The New Product
Satou here. While not limited to game development, a finished product often differs a lot from what it was initially planned to be. Often, the higher-ups are determined to change all of it, but most of the time, just like a stone flows down the river and is shaped into something magnificent, so, too, does the product find its way to being something wonderful.
“Some tea, Mr. Satou.”
I was in one of the Hero’s Rest’s inner rooms working on some magic potions when Roro brought me a cool, fragrant tea made with well water.
“Thank you, Roro. I hate to ask, but could you bring about seven people’s worth of tea?”
As soon as I finished speaking, the door opened with a bang.
“We’re home!”
“Hyooome.”
“Byack hyome, sir!”
The voices of my cheerful party members traveled through the store.
“Master, sir!”
“Found yooooou.”
Pochi and Tama clung to my face with a speed that could rival even the art of shukuchi.
I embraced the two girls as they hopped onto me for a hug.
> Skill Acquired: “Soothing Qi.”
I knew I had a “Parry” skill, but I assumed, since I didn’t avoid the girls and took them in for a hug, I ended up learning a new skill. I wondered why it wasn’t a “Gentle Art” skill, but I needn’t worry about the small things. It sounded interesting, so I put points into it and activated it.
“Master, Master.”
“Stocking up on Masternium, sir!”
Both Tama and Pochi were vigorously rubbing their heads against me. It seemed like it wasn’t just me who missed them.
“Satou.”
Mia plodded on over and took my hand as she giggled.
“I would also like to participate in storing up on Masternium, I declare.”
Nana came from behind me and clung to me. She was wearing her white-silver armor; the pointy parts of it stabbed me in the back so it hurt. I decided to use my “Magic Armor” skill to defend myself against the pointy bits.
“I would like to request some magic replenishment later, I plead.”
“Of course.”
I readily agreed to Nana’s request as she looked up at me with an expressionless face, trying to act sweet.
“Ah-ha-ha. I’ll stock up on some Masternium, too.”
“Me too.”
Arisa laughed as she gave me a hug, followed by Lulu, who gingerly approached me. Everyone was wanting to be spoiled today. Liza looked shy, but her tail kept moving about, so I called her over to join us.
“They’re all so close.”
Roro smiled, surprised.
“Roro, too.”
“Roro, close.”
“Roro, love.”
The hamsterfolk children were seemingly inspired as they all clung on to Roro’s legs.
“What was the Castle like?”
Once all my friends had gotten their fill of me, I decided to ask about their experiences. Roro was working out front with all the hamsterfolk children, apart from the youngest one, who Nana had captured.
“Hmm, to be frank, it was hard competing for prey.”
“Really?”
“Yesh.”
Tama nodded, her face wearing a conflicted expression as she licked a lollipop.
“But Tama did a good job at catching prey for us, sir!”
“Ah-ha-ha. She did it so much, the other parties around us actually approached us teary-eyed, begging us to hunt somewhere else.”
“Mew.”
Tama lay down on top of the table. They were so focused on hunting, they kind of overdid it, it seemed.
“I feel like there was a lot of prey around the Castle, though…”
“It was mainly the ordinary Tauruses and Big Hogs we ended up fighting over. It was difficult to find a safe spot to run to when bumping into a group of Tauruses led by a leader or a champion. The only people actively hunting outside were Mr. Tiga and the golden lion–ranked adventurers.”
“Didn’t they make camps in the fortresses?”
“We only did that when going up against several small groups or groups of riders. The adventurers who lack confidence in their abilities tend to hunt weak monsters around levels three or four as they move around. If they didn’t do that, there would be no monsters left.”
It was similar to a grinding spot in an MMORPG.
“The more proactive adventurers who went up against stronger monsters often had necromancers using undead Taurus or Earth mages controlling golems to act as shields, I report.”
“There was also a tamer who used an ancient land beast.”
It seemed only the parties with a tank who could take head-on attacks were able to go up against the groups of Tauruses.
“We ended up finding a less populated space and hunted the small groups of Tauruses and the Taurus riders.”
“We fought the riders using trenches and anti-cavalry palisades, I declare.”
“Hmm. Genomos. Talented.”
So they had Mia’s Earth spirits dig trenches to stop the Taurus riders and their raptor mounts and then hunted them down from there.
“Raptor meat is like chicken. It was delicious. We brought a lot back as a souvenir, so please try it later.”
“Thank you, Liza.”
Judging from Liza’s expression, it seemed to be a favorite of hers. I decided to put extra effort in when I cooked it.
“Big Hog is very juisheee?”
“There’s a lot of fat, so it’s a little rich, I declare.”
“Big Hog fat is sweet and delicious, sir!”
“I won’t deny it’s tasty, I declare.”
So Big Hog had a high fat content.
“Miasma. Annoying.”
“It did take a lot of time to purify the miasma.”
“Yes, Lulu. I confess that replenishing the magic power to the sacred monument after the battle was hard work.”
Nana remained emotionless, but there was an air of exhaustion around her. It seemed Big Hogs had a high miasma content. It was said that the higher-ranked the Taurus, the denser the miasma and the tougher its meat.
“Liza was the only one who liked the champion’s tendon meat.”
“It was firm and chewy, very enjoyable.”
“Mew.”
“Pochi was a little scared.”
“It tasted nice. I’ll try and cook it in a pressure cooker next time, at least until it’s tender.”
Lulu spoke as she patted the heads of Pochi and Tama, who didn’t seem too fond of the idea.
“We ended up overhunting in the area, and the field area around the Castle became underpopulated, so next time, we’re going to aim for the Castle town.”
“Remember what the veteran lion man said. Don’t go near the inner wall, okay?”
“We know. We’ve no plans to start a stampede or anything.”
If it were Arisa and the others, they would be able to take on an elite unit led by a captain. They should shake them off with Space Magic such as Labyrinth and Teleportation, but they wouldn’t take any needless risks.
“If you do start a stampede, don’t try and deal with it on your own. Leave it to me or those around you, all right?”
“Okay, we’ll do that.”
It’d be dangerous if they were stubborn about it and tried to deal with the stampede, so I made sure to drive that point home.
If they repeatedly used concentrated lasers and Explosion Magic, they would be able to take care of a stampede, too.
“Accessories.”
“Ah, that’s right.”
Prompted by Mia, Arisa pulled several ornaments out of her Magic Bag that was used for loot from fights. All of them were large, bulky, and heavy, and were mostly made of metal and bone. It seemed some of them were made from human skulls.
“The commanding officer of the riders and a leader nearby the Castle had these equipped. They seemed to be cursed items, but I haven’t researched what they can do yet.”
“It’s just that the miasma is dense; only the one with the skull is cursed.”
According to the AR display, it seemed the person wearing the accessory would gain a “Human Slayer” attack that would attack others. I wondered if a human or a beastfolk equipped it, would they be cursed and have a debuff?
“I wonder if the accessories with metal and jewels in them are worth anything?”
They would be too heavy for your ordinary beastfolk to wear, and what would be even more difficult was finding someone who liked them.
“According to Tiga, if we take it back to the guild, we’ll receive a reward.”
“That may also result in a rank promotion.”
Arcatia was similar to Labyrinth City Celivera in that Magic Cores were to be bought by the guild no matter what. Magic Cores were an important strategic resource, so it made sense why they were so important.
“According to Lord Tiga, Taurus horns and skin sell for a lot. Meat sells, too. However, since it doesn’t fit in the Magic Bag, it’s usually eaten at the fortress or burned.”
“We also did too much hunting and couldn’t fit it in our bag, either. I transported it in my Garage, but I expanded the internal space too much, so the usual magic consumption is high, and it’s a bit tough.”
Arisa’s Garage was a small airship that usually had plenty of space for storage, so it was a little odd hearing her say that. Just how much meat did they bring back?
“If Mia didn’t freeze it with her Ice Spirit, the meat might have been damaged on the way back here.”
“Ice Spirit?”
“Mhm, Frau.”
I asked Mia to show it to me later, as it had piqued my curiosity.
“All right, I’ll bring it in.”
In the garden, I used Magic Hand to reach into the Garage and retrieve the frozen Taurus remains. There were around 104 Tauruses alone, and combined with everything else, there were over one thousand items in there. It would take a lot to get through. Though, Taurus tasted like beef, so there were plenty of ways to prepare it. I could make a lot of beef jerky with it.
“We leveled up in such a short time, too. The Castle is a great hunting ground.”
“Hmm. Not enough.”
I patted the unsatisfied Mia on the head and pulled her close. Everyone had leveled up, but Mia was the only one who needed a lot of experience points and remained at a lower level than the rest. From what I could see of her experience point bar, before Mia would reach level 55, the others would already be at level 59. They wouldn’t be able to level near the inner wall, so they would have to find a place appropriate to level. I heard Pochi’s and Tama’s stomachs grumble as I was lost in my thoughts.
“Nyeheh.”
“Seeing the meat made me hungry, sir.”
“It’s a little early, but shall we have a banquet to celebrate you guys coming back and you all leveling up?”
Everyone rejoiced at the idea. Roro and the hamsterfolk children joined us as we all enjoyed a lavish feast. I had prepared the food in advance, so all that was left was to prepare the area. There were no large dining tables in Hero’s Rest, so we put down a large blanket in the courtyard.
“Nom, nom, nom.”
“Master’s hamburg steak is the best, sir!”
“Taurus tendon meat is delicious, but Master’s chicken is unbeatable.”
The beastfolk girls were all enjoying the meal.
“Roro, how is it?”
“Everything is delicious, but my favorite is the hamburg steak! Meat dishes aren’t that rare here in Arcatia, but it’s my first time having this. I was surprised at how different the flavor was compared to the meat dumplings!”
“I made it with two kinds of meat that I minced in the mincing machine. It makes it so soft when I use the mincing machine that was made in a dwarf village.”
“Oh, I see! The dwarves are so good at what they do.”
Lulu and Roro were enjoying a lively conversation about food.
“Larvae, you don’t only have to eat vegetables. You can eat the meat, too, I guess.”
Nana was recommending food to the hamsterfolk children that were gnawing on stick vegetables. When Nana tried to offer them some meat, they fervently shook their heads.
“Vegetables, we like.”
“Vegetables, delicious.”
“Meat, not delicious.”
“Protein helps your body, I inform.”
Nana kept trying to recommend them meat, but Mia stopped her.
“Force. Bad.”
“Yes, Mia. I will stop.”
Nana looked disappointed as she looked at the faces of the hamsterfolk and despondently moved the meat away from them.
“It’s fine, sir. Pochi will make sure to eat the meat, sir.”
“Tama help, too?”
Pochi and Tama both chomped on the piece of meat that Nana still had in her chopsticks. Liza came over and pulled the two away as they happily munched on the meat.
“Beans.”
“That’s right, peas are often called the ‘meat of the fields.’”
“Good idea, I say. The larvae should eat the peas, too, I suggest.”
“Peas?”
“Peas, eat.”
“Peas, like.”
Once they finished eating their stick vegetables, they began to chomp down on a large pea offered to them by Nana. They had to use both hands to hold it. Perhaps they liked it, as they stuffed their cheeks full and began munching happily.
“Looks like they like it.”
“Yes, Roro. Children need protein, I declare.”
Seeing Nana’s relieved face, I returned to my meal. Her eyes were fixed on the hamsterfolk children. When she saw the youngest one almost choke, she handed them water quicker than a flash of lightning.
“Did you not get sick of eating only meat when you were hunting? There’s plenty of vegetables, so feel free to dig in.”
If I left the beastfolk girls to it. They would eat nothing but meat, so I encouraged them to eat some vegetables, too.
“Yesh.”
“It’s fine, sir! I have a separate stomach for meat, sir!”
Pochi spoke, her other hand clutching on to a hamburg steak.
“I’m sorry, I haven’t made any elaborate meals for a while now…”
“You would have been exhausted from fighting every day, so it’s no wonder you only made simple meals.”
I cheered Lulu up. She was a little upset.
“Ah-ha-ha. That’s not it. You said you spoke with Master, and as a result, you jumped headfirst into making preserved foods, didn’t you?”
“…Sorry.”
Lulu shrank away.
“No need to apologize, Lulu. You’re not the only one responsible for making our meals. Everyone should know that.”
Liza spoke as everyone nodded deeply in agreement.
“In fact, why don’t you show Master the results of your research?”
“Okay, Ms. Liza!”
Lulu pulled out five different types of preserved food from her Fairy Pack and handed them to me. They were mostly brown and black, though one of them was yellow.
“H-here you are, Master!”
“Thanks, I’ll give them a try.”
I accepted the preserved foods and tried them all.
“They’re all delicious.”
She’d made them using materials that could be gathered around Arcatia. I asked if everyone else had tried it, and they all nodded that they had, so I offered some to Roro and the hamsterfolk children to try.
“Pirrim flavor, delicious.”
“Polarri flavor, delicious.”
“Fruit flavor, delicious.”
The hamsterfolk children nibbled on the yellow preserved food made with flavors from fruit. The hamsterfolk children had claimed all of the yellow preserved food, so Roro tried the remaining four foods.
“They all taste like meat. The black one is really tasty, but it’s made from Taurus meat, right? Only people who are silver tiger–rank would be able to buy this. This one made from Big Hog is delicious, too. The burnt brown-colored one tastes like Big Hog meat, but the texture of the food is like ant meat—it’ll be cheap to make, I guess.”
Roro gave us her thoughts on the flavor as she thought about how they’d sell at Hero’s Rest. Regarding the cost, the latter two seemed good, but she also seemed to like the flavor of the former as well. I decided to combine them with the preserved foods I made with potatoes and meat to improve them.
“Then there’s the dried vegetables. I dried out both the evil broccoli and evil cauliflower and hardened them into blocks. If we put these into soups, we’ll not need to worry about now getting enough vitamins—”
Lulu placed the dried vegetable blocks on the table. The hamsterfolk children all jumped up on the table and started desperately chewing on them from three different sides. It reminded me of when I gifted them some broccoli as a souvenir from a labyrinth, and they did the same thing then.
“Larvae, I will bring back evil broccoli and evil cauliflower on my next excursion, I promise.”
“Nana, happy.”
“Nana, excited.”
“Nana, like.”
Once they finished eating the dried vegetables, they rubbed their heads on Nana.
“Such opportunistic children.”
“I find that cute about them, I declare.”
Nana nodded with a serious expression as Arisa sighed with an exasperated expression.
“Master, the shop that has the Taurus skull on its signboard is the shop that the golden lion–rank adventurers told us about.”
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