Chapter 9: How to Eat Sweet Potatoes Deliciously

▶Young Branch of Ammakus

Grade: F

Description: A branch from the Ammakus tree that hasn’t fully grown yet. Unlike its hard branches, this one is still soft and edible. It tastes like butter when roasted.

▶Broom Mushroom

Grade: F

Description: A mushroom with a color and shape ambiguously positioned between poisonous and edible. Surprisingly, it’s edible. Because it restores stamina, it’s renowned among deer as an aphrodisiac.

‘Maybe it’s because we’re on an uninhabited island. I’m seeing quite a few edible things.’

I used the ‘Appraisal’ skill to find various ingredients.

‘Appraisal’ provides information about a target even without prior knowledge.

I couldn’t keep using it on the uninhabited island, but thanks to the item Hilde drew, I can use it again.

▶Ability Use Permit

Grade: A

Description: Generally, castaways who enter an uninhabited island cannot use their abilities. However, people registered to this permit can use their abilities freely. The Master is automatically registered, and up to three additional people can be registered.

‘So that’s why my abilities were blocked on the uninhabited island. I guess I needed an item like this.’

With my skills revived, I went around spamming ‘Appraisal’ mindlessly.

What I realized then was that there were surprisingly many edible ingredients.

Thanks to that, I could put out the immediate fire regarding our food problem.

“Wow, Master-nim, you have extensive knowledge of living things too.”

Hilde marveled as she looked at the mushrooms I had gathered.

“For now, I brought what edible things I could find nearby. It might not be enough for a main meal, but it should suffice for a meal.”

“This is already wonderful.”

The food we have consists of sweet potatoes, wild greens, and mushrooms.

Plus, there are pepper, which enhances food’s flavor, and the butter-flavored branches.

‘It’s not a small amount. But excluding the sweet potatoes, it would be difficult to make these our staple food.’

This way, it’ll be hard to meet our most crucial need: calories.

As expected, I need meat.

‘Maybe I’ll try hunting tomorrow.’

The more food, the better.

Since I have an inventory, storage is convenient too.

“Ah, I used the sword you lent me well.”

“Did you do as I told you?”

“Yes! I dug diligently!”

When I went to the spot, I saw a large pit under the dense trees.

The bottom was covered with soft leaves.

“……You made this much in the meantime?”

“It’s the first home for Master-nim and me.”

There doesn’t seem to be a suitable cave nearby.

I had asked her to dig out a space to use as a temporary shelter.

I never expected she would finish it all by herself.

“How did you manage to dig this much without a shovel?”

“Hehe. I wanted Master-nim to be surprised when you saw it.”

“I had planned to build it together when I returned. You worked hard.”

As praise, I ruffled her hair.

“Mmm, the reward is too great for the work done.”

“I’ll give you as much of this as you want.”

“……No, I can’t. It makes me feel too good.”

Even as she said that, Hilde wore an honestly happy expression.

It was a pure smile, reminiscent of an angel.

“There’s more time left than I thought. Let’s quickly eat first.”

“Ah, I’ll prepare it.”

“……No, it’s fine. I’ll do it.”

“?”

I intended to do the cooking since I could.

It was because I had discovered something concerning in my status window.

-Skills Owned: Dignity (A), Service (S), Cooking (F), Royal Martial Arts (A)

Hilde’s Cooking skill was Grade F.

I didn’t know the exact criteria, but it probably wasn’t a great skill.

‘If I had the leeway, maybe, but I can’t afford to take risks with limited ingredients.’

I wasn’t trying to blame Hilde, but there was no harm in being cautious.

More importantly, there was something I wanted to test.

“Hilde, could you gather some wood from around here that we can use as firewood?”

“Understood!”

Meanwhile, I began preparing for cooking in earnest.

First, I gathered and piled up small branches and dry leaves.

Next, I stacked the wood I had scored.

Finally, I surrounded the pile with clean stones I’d picked up from the stream.

‘Next is this.’

▶Black Flintstone

Grade: D+

Description: A black flintstone capable of creating embers. If you try hard enough, it seems you can use it to start a fire. If you found this by chance, it means you possess the smile of a goddess and a keen eye. Cherish it.

The flintstone I found while searching for food.

It looked just like an ordinary stone at first glance.

‘I definitely wouldn’t have found this without the Appraisal skill either.’

Tak-tak!

I rubbed the flintstone against a hard stone.

It wasn’t as easy as I thought.

After striking them together dozens of times, just as I was about to give up and consider lighting the wood conventionally…

Hwa-reuk!

“Ughhh! Finally!”

Finally, a bright red flame ignited.

“Hoo! Hoo!”

I quickly blew on it and added dry grass to grow the fire.

The flames spread to the wood, and soon it was burning brightly.

“Haa! This was the hardest thing I’ve done on the uninhabited island.”

In a world where it’s hard to even see fire in a kitchen these days.

I never imagined I’d have to struggle this much just to start a single fire.

It was a moment that made me appreciate modern civilization anew.

“Wow, you’ve already started a fire! Ah, should I place the firewood here?”

“Thanks. Just put it down nearby.”

Although I felt a sense of accomplishment, there was no time to rest.

Maintaining the fire was just as important as starting it.

“Let’s roast the sweet potatoes first. Hilde, could you put the mushrooms on skewers?”

“Hehe. It’s enjoyable doing things together with someone you like!”

Hearing her say that directly made me feel strange.

There was a different kind of shyness compared to when we have ordinary sex.

‘It’s because I know she’s sincere, which makes it even more so.’

I suppressed the urge to hold her right away and focused on the sweet potatoes.

Soon, the delicious smell of roasting sweet potatoes spread through the air.

Perhaps because it was such a busy day, my mouth watered involuntarily.

Before I knew it, Hilde was sitting beside me, waiting with sparkling eyes.

‘She looks like a puppy.’

I wondered if even someone of royal blood couldn’t resist this smell.

I took out a fully roasted sweet potato and handed it to her.

“Here, try eating this.”

“Thank you! Ack, hot hot! It’s hot!”

Startled by the heat, she didn’t let go of the sweet potato.

I quickly peeled off the skin, revealing the golden flesh inside.

“Wow.”

Hilde, wearing an expression of admiration, carefully moved her lips.

She took a bite of the sweet potato, roasted to a perfect golden brown and emitting a delicious aroma.

“Hau, heum, heu! H-hot…”

“It’s roasted, so of course it’s hot.”

Her face flushed red as she diligently rolled the sweet potato around in her mouth.

Or maybe, is that common across all universes?

It was slightly strange how even that looked pretty when Hilde did it.

“Hoo! Hoo!”

Perhaps having burned herself once was quite significant, as this time she blew on the sweet potato first.

She took another bite, and her face lit up.

“Mmm! Master-nim! This is amazing! It’s incredibly delicious!”

“This is called a roasted sweet potato.”

“Roasted sweet potato… The world is full of such delicious things.”

Hilde began savoring the sweet potato with a blissful expression.

I figured it was natural since she was eating it for the first time.

“Mmm, it’s definitely well-roasted.”

The ‘Golden Finger’ skill I possess has a wide range of effects.

It affects not only caressing but also crafting, swordsmanship, and even cooking.

This sweet potato’s taste likely includes that effect as well.

“Here, try eating this with it.”

“Isn’t this just roasted wood? So this is edible too.”

What I handed her was the ‘Young Branch of Ammakus’, roasted and ground into powder.

It looked just like milk powder.

According to its description, it tastes similar to butter.

“It’ll probably make the sweet potato taste even better?”

“Even better than this?!”

Hilde sprinkled the powder onto the sweet potato with a face full of anticipation.

Wagu-wagu!

She started eating the sweet potato frantically.

She even drank water roughly, wearing an expression as if she had gained the whole world.

“Master-nim… I’m the happiest right now…”

“Just with this?”

‘I thought someone of royal blood would have a picky palate.’

Seeing her eat so deliciously made me, the one who prepared it, happy too.

We devoured the sweet potatoes in an instant.

Eating the wild greens and mushrooms we picked along with it, our stomachs became quite full.

-Tring!

【Survival Quest Achieved!】

【Successfully secured food and replenished nutrients!】

【Food is a crucial element for survival. Let’s not waste it, secure it consistently, and ensure we don’t run out.】

【You gain 100P!】

【You used excellent ingredients to create a delicious meal even in a difficult environment!】

【Conditions for the Play Quest have been met!】

【You gain 100P!】

‘Oh, points come in like this too.’

Quest completion messages appeared one after another.

Just by eating, I earned 200 points.

‘It’s a structure where I use points to draw items, and then use those items to earn points again.’

In that case, is spamming the gacha the right answer?

Well, I was thinking of calling it a night soon, though.

‘Hmm, wait a minute. Then, maybe this will give me points too?’

I gathered some reasonably long branches from nearby.

I overlapped them and tied them in the shape of a ladder.

Then, I placed large leaves and dry twigs on top.

“Huh? You’re making a roof?”

“It’s just a rough, temporary one, but it should block the rain, at least.”

I still haven’t properly figured out the climate of this uninhabited island.

Not only do goblins live here, but there are also many plants I’ve never seen before.

‘Since it’s a hot region, sudden downpours like squalls could happen. It wouldn’t hurt to be careful.’

After a few adjustments, I managed to create a decent roof.

I covered the hole Hilde dug with it.

-Tring!

▶Poorly Made Temporary Shelter

Grade: E+

Description: A crude hut made temporarily by a beginner for spending a night. Due to lack of materials, a proper house couldn’t be built, but the sincerity and skillful touch resulted in high completeness. Stamina recovers slightly faster.

The hut we made even got a grade.

And it was E+!

It’s not high, but it’s not a bad evaluation for a first attempt.

‘And if my guess is correct.’

【Survival Quest Achieved!】

【You prepared a temporary shelter with excellent craftsmanship!】

【A comfortable place to rest greatly affects not only stamina but also the mind. Let’s strive to achieve the dream of owning our own home.】

【You gain 100P!】

“All right!”

As expected, making things also achieved a Survival Quest.

This means I earned a total of 300P just during the evening.

More importantly, I roughly grasped the quest conditions.

‘I should make things necessary for survival frequently.’

There are plenty of things I can try making.

Plus, ‘Golden Finger’ also helps with crafting.

“Hoohoo, seeing your excited expression, it seems you’ve gathered more points?”

“Yeah, I got about the same amount as before.”

“Are you going to draw right now?”

At Hilde’s words, I shook my head.

“No, let’s draw tomorrow. For now, let’s sleep.”

While drawing gacha is always beneficial, I can’t just spin it thoughtlessly.

I need to consider what kind of gacha to draw and how much to spend.

This is, after all, a limited resource.

“Tomorrow, I’ll try to scout the surrounding terrain. It’ll be tougher than today, so let’s get plenty of rest.”

“Understood.”

We entered the makeshift hut we had created.

With the roof covered, the interior felt quite cozy.

‘Thanks to the leaves Hilde laid down, the floor is nice and soft too.’

To think this was a home we built ourselves.

It somehow felt strange.

“Hehe, lying down like this feels kind of strange.”

“Me too.”

“Actually, this is my first time sleeping alone with a man.”

“……”

A moment of silence passed.

Tadak-tadak.

Only the sound of the still-burning campfire spread between us.

“Um, Master-nim…?”

“Yeah?”

“To move comfortably tomorrow, wouldn’t it be better to do some post-meal exercise, even just a little?”

“……”

And then, I earned another 100 points from the Play Quest.

【Current Points: 400P.】