I Got Transferred in the Middle of a Mountain. In Retaliation, I Chose Amenity over Strength.

We could choose all we wanted from the huge platter of assorted cheese. We still had to pay for whatever we got, of course, but it was fun.

There were a bunch of sooty looking cheese that were actually white and snowy inside. I curiously asked them about it, and they told me that folks smear powdered charcoal to off-set the characteristic sourness of cheese made from goat milk. Seems like goat cheese is quite common here.

They also have bloomy rind cheese, blue cheese, etcetera, etcetera. They were a bit peculiar in general compared to the ones I tasted in Japan, but I was getting used to them. Well, they were probably available in luxury restaurants back in Japan, too, but well, I was only familiar with processed cheese and the ones you put on pizza, after all.

Alright, let’s make a four cheese pizza sprinkled with honey later on. I could also make a mentai-mochi pizza, too huh.

Thinly sliced baguettes came with the cheese, so I tried eating one with some cheese on top. Hmm, nice, the pungent smell of cheese that lingered in my nose was washed away when I paired it with wine. Wow, Isekai made me a cultured man, huh.

When the conversation calmed down after a while, I took out all the bags from my own.

「 Here you go, Chris and Dean. Here’s yours, Retze.」

I told Ash and Butler about Retze’s request for a bag and asked them if they’re interested too. They wanted one, so I also made some for them.

My【 Manufacturing Ability 】 is really handy. I no longer needed a pattern once I finished making something for the fourth or fifth time. This time, I also ditched the pattern for the bags, and just cut the material directly.

Ash was worried when she heard that I would make five bags, since I only had a short time remaining until delivery day, but I still had some leeway.

「 Whoa, thanks. 」

I first handed Dean his black bag, then passed the rest of the bags to their respective owners.

「 Please do check if it’s the right amount. 」

「 Yes, yes. 」

Oh, my bag became heavier than when the bags were in there.

「 Eh, this interior… 」

「 I made it more durable. 」

「 Hey, it’s worth more than I gave you. 」

Retze was stunned.

「 Mine, too… 」

「 Mm. 」

Butler and Ash also peered inside their own bags.

「 Just treat me when you return safely, alright. 」

「 Got it, I’ll treat you to a cask when we’re back.」

Hey hey, I’m still a minor, you know? Well, I’m a full fledged adult here, though. Besides, even if I did as the Romans do, I haven’t experienced drinking that much.

「 Then please let me prepare the dishes. Are you alright with this place? I will prepare a whole cow. 」

「 Mm. 」

Ash agreed with what Butler said.

Wow, a cow! Pork and chicken were commonly used here, but cows needed more investment in stock-farming, so beef was expensive. By the way, folks here believe that the best meat of all came from chicken, all because they could fly. What’s up with that, huh. Was it because spirits fly?

A kilo of beef cost two copper coins, was it? How much would a cow cost, then? Wouldn’t it be around 10 gold coins?

「 I’ll also provide some food, so let me join, okay? 」

「 Me too, me too. 」

So, it was decided that we would have a post-subjugation party, huh. Even though I wouldn’t join them in the expedition, I was the only one who wouldn’t pay a cent for my food.

Afterward, we went shopping for the things they would need. Ash and Dean were assigned to carry the heavy dutch oven-style pot, while Butler and Retze copied recipes down. We also bought some sweets and ate them on the spot.

「 Don’t force yourselves and come back safe, alright? 」

「 We’re still gonna see each other, though. 」

Dean shrugged when I said that.

「 Nah, I’m going to avoid the Adventurer’s Guild for a while. 」

「 Yeah, a bunch of rascals gathered over there. 」

Retze said.

Ah, I just thought that I might spill the beans in case I met somebody who could also see the spirits, but yeah, whatever.

「Did they also pick a fight with you, Ash? 」

「 They told me to hand over the money…but they immediately went away, though. 」

Ah, so they got intimidated by that scowl of yours? No, wait a sec. They extorted Ash for money? Isn’t that weird?

「 A lot of people already saw him carrying bears on his shoulder, so they won’t recklessly pick on him. Well, just call me if you’re in trouble. 」

The two Silver guys presented themselves.

「 I will also deal with them, so…」

Butler also commented.

This Butler guy was always smiling gently like that, but I bet he’s hiding one or two weapons, too. He’s got a larger than normal (and stronger) spirit, after all.

Ash, Butler and I rose from Bronze to Copper and we also got a star thanks to the expedition last time, especially since we brought some tri-horns home.

We could advance to Iron by relying on sheer strength, but we wouldn’t be able to go beyond that unless we got the complete set of stars. They were proof that you did some great, meritorious deeds for the citizens and the city, or something else that was also highly respectable.

As a result, there were many Irons who were actually Silver level but with questionable behavior. Most of them would join subjugations because they would be able to get stars for sure.

The citizens didn’t have a choice but to look the other way when various troubles arose just before the expeditions, since they would be in trouble if the monsters ran rampant. Well, it’d be a different story after the subjugation was done. The citizens were also a stubborn and calculating bunch of people, after all, so they wouldn’t tolerate those behaviors afterward.

「 Oh, so we’re going the same way, huh. 」

Chris and Dean said they were going to drink more, so the four of us walked along the alley after parting with them.

We did say goodbye already, but Retze was headed in the same direction as us.

「 So you are neighbors with Ash and Butler, huh. 」

「 Mm. 」

「 I’m renting a room near the Magical Woods, near the gate. It’s cheap, after all. 」

It was actually an inconvenient place for adventurers, aside from being generally avoided due to its proximity to the forest where monsters live. The gates would only be opened during events, and it was also quite far from the Guild, where the commissions were given.

「 You know, the landlady is joining that toilet fad, it seems, so she told me she’s going to raise the rent to cover the cost of renovation.」

Ash and Butler turned to me when Retze aired his idle complaints.

「 It’ll be more comfortable once the sewage and the toilet are finished. 」

「 Actually, I wonder how we managed to endure the stench, now that I think about it. 」

We had been exchanging recos and opinions about food and things to bring and whatnot, but it seemed like the title of the ‘most recommended product’ would fall on the toilet, huh.

It might actually be close to something like proselytizing, spreading the love for toilets, and that’s pretty good.

「 Hmmm. 」

We parted with Retze, who was still seriously contemplating it, and we entered our respective homes.

I lit the fireplace before teleporting back home. Riche dashed to me, so I gave him a good rubbing before drinking some milk. My plan was to eat the curry, but I already felt full from all the sweets we ate.

Mm, speaking of, I wonder how Ash’s bathtub turned out?

_______

T/N: Mentaiko Mochi style pizza! Yum~

Mentaiko, shortened to mentai, is made from pollock’s roe, and they are frequently spicy. Mochi is the glutinous rice cake that is oh so yummy  Fun fact, Japanese love experimenting with pizza toppings using ingredients that are native to their country. <3
Ctto: Liangyu, taken from https://www.facebook.com/Liangyu-