After visiting the Human Realm, we decided to go to the Demon Realm to look for possibilities for baby castellas as well. I think we had already gathered more than enough ideas, but of course, Kuro wouldn’t compromise, so we came to the Demon Realm.
The first place we visited was Lillywood’s castle. Well, Lillywood-san is a kind person who would willingly receive us even if we suddenly visit her, so asking her about baby castellas should be easy.
[……And so, do you have any good opinions in mind?]
“……Ummm, Kuromueina? You do realize that, in the first place, I don’t eat food……”
[Ahh, now that you mentioned it, Lillywood only drinks liquids.]“Yes, it’s not that I can’t eat…… but since I don’t need to, I don’t.”
[I see…… So, do you have any good opinions in mind?]
“Eh? A- Arehh? I already told you that but you’re still going back to that question!? E- Errr……”
Pushing her absurdity on Lillywood-san, who doesn’t eat in the first place…… but because of that, Lillywood-san may have a different point of view from ours, so I can understand why Kuro wants to hear her opinion.
……No, wait, let’s calm down, me. Your mentality’s getting infected there……
While I was thinking about this, the door to the room opened and Camellia-san, pushing a cart in, entered.
[Lillywood-sama, I brought you some tea.]“Ahh, Camellia. You have come just in time. Unlike me, you eat food, right?”
[Eh? Yes, but I only eat teacakes served with tea……]
“That’s enough. My apologies, but won’t you answer Kuromueina’s question?”
[H- Huh, understood.]
In contrast to Lillywood-san, who basically only drinks liquids and hardly consumes anything else, Camellia-san is the type who enjoys eating and drinking based on her taste, such as drinking tea and eating sweets normally.
After being urged to sit down by Lillywood-san, Camellia-san listened to Kuro asking her question once again before she started thinking about it.
[……Eri…… Rosemary, who is also one of the Seven Princesses, often makes cookies and other sweets using rose petals…… and I heard about something from her. Flower Spirits have the power to make flowers that are their origins bloom, but if they like it, to some extent, they can also change their nature…… So, depending on the Spirit, even flowers that are originally not edible may be edible.]
[Ohh, I see…… That would turn out to be something different from ones made with herbs, so that sounds great. If non-edible things can be made edible, it seems that it will widen my options…… This is great!]
Indeed, just as Kuro said, that was an interesting idea. For example, Spica-san, the Spirit living at Isis-san’s place, might be able to make edible Blue Crystal Flowers.
If that were possible, there would be more options for ingredients that have never been used before. However, since she said “to some extent”, there may be some things that can’t be edible even if they’re modified.
[Thank you, Camellia-chan. That was quite helpful.]
[No, being able to become helpful is an honor.]
[I’m done with my business here, but didn’t Kaito-kun have business with Camellia-chan as well?]
[Kaito-san does? Yes, what is it?]
What Kuro talked about was probably the matsutake mushrooms that Kaori-san mentioned back at her shop. Since she had already brought up the topic, I explained the situation to Camellia-san and asked her if she could help me get in touch with Lanza-san.
[Yes, that’s fine. Please visit anytime on a day convenient for you, Kaito-san.]
[Thank you very much. That would be great…… I’m not sure if Lanza-san will agree to it, but I really wanted to acquire matsutake mushrooms……]
[Even so, that’s quite curious. Both Kaito-kun and Kaori-chan seem to be very interested in that matsutake…… but Neun doesn’t seem to be that interested in them.]
[Unnn? Is that so?]
[Unnn. She didn’t seem to be that enthusiastic about them like you two. Rather than those, it seemed like she wanted shiitake mushrooms instead, asking Raz to raise them for her.]
[Heehhh……]
That certainly is a little strange. Since she likes Japanese food that much, I think it wouldn’t be strange for Neun-san to want matsutake mushrooms……
While I was tilting my head, wondering about it myself, Kuro called out to the guy behind me.
[Hey, Shalltear. Did Neun not like matsutake mushrooms?]
[No, that isn’t the case. This is more like a generational difference between them. Roughly speaking, in Kaito-san’s world, the position of matsutake mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms in society’s eyes used to be reversed. Matsutake mushrooms were a cheap ingredient that can be found anywhere, while shiitake mushrooms were a rare ingredient that was difficult to cultivate.]
[Eh? Is that so? I didn’t know that.]
[In the past, matsutake mushrooms could be harvested everywhere in Japan, but the environment has changed in the process of infrastructure development, so the number of places where matsutake mushrooms can be harvested has decreased. In contrast, because a stable cultivation method for shiitake mushrooms had been established and they had been widely cultivated, the supply and demand for shiitake mushrooms were completely reversed, making matsutake mushrooms the rare, luxury ingredient for the recent era. Neun-san was born and raised in an era when the stable cultivation method for shiitake mushrooms was just beginning to spread, and the way she sees it, shiitake mushrooms are more expensive than matsutake mushrooms.]
I see, so there were such circumstances huh…… Speaking of which, Neun-san was the First Hero, and based on the things I’ve heard from her, she should have lived in an era more than 100 years ago, so it’s inevitable that there’s such a difference in values.
No, but that aside…… This guy seriously knows too much about Japan……
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [There are various theories about the exact time when it happened, but in the pre-war era, shiitake mushrooms were apparently treated as a delicacy for “formal occasions” such as Obon Festival, New Year’s Day and Buddhist memorial services, and there was no reliable or efficient method for cultivating them, one needing luck to raise them…… At any rate, research advanced, efficient cultivation methods were established, and production numbers increased, over several decades after the war, it depreciated in one go, and by the time it became widely and cheaply eaten just like in the modern era, its value got reversed with matsutake mushrooms……]
