Chapter 239: Chapter 223: Bamboo Shoots

After a while of searching for herbs, Feat and Bolt returned.

(Niisama, there was a bamboo forest at the foot of the mountain on the opposite side of the city.)

“Ohh!”

It seems that there was a bamboo thicket nearby.

“It’s close!”

(Yes, we are going right away, right? Come, get on.)

Feat told me to get on her back.

Allen and Elena were already on Joule and ready to go.

I think I heard that bamboo shoot digging is better done early in the morning. Luckily, we started our activities early this morning, so there should be no problems?

“Then, I will be in your care, Feat.”

(Wah~ wait~ Niichan, look at my accomplishments~ Look at these Rocksnakes I got~)

“... Ah.”

As I got on Feat’s back, I heard Vector’s crying voice.

The herbs were handed to me every time the children found some so they were already stored in the Infinite Storage, but the Rocksnakes were still stacked on the ground. I totally forgot about them.

Moreover, because I let Vector do as he likes, the number of Rocksnake corpses increased even more, creating a little mountain.

(These guys might be small, but they are quite tasty! They are easy to eat too!)

Vector must have thought that we were leaving him behind as he was hardly emphasizing the taste of the Rocksnakes.

“Sorry, sorry. Thank you, Vector.”

(Ugh~ that surprised me~)

“Let’s eat them the next time with everyone. I will make whatever you like that time.”

(... I would like a large serving.)

“Haha, roger that!”

I got down from Feat’s back, apologized while stroking Vector’s head, stored the Rocksnakes in the Infinite Storage, and promised him a large serving to apologize for startling him.

“Shall we go then?”

After soothing Vector, I got on Feat’s back and we left for the bamboo thicket.

“This is quite a big bamboo thicket.”

(Bamboos multiply fast if left unchecked after all.)

“Yeah, I certainly heard of it.”

I heard that planting mint and chameleon plant in the garden, like bamboo, is dangerous.

“I think there’s a period to pick these... I wonder how it is.”

(Oniichan, aren’t these the bamboo children?)

Joule asked while looking at a knee-length bamboo.

“This one is already too big. Unless it looks like something that just came out of the ground, it’s not edible.”

(Ehh!? We won’t be able to find those then?)

“Erm, that’s... ah! Over there! The place over there where the soil is slightly elevated. Could someone dig in there please?”

I looked around and pointed out where the ground was swelling unnaturally and asked the kids to dig.

(I will dig it~)

“Then, Vector, you do it. Be sure to avoid the center.”

(Leave it to me~)

Vector wanted to do it, so when I asked him to take care of it, he started digging with his forepaws.

(Ah! Something came out!)

“Really?”

“Let me see, let me see~”

(It’s true! Oniichan, is this a bamboo child?)

The children gathered around Vector and looked into the hole.

“Yep, that’s a bamboo shoot.”

Both the color and shape were very similar to what I know.

“It can be cooked with soy sauce or miso, mixed in with rice, there are various ways it can be eaten.”

“”Will pick many~! I am off~!””

(Ah, wait! You will have trouble digging them up! Allen, I will go with you. Tell me if you find any!)

(Elena-chan is with me then. Elena-chan, let’s go.)

(I am going with Vector! Vector, I will search and you dig!)

(Got it!)

(I will watch the surroundings then.)

Joule paired up with Allen, Feat with Elena, Mile with Vector and went to look for bamboo shoots. Bolt flew up in order to watch the surroundings.

“So fast!!”

The children paired truly in a blink of an eye and scattered around.

“Somehow... I feel terribly left alone.”

Although it was me who wanted to dig the bamboo shoots, I was left behind.

“... Well, I can’t just stand here. I better dig some too.”

Since time is limited, I decided to dig in places where bamboo shoots were likely to grow.

“It should be a good time?”

I stopped digging for bamboo shoots earlier and decided to remove the bitterness from a few of the bamboo shoots and fiddleheads I gathered.

Although I say that, I am using magic so something that would take a long time was done fast.

“What do I do about the menu~”

Fiddleheads, bamboo shoots, mushrooms cooked in soy sauce with rice, and Rocksnakes grilled without seasonings. Also... aspar dressing and soup?

“The meal is done~ It’s time to finish.”

The food was finished, so I called the absorbed bamboo shoot diggers. It’s best to finish digging bamboo shoots in time.

“”Food~””

(Smells good~)

(Niisama, we have gotten many bamboo shoots.)

(Aniue, I have returned.)

(Niichan, I have also dug up lots~!)

(We are back! I smell something really nice!)

The children gathered many bamboo shoots and surrounded me.

“Oh~ you really gathered quite a lot~”

“”Did our best!””

“I see, thank you. I have made a meal with the bamboo shoots right away, so eat lots.”

“”Yea!””

I stored the bamboo shoots in the Infinite Storage and served the food to everyone.

“”It’s delish~””

(The fiddleheads and bamboo shoots are in the rice, right? It’s yummy.)

(I didn’t know bamboos were edible, but they are very nice~)

(Indeed. I had no idea bamboos were this soft before growing up.)

(This is the Rocksnake I defeated! Yummy!)

(The aspar is also refreshing and good!)

The kids seemed to like it.

The children who especially liked bamboo shoots tried to dig for more. I somehow managed to stop them and had us resume looking for herbs. We returned back to the town after collecting plenty of herbs.