---

Outside of Bersengzeto, Tree Spirits are rare.

However, the situation was quite different inside.

Bersengzeto is traditionally the land of the Elves.

And Elves are a race that cultivate the World Tree and live alongside the forest.

Thanks to this, all the forests, big and small, in Bersengzeto are teeming with life, which is also the reason why Tree Spirits are most common in Europa, and why they become even more frequent as one approaches the capital of Bersengzeto.

The capital of Bersengzeto is beneath the World Tree.

As the name suggests, it is a city and forest that exists beneath the World Tree.

This makes the area beneath the World Tree the most vibrant city-forest in the world, and it is also the place where the most Tree Spirits live.

Jerika’s hometown is right under that World Tree.

Thanks to that, the relatively rare Earth Apples could be seen quite often.

“Tree Spirits give us Earth Apples as gifts every day.”

It wasn’t a complaint, of course.

After all, Earth Apples are a gift from the Tree Spirits, brimming with vitality and spiritual power.

Within Bersengzeto, one could easily find places to purchase them, and some guilds often gathered leftover Earth Apples to sell outside of Bersengzeto.

This became beneficial for Jerika’s adventure preparations.

In such a land where Earth Apples are abundant, Jerika had heard rumors about Elves contemplating how to utilize them in cooking throughout their lives.

Of course, the outcome was always predictable.

It seemed that the rich vitality and spiritual energy did not equate to good taste; Earth Apples tasted so bland that ordinary apples would feel embarrassed. Literally speaking.

Cooking them could improve the taste a little, but they were too precious and rare to serve as a staple.

While they were enough as a special treat or snack, there were many other snacks in the world that tasted better than Earth Apples.

Moreover, if one were to cook them without any preparation, just applying heat would cause the delicate vitality and spiritual power to vanish, completely stripping them of their value as Earth Apples.

Thus, there was a hint of curiosity in Jerika’s openly dubious gaze as she watched Karem’s cooking.

“So, this is it? Just sliced and fried?”

She had thought they would do something elaborate, using divine power and all, but frying was all it was? Really? Seriously?

Of course, up until the time when Jerika set off on her adventure, there hadn’t been any dishes in Bersengzeto that used oil so liberally. Butter? The oil in front of her was more than that butter.

Blergh!

“What the—?!”

“Get out of the way!”

That reckless little Elf was shoved aside by a Dwarf companion who was enthralled by the snack.

Aindelf, who came closer after pushing the clueless Jerika, couldn’t help but swallow his drool over a large bowl full of Seophon Fries.

“Ahem. Please, dear employer, may I have a taste?”

“This is just fried Earth Apples, isn’t it…?”

Before long, Sigurd IV approached and started mimicking Aindelf’s actions. Seeing that, Karem scooped out portions for Catherine and Mary and tossed the remaining bowl to the adventurers.

“Here, catch.”

“Hey, wait! You can’t just throw it like that—”

Swish—

For a moment, the bowl floated in the air before crashing down and creating a crisp frying sound that echoed as they collided.

Although it vanished instantly, the sweet sound pulled Jurin and Klink, who had been close by, even closer.

Naturally.

There are hardly any adventurers who don’t drink alcohol.

Crisp! Crunch!

“Whoa, how is it that just frying it and adding salt creates this?”

“It’s more than just frying, isn’t it?”

“It’s simple but that’s the greatness behind it. Wow, how can this be—”

“Guys. I brought the sauces.”

In response, Lumiere, who received the ketchup and mayonnaise from Mary, chimed in.

Crisp!

“Dipping it in ketchup makes it even better.”

“Lumiere. You too.”

“Jerika. It’s really good, come try it.”

Hesitantly, Jerika approached.

Honestly, seeing that reaction made her curious.

“It’s lighter than I expected.”

Jerika picked up a Seophon Fry, turning it a bit before cautiously nibbling on the edge.

Crisp!

With a pensive expression, she chewed. The sound of crunching filled the air but quickly faded.

“So, pointy ears. If you’re still uncomfortable, we could just eat it all ourselves.”

“Aindelf is right. If you don’t want it, we’ll finish it off.”

“Just wait a moment, you squat dwarves. I need to dip it in sauce first.”

After taking a bite of the Seophon Fry, Jerika dipped it in ketchup, then followed up with a dip in mayonnaise.

“So, how does it taste?”

“…”

Jerika didn’t say a word.

Instead, she quickly began to wolf down the Seophon Fries from the bowl with both hands.

“Wait, wait! This crazy Elf is going to eat it all herself!”

The sight of the out-of-control Elf, with a priest holding her back, and Dwarfs wielding beer while busy eating fries, and even the Gnomes enjoying their fried food, drew a chuckle from the magician standing a step back.

Karem, seated beside Catherine, summed it up in one phrase.

“This is a total mess.”

“Well, given this crowd, it’s actually rather quiet for once. Ketchup.”

Crunch. Catherine took a bite of the Seophon Fry Mary had offered. She chewed carefully, savoring each moment before nodding slightly.

“Mayonnaise suits it a bit better.”

“Huh? No way. It has to be ketchup with this.”

Karem took several fries in one hand, sniffing them for a moment before dipping them in ketchup and popping one into his mouth.

Indeed, the process of frying, cooling, and frying again was worth it.

No matter how many times he chewed, the outside remained crispy.

Meanwhile, the inside retained its moisture.

The toasty flavor amplified by just the right amount of salt.

Soon, the fries fried in oil extracted from the Akusare Golem released a subtle mushroom aroma with each bite.

The tangy acidity of the ketchup stimulated his tongue, quickly followed by the sweet-salty umami taste of the tomato that enveloped the salt, leading to an infinite cycle of flavor.

“Truly, fries are best with ketchup.”

While Karem munched on a few fries, he glanced over at the chaotic scene.

“Oh, I missed it.”

“Crazy, hey! Where’s your pride as an Elf!?”

“Vitality? Spiritual power? All of that is rubbish!”

“It seems she’s lost her mind.”

Jerika, who had lost her senses, was now eagerly munching on the Seophon Fries, outpacing even the Dwarfs with her ferocity.

“If she keeps eating like that, she’s going to gain weight.”

“Weight?”

“After tasting the Earth Apples, they seem somewhat similar to bread.”

“Hmm, they definitely have a nutty and bland flavor.”

“But these are soaked in a ton of oil.”

Catherine glanced at the pot of oil on the floor. The oil level was visibly decreasing. Her eyes instinctually darted to the nearly empty bowl of fries.

“I should probably hold back a bit.”

“What? Gaining weight? Huh? Sister Catherine?”

“Why? Is it that surprising I think I should hold back?”

“…”

Is that really a thing to say?

Karem let out an unintentional chuckle. It was naturally surprising. After all, Catherine had been confident and indulged in food, claiming she never gained weight. Not to the extent of Alicia, but still quite a bit.

Unless she were to rely on magic or potions for help.

She had always confidently stated it was just how her body was.

Thus, she unknowingly became an object of jealousy. It was only natural for Karem to be surprised that she claimed to hold back now.

“What a rude look you have there.”

Catherine shot him a glare of indignation while taking a bite of the fries dipped in mayonnaise that Mary handed.

“Well, even if I have a body that doesn’t gain weight, it’s natural to be cautious of such oil-laden dishes. You little rascal.”

“That much oil is basically the same as gorging on it.”

That’s just how fried foods are, but dishes like Seophon Fries, which are high in carbohydrates and fats, exacerbate things even more.

“Of course, there’s a bigger reason behind it.”

“Really?”

“It seems someone here enjoys it more than expected.”

Are you talking about those two Dwarfs and the Elf devouring it? Karem tilted his head in bewilderment.

“Karem, I’m talking about the one over there, shoveling fries into her mouth while dipping them in sauce, leaving the plate bare.”

Mary pointed with her eyes at the depleting plate while Karem was still processing this.

“This, this is beyond my control.”

“Seriously, you can’t have an empty plate before serving dessert again, can you?”

But really, there was nothing he could do.

What fries meant to modern people was that they were the quintessential side dish, often served alongside mains and simply a must-have.

Of course, dead fried potatoes aren’t much different from refined carbohydrates, so they’re undoubtedly a weight gain bomb.

Yet, anyone who has experienced the regret of not eating fries understands how disappointing it truly is.

Having not encountered fries for over ten years due to reincarnation, he found a similar produce right here.

“Contractor. The me from back then is different from now. It’ll be a year soon that I haven’t shown any disgrace in front of the contractor.”

“So, you’re saying you stuff yourself with food before serving?”

“Whoops. How could that be!?”

“Who do you think helps you when you make snacks?”

“Karem! I kept watch while you two held hands and kissed!”

“Be quiet!”

“Ahhhh! Contractor! My head! My heaaaaad!”

Catherine shouted with absurdity while grabbing Mary by the head like a hawk would its prey.

Fortunately, Catherine’s worries were unnecessary, as the adventurers were too busy defending their fries from each other.

Karem watched the scene and alternated his gaze between Mary’s tormented face as he munched on fries. By the time the plate was almost empty, Mary, having been released from her captor’s grip, stood up looking composed as if nothing ever happened.

“Are you okay?”

“You don’t need to worry, Karem. I’m perfectly fine.”

“No, there are finger marks on your forehead. Four of them.”

“Oh dear, have we really finished all the fries? Now that I know the method, I’ll fry a fresh batch. Please clear the remaining ones.”

“Sure.”

“Is the cooling process with divine power really necessary?”

“It’s part of making it more crispy. Technically, it isn’t necessary?”

“Understood. Please pass.”

Following Mary’s request, Karem shoveled the remaining Seophon Fries into his mouth, and Mary whisked the bowl away. She immediately started preparing new fries.

“Are you really going to eat all of that by yourself?”

Catherine rebuked, her gaze sharp as she quickly glanced over the dwarves diving into their snacks while the chaotic adventurers shifted their focus to the Earth Apples.

“Not that it matters much, it seems.”

“Hmm?”

“Never mind that. Just lower your head a bit.”

Karem was unsure but decided to comply, having no particular reason to refuse.

Crisp!

At that moment, Catherine’s face was suddenly in his personal space and then drew back.

“Mmm. The mayonnaise is good, but this is surprisingly decent too.”

“…Hmph.”

Tutatis, oh my.

Karem squeezed his eyes shut.

Catherine’s smile graced her face, just a hint of playful mischief in her gaze.

The Seophon fries she had chewed before were buried between her lips.

The gentle caress of her lips grazing his.

In that moment, while Karem was stunned and frozen in place, Catherine felt a flash of satisfaction.

Surely, she could feel embarrassed outdoors too.

But witnessing such a reaction from her beloved was far more enticing.

“Hm? Are you embarrassed?”

Gulp—

Catherine took a bite of the fry Karem had been munching on, then wiped her lips with her thumb.

“No, I mean. This is really troublesome, you know?”

“It’s not like we haven’t gone beyond this before.”

“Please, let’s take it slow!”

“Hmm, then let’s settle for this.”

Peck.

In a flash, Catherine tiptoed and quickly pecked Karem’s lips before darting off to Mary in preparation with the Earth Apples.

“Mary, are you done?”

“Could you wait a moment? But, why is Karem behaving that way?”

Mary, perched sideways in her chair with her hands buried in her head, asked Catherine as she watched Karem.

“Who knows.”

Catherine’s eyes curved like crescent moons.

Of course, she had no intention of answering.

 

---