Modern Japanese bread is made by mixing wheat flour with eggs, butter, milk, and other ingredients, adding yeast to make it puffy, and then baking it.

　But early bread was different.

　There were no eggs, butter, or milk in these early breads.
　The yeast fungus had not yet been developed.

　It's like crepe batter, just a mixture of flour and water and baked.

　It's not inedible.
　But it's not delicious.

　Even though my tongue has become quite accustomed to eating rough food, I still want to eat as much good food as possible.
　Eh!　I can eat the centipede.

　No. It was an emergency, okay? I'm lost.

　Let's just make some good bread.

　We don't have milk, but we do have goat's milk. I don't know if it's a substitute for milk, but it'll taste better than water.

　What else we need is yeast.

　Yeast is just like the name implies, a fungus.
　It has to be cultivated.

　I don't know if there is yeast in the air of this world, but I'm sure there is.
　Pigs, cows, goats, deer, grapes, olives, olives, wheat, barley, turnips, clover, and so on are all here, but it is impossible that there are no yeast fungus in the air.
　It's probably there. There has to be.

　"How does this yeast thing work?
　'Making, or rather increasing, is the right thing to do... but first you'd put the dried grapes in an earthenware bowl, wouldn't you?　You're gonna fill it with water. We'll seal it up. We'll just leave it in.
　That's it?
　That's it.

　Make homemade bread for your elementary school's integrated learning time!　I'm sure it must be because I made it in a class called
　What about teaching a class about knowledge that is only useful in another world?　

　We made it in a jar in class, so I could see what was going on but....
　There aren't any jars or...

　If you leave it for three days, you can do it. If you can't do it, just say you're sorry and try again.


_______________________________________________.


　I got it!

　I took the finished bread.
　Hot!

　Drop it on the ground without a second thought.
　I shred it, being careful not to burn myself, and carry it to my mouth.

　Yum!

　It's not quite as good as the store-bought bread sold in Japan, but it's much better than what I usually eat.
　This will get me out of my crappy diet....

　Is it that good?
　You'll know it when you try it.
　I take the bread to Tetra's mouth.
　Tetra rolls her eyes.

　'....soft!
　'Right?　From now on, I can eat every day.

　The children were the first to pick up the bread and start eating it.
　They love it.

　Well, now that the air has been eased, let's get to it.

　Julia says that King Domorgal's and Gilbet's kingdoms have had a bad harvest as usual. But King Rosais' kingdom produced a fair amount of wheat.
　...so what does it matter?
　Rosward gives him a dubious look.

　'You're from King Rosais' country, aren't you?'
　Yes, but...

　We're going home.

　I said quietly.

　'There are eight other people from King Rosais' country besides Rosward.
　Their absence makes it a little harder to maintain the field.

　But that's okay.
　Children should be raised by their parents. Not someone like me, who never knew his parents.

　"...Hey, brother.
　What?
　Are you stupid?
　"...what does that mean?

　I don't need to be abused.
　I'm saying the right thing. At least I think I'm right.

　"I loved my parents. But, you know, they left us. For once. No matter how much you might have wanted to. There's no way I'm going to forgive you. And no one would have welcomed you back. There's more food on the table. And we could get kicked out again. And now you could be sold into slavery. There's no way I'd want to go back.

　.........
　.........
　That's for sure.

　It can't be right to return a child to someone who once abandoned them.
　If you think about it dispassionately, you know that.

　The chances of them being treated coldly or badly are much higher.

　How could I not see that....

　Oh, yeah.
　It's just my complex.
　Maybe because I don't have parents, I'm naturally over glorifying the idea of being a parent.
　Is it just that I don't want them to feel the same way as I do, so I'm just pushing it on myself?

　'And one more thing,'
　Then Rosward laughs.

　'We all love your brother so much. Your brother never gave up on us, and he helped us. We didn't have anything to do with each other. So,'
　Well....

　Am I the only one who was thinking strange thoughts on my own?

　'Hey!　Which one of us wants to go home to our parents?　Put your hands up!
　Ron calls out loudly to the children around him.
　No one raises their hands.

　'Then anyone who wants to continue to follow the leader, raise your hand!
　They all raised their hands in unison.

　'Hey, you don't have to get carried away. If you really want to go home, you can go home if you get the chance. Right?
　There is indeed one of them.
　I mean, everyone started out crying.
　I mean, they were shouting their parents' names.

　But no one ever comes forward when I say them.
　Not a single look on their faces.
　You'd think they'd just get carried away with the flow of air. But no one will change their expression.

　They're just staring at me.

　What the hell are you talking about?


　'Being abandoned by your parents means that you were not well-loved to begin with, or you were treated coldly in the village. That's why you may feel sad at first, but later when you think about it calmly, you don't want to go home. It also means that if you want to go home, you can go home whenever you want. And if I follow you, I won't have to worry about starving. And you're kind. We all like you. Are you convinced?

　Tetra tells me to admonish me.

　Oh, I see.
　I'm that well-liked...

　Are you crying, Mr. Alms?
　'I'm not crying!　I'm not going to cry. I'm the leader!

　Shit, I can't believe I'm crying at this age...oh, I'm twelve now, right?

　'All right. I'm going to continue to be the leader of this group!　Keep following me from now on.
　"'Yes, sir, Leader!

　The kids scream at each other.

　Why are they breathing so well?
　No way....

　Were you ready for me to start this conversation?
　You're in the clear?
　Sojourn stuck out her tongue.

　'Tetra told me that Mr. Almus is saying some disturbing things sometimes.
　Gram told me.
　'Oh, right, Tetra.

　"Let's go cry for our leader!　I said, "Ron.
　'Hey, wait a minute. The guy with the most energy was Roseward. This guy was practicing his lines, you know?
　Because I knew I was going to be the target. You wanted to say something nice. Besides, it was Ron who suggested that we share a voice at the end!
　Don't blame me for this!

　Start making a big deal out of it.
　I don't mean to scold you in any way, but....

　Relax. I'm not angry at all. Come on, let's have some bread. It's a party today!
　I've only got bread.
　Tetra blurted out.
　'Don't say anything unnecessary, you idiot.