Chapter 20: That Vegetable Is Dangerously Potent
A baby monster hatched from the egg.
But no matter how I looked at it, it was a cat.
Its tiny body was covered in soft, fluffy white fur, and a long tail stretched out gracefully from its rear. It nuzzled against me repeatedly, pressing its little face into my chest as if seeking comfort and affection.
“Meow…”
“You’re adorable,” I murmured.
“Meow, meow…”
Yes, if it’s a cat, I could probably keep it as a pet.
“That’s right… I should give you some milk.”
Cradling the baby cat in my arms, I headed to the garden to collect milk—cow’s milk, to be precise. Curiously, in this world, milk grew in fruits shaped like coconuts; you split them open, and the milk would flow out.
“Here, can you drink this?” I asked.
“Meow.”
The kitten lapped at the milk with its tiny tongue, drinking carefully but eagerly.
“Meow, meow.”
“I see… so it’s delicious, huh? Drink plenty so you can grow big and strong.”
“Meow.”
“Oh, that reminds me… I need to give you a name.”
“Meow?”
What should I call it? Its fur was pure white, so I thought of things associated with that—snow… ice… white hair…
Then, my gaze fell on the milk again.
“Alright… from today, your name is Milk.”
“Meow, meow.”
It seemed to like its new name. Although, honestly, it was too absorbed in drinking milk to even glance at me.
And so, a new member joined our family: Milk.
“I’m home!”
That evening, my younger sister returned.
“Welcome back.”
“Ugh… I’m exhausted.”
It was her first overnight adventure. Sena collapsed onto the living room sofa, utterly worn out.
“Meow, meow.”
“So… how did it go?” I asked.
“Thanks to your ice-cold potion, big brother, the exploration went smoothly,” she said with a pout.
“Meow, meow.”
“That’s good to hear. Volcano regions are pretty tricky to explore, aren’t they?”
“Ugh… not good… Wait, isn’t something making noise?”
Finally, she noticed Milk nestled in my arms.
“Onii-chan… who’s that!? It’s so cute! A kitten!?”
“Ah… I decided to keep it.”
“You found it!?”
“Well… something like that.”
“Aww… let me pet it!”
“Shh!”
“Ouch… it bit me!?”
“It’s because you tried to touch its head so boldly.”
Milk had been startled by Sena’s sudden reach. Ignoring her tearful eyes, I gently stroked Milk to calm him down.
“Boohoo… Onii-chan loves the pet more than me!”
“Alright, alright. But dinner’s ready, so let’s eat. Milk, you want some milk too?”
“Meow, meow.”
Good. Unlike someone else, you’re obedient and sweet. Since Sena became an adventurer, I often spent time alone at home, but now with Milk around, I wouldn’t feel lonely anymore.
“I’ve completely lost Onii-chan…”
“Meow?”
“Hey! I’m your Oneechan! I’m the only one who’s supposed to be your Oneechan!”
“What are you talking about?”
And, of course, Milk is a male.
“So… what’s for dinner tonight?”
“Hey, don’t wave your knife and fork around. Watch your manners.”
Tonight’s meal was sautéed boiled potatoes with sausages and onions. I even used high-quality produce from the garden for the potatoes and onions.
“Wow! That looks delicious! Let’s eat!”
Sena ignored my warning entirely and took a big bite.
“Hey, Sena! Come back! Hey!”
“Huh!? O-Onii-chan?”
Relief flooded me as her eyes finally focused.
“What happened?” she asked.
“You… lost consciousness in the middle of dinner.”
“Eh? What are you talking about? Sleeping while eating? I’m not a child!”
“No, it wasn’t exactly sleep…”
“Huh? Why am I holding a knife and fork? Wow… this looks so good! Wait, didn’t I just say that?”
Sena slowly seemed to recall the situation.
“What is this dish!? It’s so good I nearly passed out! How is that even possible!?”
“Actually, I managed to grow high-quality vegetables… though if I eat them this way all the time, it might be better not to use them.”
“Munch munch munch! It’s sooooooo delicious!”
“You’re not listening.”
“More! More! More!”
“How many refills do you plan to have!? And your eyes are terrifying!”
“I can’t stop! I never want this to end! I want to eat forever!”
Just as Lilcarlia-san warned—it seems these vegetables are dangerously addictive.
◇ ◇ ◇
“What the heck is with these vegetables!? I’m already full, but I can’t stop! This is dangerously addictive!”
At that moment, Geo was realizing the peril of these high-quality vegetables, while Lilcarlia herself was devouring them with abandon.
Of course, these were the vegetables Geo had given her.
At first, she only meant to take a single bite. But once she tasted them, she couldn’t stop, taking a second bite, then a third, until she was completely hooked.
Before she knew it, the once-abundant vegetables were almost gone.
“Just as I thought! If we sold these, it’d be total chaos! Not even counting the organized crime implications—people would go bankrupt like crazy! It’s like a drug!”
By the way, that’s her natural way of speaking.
“Ha… it’s… all gone…”
In no time, she had eaten everything.
“Well… I could always get more… he’d probably give them willingly… but no, no… I have to stop myself here…”
Drawing on the patience she cultivated as a merchant, she managed to suppress her desire.
“Still… I really found an incredible trading partner… If word of this gift spread… yeah, I don’t even want to think about it…”