Strange Dragon – 164

Chapter 164 – Sugar of the New Continent

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When I entered the house, Ije noticed immediately.

“Ah, Mr. Theo.”
“I was curious to see how it was stored. Can you show me?”
“Okay. Here is pot for sugar beets.”

“…It is very big.”

Three Ijes could fit inside the pot.

So Kelly was very surprised.

And so Ije had to pick up Hippolius, while Kelly picked up Shiro, so that they could smell it.

They two sniffed with serious expressions.

“This pot. Used for sugar beets temporarily after gathering.”

“Hmm. So you didn’t turn them to sugar right away?”

“Cut into small pieces and stored with water.”

Kelly reacted to this.

“Oh? Water? Then your methods are different from the old continent.”

“Soak in water. And then taste will be better.”
“I see. And you cut it right before putting it in the water?”
“Already cut when brought back to village.”
“So it is cut on the spot.”
“Because very big. Cannot carry without cutting.”
“I see. Then they must be larger than the ones on the old continent.”

The sugar makers must have worked many years to perfect their process.

And so if the method was different here, it was likely a very different type of sugar beet.

“Soak in water for one day. Then peel off skin and chop up into smaller pieces. Then boil in pot.”
“I see.”
“Careful so that it does not boil too much. After one hour, take out.”
“Hmm.”
“Then the water that is left is boil. Take out harshness. Then cool off and ready.”
“That must take a lot of time.”
“Yes. Hard work.”

They must have been heavy, as Ije and Kelly put Hippolius and Shiro back on the ground.

And then Kelly petted them and said,

“So aside from soaking them, the process is the same. But do you use ash?”
“Not use.”
“I see.”
“Kelly. Is there a way to do it with ash?”
“Indeed. You put ash in the harshness to make it sink.”
“Hmm. Well, if that makes the process easier, then it sounds like a good idea.”

“Well, the type of sugar beet is different, so I think it is good to adhere to local methods.”

Kelly was probably right.

We could maybe experiment with it after we knew more about the nature of the sugar beets.

“And where is the pot where the sugar is stored?”
“Here.”

It was smaller than the other.

Perhaps Fio would be able to fit inside.

“Big, because it has one year of sugar.”
“For how many people?”

Kelly wanted to know how much sugar a person ate in the village.

“Three.”

“I see. That is similar to nobles on the old continent.”

Sugar was expensive, and so commoners could not eat it often.

“The lid is tight on this pot. Bugs not get in.”

“I see. Bugs do like sugar.”

“Want to take this too.”
“Of course, you can. Should we take the larger pot as well?”
“Yes. Take too.”

While we were talking, Hippolius and Shiro sniffed inside of the pot.

And then Ije opened the lid of the smaller pot.

About one fifth of it was filled with brown powder.

“Yes. It safe.”

“The lid protected it from the bugs. Mr. Theo. Don’t you think it is a very good pot?”
“Aye, it is. I would like to use it for future reference.”

From the materials to the creation methods, I wanted to study all of it with appraisal.

Ije brought a spoon and tasted the sugar.

“Yes. Okay. Taste good.”

She was making sure that the quality of the sugar had not dropped.

“Taste sugar too?”
“Can I?”

Apparently, Kelly had wanted to taste it.

“Yes.”

Ije brought a new spoon and scooped up a little sugar for Kelly.

“Thank you… This is really good sugar. Better in quality than the most expensive sugar I have seen on the old continent.”

“That much?”

I tasted it as well. It really was sweet and delicious.

However, I had never had top grade sugar, so I could not compare them.

“Kyuo-kyuo!”
“Wuff!”

“Mr. Theo. Will go to other houses and gather sugar.”
“We would be grateful. That’s right. You should take the magic bag with you.”
“Thank you!”

The sugar pot was big.

And so it would be difficult for Ije to carry it alone.

But with the magic bag, it should not be a problem.

“Ije. Can Fio and the others waiting outside have a taste too?”
“Of course.”

And so Ije went running out in order to gather the pots.

In the meantime, I went outside and walked back to Fio and the wolf cubs.

‘Eat, eat!’

“Au.”
‘Eat.’

After drinking their water, the wolf cubs were eager to eat the sugar as well.

Apparently, they had been listening to us.

“Fio. Let’s go to Ije’s house.”
“Okay! Sugar good?”

“Aye, very good. You can taste a little.”
“Yay!”

I put the wolf cubs in the basket, and with Fio, returned to Ije’s house.

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