Episode 11

Episode 11

The once-vibrant green leaves had, without me noticing, turned brown and now littered the ground. The constant buzz of insects had given way to the cheerful chirping of birds.

*Thwack, thwack.*

I was digging up the potatoes I had planted in my field.

"Whoa, these are huge."

It was a testament to how fertile this land was. With every dig, potatoes twice the size of the ones I'd planted came tumbling out.

"King of potatoes~, potatoes are the best~"

I hummed a little tune as I worked. A few minutes later, Haru trotted over, snatched a potato in his mouth, and tried to make a run for it.

"Haru, stop!"

Haru froze at my command. I walked over, gently took the potato from his mouth, and gave him a stern look.

*Whine…*

He looked up at me with pitiful eyes, but I wasn't giving in.

"I'll steam some for you later, so don't eat them raw."

As if he understood, Haru trotted dejectedly back into the house.

"Sorry, Haru."

I wanted to give him some, I really did. But raw potatoes contain compounds that are bad for dogs, just as they are for humans. I couldn't let him eat them.

"Alright then."

After two days of digging, I had a total of ten baskets of potatoes. I took the largest one and carried it over to the fire pit I'd built by the lake. I lit the kindling with my torch, and the fire roared to life. Then, I placed the entire basket of potatoes on top of it. The basket caught fire, burning fiercely.

I didn't know if gods truly existed, but there was at least one I could surmise was real: the God of Creation who had given me this ability. I watched the smoke rise to the heavens, hoping my offering of potatoes would reach that god.

"Okay, then."

I took my bicycle out of my inventory. It was the same one I'd used on my first day in this world. Seeing it again brought back vivid memories. It didn't have a basket, but it had a rack on the back for cargo. I bought two boxes from Conve∞ and filled them with about three baskets' worth of potatoes.

"Haru, time for a walk!"

At the word "walk," Haru burst out of the door, tongue lolling, and ran towards me. I hopped on my bike and headed for the city.

***

The inn was packed. It was so busy that not only the staff but also Hans, the cook, was out serving food.

"The inn is full today."

"Yuji, glad you came. Give me a hand, will you?"

"Me?"

"Just for the lunch rush today! Please!"

I sighed, set the potatoes I'd brought on the counter, and rolled up my sleeves.

"Can't be helped, I suppose."

About three hours after the lunch rush ended, most of the people in the inn had finished their meals and left.

"Haaaah…"

Hans collapsed onto a stool at the bar, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Why was it so crowded today of all days?"

"You know about Lord Terbryan, the knight who caught the sabertooth tiger, right?"

Ah, the handsome knight who had paraded around with the sabertooth tiger *I* had killed.

"Yeah, I know him."

"Well, to honor his achievement, the Lord is holding a festival for him."

"The Lord is?"

"Yeah, the Lord. You didn't know we had a Lord?"

A Lord. The person who owned all the land in this city. In a way, it was similar to a mayor, but while a mayor is elected to manage the city, a Lord *owned* the city and could do as he pleased.

"There were no Lords where I came from, so I didn't know."

"No Lord? Then who governed the city where you lived?"

"The people living in the city would entrust it to someone they elected by vote every few years."

Hans's eyes widened in surprise.

"And the King would allow such a thing?"

"We didn't have a king either. The person who made decisions for the country… our equivalent of a king, I guess… was also chosen by the people. It's quite different from here."

Now Hans's eyes were even wider. He was probably shocked. Such a concept would be unimaginable in this world, in this era. That's probably why…

"Oh, come on, Yuji. A young man shouldn't be teasing an old man like me."

He didn't believe me. But then again, if I had been born in this world, I wouldn't have believed it either.

"Jokes are fine, but don't go around telling stories like that. If the guards ever overhear you, you'll be arrested on the spot."

"Yes, I'll keep that in mind."

It was a story that could be seen as treasonous. It was fine because it was Hans, but if someone else had heard it, it could have easily been used as a pretext for rebellion.

"Anyway, that's why people from other villages have come to visit. Thanks to them, our inn is full."

He was in a good mood, humming a tune.

"That's great for you."

"The festival starts tomorrow night and lasts for three days. You should come if you have time, Yuji. It's fun."

"Hmm…"

I had no memories of going to festivals in Japan. I mean, after three years of working all-nighters without a break, where could I have gone? And since Japanese festivals are held all over the country, even if I took a day off, I'd have to pull an all-nighter the next day, making it impossible to go.

"Yeah, I'll come if I have time."

"You should. Eina, you can come and rest now!"

"Yes, sir."

A girl with wavy, gray short hair and slightly plump cheeks you wouldn't see on an adult, wearing a kerchief to mark her as an employee, put the cloth she was using to wipe the tables into a bucket of water and slowly walked to the washing area.

"That girl is…"

"That's Eina. She lives nearby. I asked her to help out since we've been so short-staffed these past few days."

Her face was expressionless, but her slumped shoulders showed how exhausted she was. I took a small basket from my inventory, filled it with some potatoes from the box outside, and brought it back in.

"Eina, was it?"

She looked up at me as I approached.

"Yes."

"Here, take this home and cook it."

I held out the basket of potatoes, and Eina tilted her head.

"What is this?"

"It's a potato. It's really delicious when you cook it."

"A potato…"

She didn't seem to know what it was. She placed the basket on the table, picked one up, examined it from all angles, and then bowed her head to me.

"Thank you."

"Make sure you don't eat it raw, okay?"

"I won't."

After giving her the potatoes, I went back to Hans. He was also looking at the potatoes on the counter.

"I've never seen this before. Is it a fruit?"

"It's a vegetable."

"A vegetable? Something like this?"

It seemed that potatoes didn't exist in this world. Then what was that potato-like thing I'd been eating in my meals?

"It's called a potato. You can steam it or roast it."

"Hmm… is it good?"

"Yes. Some people like to eat it with sugar or salt, but it's delicious and savory even on its own."

Hans nodded. "Thanks, Yuji."

"Don't mention it. You and Megan have helped me out a lot. Well, I'll be going."

I opened the door and stepped outside.

"I'll be back later."

"Alright, thanks for your help today! I'll enjoy these potatoes!"

I got back on my bike and pedaled toward my next destination: the Merchant's Guild.

The Merchant's Guild was just as busy. This time, I didn't have a chance to help. I just dropped off the potatoes and left. I couldn't even get into the Aulua estate; I was turned away at the gate. I gave the potatoes to the guard and headed back to my cabin.

"Finally done."

*Woof!*

The offering I had made to the god had turned completely to ash. I kicked the hardened remains, scattering them.

"Now, how should I eat these?"

I'd given some to everyone I knew, so now it was my turn. Should I slice them thin and fry them like chips? Or cut them into sticks and make french fries?

"First things first."

I gathered some dry branches and the leftover charcoal from my last barbecue, put them in the grill, and lit them with my torch. The charcoal glowed red, and the branches burned fiercely. I bought some aluminum foil from Conve∞, wrapped a few potatoes in it, and placed them in the fiery grill.

"Campfire-roasted potatoes are the best."

Steamed potatoes are good too, but they can't compare to the unique, earthy aroma of potatoes roasted in a campfire. The foil wrapping the potatoes gradually turned black.

*Pant, pant, pant.*

The savory smell must have drifted over, because Haru came to my side, his tongue out, drooling.

"I'll give you some in a bit, just wait."

*Woof!*

At the word "wait," Haru sat down and waited patiently. After a while, I used tongs to take the potatoes out of the grill and placed them on a plate. I carefully unwrapped the foil.

"Whoa!"

Steam billowed up like a dragon's breath, revealing the beautiful form of the potato. I peeled it with the tongs, and the pure white inside was revealed.

"Ah, hot, hot!"

I tossed the potato back and forth in my hands to cool it down and finally took a bite. A savory yet simple flavor. A texture so soft it melted in my mouth, like a spoonful of cream. It was so unbelievably delicious it made me wonder if the potatoes I'd eaten before were fakes.

*Woof, woof, woof!*

Haru started pawing at me, begging for some.

"Sit!"

He immediately sat down obediently. I tore off a small piece and tossed it to him. He caught it with his tongue, swallowed it in one gulp, and looked up at me with pleading eyes.

*Whine~*

"Hey, now you're whining?"

For him to swallow it that fast and look at me like that, even though it wasn't meat, meant it must have been incredibly delicious for him too. I blew on the piece I was eating to cool it down and placed it at his feet. Haru stared at the potato, drooling, waiting for my command.

"Okay."

As soon as I gave the word, he wagged his tail and dove in, eating voraciously.

There were three potatoes left. One wouldn't be enough to fill Haru up, so I unwrapped his portion first to let it cool, then unwrapped my own and went inside to get a beer.

*Psssssh.*

My companion for the cold beer was a campfire-roasted potato.

"This is the best."

I even bought some salt and sugar to sprinkle on it. It paired so well with the beer that I didn't even miss having meat. It was a little disappointing that Conve∞ didn't have any pickles, something a Japanese person would naturally think of. They sold everything else, so why not pickles?

"Maybe I should grow some napa cabbage and try making my own…"

It wasn't a bad idea.

"Haaaah…"

Countless stars floated in the sky above.

"Cheers!"

I feigned a toast against the scenery and downed the rest of my beer in one go.