Isekai Nonbiri Sozai Saishu Seikatsu - Chapter 67

After collecting the Fruits of Wrath, were walking towards the northeast, where the Seven-colored Grapes are located.

“Since we found the Fruit of Wrath, there should be Seven-colored Grapes around here,” murmured Lumia, looking at the note she received from Saffy.

“Does the note happen to have a map?”

“Well, it does, but it’s terribly rough…”

With a wry smile, Lumina handed me the note, on which a drawing that seemed like a child’s doodle was depicted.

Near the lake, there was a prickly Fruit of Wrath drawn, and about diagonally to the upper right, it was written with the words ‘around here.’

“Indeed, this is quite rough.”

“My master doesn’t have much talent for drawing.”

At least, if she could tell me the names of materials or monsters along the way, it would have been helpful.

She doesn’t have to force herself to draw illustrations.

While thinking about such things, I returned the note to Lumia.

After that, I checked the situation of the surrounding monsters through a magic stone detection.

Then, monsters such as Capill, Wide Spider, Morphus, and Fly Centipede were displayed.

Approaching us is the mild-mannered Morphus. This monster won’t attack unless we provoke it, so there’s no need to detour.

As we leisurely proceed, we encounter the Morphus, which didn’t change its course much.

“Oh, it’s Morphus.”

Moving its glossy purple wings, Morphus gracefully crosses our path.

As it disappears behind the trees, Lumia expresses her thoughts with a sigh of relief.

“It’s wonderful how Capill can become so beautiful, don’t you think?”

“Y-yes, indeed.”

My hesitation in responding wasn’t because I couldn’t relate. Rather, the Morphus, now obscured from our line of sight, falls prey to an ambush by the lurking Wide Spider.

Morphus is entangled in the long legs of the Wide Spider.

With only the silhouette visible, the gruesome scene is left to the imagination.

This world is survival of the fittest.

“The insect-type monsters seem to be increasing.”

“Oh, now that you mention it, my master did say that insect-type monsters tend to gather around Seven-colored Grapes!” Upon hearing my mutter, Lumia recalls and speaks as if remembering.

“In that case, there might be Seven-colored Grapes around here.”

“Yes, let’s split up and search!”

However, since there are many monsters in this area, we decide to search without putting too much distance between us.

“Ah! There’s something that looks like it, Shuu-san!”

As I was thinking of using detection, Lumia’s excited voice reaches me.

It seems that we didn’t need to use the skill this time.

Looking in the direction Lumia pointed, Seven-colored Grapes were growing, hiding among the branches and leaves of the trees.

The location itself is in an inconspicuous shaded area, but the eyes are irresistibly attracted to the vivid colors.

Even if only a little is exposed, it was enough to make it obvious.

After confirming with a magic stone detection that there are no monsters around, Lumia and I approach what seems to be Seven-colored Grapes.

【Seven-color Grapes】

Grapes with seven different colors. The taste varies with each color, allowing you to experience seven different flavors simultaneously. Tasting all seven at once is exquisite.

“I appraised it, and it seems to be Seven-colored Grapes without a doubt.”

“Really!? So, these have the taste of seven colors…”

Lumia stares at the Seven-colored Grapes in awe.

Mysterious grapes that supposedly have seven different flavors. The taste is undoubtedly intriguing.

“Shall we try eating some?”

“Yes! This is also a privilege of the gatherer, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

The privilege of a gatherer is being able to eat the ingredients in the freshest state. You can even enjoy ingredients or dishes that are not available in the market, and can only be consumed on the spot.

“Alright, I’ll go for yellow.”

“I’ll take the red ones.”

Lumia happily plucks the yellow grapes with her hand, and I take the red ones in mine.

Both of them have hues that you wouldn’t expect from regular grapes.

They have very vivid colors, resembling colorful gummy candies.

As we gaze at the grapes we picked, Lumia and I look at each other and simultaneously put them in our mouths.

“Wow, it tastes like strawberries!”

The texture of the skin and pulp is reminiscent of grapes I know, but the flavor is that of intense strawberries.

It’s intriguing that it clearly has the satisfying crunch and texture of grapes but tastes like strawberries.

Even though the skin has a subtle taste, it’s also distinctly strawberry.

“That’s amazing, Lumia-san! Grapes that taste like strawberries—wait, Lumia-san, are you okay?”

As I was commenting on the taste, Lumia cringed as if she was trying to endure something.

“I-it’s… sour.”

“Oh, could it be that yours has a lemon flavor or something?”

When I cautiously asked, Lumia vigorously nodded while making a face.

If this intense strawberry flavor is a direct comparison of the sourness of lemon, it’s quite a formidable taste.

While I was pondering such thoughts, Lumia successfully swallowed whatever was in her mouth.

Was it really that sour?

I decide to try the yellow grapes.

“Hmm? It’s not that sour, is it?”

Certainly, it’s a bit more sour than a regular lemon, but it’s not excessively sharp with a proper sweetness.

“I’ve never liked sour and bitter things since I was little.”

I see. Well, taste is something that varies from person to person.

It’s not at all surprising that there are individual differences between me and Lumia.

“For a palate cleanser, try the strawberry flavor. It’s not sour at all.”

“Oh, true. It has a rich strawberry taste.”

Passing her the red ones, Lumia puts them in her mouth and eases the previously wrinkled expression on her face.

“I wonder what flavors the other colors have.”

“Let’s check.”

Lumia and I take grapes other than red and yellow to taste.

“The orange ones taste like oranges!”

“The green ones taste like muscat!”

“The purple ones are grape, and the indigo ones taste like blueberries!”

Amazing, I can’t help but be surprised that the taste really varies by color. Grapes tasting like strawberries, lemons, oranges, muscat, and more—it’s an endlessly diverse taste.

“Lumia-san, how about the blue ones?”

“Blue ones… how should I describe it? It’s delicious, but it’s a taste I’ve never had before.”

Lumia, having the blue grapes in her mouth, seems perplexed, unsure of how to describe the taste.

Being unable to compare it to anything suggests it’s a taste unlike anything she has experienced before.

“Oh, it’s like ramune.” When I took and ate the blue grapes, the taste was exactly like that.

“Ramune…? I’ve never heard of that food.”

“It’s a kind of snack that existed in my hometown.”

“There are snacks with unusual flavors, huh?”

In reality, it’s a combination of baking soda, cornstarch, citric acid, and sugar, but it was enjoyed as a snack, so it’s not entirely incorrect to call it that.

However, I never expected a ramune flavor to come up here.

I thought there wouldn’t be such chemical flavors in this world, but fantasy powers are truly remarkable.

Flavors I had given up on enjoying in this world might somehow become possible.

Thanks to the Seven-colored Grapes, a new enjoyment has been discovered. To expand the range of cooking, I need to gather a variety of ingredients.

“Shuu-san, I wonder what would happen if you ate grapes of different colors?”

As I pondered, Lumia approaches cautiously, holding red and blue grapes.

Indeed, being an alchemist, she seems to have a strong curiosity about materials.

“According to my appraisal skill, it seems to be exquisite if you eat all seven colors at once.”

“All seven colors! How extravagant! I’ll give it a try!”

Since the Seven-colored Grapes are not much different in size from regular grapes, it’s possible to fit all seven in the mouth at once.

Lumia and I gather the seven-colored grapes and eat them simultaneously.

“~~~~!”

Strawberry, orange, lemon, muscat, ramune, blueberry, grape… Seven flavors intricately intertwine, and waves of acidity and sweetness surge.

Although they have completely different tastes, they harmonize in such a perfect way that is indescribable in words.

“Exquisite…”

If I were to express the taste, the words appraisal-sensei used would be the most fitting.