How to make Yatsude kelp (eight-finger kelp) taste most meat-like
 

The leaves of the Yatsude kelp literally have eight “hands” – eight finger-like projections extending out, resembling a hand’s shape.
 
Ah, it’s like those leaf fans that long-nosed goblin imaginary creatures hold. Exactly like those. They’re even called “goblin feather fans” sometimes.
 
The kelp-like seaweed I bought before looked just like yatsude.
 
While yatsude leaves don’t seem edible, their color and texture were dead-ringers for kelp.
 
“……Hmm……well, it does have some umami flavor too.”
 
The umami compounds…glutamates I think, found in kelp. If I lick the salted surface, I … Read the rest

Making Money With Foresight
 

Spring is the season for work. It’s a happy time for guild members too.
 
The groups that had been holed up deep in the Baroa Forest expand their active range outwards, allowing them to go hunting.
 
While there are some minor downsides like the fur of the Charge Deer losing value due to it regrowing, you can also pick up shed antlers from the regrowth, and there are plenty of herbs and medicinal plants around, making it an enjoyable season for walking around.
 
However, spring is also a season where you can’t just stick to … Read the rest

Sauce only tastes like sauce.
 

I’m a salt person.
 
Why? Because salt is for connoisseurs. It allows you to enjoy the natural flavors of the ingredients. Salt is the ultimate destination.
 
However, sometimes when I’m eating salt-grilled chicken skewers from a street stall, I think…
 
…Damn, it’s too bland without sauce.
 
First off, what is sauce?
 
Well, Japanese sauces have set main ingredients, but let’s use yakitori tare (yakitori sauce) as an example.
 
The four necessary ingredients for yakitori tare are soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. The ratio of mirin, sugar, and … Read the rest

The Rising Star of Halpheria
 

 
The guild was getting more crowded with unfamiliar faces, lively yet slightly tense at the same time.
 
When it was just members amongst comrades, there was a kind of relaxed atmosphere. But having unknown parties around made everyone unconsciously more guarded.
 
Guild members can’t afford to be looked down upon either. Reputation is often necessary to get good contracts. Just a rumor of losing a fight can hurt business.
 
“The Legol extermination jobs don’t pay well…”
 
“Too many small fry monsters. Like being in the countryside.”
 
“Not worthwhile for a big score. Our skills … Read the rest

Harbingers of Spring
 

 
The party based in Legol became more active as spring approached.
 
The archer party “Artemis” was hunting in the Baroa Forest.
 
Apparently they were venturing deeper than usual, targeting sluggish monsters just awoken from hibernation. An early culling of sorts.
 
The well-organized “Earth Shield” split into several teams – some guiding guilders from other towns to potential hunting grounds near Legol, while others used horses to complete quests at more distant locations.
 
The easygoing “Swords of the Harvest” each did their own thing. The leader’s team quickly embarked on an expedition somewhere far away, while quite … Read the rest

The Spring of Encounters and Farewells
 

 
The long-awaited spring had finally arrived.
 
For many, it was the season to resume activities, as well as the season for new beginnings.
 
First, as the snow melted and traffic on the streets became lively again, trade would restart with the coming and going of horse-drawn carriages.
 
For Legol, the birthplace of new products, this spring was truly long-awaited. The goods that had been painstakingly crafted throughout the winter were rapidly loaded up and shipped off to the capital and various other towns.
 
Next was the movement of … Read the rest

 
The surrounding men cheered in a frenzy – the opening act of an extremely low-IQ battle of wits.
 
“Listen up! This is a prime bit of info…If you go directly to the lady on Kegare Street, she’ll put out for cheaper than the going rates!”
 
“For real…?!”
 
“As expected of the Bargainer Nate! To think he can get that notorious cheap whore for even less!”
 
“Cheapskate!”
 
“Shut it!”
 
“Kuh…Then here’s one for you! The girls at the ‘Goddess’ Barn’…’take it orally’!”
 
“Wha…?!”
 
“- The winner is Luranzo!”
 
“Aw yeah!”
 
“Wha…I lost…?!”
 
“- Negotiating prices has its merits…but quality service information … Read the rest

The Mature Cured Ham And Lewd Tale Battle
 

 
As I continued practicing archery, I gradually became able to shoot arrows relatively straight.
 
By “straight,” I mean they flew in the direction of the target, but not necessarily on a trajectory to actually hit it – I want to make that clear.
 
But well, if I could get about 300 versions of myself lined up with bows, maybe we could hit something through sheer volume of arrows, like a mock archery unit. Though I shouldn’t say something like “If 300 of me charged with bastard swords, we could solve everything.”… Read the rest

The Gods Dwell in Aim
 

Even in this world, gods are believed in.
 
They are believed in, but in the Kingdom of Halpheria here, religion seems to have declined over the past few hundred years.
 
In the agricultural nation of Halpheria, the sun god was believed in since ancient times. However, as the neighboring Holy Kingdom of Sunglaire continued its invasions, their main deity, the sun god, came to be resented. If you hate the monk, you’ll hate the tattered robe too, and it’s understandable to hate even the Buddha when pushed to the extreme.
 
So, abandoning its former … Read the rest

Helping Make the Ice Room
 

 
There is a habit in Legol to collect a decent amount of snow before it melts.
 
It’s called an ice room.
 
Unlike areas where perennial snow remains, that’s not the case in Legol. So in winter, they quickly collect the fallen snow and pack as much as they can into an underground space.
 
By doing this, even in the hot season, the stored snow and ice doesn’t melt, allowing cold storage and various uses.
 
The ice is made by compacting the snow or pouring water on it to harden it. If there was a … Read the rest