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Chapter 58
Now then, is this black liquid made with Seu fruit?
「Is this the thing made with Seu fruit?」
「Yes, that’s correct」
「May I sample it?」
「Ah, go ahead」
I scooped out a little of the sauce from the small container with a spoon and licked it from my little finger. Un, this is a soy sauce. It’s a bit too salty, though. I wonder how it was fermented?
「How exactly did you ferment this? In a jar?」
The landlady brought a small porcelain jar from the next room. The jar was covered with a lid from the same porcelain, but it was clattering as if didn’t fit correctly.
When she lifted up the lid, she showed me the same exact black fruit I had seen in the fields tightly packed together, but…… it appears that the way of making soy sauce is different from that world. Un, it appears that it’s only the fruits tightly packed together. Completing the sauce…… just leaving it up to the time?
「Landlady-san, for how long do you leave it in the jar?」
「Umm, it’s three days after putting the salt in, if I’m not mistaken……」
Ah, so they put in the salt. Then…… but, three days?
「How does this rot?」
「Umm, after about ten days, it creates a membrane and emits a bad smell」
「Bad smell?」
「The scent of rotting」
「Do you have any rotten ones around here?」
「Eh? We throw them away……」
「No, we still have some…… there was no time, so I didn’t throw them away yet」
The master of the inn called out from behind the landlady.
「Please, show them to me」
「Eh? What do you want to do?」
「Ah, what kind of smell, how does it rot, I want to find see. Where do you have it?」
「This way」
I follow after the master who left the room.
There’s a staircase leading down below in the next room.
「The temperature is lower at the bottom」
That would seem like it. A basement would be slightly colder just like a cave. It’s just that candles are used for illumination, so there’s not much light. It’s too dark to move. I’m scared of missing my footsteps on the staircase……
「It’s dark, isn’t it?」
「Because the temperature would rise if we use light that would brighten the room. This is used as a preservation storage for vegetables and meat, you see」
「I see…… ah, the temperature wouldn’t rise if magic is used, right?」
「I’m sorry, I don’t have much magical power, so I can’t use it」
「Is that so? Then, is it fine for me to turn the light on?」
「Eh? Yes……」
Umm, put my palms together, imagine a light stronger than that of a candle, and『Click, switch on』。
Un, it went smoothly.
Look, the lights are buoyantly moving around the ceiling…… they are like fluorescent lamps in the ceiling, aren’t they?
Becuase it suddenly became bright, everyone was blinking their eyes. Make it just a little bit darker, just a little bit. Only one step lower『Click, switch off』
Un, un, perfect. This looks just right.
Ton, ton, ton, we descend the staircase. Potatoes, onions, carrots, pumpkins and other vegetables were stored there in boxes. There are also a few jars.
「Master, which ones are rotten?」
「Ah…… they are not there, but in the corner over there……」
There seems to be a jar in the corner where no vegetables are placed. But, there are three of them……
「Which one of these? Ah, can we bring it up to see?」
「Y, yes……」
I decided to bring up all three. But, can we bring all three up the staircase……
「Baachan, will carry one」
「Ah, I will carry one as well」
It seems that Ivar and Shien will each carry one. Iris? She didn’t come down, huh. Well, this is a narrow room so she might have been reserved. I will carry the last one myself. I can do this much.
Master and Landlady are still blinking their eyes. Is it still too bright for them? Well, I will turn off the lights once everyone goes up, of course.
Now then, is everyone up?『Click, switch off』then. Un, they went out. Ufu, I’ve become able to use magic freely.
Well then, let’s return to the kitchen.
「Master, this is?」
I opened the lid of the first jar. I smell a sour scent.
A thick, dark red liquid.
I opened the second lid. This is…… a milk-ish fragrance among the sourness.
Opening the third lid, there was something muddy inside. The smell of the desired flavoring.
Why did the soy sauce-like liquid turn into something like this, I wonder? Even though I would understand the opposite……
I realized that this world deviates from the theory of the world I know.