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!
". . ." 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.
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.