When we returned to the base, the Mshiro Group hadn’t made it back yet.
“Sousuke-kun. While we wait for everyone, is there something I can ask you?”
Shion spoke in a subdued voice as she stepped down from the microns and headed toward the entrance.
“Ah, of course.”
“Well… I found some soybeans, so I’d like to try making soy sauce and miso.”
“That’s all? If you have the ingredients, you can make them with a [Craft Ability] anyway.”
But she wore a troubled expression.
“I was wondering about the materials. I need soybeans, salt, and koji… but…”
“Koji… is that mold?”
“Yes. And since mold is a microorganism, I was wondering what would happen if we tried to store it.”
“That’s true… hmm.”
Living things cannot be stored as they are.
That’s why animals and such need to be killed… but…
The two of us scratched our heads, making “hmm…” sounds.
“Um, please forgive me if I’m mistaken, Master, but is it possible for you to store [mushrooms]?”
Rora’s comment made me snap to attention.
「Ah, I see. Loa was right after all」
That’s it. Mushrooms aren’t fungi either, are they?
Whether it’s a living creature or not ultimately comes down to my own perception of it.
“I owe you an apology.”
By broadening the interpretation, we were even able to extract brine from seawater.
If that’s the case, maybe we can use the same method to obtain koji mold.
「By the way, where do you find koji mold?」
「Uh, in Japan, it seems to be found pretty much anywhere……」
This isn’t Japan, but there’s no harm in giving it a try.
「For now, I can’t store air itself, so… How about this? We place barrels throughout the house and store them; something might be inside」
If we can store water that has been put into a barrel, then logically we should be able to store the air inside the barrel as well.
It simply comes down to having the right container.
Trying to test as many environments as possible, I placed barrels in numerous locations—outdoors, sunny spots indoors, shady areas, bedrooms, bathrooms—and stored them one by one.
「…Let’s see here. Oh! Found it, Shion! It’s 『Koji Mold』!」
“Waaah…! It really is amazing, Sousuke-kun!”
“To think you’ve managed to capture the bacteria as well… As befits your Master status, you truly possess remarkable abilities.”
Now that we had also secured yeast, making bread would likely become much easier.
Since Shion was currently cultivating the starter culture, it should be fine to wait and use that once she finished.
For now, though, it was time for the koji mold.
“Um, if I remember correctly… we took notes on how to make various seasonings, right?”
The three of them headed toward the living room.
“Yeah! That’s what Fukaho-chan wrote down for us!”
They had been diligently spending their time in the bonus area memorizing the ingredients and recipes for the items they needed, only to rush out notes immediately upon waking from their dreams.
Fukaho’s memory, in particular, was astonishing; her notes were less like summaries and more like precise transcriptions, which was a great help.
Incidentally, rice koji made from rice is typically used, but this time they would be substituting it with soy koji.
Processes like steaming or roasting the beans would likely count as cooking, but since the Crafting Ability seemed to prioritize what was being made over the process itself, it would skip any procedural steps as long as the final product wasn’t a cooked dish or raw ingredient.
This applied to making koji as well, including the fermentation and aging stages.
A crafting project that would normally take half a year could be completed in an instant with this power.
A master craftsman might fly into a rage hearing this, but since they were only using it to survive on an desert island, they really hoped for forgiveness.
Building a house in an instant is exactly the kind of cheat ability that shouldn’t be brought into reality.
I plan to hand the abilities down to Earth, but I have no intention of throwing a massive fit over it.
“Alright… it’s done!”
For the miso, I crafted a reproduction out of wood of the plastic container commonly seen in Japan.
The soy sauce went into a glass bottle with a pour spout.
Once arranged on the table, Shiine’s eyes sparkled like the night sky.
She clapped her hands together rapidly, a quick staccato of applause.
“Yes! Sōsuke-kun, thank you!”
Shiine rushed forward and threw her arms around me.
That alone was enough to feel like I’d been rewarded, so I suppose I’m an easy man to please after all.
“It’s something we all need, so don’t worry about it.”
Even as I said that, my cheeks must have been turning red.
“No, I care! That’s right! Do you feel like eating anything?”
“Let’s see… Ah! Could you make some ginger pork?”
“That’s great! It can be made, definitely! The ginger So-suke gave me is going to come in handy right away!”
Speaking of which, I’d stocked up on various condiments since Shi-on had been wishing for some.
Ginger was included in that haul.
“With that, you’d want rice, miso soup, and cabbage, though… the parts other than the miso soup are a bit tricky.”
“If we substitute the cabbage with other leafy greens, it’s the rice that becomes the problem…”
“In the case of miso soup, the ingredients are also important, you know.
If I had to name a representative one, it would be tofu,” Raor pointed out, triggering my memory.
“Oh right. Since there’s nigari available, does that mean we can make tofu as well?”
However, no recipe was added.
Even though it isn’t cooking, and isn’t a condiment, it is a substantial ingredient, so its production is subject to a cooking check.
“I know how to make tofu.”
Since Shi-on said that, I arranged the necessary items and left the task to her.
“It’s a bit of a hassle mashing the beans.”
“Ah, then let me help you.”
“Of course, I shall be happy to lend a hand as well.”
The three of us worked diligently for a while, mashing the beans.
「Thanks to both of you.
I think I’m fine handling this on my own from here on out, though.」 「Is that so?」
「I would like to assist you until the very end if possible.」
「Um… I plan on continuing with the tofu making, but I want to save the actual cooking for when everyone else gets back… Besides, you two must be exhausted from the gathering trip, right? Especially Sōsuke—since he has another errand to run this afternoon, I really want you both to get some rest.」
Chii could easily restore his physical stamina later with a [Basic Cure] spell, but her thoughtfulness was appreciated.
Also, from her perspective, having that many people in the kitchen might actually be more of a hindrance than a help.
Two people might be one thing, but three felt like too many.
「I agree that Master should rest, please don’t worry about me.」
「Is that how you feel? Then perhaps I should ask Loa to give Sōsuke a massage.」
Shion seemed to share a look with Loa…
……Huh? Is something off here?
“No, Roa did the hardest work on the harvest, so I can’t ask that of you.”
“——Understood.”
“Huh? Roa…?”
“Heh, well then, please do it for me.”
「Then, Master, this way, please…」
Being led by the hand, I followed her up to the second floor.
—With this progression… could it be that Roa is into it too?
Honestly, after having those experiences with the other four women, I’m starting to feel a sense of déjà vu.
Besides, Roa must have already heard about our relationship from the girls.
And yet, for her to willingly seek being alone with me…
“May I use Master’s room?”
“Aah… no, not that… uh, is it okay for you, Roa?”
“As a maid serving my master, it is my duty.”
“No, no… isn’t that a bit weird?”
Doing things like that under a master-servant dynamic is certainly a common scene in pervert books.
But given that Roa originally worked at a maid café and had interpreted the professional role-play there as just “a job where they show off those kinds of fantasies”…
Doesn’t she feel some aversion to actually having such things requested of her?
In the midst of it all, we reached my room.
Unable to resist any further, we were left alone together in the room.
“Indeed, I would not do such a thing for just anyone. Besides, I have never had a romantic relationship before…”
She blushed, looking shy.
“In that case, all the more so—
Loa leaned against my chest, looking up at me from a distance where our lips nearly touched.
“Even so, I have made the decision to offer my service voluntarily… Is it not wanted?”
Is there any man who could refuse something like this?
If there were one, I am clearly not that kind of man.
Gently, I wrapped my arm around her waist.
Loa smiled softly, looking delighted.
“Shall we then proceed?”
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