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Dig Here Wan Wan
The next day, Fuku and I came to the mountain near Corne village.
Having lost our bet in the agility match, the winner - Runoa - asked me to gather something in the mountain. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
Runoa asked me to gather a root vegetable called taroimo. 1
It is a plump, oval-shaped potato with a sticky, soft texture that is said to be a delicious ingredient when used in nimono(cooked in stew/boil). I think it is probably something like taro. 2
It looks like they grow from spring to early summer, where people go to gather them at such time but, it is difficult to gather them because they are buried in the ground.
The other day, I did a good job gathering forest berries, and so it seems like it was decided by the winner for me and Fuku to gather the troublesome task of gathering taroimo to Fuku and me under the winner’s power.
I think my mother has such a ‘good’ personality.
「Let’s try searching for it around here for now」
「Wan!」
I was told that they were mostly found halfway up the mountain so Fuku and I started searching for taroimo as we arrived there.
Looking at Fuku, he puts his nose close to the ground as if trying to smell out the taroimo buried in the ground.
It seems like he’s carefully sniffing around and gathering information.
If there was the actual taroimo then Fuku would remember the smell and could immediately locate it, but we have none of them in the mansion’s storeroom, so there is nothing we can do about it.
At the same time, I am also trying to search for taroimo.
To find taroimo, apparently, you need to find its round leaves above ground, but there are plenty of similar plants with such leaves growing in the mountains so it’s difficult to tell them apart.
As a beginner in gathering taroimo, it might be too difficult for me to find them visually.
Having said that, I feel sorry for leaving it all to Fuku to find them.
「That’s right. Let’s try finding them using Smell Sharing」
Using Smell Sharing, I acquire Fuku’s sharp sense of smell.
And rather than sharing Fuku’s sense of smell, my own sense of smell is being strengthened.
I can smell various smells like the smell of the ground, grass, flowers, and trees.
This is the first time I’ve ever felt so aware of the smell in my daily life.
I don’t know which smell it is because the smell is too saturated.
Did Fuku always pick out the information he needed from such a saturated world of smells like this? That’s amazing.
After taking several deep breaths and smelling the smells around repeatedly, my sense of smell finally calmed down and I became able to pick out the information among all the smells.
I try smelling the smell on the ground in the opposite direction of Fuku.
Sniff sniff sniff, eh? Wait, I never saw taroimo in the first place and not to mention smelling it, I wonder if I could distinguish it by smell?
I thought like that while sniffing around, but I realized that I could smell a subtle variety of different smells.
Not only does it smell earthy, there is also a medicine-like smell.
I saw a medicinal herb I had seen in the mansion’s medicinal herb encyclopedia when I tried digging there.
「Ah, its Kirk grass..... (キルク草)」
I think that if you grind this herb and apply it to your wound, it will speed up the recovery and was used as a salve. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
It looks like I will be able to understand what it is used for even if I haven’t smelled it before.
I might be able to find taroimo if I continue and keep on doing this.
Storing the Kirk grass into the mystery bag, I continue to sniff the ground.
Sniff sniff......there’s some sort of a rotten smell around here.
Maybe there is a dead body of something buried underneath.
I’m curious but it doesn’t seem like anything good will come out from digging it up so I leave it alone.
「Hmーm, can’t find it so easily」
「Wafuu」
Unlike the situation with the forest berries last time, taroimo doesn’t show itself outside and it also does not release an easy-to-discern smell so it looks like it is difficult even for Fuku who is relying on his sense of smell.
I’m also searching for it using Smell Sharing, but there is all sorts of information about smells mixed in the ground so it’s difficult to distinguish them by smell.
I saw a round-leaved weed nearby, so I even dug it out randomly, but it was just an ordinary thin root.
As expected, I need to learn to distinguish them whether it’s taroimo or weed.....ah, if visually distinguishing the leaves is difficult, why not use the sense of smell to distinguish them?
Having thought of that, I move toward a spot where there are plenty of round leaves plants growing in clusters, crawl on all fours and try sniffing. Amidst the smell of grass, there was a round-leaved plant with a more subdued grassy smell and a faintly sweet smell.
.....could it be, this is taroimo plant?
I try digging into the ground with the shovel I had taken out from the mystery bag while holding the faintly sweet-smelling leaves.
Then, the soft, sweet smell gradually get stronger and a plump, oval-shaped tuber began to emerge from the ground.
「I knew it, it’s taroimo!」
It has brown skin, and when I tried splitting it in half in the middle, it revealed a white sticky flesh.
It matches with taroimo’s characteristics. There’s no doubt about it.
When I found the taroimo, Fuku came scurrying over to me.
「Fuku, this is the smell of taroimo」
When I extended the taroimo that was cut in half, Fuku moved his nose closer and sniffed it as if to confirm the smell.
Fuku quickly left and began searching for taroimo in the surrounding, perhaps he already remembered the smell of taroimo.
「Wan wan!」
Immediately after that, Fuku pointed to the ground with his foreleg as he seemed to have smelled the smell of taroimo.
「Is there taroimo over there?」
「Wan!」
When I tried to dig up the ground with the shovel, taroimo after taroimo came out from the ground.
「There are also taroimos here! As expected from Fuku!」
I pat Fuku’s head and neck to praise him for finding the taroimo.
Then, Fuku begins to move again and continues to mark the spot where there is taroimo underneath with his foreleg.
This is really a situation of ‘Dig here wan wan’.
Taroimos appeared in every spot as I continued to dig on the mark Fuku left on the ground in turn.
Even though I have also temporarily obtained Fuku’s sense of smell with Smell Sharing, I still can’t find the buried taroimo this quickly. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
I keenly realized that I would need an extraordinary amount of training to be able to master it even if I have the same sense of smell as Fuku.
「Yosh, it should be enough if we gather this much!」
The basket in front of me was filled with taroimo.
I wonder if there are about 30 in total? If we have this much everyone can enjoy various dishes with it such as stir-fry, deep-fry, or stewed taroimo dish, and it could be said that Runoa’s request has been completed.
「I’m a little hungry. Shall we eat a bit and go home?」
「Wan!」
Fuku barked as if in agreement.
We’ve been searching for taroimo in the mountain since the morning and got a little hungry as a result.
I feel sorry for Runoa but we’re going to eat it first.
Now then, how should I cook it?
I have stored a complete set of cooking utensils in the mystery bag so I can even cook outdoor so I can even cook in the mountains.
「What’s the matter, Fuku?」
「Wafu?」
As I was thinking about how to cook the taroimo, Fuku suddenly began to look up at the sky.
I also looked up at the sky to follow Fuku’s gaze and saw a big, blue, and round bird flying our way.
…I wonder what is that big, round bird? Its shape is so round you can’t think of it as a bird anymore.
As I looked up in a daze, the big round bird passed right next to us.
It was a bird with a blue glossy back, an orange forehead and throat, and fluffy white feathers on its round belly, resembling a mochi.
「......so cute! It’s a fluff!」
The moment I realized it was an amazing fluff, I was struck by a jolt of excitement.
This feeling was something I hadn’t felt since I reunited with Fuku in this world.
「Wan wan!」
As I burned the image of the big, round bird from before into my mind, Fuku hit my leg ponpon and barked as if to bring something to my attention. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Hmm? Fuku, what’s the matte――eh, it’s stealing the taroimo!」
The moment I looked down, I finally realized that the basket with taroimo inside I had placed there earlier was gone
Looking up, I saw something resembling a basket hanging on the big, round bird’s leg.
「Fuku! Let’s chase that bird! Chase it and tame it!」
I took a liking to that fluffy big bird,
That’s why I’m going to chase you and make you my familiar.
•••••
Fuku and I use Body Strengthening and chase that big round bird.
The mountain’s path is precipitous and very hard to run on, but thanks to Fuku’s lead I was able to advance somehow.
However, a huge cliff stands in our way in front.
Perhaps that round bird lives at the top part of this mountain/cliff as it continues to flap its wings and ascend leisurely. Apparently, I won’t be able to tame that round bird and we won’t be able to get the taroimo back if we don’t climb this cliff.
「Fuku, I’m sorry about this but I can’t cli――」
「Wan!」
Just as I looked up at the cliff and about to give up, Fuku moved beside me and barked.
Looking at him bending down, it’s as if he’s telling me I should ride on his back.
「……you mean I ride on Fuku’s back?」
「Wan!」
Fuku heartily bark as if saying ‘That’s right!’ when I asked that.
「Still I think it’s difficult with Fuku’s body, you know. We need Fuku’s body to grow more first....」
The moment I spoke of that, Fuku’s body began to light up with a golden light.
The next momen,t when I thought a dazzling light was emitted, I saw Fuku standing in front of me as he became two meters tall now.
「Eeeeehhh! Fuku’s body has gotten bigger! Why so suddenly!」
Fuku’s body was generally as big as the typical Shiba Inu in size.
Even so, now he has become so big, I don’t understand this.
「Wafu!」
I wasn’t the only one baffled; so was Fuku.
Seeing me becoming small while he got so big seemed to also surprise Fuku.
Does that mean, Fuku didn’t grow so big of his own volition?
One possibility is by using the Contract magic between us the same as Share Sense but, I’ve never heard of such an ability from Ziruol or Runoa.
「Wan!」
「Right. Let’s not think too deeply about that and enjoy Fuku’s fluffiness now.」
I hugged Fuku’s bigger body.
Uwaa, amazing! It’s so fluffy! My whole body is wrapped in fluffiness!
Thanks to his body getting bigger his fur is also growing longer. It feels twice as fluffy compared to when he was small.
This is not good. Fuku’s fluffy body is the best. It makes me want to stay buried like this.
As I buried myself in Fuku’s fur with an ecstatic expression on my face, Fuku grabbed my collar and lifted me on his back.
While surprised by the floating sensation, I properly straddle Fuku’s back and grab Fuku’s fur so I won’t fall off.
After checking that I was ready, Fuku took off running straight away.
Yeah. I have to climb this cliff, whether to tame the round brid from earlier or to take the taroimo back.
Fuku - who had gotten bigger - was so fluffy and fascinating that I had completely forgotten the current situation.
While I remember our situation, Fuku accelerates and jumps onto the cliff.
Fuku continues to climb the cliff - which can be said the be almost perpendicular - with excellent movements.
Differentiating slight hollows on the cliff, sticking out stones immediately, and flat ground, using them as a foothold to jump up. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Uwawawawawawaa!」
I screamed since we were moving so fast but I managed to cling to Fuku somehow to avoid being thrown off.
As I close my eyes, Fuku continues to steadily climb up, and finally takes a big leap and lands on stable ground.
When I tried to nervously open my eyes, we had arrived at the top of the cliff before I knew it.
A gently sloping flatland is at the top of the cliff and the round, big bird is in its nest made of tree branches in the middle.
「――!」
Perhaps the bird didn’t think we would climb this far to the top of the cliff as it looked surprised at us.
The round bird spread its blue wings to appear larger.
「Chun!」
A high-pitched chirp resounded at the top of the cliff.
.....I wonder if that was a threatening voice from the bird just now? That was quite cute.
I know that it is being wary of us and doing its best to spread its wings, but its round and plump body makes it hard to scare me. With its round and cute eyes, coupled with its cute cries, I could only feel it was endearing
「Fuku, can you put me down?」
Fuku bent down and I went down the the cliff’s ground.
As I continued walking forward toward the bird, the round bird shook its wings as if to tell me not to come any closer. So I stopped and took a deep breath.
「You, will you be my familiar?」
「Chun?」
The round bird tilted its head to the side and stayed still when I directly requested that.
Looks like it doesn’t really understand what was being said.
「You have a wonderful, fluffy body! I like you! So, will you make a contract with me and become my familiar?」
「..............」
I communicated my request more carefully than before but the round bird went silent.
The bird is standing still while looking at me with a suspicious gaze.
…………could it be that this bird doesn’t understand words? No, the birds showed a definite reaction when I talked to it so it should have been intelligent enough to understand it on the whole.
It should have understood our friendly intention since don’t harm it even though we chased it to this place.
Next it’d be great if it could understand me and give me some kind of response but.....
As I continued to wait while staring at the bird, the round bird retracted its spread-out wings and started pecking at the taroimo nearby.
「Hey?!? Listen to me!」
I spontaneously make such a retort, but the round bird just continues to silently peck at the taroimo.
Although we understand that we don’t hold any hostile intention towards it, how bold of it to boldly eat the thing it stole right in front of our eyes.
「Chun!」
When I tried to take back the taroimo to make it listen to me, the round bird threatened me.
I’m not scared at all since it’s letting out a cute chirp.
「It was originally gathered by us anyway.....」
When I claimed our side, the round bird reluctantly hand the taroimo over to me. Just four of them.
And the round bird brings the remaining taroimo to its bosom as if saying, ‘You can have that, but everything else will be mine’.
Isn’t it the other way around normally? Why would we get only four when we were the ones who gathered them and you monopolize the rest? What is certain from our exchange is that, this round bird is quite the glutton.
I don’t know whether this bird especially likes taroimo or just food in general, but this shows that the bird has a great interest in food. Meaning, the key to tame this little guy might be food.
Ziruol told me. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
When you want to tame something, you have to give them something that interests them.
It will be different if you have spent your time together for many years but, it’s not easy to persuade and tame monsters or animals you met for the first time. If you show a certain level of strength, then some will obey since monsters are following the law of the jungle, but that is not the case for all of them
As for this round bird, it didn’t attack us even when it saw us in the beginning and only snatched the taroimo we had. In other words, it doesn’t have any interest in attacking me or Fuku and probably considers fights unimportant.
And so, the best way to persuade this round bird is through food it has a strong interest in.
I need to clearly show the bird the advantage that it can eat delicious food on a daily basis if it becomes my familiar.
And in order to do that, I take out the complete set of cooking utensils from the mystery bag.
Putting water into a bowl, I wash the taroimo to remove the dirt sticking to the taroimo’s skin.
「Chun?」
Seeing me suddenly preparing to cook in front of it, the round bird looked at me curiously.
After cleaning off the dirt, I collected the dead branches that were left over from the nest scattered about, gathered them in one place, and lit them with Fire magic. Once the fire starts, I pile up some stones, place the pot above them, and throw in water there too.
Once the water boils, I throw in the taroimo and let it boil for about 15 minutes.
When you boil them unpeeled, the inner mucus will most likely remain, the flavor becomes richer, and the loss of nutrients is minimized.
Once it is done boiling, I soak it in water and let it cool, and then cut the edge with a knife and start peeling the skin.
Since it has a similar quality as taro I tried preparing it just like taro, but it seems like I didn’t make any mistake in preparing this.
After peeling the skin, I cut them into easy-to-eat pieces with a knife.
I mix my homemade mayonnaise, water, cake flour, potato starch, aonori powder, and salt in a bowl, and then add the roughly chopped taroimo and coat it with the batter.
Pour around 1 cm oil into the frying pan and heat it over medium heat, and then add the battered taroimo.
Cook it until the bottom turns golden brown and then flip it over to cook the other side, drain them from the oil, and serve them on a plate.
「Crispy taro bites completely!」
Outdoor cooking by making full use of the mystery bag.
I bring the finished taro bites to my mouth.
The batter was crispy while the hot taroimo peeked out from the inside.
The sticky, rich sweetness spread inside my mouth. The mixed aonori powder gently added a touch of the sea’s flavor.
「Hmーm, it’s fluffy and delicious!」
「Wan wan!」
As I eas eating them with relish, Fuku tried to climb onto me and barked as if demanding his share.
「Wa wa wa, wait a minute! I will be squashed if you step on me like that!」
Fuku’s current physique is so big it makes me look up at him. And I might get squashed if he clings to me like usual.
「Kuuun」
Maybe Fuku remembered his situation as heFuku dropped his shoulder looking dejected when I hurriedly pointed that out.
That kind of Fuku is also cute, but it is inconvenient in many ways if he remained like that.
「It’d be great if you get smaller though....」
The moment I talked to myself like that, Fuku is surrounded by a golden light and returned to his original size. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Waa! You’re back to your original size!」
Fuku was also surprised as he turned around in place, as if to check his own body’s condition.
.....don’t tell me, Fuku’s body transformation was not Fuku’s strength but mine?
「Wan!」
If it’s like this, then it’s fine, right? Fuku leans on me as if acting spoiled.
The big Fuku was great, but in normal times this size is better.
I split the taroimo in half, let it cool for a bit, and then put the crispy taro bite into Fuku’s mouth.
After chewing it in his mouth and swallowing, Fuku begged for more right after.
「Are you chewing properly?」
The way he swallowed it made me worry but there’s no doubt he found it delicious.
He begged for more as his paw tapped me again and again ponpon so I gave him the other half.
As we were eating taroimo just like that, the round bird came over before we knew it.
It was wary of us and didn’t even come close, but it seemed like it was attracted to the crispy taro bites.
「You should try it too」
I put some on a different plate and gave it the crispy taro bites.
The round bird stared at me for about 5 seconds and then pecked at the crispy taro bites.
Immediately after, the round bird’s eyes opened wide as if saying 「Ah, this is very tasty」, and ate two, three more mouthfuls with more vigor than Fuku. Apparently, the bird liked it.
Since it was so absorbed in eating its food, I wonder if it will let me pet its fluffy feathers right now?
I quietly try to put my hand closer.
The round bird immediately notices and looks at me, but it doesn’t seem to think of me as a threat or peck at me.
I wonder if it’s okay for me to pet the bird as thanks since I let it eat the food? Having decided that was the case, I tried touching it.
「Uwaa, it’s really soft!」
It’s different from Fuku’s slightly rough coat and Setsu’s silky smooth coat.
It is light despite having a fluffy volume to it, and yet it felt like being buried in a giant fluff.
「……as expected, there was nothing wrong with my judgement. I really want you to become my familiar!」
As I was petting the bird while saying that, the round bird squinted looking a little irritated.
Gununu, so you’re not going to obediently nod and become my familiar?
As per my original strategy, I will bait the bird with food and persuade it to be my familiar.
「I’ll treat you to delicious foods if you become my familiar, you know?」
「.................」
The round bird kept silent as if pondering my suggestion.
I think it will be more effective than asking it to be my familiar straight at least.
I knew it, approaching with food was the correct decision.
「Taroimo tastes better when cooked that way, right? Other food will also taste better, you know?」
「Chun!」
When I gave it the last push, the round bird nodded as though giving consent.
I take out a knife and cut the tip of my finger.
Using the dripping blood, I drew the magic circle for the Permanent Contract on the palm of my hand as taught by Ziruol.
I then turned the palm of my right hand - with the magic circle drawn on it - toward the round bird and chanted the invocation for the Permanent Contract. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「『I am Arc Kontract. Offer thyself unto me and I shall entrust my fate unto thee. If thou art prepared to bear an eternal vow within thy heart, heed this call!』」
「Chun!」
A magic circle emerges from underneath the round bird and the bird raises its voice of acknowledgement.
A magical path formed between the bird and me but, it was thinner than I expected.
Although not at the same level as Fuku, it seems like I need a certain amount of mana to form a Permanent Contract with this bird.
And when I poured a lot of mana just like I did last time, a strong magical path was formed between me and the round bird.
「Taming, complete…!」
Similar to the time when I tamed Fuku, it was clear to me that there was now a connection in our soul between the bird and me.
Looks like I have successfully made a Permanent Contract with the round bird.
「Can I give you a name?」
The bird nodded when I asked that.
Always calling it ‘round bird’ is inconvenient as expected so now that it has become my partner, I want to call it by its name.
「……how about Tyrol?」 (チロル)
「Chun!」
When I suggested that name, the round bird made a high-pitched sound as is saying that it liked the name.
It was a name I was reminded of because of its cute chirp, but I’m glad the bird liked it.
「Yahoo! My familiar increased!」
「Chun」
As I was being happy for taming a new familiar, Tyrol pushed the plate toward me with its beak as if saying ‘Enough of that, give me seconds’.
Apparently, Tyrol wants to eat more crispy taroimo bites.
There’s even a trace of the lingering mood from exchanging a Permanent Contract. But that’s more Tylol-ish.
「......can’t be helped then. I’m making another, so wait a bit, okay」
I promised to make delicious food for Tyrol after all. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
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TL Note :
1. cocoyam larger, native to southeast Asia.
2. Eddo native to japan china india, smaller rounder
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