Volume Six, Chapter One
“Ah… feeling the sea breeze makes me feel like we’ve really come back to Ellarge…”
“This was the first town you ever visited, Rin, so it must feel pretty emotional.”
After finishing our grand feast and returning to base… we slept like logs, and then Mr. Tori contacted us again saying that we officially had some time off.
…Well, it wasn’t so much "time off" as "I won’t be giving you any missions for a while," I guess. Since then, we’ve been having lively parties together every night, going around eating at various restaurants including the Wildcat Pavilion… I’m really enjoying this long-awaited vacation.
I’ve also been making great progress on creating snacks and developing new recipes while organizing the inventory that had piled up without me noticing! But while I was getting carried away making all that food, we ended up eating almost all the provisions in the Camping Car… That’s why I’m here shopping with Mr. Ville today!
Though since this isn’t our usual travel preparation, I’m mainly buying fresh ingredients for immediate consumption rather than preserved foods.
“Ellarge really is wonderful for having fresh fish and vegetables. They have many different types of meat too.”
“They have livestock meat, but they also handle monster drop meat and wild game.”
‘Fish! Meat! Everything’s so tasty! This me love chicken meat!’
“I knew you were a meat lover, Gomamiso… Oh! Speaking of meat—Mr. Ville! That bacon we had last time was amazing, so let’s get some more!”
“Oh, from that shop? The owner was saying something about how he’s particular about the salt for curing and the wood chips for smoking.”
“Ahh! That sounds great! If I have time, I’d like to try making my own original bacon!”
Walking beside Mr. Ville, who’s carrying and shouldering packages of meat chunks and bags of fresh fish, I’m also carrying vegetables that caught my eye and loading them onto Gomamiso’s back…
Our party has the problem that every single member is a glutton, so both our food expenses and the quantity we buy are outrageous. Today Mr. Ville is with me, and Gomamiso came along too. Gomamiso has grown bigger and is helping carry our supplies.
“…Hmm… maybe I got a little too carried away?”
We’ve been grabbing veggies at one store and fish at another… Now I’m just waiting while the shop staff packs the meat for Mr. Ville and loads ham and sausages onto Gomamiso’s back. As thanks for buying so much, they’re bundling everything together with purchases from other shops. I couldn’t help but take them up on their kind offer.
Mr. Ville and Gomamiso are talking with the shop clerk… and with both my hands full, I’m left standing around with nothing to do.
As I watch the supplies being efficiently bundled up, a shadow suddenly falls behind me.
“It’s been a while, member of the Gourmands!”
“Huh, whoa!?”
I hastily jump back, and what appears in my vision are golden eyes looking down at me from a great height (literally). He’s tall enough to match Mr. Ville… actually, this guy might even be taller. His face looks a bit stern and scary at first glance, but the triangular ears twitching on top of his head are kind of cute… wait… hmm? I feel like I’ve seen this person’s face somewhere before…?
… Wait a minute, he seems to know me!?
As my brain rapidly searches through recent memories, what surfaces is a scene from the guild a few days ago. In that sparkling atmosphere that practically embodied a "sunny" word, there was definitely…
“Ah! You’re from the Azure Droplets, right? The one who was standing in the very back…”
“Oh! You finally remembered me! I was getting worried you’d forgotten!”
“Well, how should I put it… I was completely overwhelmed by your leader’s presence… I’m really sorry.”
I clap my hands together, and hearty laughter comes down from above.
Yup… the leader’s sparkling aura took up all my consciousness and memory resources… I feel so bad about completely pushing him out of my memory that I can’t help but bow my head. And once again, a cheerful voice comes raining down on me.
Hmm… the leader was sparkling too, but this guy is also pretty bright.
“Well, yeah… with Arthur there, of course, you’d be distracted. Besides, I didn’t even introduce myself back then.”
“Now that you mention it… I did hear Mr. Arthur’s name, but not any of the others in the group.”
“Yeah, exactly. So let me properly introduce myself. I’m Rolf, the grappler from the Azure Droplets. I’m a wolf beastman, so tracking by scent is kinda my thing!”
Wagging his tail so vigorously it looks like it might fall off, this guy… Mr. Rolf extends his hand toward me. This must mean "Let’s shake hands." It’s clearly a sturdy, thick hand.
“Thank you for being so polite. I’m Rin, the baggage carrier of the Gourmands!”
When I introduce myself and shake his hand back, he shakes it up and down with tremendous vigor. It’s as powerful as his appearance suggests… no, even so, isn’t this too strong? At this rate, my hand might get torn off!? Maybe he noticed that I put strength into my hand to endure this incredible up-and-down motion. Rolf suddenly comes to his senses and quickly lets go of my hand.
“Oops, sorry! I got so excited I forgot to control my strength.”
“No, no. I was just a little surprised, but I’m fine.”
“Well… I don’t often get to meet other cooks. I guess I felt a kinship with you.”
Rolf furrows his brow looking genuinely apologetic, gazing at me with the air of an abandoned puppy. Hmm! He doesn’t seem like a bad person. Maybe he’s the type who forgets himself when he gets excited. My finally freed hand is tingling a little… but considering that as a souvenir from that roller coaster handshake, I’m glad it’s only this much.
…Hmm? Wait a minute? What did this guy just say?
“A kinship with a cook… could it be that you are also…?”
“Yep! I’m in charge of the food in the Azure Droplets!”
“I see! I think I understand now why you remembered me, Mr. Rolf.”
When I timidly said that, Mr. Rolf’s triangular ears, which had been drooping until just now, perked up energetically. Looks like I guessed correctly.
When I met the Azure Droplets at the guild, it did come up briefly in conversation… but compared to the members who mainly handle exploration and combat, I think a baggage carrier and meal preparer like me doesn’t really stand out much. Besides, we didn’t even talk directly, and it was such a short moment, too.
So the fact that he remembered my face well enough to approach me today was surprising—but now that I know he’s also in charge of meals, it totally adds up. You tend to remember people in the same line of work.
“Hey, hey! Sorry to jump right into this, but what kind of meals do you make? Heavy meat-based stuff?”
“Huh? Huh?”
“We eat a lot of meat! I like meat too, and I can really show my skills with it, so there’s no problem there. But during exploration, all I can really do is boil, grill, or sear stuff.”
Mr. Rolf, still excited, leans forward eagerly while maintaining his high energy. Since cooking recipes seem to be pretty valuable in this world, I think he wants to talk about it as much as possible… but the pressure is a bit intense!
Sure, I’m not exactly the shy type, but when someone I’m meeting for the first time comes at me this aggressively, I can’t help but get defensive…
That said, I can understand Mr. Rolf’s troubles to some extent. The meals during adventures, with limited cooking tools, time, and ingredients, tend to become monotonous, and if there were new cooking methods or recipes to break through that… that’s probably what he’s thinking.
“Hmm… When it comes to meals during adventures, I think it’s inevitable that those kinds of cooking methods become the main ones. Even in the Gourmands, we tend to rely on similar stuff…”
“So it’s the same for you too, Rin? I figured if two cooks chatted, we’d hit on some great ideas… guess it’s not that easy, huh?”
“Once we’re back at base, there are more options though.”
“But during adventures… yep, things really do get monotonous.”
I tried thinking about it in my own way, but I couldn’t come up with any particularly good ideas. When I convey this, Mr. Rolf’s shoulders drop a little disappointedly.
Ugh, I feel a pang of guilt in my chest! I feel really bad for Mr. Rolf who’s struggling with this, but I haven’t had to deal with the same hardships as him…
After all, the Gourmands with my Camping Car is pretty blessed! I can use fire and water as much as I want, which are hard to get while camping, and I can use the conveniences of civilization like ovens and rice cookers… in other words, I can make all kinds of Earth-origin dishes that are in my head even during adventures. But I can’t tell Mr. Rolf something like that… Still, if possible, I want to help him as a fellow cook!
Before I know it, we’re both scratching our heads together in thought…
“That’s far enough with interrogating our cook.”
“Mr. Ville!”
“What? Ville, you were here too!”
Just as I hear Mr. Ville’s suppressed voice, a hand reaches out from the side, grabs my arm, and pulls me back with a tug. I’m sheltered behind his back, and I let out a sigh of relief.
At the same time, Gomamiso jumps in front of me and stands guard, hissing and bristling its back fur in warning. I think there’s no need to be so wary… but in my case, I have a history of being snatched away by Lady Meel right in front of Gomamiso. So of course the cat would be on guard.
Now that things have progressed this far, Mr. Rolf’s momentum finally seems to weaken. His golden eyes blink in surprise as he looks back and forth between me, Mr. Ville standing protectively in front of me, and Gomamiso.
“Unfortunately, our cook is our lifeline. We can’t afford to risk anything happening to her.”
“Hmmm…”
I feel like I’m being looked at with lukewarm eyes, but that’s not what matters right now!
‘Geez! Geez! You shouldn’t go with strangers! This royal me always tell you that!’
“No, you haven’t! What’s with that line like a parent warning about kidnapping!”
‘Don’t talk back! My words are the world’s truth!’
It’s more important right now to appease the winged lynx who’s irritably slapping its thick, long tail against the ground…
“Ahh… look like I got too excited… Sorry for pressuring you so hard.”
“No, no. I was a bit surprised, but I’m fine! I understand the feeling of getting absorbed in talking about something you love.”
“Haha! Thanks for saying that.”
Mr. Rolf, who seems to have grasped the situation, bows his head with an apologetic look. But I didn’t feel scared or uncomfortable at all, so I made sure to put that into words. I don’t want to make him feel that bad, and I’m actually happy to befriend a fellow adventurer cook!
Mr. Rolf, who seems to have pulled himself together, scratches his cheek embarrassedly and gives me a sheepish smile. I guess this resolves any awkwardness?
Mr. Ville seems to have picked up on this too and relaxes his iron-clad defense just a little—though he’s still on guard.
“Well, you know. I hope we can talk about menus and stuff without this putting you off!”
“Of course! Let’s exchange recipes sometime!”
When I shake the hand he offers again, this time he’s properly controlling his strength gently. Yup. Mr. Rolf really is a good person at heart. He’s just the type who gets so absorbed in things that all his attention focuses on that. Still, I’m genuinely happy to have made a fellow cook friend, and it might be a good opportunity to learn some purely other-world recipes!
So, um… I think Mr. Ville and Gomamiso don’t need to be so wary…
Without being intimidated by the openly distrustful winged lynx or the scary guy whose fierce face has gotten even fiercer, Mr. Rolf waves at us with a cheerful smile as he heads toward the center of the market. He’s probably going shopping now.
As I watch his back, more than a head taller than most, disappear into the crowd, a very displeased sigh comes down from above my head. When I look up, Mr. Ville has a complex expression mixing exasperation, dissatisfaction, and confusion.
“Well… I’ve crossed paths with the Azure Droplets plenty of times, but this is the first time I’ve seen him behave like that.”
“I think he probably really wanted to talk about cooking. When we met at the guild before, he remembered I was the cook…”
“Hmm… Makes sense, I guess… but even so, there should have been better ways to go about it.”
“Mmmm… He probably just got excited finding someone in the same role, you know?”
Mr. Ville still seems a bit skeptical, but he more or less accepts the situation. The fact that he already had some interaction with them and knew Mr. Rolf’s character to some extent probably helped. He probably judged that Mr. Rolf approached me out of interest in someone who shared his profession and that there were no ulterior motives.
Now that I have some understanding from the party leader, the problem is the big cat who still can’t grasp the situation.
‘Geez! Don’t go anywhere when this royal me not watching!’
“I was right here the whole time! I didn’t go anywhere!”
Gomamiso, loaded with baggage on its back, makes a displeased snorting sound as it bumps its big head against my stomach. I know this is the signal for "pet me," but… when Gomamiso is this size and head-butts me… honestly, it does quite a bit of damage! Ignoring me groaning "guhh," the winged lynx continues pressing its head against me, and I push its head away along with its elementary school-like tone.
“Oh come on! We’ll probably meet him more often from now on, so you don’t have to be so cold to him. He might teach us hints for delicious food or new recipes!”
‘My meals taste good with fresh ingredients as they are, this me don’t need new stuff!’
“Your cooking is plenty delicious as it is, Rin.”
“Uh, y-yes.”
Sandwiched between the winged lynx who’s turning its nose up and the unusually serious-faced oni, what choice do I even have but to nod obediently?
As Mr. Ville pushes my back to head back to base, I hear him muttering things like "I can’t let him snatch her away from us…" but even if I got a scout offer, I have no intention of leaving the Gourmands, so I wish he wouldn’t worry so much.
Besides, I finally made a fellow food duty friend, right? If we meet again, I hope we can have a more calm conversation next time. With such faint hopes in my heart, we head toward our home where everyone is waiting.
◆◇◆
“…And well, that’s what happened… so today’s menu is made using cooking methods other than boiling, grilling, or roasting!”
What I dramatically place on the dining table is a large bowl of forest boar in a spicy marinade. Alongside it, I’ve added a generous serving of local vegetables, gently steam-simmered. Honestly, I did wonder if “steam-simmering” technically counts as boiling… but hey, no water was added—only the veggies’ natural moisture—so I’m calling it steaming! Totally counts!
“Mm… Rin is our girl… after all…!”
“Exactly, Rin! Even if other parties invite you, you have to decline properly, okay?”
“It’s not like I was recruited or anything, so no worries. He just wanted to talk about recipes, that’s all.”
Behind me, as I work at the stove preparing today’s main elaborate dish, I hear loud protests. The occasional light "smack" sound mixed in is probably the sound of Mr. Ville hitting someone’s hand who was trying to steal a taste. It was worth asking Mr. Ville to "keep watch so no one sneaks a bite!" while I was carrying the food to the table.
“Even so, for those who make cooking their livelihood, recipes must be quite valuable, right? I don’t think they’re something you can easily share.”
“Well… in our case, we’re not professional chefs, so I guess we’re not all that strict about it.”
A pro cooking for customers in shops or stalls and us cooking just for our party—it’s a whole different mindset and situation. After all, if you’re a chef whose sales and reputation depend on the taste of your cooking, you need to prevent other shops from stealing your unique flavors, right? There’s also inheriting secret sauces or flavors that have been treasured for generations.
But we’re "adventurers" above all. In other words, making meals is just part of our job in helping the party succeed, right? People don’t judge us based on how the food tastes. For a party, it’s about how perfectly they can carry out the requested job. For an individual, it’s about how much they were able to contribute to the mission’s success.
Sure, I always want everyone in the party to eat delicious food! But at the end of the day, cooking is a chore for mission completion based on the mindset of "you can’t explore on an empty stomach.”
“Besides, even if we traded recipes for morale-boosting dishes, there’s no guarantee they’d hit the mark in the other party.”
“Yeah, that does seem likely.”
“People’s tastes in food really show their individuality, after all.”
“Well, honestly, if you make plenty of animal protein with rich seasoning, it’s hard to go wrong with most parties.”
Lately, we’ve been eating out a lot, so I’ve had plenty of chances to observe other adventurers dining… and seriously, it’s all meat and booze!
Come to think of it, even our group made "eww" faces when I served vegetables at first. Thanks to me continuously serving vegetable dishes with various twists, they’ve recently changed to thinking "vegetables are delicious too," but even so, they still react differently to meat dishes.
Mr. Rolf was also saying things like "meat above all!"…
Since adventurers depend on their bodies, I think they naturally crave protein. Since they sweat a lot, they probably want rich, strong flavors too.
…But today, the main dish deviates from that theory!
“The main platter is coming! Clear the center of the table, please!”
As soon as I turn around and make that declaration to the dining table, I remove the lid from the frying pan I had on the stove. What I take out from the billowing steam is today’s main dish—a whole white fish served intact on a large platter. It’s so hot it could burn me even through the pot holders.
“Whoa! The plate’s super-hot, so be careful!”
“O-Oh. Are you okay, Rin?”
“I’m fine! I still have to finish this up, so please step back a bit!”
I remove the aromatic ginger-like veggies and green onion tops that have steamed with the fish, then pour the sauce I have prepared over it. On top of that, I heap a generous pile of shredded green onions and ginger set aside for garnish.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria quickly move the dishes occupying the table—the large bowl of spicy forest boar, the medium bowl of steamed vegetables, and the small plates for serving… Mr. Ville also shifts his body to clear a path for me.
Be careful not to spill the sauce in the plate as I carry it to the table… now! From here it’s a race against time!
With the shout of "Get!" echoing in my head, I turn off the stove and grab the handle of the sizzling skillet. At the sound of "Ready!", I turn toward the dining table.
…And then…
“Fire time!”
As the mental image of a hand comes down in my mind, I pour the smoking-hot sesame oil right over the steamed fish.
“Whoa, whoa!”
“That sound is… amazing!”
“Hey, Rin! Is this safe!?”
A fierce sound—somewhere between jubaAA and jobaAA—echoes through the room. The hot oil met the moisture, sending bursts of sizzling sound and a wave of savory aroma everywhere.
The oil splashes quite dramatically, but… thanks to Mr. Ed quickly casting protective magic to envelop the large plate, the table stays clean. Magic is so convenient!
“Today’s main dish—steamed white fish!”
I struck a pose like a certain gourmet and proudly announced the dish was ready. It is Qing Zheng—basically, a whole steamed fish. On the way back, I found this fish at the market with good size, good freshness, and what seemed like good flavor. When I thought of steamed dishes, this classic recipe came to mind.
By the way, steamed whole fish is one of my top three Chinese dishes with a flashy and fun presentation. The other two? Crispy rice with thick sauce and drunken shrimp. I love how they’re finished right in front of you.
Since I made it for members who are all hearty eaters, I steamed it whole, but for smaller groups, you can make it with fillets too! Basically, you just put the fish on a plate and steam it… as long as you’re careful when pouring the super-hot oil at the end, I think it’s a fairly easy Chinese dish to make.
“Connoisseurs apparently enjoy the juiciness of keeping the meat near the bones just barely undercooked… but I think it’s easier to eat when it’s completely cooked through since the meat separates from the bones better.”
The illustration’s description: Rin is pouring oil over the fish.
I thrust the server spoon into the steamed fish meat that’s still giving off steam without hesitation. Honestly, a battle over such a big fish would be scary! If someone choked on a bone from eating too hastily… that would be a bit unpleasant, right? Fortunately, whether it’s because I steamed it thoroughly to the core or because of this fish’s meat quality… it separates from the bones in large, fluffy blocks.
I serve generous portions for everyone else and take a smaller piece for myself—but the most fun and challenging part to eat, the fish head, is all mine! That silky gelatin around the eyes! The plump, sticky lips! The thick, juicy cheeks!
Ah, I can’t wait to dig in!
I place each person’s plate in front of them, topped with scallions and julienned ginger gently wilted from the hot oil… Normally, I’d say “Itadakimasu” at this point, but…
“Alrighty then. Before we eat…”
Since my hand doesn’t move away from in front of one person, everyone’s gaze naturally gathers on him too.
Sure, I want everyone to eat while it’s still hot! I do, but… in order to eat deliciously, I want everyone to get rid of worries and troubles… the weights on their hearts before eating!
“…Why don’t you go ahead and spill everything you’ve been hiding, Mr. Xenon?”
“…Rin…”
I peer into his sky-blue eyes while smiling brightly. He’s trying to escape my gaze awkwardly, but… do you think I’ll let you escape? When I lean in closer to make up for the distance he tried to create, Mr. Xenon furrows his brow in trouble and stares at me. The power of a handsome guy’s troubled expression is incredible, but… do you think you can fool me with that!?
When I and Mr. Ville returned, he did say "Welcome home," but other than that, he’s been spacing out while thinking about something. Moreover, when I said dinner was ready, he was completely absent-minded—that’s so unlike Mr. Xenon! A situation so serious that a foodie can’t get excited about food… there’s no way I can leave that alone, right?
He must have realized I have no intention of backing down. Mr. Xenon lets out a resigned sigh and slowly opens his mouth.
“…Actually, I received contact from a rather unpleasant source…”
“An unpleasant source… like ‘pay your taxes’ or ‘renew your license’… that kind of thing?”
“No, it’s from my family home.”
“Family home.”
Mr. Xenon casually says something unexpected, so I end up parroting him without thinking.
I was thinking it might be one of those unpleasant contacts—government-related stuff—but I never expected this kind of answer…
It’s not just me; everyone else seems to have been thinking the same thing.
As members tilt their heads or stare intently at Mr. Xenon, he begins to speak in an unusually hesitant manner.
“My family home… it’s an elven village far to the south from here… they’re being noisy about coming back for a festival.”
He’s making a face like he’s chewing on something extremely bitter, but… an elf festival sounds like it only has interesting elements to me?
“…A festival, huh? That sounds nice and fun!”
“Wait… Rin. Don’t tell me you want to go to the elven village?”
At my honest murmur, Mr. Xenon looks at me with a startled expression.
Huh, is that bad? I mean, isn’t there something kind of irresistible about discovering the unknown? Local festivals are super intriguing, right?
Okay, okay, it could be one of those local festivals deep in some hidden village—complete with mysterious bath scenes, friendly-yet-evaluating villagers, blood-stirring (literally) altars and rituals, the troublemaking delinquents disappear, and one by one, your friends vanish… and on the final day of the festival, what the explorers saw was—!?
…Something like that. There’s no guarantee it won’t turn into a typical B-grade horror scenario, but since Mr. Xenon is from there, I think the probability is low.
Ah, but elves in fantasy are often quite closed-off…
“Is that festival the kind where it would be bad to bring outsiders?”
“No. During festival time, people from nearby settlements and travelers visit too. I think they’d be very welcoming to visitors to the village.”
“I see. …Huh? Then what are you so reluctant about, Mr. Xenon?”
Questions keep bubbling up, but Mr. Xenon just gives a bitter smile and won’t open his mouth.
…Hmm… this is going to take time to get out of him, I guess.
I glance at the others and quietly pick up my cutlery.
“Alright, now that we’ve got a general idea, let’s continue the conversation over food!”
“Yay! It all looks so good—I’ve been dying to dig in before it got cold!”
“Mm…! Xenon, you should… spill it, quickly!”
“I get that everyone has their reasons, but when the interrogation comes before dinner, it’s best to just confess quickly.”
“You people… you’re all saying whatever you please, aren’t you…?”
Looking at everyone’s faces as they half-jokingly scold him, Mr. Xenon raises an eyebrow and snorts.
…But I didn’t miss the little smile tugging at his lips! Talking things out is often better than stewing alone.
“So why don’t you want to go back so badly?”
As I dished out the less-popular steamed vegetables—especially compared to the quickly vanishing steamed fish and the spiced forest boar—I asked, and Mr. Xenon’s brows instantly furrowed.
It’s probably not that serious, but… is it really that hard to say?
“…The food in the elven village isn’t delicious…”
“…Excuse me?”
I’m not quite sure what you’re saying to me…?
…Ah… but sure enough… I feel like I’ve heard something about elf food not being delicious… but wait, hold on? The reason you don’t want to go back is because your hometown food is bad… is that really possible!?
“Eh, ehhh…! That’s the reason? You’re not hiding the real reason, are you!?”
“…I swear to the ancestral spirits and gods. It’s the truth, no lies.”
Seeing us all stunned by the unexpected words that came from the serious-eyed Mr. Xenon, he lets out a deep, deep sigh.
“It’s somewhat strange for me to say this as someone from there, but… the cooking in my hometown is just too weird!”
“Weird, how…?”
“Not just the way ingredients are prepared… but the seasoning itself is sloppy. It’s just… I can’t even describe it…”
The furrows carved in Mr. Xenon’s brow become increasingly severe. Just as they reach an Everest-like peak, his fork flashes like lightning and stabs into the spiced forest boar with a thunk.
Whoa. That’s a strike filled with years of resentment, isn’t it?
“Ehhhh… I don’t know much about elf food, but when meals taste bad, it’s just… yeah…”
“Mm… heartbreaking…”
“If you never tasted anything from the outside, I guess you could survive on it…”
“Ah, I see…”
From the conversation between the distant-eyed Mr. Xenon and everyone munching on dinner, I can somehow grasp the situation.
Mr. Xenon was born and raised in the elven village. If he had just lived in the village, there would have been no problem… but because he came out to the city and became an adventurer, his body became unable to be satisfied with the flavors of his hometown.
Hmm… so he’s become that reluctant to go back, huh? It’s the total opposite of my occasional bouts of “Earth flavor withdrawal.”
With his long, narrow eyes downcast and sighing with a melancholy expression, he truly looks like a bashful beauty that even flowers would be ashamed of.
“I’ve been moved by the taste of cooking since coming outside… but among all of it, your cooking is heavenly, Rin! Every time I taste it, I think it’s good to be alive.”
“Whoa… I’m happy to hear you say that! Thank you.”
With a fork in hand, the legitimate handsome elf turns a melting smile toward me. Moments like this remind me—he really is good-looking.
…Well, when I see him completely polish off the mountain of spicy food piled on his plate while making that face, the phrase "disappointing handsome guy" crosses my mind.
That aside, my cooking sure is getting a lot of praise. I don’t have much to compare it to, so I’m not sure… is it really that amazing? The dishes I make aren’t that labor-intensive either… I think it might also be due to differences in ingredients and seasonings.
“You’d think the food for special occasions would at least be decent… But even the festival dishes I’m called back for are, well… dreadful, or maybe disastrous is more accurate!”
“Is it really that bad?”
“…Honestly, if I had to choose between eating that cooking and eating grass from the roadside, I’d choose the grass.”
“O-Oh… that bad, huh…”
Mr. Xenon shows me a fleeting smile in response to my reflexive question.
I-Is it so traumatizingly bad? Now I’m morbidly curious! I kind of want to try it just to see how awful it is.
“No, Rin. You shouldn’t experience something like that.”
“Eh!? How did you know what I was thinking!?”
“Rin. It’s all written on your face.”
“Mm. You are easy to read.”
For a moment, I think "Did he read my mind!?" but Mr. Ville and Ms. Aria jump in with their retorts. Ehhhh… was I making such an obvious face?
Uuuu… but I’m still curious…!
Not only the amazingness of the cooking, but "an elven village festival" sounds exactly like an otome game event, doesn’t it!? The kind where if you succeed at a romance event, you get to see a CG!
When I think about it like that, there’s no reason not to go, right?
“Well, but if you put it that way, it makes me want to go even more! I want to know the taste of various cuisines!”
“I get it, kind of. It’s like that curiosity of wanting to see something scary, right?”
“Absolutely not, Rin! We’re definitely not going! Ed, don’t encourage her!”
I brought it up casually, but I never expected to be rejected this strongly… If I keep pushing, I doubt I’ll get anywhere.
Not exactly a strategic retreat, but I cool off by poking at the untouched fish head with my chopsticks. Yup. It’s just the right temperature for digging in.
Hmm. I have to admit, even I think this is delicious! This… this tender, gelatinous texture is irresistible. The sauce turned out pretty decent, too, considering I made it by trial and error!
Really, it would be more authentic with fermented black bean sauce or something like that… but even without it, it’s plenty delicious.
While I’m savoring it thoughtfully, everyone starts huddling together next to me.
“Come on, Xenon! Look how much Rin wants to gooo?”
“Mm. It should be okay to grant her wish…!”
“Why am I being blamed!? I do feel bad for her, but I can’t let Rin eat that food … What if she receives a bad influence!?”
Somehow they’re getting excited without me… Could this be… do they think I’m depressed about not being able to go!?
Everyone’s glances toward me keep stabbing into me!?
While putting the pure white cheek meat I picked off into my mouth, I think about what course of action I should take next. It has just the right amount of fat and a subtle sweetness… It’s moist and delicious meat, but I can’t focus on eating at all!
Hmmm… well, what should I do?
From both a meta perspective and my own personal interest, I really want to visit the elven village. But forcing the issue when Mr. Xenon is so reluctant also makes me feel a bit guilty.
Last time when we went to the royal capital, Mr. Ville was reluctant too, but that had the purpose of "reporting and consulting about what had happened so far," right? But in this case, there’s no visible reason why I need to go to the elven village badly enough to push past Mr. Xenon’s reluctance.
“Why not, Xenon? Rin wants this so badly.”
“Ville!?”
“Mr. Ville!”
The leader, who’s been casually snatching up the spiced forest boar from the large bowl, declares this with eyes that hold no teasing. What follows is Mr. Xenon’s voice that sounds like a scream, and my voice mixed with joy.
Under the gaze of blame, confusion, and delight—each carrying a different agenda—Mr. Ville calmly chewed his spiced forest boar.
“Exactly! It’s rare for Rin to actually make a request! It wouldn’t hurt to grant it, would it?”
“Mm! Eddie is right!”
“Ed and Aria too!”
Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria pile on to the troubled-looking Mr. Xenon.
Could this be… the wind is blowing in my favor?
To ride this favorable wind, I also stare intently at Mr. Xenon.
Us looking at him with expectant eyes, and Mr. Xenon, who absolutely doesn’t want to go. A stalemate continues between us for a while… but suddenly, Mr. Xenon sighs as if giving up.
“Ugh… fine! I get it! We’ll go, okay?!”
“Mr. Xenon!!!”
The dining table erupts in cheers at Mr. Xenon’s throat-tearing declaration.
I make a small victory gesture next to Mr. Ville, who nods with satisfaction, while Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria high-five with sparkling eyes. Incidentally, in contrast to us, Gomamiso is on the knee of the dejected-looking Mr. Xenon, pressing its head against him as if to comfort him.
“Um… if you really hate the food that much, I could secretly make something for you?”
“That would be… very kind of you, but…”
I made the suggestion thinking it might be some consolation, but Mr. Xenon’s response isn’t very smooth. Is there some problem?
“I’d be grateful to eat your cooking in the village too, but… if the villagers taste it and try to keep you there…”
Oh? A jab came from an unexpected direction. What do you mean by "keep me there"? No, surely not… just because they’d know the taste of food from outside the village, isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?
Thinking that, I glance at Mr. Xenon… and he stares back with serious eyes. Wait a minute. Could it be… are you serious?
“Don’t worry, Rin. In case something happens, I’ll make sure to protect you so you won’t be imprisoned in the elven village.”
“Eh? Eh? You’re joking, right?”
“Well… I don’t think they’re the type to act purely on desire… but food is something directly connected to survival.”
Wait, wait! Could you please not smile with such a fragile face!?
Being gripped tightly by the hand while wearing a smile that looks like you’re barely holding back tears… it only creates an ominous atmosphere!?
…Could it be that I’ve voluntarily fallen into a tremendous pitfall?
“A trip unrelated to missions! It’s been quite a while!”
“Mm… Looking forward to it…!”
‘A trip! This me is also looking forward to it!’
I’m the only one trembling here, while Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria are absolutely thrilled. Gomamiso was even purring contentedly on Mr. Xenon’s lap, totally caught up in the mood.
“Well… Xenon may have said that, but I don’t think there’s really that much to worry about.”
“Right… I’ll think of it as Mr. Xenon’s own cute way of getting back at me…”
My only ally is Mr. Ville, who shares the last piece of the spiced forest boar with me while giving me a pitiful look…
…But with this, the arrangements to go to the elven village are set! Thanks to everyone’s support!
“Xenon, didn’t your family summon you too? In that case, it’s better to return sooner rather than later, right?”
“Should we… leave tomorrow already…?”
“That soon? Doesn’t Rin need to sort out ingredients and do some shopping first? We can’t just leave so hastily… right?”
“Uh, um… Let’s see. I’d like to restock some preserved foods and seasonings, and sort through the ingredients that won’t keep well… If we could delay departure until the day after tomorrow, that would really help.”
Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria, who can’t wait to leave, and Mr. Xenon, who wants to delay as much as possible.
I understand both feelings.
As the cook, I have the desire to finish eating the fresh ingredients I bought today while they’re still delicious. I want to go shopping too, but if I buy things randomly, the budget will… We could probably gather ingredients or hunt monsters during the journey, but I’d also like to research beforehand what kinds of things we might be able to find…
With everything I want to do, even leaving the day after tomorrow feels a bit rushed…
“But well, no matter what situation we end up in, we’re never lacking water, staple food, or a place to sleep!”
The Camping Car always has clean water! And for some reason, it has white rice that never runs out, and mineral-rich barley tea that never empties, no matter how much we drink! The car even has a concealment effect that can hide us! If necessary, it has salt, sugar, and oil too, so as long as we can manage protein somehow, we could probably withstand a long siege!
“Rin… that’s way more than just the bare essentials.”
“Yeah! Just having even one of those three is already impressive, you know!?”
“Major parties would… be fighting over you! But Rin is our girl…!”
“Please don’t think about transferring, okay? If you did something like that, we’d all cry our eyes out!”
The moment I clench my fist, everyone closes in on me with no escape route available. I just wanted to convey that it would be okay even if the preparations were somewhat lacking… how did it come to this!?
“I’m not transferring or anything! I’m the one in charge of food for Gourmands!”
It goes without saying that everyone’s encirclement didn’t break until I shouted that at the center of the base…
‘Well, no matter what happens—We will always be together!’
I was so envious of Gomamiso’s carefree laughter!
It seems like this trip will have its share of troubles too…
◆◇◆
“Exit procedures complete! Take care out there!”
After finishing all the preparations and procedures, we leave the city of Ellarge, seen off by a guard who grins broadly. Even though it was just for a little while, being able to cook to my heart’s content at the base, eating our way through various shops, and sleeping with my limbs stretched out… it was all so much fun.
Having memories like these makes me want to come back here again. Yup, definitely.
“Still, this is my first time going to a desert… I wonder if the driving will be okay…”
As we walk toward the Large Highway, I imagine the unfamiliar sights that lie ahead.
From what I heard beforehand, to reach the elven village, we have to cross a desert region… I’ve packed some rag clothes just in case the car gets stuck, but… I’m still uneasy about the wheels.
“That’s the first major obstacle when traveling to and from the elven village. It’s not that there are no oases along the way, but if you get even slightly lost, you’re done for. You’ll just dry up and die.”
“…Mr. Xenon, it’s amazing you made it here alive…”
Mr. Xenon’s face as he speaks thoughtfully beside me seems to have the gravity that only someone who has actually experienced it can possess.
The only sand dune I know is that one in the San’in region—and even then, just from TV and the internet. It’s just a “dune,” after all… All I can do is celebrate Mr. Xenon’s survival.
“When I left the elven village, I was lucky that a caravan happened to pass by. On the condition that I provide healing and support for the caravan, they took me along to a nearby town.”
“A caravan crossing the desert! How romantic!”
A long line of caravans moving through the vast desert… The image in my head is totally the Silk Road, but is that right?
Speaking of which, I remember a lullaby from my world—something about camels with golden and silver saddles walking through the desert under moonlight. Ah, wait… I think that was actually a love song about a prince and princess, not a caravan one…
“By the way, Rin, do you know about creatures called ‘Sandynom’?”
“Eh, I haven’t heard of them. What are they?”
“They’re relatives of the earth dragons that often pull carts in town, but they’re a type that has adapted to desert climates. The caravan I was helped by kept many of them, and since they’re strong, they use them to pull sand sleds.”
“Wow! That sounds amazing! If I ever get the chance, I’d love to see one!”
The ones pulling carts in town… that’s those bipedal, small dinosaur-like creatures! Their relatives pull sand sleds in the desert…! Wow! Wow! This is exactly the kind of otherworldly scene I imagined!
While having such an otherworldly conversation, the people walking around us gradually decreases.
Ah. It’s not horror or mystery or anything! And it’s not that everyone disappears! The adventurers scatter into the nearby forest for their missions, and travelers are taking side roads toward village settlements along the Large Highway.
“Okay, the crowd has thinned out quite a bit. It’ll be busier again once we reach the main road, so let’s hop on around here!”
When I summon the Camping Car in the shade of trees, everyone climbs in as if they’d been waiting for it. I’m glad too—I’d rather people not see us getting on and off.
Once Mr. Xenon is in the passenger seat and the group waiting in the living quarters are ready, I start the Camping Car’s engine.
“Well then, let’s depart for real this time!”
While driving along the roadside to avoid hitting pedestrians, we head toward the elven village. By the way, when I input "elven village" into the navigation system, it came up immediately.
High-performance navigation… what a terrifying thing…!
Huh? But this… the route to the elven village turns into a dashed line midway through. Judging by the color, that part might be the desert.
“Looking at the navigation, it seems the road condition changes around the desert area.”
“Right. A highway was built once, but it was quickly buried by sand…”
“I see, I see. So I really need to be careful not to get stuck.”
When I glance sideways while paying attention to the surroundings, I get a convincing answer.
Yup. Even if they maintained it, it would get buried again and again, and they probably couldn’t spend that much effort and money on a road that not many people use.
Hmm… I’m starting to get genuinely worried…
“By the way, what kind of thing is the elven festival?”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you when you’re looking forward to it, but it’s not particularly unusual. It was held often in the village…”
“Is that so? By the way, how often is it held?”
“About once every fifty years?”
“Once every fifty years!?”
I involuntarily raise my voice, and Mr. Xenon, who tilts his head curiously, appears in the corner of my vision.
Eh? Eh? Could it be that fifty years isn’t that long a time for elves? I never thought I’d feel the gap with long-lived species here!
“Come on! For someone with a ‘hundred-year lifespan,’ a festival once every fifty years is incredibly precious!”
“Is that so?”
“That’s exactly how it is!”
While glancing at Mr. Xenon, who seems to be saying he doesn’t understand why I’m excited at all, I savor this stroke of luck in my heart. An elven festival that I’ll never see again if I miss this chance… I’m really glad I could head out to see it!
This is all thanks to everyone’s support!
“So? What do you do at that festival?”
“We offer singing and dancing around the ancestral spirit tree at the edge of the settlement. On festival days, even children were allowed to stay up late… that was something to look forward to.”
“Ah… I kind of understand that feeling! The sense of it being special is irresistible.”
Singing and dancing, huh…? Even though it’s supposed to be a rare festival, the only image that comes to mind is a Bon dance. I hope that’s not a bad sign.
Still, being allowed to stay up late on festival night—that was the best part as a kid! I totally get it!
Usually, you’d be scolded with "Go to bed already!" but on that one night, you got to stay up. That feeling of being special really got you hyped!
“But in the end, didn’t you get too excited and fall asleep right away?”
“Yes, yes. That’s exactly right. Were you watching my childhood self somewhere, Rin?”
“Well, how should I put it… I have way too much personal experience with that…”
On festival nights, I’d be dressed in a beautiful yukata and head out happily with my grandfather… clutching a water yo-yo in one hand and a bag of cotton candy in the other, with a glowing gaming headband on my head… and apparently I’d fall asleep at the entrance!
I don’t remember it myself, but there’s a photo of me surrounded by those crime scene markers you see in suspense dramas! What were you thinking, father, preserving your daughter’s embarrassment for future generations! And you bring it up at every opportunity, too! I keep telling you to forget about it already!
“Hehehe… Rin, you have your own burdens too.”
“Yes. Really… there were all sorts of things… hehehe…”
While our two dark chuckles echo, the Camping Car continues forward. The morning sun streaming through the windows shines brightly as if illuminating the future ahead—so unlike the gloom inside the driver’s seat.
Contrary to my worries, the journey turns out to be remarkably peaceful. The road ahead, with its constantly changing scenery and vegetation, never became boring.
Whether it’s fortunate or unfortunate… thanks to the lack of monster attacks, I couldn’t add any meat to our supplies. Well, I had stocked up plenty of ingredients, so it wasn’t a problem at all!
The fridge is packed with smoked meat, salt-cured meat… fish crammed in tight, and plenty of cheese and milk. The vegetable compartment is full of leafy greens, and the infinite barley tea and infinite white rice are making their presence known in the fridge pockets.
On top of that, there’s a large basket placed directly on the kitchen floor, piled high with fruits, root vegetables, eggs, and other things that can be stored at room temperature… We won’t have any food troubles for a while.
But as if to make up for the lack of monster drops, everyone gathered various things for me at rest stops and campsites.
It was Mr. Ville who picked flowers that taste sweet when you suck the nectar, Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria who gathered large edible shoots, and Mr. Xenon who caught birds and eggs that are common in this area.
Thanks to that, our dining table, with fresh ingredients alongside preserved foods, was lively every day!
Huh… Gomamiso? Oh, right. Gomamiso stays in the Camping Car as my bodyguard. After playing around a lot, it ends up with grasshoppers and what looks like lizards… Yup, those are Gomamiso’s snacks.
“Today, it’s the ladies’ seat!”
“Yes. Please take care of me, Ms. Aria.”
Ms. Aria, who won today’s passenger seat rock-paper-scissors, puffs out her chest proudly while gripping my hand. Since you can look at the scenery ahead without anything blocking your view, the Camping Car’s passenger seat is quite a popular spot.
Among the members, I think Mr. Ed is the only one who has never sat in the passenger seat.
According to him, "I’ve decided that Aria is the only woman who can sit next to me! Sorry, Rin!" and he apologized refreshingly with a wink! When it’s this thorough, it’s actually kind of pleasant in a way.
May you explode with happiness, you lovebirds, and live happily ever after!
“If all goes well, we should reach the desert area by noon. But it’s bound to be blazing hot during the day… so if it gets too bad, I’m thinking we’ll move again at night.”
“Mm. I think that’s good.”
On Ms. Aria’s lap as she fastens her seatbelt, Gomamiso has cunningly curled up into a ball.
…The two who seem weak to sunlight are on the driver’s side… I’ll have to be extra careful with the sun.
“Wow, amazing! We’ve only driven a little, but the scenery has completely changed!”
“The grass is gone… just rocks everywhere…”
Right after departure, the scene before us shows obvious changes.
The green gradually decreases, brown ground and gray rocks become exposed… and with no trees to block it, the amount of sunlight streaming into the driver’s seat increases rapidly.
“Whoa! My eyes are stinging! Are you okay, Ms. Aria?”
“Mm, mmm. It’s a bit… bright…”
“Right?!”
I never thought the sunlight would become this strong. The built-in sun visor alone can’t block it all! I want sunglasses! Moreover, today’s passenger seat occupant is Ms. Aria, who has the lightest pigmentation among us. Just squinting her ice-colored eyes isn’t enough, and her blinking rapidly looks painful.
“Mr. Ville! Could you get the blue accessory case from the black box in storage?”
“Hmm? Oh, you mean this one?”
In response to my call to the living quarters after stopping the car, Mr. Ville finds what I’m looking for. My target is the polarized glasses in the accessory case. The kind that can be used for both fishing and driving.
I’ll use this one since I’m the driver…
“Ms. Aria. These are ones I used before… I think they’ll help with the sun’s glare, so please use them.”
I hand Ms. Aria the other pair of glasses. These are ones I bought when I really first started fishing. I bought them because they were cheap… but honestly, they never fit that well or felt very comfortable to use. Even after buying new ones, I couldn’t bear to throw them away, so I kept them, but to think they’d be useful here! I feel bad giving away what I consider second-string gear, but I think it’s better than nothing.
“Like this—the temple arms… You hook this long part over your ears.”
“Rin…! Thank you!”
“Eye strain will get to you later. Especially since you’re a scout, Ms. Aria—you need to take good care of your eyes!”
Rather than explaining verbally, I figured it would be easier to understand by demonstration. When I actually put them on in front of her, Ms. Aria mimics me and puts on the polarized glasses.
Overworking your eyes can cause headaches or unconscious fatigue. I’m glad she’s using them!
…Still, a cute beauty wearing glasses, huh…
“Hehe…! How do I look, Eddie? Do they suit me?”
“They don’t just suit you, Aria! It’s like they were made for you to use!”
Looking slightly embarrassed and bashful, Ms. Aria turns back toward the living quarters. Immediately, flowery compliments come flying… Mr. Ed is well-trained, or should I say… If this world had glow sticks or fans, I can just imagine Mr. Ed waving them around like crazy.
“Why!? Why can’t I go over there!? Why can’t I sit next to Aria!?”
“Calm down, Ed! There’s no way three people can sit side by side in that space!?”
“You’d be in Rin’s way! Just sit over here quietly!”
I can hear Mr. Ed making a fuss in the living quarters. I can also hear Mr. Ville and Mr. Xenon trying to stop him.
To think that a beauty in glasses would cause such a commotion… who could have predicted it? No one, that’s who (rhetorical question).
“…Let’s save admiring Ms. Aria in glasses for the next rest stop. Can I depart now?”
“Come on, Rin! Please, let me enjoy it more!”
“No. It’s fine, Rin! Go! I’ll tie Ed down over here.”
With Mr. Ville’s final word, the Camping Car is able to set its tires into the desert.
Mr. Ed keeps fussing for a while… but as soon as Ms. Aria says, “Wait until the next break,” he returns quietly to his seat.
Hmm. It only works on Mr. Ed, but Ms. Aria’s words are powerful.
“Ohhh… It drives better than I thought!”
“Really?”
“Yes. I was a bit worried because the vehicle is heavy, but we can run more stably than I expected.”
There’s no feeling of the tires sinking deep into the sand or any sensation of spinning wheels. Sure, it’s a different feeling from driving on maintained roads or hard dirt shoulders… but it doesn’t feel bad at all.
The illustration’s description: Rin and Aria in glasses, and also Ed with hearts around him.
The Camping Car remains cheat-level as always.
“And on top of that… we’ve got the Camping Car’s navigation guiding us to our destination and even pointing out oasis-like spots. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for regular caravans.”
“…Everything’s just… sand and rocks…”
“Yes, with so few landmarks, you’d get lost in no time.”
Sand, sand, sand as far as the eye can see…! There are rocks scattered here and there, and in their meager shadows, withered shrubs and vine-like plants cling to the ground. There’s absolutely nothing that could serve as a landmark. What’s more, there aren’t even any roads or footprints on the sand!
Fortunately, my Camping Car has excellent navigation that shows us "The elven village is in this direction" and tells me "There’s an oasis X kilometers ahead.”
But to determine routes manually without navigation while also searching for oases… I think that would be quite hardcore.
“Still… even with polarized glasses, this sunlight is brutal!”
Even though the worry about getting lost and anxiety about getting stuck have decreased, the driving environment itself remains harsh. Despite having the sun visor down and wearing sunglasses, the sunlight that bounces and enters mercilessly stabs at my eyes. Since we’re heading south route-wise, I guess this is the worst time—when the sun’s at its peak?
Even with polarized glasses that should be suppressing most of the glare, it’s still like this! I feel like continuing to drive puts too much strain on my eyes.
“Rin, are you okay? Want to take a little break? Hey, Ville!”
“Yeah. Right now, moving safely is the priority. Take a break and rest.”
“You’re right… I’ll gratefully accept your offer!”
When I let a complaint slip, Ms. Aria took my side. Mr. Ville gave the okay, and I gratefully pulled over to a spot with just a bit of shade near a sand dune. Since the sunlight comes down from directly above, honestly, the shadow isn’t that big… but right now even that is plenty appreciated.
We’ve stopped, but the engine and air conditioning are still running. Noise? Environmental damage? Yup, not the time to worry about that. Without the engine running, the inside would turn into a sauna in this blazing sun!
“…Whew… I never imagined the sunlight would be this intense…!”
“Are you okay, Rin? You don’t need to push yourself too hard, you know?”
“Ville’s right. It’s okay to slow down our pace a bit.”
He probably brought it out of consideration for me. When I gulp down the cold barley tea Mr. Ville brought, my mind gradually calms down. Mr. Xenon also spoke kindly to me… but I wonder if it’s just my imagination that there seems to be a tiny bit of scheming mixed in?
Still, no one seems in a rush to push the journey forward. Taking them up on their offer, I recline the driver’s seat and relax completely, rubbing my temples as I speak up:
“Honestly, moving during the day in this climate is harsh. I’d appreciate it if we could depart early in the morning, rest during the peak heat of midday, and resume travel when the sun starts to set.”
While massaging the belly of Gomamiso, who climbed onto me as I lay in the driver’s seat, I express my hopes for our travel schedule. I judge that traveling in this heat is simply impossible.
Well, since everyone’s experiencing this climate together, I doubt anyone will really oppose the idea. Even so, I think it’s important to voice my intentions clearly.
“Yeah, that’s fine. You’re the only one who can operate this vehicle, Rin. Since no one can replace you, we can’t make you overdo it.”
“Thank you. Route-wise, just not having my eyes burned by the morning sun or evening sun feels like a blessing.”
Indeed, Mr. Ville seems to understand and agrees without hesitation. I’m grateful he gets it…
“I also… might not be able to manage daytime travel until we get through the desert…”
“Ms. Aria, you’d get sunburned too.”
Maybe it’s because the Camping Car’s air conditioning is running, but it feels quite cool in the shade. Ms. Aria’s cold palm gently strokes my head as I close my eyes.
Gomamiso’s purring throat sounds, everyone’s voices… my eyelids gradually grow heavy.
“I’m… just gonna rest a bit… please… wake me… up…”
“Of course. You’ve helped us so much. Rest well.”
That’s where my awareness fades to black.
“Wait, this is definitely oversleeping, right!?”
When I suddenly open my eyes, what jumps into my view is the sky dyed in sunset colors beyond the windshield.
Ahhhhh… I overslept!
Getting flustered won’t change the results, but still!
“Everyone’s dinner!”
That’s right! If the person in charge of meals is sleeping, everyone will go hungry with nothing to eat!
“Mm. Rin, you’re awake?”
“Ms. Aria!”
Next to me as I jump up in a panic… Ms. Aria sits in the passenger seat, staring intently at me. From what I can see, there are no signs that her complexion is bad from hunger or that she lacks energy… and she doesn’t seem angry either…
“I’m sorry, I was completely sound asleep!”
“That’s proof… you were that tired. …Do you feel better?”
“Thanks to that, I feel super clear-headed now!”
According to Ms. Aria, who’s petting Gomamiso’s back, she was asked to wake me up, but I looked so comfortable sleeping that she couldn’t bear to wake me. Then the rest of the group agreed, "She’s probably tired, so let’s let her sleep!" As a result, I was able to sleep soundly until now.
…By the way, while I was sleeping, everyone apparently decided to take turns napping, so right now all the members except Ms. Aria are sleeping. It’s so they can stay awake when we travel at night after I wake up.
“I honestly don’t know how to thank you enough… but, Ms. Aria, are you okay? Aren’t you hungry?”
“Mmm… that’s… fine… but…”
With a slightly awkward expression, Ms. Aria glances back. Her gaze is directed toward… the kitchen fridge, I think?
“The food you made before departure… we ate it…”
Ms. Aria’s voice gets smaller and smaller toward the end.
When I hear "made before departure," I have a pretty good idea—the make-ahead travel food.
…So that means the frozen vegetable cake salé and rice balls! The stuff I made before departure, thinking they could eat it even when I couldn’t take my hands off driving or whatever.
I think I told Ms. Aria at that time, "If I make them like this, you can just microwave them later!" while sneakily sampling some with her… I mean, testing the flavor!
“Ah, good! So you had something to tide you over!”
“Is that… good? But it’s almost… all gone…”
“I made them ahead specifically for cases like this! Actually, I’m glad you ate them!”
Preparation really is important. Past me before the trip was great! Genius! Well done!
I give Ms. Aria a thumbs up as she looks at me apologetically.
It’s most important that everyone doesn’t go hungry! Besides, as the cook, I’m happier when people eat things while they’re still delicious!
“I tried a bunch of different fillings for the cake salé and rice balls—was there one you liked best?”
“They were all delicious! The rice balls… the grilled salted fish was my favorite! For the cake, the cheese and tomato one!”
“That salted fish had an exquisite balance of fish flavor, fat, and saltiness! I hope we can get the same thing again…”
The filling that makes Ms. Aria’s eyes light up is one of the new ingredients I tried buying this time. It’s the belly area of fish caught in nearby waters, salt-cured!
And it was amazing! It gets all melty when you grill it because of the high fat content, but the flesh has a firm texture, and when you bite into it, the umami just oozes out! The rich fat with a slightly strong salty flavor and the fish’s umami, combined with the subtly sweet and soft grains of white rice… just imagine that combination! Your mouth just has to turn into a festival state, doesn’t it?
The only regret is that it’s made from whatever fish are landed at the time, so I don’t know if I can get the same thing again… It’s like a salted fish gacha, yup.
But hey, if I can’t get it again, I’ll just see it as a chance to discover new flavors!
“Oh wow! It’s already gotten this dark?”
While talking with Ms. Aria, the sun has completely set without me noticing. Thinking about how I started sleeping when the sun was high, I really did sleep for quite a while…
“The first star… somehow it seems brighter than I expected.”
“First star… that one? Here, it’s called… Benuu’s star.”
“Where I’m from, besides ‘first star,’ we also called it the ‘evening star.’ Things really do get called different names in different places!”
The star twinkling at the edge of my vision doesn’t seem to be exactly the same as the first star in my memory. Still, the fact that the stars are beautiful doesn’t change.
“In my world, there was also a star called the ‘North Star’ that served as a compass for direction—is there something like that in this world too?”
“Mm. It’ll come out in a little while.”
“I see. Things for knowing direction really do exist in every world, don’t they?”
Come to think of it, no matter how different the world might be, you couldn’t travel without such landmarks.
“Ah! Look, Rin! That star! Nortsteria!”
“Oh, that star? It’s certainly bright and conspicuous.”
‘Mrow… whaaat is it? This me is still sleeping here…!’
As the curtain of night quietly descends and stars other than the first star begin to twinkle, Ms. Aria excitedly points to one corner of the sky. She probably forgot she was holding Gomamiso. On her suddenly moving lap, the sleepy cat blinks drowsily, having had its sleep disturbed.
I take the rather displeased cat and look in the direction she’s pointing. There’s a particularly bright, large, shining red star.
“See, it’s red, right? Originally it was a big Rotefox… a red fox, but it ate offerings meant for the gods, so just the tip of its tail is pinned up there.”
“Oh! That’s a surprisingly bloody origin!”
“It tries to escape, but since its tail is fixed in place, it can’t get away… it just spins around in circles.”
“Hmm. Rather dark stuff.”
Even in the world I was from, constellation stories often had pretty brutal origins, but this world is no less intense.
… Or rather…
“Ms. Aria, are you knowledgeable about these kinds of constellation stories too?”
“Mm. Mama… was a fortune teller…”
“Eh, really!?”
“I heard… lots of stories…”
Come to think of it, isn’t this the first time I’ve heard about Ms. Aria’s family circumstances? Her mother was a fortune teller!
Like that old saying, “Even the temple novice gets wise”… No wonder she knows so much about stars!
“Mama wanted me to take over… but I can’t just sit still!”
“Ahhhh… everyone’s got things they’re good or bad at.”
Ms. Aria wrinkles her nose and scrunches up her face. It’s an expression that shows she really didn’t like it.
Well, yup. Ms. Aria has a bit of a tomboy streak (putting it mildly)… sitting still, waiting for customers, or listening to their stories would probably be a bit difficult for her.
“By the way, what kind of fortune telling did your mother do, Ms. Aria?”
“…Hmm… she did various things… Rin, are you perhaps… interested?”
“You caught me? Actually, I quite like fortune telling and such.”
“Really? Then… could you lend me your hand?”
Her pale ice-blue eyes look at me with a slightly mischievous smile.
Oh? Is this what I think it is?
With such expectations and ulterior motives hidden in my heart, I extend my hand toward Ms. Aria, and her cool, slender white fingers trace the lines carved into my palm.
“Hmm! This is…!”
“Is there something, Professor Aria!”
After playing with my hand for a while, Ms. Aria made a dramatic comment.
Caught up in her wide-eyed declaration, I responded eagerly.
“A hand that makes delicious food!”
“Eh… is there really such a palm reading!?”
“I don’t know! But your hand makes delicious food, so it’s a hand that makes delicious food!”
Looking at me as I’m caught off guard, Ms. Aria smiles softly. Ah, I see? So she wasn’t actually reading my palm! Actually, she never said she’d read my palm or tell my fortune… I just got my hopes up on my own. But there’s no way I wouldn’t be happy to be told I have hands that make delicious things!
“But Mama might know… if you ever come to my house… You should have Mama look at them.”
“Yes. When that time comes, definitely!”
Ms. Aria’s house, huh. I wonder what kind of place it is? If there’s a chance to go, I’d really like to visit…
[COLLISION WARNING! COLLISION WARNING!]
At the sudden high-pitched electronic buzzer, my body jumps in surprise.
While confused by the buzzer that continues to pierce through the dim darkness, I hastily switch the navigation screen to wide-area display.
“Huh? Eh, collision!? Collision, what’s happening!?”
The abnormality is obvious at a glance. Several bright red dots are closing in on the Camping Car.
Before taking that nap, there was nothing like this…!
When I hastily turn around… as expected of adventurers. They must be sensitive to presences. Everyone is wide awake.
“Mr. Ville!”
“Yeah. Monsters or something, probably.”
“No way…! The presence concealment should be working…”
“There are those it doesn’t work on sometimes. Rin. Just in case, can you turn off the engine and keep quiet?”
At Mr. Ville’s word stopping my panic, the members inside quickly prepare for battle.
Mr. Ville, being careful not to make noise, quietly opens the door. The air that’s cooled to an unbelievable degree compared to the daytime heat rushes into the car.
I hear desert temperatures vary greatly between day and night, but I never imagined it would be this much! But if it comes to battle, this temperature might make it easier to move.
Meanwhile, the red dots kept gathering in the area…
“They’re almost here!”
No sooner have I said that than the sand nearby the parked Camping Car begins to bulge and heave.
Massive worm-like creatures burst through the sand. They’re probably searching for us. They stick their slimy, elongated bodies out from the ground, writhing and squirming… eerily. But unlike worms, they are at least three meters long, and the front of their bodies opened wide like a mouth, lined with rows of saw-like teeth…
“Could those be… Mongolian Death Worms!? I never imagined I’d encounter them in a place like this!”
“What!? Do you know them, Rin?!”
When I blurted out something that reminded me of an old urban legend, Mr. Xenon turned around with a surprised look on his face.
A-ah, sorry! I don’t actually know them! I just remembered some unidentified creature from my world!
“Um… It’s not Mongolian Death Worms, it’s actually called a Bedrock Worm! According to Survival, they react to sound and vibrations.”
“Sound and vibrations… Makes sense, I don’t see any eyes on them.”
Hmm. Up until now, they could track our location with engine noise, but because it got quiet, they lost track of where we are.
Mr. Ville’s instruction to turn off the engine paid off!
“Oh. By the way, they’re listed as ‘edible,’ but apparently they’re not very tasty. They seem to be treated more like a medicinal ingredient.”
According to Survival, "They have a strong bitterness and distinctive muddy taste, and the meat texture is rough, making them unsuitable for food. The liquid made by boiling dried ones has very strong bitterness, but the aftertaste is slightly sweet and works well for sore throats.”
I always wonder who writes these food reports in Survival. No matter how you look at it, it can only seem like "written by someone who has actually eaten them"… I can somewhat understand why the taste descriptions for "delicious" and "very delicious" foods are so detailed, but having such detailed reports even for "edible" creatures—what’s up with that?
While I’m slightly put off by the realistic, detailed descriptions, the Mongolian worms… I mean, Bedrock Worms continue rampaging. They bite at random, retreat into the sand…
Moreover, their biting attacks, only cutting through air, seem to provoke their irritation further. The longer time passes, the more frequently they appear. They apparently have no intention of giving up on us.
“We can’t just sit here twiddling our thumbs watching. Let’s go!”
“Got it!”
“Mm! Going now!”
“Rin, please stay quiet here!”
At Mr. Ville’s signal, everyone jumps down from the Camping Car at once. After that, they run far away to draw the worms away from the Camping Car.
“Aria, spread nets around the area! Ed and Xenon, shoot magic into the ground for diversion!”
As soon as he hits the ground, Mr. Ville deflects the head of an attacking worm with his great sword and shouts instructions while running.
Even though there’s some distance, in the desert with nothing to obstruct the view, I can clearly see everyone’s valiant fighting.
Being creatures that live underground, you never know where the worms will emerge from. They suddenly appear, trying to bite with those big jaws, and when attacked, they quickly retreat underground… How do you deal with enemies that attack from underfoot without warning…!
“But, well, I guess there’s no need to worry.”
Just look at how well they’re fighting!
From what I can see inside the car, Ms. Aria spreads her threads over a wide area, and when worms emerge, she ensnares them so Mr. Ville and Mr. Ed can finish them off!
Mr. Ed frequently shooting magic at the ground is that decoy thing to lure worms with vibrations. Mr. Xenon applies restraining magic to worms and healing magic to everyone’s wounds… quite an active performance.
“Wow… What flawless teamwork!”
I inadvertently let out an admiring voice.
Just moments ago, the worms were popping up constantly without pause, but now there are considerable intervals between appearances. To use an analogy, it went from hard mode whack-a-mole to super easy mode.
The red dots on the navigation have almost all disappeared now.
‘Ewww… weird smell…’
A faint fishy smell wafts in on the breeze through the wide-open living area door. It’s probably the smell of worm bodily fluids splattered everywhere. It must be harsh for Gomamiso with its good nose, as it’s making its face extremely wrinkled.
Even so, after a long pause, a massive worm jumped out—only to be sliced down, leaving silence in its wake. There’s not a single red dot left around the Camping Car.
Ms. Aria, who apparently was searching the surroundings with her spread threads, suddenly stands up and waves her hand broadly toward me and Gomamiso. What floats on her face is such a bright, clear smile.
“It’s over… it seems. Let’s go too, Gomamiso!”
‘Mm! Rush, dash time!’
“Doesn’t that kind of mean the same thing?”
Probably trying to protect me, Gomamiso, who had grown large, shrinks in an instant and leaps right into my arms. I catch it and leap out of the vehicle—only to almost trip as my feet sink into the sand.
‘Jeez! Do you even have motor nerves?’
“…Where do you learn words like that, Miso?”
‘Hmph. Me, a genius!’
I managed to regain my footing just in time, so it was fine, but… is sand this hard to move on!? No matter how much I walk, it doesn’t feel like I’m moving forward at all.
Every time I step forward, the sand crumbles and I lose my balance, and the foot bearing my weight sinks in… How do the Camping Car and all the party members run on sand like this without trouble?! All I can say is that it’s amazing…!
‘Jeez! If you don’t hurry, I’m going without you!’
“Eh… Miso, you’re fas… t!”
Miso’s little feet pattering across the sandy ground show no signs of being caught by the sand at all. The cat’s smaller than me, and with four legs, its weight is probably distributed, right? Also, I always forget, but Miso is a monster, so it uses magical power to support its movements. No wonder it moves so easily, even with me on its back or walking on sand! Makes sense!
Before I have the chance to trip and embarrass myself, Mr. Ville is already waiting for me. At a glance, there’s no trace of worm bodily fluids or sand on him. He probably cast cleaning magic before coming here.
“Rin, you made it. Did you get hurt on the way here?”
“Thanks to you all, Mr. Ville! I was just watching from the car, but you were incredibly efficient.”
“Yeah, we managed somehow. We were saved by there being fewer than expected.”
Ms. Aria, Mr. Ed, and Mr. Xenon, waving as they return, also seem uninjured. Really, what a reliable party.
But still, everyone returning is carrying something in their hands… and I can tell even from a distance that it’s writhing around… If my suspicions are right, that’s… that, isn’t it?
“Rin. We got some worm meat drops, but… what should we do with it?”
“Gah! So it really was worm meat.”
…I know there are things that keep moving even after death. But actually seeing chunks of meat still writhing after being cut off… It’s more eerie than I thought, and it feels like it’s draining my mental energy… According to Survival, it doesn’t seem to be inedible, but I don’t have the courage to eat this…
“I won’t use it as an ingredient… but it apparently can be used for medicine, so should we take it back just in case? The guild might buy it from us.”
“Mm… certainly, this… doesn’t make me want to eat it…”
“It’s not exactly an appetite-inducing visual.”
Following the wry smiles of Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria, Mr. Ville and Mr. Xenon also nod deeply.
I get it. I really do…! It’s not something you’d want to actively eat.
…That said…
“Even if we didn’t get ingredients, we got caught up in unexpected combat, so everyone’s hungry, right? Let’s have dinner here today!”
“Yay! Rin’s cooking!”
“That’s right! Fighting always makes me hungry! Thanks, Rin!”
“Thank you, Rin! That would make me very happy.”
At my words, all the members burst into excitement.
Well, of course. That’s natural. They said they ate travel food while I was sleeping, but a fair amount of time has passed since then, and on top of that, they fought worms. I think their energy is close to empty.
But among all this… while Ms. Aria, Mr. Ed, and Mr. Xenon exchange high-fives, Mr. Ville quietly walks over to me, a bit tense and furrowing his brow.
“Are you sure, Rin? Aren’t you tired?”
“No, no, no… if anything, you all who fought are more tired! Making dinner is nothing at all!”
“Hmm, well… it’s true that your cooking is delicious and we’re grateful to eat it, but… just don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”
“Yes, of course!”
I can’t help but laugh at Mr. Ville’s overprotective behavior. I’m grateful to be worried about, but I just rested properly until moments ago! As I said just now, I’m more worried about you all collapsing from hunger, Mr. Ville! Besides, everyone probably only ate carbohydrate-heavy travel food today, so I want them to get some meat and vegetables too.
“In that case, why don’t we eat outside? I’ll go pick up stuff we can burn for cooking!”
“Mm! Good idea! Today, the stars… are beautiful.”
As soon as it’s decided that I’ll cook, Mr. Ed clapped his hands as if he’d had a brilliant idea. Ms. Aria immediately agreed with his unexpected proposal.
To be honest, given this great location, I was kind of longing for barbeque under the desert starry sky…! Plus I was thinking I’d like to try making some desert-specific dishes. But I figured that gathering firewood and starting a fire would take too long, so I gave up on it. After all, quickly filling everyone’s stomachs is part of my job, right?
But since everyone proposed it like this… I guess it’s okay to go along with it…?
“Cooking under the stars sounds amazing, but… can we really find firewood in a desert like this?”
“Mwahaha! Believe it or not, there’s more than you’d think!
“Plant-type monsters sometimes dry up too.”
Next to Mr. Ed puffing out his chest proudly, Mr. Xenon taught me some rather frightening trivia. So even deserts have plant-type monsters… The world really is tough.
“…Then, may I ask you to do that? I’ll prepare so I can start as soon as the firewood arrives!”
“Yes, of course! Leave it to us.”
“We’ll gather it as fast as we can!”
“Full speed dash!”
“Wait, wait! I need to prepare ingredients, so you don’t need to be that fast!”
Mr. Ed and the rest, each taking their weapons, rush outside with incredibly excited expressions. Whether it’s being hasty or just decisive… Everyone moves lightning-fast once they’ve decided something!
Looking at each other with Mr. Ville, who’s left behind… we end up bursting out laughing at the same time.
“Wow… they’re fast to act! But starlight dining sounds kind of fun!”
“Well, there were traces of shrubs and vine grass growing, so if nothing goes wrong, I think they’ll be back soon.”
“Eh… seriously? Then I need to hurry and prepare…!”
Mr. Ville, shrugging his shoulders slightly, shows a smile mixed with just a tiny bit of exasperation and resignation. Oh no! Being fast to act is good, but it would be bad to end things with zero preparation!
“Uh, um… okay, first things first… I need to decide what to make, I guess?”
“Hmm… so, if you’re cooking outside, should I also set up that… ‘grill’? The thing you brought.”
“Thank you! I want to do the prep work during that time, so may I ask you to do that?”
“Yeah, leave it to me.”
A whole bunch of "things I need to do" suddenly appeared, and my mind is nearly overloaded. Moreover, I’m panicking about nearly overloading, so my thought processes are completely jumbled.
Still, helped by Mr. Ville, who lends a hand at key points, and charged by the clueless Gomamiso…
The menu that finally comes to my calmed mind is…
“…Alright! Today’s all about the vibe! Let’s go with fire-roasted meat and sand-baked bread. And I’ll throw in some whole tomatoes to munch on!”
With this menu, the only thing that needs work is the bread dough, right? For the meat, I just need to cut it up and season it with salt and pepper, and then I just need to prepare vegetables that can be eaten raw or that would taste good grilled whole.
If I have time, I’ll prepare some foil-baked dishes too.
“Now that that’s decided… first, making bread dough!”
Actually, there was this shocking scene I saw in a documentary or something.
That’s the desert sand-baked bread! Apparently, you bury the bread dough in sand and make a fire on top to cook it through with the heat. I’ve always wanted to try it if I ever got the chance!
Oh! And if there’s any dough left, I’ll fulfill another long-time dream—making “bread twisted around a stick and roasted” over a fire! Let’s do it!
…Come to think of it, "bread twisted around a stick and roasted" has a nice ring to it. Maybe it’s the 5-7-5 haiku rhythm? Kinda makes me want to add a second line like “and now I really want some jam.”
“That said, we don’t have time to let the dough ferment, so I guess I’ll use baking powder to make it rise?”
Plus, authentic sand-baked bread apparently uses semolina flour, but I obviously don’t have that, so I’ll have to substitute with regular wheat flour… If someone says, "That’s not authentic at all!" all I can say is "I’m sorry!”
“…But this kind of thing is all about the atmosphere, right? Right, Gomamiso?”
‘Hm? Hm? Don’t really get it but… sure, that’s right!’
I give the winged lynx who responded like a vintage TV show audience member a pat on the head, then open the fridge door with a bang.
“Hmm hmm… for meat, I’ll use Ushika meat as the main.”
What I take out is wheat flour and a chunk of meat. It’s better to let the meat come to room temperature a bit for more even cooking.
‘Heeey. Heeey. What about me? What should I dooo?’
“Miso, you… let’s see… you’re on lookout duty from the driver’s seat to watch for enemies!”
‘Mm, got it! Leave it to me!’
…By the way, I decided to position Gomamiso, who’s looking up at me with expectant eyes, somewhere it won’t get in the way. They say you’d borrow even a cat’s paws, but when it comes to cooking, I can’t think of situations where cat paws would actually help.
Well, right person for the right job?
“Wheat flour, and oil… do I need sugar too? Ugh, who knows!”
Even I’m a complete amateur when it comes to serious bread making. I could manage something like bread balls, but… Well, I’ll knead water and flour together, and if it gets soft, it should turn out fine… probably!
“Oh, but if I’m using baking powder, I think I heard in some cooking video that mixing in something acidic makes it rise better!”
Something about accelerating foaming through chemical reactions…? In that same vein, they also said replacing sugar with honey gives a fluffy finish due to its water-retention properties. …Honestly, I don’t remember it very well, though.
Well, I guess I’ll keep that in mind while cooking.
“Rin. I’ve finished setting up the grill.”
“Thank you, Mr. Ville! In that case… could you cut that meat there into bite-sized pieces?”
“Sure… come to think of it, didn’t you make me help with this in a dungeon once?
“Ah, that time! Looking back, that dungeon had all sorts of different floors.”
Since I am busy wrestling with the flour, Mr. Ville takes up the knife today. What he faces is beautiful red meat with just the right amount of fat. As he received the appetizing chunk of meat, Mr. Ville narrowed his eyes with a nostalgic smile.
…Right. That must’ve been… the snowy floor in my first dungeon. When I made kebab-style grilled meat and a spicy soup, I asked Mr. Ville to tenderize the meat for me… I think back then, it was meat from some monster that resembled a cow or pig…
“This time it’s Ushika meat I got at a good price!”
“It was right after a mass culling the day before, right?”
“It smells amazing, it’s tender, juicy… With how good it tastes, I’m surprised it hasn’t been hunted to extinction…”
In reality, they have strong vitality and baby Ushika are born left and right, so if they don’t regularly thin the population, the forest could disappear… that incredible reproductive ability is impressive in its own way, yup…
I’m sure Ushika has their own place in the ecosystem, but still… herb gathering, hunting beasts and monsters, and so on… the forests around Ellarge are an important source of income for us adventurers. We can’t afford to lose those forests to Ushika’s feeding damage.
So what we can do is help thin the Ushika population ourselves, buy their meat on the market… and if possible, spread the word about how tasty it is. That’d be even better. If it gets a reputation for being tasty, more people will handle Ushika meat, and if more people handle it, distribution will expand, and if distribution expands, more effort will go into culling.
…Oh, but if we can’t control it properly somewhere along the line, even Ushika with their vigorous reproductive ability might end up like Japanese river eels. It’s a difficult balance.
“So… what kind of dish will this become, Rin? Will it be the same grilled meat and soup as that time?”
“I’ll skewer the meat you cut and grill it over the fire, bake the dough I’m kneading now… and maybe have everyone bite into some tomatoes… something like that?”
“Dough… you mean what you’re kneading now will become bread?!”
“Well, whether it turns out okay or not is kind of a gamble.”
Next to me, Mr. Ville is chopping up the meat with my still-new butcher knife. Looking at the cross-section, there’s a good amount of fat, so I think it’ll stay tender even when heated.
Assuming some fat will drip off during the grilling, I’ll season it a bit heavily with salt and pepper… if I can get the surface crispy and the inside juicy, that would be perfect, right?
“Mmm, okay… for now, let’s go with mostly bread flour with a little cake flour. Then baking powder and salt…”
I don’t remember exact measurements, so this time it’s all by eye. In the spirit of "somehow it’ll work out," I put the flour ingredients into the bowl. I roughly mix it with a spoon to distribute the flour evenly…
“Alright…! I don’t know how this will turn out, but it’s worth a try!”
What I add to that is a mixture of milk and honey with lemon juice added. In other words, it’s a liquid that aims for both the "acid-accelerated foaming" and "increased water retention" I remembered earlier in one go. Sweet and sour, and a bit thick… I think it would be delicious to drink on its own. But today, I’m boldly dumping this into the flour!
“Mm, oh! This actually looks pretty good, especially for something I measured by feel!”
After mixing with a spoon until the flouriness disappears, I knead it thoroughly by hand to my heart’s content. It has been sticky at first, but as I knead it, it gradually comes together nicely. Since I’m burying it in sand, it probably needs to be somewhat firm or the sand will stick to it.
Once the dough takes on a shiny, appetizing gloss, I cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest! I’ve heard that even unfermented dough turns out more evenly moist if you let it sit like this.
“Hmm hmm… I made more than I expected! Looks like I can make the twisted bread too!”
Looking at the dough that fills a large bowl, I cheer, while Mr. Ville stares at me with the look of someone seeing something strange.
“What is… twisted bread, Rin?”
“Ah. I guess it’s not very mainstream around here? Where I’m from, it’s a pretty typical campfire meal…”
It’s that thing where you twist bread dough around a branch of suitable length and thickness, then roast it over a campfire while rotating it. I think I saw it quite often in camping blogs and videos. Apparently, if you don’t bake it properly, it ends up undercooked, but even if you fail, that’s part of the charm.
The biggest point to watch out for is that you have to choose branches that aren’t poisonous for the core. It would be terrible if someone got poisoned.
“Like this… each person twists dough around their own branch and each person bakes it over the campfire to eat.”
“I see. So such a thing exists… as always, the cuisine from your world is interesting, Rin.”
“So this time, I’m thinking everyone can twist and roast their own portions.”
When I explain with words and gestures, Mr. Ville’s eyes shine with interest. Oh! Did I get him interested?
I take the meat from Mr. Ville, who seems satisfied with the explanation… since the rest haven’t returned yet, I can prepare the vegetables a little more nicely instead of just having them bite into whole tomatoes.
“The classic would be… sliced tomatoes and onions, I guess?”
If we’re having things that taste good raw, this combination is definitely the classic, right? And I’ll also prepare the honor student potato that becomes delicious when you wrap it in foil and toss it into the fire.
While Mr. Ville and I divide the work of washing, cutting, and wrapping potatoes in foil, I hear the sound of footsteps crunching through sand coming from the open living quarters door.
The area around the Camping Car suddenly brightens up.
“We’re back! There were quite a few dead trees around here, which was helpful!”
“Lots of firewood! Hard and dry!”
“…Well, as you can imagine… Ed and Aria were so excited that it was quite a handful. Were things okay on your end, Rin? Was that man with zero cooking sense useful?”
“Hmph… I did all the prep for today’s main dish. You better eat it with gratitude.”
Sure, it feels livelier now that everyone is back, but the biggest impact comes from the orb of light magic Mr. Ed has cast earlier—it brightens up the whole area.
Oh, but with this magic, I guess we don’t even need lanterns to cook outside.
“Welcome back! The ingredients are ready, so shall we get right to eating?”
Holding up the prepared meat, I jump down from the Camping Car’s steps to light the fire.
Sure enough, Mr. Ed, Ms. Aria, and Mr. Xenon came back smiling, arms full of twigs and branches perfect for firewood.
“It’s all nice and dry, so the fire should catch right away!”
Just as Mr. Ed said, the firewood caught fire immediately. We have two fire sources—one on the portable grill where we are grilling big cuts of meat, and one directly on the ground for roasting skewered meat.
“Ahh! What a wonderfully rustic scene! This really feels like proper camping!”
The campfire flames flicker in the night breeze, casting dancing shadows on the sand. Fat drips from the meat being roasted by the flames that burn the firewood cheerfully, spreading a fragrant aroma around us.
How should I put it… when I actually see before my eyes the scene of meat skewers surrounding the campfire… it really touches something in my heart. Doesn’t it feel like a traveler’s or adventurer’s meal?
By the way, I’ve covered the raw vegetables I prepared earlier with a bowl to prevent sand from getting mixed in.
“Mmm…! Grilling meat really does smell wonderful!”
“Yeah. It’s too tempting for an empty stomach.”
Under the starry sky, listening to the sounds of crackling firewood and sizzling meat, I rotate the meat skewers. So much romance packed in here…
If Mr. Ville, sitting next to me, wasn’t looking at the meat with eyes ready to devour it, I’d think this was quite a peaceful night… Well, it’s not just Mr. Ville—the other members are looking with similar eyes, so it’s not a very peaceful feeling.
I also flip the skewers on the grill to get even browning all around. Even though I only added minimal seasoning, the smell of the grilling meat really appeals to an empty stomach. Perhaps drawn by that smell, I can hear Mr. Ville’s throat making sounds.
At times like this, Gomamiso, who would normally be the most excited, seems to have gotten full from sampling the Ushika meat. It’s pressing its back against my bottom as I sit on the ground, sound asleep and snoring.
“Speaking of which, are the bread dough we buried earlier not ready yet?”
“Let’s see… It’s been giving off quite a fragrant smell, so I think it should be about ready!”
Mr. Ville tears his eyes away from the meat skewer and gazes at the separate fire we made beside the portable grill—or rather, at its glowing coals.
Right. To make the sand-baked bread I really wanted to try this time, I specially made a separate campfire on the ground! I used that campfire to heat the sand, then once I moved the fire aside, I placed the flattened bread dough, covered it with sand, then burned the coals on top… that’s how you make it! This time, I also put foil-wrapped potatoes next to it.
There’s something similar in Nagano called kayaraki oyaki, where they slowly cook dumplings buried in ash—I guess the concept is a bit like that? Wait, wasn’t it that they hardened the surface first before burying them in ash?
In any case, I think it’s fair to call it a type of underground cooking.
“Never thought… You could build a fire, remove the ashes, and bake bread right there!”
“That’s an unusual way to make bread.”
“I’m curious about the bread too, but the meat looks so delicious…!”
Ms. Aria and Mr. Ed are also watching the meat over the campfire with great interest. But the one who seems the most distracted by the meat is definitely Mr. Xenon—so typical of him.
Still, it’s true—this is a pretty unusual way to bake bread. I probably wouldn’t have known about it if I hadn’t been digging through those camping summary site articles. While I’m at it, following links to other summary articles on that site, jumping to other sites, and following links to other summary articles there… when you do that, you can get unexpected information or time melts away more than you thought… There were all sorts of things…
“Hmm. The meat is cooking nicely too, so shall we take a look at the sand-baked bread?”
“You sure, Rin?”
“Yes. We’ve been baking it for quite a while… I think it should be ready now!”
Mr. Ville, next to me, who’s watching over the meat skewers… seeing this scary-looking tough guy waiting for the bread to finish with sparkling eyes makes me feel a bit warm and fuzzy. I couldn’t help but want to spoil him!
I can feel not just Mr. Ville’s but the whole party’s gaze gathering on me as I quietly clear away the glowing coals and sand with a thick branch. Once I clear away most of the ash-mixed sand, the bread reveals itself—more than golden brown, it’s leaning toward a bit blackened.
“Whoaaa… It’s blacker than I expected!”
Even through my trusty leather gloves quite a bit of heat comes through. My fingertips are tingling. Enduring that, when I pat away the sand and ash, surprisingly clean bread skin appears.
The sweet, fragrant wheat aroma gently dissolves into the night air.
The thickness is… slightly thinner than pan pizza?
“Hmm hmm. It rose better than I thought! Maybe thanks to the pseudo buttermilk?”
“…Y’know, it always crosses my mind… I never thought we’d get to eat bread this fluffy in the middle of a journey.”
“Eh, really?!”
“Yeah. Usually, we mostly make do with hard bread or crackers.”
According to what Mr. Ed tells me earnestly, being able to leisurely build a fire and have a meal like this is limited to times when there’s quite a bit of leeway. Usually, they mostly make do with shaved black bread that keeps well, or gnawing on hard-baked crackers.
…I see… I can imagine that a bit. Both black bread and hard-baked crackers keep well when baked thoroughly.
Plus, since the ingredients are wheat-based, they’d become immediate energy. Since they’re hard to chew, you’d also take in moisture when eating them, which would naturally make them more filling too. I think it makes sense.
“In the first place, even if we did get the chance to cook… You know our situation…”
“Ah, ahhh…”
Looking at Mr. Xenon sighing with that melancholy expression, he’d totally pass for a tragic, ill-fated elf… but what he’s actually talking about is just how awful their meals used to be! That said, if those precious cooking opportunities that came around occasionally resulted in terrible dishes due to the members’ cooking skills… well, I guess that expression makes sense.
From what I hear, everyone’s past food situation was truly tragic.
“That’s why I’m so glad we’ve got you, Rin!”
“The only reason I even felt up to going this far… is all thanks to you, Rin!”
“Hehe! As always, I’m just happy I can help improve everyone’s quality of life!”
Ms. Aria grabs my hand tightly with a serious expression. The soft, cool temperature of her hand gradually seeps into my skin.
Noooo! Customer, you’re causing problems, customer! Bringing your cute-pretty face close enough that our breaths touch is against the rules, customer! Fortunately, this time, even the monster husband is worshipping me thanks to my cooking, so my life is guaranteed! But Ms. Aria’s face is making my heart pound too much!
…That’s what I scream internally. But I couldn’t say it aloud. Her face is just too pretty—I can’t stop myself from grinning like an idiot! Beautiful girls are so unfair!
“Aah… Ed, Aria. Don’t tease Rin too much.”
“Rin, are you still not used to us yet?”
Just before my head completely boiled over, Mr. Ville stopped them with truly pitying eyes. Ugh… I’m very grateful! My heart was about to give out! And yet, Mr. Xenon, who glances at me sideways while giggling, is totally playing with me! Grr, frustrating… frustrating, but…!
“For now, I’ll cut the bread! Let’s eat it by putting this freshly grilled meat in the hot, just-made bread!”
When I put the knife into the still-hot bread, I feel a pleasant, crunchy texture. But the inside is softer than I expected. If it expanded this much without fermentation, I’d say it’s a success, right? Plus, baking it buried in the vast desert let me make it extra large, so even when divided, I think it’ll at least help fill everyone’s stomachs.
After distributing the cut bread to everyone who doesn’t even try to hide their curiosity, today’s meal begins!
“Now, let me explain how to eat this bread!”
I can feel eight colorful eyes watching me. Bathed in their intense gazes, I place the skewered meat on top of the cut bread. I can clearly see everyone’s eyes following my hands as I continue working. I can feel their determination not to miss a single movement.
“Then, you sandwich the grilled meat with the bread… and pull out the skewer all at once!”
“Ohhh! Amazing, Rin!”
“The meat got sandwiched!”
Cheers go up as they see the skewer that came out cleanly with my explanation and the meat that remains sandwiched in the bread. At this moment, I think adding a slight twist while pulling makes the meat come out more easily.
“I see. I was surprised when you put the skewer on the bread without removing it, but it was to capture all the flavor, right?”
“This way, the bread absorbs the juices that overflow from the meat… so we can eat every bit without waste. Since we have this opportunity, let’s enjoy every drop of the meat juice!”
Mr. Xenon, who understood the reason without me having to explain, nods with comprehension. Mm. As expected of a fellow food lover. His understanding of delicious things is quick.
I open the bread again and pile sliced onions generously on top of the bread where traces of meat juice have soaked in. I also add sliced tomatoes… For sandwiches, you’d normally spread butter beforehand to prevent vegetable moisture from soaking into the bread, but with today’s style of eating right away, skipping that step is no problem!
“After that, eat it with your preferred seasoning—salt, lemon, mayonnaise, or ketchup!”
“Yay! Thanks, Rin!”
“Eh, what’s this!? This is gonna be so good!”
When I give a thumbs up with my free hand, everyone snaps back to reality and reaches for the meat skewers. Thanks to making plenty of meat skewers, there’s no scramble for them. While watching everyone excitedly making Ushika sandwiches like they’re in a cooking class, I pick up a lemon. Whatever I put on it would probably taste delicious, but I think I’ll eat it simply with salt and lemon first.
From the still-warm Ushika sandwich, the aroma of meat and bread blended together wafts up powerfully. The faint fragrance of lemon is also appetizing…! Holding it firmly so the filling doesn’t spill, I open my mouth wide and bite down!
“Mmmmm! So goooood!”
Every time I chew the sand-baked bread sandwich with its nicely browned surface, the meat juice overflows. I wonder if using a part with good marbling was the right choice? The surface is crispy, but the inside is moist and tender. The spicy, crunchy onions and sweet-and-sour tomato flavors go so well with the meat! Both in terms of taste and texture… It’s a perfect match!
The simple seasoning of just salt and lemon plays a role in the marriage of meat and vegetables. And most of all, the crispy-chewy sand-baked bread goes so well with it! That unique texture must come from being pressed under sand and hot coals!
“Rin! Rin! This is really delicious!”
“Ehh! I could eat this forever!”
“The meat alone is delicious enough, but making it into a sandwich like this makes the flavor stand out even more!”
Starting with Ms. Aria’s voice, everyone praises it enthusiastically. I’m glad they’re enjoying it!
“I was bracing myself for a gritty texture from baking it in sand… but there’s none at all.”
“Ah! I thought that too! There’s no sandy or ashy taste at all, right?”
While watching Mr. Ville, who finished his sand-baked bread sandwich in an instant, reach for more bread and meat skewers, I also reach out not to be outdone.
With the fragrant smell of the nicely browned surface and the fluffy interior in contrast… The flour isn’t the same as what’s used traditionally, so of course the flavor’s different… but I think it turned out quite well for a first attempt?
The illustration’s description: Rin is blissfully eating a sandwich.
And strangely, just by lightly brushing it off, the sand came off properly. Honestly, I think clams that haven’t been purged properly end up grittier…
“Rin, Rin… are there seconds of this?”
Not just Mr. Ville, but everyone’s hands kept reaching out… even though it was quite a large bread, it disappeared in no time. I’m glad they liked it!
When Mr. Ed, who still seemed unsatisfied, asked hesitantly, I broke into a big smile.
“There is… or rather, next we’re not making sand-baked bread, but I’ll have everyone bake bread themselves!”
“Bake it ourselves!? What do you mean, Rin?”
“Heh heh heh…! I’m going to have everyone make romantic camp food… bread twisted around a stick and roasted!”
Like the host of some death game, I raise the bowl of dough dramatically.
Everyone’s round eyes keep going back and forth between me and the bowl.
“Here’s how it works… You roll the dough out like a snake with your hands, twist it around a stick, and roast it over the fire.”
While explaining, I cut the dough to an appropriate length, roll it with both hands… and demonstrate twisting the elongated dough around a tree branch.
Hmm. To think I’d actually experience the scene I saw in camping videos. How deeply moving.
“Then you slowly grill this dough over the campfire and it’s complete!”
I stab the branch firmly into the ground beside the campfire—making sure to stick it deep enough so the branch won’t fall over—and when I look around at everyone’s faces, the colorful eyes staring at me are sparkling brightly.
“Hoh… that’s quite an unusual way of baking.”
“Ehhh! That looks so fun!”
“Rin, Rin! Me too! I want to try it too!”
“I’ve lived quite a long time, but this is my first time seeing bread baked this way…!”
Whooooa! I guess this is what they mean by "seeing is believing"? Everyone’s excitement is rising!
Everyone’s hands that had been reaching only for the grilled meat skewers are now reaching toward me first!? I thought there might be a scramble for meat, but unexpectedly it’s turning into a bread dough scramble…!
“It’s okay! I’ve prepared enough to fill everyone’s stomachs!”
Handing out the dough to everyone amidst happy squeals, I decide to make another one myself. This kind of work lets you return to your childhood spirit… It’s a bit of fun, like working with clay.
“Rin, I can’t seem to wrap it well…?”
“Ah. I think it would be easier to wrap if you make the dough a bit thinner first.”
“Rin! Like this? Should I wrap it tighter?”
“Ms. Aria, if you wrap it a bit more loosely so there’s space between the dough pieces, I think it’ll bake up fluffy.”
Everyone seems to be struggling with the bread dough while chattering excitedly. Some try wrapping thick dough, others wrap it super tight… From what I can see, their individual personalities are showing in their methods, and it’s quite heartwarming.
“Hey, hey, Rin! How about mine?”
“Does mine look okay like this as well?”
“Mr. Ed and Mr. Xenon, yours look perfect! Just stick them firmly in the ground so they don’t fall over, and turn them now and then while they bake.”
“Mm…! Rin! Check mine too!”
“Sorry, but could you check mine too, Rin?”
I can see Mr. Ed and Mr. Xenon, who got my seal of approval, puffing out their chests proudly.
For just a moment, I can see Ms. Aria and Mr. Ville purse their lips in frustration. Ahhh… new sources of conflict…! Still, the reason it doesn’t develop into a brawl is probably because everyone lacks the calories to spend on fighting.
While deflecting the rapid-fire questions, my hands kept moving, churning out more twisted breads.
Sure, I know bread you bake yourself tastes great, but… with this group, that alone would never be enough! Judging from how well the sand-baked bread sandwiches vanished earlier, they’ll probably be eaten as soon as they’re baked, right? If that’s the case, the smart move is to keep mass-producing them from now on, right?
“I’ll keep making more, so please eat them as they finish baking!”
“Mm! I’m looking forward to yours too, Rin!”
“Comparing which ones taste better might be nice too!”
“Hmm, I wonder? The dough’s the same, so won’t they all taste the same?”
“Hehe… I think when the makers are different, the taste becomes different too…”
The rambling conversation everyone exchanges reaches my ears casually. It feels like listening to a relaxed radio program.
While nibbling at the grilled meat, I bring the remaining Ushika meat from the fridge and cook it on the spot… Time flows slowly under the starry sky.
Mm. This is exactly what traveling is all about!
“Ah! This twisted bread might be ready to eat now.”
While I’m working on various things, the ones I wrapped with thinner dough have baked to a really nice color.
Overall golden brown with nice char marks…
I tear off a piece from the end for tasting and pop it in my mouth…
“Mm! Mmm! This has a completely different taste from the earlier bread!”
It’s the same dough as the desert bread, but this is a completely different thing! Maybe because there was nothing to act as a weight, it turned out fluffy! The surface is crispier, too. If the sand-baked bread had the fragrance of charcoal fire, this one has the fragrance of campfire… kind of like the aromatic scent when you burn wood.
This would… go really well with sweet coffee with lots of milk and sugar… and hot coffee at that!
“Hey, Rin. Is this one ready too?”
“Rin, what about mine?”
Before I can even savor the wheat’s flavor contemplatively, the hungry folks charge at me with their well-baked bread branches in hand. I expected this, but it seems everyone’s stomachs have reached their limit, too.
At a glance, they look well-baked… they should be fine to eat, I think? If the inside is undercooked, they can just tear off the cooked parts and eat those, then grill it again like churrasco.
“I think they’re OK! If the inside isn’t cooked, just eat the cooked parts and grill it again.”
“Yay! Thanks!”
“Whoo! Then, right away!”
Starting with Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria’s cheers that seem to say they can’t wait any longer, Mr. Ville and Mr. Xenon also quickly pull their branches from the ground.
“Hafu…! Hot! But delicious!”
“Indeed, this has a different flavor from the earlier bread.”
“Wow! This bread goes well with the grilled meat, too! I could eat any amount!”
“Amazing how just a different cooking method changes the taste so much… The roasted flavor really stands out—it’s delicious.”
Joyful voices rise from everyone who bit into the twisted bread. In various ways, it’s a magnificent display of enthusiasm!
The meat skewers are disappearing well too, so I think this turned out to be quite a good meal.
The desert is getting quite cold as night deepens, but somehow it feels incredibly warm because of everyone’s cheerful, bouncing voices and the smell of bread and meat baking filling the air.
‘Nuu♡ Chin’s… cooking… lots of it…♡’
“You really never change, always muttering the same old sleep talk…”
I wonder what kind of dream it’s having… When I pet the belly of Gomamiso, who writhes while sleeping soundly, the rumbling sound from its throat gets higher.
The dinner we all eat together under the starry sky fills both body and soul.
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