My Evil System

When I got back to the camp, I was surprised to see that Daedalus had already finished building a smokehouse.

It was just a small container made of bricks that had a vent on its roof.

Florin was by the bonfire, roasting another lizard she caught and another beast that I didn't want to know about while Athena and Daedalus were working at my house.

Seeing that my house was under construction, it looked like I would have to sleep in Athena's hut for the time being.

I didn't bother them and proceeded to start doing my part. First, I'd clean the fish. Then I'd start smoking them to preserve them.

If it had been some time ago, I would have to peek through the darkness. Fortunately, there were lights around my place now.

Not an advertisement, but the [Glowing Crystals] made my territory brighter than my future.

Every tower by the wooden gates had lights, and every meter by the pathway had lamp posts. Lanterns with [Glowing Crystals] inside also hung on both sides of every structure and their doorway.

It was more convenient to move in the night now than before.

An idea crossed my mind. Lamps with [Glowing Crystals] should sell, right? In Roselake Town, I noticed they were still using torches and candles as their primary source of light. Other cities should be more or less the same.

If that were the case, then I'd be rich after introducing something new in the market!

<And your village will be in danger of war because of the Glowing Crystals. But that suits the system just fine. Carry on with your plans, Host. The system is two hundred percent at your back!>

". . ." I suddenly changed my mind.

I pulled my focus back to the task at hand, going to the well to get some water I could use to clean the fish. After washing them, I removed their bones, tendons, and excess fat, which was a crucial step before drying or smoking a fish.

I cut some of them into smaller pieces. Half of them were rubbed with salt and spices, and the rest were soaked in a brine that Ulysses made.

The salinity of the brine was already tested. Before soaking the fish, I cracked a raw egg on top of it — it floated, so it was salty enough.

I passed the smaller fish to Florin, so she could roast it while I handled the big fish myself, preparing to cook fish stew.

There were still a few fish that remained, and I hung them in a well-ventilated area outdoors, making sure that it was at least two meters from the ground. It was bye-bye fish if the animals got into it.

Air circulation was vital in ensuring that the meat wouldn't rot. As for temperature, everything was fine as long as it did not exceed 40 degrees Celsius.

The rest, I put them in the smokehouse.

<Wow, Host. You sure know your stuff even without Athena's help.>

I used to help my grandparents when I was small. I told the system in my head.

My heart swelled when I remembered that time when I was still a kid.

Our village in the province was so remote and very far from the city, one where you could count the huts in the mountainside and farmlands with your fingers.

We were so poor that we couldn't even afford a kilo of rice, so my grandmother used to lend her land in exchange for rice. The other farmers used her land to plant crops and pay for their produce.

That was how we got by.

Though we didn't have money, we were never hungry since food was abundant in the forest and rivers. I also grew up being taught about all sorts of things I needed to survive using the resources readily found nearby.

We didn't even have electricity there. For light, we used fire. For food, especially during the famine months, we ate dried, pickled, or smoked produce, which we personally made.

Life was hard, but it was worth it in the end. It felt a lot better after surviving the rough times.

My grandparents were very strict and resilient. They often told me that life was beautiful and that the hard times were only temporary — just don't give up in the end.

. . . They were gone, though.

I miss them so much. They had been dead for years now, but I could still see their faces as clear as day.

They used to say that as long as we're alive, then we should live our lives to the fullest. They encouraged me to have fun and be happy. Even when I was having a bad day, my grandfather would bring out his harmonica and play "Amazing Grace" for me.

Every time I hear that song, I know everything will be okay again. Whenever I listened to it, I could feel myself starting to calm down.

I smiled at my memories of them. Watching them cook and playing with them was one of my childhood pastimes.

My grandmother knew how to make me laugh. Being around her always made me inexplicably feel safe. On the other hand, my grandfather was a bit quiet, but his sense of humor was also great.

It wasn't until after they died that I realized how much they meant to me. There was something special about them that made me want to be better than who I was. They were so strong and brave, and they were still like that even when things didn't go their way.

They taught me not to give up no matter what. They taught me to keep fighting for what I wanted. They taught me never to let anyone take away my dreams.

. . . I needed them more than ever now.

I blinked the tears and took a deep breath before resuming my work.

Old age took them.

< . . . >

The night passed by as usual. Florin was talking about her day like always. Daedalus couldn't be disturbed by his work. Athena was giving her lectures on things that didn't interest me. Ulysses was too engrossed in his lab to care about the happenings outside.

Yep, the usual.

Looking at these creatures that I had just met, my grandparents' last words rang in my head, and a small smile curved my lips upward.

'A door might close, but a new one would open.'

And I hoped that this peace would last forever.