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

Chapter 56 Tomato pasta

I finished making spoons ahead of time and now I’m going to prepare lunch.

Melun-san has finished attending to the patients and will help me.

In the past, I used to wander around or work part-time in the castle, and Gid-san used to do day labor, so we were often away from home.

Minya used to walk behind me and help out.

But now there are more people in the house since Melun-san is here.

I wonder if it’s distracting to have someone working while treating patients, but we don’t have separate rooms, so there’s no helping it.

Now, let’s make the popular tomato dish.

Tomatoes are considered a luxury ingredient, so not many people have had it before.

First, mix water with flour to make a dough.

Take the large dough and flatten it with a suitable stick.

Stretch and fold it several times, then cut it into thin pieces with a knife.

And there you have it, the finished “noodles.”

It resembles udon in some way.

For now, let’s imagine it as spaghetti with meat sauce? No, it’s a tomato sauce.

Since the noodles aren’t round, they turned out more like fettuccine.

In the tomato soup, add wild boar meat, garlic, salt, spinach, romaine lettuce, dandelion greens, and diced tomatoes.

Today, since Ciel-chan is here, let’s also include the rare Eldertake mushrooms we found when we passed through the grasslands before.

A quick review of mushroom knowledge:

The Eldertake mushrooms that grow on tree stumps in the grasslands are quite tasty but often mistaken for poisonous mushrooms, so they are not commonly used as food.

Similarly, the commonly known Murasaki mushrooms or Purple Melrial Mushroom that grow in the grasslands are incredibly delicious. They’re rarely found and considered top candidates for valuable mushrooms.

The Crimson Mushroom discovered in the fallen trees of the Exis Forest are also very tasty. They could be potential valuable mushrooms. I forgot to submit the ones I picked last time, so I have one in my item box.

And let’s not forget the Kikurage mushrooms, which are abundant in fallen logs. Those who enjoy them really love them.

The mushroom season for harvesting is coming to an end, so it’s best to collect them early.

I need to go to the guild quickly to sell the Crimson Mushroom.

Although I want to focus on mushroom exploration since I haven’t been doing much of it lately, there are other tasks that need to be done first.

Wait, hold on. Since we have an extra person now, it might be a good idea to explore the grasslands with a group of four.

While the forest exploration may lead to discovering new plants, there are still many unknown types of grass in the grasslands.

“In the slum, tomatoes? Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. We’re being given food, after all.”

“No, it’s fine. Do you know about tomatoes?”

“Yes… It’s a specialty of that village, but it’s considered a luxury item, so people in the village rarely get to eat them.”

“I see, that makes sense.”

It’s occasionally a story where something luxurious cannot be consumed by the producers themselves. Especially with tomatoes, even the ones that are slightly damaged can be turned into tomato sauce and sold, so there’s no leftovers. On Earth, cocoa would probably be one of the top examples.

gulp “Not just tomatoes, but meat and vegetables too.”

“Yeah, I want to make it as healthy and rich in ingredients as possible.”

“That’s amazing, Myau.”

“Well, most of what I use is what I’ve gathered myself, so it doesn’t cost much.”

“Oh, I see. In a different sense, that’s also impressive, Myau.”

Being praised like this is quite embarrassing. Minya thinks it’s just a part of who Ed is, so receiving sincere compliments feels a bit uncomfortable.

“Minya, and Ciel-chan too, are you both ready for a little something?”

“What is it, Ed?”

“Yes!”

These children, waiting for orders, are so obedient and cute, just like puppies. Anyway.

“I’m going to pick up Lania. She probably wants to eat some food, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, and also, I should have been the one to go, but please introduce Ciel-chan to her.”

“Got it.”

Right now, I need to make the sauce and then boil the pasta-like udon.

Boiling it too much is not good, and I can’t leave everything to Melun-san’s intuition alone. That would be irresponsible.

“I’m off.”

“I’m off too, Myau.”

“Both of you, be careful.”

“Take care, both of you.”

They were seen off by Melun-san and me.

Waving goodbye, the two of them held hands as they walked away.

I’m really happy that they’ve become such good friends.

Surely, with these two, there won’t be a hidden side where they suddenly stop acting and become aggressive. I hope not. It would be scary if these little kids were enemies behind the scenes.

After all, they’re only around six years old. It’s unthinkable.

Phew, that’s a relief. I guess I worried too much.

Just as the pasta finished boiling, the three of them returned.

“Welcome back, all three of you.”

“Welcome back.”

“Um, welcome back, Myau.”

Lania has really become like a member of our family.

In that regard, Ciel-chan still responded with a shy and blushing face.

“It smells so good. Meow, I love tomatoes.”

“I love them too. I started liking them recently.”

“I also like tomatoes, Myau.”

It’s good to see that everyone seems to enjoy it.

“We express our gratitude to Raffalier-sama. Let’s eat.”

“Eat up!”

With some struggle using spoons and forks, we managed to eat.

Everyone had some difficulty picking up the noodles, but we somehow managed to enjoy the meal.

“Mmm.”

“Delicious!”

As if speaking with one voice, everyone shared the same line. It seemed like giving a brief comment was a mandatory ritual before returning to eating the noodles.

Of course, Melun-san and Gid-san also savored each bite.

“I’m happy about the meat, meow…”

“Yeah, me too.”

“That’s true.”

The pasta disappeared from everyone’s plates in no time. Despite making a generous amount, the pot quickly emptied, and the three young girls patted their slightly swollen bellies and giggled. They were incredibly adorable. Just watching them brought a sense of warmth and comfort.

By the way, having six people in this space feels a bit cramped. Perhaps it’s time to consider moving.

But then again, there’s nowhere else to go. Leaving the vicinity of Trieste City wouldn’t be ideal. Besides, my mother is supposed to return eventually. It might be best to relocate from Lanierda to somewhere within Trieste City.

However, having a stable income is crucial when it comes to rental fees. Renting a place in a decent location can be quite a burden.

The houses in the slums are technically illegal structures, so there are no rent expenses involved. The lord turns a blind eye and claims the slum area as their own property, which is why no one tries to collect rent. If someone were to extort land fees without permission, they would be considered a criminal. It’s a grateful system for the slum dwellers. Although it’s a tacit agreement, everyone is thankful for the lord’s sincerity.

However, former residents of Eldania don’t hold a favorable view of the policy that initially barred refugees from entering the inner city. Despite the aim of maintaining security, people in the slums often refer to the lord as heartless. As someone who arrived later and didn’t witness the initial conflicts or was even born yet, it’s difficult for me to take either the lord’s or the Eldania citizens’ side. Considering that it took several years for Lanierda’s security to improve, the lord’s approach seems to have been correct. However, for the refugees, being denied entry at the city walls meant being dangerously close to death. It’s not a matter one can simply laugh off or forgive with ease.