Chapter 37: Making homemade croquettes is a hassle!

Today’s snack was something like oyaki.  

The dough is made from kneaded flour and is stuffed with a filling made of vegetables and a little bit of meat.

The crispy, fragrant shell was chewy and delicious, and the filling was quite strongly seasoned, making it even more delicious after working up a sweat.

“I’m sorry it’s something simple,”

Milia-san says that, but it’s very delicious, and to me, who thinks that simply cutting and stir-frying vegetables is already a decent meal, this is an elaborate dish.

Speaking of cooking, I can’t believe there’s someone who can make croquettes so easily.  

Just boiling potatoes alone is enough for a meal, and chopping vegetables and stir-frying them with meat is already top-tier cooking.  

Then you let them cool slightly, mix everything together, shape it into balls or patties, and coat them in batter—  

Batter means dipping in flour, then egg, then coat it in bread crumbs.  

There are three steps just for that. And sometimes, you run out of eggs midway. I also don’t have enough bread crumbs, but my hands are covered in eggs and bread crumbs. What do I do? It’s such a hassle having to wash my hands each time, could someone help me open the bag— but there’s no one around, huh?  

Even up to this point, the process is already complicated enough, and time-consuming, but then you have to fry them in oil.  

Hot oil is scary, it splatters and hurts, and sometimes the croquettes explode. Their explosive power is way too high.  

And then there’s the cleanup afterward—oil splattered on the floor and stove, cleaning the exhaust fan, and all the hassle involved.  

People shouldn’t casually say, “I want to eat homemade croquettes,” because anyone who’s made them once knows how much work it is.  

Homemade croquettes are made with love. That’s because the process of making them is so tedious—I can’t think of anything else. Maybe it’s love for the food or love for the person eating it, but the effort is undeniable.  

Even if it’s not just homemade croquettes, cooking in general is a bit of a hassle.  

That’s why, I smile and say, “It’s delicious.”  

And honestly, it is delicious. Food made by someone else is delicious and makes me happy just by itself.

Hearing these words, Milia-san also smiles gently.  

“I’m so happy to hear that… a certain someone didn’t say anything at all,”   

Dawn-san, who was poking at his food, just ate in silence.  

Dawn, I think it would be better if you gave a proper response and thanked her sometimes. Just one word would make a difference.

Well, I can tell he probably thinks it’s delicious just from the speed he’s devouring it and expression on his face. So, it’s not so bad.  

Sometimes, there are people who eat silently no matter what you serve them, without reacting at all.  

No matter what you put out, the reaction is the same, it’s easier that way, but also kind of anti-climactic.  

Once, I mistakenly served a customer coffee instead of tempura dipping sauce, and he just kept eating without noticing.  

It would be nice to side with Milia-san and somehow get Dawn-san to say “it’s delicious,” but their relationship doesn’t seem that affected yet, so I’ll prioritize my own interest for now.  

“By the way, there’s something I’d like to ask you…” 

“What is it!?”  

Dawn-san responded quickly, grasping at the lifeline.  

“I think I can manage the farm field, but I need some seeds.”  

When I said that, Dawn-san groaned, hesitating for a minute.  

“If it’s just a little bit, I can give you some, but if you want a lot, it’s a bit of a hassle.” 

Right now, I just need a little, but I can’t deny I might want a lot eventually.  

“A hassle?”  

Dawn-san blinked for a moment then started explaining.  

“I usually collect the seeds for the vegetables I grow myself. If we’re short, we trade within your friends. And If it’s still not enough, then we typically go to Grandma Kaen’s place,”  

He said.  

Wait, who is this Grandma Kaen that’s suddenly making an appearance?  

I asked him more about it, and he explained:  

Seeds are generally self-collected.  

If you’re a little short, you ask your acquaintances if they have extra.  

If you need a lot, you look at the seed list at the agricultural guild.  

The seed list is a register where farmers record when they harvest more than they can use of certain seeds, like:  

Pumpkin seeds (hard shell variety) 100 seeds 5000 gold — Dawn 

Pumpkin seeds (orange shell variety) 200 seeds 8000 gold — Ban  

It shows who sells what and for how much, by vegetable type.  

You pay a fee to get a referral letter from the agricultural guild, then go to the seller and buy the seeds at the listed prices.  

Sometimes, buying directly from individuals is cheaper, but they might overcharge you at times, and it’s awkward to suddenly ask strangers to sell you seeds. That’s why this system was created.  

One name that appears quite frequently on this list is an old lady named “Kaerin.”

She doesn’t seem to like the “ri” in her name, and gets angry when people call her Kaerin, so she is called Grandma Kaen.

She apparently enjoys collecting seeds and crossbreeding more than actually growing vegetables. So she collects a lot of seeds every year and stores them.

She also seems to be careful about storing her seeds, and the seeds bought from her have a high germination rate, so the people in the know tend to buy exclusively from her.  

Wouldn’t it be better for the agricultural guild to just hire her at this point?  

That’s what I wonder.  

The trouble apparently, is that Grandma Kaen’s prices are very high. It seems her prices are a bit steep for most people.  

However, if you bring her seeds from your own prized vegetables—ones that are tastier, bigger, or easier to grow than others—and she likes them, she’ll sell you her seeds at half the listed price.  

Can she tell the qualities just by looking at the seeds?  

It’s a frightening thought, but apparently, she’s checked most of the vegetables grown by nearby farmers.  

Apparently, when they go to buy seeds, it sometimes ends up being the reverse.

“Dawn, did you bring those purple turnip seeds?”

That’s what she said to Dawn-san the first time he went to see Grandma kaen with his referral letter.

Wow, that’s scary.

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