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Chapter 42: Thank You, and Thank You
I shook my head slightly to stop my shivering.
The adventurer card hanging off of my neck swung back and forth above my camisole.
Oh dear, it’d be problematic if I dropped this.
After I placed my card on top of the clothes I took off earlier, I leaned forward and plunged my hand into the pond.
The water reached up to my shoulders as my hand touched the mud, which I began fishing through.
Hmm. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. I should be using a shovel or something with a long handle instead

No, maybe it’s better to hold onto a rope and climb into the pond, I thought. Then, my hand touched something hard.
「Ah!」
I grabbed onto whatever it was and pulled.
It’s heavy! I was pulling as hard as I could, but I didn’t have enough strength!
One hand was impossible. I plunged my other arm down the pond and pulled on the object with both hands.
「Hebh!!」
I fell forward and my head dived straight into the pond.
*cough, cough*
I accidentally drank some water, but, but!!
「I got it!!」
I cheered, lifting my loot into the air without thinking.
「Hahaha, these aren’t water lily, they’re lotuses! This is a lotus root. Fufufu, lotus root
」
They’re tasty as tempura but isn’t it best to sandwich minced chicken with them and fry them together?
We happened to have some chicken
 well, they’re not really chickens, but we got bird meat.
Ah, but we don’t have any oil!
What a shock. If there are plants like rapeseed flowers around, can I make oil from them?
No, but
 no, it’s okay. I have lotus roots now. What should I make with them?
I washed off the mud with the pond water, and shook my hand dry before putting my clothes and adventurer card back on.
What if I boiled the lotus roots in the cola-flavored MP potions? No, let’s not do that.
Hmm, what can I do

I climbed down the cliff carefully while holding the lotus roots, and walked back to the hut. Once I got close to it, I could smell the chicken soup.
That’s right! I’m making chicken soup!
That means with these lotus roots, I can

Okay, I know what to make for dinner now.
「I’m back~. Thank you for scooping the scum for me!」
Kurtz-kun did a small laugh and grinned.
「It’s normal to help each other out! You don’t have to thank me.」
Yes, of course. He who does not work, neither shall he eat.
But

「Even if it’s normal to do stuff like this, do you understand the appreciation of having something done for you? 」
Kurtz-kun nodded slightly.
「Do you think it’s normal to do stuff like this because you get to eat if you help out? Or, do you feel happy because you’ll get food made for you?」
「Well, I feel happy!」
「Mhm. That’s how you express your appreciation, by saying thank you. I don’t think it’s reasonable to only let you eat if you help out. Rather, I appreciate all the work you did for me. So, thank you.」
Kurtz-kun’s cheeks turned a little pink.
「T-then, thank you for letting me help you!」
Eh?
「You see, even though this is just a bunch of bird bones, it smells really good. I’m really excited to see that what I thought was garbage is turning into food!」
Ahh, I see. That’s what he meant.
Cooking is fun, after all.
「Fufu, I see. I’m glad you’re enjoying this. Thank you for having fun with helping.」
Kurtz-kun and I laughed because of how strange our conversation was, exchanging gratitude back and forth.
「Ahh, what, what? You two look like you’re having fun. Tell Kirika too.」
Kirika-chan walked into the hut with an armful of potions.
The front door was left wide open so that she could walk back and forth easily while holding the potions.
「Um, Kirika-chan, you’ll get to eat something delicious tonight, since Kurtz-kun is working so hard, I guess?」
「Kurtz-oniichan is?」
Kirika-chan said, with a bit of surprise in her voice.
「Eh? Me?」
Kurtz-kun said while flustered.
「Yes, because cooking with feelings of joy makes the food taste better.」
I patted Kurtz-kun’s head.
「Is cooking a lot of fun? Kirika wants to do it too!」