After a short while, the stunned villagers finally came back to their senses.
"...Well, it is Jin-dono, after all..."
Jin began his explanation, musing that it felt like quite some time since he had last heard that phrase.
"I believe we can use this aragi wood to produce high-value craft goods."
"Hmm."
"For instance, we can make spoons out of offcuts like these. 'Forming.' 'Forming.' 'Forming.'"
"O-Ohh?"
In an instant, three wooden spoons appeared.
"I used magi-craft this time, but they can easily be carved by hand."
Jin added that since the bare wood would absorb water, applying a coat of paint or finish would be a good idea.
Seeing what was left over after carving out the spoons, Jin cast again.
"'Forming.'"
This time, Jin produced a small carving shaped like a little bird.
"Where I come from, these are called 'netsuke.' They're something like accessories or mascots."
"Oho, this is quite nice."
If attached to personal belongings, it could serve as both an accessory and an identifying mark, Sergei remarked.
"That's right. In that case, it's best to ensure no two are exactly alike."
"I see."
"And then... 'Forming.' 'Forming.'"
"Oh?"
Next, using a different piece of wood, Jin shaped a statue roughly thirty centimeters tall.
The image in his mind was that of a Bodhisattva statue from his memories.
His recollection was a bit hazy, leaving the finer details rather questionable, but...
"It looks rather mystical, doesn't it?"
Given that Kachea offered that impression while peering closely at it, the result seemed decent enough.
"I see. If they're this size, felling just a single tree would yield quite a considerable number."
Village Chief Sergei seemed to grasp what Jin was getting at.
"After that, you can slice the wood into thin planks to make small boxes. Naturally, you would carve decorations into those as well."
"Mm-hmm. In short, the idea is to produce small items that carry high added value. Thank you, Jin-kun, this has been very informative."
"You're very welcome."
In any case, this meant Taji Village had gained another means of bringing in outside income, Jin thought with satisfaction.
By now, it had slipped slightly past noon.
The group hurried back to the village chief's house.
"I'm sorry, Jin-san."
In the kitchen, Helga, who had served as their guide, apologized. It seemed she had planned their tour to bring them full circle right around lunchtime.
"No, don't worry about it."
Jin answered while watching Helga's hands at work.
He figured that the delay was primarily due to him stopping to fell the aragi tree in the first place.
When he mentioned that, Helga replied,
"I had built in a bit of extra time, though."
"You have to account for that kind of leeway, after all."
Even so, Jin was inwardly impressed. Building in sensible margins wasn't something just anyone thought to do.
"Helga-chan has always been wonderful with that sort of thoughtfulness."
Kachea chimed in with praise of her own.
Even as they chatted, Helga's hands never stopped moving.
"Yes, that should be about right."
"Understood."
As for what she was doing, she was making hotcakes.
This was actually one of the gifts Jin had brought along.
Looking for a food that would keep well and could be enjoyed by a large crowd, he had brought a generous supply of Hourai Island-made hotcake mix.
It was made from wheat flour harvested on Hourai Island, blended with a small amount of baking soda from Kaina Village as a leavening agent and a suitable measure of sugar.
By mixing it with water or milk to form a batter and cooking it in a frying pan, simple hotcakes could be whipped up in no time.
Of course, there were a few tricks to it.
Because wheat flour contains a protein called gluten, overworking the wet batter will make it tough and keep it from rising into a fluffy texture, meaning the batter should never be stirred excessively.
It followed the same principle as the trick to frying tempura batter to a light, crispy finish.
Furthermore, making the cakes too thick ran the risk of leaving the center raw, so keeping them moderately thin was essential.
Finally, covering the frying pan with a lid to let the heat penetrate thoroughly was key.
"Will this do?"
"Yes, exactly like that."
Once a few basic tricks were down, it was a treat and light meal that anyone could make.
"It's done!"
Transferring the cake to a plate, she sliced into it with a knife. As long as raw batter didn't spill out from the center, it was a success.
"Yup, it turned out great."
"I'm so glad."
One would spread butter across the top and finish it with honey, brown sugar syrup, or maple syrup according to taste before digging in.
Though production in Taji Village was small, they did harvest their own maple syrup, so that was what they used today.
"Thanks for the food!"
They all picked up their forks at once, but the first to take a bite was Helga.
As she took a mouthful, her face practically melted with delight.
"It's sho good..."
What the people of Taji Village traditionally ate were thin, crepe-like rounds of cooked dough spread with butter or honey.
No leavening agents were ever used.
Additionally, because the dough was thoroughly kneaded, it turned out far too dense and chewy rather than light and crisp, which had likely made for an awkward texture.
By contrast, the hotcake mix Jin had brought allowed anyone to turn out delicious hotcakes, provided they followed a few basic steps.
"There's still plenty left, so please share it with everyone."
"Yes, thank you, Jin-san!"
Having finished her hotcake first, Helga replied joyfully.
It was the kind of bright expression that served as a fresh reminder: good food truly brings smiles to people's faces.
"It comes out to roughly two hundred kilograms, I believe."
What Hope and Reiko were carrying were twenty ten-kilogram bags of hotcake mix.
"That's such a huge help."
As the village chief's daughter, Helga often served as a steward for local events and festivals.
She mentioned how wonderful it would be to serve these hotcakes on such occasions.
"They're easy to make, and they taste delicious."
"What about milk?"
"The livestock barn will be finished soon, and once it is..."
"Ah, that's right."
The future of Taji Village was certainly looking bright, Jin thought.