Chapter 286: Rare Cheesecake

The day after the rice paddies were completed.

There was still plenty to do, but I decided to spend the day thinking about how to use the NP I had saved up.

Of course, I wouldn’t decide alone—I’d discuss it with Sheila.

After finishing work, we used an empty room, prepared some sweets, and immediately began our discussion.

“Thank you for taking the time today. Things have been quite busy lately, and I feel like I’ve caused you some trouble too, Sheila.”

“No, no, don’t worry about it. It’s busy, but it’s fun—and I’m happy to see this place gradually growing.”

“I’m really grateful to hear you say that.”

I bowed deeply and offered the sweets I had prepared.

This time, it was homemade rare cheesecake.

It had a cookie crust base topped with a soft, fluffy cheesecake layer.

The slight tang of lemon kept it from being overly sweet, and the combination of fluffy and crunchy textures made it especially enjoyable.

“A pure white, fluffy dessert!? It looks like vanilla ice cream—so delicious!”

“It’s different from ice cream. If anything, it’s closer to the cake we had at Christmas.”

“I see! Let me try it right away! —Mmm! It’s so soft and delicious! The balance of sweetness and tanginess is perfect, and even the base tastes amazing! This dessert is incredible!”

Sheila excitedly shared her thoughts as she devoured the rare cheesecake in no time.

I’d like to take things slow and talk while eating, but it always disappears before we even start.

“Ah… it’s already gone. Happy moments really pass quickly.”

“There’s more, so I’ll bring seconds after we finish talking.”

“Really!? Then let’s get started right away! This time… is it about the event? The festival we held last year is coming up, right?”

She’s right—the festival planning needs to start soon.

This time, I want to make it bigger than last year, and I’d like people to run their own original stalls.

But since I’m thinking of asking Sam to handle the festival management again, that will probably be a separate discussion soon.

“The festival is coming up, but today I want to discuss how to use the currency we’ve saved. We were so busy during spring that we barely spent any, so we can afford quite a lot now.”

We did hold the mock battle tournament and built an orchard, but the saplings themselves weren’t that expensive.

Even the tournament prize—a smartphone—was valuable, but not outrageously so.

As for where that smartphone ended up, Mika currently has it.

Apparently, while she was asking Lime all about the final match, she negotiated for the prize.

She promised rare minerals and a large amount of magic energy in exchange, so the phone was handed over from Lime to Mika.

Lime’s only real use for it would have been absorbing it, anyway.

I had secretly hoped that absorbing the phone might trigger some kind of evolution, but it chose not to.

There was a high chance it would’ve just become useless junk if absorbed, so using it for trade was probably the right decision.

“It’s true, we haven’t spent anything at all. Do you have any ideas for how to use it?”

“For now, I’m thinking about upgrading the recreation room. The inn will be finished soon, and I want to provide something guests can enjoy.”

“I think that’s a great idea. More importantly, we’ll get to enjoy it too. With more people around, there’s been more waiting time for games lately.”

Not just Soara and Luna, who practically live there—Lucia and the Dark Elves have also started dropping by to play.

With only one Switch, it’s clearly not enough anymore. Getting another one might be a must.

“If you agree, then strengthening the recreation area is decided. Do you have any requests for improvements on your side, Sheila?”

“I’d like familiars to help protect the fields. The farmland has grown, and I think it’s too much for Crow alone.”

“That’s true. Let’s get flying monsters with strong hunting abilities, like Crow.”

After hearing Sheila’s input, I chose two monsters: a Flame Hawk and a Cutting Beetle.

The Flame Hawk is a hawk-type monster that specializes in fire attacks. It not only looks cool but is also highly capable at hunting, making it a creature even adventurers tend to avoid.

On the other hand, the Cutting Beetle is a monster with very little known information—I picked it purely based on appearance.

It looks like a large, impressive stag beetle, with huge blade-like horns and a fierce, intimidating form.

I’m not sure about its hunting ability, but it appealed to my inner child, so I couldn’t resist choosing it.

It might end up being completely useless… but even so, it’s such an attractive creature that I don’t really mind.