiyo-san. This is no more than messing around a bit for Chiyu-chan and Sousuke-kun.”
My heart throbs each time, but she’s right; I’ve gotten used to Chiyu’s dirty jokes.
“S-So that’s the issue, huh…? No, they say when in Rome, do as the Romans do, right? I must keep in mind that we’re not in school anymore. T-Then does it mean I will be able to also fit in, if I use perverted and indecent expressions? B-But, something like that…”
“Shijiyo, you’re too serious and overthink things too much.”
I smiled wryly.
“It’s a good thing to be hardworking and eager to learn. I shall chip in and bestow upon you Sou-kun’s preferred dirty expressions.”
Chiyu was trying to give off the air of an expert while folding her arms.
“…! I-I understand. I’m in your hands from now on, Iyama-san,” Shijiyo resolved herself while gulping hard.
“Hah, my dear pupil, my training will be strict…and lewd.”
“No, no, no, wait. What are you two talking about anyway?”
Or rather, I had noticed it faintly, but Chiyu revealed my fetishes to Shion, didn’t she…? No wonder she kept only saying the things I wanted to hear from the beginning to the very end.
…Well, I guess I can’t really be angry about that part though.
“Sousuke, you’ve suddenly become quite popular, haven’t you…?”
Shouko looked somewhat sad despite smiling sweetly.
“Sousuke-kun, are we planning to go out exploring in the afternoon as well? Is it okay for me to stay back here again? I’d like to think about the dinner menu.”
“Yeah, of course. Our meals are very important, so I’d rather request you to do just that.”
“Yeah, leave it to me,” Shion accepted happily.
“In that case, Chiyu-cchi and I will be going to explore again?”
Thanks to Mashiro’s mobility, it looks like we’re able to cover a wide range. This last haul included many items that we didn’t see yesterday.
“We’ll bring back akebia. Also, Sou-kun, what do you need for the towel from earlier?”
“Oh right, it’s Flax. I’ll take the rest we have still left, so can you use that to have Mashiro look for the places it grows?”
I said the latter part to Shouko.
“Totally! Consider it done! Mashiro’s nose is amazing.”
“That’s a huge help.”
“Hehehe.”
He also found the boar for us.
The linen, which can be produced with flax, can be used for clothes and sheets on top of towels. Because it should be used for summer clothing due to its thin fabric, it looks like it’ll be most efficient to use linen clothes during the day and rely on wool clothes when it’s cold.
“I also picked up a lot of things,” Chiyu puffed out one cheek while being expressionless.
It’s cute, but it’d be bad to let her stay sulky.
“Alright. Besides, if Chiyu is with you, I can trust in everyone coming back safely.”
“Mmh, I won’t let any of my friends die,” Chiyu said monotonously, a phrase which you’d usually only hear from a manga protagonist.
But, it apparently fixed her mood, seeing how she was snorting proudly.
And the last person, Shijiyo, was peeking in my direction while acting somewhat fidgety.
“Kuno-kun, you seem to be the leader of this group, s-so if there’s anything I can do, I would like you to instruct me…”
Her face revealed a slight worry. As if she was fearing to be told that she had no use.
“Shijiyo, stay with Shion and me to protect us in case we should get attacked.”
“A guard, huh? I understand. Please leave it to me…!”
She was all gung-ho about it.
“Also, there’s one more thing I’d like to request from you, Shijiyo.”
“S-Something indecent?”
“NO!”
For some reason Shijiyo looked somehow happy when I refuted her. And then she looked in Chiyu’s direction, who nodded in response, saying, “That’s the way,” like a teacher.
Teasing me into retorting or making me embarrassed is one of Chiyu’s special skills, but maybe this has also spread to other girls as well. I’m kinda worried about my future. What’s even more troublesome is me not disliking it.
“A-Anyway, I’d like you to use your magic while staying close enough to Shion.”
“Training, right? I think that’s only natural.”
“That’s a part of it, but Shijiyo, you have wind magic, right?”
“Yes, Wind Blade.”
“I was thinking we could use that to get wood by felling trees.”
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