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CHAPTER 18 - DISTILLATION WITH THE BLESSING OF SPIRITS INTO CONCENTRATED SULFURIC ACID (PART 1)
Souta was helping out with village tasks under Assam's guidance. He returned home well past dinner time, at a time when the villagers were starting to hold a feast without any particular reason.
As he arrived home, Ayahi was the first to greet him.
"Oh, welcome back. You were out quite late. What were you and Grandfather working on? The sun has long set. This isn't exactly conducive to studying. Using elemental spirits to start a fire is no small feat."
"My apologies. The work turned out to be more extensive than I thought. First, it was calculating the size of each household's field, the average harvest, followed by explaining the surrounding geography and the magical beasts briefly. After that, it was just staring at the ledger endlessly."
With an exaggerated sigh, Souta pretended to be fatigued, but in reality, he was enjoying himself. After all, it was the first time since coming to this world that he could converse at a pace that matched his partner's. While there was a gap in knowledge due to their different areas of expertise, at least in terms of understanding the conversation's speed, there wasn't much difference between Souta and Assam.
"Choubo?"
"Ledger is what I mean. It's about how much can be obtained from this village, how much it's worth in money, and how much is taken away as tax by the guy ruling this region. The tax rate for this village is absurd. They take sixty percent of the harvest. Well, even back in my world, my salary was taken by about a third for health insurance, resident tax, car tax... Damn."
"What's that?"
"Nothing much. In my hometown, teachers were discriminated against..."
—The treatment of teachers is overwhelmingly poor compared to the heavy responsibilities and expectations placed on them.
—It's because only the inept end up becoming teachers and entering the Ministry of Education...
Souta noticed a dark emotion bubbling up from the depths of his heart and quickly masked it.
"Well, it's in the past. Anyway, this village is being squeezed dry by the country."
"That's really the case!? Grandfather never tells me about things like that!"
Knock, knock, the pot clattered.
Asughi finished cooking and poked her head out to the entrance.
"Both of you, let's avoid scary stories."
"Oh, my bad."
"I think it's an important topic, though."
"Ayahi, what's important now is for Souta-san to eat and take a hot bath. Use the hot water, Souta-san, and relax. I've prepared dinner for you."
Prompted by Asughi, Souta headed to the living room and found that dinner was already laid out.
It was barley gruel Kykeon that had been reheated. There was also a soup with worm meat soaked in sauce for just one night. To cleanse the palate, there were pickled vegetables that looked like eggplants.
—Do they have bread or something? Well, it's tasty though. Isn't this family a bit too obsessed with barley gruel Kykeon? I'm starting to miss ramen.
As he thought about this, he quickly consumed the meal and used the hot water Ayahi had heated to wash his body. The tub was like a wooden bath, and he could immerse himself in it. Feeling refreshed, Souta changed into the same type of shirt and shorts-like attire that the villagers wore.
"How was the water temperature? Ayahi didn't prank you and make the water too hot, did she?"
"Mother, what do you think of me?"
"I heard this morning at the assembly. You were the one who confronted Souta-san, right?"
"Damn! So someone was listening! Souta, you didn't happen to spill the beans, did you?"
"I'm innocent."
"I thought so!"
Yes, I am truly innocent.
In the countryside among the elves, rumors spread quickly, so everything gets revealed.
"Ayahi, that's awful. Treating such a nice person with that attitude..."
"It was a misunderstanding, and I apologized. Mother, don't meddle in resolved matters anymore!"
Remembering the three-party conference at his workplace, Souta chuckled.
"It's not a time for laughing, Souta-san. You're already a respected member of the village, so don't hold back or hesitate to consult with us."
"Understood. Well, right away, Asugi-san. Starting today, I thought of teaching Ayahi about chemistry... ah, about medicines and metals, and also alchemy. She said she'd like to take the class as well."
"Oh, so it's really settled then. Ayahi, I'm sorry for doubting you."
Asugi chuckled lightly, and Ayahi shrugged.
"That's what I said, didn't I? Seriously..."
"Handling medicine incorrectly can be dangerous, so I'll do it in the separate cabin where I sleep. Since you're both interested, would you like to join?"
"Me too? Will I be able to understand?"
"It's sort of like a small exhibition. What do you think? When parents have a reasonable understanding of the material their children are learning, it makes studying smoother. I'm sure you'll find it interesting."
At those words, Asugi's expression turned less reluctant.
"If you're inviting us that much... then maybe I'll drop by."
"Alright, it's settled. Please both come."
—It's getting enjoyable.
While teaching wasn't the job he had chosen willingly, Souta found a sense of fulfillment in his work. Even if he had to start being a teacher again after dying once, he was starting to feel a sense of purpose in his job.
—I hope times like this continue.
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