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Chapter 209: The Village Festival and the Proposal for the Local Specialty (4/5)

Before long, I figured that since I didn’t know enough to come up with a local specialty for Fatma, I should just get the people who did know enough to come up with one instead.

After that I considered many things, such as the reason behind coming up with a local specialty and the objectives one wished to accomplish with it…

“While thinking about those things, in the end, the answer I came to was the gyoza. As a result, I ended up troubling you, Porco-sama, and even the villagers.” [Ryouma]

“?　What do you mean?” [Porco]

“Do you remember what I asked you before going back from the hotsprings?” [Ryouma]

“Yes, you had me promise to visit Shikumu today… You don’t mean…” [Porco]

“Yes, the village didn’t even know about my plan when I invited you. It was only after that I got their permission.” [Ryouma]

I feel really bad about that. After all, an outsider like me just went and invited the feudal lord to participate in their festival without consulting anyone. The invitation had already been given, so the villagers couldn’t say no anymore. After all, it wasn’t like they could actually tell the feudal lord not to come.

To make things worse, I even had the gall to get them to make gyoza for the sake of my presentation.

Seriously. Even shamelessness should have its limits. Overcome with guilt, I implored them to let me help me out in various things… They were taken aback by that, but…

“You’re the type who completely loses sight of his surroundings when focused, huh.” [Porco]

“Yes. Fortunately, the villagers were kind enough to be so accepting of me despite that.” [Ryouma]

As my eyes naturally drifted toward the village headman, my head also naturally found itself bowing.

“I was shocked at first, but it was an honor for the feudal lord to partake in our festivities. Moreover, we’re deeply indebted to the previous lord – that’s especially true for the older generation like me – so if anything, we’re glad to make ourselves useful.

And besides, you donated high-quality beef for our festival and even erected a barrier to keep the village square warm. No one’s angry with you at all. In fact, everyone’s thankful for your help. So instead of worrying about something like that, you should just enjoy the festival.

My lord and good sirs as well. There are plenty of food to go around, so please enjoy yourselves.” [Village Headman]

I really can’t thank these people enough.

“Anyhow, it’s good that everything ended well. By the way, there’s a kid who’s been looking at us since awhile ago. Does he have business with you, Ryouma?” [Porco]

“Huh?” [Ryouma]

When I followed the feudal lord’s eyes, I spotted Niki.

It wasn’t just me who looked at him, so poor Niki couldn’t help but panic.

He looked like he didn’t know what to do, so I called him over.

“My lord. I’ve been getting along with this child lately, and he’s been helping me all this time.” [Ryouma]

“Oh, really. What’s his name?” [Porco]

“It’s Niki!” [Ryouma]

“I see, i see. Niki, huh. Thank you for your help. Thanks to you I was able to eat a lot of delicious food.” [Porco]

“R-Really?　He he.” [Niki]

Niki was unusually nervous, but he seems happy.

Just as I was thinking that to myself, suddenly…

“There’s still more delicious stuff to come, right!　Onii-chan?” [Niki]

“Huh?” [Ryouma]

“Oh, is there still something else?” [Porco]

What is Niki-kun talking about?　I’ve already presented all the food I made.

“I’m talking about ‘that’! That!　Didn’t you make a lot preparations for an experiment!?　You even used the slime that evolved!” [Niki]

“Are you referring to ‘Ash-Drying’?” [Ryouma]

Actually, another slime evolved these past three days.

It was the ash-eating slime that I found inside my charcoal pot.

It’s been quietly eating ash all this time, but we were recently able to acquire a huge amount of ash from the hearth thrown away by the families. After eating all of that it successfully evolved into a slime of ash. Its name and skills are as follows.

‘Ash Slime’

Skills:

Scatter Lv3

Clump Lv3

Absorb Moisture Lv5

Dry Lv5

Sterilize Lv3

Digest Lv1

Absorb Lv2

Split Lv2

Unlike all the slimes until now, the ash slime doesn’t appear to have a drop of moisture in it and looks just like a slime made out of smooth and dry ash. The skills Scatter, Clump, Absorb Moisture, Dry, and Sterilize are probably because of its body’s characteristics. Its body flutters about every time it moves or the wind blows, but the ash immediately gathers afterwards.

Also, unlike other slimes, it doesn’t drink water. Strictly speaking, it can drink if it wants, but the amount of fluid it needs is so little that the moisture in the air and the ground is more than enough. On the other hand, it can’t handle that much water.

Fortunately, it does have the Dry skill, so it can still deal with excess moisture. As long as I don’t throw it into a tub of water or keep spraying it, it should be fine. It has the Absorb Moisture skill, so I think it might be able to serve as a dehumidifier.

But other than the dehumidifier, there was another way I thought it could be used. That method is none other than the Ash Drying that Niki-kun mentioned.

I can’t remember exactly when it was in my past life, but once upon a time, a colleague of mine came back from a business trip with a souvenir. It was an ash-dried product made using volcanic ash. When I remembered that, I decided to give it a try myself.

The ash slime feeds on firewood and charcoal, and not on volcanic ash. I just tried it out as an experiment, so I can’t guarantee the taste.

Unfortunately, the feudal lord is already too interested and is giving me that interested look of his.

It can’t be helped.

“I can’t guarantee the taste, but if you insist.” [Ryouma]

“Huh?　I know there’s the ash-dried products too, but weren’t you also talking about how delicious eel, scorpionfish, and pufferfish are?” [Niki]

“!?” [Ryouma]

“I saw you, you know. When you got the slime feed from the processing plant, you took out some of the small fishes and used the bloody slime to check which ones didn’t have parasites, and then stealthily cut them. Didn’t you cut those for tonight?” [Niki]

“You were watching!?” [Ryouma]