The Artist Who Paints Dungeon

The last piece of jerky was hung out in the yard.

Gio clapped his hands.

“It's like a field of meat that wasn't found anywhere.”

“Cooool.”

“This dad agrees—it's a beautiful sight.”

However, that didn't mean every piece of meat was turned into jerky. Trusting the forest that kept ingredients from spoiling, he also stored some raw meat in the ice storage. And then…

“The rest of the meat should either be made into sausages or preserved.”

The system stated that 'sun-dried processed meat' had specific effects. So for now he marinated the sliced meat in seasoning and hung them up like dried food. However, he deliberately used only the tender parts to make it easier to eat later.

“I deliberately separated the intestines and stomach to remove the unpleasant smell, so we can start using them now.”

Not all the deer's innards were given to the waterfowl. The long, rope-like intestines and the stomach, which was clearly full of traces from eating a lot, were left out.

He removed all the smelly parts and soaked them in a blend of apple, lemon, and onion juice, which should take care of any unpleasant odours.

“As far as I know, we still have plenty of meat left.”

“Coooor.”

“I'm still inexperienced in butchering… so there's a lot of chopped-up meat, which seems suitable for making sausages.”

It wouldn't be bad to use them in a stew, but to maximize the effectiveness of the tree-horned deer's meat, the system suggested preparing it as 'sun-dried processed meat'.

Rather than drying each piece of chopped-up meat one by one, bundling them into sausages and hanging them up seemed more efficient. It's also one of the great ways to store leftover meat.

“Let's save the remaining bones and meat for making soup later.”

“Coooooor!”

It might be a good idea to prepare bone broth in advance.

“Now the important question is how to season it.”

Honey seemed pleased.

“Coor.”

“Pig?”

“Cooor.”

“I see.”

Was it finally acknowledging its identity?

“While we're at it, I'd like to try some new spices….”

Even a brief glance showed that the forest surrounding the cabin was vast.

Gio's routes were always the same, so there were surely plenty of places and fruits he had yet to discover.

“Shall we go on an adventure for the first time in a while?”

“Coocoocoo.”

“Of course, I'll take you with me.”

Recalling how it had devoured deer innards in a combative manner, he felt a sense of security.

'While the forest animals might be friendly to me, there's no guarantee that creatures from other dimensions will be. It's scary, so I absolutely have to bring Honey along.'

That's right—Gio was scared.

“No matter how much I think about it, invasive species were nerve-wracking.”

“Coo …?”

“If a deer with metallic antlers and hooves rampages, I'm confident I'd die in 10 seconds.”

“Coocoo….”

“Please protect your fragile dad.”

So, where should he go to look for some spices?

“Once I start moving, won't something I want to do come to mind?”

Having come to a clear conclusion, Gio pulled out his cloak and put it on. He wore it whenever he thought he'd go a bit far, yet the cloak remained perfectly clean.

'I really should upgrade this later too.'

He had thought about it over 50 times already, but never got around to it.

“Cooor….”

“I'll do it someday.”

As usual, Gio, who brought a basket, set his priority.

“I'd like to find new spices or sauces. There must be unique ingredients only found in this fantasy world—something like Lulupu or Goby fruit….”

For example, things like pepper, salt, sugar, etc.

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“There is a limit to continuously relying on the cabin.”

The hut's cupboards and storage are fully stocked with basic ingredients and spices. However, it's unclear how long they'll last or if they'll automatically restock like before when used up.

“It's better to prepare in advance than to deal with the hassle of painting it one by one later.”

“Coooo.”

“Especially salt—it's essential for living….”

The water in the waterfowl's lake was salty, so evaporating it might yield salt.

'I haven't tried it yet, but it shouldn't be impossible.'

Gio muttered to himself.

“It'd be nice if a cow or chicken just appeared out of nowhere.”

He was even hoping for livestock.

“Then we could always get milk and eggs.”

“Coooorrrr?”

“Aren't you… male?”

He had assumed it was male, despite having no evidence to back it up. Could it perhaps lay eggs?

“Not a son but a daughter?”

“Coong.”

“Oh, that wasn't it?”

“Coocoo.”

Apparently, it seemed like it had no gender.

“That's impressive.”

Indeed, when looking at the waterfowl of the lake, which multiplied their numbers by splitting like amoebas, a process like mating didn't seem necessary.

Gio nodded.

“Thinking too deeply is tiresome, so let's just call you a son, do you agree?”

“Cooor.”

“Good.”

For a moment, Gio almost feared the limitless potential of his abilities but soon felt at ease, realizing all he could do with them was make roast potatoes.

“There's no way someone as harmless as me could be a creature that threatens world peace.”

“Agree with me, Honey. Your dad is a harmless being.”

Honey didn't agree until the end.

“So stubborn.”

Honey was a being who could say no when something wasn't right.

The forest around the cabin was very cool. If one stepped into the shade, a refreshing breeze blew, and if under the sunlight, like a spring blanket, the warm air wrapped around them.

Wandering without any particular purpose was like going on a picnic, giving off a pleasant sense of leisure.

“Ah.”

As Gio walked without much thought, he finally reaped a decent harvest.

“This looks edible.”

“Coooorrrrr.”

“Right? The aroma is also unique….”

It was a plant with small, transparent tetrahedral fruits hanging in clusters like lily-of-the-valley flowers.

Milky Way Mary

A flower characterized by its transparent fruits and black stems. Named 'Milky Way Mary' after its first discoverer, Mary, and its distinctive appearance. Each plant bears 11 fruits. While slightly toxic when eaten raw, the fruits can be dried and hardened into a spicy, pungent seasoning.

The first discoverer?

'So there was the first discoverer named Mary?'

It was a revelation that broadened his understanding of this world. Does it mean plants and animals growing here might also exist in some other dimensions?

“So this ecosystem wasn't created solely from my imagination.”

“Cooorrr?”

“No, I'm not upset.”

It was just a bit funny how expansive the world-building turned out to be.

“Dear God of Heavens and Earth.”

Where on earth did he end up?

“Life truly is a rollercoaster.”

Refinement Method: Soak in Salasala tree sap to neutralize the toxicity and halt drying. Store them in a canned form, grind them with forest butterfly wings, and shape them into small pills for an excellent fatigue recovery agent. Keep it in a dark place away from sunlight.

The system also provided a refinement method, but he wasn't particularly interested. Gio was focused solely on the flavour and aroma.

“So basically, it's pepper?”

Fatigue recovery or whatever—it didn't matter.

Delighted by the discovery of a new spice after a long while, Gio quickly picked the 'Milky Way Mary' fruits. Since the fruits were fully ripened, they dropped with a light touch.

“I must remember that.”

Gio muttered, stretching his back as he collected more than a handful of fruits.

“This must be a Milky Way cluster.”

The flower field, with small, transparent fruits glistening all over, was so beautiful it felt like a waste to see it alone. Perhaps because the forest was so dark, the transparency of the fruits stood out even more, to the point it truly resembled the Milky Way.

“It must look even more beautiful at night.”

“Coorrr…”

“Well, anyway, the pepper is taken care of.”

Sniff, sniff. He tried to catch the scent but couldn't detect anything at the moment.

“…Is it the kind that releases fragrance when it dries?”

Like the Goby fruit, perhaps.

'I wonder what kind of spiciness it will have.'

The description said it was spicy and pungent, but it was hard to grasp the exact feel.

“It might not be pepper but rather something like a small, spicy chili peppers.”

“Cooorrr?”

“Or could it be similar to the Sichuan pepper? But Sichuan peppers are more numbing than spicy… Seems like we'll have to dry it first to see what kind of dishes it suits.”

The small fruits glistened like transparent beads but felt fragile and crinkly as if made of thin plastic. Inside, the flesh seemed firmer than the skin …. but still appeared easily crushable.

“To think this becomes hard when it dries.”

It was a curious kind of vegetation, like something out of a storybook. Its appearance matched as well.

“I'll have to try using it when grilling meat.”

Feeling a sense of fulfilment in life, Gio held the basket dearly in his arms.

In the past, pepper was treated almost like gold on Earth, and Gio's current feelings were no different.

“Are there any other spices around here?”

“Cooor?”

“No matter what, it'd be too plain to make something with only pepper.”

“Coo.”

“Let's go in a bit further.”

Sausages can be made in various ways.

“First, meat and fat are the basic ingredients.”

This part was already prepared and divided into sections. It was placed in a cool storage and covered with a large cloth to prevent it from spoiling. Once all the other ingredients are gathered, I plan to start processing the leftover meat.

Although the meat butchered this time didn't carry any gamey smell, other spices were needed to enhance the savoury flavour. Making sausages with just salt, pepper, and meat would be too dull.

“A proper sausage needs to have deep flavour and aroma.”

Fortunately, he had already discovered 'Milky Way Mary,' which served as both chilli and pepper.

“But it's still not enough.”

The fun part of making sausages was how the taste and aroma varied drastically depending on what herbs and spices were added to the mix.

Using only Milky Way Mary, which was presumed to have a mixed scent of chilli and pepper, might produce decent sausages, but ….

“Let's keep going.”

“Cooorrrrrr.”

“If any dangerous animals appear, let me know.”

As Honey's dad, Gio instinctively knew that this round waterfowl was far from weak. Though small and precious, Honey played the role of a reliable bodyguard.

Walking through the forest, Gio continued talking.

“There are key conditions for making a delicious cured meat.”

First, adjust the amount of salt to match the storage period and climate.

“In a forest like this, where the ingredients don't rot, it might sound unnecessary…”

“Coor?”

“But too much salt in the cured meat makes it difficult to use in cooking despite lasting longer, whereas too little salt results in improper curing, causing the meat to spoil.”

“Coongcoongcoong…”

“Yes, it's troublesome.”

And that's the funny thing. The intricate recipes of the world held an irresistible charm that always stirred Gio's sense of challenge.

“The temperature of this forest is moderately mild, and as long as the curing is done well, there's no worry about the meat spoiling, which I think is great. I don't particularly like overly salty jerky or sausages anyway.”

“Coooorr…”

“If it's too salty, you can't eat much. You'll get full too quickly.”

“Coo.”

“I knew you'd agree with me.”

The duo reaffirmed their mutual trust.

“And second, drying it according to its intended use.”

“Coong?”

The reaction seemed to ask, 'Cured meat has specific uses?'

“Sausages aren't all the same.”

Having his son by his side, not needing to talk to himself, was truly a source of happiness. This is why people need friends.

“Normally, the longer you dry the meat, the tougher it gets, so there are many types.”

“Cooor…”

“Sure, you'd eat anything, but try thinking about it from a human perspective.”

In the world, there were more types of cooking methods than the number of people.

“There are sausages eaten fresh, and sausages cooked after being completely hardened.”

The former was usually eaten boiled or grilled, while the latter was either boiled like fresh sausages or steamed.

“Fresh sausages overflow with juices when barely heated, but fully dried sausages don't. Since no one wants to chew on hard sausages, maybe they're trying to somehow replenish the lack of moisture inside… isn't that the case?”

And third.

“This one's the most important—flavour and aroma.”

“Coorrrrrrrrr.”

Honey agreed enthusiastically.

“You're such a foodie.”

Truthfully, he believed 99.9% criteria for a good sausage depended on this.

“This dad hates tasteless food.”

“Coong.”

Once again, Honey expressed intense agreement.

“So, if I'm making it anyway, I want to do it well this time too.”

The ingredients and their forms varied slightly depending on the type of sausage being made.

“There are endless ways to make sausages. If you want light-flavoured meat, add a little salt and just enough spices to neutralize any gamey smell. If you need something stimulating as a side dish, add spices that are pungent and tingly on your tongue.”

“Coong…”

“If you want to experience more diverse flavours, you can add vegetables, not just spices. Of course, if it's vegetables with too much moisture, it can be a bit challenging … In my experience, it'll be good if you salt them and remove moisture completely before adding them, since it'll prevent water or mould from forming inside the sausage.”

Gio rolled his eyes as he imagined the sausages he would make.

“I'm starting to crave something spicy, so if there are spices or vegetables that can heat up the tongue, I'd like to find and take them. When making such sausages, adding ingredients with a slight bitterness makes the flavour richer. Of course, adding too much could result in a bizarre dish…”

But Gio's self-esteem was excessively high to feel anxious about such things.

“I, with the spirit of a top-tier artist, would never make such a mistake. Just trust me.”

“Cooor?”

“… Are you worried that you might not like spicy food? Well, it might indeed be too spicy for birds.”

Gio nodded.

“Then we should also make a mild-flavoured sausage. For such sausages, it's the same—if you want a richer flavour, we can add ingredients that produce a neutral and soft aroma. Mild-scented herbs would be good.”

“But still, I want to eat something spicy. How about trying to make a spicy one and one completely salty sausage? It would be nice if there were ingredients that complement well with spices like Milky Way Mary or ginger.”

Seeing Honey's questioning look that seemed to say, 'Can you really pull this off?' Gio confidently nodded.

“There's nothing this dad can't do.”

For delicious food, what wouldn't he do? Gio was filled with confidence.

Just then, he spotted something interesting.

Crying Hem

Unrefined Crying Hem has a dark teal hue and produces a spicy taste and aroma. Washing it in a solution of water, sugar and Salasala tree sap removes its toxicity.

“That's an excellent description.”