Chapter 44 – Holding Hands in The Cold Weather
Since then, the snow had quickly melted.
Not only in the fields around our home, where the last of the snowplay had taken place, but also outside, where it had piled over a meter high—within two or three days, the sunlit areas had already started to show the ground beneath.
It was partly due to the high temperature, but I couldn’t help wondering if the thick magic power in the “Void Forest” played some role. I recalled how the water drainage had been unusually good after the rainy season as well.
In any case—
The ground turned slushy, the kamakura grew soggy, and the snowmen began losing their shapes.
Mint stayed by them until the very end.
Holding back her tears, looking lonely, she still visited the ranch several times a day, pursing her lips tightly.
When rain fell on the third night, the memories were washed away entirely. Yet, Mint no longer seemed sad or heartbroken. After quietly closing her eyes and gazing at the sky after the rain cleared, she turned to us with a smile.
※※※
A week passed since that snowy day, and by the time the new year was ten days old, we found ourselves heading to the town of Sidera for the first time in a while.
The group was somewhat unusual—just me, Chocola, and Mint.
「Sui? Fewer, people, last time?」
「Probably because it’s winter. The market isn’t that lively either.」
The reason for coming to town was a small errand with Novium-san, which we quickly finished. On the way back, we decided to stop by the market, but—predictably, in the heart of winter, the stalls and the foot traffic were sparse.
「We didn’t get to see Berde-san and the others either.」
I had hoped to at least say hello, but our timing was off. The adventurers were out on a winter survey in the forest and wouldn’t be back for a few more days. I had been under the impression that winter had fewer jobs, but it seemed we had stumbled upon one of the rare busy periods.
Moreover, both Lila-san and Tomoe-san were working, so the only person we ended up meeting was Novium-san.
「Well, can’t be helped. There are days like this.」
「Kwuunnn…」
「But, people, few, can see far away!」
「True. Last time Mint was here, it was crowded with people.」
The main street was quiet, so there was no need to worry about Mint getting lost, and Chocola’s steps were light. In fact, he seemed to be having fun, walking along cheerfully with Mint riding on his back.
「Oh? Hey, it’s been a while, niichan. 」
「Hello.」
One of the familiar vegetable vendors spotted me and called out.
「Not much tomatoes this season.」
「Can we drop that already? I’ve admitted it was weird.」
He was the same vendor I had startled by eating a raw tomato from his stand on our first meeting.
I mean, come on—back in Japan, it was totally normal to eat tomatoes raw. It’s not like I could have known otherwise…
At first, I thought he was a rather grumpy guy, but after seeing each other a few more times, he became quite friendly.
「…By the way, is that dog of yours okay? Carrying such a big kid on its back?」
The vendor widened his eyes at Mint riding on Chocola.
Well, yeah. Dogs aren’t exactly the kind of animals meant to carry people on their backs…
「My Chocola is strong, so he’s fine. 」
「Bark! 」
「Hello! I’m Mint! 」
Mint, sitting on top of Chocola, bowed her head cheerfully, and the old man’s expression softened.
「Oh, so your name’s Mint, huh? Nice to meet ya. I think I’ve seen you before… Weren’t you buying candy? 」
「Impressive memory. Considering this is the first time you’re speaking to her, you must’ve just seen us in passing.」
Raising an eyebrow, the old man chuckled.
「It’s part of the trade, kid. But, ah, bad luck, little miss. The candy seller isn’t around this time of year.」
「Candy, none? …But, lots of veggies!」
「Ah, well, even in winter there are some vegetables that can be harvested. Do you like vegetables?」
「Like!」
「Well now, that’s admirable for someone so little.」
She sure eats plenty of them. Makes sense, though, since she’s an Alraune.
「Well, since the little miss likes them, how about you buy something?」
「Using kids as leverage for sales? That’s not very ethical, is it? Though, I was planning to buy something anyway.」
Laughing along with the old man’s wittiness, I started browsing through the selection of vegetables on display.
The assortment was very winter-like.
Leafy greens like napa cabbage and komatsuna, root vegetables like turnips, and various types of mushrooms. Even though these weren’t exactly the same as the vegetables on Earth, I’d been categorizing them mentally as ‘close enough’. For the most part, their taste and cooking methods weren’t drastically different either.
The turnips, for example, came in all sorts of varieties and colors. The old man explained ‘this one is sweet’, ‘this one has a nice aroma when boiled’, and ‘this one is spicy raw but turned sweet when roasted’.
「You know so much about exotic vegetables, yet you’re still learning about the regular ones. 」
「I’m doing my best to catch up… Oh, wait, that’s it! 」
My eyes widened as I spotted something among the hanging garlic and ginger.
I moved closer to inspect it, and there was no mistake.
They looked like small, thin carrots, bright red and bundled together, dried.
「Chili peppers! I can’t believe they have them here…」
I rushed over and asked the old man excitedly.
「Shopkeeper, these! Are they common around here?」
「…You really do have an eye for rare stuff, don’t you?」
「I haven’t seen them before. Not even shishito peppers or anything like that…」
The old man had just mentioned ‘rare vegetables’. S
o at least in Sidera, they weren’t widely available.
「Hey, don’t go eating those raw. They’re so spicy they’ll knock you out. 」
「Ah, so they are spicy. No doubt, these are red peppers. 」
「Really, kid, you’re something else… Little miss, you’re in for a tough time with this one, huh?」
「? Mint, fine spicy things, though?」
「…O-oh, well, good for you, then…」
I asked the old man, who seemed to be slightly taken back, a series of questions without care.
「Did you just happen to get these now, or have they been around for a while?」
「It’s a one-time thing. If I remember right, this is a spice they grow in the Beastkin territory. Figured it might sell with some of them, so I bought it up… Didn’t expect you to be the one jumping on it, though.」
「So, Parker-san might know about it too. Chocola, this is a spice from your homeland. Not that you can eat it…」
「Bark…」
Of course, Parker-san isn’t the only Beastkin in this town. So there’s probably some demand for it.
「I’d like to give it a try. Could I take half?」
「I trust your judgment now. Those tiny tomatoes? They’re a big hit now.」
「I don’t know if I can introduce a recipe that’ll spread through the city, but I’ll share it with my Beastkin friends. If it goes well, you might have a steady stream of customers.」
After receiving the chili peppers from the grinning old man, I was practically bouncing with excitement over the unexpected find. I absentmindedly patted Mint’s head, who squirmed as if tickled, then she grabbed my hand and asked curiously.
「Sui, look so happy! What you do with red stuff?」
「Chili peppers are spices. There’s a lot you can do with them, but mainly, they add a bit of heat to dishes and bring out different flavors. That spicy kick gives food an extra edge.」
You could sprinkle them into soups, stews, or stir-fries. They’d even work in miso soup. I’d been thinking about adding some more variety to my cooking lately, so this came at just the right time.
Besides—
「I was just thinking about how much I wanted this for a dish I’m working on. Having it will make all the difference.」
Turnips, napa cabbage, and even cucumbers when they’re in season—they’ll all benefit from a little heat.
Back in Japan, I used to use chili peppers all the time when cooking. Not being able to find them here had been a disappointment I’d come to accept, but now I’d stumbled upon them. This was what you’d call a stroke of luck.
「…I’m thinking of adding them to pickles. Let’s go home and try it out right away.」
If things go well, maybe I could even make kimchi.
And if I could secure a steady supply of chili peppers, my cooking repertoire would expand dramatically.
Feeling excited, I waved goodbye to the old man and made my way out of the marketplace.
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AN: I realize my fantasy world seems a bit mundane when I’m getting excited over ingredients. But chili peppers hold endless possibilities…
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