Rising from the Slum City of Reincarnation in Another World ~ Gathering, Hunting, and Living a Slow Life by Eating

Chapter 116 Autumn leaves and mushroom picking

Autumn is in full swing, with the Eldania Lord’s Manor’s orchard, Cherry Blossom Street, and the broadleaf trees in the forest all adorned with vibrant colors of the changing leaves.

“So, today’s plan is to enjoy the autumn foliage and go mushroom hunting!”

“Mushrooms!”

“Well, we collect mushrooms all year round, but today, we’re specifically hunting for autumn mushrooms.”

“Yeah!!”

Everyone seems to be imagining delicious mushrooms, and their faces are filled with excitement. After all, Eldania mushrooms like the Eldatake and Murasaki are known for their exquisite taste.

With the aim of finding delectable treats, we venture into the forest. Minya, Lania, Ciel and I keep an eye out for any signs of danger, ensuring we avoid encountering any hostile creatures.

“Look, this is a maple leaf. It looks like a red palm of the hand.”

“Yeah, it’s so vibrant.”

We all observe the maple leaves together.

“Let’s collect some of these too.”

I think they could be used as bookmarks or something. They are so beautiful. Since the capital and Trieste City don’t have many deciduous trees, these leaves might be considered rare and in demand. Still, I vaguely remember seeing some deciduous trees with red and yellow leaves within Trieste City.

This year seems to be exceptional; the autumn foliage is incredibly vivid and stunning.

“And now, here come the mushrooms!”

“Yayyy!”

At the base of a tree, there is a cluster of mushrooms growing in abundance.

Mushrooms always appear so suddenly.

【Melria Shimeji Mushroom, Edible】

Indeed, it looks like shimeji mushrooms. The cap is brown, while the stem is white, just like an ordinary mushroom.

I’m satisfied with the assurance of its edibility and proceed to collect them.

The appraisal ability is truly convenient, especially for determining whether mushrooms are safe to eat. There are many mushrooms that resemble edible ones but turn out to be poisonous, so this ability is a real lifesaver.

“Ed, Ed, there are so many nuts falling from the trees!”

“Yeah, these are acorns.”

“Really?”

“Probably.”

【Eldashii Seeds, Edible】

Since these are acorns from the oak tree, I’m quite certain they are acorns.

There’s a large tree and several others of the same type around it. These acorns probably fell from those trees. There are plenty of them scattered under the trees.

Squirrels must be delighted with this abundance of acorns. Let’s collect some to use.

“Let’s gather and pick up the acorns. We can make cookies with them.”

“Yay!”

“I see!”

“Nyaow.”

Everyone starts squatting around, picking up the acorns. There are so many of them that it’s impossible to collect them all.

“Acorns♪ Falling, falling, acorns♪”

With a cheerful tone, Miniya starts singing, and the atmosphere around them seems to brighten up a bit. She repeats the same phrase several times, and even Ciel joins in, singing along.

“Acorns♪ Falling, falling, acorns♪”

I wonder if Minya’s song has some kind of buff effect. It feels somewhat similar to the sacred atmosphere of a church.

The sunlight shines brilliantly, and the fallen leaves dance in the air. It’s like a scene straight out of a painting. If I could paint, I’d capture this beautiful moment and turn it into a picturesque oil painting, featuring the three lovely girls collecting acorns.

I wish I had talent in painting or photography, but alas, some things are beyond my capabilities. For now, I’ll capture this scene with the camera of my heart.

I want to keep this memory of the children playing and having fun. Someday, it will become a precious and cherished memory.

The girls keep filling their front skirt pockets with acorns, resembling a trio of baby squirrels – utterly adorable.

Collecting acorns may seem like a simple task, but it’s surprisingly enjoyable. There’s a certain sense of joy in gathering things, isn’t there?

“Alright, let’s start the collection!”

“Yay!”

Everyone collected a lot of acorns. With this many, we can make plenty of acorn cookies. Well, we also have wheat, so it’s not necessary to focus solely on acorns.

In modern-day Japan, there’s a health-conscious trend, and acorns might be appreciated for their health benefits. However, in this different world, such concepts are not as prevalent. Though some citizens have started to recognize the value of health teas, it’s not yet widespread.

We managed to avoid encounters with enemies as we walked, so we only defeated three goblins before returning to Eldania.

Together, we peel the acorns and grind them with a mortar. They transform into fine powder.

We mix the acorn flour with wheat flour and add water to knead the dough. As acorn flour is coarser than wheat flour, it’s a bit more challenging to shape the cookies.

In addition, a pinch of salt and some high-quality sugar are added to adjust the flavor. The dough is divided into bite-sized portions and rolled into balls, neatly arranged on a large metal baking sheet for cooking.

With the help of the magical stove’s oven, we begin to mass-produce the cookies. Fortunately, the Eldania Lord’s Mansion has a commercial-grade, large oven, which comes in handy on occasions like this.

“Can’t wait for the cookies!”

“Yeah!”

The delightful aroma of the cookies already fills the air. Minya and the others sniff with curiosity, eagerly awaiting their treat.

“Bon appétit!”

“Mmm, delicious~”

We all enjoy the acorn cookies together. While the taste is simple, they are surprisingly delightful.

For the second and third batches, we bake more cookies to share with the mansion’s maids and the hotel’s guests. It’s heartwarming to share the autumn joy with everyone.

Later on, we prepare the Melria Shimeji mushrooms for dinner, having them cooked with butter. The unique flavor of the mushrooms combines wonderfully with the savory saltiness and aroma of the butter, resulting in a delicious dish.

The hungry fairy folk are also thoroughly satisfied today.