Title: Bountiful Market! - A Mountain Of Treasures!
Characters: Jade, Epel, Idia, Sebek, Grim
JP Proofreader: okaykei
EN Proofreader: Jewishruggie
Event Story Navigation
| Episode 1 | 1-1 ・ 1-2 ・ 1-3 ・ 1-4 |
| Episode 2 | 2-1 ・ 2-2 ・ 2-3 ・ 2-4 ・ 2-5 ・ 2-6 |
| Episode 3 | 3-1 ・ 3-2 ・ 3-3 ・ 3-4 ・ 3-5 ・ 3-6 ・ 3-7 ・ 3-8 ・ 3-9 ・ 3-10 ・ 3-11 |
| Episode 4 | 4-1 ・ 4-2 ・ 4-3 ・ 4-4 ・ 4-5 ・ 4-6 ・ 4-7 ・ 4-8 ・ 4-9 |
| Episode 5 | 5-1 ・ 5-2 ・ 5-3 ・ 5-4 ・ 5-5 ・ 5-6 ・ 5-7 ・ 5-8 ・ 5-9 ・ 5-10 |
A Mountain Of Treasures!
Harveston - Apple Square
Grim
I wanna eat more apple pies!
Epel
While each person is only allowed to take one serving from the giant apple pie, we have regular ones on sale as well.
Jade
There appears to be quite a number of pie stalls set up all over the square.
Epel
Ahh~ There's so many I don't know which one to buy from!
Each stall has their own unique way of baking apple pies, so their crusts, the types of apples used as filling, and preparation methods all differ from each other.
Sebek
Oh ho? So the flavours produced by each stall is different?
Epel
Each of the villagers has their own preferred apple pie recipe.
So it's not just the stalls that differ. Each household also has their own unique recipes.
Some families cut the apples into chunks and knead them into the dough for the pie crust, while others use whole halves of apples as the toppings.
There are even families that only cook their apples lightly so they're almost as crispy as raw ones, and others who simmer their apples for a really long time so they become soft and gooey.
Grim
Sounds yummy! I wanna eat 'em all!
Epel
We have other varieties of fruit pie here, too, but apple pies are special.
The Fairest Queen is said to have loved them above all else, and so do the villagers.
The nearest town has lots of stores that sell apple pies made using apples from Harveston.
They're so delicious that they're called "apple pies that could make anyone drool."
It's even said…if you have a really tough request to make of someone,
Epel
all you need to do is to give them an apple pie from Harveston. They'll become so enchanted with its taste that they'll do anything you ask.
Jade
Hehe, they're so delicious that I can very easily see why people say such a thing.
Sebek
You sound very proud. I can feel the village's confidence in its apples.
Epel
Yeah. Harveston's apples are so high-quality that they have their own brand.
We honestly want to produce more since they're popular and there's demand for them, but…
…with the village's ageing population, it's difficult to accomplish. It's tough for the elderly to carry out all the farm work.
As for our younger generation, there's really only a handful of us, like me or my recently born cousin.
Since we're lacking manpower, I think that making up for it by using more chemical fertilisers and biotechnology would be the best option for making things easier.
Epel
But there are a lot of the elderly who are against it because they believe they're nothing but dangerous.
Depending on how they're used, they could help to make better quality or even more productive apples, but, well…
Jade
Adapting to new methodologies is certainly a challenge for the older generation.
Epel
Right? But I really want to make Harveston a hospitable place for everyone.
So I hope to study potions further at Night Raven College and use my knowledge to contribute to the village.
I plan on discovering ways to make agriculture both easier and safer for all the villagers.
Jade
It is admirable that you have put so much thought into your future, Epel.
Grim
Oi! Enough of that already, I wanna eat some more!
Sebek
Looks like there's some berries and cherries being sold over there.
Epel
That's the open-air market where they sell produce by weight. Let's go have a look.
Epel
There are colourful berries, lush green vegetables, foraged plants, and fresh mushrooms…
All sorts of food native to the mountains are sold here.
Any fruit you buy here can also be squeezed on the spot to make juice for you.
Jade
How splendid, there are mountains of local vegetation all around us!
Brännässla, Kirskål, Ormbunke, Maitohorsma, Ramslök…
Wiggin tree, Ramsons, Groblad, and even Åkerfräken…!1
I am overwhelmed with awe. It truly is a mountain of treasures!
Sebek
…I-I don't get a lick of what he's saying at all. It sounds like an incantation for some sort of curse.
Idia
Y-You're telling me… Legit thought he was reciting the names of monsters or robot troopers.
Epel
You can freely pick the plants and flowers growing in the area for consumption even if it's in a privately owned forest or up in the mountains.
That's why the locals here don't spend a single madol on native vegetation.
The intended customers for the plants sold here are the tourists who are in town for the festival.
Grim
You're saying anyone can pluck them off the ground?! I wanna pick my own veggies and mushrooms!
I'm gonna eat the plants all around Mount Moln! Epel, show me the way!
Epel
The locations of our native vegetation and mushrooms are kept secret precisely because of people like you.
If we take too much at once, the mountain's blessings will deplete in no time
Grim
Yeesh, that's dumb.
Epel
Plus, it's only possible to go foraging in spring and summer. The mountains are dangerous during the colder seasons.
Jade
Exactly. While it is quite a shame since I was looking forward to picking some vegetables and mushrooms myself…
The mountains are precarious during snowfall. Do not underestimate them!
Idia
On what grounds are you dishing out advice from, if we can even call it that?
Jade
Thus, I would like to make a big purchase here before we return.
Trattkantareller, Karl Johan, and Trumpetsvamp…!2
To think that I would have the opportunity to see such a bounty of mountain vegetation and mushrooms with my own two eyes!
Idia
Sigh… It's truly yikes to be stuck around such an excited otaku.
Epel
Who would've thought that Jade would be on the receiving end of those words from Idia of all people…
Grim
What does this stall sell?
Umya! This fish is all shrivelled up!
Sebek
Look carefully. It has not simply been left to shrivel up, it's been intentionally dried.
Grim
Umya…you're right!
Epel
In the past, roads weren't as developed as they are now, so getting food during winter was especially difficult.
If someone wanted to eat perishables like fish or meat, it was super tough to come by…
So the villagers began drying food in order to preserve them for winter.
It's easier to get perishables during winter now, but dried goods are still one of our specialties.
Grim
It sounds really, really yummy!
Epel
You can bring out the dried food's umami if you grill it over a fire.
They also make delicious broth, and can be used in a wide variety of dishes.
It's also a great souvenir since it can be stored for a long time without going bad.
Grim
Alright! I'm gonna buy it as a gift!
Epel
Really? Who's the gift for?
Grim
It's a gift from me, to me!
Epel
…Thought as much.
Sebek
That reminds me, I'll have to buy some souvenirs for Lord Malleus and Master Lilia.
…And, well, something for Silver too, I guess.
Epel
Let's all go look for souvenirs, then.
Although we don't sell many items that seem like souvenirs since we aren't a tourist site…
We still have delicious foods and rural crafts handmade by the villagers who put their heart, time, and soul into them to offer.
Notes
- I mostly Googled the names for reference so I might be wrong, but here’s the names of the plants/shrooms Jade lists and the origin of their names:
- Brännässla -> Nettles (Swedish name)
- Kirskål -> Ground elder (Swedish)
- Ormbunke -> Ferns (Swedish)
- Ramslök -> Siberian onion (Swedish)
- Maitohorsma -> Fireweed (Finnish)
- Wiggin tree -> Not sure about this one, but it’s possibly Mountain Ash according to Wikipedia here (Greater Manchester, United Kingdom?)
- Ramsons -> another name for Wild garlic/Bear leek
- Groblad -> Plantago major (Swedish)
- Åkerfräken -> Field Horsetail (Swedish) (Return to text)
- The mushroom names are:
- Trattkantareller (or trattkantarell) -> Craterellus tubaeformis (Swedish)
- Karl Johan -> Boletus edulis (Swedish or Danish, they are similar in spelling at least - Karljohanssvamp and Karl Johan svamp respectively)
- Trumpetsvamp -> Craterellus lutescens is what I see the most, but you can see that this is part of the name for several shrooms in Swedish as well (Return to text)