Rising from the Slum City of Reincarnation in Another World ~ Gathering, Hunting, and Living a Slow Life by Eating - Chapter 139

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

Chapter 139    Wild strawberry season

“Some time had passed since the spring harvest.”

“Alright, Minya.”

“Nyaah! Strawberries!”

“Yeah.”

“It’s finally here, isn’t it?”

“Hmm?”

Oh, right, that’s how it was. This was before Ciel joined us.

We harvested strawberries together and received gold coins.

Now, money is flowing through the operation of the hotel. The debt, which was initially an investment from Eleanor-sama, is being gradually paid off and things are going smoothly.

“Yes, this year, instead of selling strawberries, I’m thinking of making jam for personal use.”

“Yay, meow!”

“That’s wonderful.”

“Huh? Are you happy, nya? Excited, nya?”

Although Ciel doesn’t seem to fully grasp it right now, she’ll surely understand once she tastes it later.

It’s been a year since then. While Eldania doesn’t have vast riverbanks like Trieste, there are tributaries flowing through the region, and we confirmed that the area where sunlight pours in is filled with white strawberry blossoms during spring.

“Now, my friends, let’s follow along the riverbank.”

“Yeah!”

“Sure!”

“Nyaah.”

With baskets in hand, we bask in the warm spring sun, as if on a picnic.

Heading towards the river just beyond the city walls.

“Oh, they’re ripening, ripening.”

Red fruits are visible here and there. We’re on the right track.

“Alright, let’s each pick within our visible range. Don’t concentrate too much, remember to look around.”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

Now, let’s gather the wild strawberries.

Since there aren’t any other children around here, we can pick as much as we want.

As far as the eye can see, downstream.

Of course, we’ll be careful not to venture too far down the river.

“It’s delicious!”

“Oh, Minya-chan is sneaking a taste.”

“It’s hard to resist. Since these are for personal use this time, let’s allow it. But let’s not overdo it.”

“Nyahta!”

“I’m so happy!”

“Nya-nyan.”

And so, Ciel also takes one into her mouth.

“It’s so delicious, miau!”

“I told you.”

“Nyahahaha.”

Minya is also laughing as she watches.

Everyone had a joyful atmosphere, smiles all around.

Now, let’s start picking.

They grow clustered on the low bushes, so we move around, picking here and there.

Being a bit higher above the ground than regular strawberries, they’re easy to pick, unlike the elusive Snakeberries.

We keep gathering them, and the baskets fill up rapidly with the red fruits, forming a vibrant red mound.

The scent of strawberries fills the air, and the aroma is delightful.

“Is everyone here?”

“Minya is here, nya.”

“Lania is here.”

“Ciel is here, myao.”

In this way, occasionally taking attendance, they continue to pick strawberries, steadily moving downstream.

Upstream from here, they’d be cutting through the heart of the Exis Forest, so it’s more likely for monsters that come to drink water to appear.

That’s why the upstream area is a bit more dangerous, and it’s better to avoid it as much as possible.

Of course, if you’re going there with the intention of battling, it shouldn’t be much of a problem. But today, the focus is solely on strawberry hunting.

Starting from the morning, we continue picking and take a midday break.

For this time, we’ve decided to gather all day and store the strawberries in the item boxes.

The plan is to make jam tomorrow, borrowing the kitchen and getting assistance from the maids.

“For lunch, we have sandwiches and fried chicken.”

“Yahoo!”

“Sounds good!”

“Nyauu~”

“Hahaha.”

Lania sparkles with her eyes and gives a thumbs up, making them chuckle a little.

Where does she pick up these gestures from? Probably from the carpenters who returned in spring.

Though they took a break during winter, the carpenters came back when it got warmer, even bringing new recruits. The city’s construction is progressing rapidly.

Watching the houses pop up one after another every day is incredibly enjoyable.

It’s almost like playing a city-building game for real, though they’ve got to remind themselves that this is the real deal, not just a game.

Even though responsibility and command fall to Gid and the others, I’ve offered my input quite a bit.

Some of those ideas have actually been realized, and you can see designated plots of land set aside for the planned school building.

The high school construction plan is slowly moving forward, but they haven’t started the actual building yet.

After enjoying a delicious lunch of fried chicken and sandwiches, we resumed our afternoon strawberry picking.

Today, it seems like we’ve wrapped up this session.

Flowers don’t bloom all at once, so we’ll wait for a while and harvest again after a suitable interval.

The next day arrived.

After breakfast, we gathered in the kitchen to start making jam.

Having a magical stove like this is truly a blessing. Dealing with firewood would be an ordeal beyond compare.

It would have been quite troublesome to use firewood for the stove.

We gratefully make use of the pre-installed stove.

“Humming a tune ♪”

Maidens and girls take turns stirring the pot and boiling it down.

And then, the jam is ready.

This year, we tried adding some sugar, enhancing the sweetness, resulting in a truly premium strawberry jam.

This could even be presented as a tribute-level offering.

Oh, yes. The image of Eleanor-sama pouting in frustration for missing out on jam popped into my head. Let’s offer her five jars just in case.

The royal grandparents probably have imported jams from the southern regions, so they should be fine.

Those imported jams seem to be mostly consumed in the capital, and it doesn’t appear they’ve reached Trieste.

Even with a distribution network, it’s still quite fragile, and there’s no way parcels would be reaching every corner of the country.

With a limited number of goods available, it’s inevitable that if they’re consumed nearby, they won’t make it far away.

Now, the much-awaited moment has arrived.

“Let’s dig in.”

“Bon appétit!”

With greetings exchanged, everyone takes a bite of the bread spread with strawberry jam.

They’re munching away like little hamsters, fully engrossed in their meal.

It must be incredibly delicious; no words need to be spoken.

A single piece of bread is quickly devoured.

“That was delicious!”

“Yes, it was incredibly tasty.”

“I didn’t expect it to be this good.”

Everyone is still savoring the flavors.

They give me pleading looks, asking for more.

“Ed, can I have another slice?”

“Oh, sure. It’s a special treat. Only for today.”

“Yay, thank you! I love it!”

“Well done.”

“Purrfectly purrfect.”

Oh, looks like Ciel is unleashing a finishing move with her voice.

Everyone eagerly starts on their second slice.

And so, the Strawberry Harvest and Jam-Making adventure concludes with great excitement.