Chapter 95 - Autumn Mushroom Hunting
"Well then, I'm going to go check on the timber."
"Yeah, see you later."
As we reached the vicinity of the plaza, which was the center of the village, Toak and I parted ways.
It seemed Toak was headed to the mountains to check on the condition of the trees that served as materials for his furniture.
I, who was supposed to meet up with Lauren-san and Kyle, watched Toak's retreating back before heading toward the plaza.
Following the path, the road gradually widened, houses became more densely packed, and the lively voices of the villagers began to reach my ears.
"What are you bringing to this year's Harvest Festival?"
"Our place is busy making costumes, so we've left the food to the neighbors."
"Ah, the costume team has it rough making everything. I wonder what we should do? I'm not very good at cooking, you see—"
What kind of food would they bring to this year's Harvest Festival? What would they make? Everyone seemed to be gathered together, consulting one another.
The expressions on their faces were all joyful, and I could see just how much everyone was looking forward to the upcoming Harvest Festival.
"Oh, Aldo, over here!"
As I walked along while observing the lively state of the village, Lauren-san, standing in the center of the plaza, called out in a loud voice.
Lauren-san, dressed as a hunter, stood out significantly more than the surrounding villagers, so I would have noticed him even if he hadn't raised his voice.
"Good morning, Lauren-san. And Kyle too."
"Yo!"
"Good morning, Aldo-san."
When I joined them and gave my morning greetings, Lauren-san nodded with satisfaction, and Kyle, standing beside him, gave a light bow in response. It was interesting how their personalities were clearly reflected in the way they greeted people.
"Still, seeing this lively scene makes it feel like it's finally almost time."
Lauren-san said thoughtfully as he looked out over the village scenery.
"...Master. Aldo-san is here for the first time, so he probably doesn't understand?"
"You mean about the Harvest Festival?"
If that was the case, I had realized it just a moment ago.
"That's true, but I think what Master is talking about is from the perspective of a hunter."
"A hunter?"
When I tilted my head slightly, Lauren-san crossed his arms and gave a large nod. Then, he thrust his chin out as if telling Kyle to explain.
Kyle shot him a dissatisfied look for an instant, but perhaps having grown used to it, he opened his mouth without complaining.
"The annual Harvest Festival is the biggest and most auspicious festival for the villagers. For that day, the villagers bring together various ingredients and dishes."
"Yeah, I know that much."
"At that time, we hunters have to catch a lot of meat every year."
"In other words, the hunter who prepares plenty of delicious meat for the Harvest Festival is praised by the villagers!"
Lauren-san said in a loud voice, as if snatching away the explanation that Kyle had summarized so clearly.
I see. If it was an auspicious festival held once a year, it would be necessary to prepare a lot of meat.
To make the festival grand, expectations were placed on the hunters who brought in the meat.
The hunters in the village probably went out to hunt prey during this season as if this was their moment to shine.
Normally I didn't obsess over the number of prey, but once in a while might be fine.
"Then, we'll have to hunt a lot of prey before the Harvest Festival."
Since my wedding with Flora was also going to be held during the Harvest Festival, I wanted to catch some magnificent meat so as not to embarrass her. I thought it might be good to bag the meat of monsters I didn't usually hunt, or some rare and delicious animal.
While I was thinking about such things, Lauren-san, who was in front of me, said with a smirk,
"Aldo, you're the main attraction among main attractions this year. After all, you're the husband of Flora, who's famous for her beauty, and the next village chief! If you bring careless ingredients, you'll end up embarrassing Flora, you know?"
"...Please stop saying that, it makes me nervous."
When I said that, Lauren-san let out a boisterous "Gahaha" laugh and slapped my back.
"Even if you're the star, I don't intend to go easy on you, so be prepared, okay?"
"I won't lose either, you know?"
Lauren-san and I exchanged fearless smiles.
"...Both of you, the Harvest Festival is still a ways off, okay?"
◆
Shortly thereafter. Lauren-san, Kyle, and I had come to the mountains west of the village.
The trees, which had been growing thick and lush until just the other day, had changed color because the autumn season had arrived, and many leaves were scattering.
Right now they were only scattered sparsely, but the amount would surely increase as the season progressed.
"In this season, the sound of stepping on fallen leaves makes it easier to find prey, but it also makes it easier for the prey to spot us, so walk carefully. Especially you, Kyle."
Lauren-san, who was walking in the lead, glanced back and said to Kyle.
"...I know."
"This guy couldn't hunt for beans last winter because of the fallen leaves."
Lauren-san said with a smirk, ignoring Kyle's offended expression.
In winter, many creatures hibernate, and the prey walking outside are highly cautious. If the ground is covered with enough fallen leaves to bury your feet, it would be quite difficult to approach without being noticed.
"I hope it doesn't end up being just gathering this year."
"I'm definitely going to hunt some prey this year."
Kyle met Lauren-san's fearless smile with eyes full of firm determination.
"Well, while I say that, today we're mainly going to be gathering. Since it's Aldo's first time in the mountains during the autumn season, he needs to learn the ingredients that can be harvested in autumn."
"...That's right."
Hearing Lauren-san's words, Kyle looked a bit disappointed.
I'm sorry, even though you were so full of motivation.
"Alright, then let's explain things as we go along."
"Please do."
When I gave a light bow, Lauren-san started striding forward.
Since Lauren-san had a large body, his strides were long, and Kyle and I hurriedly followed after him.
Following his decisive footsteps through the forest, we arrived at a place where the trees were gathered densely.
Compared to other places, there was more shade and it was damp. The ground overall had a lot of moisture and the soil felt soft.
Being brought to this place with its unique atmosphere, I had a hunch about what was here.
"When you think of autumn, it's got to be mushrooms."
Lauren-san, who had been walking ahead, patted a fallen log.
There, yellow mushrooms with large caps were growing densely.
Looking around elsewhere, mushrooms of various shapes and colors were growing on the surfaces of trees, at their roots, and on the ground. Apparently, this was a place where many mushrooms grew.
"Amazing. There are many mushrooms I've never seen before. Are basically all of these here edible?"
"Yeah, most of what's around here is edible. However, sometimes poisonous mushrooms are mixed in. I'm sure you know this, but don't touch them on your own."
"Of course."
I replied with a wry smile to Lauren-san's cautionary words.
Back when I was an orphan, I had reached out without knowing, but naturally, I wouldn't do such a thing now.
Now that I've gained knowledge, I understand very well how dangerous those actions were back then.
Even among poisonous mushrooms, the effects vary—some give you an upset stomach, some cause hallucinations, and some make you unable to stop laughing. If it's a mild poisonous mushroom like that, it can become a funny story, but among them are those with deadly poisons that lead to immediate death with just one bite, or those that lead to death after days of suffering.
Those are not funny stories at all.
The mushrooms I bring back will now be eaten by Flora as well. The responsibility is heavier than ever before. I have to learn them desperately.
"Alright, as usual, it's time to check Kyle's knowledge! Go ahead and explain the mushrooms around here to Aldo."
"I thought you'd say that."
We did this on the day I first met him and went to the mountains, and we've done it occasionally since then.
"Well then, first I'll explain the yellow mushrooms growing on the fallen log near Master."
"I'm counting on you."
Saying that, we approached the fallen log.
There, several yellow mushrooms protruding from the surface of the wood were growing.
"These are called oyster mushrooms, and they often grow on fallen logs or dead trees like this. They are yellow and large, and since they grow all year round, they are the most easily spotted mushrooms. They aren't poisonous, and there are no similar-looking poisonous mushrooms, so they are the mushrooms you can eat with the most peace of mind."
"I see. In other words, as long as I remember these, I can eat mushrooms all year round."
"Yes, even small children can pick them safely, so they are often assigned as work for children."
If I knew there were no similar poisonous mushrooms, even children could pick them safely. It's similar to Pico Fruit.
"By the way, Kyle. What kind of dishes do you recommend for oyster mushrooms?"
Seeing that I was satisfied, Lauren-san threw out a question as we moved to the next spot.
That's right. If possible, I'd like to hear what kind of dishes they can be used for.
"They work in anything—soups, stews, grilled, or stir-fried—but the caps get a bit tough when grilled, so soups or stews are more recommended."
"Well, we eat oyster mushrooms often, so I guess you'd know that much."
As Lauren-san nodded as if it were obvious, Kyle moved to a nearby tree.
At the base of that tree, small mushrooms with white, round caps were growing.
"These ones over here are egg mushrooms. The name comes from their appearance, which looks like an egg, as you can see. They're edible, but they have a poor texture and need to be chewed well."
After giving a brief explanation, Kyle walked off on his own and picked a different mushroom.
In Kyle's palm was a brown, egg-shaped mushroom with a similar shape.
"This one looks similar, just with a different color, but it's a poisonous mushroom. It won't kill you, but if you eat it, you'll suffer from a high fever. By the way, this is called a shell mushroom; at first the cap is egg-shaped, but its characteristic is that the cap opens up as it grows. If you look at the color and the grown ones nearby, you can properly distinguish it from the egg mushroom."
Apparently, this one was poisonous. Just as Kyle said, they looked similar but the colors were different.
Since the shape changes as it grows, I have to be careful not to pick shell mushrooms that are still growing.
"And you can probably guess from the look of this one, but it's a poisonous mushroom."
While I was making a mental note of the difference between egg mushrooms and shell mushrooms, Kyle pointed to a red mushroom growing nearby.
It was a mushroom with an unusually long ring and a round cap. Its color was so red it seemed out of place in the forest. It looked dangerous just by looking at it.
"It's called a red mushroom, and they say eating it causes vomiting as well as dizziness and sometimes hallucinations. It's especially dangerous for the elderly or children with less physical strength. There's an edible mushroom that looks like this, but they are extremely similar and it's not very delicious, so it's best not to touch it."
"I see. It's better to just ignore this guy."
I memorized the shape of the red mushroom and decided in my heart not to eat even the similar ones.
"It's called a poisonous red mushroom, but it has one use. What is it, Kyle?"
"Eh? Is there a use for this?"
"There is."
When Lauren-san nodded, Kyle fell into thought.
Could it be that, like poisonous herbs, the poison can be removed by soaking it in water to make it edible? No, I've never heard of mushrooms having their poison removed that way.
While I was thinking along with him, Kyle slowly opened his mouth.
"...If I had to say, maybe to finish off Master? No, if that were the case, a more deadly poisonous mushroom would be better..."
"...You really think of disturbing things. Points deducted!"
Lauren-san brought his large fist down onto Kyle's head.
Being struck by a fist as rugged as a rock, Kyle seemed to be getting slightly teary-eyed. That must have hurt.
"...Then, what is it?"
"The answer is dye. It's a poisonous red mushroom, but when you simmer it, it produces a beautiful red broth. That's why we're sometimes asked to harvest it to use as a dye. Remember that."
At Lauren-san's words, Kyle and I let out voices of admiration.
Back when I was in the Kingdom, there might have been mushrooms like that, but since they weren't closely related to my life like they are now, I had no way of knowing.
Even for a poisonous mushroom, it has a use like that.
"By the way, the red clothes that Kyle's mother and sister were wearing were dyed with red mushrooms, you know?"
"...I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
The clothes in my house and Flora's clothes are fine... right?
Regarding the mushrooms, please be aware that, like the flowers, some imaginary ones are mixed in.