The thing I have been waiting for is here!
… Hm? At the end of the recipe, it says, “The sake provided is strong in alcohol content, so it should not be consumed unless one is adult. Also, it’ s acceptable to use Doristan’s strong alcohol instead.”
“… Byakko-sama, aren’t you keeping sake too?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah~ Come to think of it, I was given sake too? But, tiny children like you can’t drink, so I thought maybe I should drink it instead…”
When Sei glared at Byakko-sama with a startled expression, he started to make excuses in a stumbling manner.
“Tora, hand over everything you were given.”
“Ugh, fine… here.”
The sake reluctantly handed over by Byakko-sama smelled like shochu.
Yes, I could try making it with this and the strong liquor that Dwarves like.
Since sugar is something obtainable here, it wasn’t prepared, but it wouldn’t be right to rely on them to prepare so much.
Still, around here, the main source of salt is halite… so sea salt would be appreciated.
… I wonder if they would provide bittern if I asked?
With that, I could make tofu.
I will ask next time.
As I put the Yahatul-produced shochu in the inventory, Byakko-sama looked at me with a clearly disappointed expression.
… No, I won’t give you any, okay? It’s for making plum wine.
I will share some when the plum wine is done, so please be patient for now.
“Now then, we are going to get busy! Everyone, please help!”
Fufufufufu… with a suspicious smile, I looked at everyone, and Sei nodded in understanding.
Mariel-chan and Mashiro were looking bewildered.
“Could it be that you have experience with plum work, Sei?”
“Yeah, during this season, I used to help my (foster)Mother and Grandma with pickling.”
Sei said nostalgically.
It seems there were plums to work on even in the samurai household where he was raised.
Judging from Sei’s expression, it must have been a fond memory, so he was surely well taken care of in that household.
“What do you mean by plum work?”
Mariel-chan raised her hand energetically and asked.
Well, that’s a good question, Mariel-kun.
“Plum work… It’s the important process of putting effort into making delicious umeboshi and plum wine. Let’s all do our best!”
I held onto Mariel-chan’s hands firmly, and her cheeks twitched.
“W-What exactly do we do…!? Is it something that even I can help with?”
Ah, Mariel-chan isn’t good at cooking, so she’s worried about that.
“It’s not that difficult, really.”
I took a green plum in my hand and plucked a bamboo skewer.
“See here… You see those black things? Just use the bamboo skewer to gently remove the pit without damaging the flesh, one by one.”
As I demonstrated by removing a pit from the plum with the bamboo skewer, Mariel-chan let out a relieved smile.
“Oh, what. If it’s that, I think I can do that easily, too.”
Sei’s expression became slightly serious at Mariel-chan’s words.
“Yeah, that’s right. It’s simple. But…”
“Huh?”
“The contents of that box… all of them, you see?”
“The contents… all of it!?”
Mariel-chan looked at the tightly packed wooden box with a tense expression.
Yeah, that’s right, all of it.
“Now, if we dawdle, the fruits will get spoiled! Let’s all work together on the plum work, shall we?”
Everyone’s faces seemed a bit strained, but it’s for the sake of delicious umeboshi.
If we all pitch in, it’ll be over in no time. It’s alright, it’s alright! … Probably!
Alright, let’s do our best~!