Chapter 39

The last of the jerky was hung in the yard.

“…….”

I clapped.

“It’s a field of meat.”

“Kururuk.”

“This dad agrees, it’s a beautiful sight.”

But not all the meat was made into jerky.

Trusting in the forest where ingredients don’t spoil, I put a few pieces of raw meat in the ice shed, and also….

“I should make the rest of the meat into sausage or store it.”

The system said the effect would activate if it was ‘sun-dried processed meat.’

So for now, I had marinated the sliced meat and spread it out like dried fish, but I had deliberately used only tender parts to make it easier to eat later.

It was time to deal with the leftover scraps of meat from making the jerky.

“I separated the intestines and stomach and got rid of the gamey smell, so it should be okay to use them soon.”

I hadn't given all of the deer’s innards to the water birds.

I had set aside the long, rope-like intestines and the stomach, which was full of traces of what it had clearly eaten a lot of.

I had removed everything that smelled and soaked them in a mixture of grated apple, lemon, and onion, so there would be no trouble with strange smells.

“As far as I know, there’s plenty of meat left.”

“Kurururu.”

“I’m still clumsy at butchering… so there are a lot of scraps, which I think will be perfect for making sausage.”

It wouldn’t be bad to use it for soup, but hadn’t the system said that if I wanted to enhance the effects of the Tree-Horned Deer, I should prepare it as ‘sun-dried processed meat’?

It seemed more effective to lump the scraps together into a sausage and hang them up than to dry each piece individually.

It was also one of the excellent ways to store scrap meat.

“Let’s make soup with the remaining bones and meat later.”

“Kurururururu!”

It seemed like a good idea to make a bone broth in advance.

“Then the important question now is how to season it.”

Honey was delighted.

“Honey.”

“Pig?”

“Kuruu.”

“Right.”

I wondered if he had finally accepted his identity.

“While we’re at it, I want to look for some new spices….”

Even with a rough glance, this cabin forest was quite vast.

The places I went to were always the same, and there were probably many places and fruits I had yet to see.

“Shall we go on an exploration for the first time in a while?”

“Kkukkukkuk.”

“Of course I’m taking you with me.”

Remembering how he had combatively devoured the deer’s innards, he was incredibly reassuring.

‘The animals in this forest might be friendly to me… but there’s no rule that says animals from other dimensions have to be the same. It’s scary, so I must take Honey with me.’

That’s right, I was scared.

“No matter what I think about it, the invasive species was too much.”

“Kkuk…?”

“If a deer with horns and hooves made of metal were to rampage, I am confident I would die in 10 seconds.”

“Kkungkung….”

“Please protect your frail father.”

So, as for where to go to find what spices now.

“If I just start moving, won’t I find something I want to do?”

Having reached a clear conclusion, I rummaged around and put on my cape.

Even though I wore it whenever I went a little far, the cape was still just as clean.

‘I should upgrade this later too.’

I think I’ve thought that over 50 times now.

When that happens, I usually don’t end up touching it.

“…….”

“Kuruu….”

“I’ll do it someday.”

As usual, I brought a basket and set a top priority.

“I’d like to find a new spice or sauce. There must be unique ingredients that only appear in a fantasy world like this. Like Rurupu or Mangdung Fruit….”

For example, things like pepper, salt, and sugar.

“There’s a limit to how much I can rely on the cabin.”

The basic ingredients and spices in the cabin’s cupboards and pantry are fully stocked.

But I don’t know how long they’ll last, and I don’t know if they’ll be automatically replenished like the first time when they run out.

“It’s better to prepare in advance than to have to draw them one by one later and have it be a hassle.”

“Kururu.”

“Especially since salt is essential for survival….”

The water of the water bird lake was salty, so if I could somehow evaporate it, I might be able to get salt.

‘I haven’t tried it yet, but it probably wouldn’t be impossible.’

I suddenly muttered.

“I wouldn’t mind if a dairy cow or a chicken fell from somewhere.”

He was even wishing for livestock.

“Then I could get milk or eggs whenever I want.”

“Kurururu?”

“You… weren’t you a male?”

There was no basis for it, but I thought he was a male. Can he lay eggs?

“Were you a daughter and not a son?”

“Kkung.”

“Ah, not that.”

“Kkungkung.”

“…Oh….”

It seems he has no gender.

“That’s amazing.”

Well, looking at the water birds in the lake who multiplied by splitting their eggs like amoebas, a process like mating didn’t seem necessary.

I nodded.

“It’s a hassle to think too deeply, so let’s just stick with you being my son. Do you agree?”

“Kuruk.”

“Excellent.”

For a moment, I was almost frightened by my own limitless abilities, but then I realized the only thing I would make with this ability was a baked potato, and I felt at ease again.

“There’s no way a harmless person like me could be a creature that threatens world peace.”

“…….”

“Agree with me right now, Honey. Your dad is a harmless creature.”

Honey did not agree until the end.

“So resolute.”

Honey was one to say no when it was no.

The cabin forest was very cool.

A cool breeze blew when you went under the shade, and when you received the sunlight, a cozy air like a blanket aired out in spring enveloped the two of them.

Wandering around without a particular purpose had a pleasant charm, like going on a picnic.

“Ah.”

Just like that, while walking aimlessly, I finally made a good find.

“I think this is edible.”

“Kurururuk.”

“Right? The scent is unique too….”

It was a plant with a structure where small, transparent, regular tetrahedral fruits hung in a line like lilies of the valley.

Milky Way Mary

A flower characterized by its transparent fruits and black stem.

It was named ‘Milky Way Mary’ after its first discoverer, Mary, and its unique appearance.

Each individual plant bears 11 fruits. It is slightly toxic to eat as is, but when dried and hardened, it can be used as a spice with a spicy and piquant aroma.

“…….”

First discoverer?

‘There was a first discoverer named Mary?’

This information expanded world-building significantly.

Doesn’t it mean that the plants, or even animals, growing here might also exist in some other dimension?

“So it wasn’t an ecosystem created solely by my imagination.”

“Kuruk?”

“No, I’m not in a bad mood.”

It was just that the unusually vast world-building was a bit funny.

“Oh, gods of heaven and earth.”

Where on earth have I fallen into?

“Life really is a roller coaster.”

Elixir Recipe: Soaking it in the sap of a Dorongdorong Tree neutralizes the toxicity and stops the drying process. If stored in a canned form and later ground with the wings of a forest butterfly into small pills, it becomes a good fatigue recovery agent. Store in a dark place away from sunlight.

The system also provided the Elixir Recipe, but I had little interest.

I focused solely on its taste and aroma.

“So you’re saying it’s pepper?”

Fatigue recovery agent and whatnot didn’t even register.

Happy to have found a spice after a long time, I quickly picked the fruit of the ‘Milky Way Mary.’

Since the fruit was already ripe, it fell off easily with a light touch.

“I’ll have to remember this.”

I muttered as I straightened my back after collecting more than a handful of the fruit.

“This must be the Milky Way colony.”

The flower bed, sparkling with lots of small, transparent fruits, was too beautiful to see alone.

Perhaps because the forest was so dark, the transparency of the fruit stood out even more, to the point where it really looked like the Milky Way.

“It would be even more amazing to see at night.”

“Kururu….”

“Anyway, the pepper is taken care of.”

Sniff, sniff, I tried smelling it, but there was no scent right now.

“…Is it structured so that the aroma comes out when it’s dried?”

Like the Mangdung Fruit.

‘I wonder what kind of spiciness it is.’

It had a spicy and piquant aroma, but I couldn’t tell exactly what that felt like.

“It might be like a small, hot chili pepper rather than black pepper.”

“Kururu?”

“Or maybe it’s similar to a prickly ash berry? But that is more numbing than spicy… I guess I’ll have to dry it myself to know what kind of dish I can use it in.”

The small fruit sparkled like transparent beads, but it was weak and crinkly like it was made of thin plastic.

Inside, I could feel a pulp that was harder than the skin… but it felt like it would be easily crushed.

“And this gets hard when you dry it.”

It was a strange vegetation that seemed to come out of a fairy tale. Its appearance too.

“I should try using it when I grill meat.”

I felt a sense of purpose in life and held the basket preciously in my arms.

In the past on Earth, pepper was treated almost like gold, and that’s exactly how I felt right now.

“I wonder if there are any other spices?”

“Kuruu?”

“It’s too plain to make it with just pepper, after all.”

“Kkuk.”

“Let’s go a little deeper.”

Sausage could be made in a great variety of ways.

“First, meat and fat are the basic ingredients.”

This part I had already prepared, divided by cut.

I had placed it in a cool pantry so it wouldn’t spoil and covered it with a large cloth.

I planned to start mincing the meat once all the other ingredients were gathered.

The meat I had butchered this time didn’t have a gamey smell, but I needed other spices to bring out the savory flavor.

It was too boring to make sausage with just salt, pepper and meat.

“A sausage, by its nature, must have a deep aroma and taste.”

Fortunately, I had already found the ‘Milky Way Mary,’ which would serve as both chili and pepper.

“But this alone is not enough.”

The fun part of making sausage was that its taste and aroma changed dramatically depending on what herbs and spices were put inside.

A decent sausage would come out with just the Milky Way Mary, which was presumed to have a mixed chili and pepper scent, but….

“Let’s just keep going for now.”

“Kurururu.”

“You have to let me know if a dangerous animal jumps out.”

As Honey’s parent, I instinctively knew that this round water bird was not weak at all.

He was my small and precious Honey, but he also served as a reliable bodyguard.

As I walked through the forest, I continued.

“There are important conditions for making delicious cured meat.”

First, adjust the amount of salt according to the storage period and climate.

“In a forest like this where the ingredients themselves don’t rot, it might sound like nonsense, but….”

“Kkuk?”

“If there’s too much salt in the cured meat, you can store it for a long time, but it becomes difficult to use in cooking, and if you put in too little salt, the curing itself isn’t done properly and the meat spoils.”

“Kkungkungkung….”

“Yeah, it’s a hassle.”

And that’s what makes it fun.

All the tricky recipes in the world had a fatal charm that stimulated my challenging spirit.

“The temperature in this forest is moderately mild, but I think it’s great that I don’t have to worry about the meat spoiling as long as it’s cured well. I don’t like overly salty jerky or sausage anyway.”

“Kururuk….”

“If it’s too salty, you can’t eat a lot. You get full quickly.”

“Kkuk.”

“I knew you would agree with my opinion.”

The father and son confirmed their mutual trust.

“And second. Dry it according to its purpose.”

“Hmph?”

That was a reaction that seemed to say, ‘Cured meat has a purpose?’

“Not all sausages are the same.”

Having my son by my side was a true happiness because it meant I didn’t have to talk to myself. This was why people needed friends.

“It’s only natural that the longer you dry it, the tougher the meat gets, so there are various types.”

“Kururu….”

“Sure, you’ll eat anything, but think about it from a person’s perspective.”

There were more types of recipes in the world than there were people.

“There are fresh sausages that you eat right away, and there are sausages that you cure until they’re completely hard and then cook to eat.”

The former were usually boiled or grilled, while the latter were eaten boiled like fresh sausage or sometimes steamed.

“A fresh sausage will overflow with juice with just a little heat, but a completely dried sausage won’t. Since no one wants to chew on a hard sausage, I guess it’s a way to somehow fill the lack of moisture inside.”

And third.

“This is the most important part. Taste and aroma.”

“Kururururu.”

Honey agreed vehemently.

“You little gourmet.”

In fact, I believed that 99.9% of the conditions for an excellent sausage came down to this.

“This dad hates things that don’t taste good.”

“Krhung.”

This time, too, Honey agreed vehemently.

“So since I’m making it anyway, I want to make it well this time too.”

The form of the ingredients also changes slightly depending on the type of sausage.

“The ways to make sausage are endless. If you want to eat plain meat, you can add a little salt and just enough of a minimal spice to get rid of any gamey smell. If you need a stimulating side dish, you can add a spice that has a pungent aroma and will make your tongue tingle.”

“Nngh….”

“If you want to experience a wider variety of tastes, you can add vegetables as well as spices. Of course, it’s a bit difficult if it’s a vegetable that releases a lot of water… but in my experience, if you salt it, squeeze out the water, and then add it, you don’t get water or mold inside the sausage, which is good.”

I rolled my eyes, imagining the sausage I would make.

“I’m starting to crave something spicy, so I’d like to find and take a spice or vegetable that can heat up my tongue. When making that kind of sausage, adding an ingredient that gives a slightly bitter taste makes the flavor richer. Of course, if you add too much, a culinary disaster will be born, but….”

My self-esteem was too high to be anxious about such things.

“There’s no way I, with the soul of a spectacular artist, would make such a mistake. Just trust me.”

“Kururuk?”

“…Are you worried that spicy food won’t suit your palate? Well, it might be too stimulating for a bird.”

I nodded.

“Then I guess I have to make a plain sausage too. It’s the same when making that kind of sausage; if you want a richer flavor, you can add an ingredient with a mild and soft aroma. Something like a light-scented herb would be good.”

“…….”

“But I still want to eat something stimulating. How about making one spicy and one really salty sausage. I hope there’s an ingredient that pairs well with spices like Milky Way Mary or ginger.”

“…….”

At Honey’s wide-eyed gaze that said ‘Can you really do that,’ I nodded confidently.

“There’s nothing this dad can’t do.”

What couldn’t I do to eat something delicious? I was confident.

And then, something good caught my eye.

Crying Skirt

An unrefined Crying Skirt has a deep blue-green color and a spicy taste and aroma.

Its toxicity can be removed by wiping it with a mixture of sugar and Dorongdorong Tree sap.

“What a perfect description.”

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