Chapter 32 Signs
After just a few days away, it felt like coming home again as I peeled off the note on the door saying, 'Taking a few days off for supplies' and unlocked it.
Yuruyana was pulling out the pile of letters and flyers from the mailbox to check them.
"Anything interesting?"
"Hmm, not really."
Peeking in from the side, it really wasn't much for the amount that was there.
There were ads for weight loss pills, hair growth products, and health equipment──lots of strange stuff lately, but I think stores shouldn't try to sell to the Arcane Engineer and Arcanopharmacist.
Should I buy one on purpose and report them?
"Creepy. Maybe I should pretend to get caught just to point it out."
Yuruyana was thinking the same thing.
It'd be hard to believe I got caught with a weight loss pill or hair growth product when I don't need either, even if I could buy health equipment.
I rolled up the flyers that weren't worth checking, like event guides in the capital or discount coupons for nearby restaurants, and tossed them in the trash.
After refilling the savings jar, I decided to make dinner.
I could have gone to the diner, but since Yuruyana insisted on wanting thick meat, I stopped by the butcher and bought a chunk.
I was still in charge of the salad, watching Yuruyana carefully prep while glancing at his hands.
He was sprinkling some mixed green, red, and yellow powder onto the meat in the tray.
"Is that an herb?"
"Spices and herbs. It might be more familiar to call it herbs when cooking."
"Oh, got it. You use it to get rid of the smell, right?"
It was something I read in a recipe book I used to flip through for fun.
I never actually used it though, since it felt silly to buy something just for that.
"It also helps with digestion, you know."
"Really..."
After a bit, I finished my part and sat at the table looking over the flyers.
Speaking of which, it's almost the season for the Founding Festival, huh?
I was checking the flashy stage details and event schedule, along with info on stores having sales, when I caught the sound and smell of meat grilling.
"I thought it had a unique smell, but mixed with the scent of meat, it actually smells delicious."
"Right? When you think of western meat dishes, this is it."
"I hear it's a local dish from Suuroi."
"Does Suuroi use a lot of herbs in their cooking?"
"Yeah, they have a lot of herb regions. There are plenty of pharmacists too."
"So that's why Mr. Elmer is based in the west."
"Yep, the materials for the drugs his clients want need to be super fresh. But since his clients live in the capital, it must be tough for them to get here."
I thought that was kind of backward as I moved the meat to a plate and brought it over.
In front of the beautifully grilled steak, we both mumbled our mealtime prayers.
"Thank you for the food!"
"Thank you for the blessings of heaven and earth!"
Yuruyana's words sounded different from what I often heard in the capital.
"Is that phrase part of western culture, too?"
"No, it's probably the language from my parents' hometown. Overall, west and capital are pretty similar."
"Oh, I see."
So that means Yuruyana's parents are probably not from the west.
"My master didn't try to correct me, so I thought it was fine to keep at least one thing passed down from my parents."
"I get it."
If he was robbed, there might not be any keepsakes or even a grave left.
As I thought about that, I brought the cut meat to my mouth.
"Huh?"
The moment the meat touched my tongue, I felt something strange.
As Yuruyana looked puzzled, I tried some salad too.
"..."
"What's wrong?"
I chewed slowly and after swallowing, I answered cautiously.
"I think I can only taste the spiciness."
"Eh!?"
To be precise, it was the saltiness.
I'd already realized that the stimulation from spices wasn't really spiciness, but pain, and now I could clearly taste just the seasoning on the meat and the salt in the salad dressing.
"That's great!"
Yuruyana brightened up like it was happening to him, but I frowned.
"...It feels unbalanced and hard to eat..."
Since I was used to not tasting anything, this half-hearted flavor actually felt bad.
I had to realize again that a delicious taste comes from a mix of different flavors like bitterness and sweetness.
"Before you lost your sense of taste, did you have any favorites?"
"What was it again...? Maybe pancakes?"
"Sweet tooth? Unexpected."
"I used to like making them."
Just thinking about that taste I often made for the Fourth members brought back memories.
I feel like I ate whatever without much preference.
No, I wasn't too fond of bitter flavors.
"Tsukumo can make anything, huh?"
"Well, since desserts are measured out, they probably won't end up tasting weird like cooking."
"That's true! Make some for me next time."
"I'll think about it."
Right now, though, I need to focus on what I have to make before sweets.
A dehydrator and a knife.
* * *
Starting the next day, I threw myself into making what I was asked while leaving the shop duties to Yuruyana.
I had already ordered the outer part of the dehydrator before going to get the magic gem, so I should hear back once it's ready.
I managed to relay a few points for improvement after ten years of use, but since the big picture follows my grandfather's blueprints, it shouldn't be too hard.
The knife, on the other hand, is much trickier.
"You've been hiding down here; everything okay?"
Yuruyana came downstairs holding 2 steaming mugs.
He set the larger one on the edge of the table.
The coffee sloshed around inside it.
"Thanks."
Before I knew it, it was past 3 in the afternoon.
Yuruyana peeked into my notebook and quickly looked up with a confused face.
I bet I look the same way when I hear about the medicine.
"Didn't you have a blueprint?"
"There's a prototype, but..."
I scratched the back of my head and explained to Yuruyana.
"Hunters aren't as good at magic manipulation as Arcanists or Engineers. Even Dustin seemed to struggle with the current form, needing to channel magic each time. Considering some hunters don't even use arcane guns, I think it'd be better to have something that automatically consumes what it needs after being loaded."
Also, it should run as long as possible with minimal magic.
If I think about embedding a storage device while keeping it easy to hold, I might have to completely revise the design, including the outer shell.
"You think about things like that, huh?"
"Sounds tough," I muttered, feeling like it wasn't my problem at all, and Yuruyana tilted his cup.
But then he quickly turned his warm gaze toward me and smirked.
"But Tsukumo, you look like you're having fun."
"...You get it?"
"Yeah. It's like, nothing like the ugly guy you were when we first met."
"You really think so?"
Honestly, this is the most fun I have──twisting and tweaking like this.
I'd be fine just doing this all the time.
But I guess I can't.
"If you're gonna use it, I want you to say it's handy... It's my first Arcane Machinery, so I care about it a lot."
Plus, this is the first circuit I made after taking over the general store, and it's for a request that actually helps.
Yuruyana stood with his hands on his hips, sighing quietly as I sipped coffee and turned my attention back to the notebook.
"Don't push yourself too hard just 'cause it's fun. Even if I don't remind you, eat your 3 meals on time and get a good night's sleep."
"Yes..."
If Yuruyana hadn't brought me a sandwich at lunch, I'd probably have forgotten to eat.
That's a bad habit.
"Maybe I should set an alarm clock..."
"You got one right there, see?"
"Huh?"
I looked where Yuruyana pointed.
On the edge of the shelf holding blueprint files sat a small, quiet clock.
"If it's here, Grandfather must've used it the same way."
"No doubt about it."
It's basically the guardian of this room now.
I took the little glass box off the shelf and wiped off dust, just as Yuruyana snatched it up with a quick lift.
"I'm leaving Tsukumo's care to you. Let's set the next one for around 6 at night."
He changed the alarm time on the clock without asking and set it back on the desk,
"Do your best, second gen."
Laughing, he waved lightly and left the basement.
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