Isekai Nonbiri Nouka-Novel

Chapter 194 – Pre-Winter Meeting

The martial arts tournament has ended so the guests return home.

Apart from Fushu and ancestor-san who went to the hot spring, the only remaining guest is Raimeiren.

It seems like she finds it hard to part with Hiichirou.

Finally, we managed to convince her to go home.

She was persuaded by Hakuren and Rasuti….but she’s likely to come again soon.

If she’s looking for a grandchild, isn’t Rasuti and Helzenark her grandchildren too?

Is a grandson really that important?

When I asked Hakuren, I heard that she’s like that with Rasuti and Helzenark too.

I see.

Girar’s daughter, Guraru, stayed here in the village.

Hakuren and Rasuti permitted her so there’s no problem.

For the time being, she’ll stay in a guest room in my mansion.

As for her job….maa, let’s have her study like Ursa.

After finishing this year’s martial arts tournament evaluation meeting, it is time to prepare for winter.

Processing food, hunting, and securing firewood for winter.

Speaking of which, I’m the busiest person during times like this.

It is hard to cut trees in this forest.

In addition, it is also hard to set it in fire.

It can be said that it is not a suitable firewood.

With the help of the AFT, I don’t feel all those problems at all.

I thought of selling this forest’s timber to Michael-san before and the payment would be firewood but because of logistic problem, it was buried in a bag.

I also prefer marine products than firewood.

If we go further south, further than the southern dungeon where the lamias live, we can find trees that are suitable to use as firewood. Because of that, we ask the lamias to cut them and dry them down.

I want to create an environment where I don’t have to do anything in the future.

Therefore, I should think about securing fuel that can be used like firewood.

A meeting was held.

The village’s representatives, the race’s representatives, and the civil servant girls have gathered.

The main agenda of the meeting is winter work assignment.

「Count Chrome has ordered 20 sets of mahjong tiles.」

「Twenty? That’s a lot.」

「They find chatting and playing it enjoyable. It will also be hard to escape if you’re in the middle of a game.」

Noble’s chat huh….

I guess they’re talking something important.

「I heard that the nobles liked that game and wanted to have tile set of their own….」

「I understand what you are trying to say but I won’t get mad if the demon king’s country starts producing them on their own.」

「They already asked a craftsman but it seems like it is an extremely difficult task to make 136 identical tiles.」

「Ah…..」

I find it so simple when I’m using the AFT.

「Folding tables and others will be prepared in the demon king’s kingdom so they are only requesting for the tiles.」

「Got it. I’ll do it.」

「Thank you very much. Next, from the Goroun Company, 10 additional carriages with suspensions.」

「Aren’t we already processing 20 orders?」

「Yes, it will be 30 altogether. We should ask Howling Village to make an additional 10 sets.」

The spring used as suspension is made in Howling Village.

「Howling Village can probably do it….」

I look at mountain elf Ya.

「There is no problem. Please accept it.」

How reliable.

Let’s take it.

「From Korin Religion, two statue of the god of creation….they also want to put one in the hot spring resort.」

「Since they want to put it in the hot spring resort, does it mean that it shouldn’t be a wooden statue?」

「No, the material doesn’t matter. The trees here will also not be that affected by the hot spring so there will be no problem.」

「Okay. Confirm the delivery period.」

「About that, it doesn’t matter when you’ll finish them. The important thing is, they should be able to poke the soul of those who’ll see them.」

「That’s hard…..」

We are deciding our winter task by prioritizing external requests.

Of course, the prerequisite is the lives of the villagers should not be at risk.

「This job is not a job for this winter but….it came from Hou-sama of the demon king’s kingdom. She’s requesting us to brew alcohol.」

「She like us to brew for her?」

「Yes. She wants us to brew it using the grains and the method she directed.」

In short, she wants to buy grains but she wants us to send it as alcohol.

「Hnn? If that is the case, why doesn’t she make it herself? Why is she even asking us to do it for her?」

Hou is one of the four heavenly kings of the demon king’s kingdom which means she’s a noble, right?

From what I heard before, she should have her own territory. I’m sure there should be at least someone related to the brewing industry in her territory.

「She wants to request to someone who understands alcohol.」

Maa, in short, it is a request for the dwarves. However, if someone from the brewing industry in her territory hears this, he’ll probably cry.

I look at the dwarf Donovan.

「There’s a chance that the alcohol will turn bad…she wouldn’t have requested it if she doesn’t trust us.」

「All right. Then, for the purchasing of grains next harvest….what’s this letter?」

「This is Hou-sama’s petition.」

「By chance, does it say something about crops purchase?」

「Yes. But we already refused it through Count Chrome….」

I checked the letter.

The contents are long and politely written but it can be summarized to “Please sell me sugar cane this year.”.

What’s with sugar cane…? Is it for distilled liquor?

Something like this has come before.

The amount is three barrels.

……..

I asked the civil servant girls if there are stocks.

「She’s someone who understands the taste of alcohol. Please sell it to her.」

She’s being backed up by Donovan, let’s accept this.

I’ll leave the other matter to Donovan.

「By the way, Donovan」

「Hnn?」

「After the martial arts tournament, didn’t you already passed alcohol to Count Chrome when he returned? Then that means that this is your thank you letter.」

「Honestly……hnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn」

Donovan frowned at the letter.

「Is something strange written?」

「No, this is indeed a thank you letter. However…..I did not hand over all the alcohol she requested. Since I did not send her any of that alcohol, why is it written here?」

I read the thank you letter but I feel some sort of grudge hidden somewhere.

「What specific alcohol is it?」

「Honey wine….」

Honey wine brew with honey from this village?

That is certainly delicious.

「I had her taste some before and told her that she can’t easily drink it.」

Donovan somewhat looks glad while muttering.

Although there’s grudge in the letter, in an alcohol enthusiast point of view, it might be something they yearned for.

After that, we discussed various things.

Like the shortage of tableware in Village Three because of the new migrants.

There’s also the shortage of bamboo in Village One.

Building a house for Guraru.

If we’ll build a house for her, she will bring have to bring her own servants like Rasuti.

That will also be where Girar will stay when he visits the village.

Similarly, Dors wants his own house too.

Construction in winter is impossible…it is not a matter of you can do it if you give it your all.

That would be unreasonable.

Let’s concentrate on construction once it is spring.

Will there be a race again this year?

Can’t the pool be used for something?

There’s also a suggestion about making a road to the northern dungeon of the titans in the north and southern dungeon of the lamias in the south to promote social interchange.

Although the content vary, most of them can’t be immediately done.

Let’s discuss each during winter.

…….as for me.

I should reflect because I always act on a whim.

After the meeting, we had a small dinner party.

That reminds me of the natto disturbance from a little while ago.

When Flora asked me about fermentation of soybean to make natto, the dwarves panicked.

Anything related to fermented soybeans is a natural enemy of alcohol brewing.

Speaking of which, I remember hearing how natto strengthens some sort of bacteria.

When making alcohol and cheese, natto is taboo.

I wonder if I had done something dangerous. The dwarves began to do something in the four corners of the fermentation shed.

「What’s that?」

「We put a cursed talisman that will make the spirit that is causing fermentation to be docile.」

That was admirable since when we build this fermentation shed, the dwarves already installed something similar before.

And I didn’t know about it.

It seems like now, when a certain limit was reached, it will issue a warning and the dwarves will come.

「Okay, this will be fine for the time being. If it affects the other fermented food, it means we fail so we should build another shed as an exclusive soybean fermentation shed.」

I don’t know what principle it follows but it seems like it will cause fungus not to spread.

Does that mean that in this world, spirits control bacteria?

「Okay, this will be fine for the time being. It will also affect the other fermented food which is bad so we should build another shed as an exclusive soybean fermentation shed.」

「This cursed talisman, who’s knowledgeable about it?」

「This? This was only used during the old days.」

「Flora?」

「It is some sort of ancient spirit magic. There are only a few people who study it so it is obsolete.」

「Do you know anything about it?」

「It is outside my expertise. However, I don’t think that natto will be powerful enough to cause an alert. My apologies.」

「No, I was careless too. It would be good if we could prevent it beforehand.」

It will really be good.

However, I still don’t understand how to contain bacteria. How can bacteria stay here when taking out fermented food?

I’m sure that if you hold it, it will surely stick to your skin or clothes….what are the people of the ancient times are thinking?

No, it is probably related to the characteristic of the food.

I sighed as I look at the food and drink arranged before my eyes.

Isn’t this a small dinner party?

It looks like a banquet though.

Maa, it’s the usual thing.

Wait, why are those who did not partake in the meeting gathering here?