Chapter 17 - Sharing with the Neighbors
The day after finishing my first hunt with Lauren-san and Kyle.
I wanted to go hunting today as well, but unfortunately, today was a day for Lauren-san and Kyle to rest their bodies, so we couldn't go hunting.
Although my basic abilities as a hunter had been recognized, my knowledge of the mountains here was still insufficient and I wasn't used to them, so I had been told not to go alone for the time being.
Even if one possessed a certain level of skill, they would be powerless in the face of troubles caused by nature, the environment, or monsters, so it was very important to grasp the local environment.
It was the same during my days as an adventurer; our party would also repeat preliminary inspections many times when taking on quests to subjugate monsters or collect rare ingredients.
At most, there were critical situations where we had to head out with almost no information or knowledge because even that kind of time wasn't allowed, but now I was just a villager, so there was no need to take such risks.
Tomorrow we would enter the mountain again to hunt as a trio, so I thought I'd bring some meat to Toak's house today.
With that in mind, after eating breakfast at my own house, I headed to Toak's house with the meat in the morning.
Crossing the bridge over the small stream and walking across the grass, Toak's house was already in sight.
As expected of a neighbor, it was close as always.
Grabbing one of the Kuku Fruits growing around the house and tossing it in, the acidity spread and my mouth felt refreshed. I liked eating Kuku Fruits in the morning because the sleepiness would fly away and I'd feel crisp.
"Toak will probably eat some anyway. I'll pick a few."
After picking a few Kuku Fruits, I knocked on the door of Toak's house.
"Hey, Toak. I brought some meat."
"Oh! Aldo! You can come in!"
Then, hearing Toak's voice from inside, I entered the house without hesitation.
"Good morning."
The one who threw out a morning greeting as soon as I entered was not Toak. It was Aisha, dressed in work clothes.
"G-Good morning. Why is Aisha here?"
"...My workbench broke."
While I was asking in confusion at the presence of an unexpected person, Aisha held up a workbench with a broken leg in front of me.
It was a wooden workbench, and from the fact that it was wooden and its shape, I could somehow tell it was something Toak had made. However, it was already quite aged, and perhaps because it had been heavily used, the whole thing was terribly blackened, and the broken leg part seemed to be quite advanced in decay.
"So I came to Toak's house to order a new workbench."
"That's how it is. Oh, aren't those Kuku Fruits? Give me some too."
Aisha wanted the Kuku Fruits in my hand, so when I handed them over, she tossed them into her mouth and ate them.
"Mmm, this sourness is good."
I thought it wasn't a very feminine way of eating, but it was strange how it strangely suited Aisha when she did it.
"Hey, Aldo, give me some too."
As expected, Toak also wanted some, so when I flicked one to him, Toak caught it perfectly and put it in his mouth.
"Anyway, because you sold me such a defective product, I almost got seriously injured."
Aisha turned her body toward Toak, who was in the back. There was brown dirt on the seat of Aisha's work clothes, and I could understand that she had fallen on her backside because the leg of the workbench had broken.
The reason her words seemed more prickly than usual might be because of that.
"No, no, you've been using that for three years already, right? It's only natural for the leg to break."
"...When I first got it, I heard it could be used for five years."
Was the pain in her rear that bad, or was it a negotiation for the next discount? Aisha still wouldn't back down.
It's amazing that she remembers a line from three years ago.
Hearing that, Toak let out a sigh.
"You find it a hassle to put the workbench away, so you leave it outside all the time, don't you? I told you at the beginning that if you let it get wet in the rain, it'll rot faster and break sooner, didn't I?"
That's no good. It's Aisha's loss. Since Toak had properly explained the durable years, I could only say that Aisha's way of management was poor.
"...Tch."
"Which is why I'm not giving a discount, so go to the warehouse and look for a cart that suits you."
Aisha glared at Toak resentfully and clicked her tongue, but Toak brushed it off easily and shooed her away with his hand as if it were a hassle.
Aisha walked toward the warehouse with a familiar air, even while looking somewhat displeased.
"This is why you can't let your guard down with the women in this village. They remember explanations from years ago perfectly only when it's convenient for them, and if there's even a slight mistake on our part, they try to make us give a discount."
"Well, how should I put it. Women are shrewd everywhere..."
The discount negotiation power of the housewives living in the capital's shopping district and female adventurers was tremendous. The way they talked about this and that to lower the price was almost like magic.
"Only Aisha would make a complaint with a straight face even though the fault is that much her own, though..."
Toak said while pressing his finger against his temple.
I've heard that men are bad creatures who forget convenient things, but I think women who act as if they don't remember even though they do are also bad.
"Well, whatever. You went hunting yesterday and got some meat, right?"
Toak's expression changed from one of a headache to one of joy.
Being able to eat fresh meat must be a happy thing for Toak after all.
Toak usually has a sullen face and it's hard to tell when he's in a good mood, but this time it showed very clearly on his face.
"Yeah, that's right. Toak has helped me out in various ways, so I thought I'd give you some meat as a thank you."
When I said that and handed over the meat wrapped in leaves, Toak immediately opened the package.
When he moved the green leaves aside, a lump of reddish meat showed its face from within.
"Oh! That's a nice red color! It'll be delicious if I grill it and sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper."
Hearing Toak's words, which were muttered as if he were about to drool, I instinctively nodded.
The deer dishes Flora and Sophia made yesterday were the best.
More than anything, that grilling level that kept the meat medium-rare was the best. If you overcook venison, it becomes dry.
"It's also good stir-fried with sweet and salty sauce and vegetables. You can even do fried meat, or tomato stew..."
"Hey, that sounds good."
"...Since it's meat, it'll go great with our wine too."
While I was thinking of venison dishes with Toak, Aisha, who had returned before I knew it, said while staring intently at the meat.
"What's with you? Have you already chosen the workbench?"
Toak asked while pulling back in surprise.
" I'll take this one, which is almost the same height as the previous workbench. More importantly, isn't there any meat for me? I haven't received a thank you for the guidance matter and the Flora matter."
"I was going to give some to Aisha too, you know? Look, since you said you were coming to my house the other day, I thought I'd give it to you then."
"I see. Then, let's eat venison at Aldo's house for lunch today."
"Hah?"
At Aisha's sudden proposal, Toak let out a dumbfounded voice.
"Because it's more delicious to have you or Flora make it than to have my family make it."
I can't say I don't understand that feeling. Flora and Toak are good at cooking, after all.
Though it does feel like a refreshingly complete dumping of the work on us.
"...Hey, Aldo. Aisha is saying this, but is it okay? Don't you have a hunt today too?"
"No, I have the whole day off today, so it's not a problem. Conversely, what about you two?"
"Well, I'm in a profession where it's relatively easy to make time. I feel bad for you since you're waiting for your bed, though."
Toak said apologetically, perhaps because he felt a sense of responsibility for the work he had undertaken.
"It's not a problem since you're lending me the sofa. It's fine even if it's a bit late. I borrowed fishing gear from Elgis-san yesterday, so how about that fishing we were talking about earlier while we're at it?"
"That sounds good. Venison for lunch and river fish for dinner, that's luxurious."
Having a slow meal with everyone like that isn't bad. I've started to look forward to it just by thinking about it.
"What about Aisha?"
Since she was the one who suggested it, I assumed Aisha would be fine, but I asked just in case.
"It's not a problem for me since I'll push the work onto my younger sister. She'll probably take it on happily if I say I'll bring back Flora's and Toak's cooking."
"Don't work your sister too hard, okay?"
"It's fine, this much is an older sister's privilege. I'm always the one working, after all. Next is Flora's schedule."
I'm a bit curious about what kind of girl Aisha's sister is. She's probably either similar and frank, or the complete opposite, a serious and high-strung girl.
Younger brothers and sisters usually either follow the same path as their older brothers and sisters or go the complete opposite way.
"...Hey, will the shy Flora come even though I'm there?"
"It'll be fine. Because me and Aldo will be there. I don't know if she'll talk to you, though."