Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I stood at the center of the “Sweet Potato Field,” which had been completed in just a few seconds.

Dense leaves sprawled at my feet, stretching outward until they seemed to merge with the forest.

“…I kind of feel like I’ve become a ‘plant controller’ or something.

Anyway, I should check how the sweet potatoes turned out.”

That said, I wasn’t expecting much.

After all, the base cuttings had been extremely low quality—Quality Level minus nine.

“I only meant to grow a little, but I kind of overdid it.”

Feeling a bit sheepish, I grabbed the roots at my feet and pulled like I was playing tug-of-war.

From the soft soil emerged small but beautifully crimson shapes.

“Oh!? The quality level improved!?”

The original wild sweet potatoes had been as small as bird eggs, but these had grown to about the size of chicken eggs.

They were still nowhere near store-bought vegetables, of course, but for a first harvest, this was a great result.

“And there’s a ton of them…!”

The sweet potatoes clustered on each root like bunches of grapes.

“With this much, I won’t have to worry about food for a while. …But the important question is, how do they taste?”

Curious, I decided to try them right away.

I gathered some dried grass and leaves from nearby and piled them up in front of my gate.

I put the harvested sweet potatoes inside and lit the fire.

The flames crackled as they burned.

Along with the thick smoke, a fragrant, savory aroma rose into the air.

“Man, that smells insanely good…”

I liked the smell of a campfire, but the scent of roasting sweet potatoes might be even better.

It was like sweetness was already spreading through my mouth, even before eating…

Before I knew it, I saw three figures walking over from the residential area.

It was the trio of Monaka, Akemi, and Kotone.

Apparently, the recent great disaster had brought the three of them closer together.

All three wore dreamy expressions, wandering toward me like fairies drawn to flower nectar.

Their twitching little noses were adorably fluttering, like tiny wings.

“Did the smell lure you in?”

I called out, and all three snapped back to their senses as if waking from a dream.

“Ah, Leo-kun!?”

“When did we arrive at our master’s residence…?”

“Huh? I was planning to go see you, but then this amazing smell drifted out of the forest, and before I knew it, I was here…”

“Leo-kun, what on earth is this aroma?”

“Yes, it is utterly irresistible—such an enchanting scent…”

“Heehee, even an alchemist’s love potion couldn’t produce a smell this captivating. We simply must uncover its true nature…”

The girls stared intently at the bonfire, their slender throats bobbing as they swallowed.

They clearly couldn’t wait to eat, so I said,

“Since you’re here, go ahead and have some.”

I poked through the fire with a wooden branch and pulled out the sweet potatoes.

“Yeah, these should be good to eat. Careful—they’re hot.”

I handed one to each of them, and they began tossing them from hand to hand.

“Leo-kun, is this sweet potato?

I’ve never had it roasted like this before.”

“Eating outdoors while standing is considered improper, but… Since our master has invited us, we cannot refuse.”

“Mmmh, I can’t hold back anymore…!”

All three split their sweet potatoes in half at the same time.

A golden interior was revealed—

…fwoosh.

A gentle cloud of sweet steam rose up.

Forgetting all manners, the girls gulped audibly and then—

“““T-Thank you for the meal!”””

They bit into the piping-hot sweet potatoes as if they hadn’t eaten in days.

The heat made them flail—“Haf! Hoh! Haf-hof!”—but the moment they swallowed,

“““S-So deeeeliiiiiicioooooous!?”””

They covered their mouths and cried out in shock.

As expected of refined young ladies—even their surprise looked elegant.

“To think roasted sweet potatoes could taste this good…!”

“Yes, they are delightfully sweet!”

“Aahh, my body feels like it’s melting…!”

After that, all three devoured sweet potatoes like kids in the middle of a growth spurt.

I tried one myself—it was sweet and fluffy, and I could easily see why they were so absorbed.

“Want more? I’ll roast more—eat as much as you like.”

“R-Really?”

Monaka looked at me with a mix of hope and restraint.

“Yeah. I’ve got plenty.”

After that, I roasted about twenty more sweet potatoes, and we all ate together happily.

By the time we finished, everyone was full—but the girls were hanging their heads.

“What’s wrong? You were having so much fun earlier.”

“Well… actually, we came to consult you about food, Leo-kun.”

“The rubble-clearing work in the residential area has been extremely difficult, and food supplies are not being properly distributed…”

“And yet, we alone ate such delicious food until we were full… Ahh, the guilt is making me shiver…!”

“Oh, that’s what this was about. In that case, take some sweet potatoes with you.”

The three of them looked up in unison.

“But Leo-kun, didn’t we already eat all the sweet potatoes just now?”

“I told you I still had plenty. Look.”

I pointed my thumb toward the sweet potato field beside my house.

Seeing the vines writhing so thickly that the ground itself was hidden, the girls recoiled as if ensnared.

“Master, forgive my ignorance, but I am not well versed in agriculture. How many sweet potatoes can that field produce?”

“Let’s see… judging by how many came up when I dug a bit… I’d say about two tons.”

“T-Two toooooooons!?!?”

The girls screamed in astonishment, their hair practically standing on end.