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CHAPTER 13 - LET'S RECOVER BY THE EATING GRILLED SNAKE DRAGON "WORM"!
Inside the house, there was an apparatus powered by spirit magic, equivalent to a shower. After Souta, who had used it to wash off his body, returned, he was greeted by a feast that would dispel his exhaustion from battle and labor.
"Oh my, Souta-san. Please have a seat. It'll be ready soon."
The sizzling sound of oil.
The sweet aroma of the sauce.
You could tell from the cross-section. The tenderness and whiteness of the flesh.
It was none other than the elven traditional dish, "Grilled Worm."
The Worm traveled through various lands, absorbing magic and nutrients stored within the earth. Its muscles would become extremely rigid when excited, but after death, they would quickly soften and deteriorate. So, there was a custom in the village to distribute the hunted Worm's meat. The slight gamey odor was a drawback, but in the elven village, they overcame this by grilling it with a traditional sauce mixed with mustard seeds and sansho pepper.
Especially in this grilled dish, the most exquisite cheek meat of the Worm was used without hesitation. This muscle was the most utilized one due to absorbing a large amount of magic and nutrients. Additionally, it had less odor. It had a chewy texture yet was tender and nutritious.
Asugi placed the grilled cheek meat on top of piping hot barley porridge, called Kukeon.
Three servings of Grilled Worm Cheek Meat Kukeon were laid out on the table.
"Tonight, thanks to Souta-san's hard work, we have Grilled Worm from the Scaly Insect Worm! Hehe, it's been a while, so I wonder if I did well?"
"Bon appétit!"
"......"
"Really, Ayahi, you used to love Grilled Worm, didn't you?"
"Not really."
The atmosphere at the dining table was chilly. Souta, with a somewhat shallow understanding of human emotions, was bringing a bite of Grilled Worm Cheek Meat Kukeon to his mouth.
— Grilled Worm with barley porridge, I wasn't sure about it, but in essence, this is like unadon (grilled eel on rice). The saltiness and oiliness blend well with the simple taste of barley porridge. It brings out the slight sweetness of the barley porridge. Breaking it apart with a spoon midway to make it like a hitsumabushi (eel rice bowl) adds depth to the experience.
Even in the midst of the subtle tension between parent and child, delicious food remained delicious.
"When Father brought it back, you were so happy, and—"
"It's not about Father, is it!?"
"Ayahi, don't suddenly raise your voice like that. Souta-san is here too."
— Ah, teenage girl hysterics, I'm used to them from work, so I'm fine.
He smiled ambiguously, but didn't say it out loud.
"Fine then! I'll eat in my room!"
"Wait, Ayahi! Oh well..."
Ayahi locked herself in her room with the plate still in her hands.
— I'm not part of this family. It's best not to say anything weird and make things worse.
With his shallow understanding of elve emotions, Souta continued to eat with a solemn expression, as if wondering what he should do.
"I'm sorry. You had to witness that."
"No... Is she usually like that?"
"Well, she's going through a difficult age... It's just that..."
Asugi seemed about to say something afterward but struggled to put it into words.
— I see, change of plans. Let's stick our nose into it a bit. She seems like she's about to talk.
Souta put on a concerned expression and inquired.
"If you're okay with it, could you tell me more about it?"
"It's a bit embarrassing to tell this to someone who just arrived like you... but... that girl doesn't like humans. Even though you helped her in a dangerous situation... She's quite the character."
"Hahaha, if a strange man came to a house where a mother and daughter lived, they would be on guard. Humans would react the same way. I don't think it's about disliking humans anymore."
"Well... I guess? That... uh..."
Asugi put a finger on her lips and smiled wryly, looking troubled.
"Human nature, isn't it? They discriminate against us thoroughly. However... for the Forest Elves, it's different."
"Different?"
"Did you not feel that when you met the villagers of this village? They're surprisingly friendly."
"Huh?"
Souta swallowed the words "Are you sane?" that had almost reached his throat.
— I thought his skin was thick, but... friendly? What's that? Did the translation by the goddess fail?
"Huh...? Well, yes... They've been treating me kindly."
"Forest Elves have historically lived in the harsh lands of nature. Many have been killed by mystical creature monsters. In such lands, those who suspect or betray others tend not to survive. That's why we have a tradition of welcoming guests from other lands. These guests can sometimes bring unexpected blessings."
"Hmm... welcoming?"
Souta tilted his head.
"In other words, if there's someone to consider, it's relatively normal for a single adult to bring an opposite-sex stranger from elsewhere into their house. Even if it seemed like Ayahi was reluctant, she's just influenced by human ethics."
"I see...!? Um, but, they're humans... right? Those evil human officials, they belong to the same race, right...?"
"Well, while there's a surveillance aspect to it, the village chief's perspective is more like, 'If it's better than leaving my daughter a widow forever, let's assign a capable drifter.'
"Hmm...?"
Souta was taken aback and chewed over the meaning of the words again.
— In other words, Asugi is letting me into the house.
— When the village chief told me to take care of you... does that mean there's such a calculation behind it?
— I'm happy. I'm really happy. During my hospital stay, I couldn't think about this stuff, so it's nice to see the Elf widow not entirely opposed to it...!
Speaking of chewing over, there's the grilled worm. This is medicine. A very nutritious source of protein in the remote Elf village in the mountains. Worms imbued with the vitality of the mountains have a strengthening effect.
"Oh my, did I make your heart race? I'm not just a throwaway, you know. Hehe."
Asugi giggled mischievously.
"Please, stop that..."
He said while wearing a face that wasn't all that displeased. And this isn't an act to keep up appearances. In his second life, he wants to enjoy the perks a little. Even the Tabaco RDT "Tobacco of Reconciled Dreams" was his sincere thought, unfeigned by Souta.
"Souta is strong and knowledgeable about many things, so it seems it's better for you to stay in the village as much as possible. My father said so."
"I, well, um... I mean, Asugi...!"
"I'm fine."
Asugi lightly touched the back of Souta's hand with her fingertips.
— What should I do?
— What should I do!?
"Fine is not the right word! It's just... I mean, even if it's the village chief saying it, to go to such lengths..."
"No, actually... I think it's good."
"Huh?"
"I think you're a good person. Souta. When I wash your laundry or cook, it's enjoyable."
Asugi's usually melancholic expression brightened slightly.
— She smiles like this.
"Enjoyable..."
"I'm sorry. It's just my selfishness. I'm a foolish woman. So, please, at least... feel free to be as selfish as you want, Souta. I'll do anything... okay?"
Asugi traced her finger from the back of Souta's hand to the tip of his pinky, intertwining their fingers.
Souta's heart was ringing like a bell.
Convenient temptations are poison, but not poisonous.
It's something that can't be negated by the Blessing skill.
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