“Well then, everyone, see you later!” “Yeah, come back again!”
Hello everyone, it’s Shuri here. Well, actually, good morning might be more appropriate right now. We’re currently being seen off by the villagers as we prepare to leave Shukaha Village early in the morning. Last time, we finished discussing the matter of the wedding attire produced in Shukaha Village—something both Gungrave and Aeclys had forgotten about following precedent. The discussions took place over several days, including talks about Aeclys’s future direction. As a result, Aeclys wasn’t ostracized, and it seems they understood that from now on, she would live freely as a woman named Aeclys while being involved in the domain’s politics. During those few days, Lill apparently sent a letter—to Gungrave, specifically. She seems to have written about Eere Village and Shukaha Village, reporting what had happened.
“It’s better to know about these things early. Gungrave will act quickly.” “Even if you send a letter, won’t it take a while to arrive? And who’s delivering it?” “Don’t worry about that. Using Lill’s terminal and the receiver in the castle, we can deliver letters instantly.”
When I ask how, Lill confidently produces what appears to be a bird model.
“With this, Hatomaru will carry the letter Lill writes here and return to the receiver—the nest—in Lill’s research lab. And it flies as fast as a real bird!” “Amazing! This is a communication revolution!” “The downside is that Hatomaru can only be used once one-way. While it can handle wind, it breaks and falls if it gets wet in the rain. Needs more research and development!” “That’s still incredibly impressive, I think.”
Lill looks frustrated, but isn’t it amazing that letters can be delivered at high speed when conditions are right? I was genuinely impressed. It would have been even better if she hadn’t demanded a hamburger steak afterward because she was tired. In the end, Gungrave apparently took action immediately after reading that letter, and Tegue, who came riding a fast horse, delivered Gungrave’s written message. The contents included a polite apology regarding the wedding attire issue, an offer to purchase the wedding attire above fair market price, a request to prepare wedding attire for their children as well, and a statement that this wedding attire would be displayed in the castle as a memorial and used for their children’s weddings. The content apparently showed considerable consideration for the people of Shukaha Village, and combined with Aeclys’s persuasion, they were able to calm the village’s rebellious sentiment. What was I doing? Well, if I had to say, I was teaching the village aunties some simple recipes that could feed many people. It was well-received. And then…
“Shuri, you’ve shown us your manly spirit. I’m counting on you with Lady Aeclys.” “Eh? Ah, yes.”
Somehow, I’ve received this kind of favorable response from Mansem and others. Why?
“Well then, shall we depart?”
Kuuga, who seems to have checked our luggage, calls out to us. Seeing him, the village women sigh… well, he is incredibly handsome, so it’s understandable they’re reluctant to see him go. And to the men—please stop looking at him with such jealous eyes. No matter how hard you try, you can’t win in terms of looks. Shall we compete with craftsmanship and personality instead? Right?
“Yes, Kuuga. Then…” “Is, is the village chief here?!”
Just as we’re about to leave, a fast horse arrives at the village. Looking quite rushed, both the horse and its male rider are covered in mud. The man enters the village in terrible condition. He dismounts the horse as if collapsing, falling to his knees and sitting there on the spot. He’s breathing heavily, appearing too exhausted to even stand.
“You’re… if I remember correctly, Wanhan the hunter from Uumira Village?” “Y-yes. I’m Wanhan. The son of Uumira Village’s chief, Wanhan.”
Uumira Village? I look at Aeclys, who has a troubled expression.
“Aeclys, about Uumira Village—” “Wait, Shuri. We might not have time for explanations.”
Aeclys rushes forward and takes Wanhan’s hand.
“You’re Wanhan, right?” “Huh? What? Lady Aeclys? Why are you here? We heard you were killed by Gungrave…”
They didn’t kill her. These rumors are getting way out of hand. However, Aeclys’s expression is so serious that I hesitate to even mention this.
“That’s a story for later. As you can see, I’m fine, and my relationship with Gungrave and the others is good.” “Huh?” “More importantly, your condition. Someone who looked like you came to the castle asking for help in the past. It might be the worst possibility, but… did something happen?” “Y-yes! In Uumira Village, in Uumira Village—”
Wanhan catches his breath and says:
“The mountain in Uumira Village had a landslide! The flowing earth and sand have engulfed multiple houses! So, I went to the neighboring village for rescue—” “I understand! Everyone in Shukaha Village!”
Aeclys turns just her head toward us and addresses the people of Shukaha Village.
“I’m sorry, but I request disaster relief assistance! Could you lend us your help? I know I don’t have that authority anymore, but please!” “Of course! Everyone! Bring hoes and spades, and don’t forget pots and firewood! Don’t forget food either!” “Got it!!”
The villagers immediately begin taking action at the village chief’s direction. Everyone in the village is preparing. Aeclys next looks at Lill.
“Lill, do you still have any of those—what were they called—Hatomaru?” “I have three left. I’ll send a rescue request to Gungrave right away.” “Thank you! Kuuga, there’s a possibility that bandits might take advantage of the disaster! Can I count on your martial skills here?!” “Sure thing, I’ll lend a hand.” “I’m in your debt! Shuri!” “Y-yes, ma’am!”
I respond while startled by Aeclys’s demeanor. It’s more accurate to say I’m confused by how dignified she looks, more like someone who had been in charge of political affairs than I’ve ever seen before.
“I need you for the emergency food distribution! I want you to fill the stomachs of those affected by the disaster!”
It’s a sincere, earnest request. Aeclys is looking straight at me as she asks. There’s no way I could refuse.
“Of course!!”
We depart immediately. Uumira Village is apparently close to Shukaha Village and was meant to be our next destination anyway. Those who are ready should take action. Aeclys entrusts this instruction to the villagers, and we head toward the disaster site as quickly as possible. On the way, I’m able to briefly hear the story from Aeclys.
“You know, I once saw someone who came to the castle just like Wanhan… because of a disaster.” “Huh? You mean—” “Yes. It was different from Uumira Village, but there was a cliff collapse in the mountains. The situation looked just like this, so I thought maybe…”
That’s why she could act so quickly. Amazing.
“Uumira Village is a village that makes pottery and porcelain. Unlike Shukaha Village, they only produce slightly more pottery and porcelain than what’s consumed within the village, and they sustain themselves through hunting and farming. It’s a village known for having many skilled hunters.” “Oh, pottery and porcelain…” “Most of the pottery and porcelain in the castle comes from that village. To be frank, it’s well-received in foreign countries too. It accounts for quite a significant portion of our income.”
I’m surprised. Tribute pottery and porcelain to the castle, and the substantial amount of money it generates. If that’s the case, why not make it their main industry… why hunters?
“Many of them are rather eccentric. Even I took quite some time to become close with them. It was quite challenging to befriend craftsmen who have strong professional pride and little interest in commerce. Because they’re that kind of people, they resist having others assign values and engage in trade with the works they pour their heart and soul into… but we somehow managed to get them to agree by making a contract where they pay their taxes in a fixed amount of porcelain and pottery to the castle each year, with no other demands.” “Were their works that good?” “Even from my perspective, they’re magnificent! They always sell for high prices in the surrounding areas… and using them as castle furnishings shows our authority. That’s how good they are. Almost all the dishes used at the wedding were from Uumira Village, and none of the invited guests found fault with them, right?”
Come to think of it, that’s true. At Gungrave and Arius’s wedding, no one complained about either the food served or the dishes. Thinking back, I remember all the plates were indeed remarkable. I recall they were beautiful, practical, and didn’t detract from the atmosphere. That’s precisely why Aeclys decided to use Uumira Village’s dishes too. And why she wanted to acquire them.
“Then, this disaster—” “Yes, it’s quite serious. Of course, preventing human casualties is the top priority, but next to that, I hope the workshops haven’t been destroyed… We should be arriving soon.”
Aeclys looks outside, then immediately returns to grab a hoe from the covered wagon.
“Yes. I can see it now, Shuri, please prepare too.”
At Aeclys’s words, I hurriedly begin to take action.
“This is…”
Taking a hoe from the covered wagon and getting down, I’m momentarily speechless. Lill and Kuuga are similarly at a loss for words. Even the first rescue team from Shukaha Village arriving on horseback behind us seems unable to speak.
The village is half destroyed.
Uumira Village appears to be a village at the foot of a mountain, with houses built on cleared mountainside slopes. So there are houses up on the mountain too. They even created terraced fields on the mountain. That’s all half destroyed by the landslide. Houses on the upper part of the mountain have shifted downward as the ground collapsed, dragging other houses along with the mud and debris underground. Various people are covered in mud, helping those who are buried, rescuing people from collapsed houses. They seem to be carrying the injured to buildings that are relatively undamaged, and even now, many people are being carried in. The scene resembles something out of hell. Before I was transported to this world, there was news of a landslide disaster in the same prefecture. In my hometown too, I’ve encountered disasters where cliffs collapsed and blocked roads due to heavy rain. However, to be honest, this is my first time seeing people being rescued right after a disaster has occurred. It might be as tragic as a battlefield. The sight of people wounded, fallen, and about to lose what’s precious to them creates cracks in one’s heart. I couldn’t move. Shamefully, the scene before me was too tragic, too surreal.
“Everyone, let’s begin our operations!”
Even in this situation, Aeclys takes the lead and pulls us forward. She steps forward and raises her voice in front of us.
“Men, check if there are any buried people! Be careful when approaching collapsed buildings, make sure you don’t become victims yourselves! Secondary disasters are terrible! Women, tend to the injured! Identify what can and cannot be treated, and act according to priority! It’s cruel to say, but prioritize those who can be saved even if severely injured! The dead… no, we won’t think about that now! I’ll exchange information with the village chief and organize the rescue system and plan! Until then, I’m counting on everyone!”
Even in this situation, seeing Aeclys act with such dignity, I feel somewhat dazzled. She’s calmly and accurately judging what can be done even in an emergency.
“Kuuga! Search the surrounding mountains! If you find people who have safely evacuated, guide them to that building! Show no mercy if you find bandits!” “Got it.” “Lill! I hate to ask this now, but please keep making tools needed for rescue! Also, help set up a place where Shuri can prepare food! Once that’s done, I want you to temporarily repair collapsed buildings to prevent accidents during work!” “Mm.” “Then everyone, begin operations! I’m counting on you!” “Yes!”
Everyone seems to have clearly determined what they need to do and begins taking action. The men help those engaged in rescue and dig up the ground with hoes. The women rush to carry rescued people and enter the shelter building. Lill also begins working in an open space, holding lumber.
“Shuri, listen.”
Kuuga puts his arm around my shoulder and whispers in my ear.
“It’s better to learn from Aeclys’s instructions now. So far, there’s been no mistake in her actions. Gungrave will need to be able to act in disasters like this from now on. We’re getting that experience right now. Let’s make sure we can act if something like this happens again.” “That’s right.” “Well then, I’m off. Shuri, I’m counting on you.”
With that, Kuuga leaves me and disappears into the mountains with light footsteps. He’s probably going to survey the surrounding mountains and… search and destroy any unsavory characters. Now then, I should do what I can do. Something suitable for mass food distribution, warm and easy to eat, nutritious… Among the things I can prepare with the current ingredients, the most suitable would be…
“That’s right, we have that.”
I check the luggage in the covered wagon to confirm what I can prepare. Good, that should be something I can prepare for many people, and they should enjoy eating it because it’s delicious. While preparing ingredients and tools, I set up my equipment in the temporary plaza.
“Lill, could you prepare a table for me?” “Hm? Sure, I can make a simple one quickly.”
Lill stops making carts and hoes, prepares lumber, and uses magic engineering. The lumber becomes soft like clay, and Lill shapes it. No matter how many times I see it, this magic engineering is amazing… The table she quickly prepares is sufficiently wide and tall, and I bow to Lill.
“Thank you. Now I can work.” “Mm. After I make a few more hoes and spades, I’ll repair and demolish buildings that look like they might collapse.” “Demolish them too?” “Once we confirm there are no people and no danger, it’s better to demolish buildings that are beyond repair right away. That way, there will be less demolition work needed during reconstruction.”
I see, so that’s how it is. Looking at the collapsed buildings, they’re indeed beyond repair as they’ve collapsed from their foundations. In that case, it might be better to conduct selective demolition to secure space for rescue operations and preserve materials. Lill quickly returns to her work, but I need to get started too. What I’m going to make is imoni. It’s a dish mainly eaten in Yamagata Prefecture in Japan. I hear it’s eaten in other places too. It’s a soup dish using taro and meat eaten in the Tohoku region, and actually, I have relatives from Yamagata. Even now, I sometimes make imoni using the method I learned then. Now, the ingredients are taro, beef, green onions, burdock root, shimeji mushrooms, soy sauce, sugar, and sake. Most of these are items obtained through trade with Nouviche. Thanks to Gungrave’s trading with them, we’re fortunate! First, put oil in the pot and lightly stir-fry all ingredients except the green onions to coat them with oil. At this time, stir-fry the beef separately in another pot. Then add water, sake, soy sauce, and sugar, and bring it to a boil. Then reduce the heat and cook the ingredients through. Once everything is cooked, add the green onions and beef, and it’s done. There are many other ways to make it, but for now, we’ll keep it simple with just this method.
“Everyone!!”
I raise my voice loud enough for everyone to hear.
“When you’re hungry, please come here to eat! I’ve made plenty, so don’t push! I can prepare enough for everyone!”
Then, people who realized they could get food here started coming, one after another. However, to be honest, saying I can prepare enough for everyone is a lie. Of course, I hadn’t anticipated this situation, and I can’t tell them I’m using all the ingredients meant for our journey here. Still, people receive the imoni from me and begin eating.
“…This is delicious.”
Someone says that.
“I’m glad… being able to eat meat at a time like this is reassuring.” “It’s strange, the taste is gentle but it really fills you up.” “That’s right. The seasoning is unusual but… the taro is soft, and everything else is cooked just right.” “It fills my stomach and makes me feel stronger. Thank you.”
And more and more people come to eat, and before I know it, people who finish eating quickly return to work. The turnover of people becomes faster. I add ingredients to make more imoni without hesitation. First, I need to fill the stomachs of everyone here. With that thought in my heart, I keep cooking more and more. The faces of the people working become brighter, perhaps because eating something delicious has given them some peace of mind. That’s good… you need to eat first to have strength.
However.
“Don’t mess with me!!!”
At that moment, an angry shout rings out. Looking over there, I see a middle-aged man slamming his plate to the ground and stomping on the imoni.
“How can we eat such delicious food at a time like this?! Don’t you think it’s disrespectful to the injured people?!”
Then the man grabs me by the collar and says with an angry expression:
“Is this pity for us disaster victims?! Sympathy?! Don’t mess with me!! What are you thinking?!”
Consideration for the feelings of disaster victims. I… I hadn’t thought about that at all.
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Chapter 64
“Well then, everyone, see you later!”
“Yeah, come back again!”
Hello everyone, it’s Shuri here. Well, actually, good morning might be more appropriate right now.
We’re currently being seen off by the villagers as we prepare to leave Shukaha Village early in the morning.
Last time, we finished discussing the matter of the wedding attire produced in Shukaha Village—something both Gungrave and Aeclys had forgotten about following precedent.
The discussions took place over several days, including talks about Aeclys’s future direction.
As a result, Aeclys wasn’t ostracized, and it seems they understood that from now on, she would live freely as a woman named Aeclys while being involved in the domain’s politics.
During those few days, Lill apparently sent a letter—to Gungrave, specifically.
She seems to have written about Eere Village and Shukaha Village, reporting what had happened.
“It’s better to know about these things early. Gungrave will act quickly.”
“Even if you send a letter, won’t it take a while to arrive? And who’s delivering it?”
“Don’t worry about that. Using Lill’s terminal and the receiver in the castle, we can deliver letters instantly.”
When I ask how, Lill confidently produces what appears to be a bird model.
“With this, Hatomaru will carry the letter Lill writes here and return to the receiver—the nest—in Lill’s research lab. And it flies as fast as a real bird!”
“Amazing! This is a communication revolution!”
“The downside is that Hatomaru can only be used once one-way. While it can handle wind, it breaks and falls if it gets wet in the rain. Needs more research and development!”
“That’s still incredibly impressive, I think.”
Lill looks frustrated, but isn’t it amazing that letters can be delivered at high speed when conditions are right? I was genuinely impressed. It would have been even better if she hadn’t demanded a hamburger steak afterward because she was tired.
In the end, Gungrave apparently took action immediately after reading that letter, and Tegue, who came riding a fast horse, delivered Gungrave’s written message.
The contents included a polite apology regarding the wedding attire issue, an offer to purchase the wedding attire above fair market price, a request to prepare wedding attire for their children as well, and a statement that this wedding attire would be displayed in the castle as a memorial and used for their children’s weddings.
The content apparently showed considerable consideration for the people of Shukaha Village, and combined with Aeclys’s persuasion, they were able to calm the village’s rebellious sentiment.
What was I doing? Well, if I had to say, I was teaching the village aunties some simple recipes that could feed many people. It was well-received.
And then…
“Shuri, you’ve shown us your manly spirit. I’m counting on you with Lady Aeclys.”
“Eh? Ah, yes.”
Somehow, I’ve received this kind of favorable response from Mansem and others. Why?
“Well then, shall we depart?”
Kuuga, who seems to have checked our luggage, calls out to us.
Seeing him, the village women sigh… well, he is incredibly handsome, so it’s understandable they’re reluctant to see him go.
And to the men—please stop looking at him with such jealous eyes. No matter how hard you try, you can’t win in terms of looks. Shall we compete with craftsmanship and personality instead? Right?
“Yes, Kuuga. Then…”
“Is, is the village chief here?!”
Just as we’re about to leave, a fast horse arrives at the village.
Looking quite rushed, both the horse and its male rider are covered in mud. The man enters the village in terrible condition.
He dismounts the horse as if collapsing, falling to his knees and sitting there on the spot. He’s breathing heavily, appearing too exhausted to even stand.
“You’re… if I remember correctly, Wanhan the hunter from Uumira Village?”
“Y-yes. I’m Wanhan. The son of Uumira Village’s chief, Wanhan.”
Uumira Village? I look at Aeclys, who has a troubled expression.
“Aeclys, about Uumira Village—”
“Wait, Shuri. We might not have time for explanations.”
Aeclys rushes forward and takes Wanhan’s hand.
“You’re Wanhan, right?”
“Huh? What? Lady Aeclys? Why are you here? We heard you were killed by Gungrave…”
They didn’t kill her. These rumors are getting way out of hand.
However, Aeclys’s expression is so serious that I hesitate to even mention this.
“That’s a story for later. As you can see, I’m fine, and my relationship with Gungrave and the others is good.”
“Huh?”
“More importantly, your condition. Someone who looked like you came to the castle asking for help in the past. It might be the worst possibility, but… did something happen?”
“Y-yes! In Uumira Village, in Uumira Village—”
Wanhan catches his breath and says:
“The mountain in Uumira Village had a landslide! The flowing earth and sand have engulfed multiple houses! So, I went to the neighboring village for rescue—”
“I understand! Everyone in Shukaha Village!”
Aeclys turns just her head toward us and addresses the people of Shukaha Village.
“I’m sorry, but I request disaster relief assistance! Could you lend us your help? I know I don’t have that authority anymore, but please!”
“Of course! Everyone! Bring hoes and spades, and don’t forget pots and firewood! Don’t forget food either!”
“Got it!!”
The villagers immediately begin taking action at the village chief’s direction. Everyone in the village is preparing.
Aeclys next looks at Lill.
“Lill, do you still have any of those—what were they called—Hatomaru?”
“I have three left. I’ll send a rescue request to Gungrave right away.”
“Thank you! Kuuga, there’s a possibility that bandits might take advantage of the disaster! Can I count on your martial skills here?!”
“Sure thing, I’ll lend a hand.”
“I’m in your debt! Shuri!”
“Y-yes, ma’am!”
I respond while startled by Aeclys’s demeanor. It’s more accurate to say I’m confused by how dignified she looks, more like someone who had been in charge of political affairs than I’ve ever seen before.
“I need you for the emergency food distribution! I want you to fill the stomachs of those affected by the disaster!”
It’s a sincere, earnest request. Aeclys is looking straight at me as she asks.
There’s no way I could refuse.
“Of course!!”
We depart immediately. Uumira Village is apparently close to Shukaha Village and was meant to be our next destination anyway.
Those who are ready should take action. Aeclys entrusts this instruction to the villagers, and we head toward the disaster site as quickly as possible.
On the way, I’m able to briefly hear the story from Aeclys.
“You know, I once saw someone who came to the castle just like Wanhan… because of a disaster.”
“Huh? You mean—”
“Yes. It was different from Uumira Village, but there was a cliff collapse in the mountains. The situation looked just like this, so I thought maybe…”
That’s why she could act so quickly. Amazing.
“Uumira Village is a village that makes pottery and porcelain. Unlike Shukaha Village, they only produce slightly more pottery and porcelain than what’s consumed within the village, and they sustain themselves through hunting and farming. It’s a village known for having many skilled hunters.”
“Oh, pottery and porcelain…”
“Most of the pottery and porcelain in the castle comes from that village. To be frank, it’s well-received in foreign countries too. It accounts for quite a significant portion of our income.”
I’m surprised. Tribute pottery and porcelain to the castle, and the substantial amount of money it generates.
If that’s the case, why not make it their main industry… why hunters?
“Many of them are rather eccentric. Even I took quite some time to become close with them. It was quite challenging to befriend craftsmen who have strong professional pride and little interest in commerce.
Because they’re that kind of people, they resist having others assign values and engage in trade with the works they pour their heart and soul into… but we somehow managed to get them to agree by making a contract where they pay their taxes in a fixed amount of porcelain and pottery to the castle each year, with no other demands.”
“Were their works that good?”
“Even from my perspective, they’re magnificent! They always sell for high prices in the surrounding areas… and using them as castle furnishings shows our authority. That’s how good they are. Almost all the dishes used at the wedding were from Uumira Village, and none of the invited guests found fault with them, right?”
Come to think of it, that’s true.
At Gungrave and Arius’s wedding, no one complained about either the food served or the dishes.
Thinking back, I remember all the plates were indeed remarkable. I recall they were beautiful, practical, and didn’t detract from the atmosphere.
That’s precisely why Aeclys decided to use Uumira Village’s dishes too. And why she wanted to acquire them.
“Then, this disaster—”
“Yes, it’s quite serious. Of course, preventing human casualties is the top priority, but next to that, I hope the workshops haven’t been destroyed… We should be arriving soon.”
Aeclys looks outside, then immediately returns to grab a hoe from the covered wagon.
“Yes. I can see it now, Shuri, please prepare too.”
At Aeclys’s words, I hurriedly begin to take action.
“This is…”
Taking a hoe from the covered wagon and getting down, I’m momentarily speechless.
Lill and Kuuga are similarly at a loss for words. Even the first rescue team from Shukaha Village arriving on horseback behind us seems unable to speak.
The village is half destroyed.
Uumira Village appears to be a village at the foot of a mountain, with houses built on cleared mountainside slopes. So there are houses up on the mountain too. They even created terraced fields on the mountain.
That’s all half destroyed by the landslide.
Houses on the upper part of the mountain have shifted downward as the ground collapsed, dragging other houses along with the mud and debris underground.
Various people are covered in mud, helping those who are buried, rescuing people from collapsed houses.
They seem to be carrying the injured to buildings that are relatively undamaged, and even now, many people are being carried in.
The scene resembles something out of hell.
Before I was transported to this world, there was news of a landslide disaster in the same prefecture. In my hometown too, I’ve encountered disasters where cliffs collapsed and blocked roads due to heavy rain.
However, to be honest, this is my first time seeing people being rescued right after a disaster has occurred.
It might be as tragic as a battlefield. The sight of people wounded, fallen, and about to lose what’s precious to them creates cracks in one’s heart.
I couldn’t move. Shamefully, the scene before me was too tragic, too surreal.
“Everyone, let’s begin our operations!”
Even in this situation, Aeclys takes the lead and pulls us forward.
She steps forward and raises her voice in front of us.
“Men, check if there are any buried people! Be careful when approaching collapsed buildings, make sure you don’t become victims yourselves! Secondary disasters are terrible!
Women, tend to the injured! Identify what can and cannot be treated, and act according to priority! It’s cruel to say, but prioritize those who can be saved even if severely injured! The dead… no, we won’t think about that now!
I’ll exchange information with the village chief and organize the rescue system and plan! Until then, I’m counting on everyone!”
Even in this situation, seeing Aeclys act with such dignity, I feel somewhat dazzled. She’s calmly and accurately judging what can be done even in an emergency.
“Kuuga! Search the surrounding mountains! If you find people who have safely evacuated, guide them to that building! Show no mercy if you find bandits!”
“Got it.”
“Lill! I hate to ask this now, but please keep making tools needed for rescue! Also, help set up a place where Shuri can prepare food! Once that’s done, I want you to temporarily repair collapsed buildings to prevent accidents during work!”
“Mm.”
“Then everyone, begin operations! I’m counting on you!”
“Yes!”
Everyone seems to have clearly determined what they need to do and begins taking action.
The men help those engaged in rescue and dig up the ground with hoes.
The women rush to carry rescued people and enter the shelter building.
Lill also begins working in an open space, holding lumber.
“Shuri, listen.”
Kuuga puts his arm around my shoulder and whispers in my ear.
“It’s better to learn from Aeclys’s instructions now. So far, there’s been no mistake in her actions.
Gungrave will need to be able to act in disasters like this from now on. We’re getting that experience right now. Let’s make sure we can act if something like this happens again.”
“That’s right.”
“Well then, I’m off. Shuri, I’m counting on you.”
With that, Kuuga leaves me and disappears into the mountains with light footsteps. He’s probably going to survey the surrounding mountains and… search and destroy any unsavory characters.
Now then, I should do what I can do.
Something suitable for mass food distribution, warm and easy to eat, nutritious…
Among the things I can prepare with the current ingredients, the most suitable would be…
“That’s right, we have that.”
I check the luggage in the covered wagon to confirm what I can prepare.
Good, that should be something I can prepare for many people, and they should enjoy eating it because it’s delicious.
While preparing ingredients and tools, I set up my equipment in the temporary plaza.
“Lill, could you prepare a table for me?”
“Hm? Sure, I can make a simple one quickly.”
Lill stops making carts and hoes, prepares lumber, and uses magic engineering.
The lumber becomes soft like clay, and Lill shapes it. No matter how many times I see it, this magic engineering is amazing…
The table she quickly prepares is sufficiently wide and tall, and I bow to Lill.
“Thank you. Now I can work.”
“Mm. After I make a few more hoes and spades, I’ll repair and demolish buildings that look like they might collapse.”
“Demolish them too?”
“Once we confirm there are no people and no danger, it’s better to demolish buildings that are beyond repair right away. That way, there will be less demolition work needed during reconstruction.”
I see, so that’s how it is.
Looking at the collapsed buildings, they’re indeed beyond repair as they’ve collapsed from their foundations.
In that case, it might be better to conduct selective demolition to secure space for rescue operations and preserve materials.
Lill quickly returns to her work, but I need to get started too.
What I’m going to make is imoni. It’s a dish mainly eaten in Yamagata Prefecture in Japan. I hear it’s eaten in other places too.
It’s a soup dish using taro and meat eaten in the Tohoku region, and actually, I have relatives from Yamagata. Even now, I sometimes make imoni using the method I learned then.
Now, the ingredients are taro, beef, green onions, burdock root, shimeji mushrooms, soy sauce, sugar, and sake. Most of these are items obtained through trade with Nouviche. Thanks to Gungrave’s trading with them, we’re fortunate!
First, put oil in the pot and lightly stir-fry all ingredients except the green onions to coat them with oil. At this time, stir-fry the beef separately in another pot.
Then add water, sake, soy sauce, and sugar, and bring it to a boil. Then reduce the heat and cook the ingredients through.
Once everything is cooked, add the green onions and beef, and it’s done.
There are many other ways to make it, but for now, we’ll keep it simple with just this method.
“Everyone!!”
I raise my voice loud enough for everyone to hear.
“When you’re hungry, please come here to eat! I’ve made plenty, so don’t push! I can prepare enough for everyone!”
Then, people who realized they could get food here started coming, one after another.
However, to be honest, saying I can prepare enough for everyone is a lie.
Of course, I hadn’t anticipated this situation, and I can’t tell them I’m using all the ingredients meant for our journey here.
Still, people receive the imoni from me and begin eating.
“…This is delicious.”
Someone says that.
“I’m glad… being able to eat meat at a time like this is reassuring.”
“It’s strange, the taste is gentle but it really fills you up.”
“That’s right. The seasoning is unusual but… the taro is soft, and everything else is cooked just right.”
“It fills my stomach and makes me feel stronger. Thank you.”
And more and more people come to eat, and before I know it, people who finish eating quickly return to work. The turnover of people becomes faster.
I add ingredients to make more imoni without hesitation. First, I need to fill the stomachs of everyone here.
With that thought in my heart, I keep cooking more and more.
The faces of the people working become brighter, perhaps because eating something delicious has given them some peace of mind.
That’s good… you need to eat first to have strength.
However.
“Don’t mess with me!!!”
At that moment, an angry shout rings out.
Looking over there, I see a middle-aged man slamming his plate to the ground and stomping on the imoni.
“How can we eat such delicious food at a time like this?! Don’t you think it’s disrespectful to the injured people?!”
Then the man grabs me by the collar and says with an angry expression:
“Is this pity for us disaster victims?! Sympathy?! Don’t mess with me!! What are you thinking?!”
Consideration for the feelings of disaster victims.
I… I hadn’t thought about that at all.
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