NOVEL NEXT Chapter 222 - Divine Cat Mii-chan Feeds Edamame to Customers
222 Divine Cat Mii-chan Feeds Edamame to Customers
The next day, despite my tired body, I pushed myself to visit a village known for making miso and soy sauce.
“Soybeans? Yes, we grow plenty of them… but it’s still a bit early for harvest, I believe.”
They took me to the fields, and indeed, the soybeans were still in the green, immature stage, growing as edamame. I harvested just enough from one plant and borrowed the village chief’s kitchen to boil them. After sprinkling some salt on the boiled edamame and tasting them… they were indeed edamame. However, the flavor was somewhat light—not bland, but rather subtle.
“This is quite an addictive snack, isn’t it?”
The village chief, initially unsure how to eat them, was soon munching away after I showed him. Though occasionally missing his mouth and sending edamame flying, he was clearly enjoying it.
I also learned that edamame comes from a variety of soybeans grown specifically for it. But judging from the chief’s enthusiasm, it seemed more than suitable for consumption.
I asked the village chief to let me take a large batch.
“Take as much as you’d like. Every village around here grows soybeans. They’re not in high demand, so we mostly use them for this village or as feed for livestock.”
Grateful, I harvested quite a bit, though it made my back ache.
Back home, Lala and the others helped me pick the edamame from the stalks and boil them. I had them taste it, and the response was generally positive. However, like the village chief, they struggled with how to eat it at first.
As it got closer to time for the Ale Garden event, we moved everyone to Wilhelm. The second day’s opening address was given by the head of the Commercial Guild.
A large crowd had gathered again today. I left the customer service to the older ladies, staying behind the scenes, which helped prevent the chaos of the previous day. Meanwhile, Al’s stall was swamped with female customers…
“Hey!”
“Is it okay for you to be here again?”
“It’s nearby, so short trips aren’t an issue… I think.”
Well, if you say so… dimensional dragon!
“By the way, what’s that your familiar is selling?”
Ah, yes, the Divine Cat Trading Company’s booth had become quite a spectacle. What’s so unusual? Well, customers who bought edamame were placing it in front of Mii-chan. Of course, Mii-chan wasn’t eating it. Instead, the customers would open their mouths wide, waiting for her to do something.
What they were waiting for was this: Mii-chan would lightly tap the edamame with her cute little paw, sending it flying into the customers’ open mouths. Not all the edamame made it, but the customers didn’t mind—they were delighted either way.
“It’s edamame. It’s delicious.”
I offered some edamame and ale to the Fierce King, who was struggling a bit with the edamame.
“It’s tasty but a bit tricky.”
“There’s a technique to eating it.”
I demonstrated how to pinch the pod and squeeze the beans out into my mouth. After a few failed attempts, the Fierce King quickly got the hang of it and started eating them with ease, washing them down with ale.
“Ahh, this is good! I rarely eat beans, but these go well with the drink. Great find, Nero!”
“They’re just ordinary soybeans, right? They’re everywhere.”
“Soybeans! Livestock feed!”
“It seems people here only think of them as a fall harvest crop, but in my world, this is a common way to eat them.”
“Guess it’s all about perspective.”
Satisfied, the Fierce King, drink in hand, wandered off to explore the food stalls. Truly a free spirit.
Around that time, a commotion started up at the guard station, where the palace soldiers were stationed. It seemed like a large pest control operation was about to begin. I could see the commander of the palace soldiers, a representative of the hunters, and Letty, cloaked in a hood, discussing something.
The head of the Commercial Guild informed us that there had been groups of pickpockets targeting drunk people and a scam operation that preyed on lecherous drunkards. Apparently, Letty had found the hideout of the ringleaders, and they were preparing a raid. Letty is seriously impressive…
With a bit of downtime in the ale sales, I asked Al to cover for me and took a brief walk around the festival. There were all sorts of food: grilled skewers, soups, salads, and even something resembling crepes. However, as I expected, there were hardly any sweets. The closest were simple items like salty rice crackers or rustic honey-covered bread.
Meanwhile, the Divine Cat Trading Company had begun selling dumplings in response to customer demand. Though not many people paired dumplings with alcohol, they were a hit with women and children, making our stall the undisputed winner in the sweets category.
I wonder if there’s a way to get cheap sugar on the market… I can’t think of any off the top of my head. Actually, the parchment Ayane gave me mentioned sugar beets as a source of sugar. But they don’t exist in this country; they’re found in another nation, and apparently, they aren’t used for sugar production there.
I wonder if there’s a way to get my hands on some. As I read on, I learned that it’s sometimes possible to find various seeds in labyrinths, and in the past, sugar beet seeds had been discovered there. It seems that the labyrinths provide a means of spreading different crops across the world. What exactly are labyrinths, anyway?
Mii-chan, can you feed me some edamame too?
“Mii!”