Love Letter From The Future

Chapter 355

5. Bread and dagger (53)

Life in the elven village was new.

It was me who had lived only as an imperial aristocrat until now. Life in the remote northern part was bound to be different. Even the new neighbors aren’t elves.

This was unimaginable just a few days ago.

Due to an unavoidable coincidence and fate, I was living with an elf.

Also, time flows like the tag of a game of tag.

If I keep my eyes on it, it doesn’t move, but if I accidentally look away, it’s already close to me.

It was the same in the elven village.

It was a very hectic few days.

It’s been a while since I got to know the dozen or so villagers, exchanged greetings, and struggled to adapt to a new way of life.

When I came to my senses, the calendar for the day had already turned over several pages.

There were a few things I realized in the meantime.

First of all, the food situation of the elves was worse than expected.

It was not long after arriving in the village.

I was invited by Uncle Dolph.

He took a special liking to me even at the banquet, and even offered to treat me to dinner for the elves.

I had no reason to refuse.

It happened that he was curious about the diet of the elves. That night, after readily accepting it, I headed to Uncle Dolph’s house with Ruggett.

It was a shabby cabin.

I heard that he was a carpenter in the village, but the house he lived in was no different from that of the village elves. It wasn’t an incomprehensible scene considering the circumstances of the elves.

Architecture is an aggregation of numerous technologies.

In ‘architecture’, starting with the design, various problems such as materials and processing were intertwined. It was extremely difficult for elves to be trained to do this professionally.

This was due to a lack of resources.

So, to the elves, ‘carpenter’ was usually just an expression for someone who was skilled with their hands. It was difficult to expect professionalism worthy of that title.

Even just looking at Uncle Dolph’s cabin.

There was no carpenter who did not build a place to live for himself with all his heart and soul. Even so, the result is not very different from what others have built.

Of course, this was also an example that revealed Uncle Dolph’s personality.

He was an unadorned and honest elf. To the extent that I do my best regardless of my work or someone else’s work.

In addition, he was also a good neighbor with altruism. Although he used to have the downside of being hot-tempered and somewhat ignorant when he only drank alcohol.

It was a story that hadn’t been relevant to me yet.

Because I’ve never seen Dolph drunk.

The elf didn’t even have enough food to eat right away. There weren’t many times when I had the energy to make alcohol.

I heard from Ruggett that a day to drink is only once in a few years.

It seemed that the day I would see Mr. Dolph drunk would never come.

I entered the cabin while chatting with Ruggett.

Contrary to the sloppy exterior, the interior of the cabin was cozy and warm. A fire was roaring in the hearth-cum-fireplace located in the center, delivering heat.

In an instant, the heat was enough to rip through my skin.

Elves from the south were especially sensitive to heating. They used an excessive amount of wood, in part because wood was common in coniferous forests.

All other resources were scarce. The only thing the elves could use generously to entertain guests was firewood.

It was a really good story, though.

The body that has reached expert forgets heat and cold. Even the bitter cold wave of the north couldn’t pierce my body.

However, it is polite to pay for the hospitality with gratitude, so I bowed my head and greeted him politely.

“Thank you for inviting me today, Mr. Dolph… The room is very warm.”

“hahahaha, you can’t make the visitor tremble in the cold! Rather, is everyone going out?”

It was a voice filled with strange anticipation.

Meanwhile, Uncle Dolph was rubbing his hands together. He looked like a child eager to show off his cool toy.

It was a characteristic of elves.

Even though they lived for hundreds of years, they did not forget their innocence. In a good way, he was pure, and in a bad way, he was naive. Maybe that was the secret to longevity.

It is too painful to live for hundreds of years with a worn-out heart.

Like a child, he would have to take the attitude of counting each day as a blessing.

Even though I smiled lightly at the uncle’s reaction, I couldn’t hide my anticipation in my heart.

How on earth is it so good that it is such a great food?

Ruggett’s heart also seemed to be no different from mine. Finally, unable to contain his curiosity, he asked Uncle Dolph.

“No, Uncle Dolph. What did you prepare for today’s menu?”

“Huh, you’ll be surprised to see it too, right?”

Uncle Dolph smiled meaningfully at the question. Confidence was oozing out of that blurry line.

Me and Ruggett showed signs of being impatient, and Uncle Dolph then moved on as if satisfied.

It was towards the kitchen.

Me and Ruggett’s anticipation reached its peak.

Soon after, Uncle Dolph returned with a large pot.

Hot steam was escaping through the cracks in the lid.

A strange smell crossed my nose. It was the first smell I had ever smelled.

Could it be a dish made from creatures native to the North? It was hard to hide my excitement.

It was then that Uncle Dolph removed the lid of the pot with his pot lid-like hand.

Soon after, white steam disturbed the view, and soon the hidden ingredients came into view.

An animal whose fur has been peeled off, exposing its reddish bare skin.

it was a rat

I was speechless for a moment and kept my mouth shut.

I thought they were welcoming me, but I wondered if I was mistaken. It was a reality that was hard to accept, enough to raise doubts about whether it was a vicious prank.

Of course, it didn’t take long for the suspicion to dissipate.

“It’s a rat… That’s a whopping two! Uncle Dolph, how did you catch him?”

“I made a trap as a test, but as you know, rats have a habit of grinding their front teeth, right? Just in case, I used a piece of wood as bait… So look, aren’t these stupid mice caught in a trap? ha ha ha!”

Ruggett burst into exclamation, and Uncle Dolph boasted with a smug look.

I looked down at the soup in the pot in silence.

It was a dish that didn’t even contain common vegetables. Excluding the mouse, only the unknown moss was floating around.

It gave off a disgusting smell because the proper spices were not added.

However, the mice in the soup were not large. Two rats no more than the size of the palm of your hand. Serving them as a feast.

The pale broth seemed to be part of an attempt to increase the quantity somehow. Even if you try to eat it as much as you can, it will only smell like moss and meat.

Even so, Ruggett and Uncle Dolph looked excited like never before.

I was deeply shocked by the sight.

“That’s not the only surprise. Take a good look at this rat’s belly… … .”

Are there any more surprises left?

My eyes blankly turned to the rat’s carcass. Certainly, the stomach of the rat floating on top of the soup looked convex.

It was before I even questioned it.

Uncle Dolph took out the bulging rat with his tongs. Then, with a skilful knife, he slit the rat’s tiny belly, and translucent chunks of flesh poured out from within.

They were mouse fetuses.

I barely endured the rising nausea.

On the other hand, Ruggett was more excited and raised his voice.

“No, it’s a pregnant mouse! The fetus is also a star… Is it too good to be lucky?”

“right? But these delicacies are specially conceded to our precious human guests. Isn’t it the benefactor who served us bread?”

Hearing Uncle Dolph’s heartwarming voice, Ruggett nodded in agreement.

A smile filled with pure goodwill formed on his lips.

“Human, how lucky are you? Because saving a pregnant mouse is picking stars in the sky. Not only is it plump, but even the fetus has a soft texture.”

“Then what do you two want to eat?”

“hahahahaha, don’t worry! We still have one rat left.”

Uncle Dolph let out a hearty laugh.

It was like hearing all sorts of strange noises. It is as if a life where two adult men share a mouse is natural.

My expression grew darker.

I should have tasted it because of their kindness, but I couldn’t get my hands on it. No matter how much he could endure a rat, the fetus was too much for him.

Eventually I had to offer them the reverse.

“Uncle Dolph and Ruggett. I have ingredients to make this wonderful dish even better, could you leave it for me?”

Uncle Dolph and Ruggett’s eyes went blank.

There was no reason for the two of them to refuse. Elves have always been hungry. He offered to increase the amount of food, but there was no way he could refuse.

I did my best with my clumsy cooking skills.

Tomatoes, onions, and green onions were added, and beef and spices were boiled together. Dinner was late, but it was worth it.

Ruggett and Uncle Dolph shed a tear.

“It’s delicious, it’s oily, and the umami is excellent… … .”

I was able to safely finish my meal without eating the rat meat while Ruggett burst into exclamation. Even so, I was still reluctant to lift a spoon.

It was something I had to get used to over time.

That day’s meal was over.