Today I'm in the mountain dungeon with the elves.

　To be precise, we're in the dungeon orchard we run in the mountain dungeon.

　The elves are originally of the forest race.
　They make useful tools for us in the workshop, but their intention is to refresh themselves once in a while in the lush forest, their spiritual home.

　The reason we have them walk through the dungeon orchard instead of the forest is because we wanted to see what the elves thought about it while they bathed in the forest.
　The Forest People's Elves have the wisdom to use the bounty of the forest that they have accumulated over the decades.

　The pottery, leather goods, and glassworks they make in their workshop are the result of this wisdom, and they know a great deal about the forest.
　They know a lot about the forest, including things I don't know.

　If I let them walk around the dungeon orchard, I'm sure they'll come up with some new ideas for how to use the forest and how to solve problems.

　I thought.

'....Hmm?

　Early on, Aileron seemed to have noticed something.

''This tree.......... Could be good.........

　And something about the trunk of a single tree is drawing my interest.

　What bothered him so much?　And as I observed, Aileron took out a knife without a care in the world.......

　Zakk!
　and thrust it into the trunk of the tree.
　The blade pierced deep into the interior of the trunk.

　What the hell are you doing?

"We'll see.

　He pulled out his knife and looked at the hole in the hole for a while........
　.........
　From the hole in the tree, a transparent liquid comes out of the hole....

Water came out of the tree.
It's the sap.

　Sap!

'The amount of sap spewing depends on the type of tree, but I've seen this is a common type. It was predictable.

　Aileron scooped up the leaking sap with his fingertips and held it out to me.

　.........You mean lick it?
　There's something nasty about it but I put my mouth full of sap with Elon's fingers.

"....sweet.
'Right?　It's a way to get that precious sugar out of the woods, a way to quench your thirst.

　I didn't know there was a way to drink water in the forest like this.
　The wisdom of the elves is unbelievable.

　...But this is sweet. Where have we seen this before?

'Saints, what kind of tree is this?　If a tree is prone to sap, by all means, we have to remember that.
Oh, the trees!

　I looked up and it occurred to me.
　I planted this maple tree for ornamental purposes, not for its fruit and not for building materials, but because I thought it would be beautiful when its leaves turn red in autumn.
　I didn't know it would also be useful for practical purposes, producing sap.

　And.........
　Maple..........in English, maple.
　The liquid from the maple.

"Maple syrup!"?

　Don't tell me that maple syrup, which is treated like a pachimonious honey, was made from this sap?

What's wrong, Your Holiness?
'Aileron!　Help me!　I want to try something!

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* * * *

　He and Elon collected the sap from the surrounding maple trees and took it back to the mansion when the leather bag they brought with them was full.
　I transferred it to a pot, put it on the fire and simmer it patiently.......

　The water evaporates and the other sweet ingredients remain and increase in concentration.
　It became a thick amber-colored mucus that I remember.

　I take my finger and lick it.

'Amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

　Only because it was boiled down and increased in concentration, the sweetness was far more dense than the raw sap!
　It's just syrup!

　Otherworldly maple syrup is now complete!

I never thought I'd be able to make something this good by accident...!

　It's still important, the wisdom of the elven forest.
　I'm sure I'll have a lot more to take care of in the future.

　But for now, let's stick to making the most of our newly acquired maple syrup like this.
　How can I taste the most delicious maple syrup?

.............pancakes.

　I know.
　Speaking of maple syrup, pancakes.

　Hot pancakes with syrup on them.
　What better way to get the sweetest out of this sap than with it!

'Yes!　Now we're going to try to make pancakes!

　The first thing I prepared was the pancake mix!
　Then I thought to myself, "How do you make pancake batter?

"How do you make pancake batter?

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* * *

　How to make pancakes.
　Mix pancake batter with milk and eggs and bake.

What's pancake batter?

　In the world I've been in before, we usually bought pancake batter at the store, so I didn't even think about it, but what's the difference between pancake batter and flour?

　But since I don't know how to make pancake batter, I'll have to use flour instead!

　I'll add an egg!
　Let's get some milk in!
　I'm adding flour!
　I have a feeling that won't be enough, so let's add some sugar!

　Now let's bake it for now.
　Drizzle the thoroughly mixed batter into the pan.

　It's non-stick and non-rusty and easy to clean. This frying pan is made of manna metal, so it doesn't get scratched even if you scrub it with a scrubbing brush.

　When the surface of the frying pan starts to bubble up, turn it over with the spatula.

"Hohoa!

　Full power!
　Then, after checking the degree of cooking, I transferred it to a plate....

"It's done!

　It may seem a little under puffy, but the otherworldly pancake is done!
　While it's warm, I pour the maple syrup on it.
　And for the pancakes, I put butter. I dropped a lump of butter on the pancakes. The feeling of it slowly melting and soaking into the batter....

Butter!

　The spirits of the earth have appeared.
　I knew they'd be keen when butter was involved, these kids.

'It smells like butter!　I'm making butter again!
Master's butter was so good!　I would love to taste it!
Flap, flap, flap, flap...!

　Me and the earth spirits glared at each other, "Shhh! Butter! And a threatening battle.
　And then.....

'Okay, eat.'

　I was expecting this to play out.

'Wow!　Wow!
"I love you, master!
''Bataoiee!''

　The earth spirits happily took a bite of their pancakes.

''Ummmmmmmme!''
"It's sweet on butter!
It's the sweetness of home!

　I'm so glad he liked it.

　Following the making of otherworldly maple syrup, the making of otherworldly pancakes can be called a success.
　However, even after the success, I still have questions...

"What's the difference between pancake batter and flour?

　It seemed that this mystery would not be solved this time around for now.