「This tempura is delicious. It has such a fragrant aroma and a subtle bitterness to it.」
「Viole-sama, try this ohitashi next. I made it myself.」
「Oh my! All by yourself, Karen? Without Sui’s help? That’s impressive.」
「Not just me. Mint helped too. Right, Mint?」
「Uuuu! Mother, Mint sprinkled sesame seeds on ohitashi!」
「Well, well. In that case, I’ll savor every bite.」
After returning home, it was time for lunch.
We had gathered plenty of wild vegetables: taranome, warabi, and even butterbur. Remembering the butterbur buds I’d spotted in winter, I revisited the same spot and found the butterbur plants flourishing.
With all these ingredients, we decided to cook up a feast: tempura, ohitashi, and simmered dishes.
The menu featured wild vegetable tempura , warabi ohitashi, and simmered butterbur. For a touch of protein, we fried some trihand bird breast meat as well.
The tempura was served with dipping sauce and seasoned salts, infused with flavors like chili and ginger for variety. It was a luxurious spread, the kind only a family living close to nature could enjoy.
Everyone seemed to relish the food, their satisfied expressions a testament to the flavors.
「Sui, amazing! Poison, gone!」
「I’m glad the preparation worked. It’s almost identical to the ones from Earth.」
The oxalic acid in taranome and butterbur was easy to remove by cooking, but the toxic compounds in warabi required a more meticulous approach. Normally, you’d soak them in hot water with baking soda for half a day, but since I wasn’t entirely sure if the warabi here could be treated the same way, I resorted to a bit of magic to speed up the process. It worked like a charm—literally—and our efforts were not in vain.
「By the way, Mother, this simmered dish is made from the butterbur we used for ohitashi back in winter.」
「Oh really? Now that you mention it, the flavor does seem familiar.」
「I couldn’t eat it back then; it was too bitter. But this one is delicious.」
「Mint, ohitashi, like!」
「I like it too. Maybe it’s extra tasty because Mint sprinkled the sesame seeds.」
「Ehehe…」
「Chocola’s got a great chew toy now too. Today’s been a huge success.」
「Bark!」
Chocola was happily gnawing on the deer antler. Normally, he had two meals a day, with lunch often being just some milk. But today, his focus was entirely on his new treasure.
Given that the deer lived deep within the Void Forest, their antlers were incredibly durable. Of course, they wouldn’t stand a chance against our full strength, and Chocola could easily crush them if he really wanted to. But it seemed he preferred savoring the challenge, avoiding using any body-enhancing magic to prolong the experience.
「Let me know when it gets too worn out, and I’ll replace it for you.」
「Bark!」
The antler had already been cut to a suitable size for Chocola to chew on. After our foraging trip, Mint managed to find the other antler as well, so we had plenty in reserve.
「Maybe we should go searching again tomorrow while we can.」
「Bark!」
「You’re full of energy.」
This past year, we’ve hunted our fair share of deer. Even in early autumn, we managed to take down a buck with reasonably grown antlers. But it never occurred to me that those antlers could become chew toys for Chocola. So, we ended up burying them along with the bones.
Having lived in this forest for a year, I had vaguely assumed the second year would go much the same. In fact, I figured we’d get even better at it.
But I was wrong.
There’s still so much we don’t know, so many experiences we haven’t had yet. And it’s not just about the forest or nature—sometimes it’s about the family, like discovering a new side of Chocola.
「Hey, Sui, these taranome sprouts, is it? Have we used them all for frying?」
「Nope, we’ve still got about half left. If everyone liked them, we could use them for dinner too. Maybe make simmered taranome, wrap them in meat, or stir-fry them with miso—lots of options.」
「Oh, good. I’d love to have more of this tonight.」
「Viole-sama… is that because it’d go well with some sake?」
「…N-not at all!」
Mother’s evasive reply earned her a knowing look from Karen.
「Sui, thanks for the food! Delicious! Pochi play now?」
「Did you wipe your mouth properly? Alright, go ahead.」
「Uuuu! Chocola, come too?」
「Bark!」
Mint sprang to her feet, calling out to Chocola. He promptly got up to follow her outside into the yard.
After confirming everyone’s plates were empty, I stood up as well.
「Thanks for the meal. Guess I’ll handle the cleanup now.」
「… Chocola, wait! Pochi play, hold! Mint to help!」
Mint, who was halfway out of the living room, came to an abrupt stop and spun around to face me.
「I’ll wash!」
「Thanks, Mint. You’re such a good helper.」
「Hehe!」
I ruffled her hair, and she narrowed her eyes happily, puffing her lips in pride. Chocola, sitting obediently near the hallway, seemed to wait patiently for her.
「Alright, Mint, let’s do it together. Sui, you just sit back and relax.」
「Oh no, Viole-sama, that’s unfair. I’ll wash dishes with Mint too!」
「Thanks. I’ll leave it to the three of you, then.」
I sank back into the sofa as Karen and Mint stacked the dishes and carried them to the kitchen. Mother waited there, sponge and detergent in hand, ready to take over.
「Hey, Chocola, you want to help too?」
「Bark?」
Chocola tilted his head slightly at my teasing and then resumed sitting quietly. Watching him, I let myself relax, surrounded by the lively sounds of my family cleaning up.
It reminded me of my life back in Japan.
I wondered if Father felt like this when I used to help with the dishes after dinner.
「Mother, look! Dishes, shiny!」
「Thank you, sweetie. Alright, let’s rinse it next.」
「After rinsing, hand it to me. I’ll put it in the drying rack.」
Mint, Mother, and Karen were all thoroughly enjoying themselves.
So, I stayed on the sofa, letting their cheerful voices and the sound of clinking dishes wash over me.
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