The Forsaken Saintess and her Foodie Roadtrip in Another World (Light Novel), Volume 1 Chapter 3

This chapter is equivalent to chapters 33-50 of the web version.

Volume One, Chapter Three

“Rin! Are you awake? We’re heading out soon!”

“Fah!? Y-Yes! I’m awake! I’m up! Coming now!”

The sound of someone banging on the door rapidly pulls my consciousness to the surface. Hearing a voice that’s become completely familiar over these past few days, I hastily jump out of bed. When I check my wristwatch, it’s just past six o’clock. Th-that was close! If Mr. Ville hadn’t come to get me, I would’ve overslept!

I pour water from the pitcher into the washbasin by my pillow and quickly wash my face. Even though the water has gotten lukewarm, washing my face with it clears my head somewhat. I barely manage to hastily slap on some BB cream that I’d stuffed in my body bag, and my makeup is done! If I’d known things would turn out like this, I shouldn’t have been lazy, thinking "It’s just a fishing camp trip, so I don’t need makeup"—I should’ve brought my makeup pouch… But even if I had my makeup supplies on hand, I don’t have the skills to make myself look good anyway, so thinking about it is pointless…

Since I don’t have a change of clothes, I wrap the borrowed cloak draped over the chair around my body and pull the hood down low over my face, then push the door open with that same momentum. In the future, if I get the chance to obtain a change of clothes, I’ll go for something with a hood. Wearing a hood really puts me at ease mentally.

“Good morning, Mr. Ville. Please take care of me.”

“Morning, Rin. Sorry for the rush, but shall we stop by the market before heading out?”

“Yes! I’m looking forward to it!”

On the other side of the door stands Mr. Ville, who has become completely familiar to me, wearing his leather chest guard.

When I greeted him in a low voice since there were probably still people sleeping, Mr. Ville, who likewise lowered his voice, took my hand. Today seems to be another instance of me being walked around as pictured on a crosswalk sign, a.k.a. a preventing kidnapping scenario.

…What can I say, Mr. Ville really is a good guy… Despite being such a hunk, he’s kind and considerate even to someone like me…

With a mixture of embarrassment, I’m led by the hand by Mr. Ville as we move briskly through the early morning streets. Even though the sun has only just risen, the city already shows glimpses of liveliness. I feel like I learned in Japanese history class or something that back in the days before electric lights were introduced, people would start their activities at sunrise and go to sleep when the sun set…

Even with lanterns and street lamps, I guess this world is similar. Traveling merchants preparing their stalls, shops serving light meals to travelers and workers departing early in the morning, ladies finishing their nighttime work… Passing various people, we proceed through the market that’s already open for business.

From what I can see walking around briefly, there are quite a variety of shops. There are shops handling food products, shops dealing in cloth goods, and even ironmongers—it seems like they’re clustered together by industry type. The shop setups vary too: there are permanent brick-and-mortar stores, wagon-bed stalls, tarp-on-the-ground stalls, and portable foldable stands designed for easy transport.

If I’m being honest, I’d like to check out every corner, but this time I think I’ll focus on food shops. We need to meet up at the main gate in a little while…

The food market has vegetables, game meat, livestock meat, and processed meat, dairy products, preserved goods in jars, alcohol, spices and seasonings… all sorts of shops lined up packed together. What personally makes my heart race are things like the salted meat in large barrels, the smoked meat hanging behind the counters, the cheese with holes in it…

But at this very moment, the thing I crave the most is…

“First, what do you want, Rin?”

“Vegetables! I haven’t eaten anything resembling proper vegetables for the past two or three days, so I want to get some while I have the chance!”

“…Vegetables, huh…”

“They’re essential for keeping your body in good condition, you know?”

I mean, the only green I’ve eaten is wild parsley! Cucumber with miso would be so good, and biting into a chilled tomato sounds amazing… Plus, having leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and other perishable but edible raw veggies would expand my cooking options. If we also had longer-lasting ones like onions, potatoes, and pumpkins, it would provide some security in case we can’t procure food for a while…

…Well, I don’t know if the party leader standing next to me with "I object!" written all over his face will say "you may buy them!" though! Mr. Ville doesn’t seem to like vegetables much.

“Vitamins are involved in wound healing and immunity, so you need to eat them properly… …immunity… immunity!”

“Vita… what? Rin?”

“Yup. There are various reasons, so let’s buy vegetables! Worst case, I’ll die!”

“What!?”

Something feels off… and then it hits me—Immunity! I don’t have any acquired immunity—cellular or humoral—against the pathogens and viruses of this world, right…? At worst, couldn’t I catch a cold and just drop dead?

Mr. Ville is speechless, but if there are unknown pathogens or viruses in this world, with no antibodies prepared and no memory T cells, I’d have to rely only on my own physical strength and resistance.

…No, wait. Doesn’t this logic go both ways? While I’m not a carrier of infectious diseases, there are illnesses triggered by opportunistic pathogens! To protect everyone’s health, including my own, I need to carefully manage all our physical conditions!

“R-Rin… what do you mean you’ll die!?”

“At this rate, there’s a possibility that everyone, including myself, could get sick! Let’s eat vegetables! Health management is important!”

“Will eating them work? If you eat vegetables, you won’t die!?”

“Not just vegetables—let’s eat meat, fish, dairy products, all kinds of things in moderation! We need to boost our immune systems!”

Before I knew it, Mr. Ville had gripped my shoulders tightly, his face contorted as if he was about to cry. Being interrogated by Mr. Ville’s anguished voice made me want to die from embarrassment and guilt, but this is a seriously important matter!

People say health management is a working adult’s duty, but no matter what you do, humans get sick. Still, if you build your strength and immunity daily, you can lessen the severity!

With the party leader who looks like he’s debating “Eat vegetables or die,” I charge toward the stalls.

My target is a stall packed full of agricultural products closely resembling vegetables familiar in Japan—tomato-like things, eggplant-like things, cucumber-like things, cabbage-like things, potato-like things, onion-like things, lotus root-like things… It’s getting tedious, so I’ll just call them by those names, and what’s more, that actually works… But what’s up with this subtle synchronicity?

Honestly, since I didn’t know what anything tasted like, I didn’t want to take the risk of buying in bulk, so I asked Mr. Ville—who must’ve eaten vegetables from this world before, and he replied with things like "the bacon at that butcher shop over there has a faint apple fragrance and is delicious" or "the game meat at that stall over there is delicious because it’s been properly processed" or "the cheese at that shop is sweet and delicious because they only use fresh milk"… He seems to know those kinds of things very well, but when it comes to vegetables? "I’m not sure"?! What advice could I get from someone like that?

Fortunately, summer vegetables seemed to be in season and not too pricey. I bought a few of each vegetable on display, enough to fit in the wrapping cloth I had with me. There were also garlic-like and ginger-like things, so I purchased those too while I was at it. A small, sweet-looking grandma was running the stall, and since I bought a lot, she tossed in a few extra potatoes for free.

What a kind old lady… If she sets up shop again, I’ll definitely buy something!

“Vegetables… vegetables, huh… but if I don’t eat them, I might die…”

“What’s wrong with vegetables?”

“They don’t feel very filling!”

“Well, they are low in calories.”

Next to me, with my happy face clutching vegetables, the party leader is lost in thought to the point where he looks like he might hold his head in his hands at any moment. Even if he declares it with a cool look on his face, the content of what he is saying is ruining his good-looking appearance. Well, for Mr. Ville, who’s like a car with poor fuel efficiency, I guess these aren’t welcome ingredients. But vegetables are really helpful for maintaining good health!

After that, when I passionately explained about immune function and the terrifying nature of infectious diseases, Mr. Ville did understand the importance of vegetables… or rather, a balanced diet, but it might be more accurate to say he’s stuck at the stage of "I understand it in my head, but putting it into practice is another thing…”

After that, we also bought bacon and cheese at the shop Mr. Ville recommended…

“…Ah, Rin. Good morning…!”

“Morning, Rin!”

“Good morning, Rin. Did you buy something?”

“Good morning, everyone! What I bought is a secret! It’s a treat to look forward to at lunchtime, I guess.”

The others gathered at the main gate peer curiously at my wrapping cloth.

…Yup. I’ve learned my lesson well!

If I were to say something like "it’s mainly vegetables!" here, everyone’s mood would plummet even though it’s before the mission!

Even after Mr. Ville had confirmed with me that I wouldn’t leave them to die, he still couldn’t entirely suppress the feeling of "…But it’s just vegetables…", indicating how low the status of vegetables is in the Gourmands.

I think vegetables are delicious though… Could it be that vegetables in this world aren’t that tasty?

…Come to think of it, there was that story about how tomatoes used to be incredibly sour in the old days, and people ate them with sugar…

But still—I want to believe that how you cook them makes all the difference!

“Rin, are you okay? It’s about time we go.”

“Ah, yes! Got it!”

Mr. Ville pats my back as I recall all the vegetable recipes I can remember.

The fact that even though he pats me like this fairly often, it doesn’t hurt or itch at all is probably because Mr. Ville is carefully controlling his strength.

East of Ellarge is this country’s only port, and from there, going south for about four kilometers is coastline—some places are shallow sandy beaches, while others are rocky shores with boulders and large stones scattered about, making it quite varied. Precisely because of that, seafood is plentiful… and it’s probably become a place where adventurers taking on gathering requests never cease.

Incidentally, today we’re planning to patrol together as a group to some extent rather than scattering individually.

“Well then, shall we go? Camping Car!”

For now, we head out the main gate, and I activate the Camping Car in an isolated area. Since today’s site is further away from the forest we were in yesterday, and since it’s already been exposed anyway, we’ll be traveling by the Camping Car!

Oh? Why not just go from the port to the beach? Unfortunately, since it’s the only port… the area around it has strict security… To the extent that only people with permission are allowed in and out. So for adventurers to reach the beach, they need to exit the town and circle around.

“Is everyone okay? No one’s getting motion sick?”

“No problem. Experiencing it again firsthand, it really is an amazing skill…!”

“…Super… fast…!”

“Aria’s so cute when she’s happy… Thank you, Rin!!”

Today I’ve had everyone properly sit on the sofas and fasten their seatbelts. Safety is first and foremost.

Mr. Xenon and Ms. Aria both seem to be enjoying themselves, their excited voices reaching all the way to the driver’s seat. I’m glad they’re pleased!

…Yup. Well, I feel like one person’s focus is slightly off… but it seems like normal behavior, so it’s probably fine!

By the way, the passenger seat is occupied by the reliable Mr. Ville as always. He must be used to it now, hopping in and fastening his seatbelt.

When I open the window, fresh air, still retaining its coolness, rushes through the car. The refreshing scent of new greenery feels so nice.

As usual, I’m driving off-road, avoiding the main highway, but I don’t feel much vibration.

“Say, Rin… What are you planning to do with those vegetables?”

“Hmm… I could bake pan-fried eggplant in the oven with tomatoes and cheese, or fry shredded potatoes shaped into rounds until crispy, or make quick pickles with cucumber using noodle sauce and vinegar.”

“…I understand that vitamins and whatnot are important, but I’d still really like to eat meat.”

As we rumble across the meadows, it’s a comfortable drive where I can enjoy some casual conversation with Mr. Ville, who knows what we bought, about the lunch menu and other trivial matters. Mr. Ville grumbles that it won’t be filling, but if you combine it with oil, it becomes somewhat more satisfying! I’m also planning to add a little something with plenty of protein!

Personally, I think chilled dishes like marinated grilled eggplant or broth-soaked tomatoes taste great when eaten in hot places like the seaside. But serving only vegetables for a meal to a carnivorous party would feel a bit too much even for me…

“Let’s see… if we can gather shellfish, I could steam them with butter and cabbage… but wait, shellfish need to be purged of sand… I think it would be delicious made with fish or shrimp too… Oh, shrimp is delicious cooked in oil!”

“Fish… shrimp… I’ll try to catch some.”

Mr. Ville’s eyes sharpen as if locking onto a prey… Sorry, fish and shrimp. I’ve ignited Mr. Ville’s appetite and fighting spirit! You could also say I’ve awakened the sleeping lion, perhaps?

“By the way, what was the request we took as cover for the patrol?”

“Delivery of 5kg of large sari clams.”

“Since I’ll be staying behind, a little over 1kg per person is the minimum… It sounds quite challenging, especially with the requirement for large clams.”

“Well, we’ll just have to use some trick. We can’t neglect the true objective, after all.”

…By the way, I’m house-sitting inside the Camping Car today.

For patrol missions in areas with potential high-level enemy encounters, a non-combatant like me would be just a burden. If I focus too much on gathering and fail to notice any abnormalities, it could lead to a delayed response… So that’s what we decided… What a pity!

Ahhhh… Clam digging and tide pool fishing sound so fun, but today I must endure, endure!

While I obediently stay put, Mr. Ville and everyone else have promised to "gather various things for lunch," so I’m looking forward to that!

The line of conifer trees probably serves as a windbreak and sand barrier. As I drive past the neatly arranged forest, the view ahead suddenly opens up.

A world of deep, deep azure spreads out—a horizon with gentle curves extending endlessly, and a blue sky that seems to draw you in. A distinctive salty scent, tinged with a slightly fishy smell, tickles my nose. Looking out over the beach where the tide has begun to recede, it seems several groups of adventurers have already started gathering.

I should probably have everyone get off around here. We can’t let anyone see them boarding and disembarking. I have them exit the car in an unpopulated area, then drive the Camping Car right up to the coastline.

“Alright, we are off. Stay put and be good, Rin.”

“Yes! I’ll make food and wait for you! Everyone, please be careful!”

“Mm. I’ll gather lots! Leave it to me!”

“The concealment function seems to be working, but still be careful.”

“If anything happens, run away immediately, okay? We know the geography around here, so we’ll find you right away.”

I move from the driver’s seat to the cabin to see everyone off as they head out on their patrol mission and side-gathering quest. While being mindful of the eyes around us, everyone secretly waves at me or gives me quick glances.

Even at the beach, they were wearing sturdy boots since there could be magical creatures or monsters lurking in the sand. With cleaning magic for dirt and drying magic if they get wet, it shouldn’t be an issue.

Magic sure is convenient.

…Now then. I’m curious about the "trick" Mr. Ville mentioned, but first I should prepare a veggie-packed lunch that even carnivores would eat!

With a crackling sound of moisture popping, the oil that should have been plentiful is absorbed by the eggplant before my eyes. …They say, "Eggplant and oil go well together," but where does all that absorbed oil go?

There are many things I don’t want to think about, like calories and such, but watching the deep purple skin that’s absorbed the oil, the flesh that had been faintly greenish, melt into a glossy state is quite enjoyable. And above all, since eggplant that’s absorbed oil is delicious, I might as well leave thoughts of diets and whatnot in the far reaches of oblivion.

Yes. I tried a little bit of everything! I can’t cook without knowing what they taste like! And my impression after trying them is "They’re all delicious.”

True, the eggplant felt like "the skin is a bit tough," and the tomato felt like "it has strong acidity," but if I cook them properly, it shouldn’t be a problem. Rather, the fact that the eggplant skin is firm means the texture should hold up well when heated, and I expect the tomato’s sourness to create a refreshing flavor when cooked. If I think of it as a side dish for meat, the acidity of the raw tomato should pleasantly refresh the aftertaste too. The potatoes are also nice and fluffy, and the cucumbers are crispy—the quality of vegetables in this world is high…

“Egg-plant and to-ma-to I’m cook-ing♪”

“… Eh… veggies…”

“Ah, Ms. Aria!? D-Did you forget something?”

“We’ve done a round, but everything seems normal, so… I’ll guard you, Rin!”

As I was humming an improvised tune while working as usual, the cabin door suddenly opened. I immediately fell silent and looked towards the entrance to see Ms. Aria with a sour expression, hand on the door. Ah… my humming was heard, and the main ingredients were revealed. I got careless…

As always, Ms. Aria thrusts out her very—very—impressive chest as she takes on a new responsibility. I really do appreciate it, but even if things seem normal, is it okay for her to abandon her patrol…? And don’t we have a delivery request too?

…Wait. In Ms. Aria’s left and right hands hang net-like things similar to what ensnared the Lucky Clover members yesterday. The difference from yesterday is that the mesh is finer.

What’s inside is…

“Ah! Could those be sari clams?”

“Mm. With this, the delivery amount is secured.”

“I see… so this is the ‘trick’ Mr. Ville mentioned!”

“Yes. I dredged them up from the depths of the sea… other people were there too.”

The bivalves have been around 10cm in size. Striped patterns, spotted patterns, wave patterns—various patterns peek through the mesh. Looking at their thick, plump shape and the growth ring-like grooves carved into the shells, they resemble common orient clams more than hard clams.

Ms. Aria must have cast her large net towards the sea where the tide hadn’t receded yet, scooping them all up at once. By making the mesh slightly larger, smaller clams would slip through the net, leaving only the delivery-sized ones behind. That’s the idea, I suppose… In a way, it’s like bottom trawling, yup…

If you can directly fish the ocean floor where there are no competitors, while people gathering on the beach are right there, that way you can collect your catch much more quickly.

Anyway, I should store them in the cooler so they can purge sand! The place we deliver them to will probably do some prep as well, but getting them to spit out the worst of it won’t take much effort. I put the rough-shelled clams into the cooler box usually used for caught fish and add enough salt water to cover them, then leave them in a dark place… Now, let’s make sure they expel all the sand properly!

…Wait. When I place the cooler box in the bathroom and come back, Ms. Aria holds out the net-like thing she was holding in her other hand. Peering into the wriggling net, I see a fish closely resembling a sea bass about 70 centimeters long with vivid silver scales inside.

And it is still alive—alive!? Oh no! I need to dispatch it quickly!

“…Also, I caught this too.”

“That’s a sea bass! It’s huge! Are we delivering this too?”

“No. We can eat it… for lunch.”

“That’s great! At this size, I think it would be delicious as a sauté, or maybe simply salt-grilled?”

“Mm. Looking forward to it!”

When I receive the sea bass from Ms. Aria, I quickly cut near the gill and tail areas and submerge it in water in the sink. Judging from how the water rapidly turns red, it seems I made it just in time. If you let it thrash around too much, blood circulates through the flesh, and the taste deteriorates.

As I watch the fish’s body gradually stop moving and suggest cooking methods that come to mind, a melting smile appears on Ms. Aria’s face… but the moment she notices the vividly colored summer vegetables in the frying pan, her mood visibly drops with a thud.

She’s so easy to read.

“…Looking forward to the fish, but… don’t like… veggies…”

“So you are also in the doesn’t-like-vegetables group, Ms. Aria?”

“It’s not the taste, it’s… just that eating them doesn’t feel very filling.”

“You’re saying the same thing as Mr. Ville…”

Staring at the deep purple eggplant that’s gained color from meeting oil, Ms. Aria’s shoulders droop dejectedly. Even the way she pouts her lips like a sulking child looks picturesque—beautiful people are scary…

Hmm… I guess the best way to get people to understand that vegetables are delicious is to have them actually eat some?

I set the nicely cooked eggplant on a plate, then arrange two thin slices each of cheese and tomato—both about a centimeter thick and coated in flour—into the still-oily frying pan and turn on the heat. The cheese browns and crisps in its own melted fat, while the tomatoes—skin glistening as if sweating—are quickly seared on both sides to a golden finish. Then I place the grilled cheese on top of the grilled tomato…

“There. Sample cheese tomato done!”

“…Cheese… tomato…”

“Come on, I wouldn’t serve something cruel like a vegetable-only lunch.”

I hold out one of the small plates in front of Ms. Aria. It’s not snacking, it’s sampling! The cook’s privilege!

After a slight hesitation, she takes the small plate. It’s obvious she’s compromising because there’s cheese on it, though!

The reason Mr. Ville and the rest of the party avoid vegetables isn’t about the taste or anything, but because they hate that there’s no substance to them… under that assumption, if that’s the case, if I add other fats and ingredients to bulk them up, maybe they’ll eat vegetables… is what I’m predicting.

This time I’ve combined vegetables with cheese! Starting with cooked vegetables, the final goal is for them to be able to eat meat, fish, and raw vegetables in good balance. Raw vegetables from the start would be too high a hurdle for people who don’t like vegetables. Thinking about vitamin C, raw vegetables would be better, but there are also fruits, and I think it’s better to take it slowly.

“Let’s eat!”

“Eh, ah… let’s eat…”

Now then. I’ll snack on… I mean, sample the freshly made cheese tomato while it’s hot. Setting manners aside for now, I’ll pinch the tomato and cheese with my fingers and eat it in one bite…!

Contrary to the crispy outer layer, the cheese inside melts smoothly, with a rich taste of milk. Because it’s a fermented food, it has a subtle sourness and a unique flavor, but thanks to the gentle sweetness of the milk fat that rounds out the overall taste, neither the sourness nor the flavor is overpowering. Instead, even after swallowing, a rich umami and sweetness linger on the tongue.

The acidity of the tomato, softened by heating, refreshingly washes away the fatty umami clinging to the base of my tongue and disappears down my throat. The way the sweet and sour tomato juice drips—to the point where I want to ask, "Where was all that moisture hiding!?"—is so much that I almost mistake it for a beverage.

The cheese and tomato that fell into my stomach without a trace of heaviness left behind only the fragrance of milk and a faintly green scent at my nose. An acidity and freshness that survive cooking really are important.

When I glance at Ms. Aria, she’s staring into space with an expression as if flushed with fever.

“…This is delicious…”

“When you eat veggies together with cheese or meat, they taste great, right?”

“Mm. If it’s like this, I’ll eat them…!”

Ah, good. It seems she’s pleased.

Ms. Aria, with her mouth relaxing into a soft smile and her cheeks flushed, is truly adorable.

She hands the plate back reluctantly, even looking a bit sad that she finished so quickly. I put it in the sink and turn to preparing the sea bass that’s finished bleeding.

Today, I’ll make cheese-layered baked eggplant and tomato, tomato rice, and sautéed sea bass.

I take out a thick knife from the knife storage under the sink—first I need to remove the scales…

“Rin, do you have… someone you like…?”

“Eough!?”

Perhaps because unexpected words flew into my ears while I’m scraping off scales, the knife slips. It’s a good thing I dodged reflexively, but I almost butchered my own hand instead of the sea bass!?

…Huh, what? What is that question!? Huh? Huuuh?

Even if you tilt your head cutely and stare at me like that… Dammit! A beautiful woman being calculatedly cute!

“Huh? What? N-no… huh? Someone I… like???”

“Mm. Like, love talk. I heard it’s a staple of girls’ gatherings!”

“Love talk.”

In front of me, having involuntarily stopped moving the knife, Ms. Aria puffs out her chest proudly. Where did she learn the term "girls’ gathering" anyway?

…Huh, no, yup. I understand, okay? I understand what love talk means, okay? But you don’t need to have a love talk with me!? I can talk all day about food trivia, but I have absolutely no idea what to talk about with love talk!!!

Next to me, as I stand confused, holding the knife, Ms. Aria also tilts her head. Ice-colored eyes framed by long platinum lashes gaze at me, brimming with curiosity.

I’m happy to receive a passionate gaze from a beautiful woman, but I wish I could be bathed in that gaze over a different topic…!

“What about Ville? Do you dislike him?”

“Huh? No no no! There’s no way I could dislike such a good person! If it’s like or dislike, I like him!”

“…Love…?”

“…Mmmmm… Like, I guess…?”

“Like, huh.”

Perhaps anxious at my continued silence, Ms. Aria starts asking questions as if trying to gauge my reaction, and my heart is pounding!

I’m anxious and terrified about what she might ask next!

If it’s whether I "like" or "dislike" him, then of course I "like" him! If I may speak without fear of misunderstanding, I could even say I "really like" him, okay? Mr. Ville is such a good person, I think it would be harder to dislike him even if told to.

But if you ask me, "Is that romantic love?" I’d answer "no"! If anything, it’s more like respect, or affection… I think a sense of camaraderie is closest. Like "soul brothers" or "kindred spirits," something like that?

Nodding deeply at having found such a fitting answer, I resume the scale-scraping work that had stopped.

When I check the sea bass currently being processed with Survival, it properly displays “Edible”. It seems there’s no poison, but depending on the habitat, the internal organs can apparently be bad… It looked like a clean sea, but since it was near town and I don’t know how well wastewater is treated, I’ll discard the organs just to be safe. Yes, let’s do that.

When I cut in with the knife to remove the head, translucent white flesh appears. Even bringing my nose close, there’s almost no unpleasant smell. Just the scent of fresh fish.

…Yes! If it’s this clean, it could work as sashimi…! I’ll slice half thinly for sashimi. I’ll cut the other half into chunks with the skin on to finish as a sauté.

Even as I’m lost in thought, my hands don’t stop, and Ms. Aria looks at me with eyes that seemed to say, “What a disappointment.”

That much!? Is it that bad!?

“Mmm… let’s do a bit more love talk?”

“My stock of love stories is empty, but I can tell you plenty about carp dishes, shall we talk about that instead?”

“…That’s also interesting… but…”

The thing is… I’ve never thought about romance with the people around me…

No, I guess a girl of marriageable age should naturally have crushes and such within her social circle, but the result of prioritizing resources toward hobbies and such over romance is a lifetime boyfriend count of zero!

I toss the sliced flesh into ice water and leave it for a while until the curled pure white flesh springs up. Once the flesh has firmed up somewhat, I lift it onto a colander to roughly drain the water, then place the slices on paper towels so they don’t get watery and put them in the fridge.

I’ll put the chunk cuts in the fridge as well so they don’t warm up. When the men return, I’ll sauté the fish and start baking the cheese and vegetables in the oven!

Next, I need to wash the rice and start cooking it… or we’ll be left without a staple! I place several whole tomatoes with stems removed on top of rice with slightly less water than usual and turn on the rice cooker. Just that, and you get refreshing, delicious tomato rice.

My brain, which has put all its points into food rather than romance, keeps working smoothly even while in the middle of a love talk, processing the ingredients before me and thinking about the next steps.

Yup, that’s right. You could also call it escapism!

When something unpleasant happened, I’d get through it by thinking about food. It’s not that love talk with Ms. Aria is unpleasant—it’s more that love talk isn’t my character, so it’s embarrassing, or how should I put it… Plus right now, if I have time to move my heart over crushes and such, I’d rather focus on solidifying my living foundation…

As I layer pan-fried eggplant, sliced tomato, and plenty of cheese in sequence in a deep dish and look back, there’s Ms. Aria thinking hard about something with a difficult expression.

“…This is, tough…”

“Huh? Did you say something? …More than that, I’m curious about how you and Mr. Ed got together…?”

“Eh!? U-Uh, yeah… i-it was… normal…”

“That’s a lie! I need to hear everything about this…!”

I don’t really know what’s supposed to be “tough,” but asking someone with zero romantic experience to talk about love stories is way more unreasonable…

…But bringing up love talk means you’ll share your own love story too, right?

When I bring up the topic, thinking that, Ms. Aria covers her cheeks, flushed cherry blossom pink, and turns away.

Oh my! A beautiful woman being cute!

Rather than my boring love talk, hearing about a passionate couple’s meeting and the trajectory of their love is more worthwhile, right?!

Until the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star melody announces the rice is done, I’m able to listen with glee to Ms. Aria and Mr. Ed’s first meeting, date episodes, and such.

They met on the battlefield, as enemies! They fell in love at first sight with each other! Mr. Ed confessed his feelings first! And then, they cut all ties and eloped together!

Wow! I heard a great story!

“Yup! The rice cooker is also perfect!”

“…Uuuu… I did all the talking…”

“Hehehe… only those prepared to have their own love talk drawn out may initiate love talk!”

I pinch and discard the still-hot tomato skins, mixing the softened, juicy flesh into the freshly cooked rice. The slightly heavy, sweet aroma of cooked carbohydrates mingles with the lively, sweet, and sour fragrance of the heated tomatoes. Adding to this mix is the creamy butter with its seductively rich milky fragrance and a touch of pungent black pepper.

Ms. Aria, covering her reddened cheeks with her white hands and puffing them out, glares at me with ice-colored eyes that seem somewhat resentful… but when I offer her a spoonful of tomato rice as a sample, she immediately smiles and chomps down on it.

Oh… this beautiful woman is adorably easy…!

Just adding the richness of butter to sweet, freshly cooked rice makes it delicious enough to guarantee seconds, but perhaps because the sweet-sour tomato and black pepper neutralize the oiliness, it’s even more addictively delicious—a demonic rice that forces your chopsticks to keep moving!

When paired with a spiced curry, it transforms into a dieter’s nemesis that you could easily demolish an entire pot of!

…Ah. Seafood curry might be good too! I’ll buy these tomatoes again…!

“Delicious…! Even with veggies, the rice is delicious!”

“It’s packed with summer’s bounty! I could add ratatouille to this and make it like a one-plate lunch…”

Ms. Aria finished the sample in no time, but she probably doesn’t realize this contains three whole tomatoes!

A one-plate lunch… sure, it looks stylish, but the plate size limits how much you can actually serve… It’s not suitable for the Gourmands, which is full of hearty eaters, including myself, with Mr. Ville at the forefront with his high metabolism. We’re more suited to huge platters piled high with side dishes and giant servings of staples. Not photogenic, but perfect for us.

“We’re back, Rin, Aria.”

“Ah, welcome back!”

“Mm, welcome back.”

Just as I’m starting to consider buying large plates in town, Mr. Ville suddenly appears through the door I’d left open.

Speak of the devil, as they say, yup.

“So, did you catch any shrimp?”

“Shrimp… shrimp, huh…”

“Oh… Ms. Aria got us fish, so we have protein for a side dish!”

“…Sorry…”

Since he appears empty-handed, I tease him a bit… and yup, I’m the one who should apologize. Coming back with nothing hits hard. It really hits the spirit…! I’m so sorry for even asking!

Catching sight of Mr. Ville’s shoulders drooping dejectedly and Mr. Ed and Mr. Xenon, who apparently returned with him, I decide to turn on the oven to start preheating.

I also take out the fish chunks from the fridge—let’s sauté them to a crispy outside and fluffy on the inside!

If men eat lunch, I’m sure they’ll perk up, right? Right?

I open the oven and leave the cheese-layered bake in it.

Meanwhile, I plan to finish sautéing sea bass and making carpaccio-style salad with the sashimi cuts. Really, it would be more delicious to let it rest for a night after filleting, but I think it can’t be helped to satisfy the party’s stomachs. For the sashimi… I really wanted to eat it with pickled plum soy sauce or wasabi soy sauce, but I don’t have the ingredients… So this time, I’ll just have it with dressing in salad style.

“Hmm… I think I’ll skip the flour this time. Let’s go with something like a poêlé!”

A classic meunière—cooking fish in flour, fried in oil with lemon juice and parsley—is tempting, but I want to make it poêlé-style—frying in a pan with a small amount of oil—with extra crispy skin. I think that lets you enjoy the pure flavor of the fish.

When the frying pan gets hot, I add a layer of oil and then slowly cook the salted and peppered chunks, starting with the skin side down over low heat! At this point, the fish will shrink and curl up, so I think it’s good to gently press it down with a spatula.

After that, I leave it alone without touching it on low heat until it’s somewhat cooked through. It’s tempting to fiddle with it, but patience, patience…! If you mess with it unnecessarily, the flesh will fall apart…

“Meanwhile, I’ll slice the tomatoes and cucumbers, take out the chilled sashimi…”

“You’re as efficient as ever.”

“They say preparation is 80% of the work.”

Looking at the chunks in the frying pan, it seems they’ve cooked quite a bit. About 2/3 of the way through the thickest part has turned whitish. Now I just need to quickly flip the fillets to avoid breaking them and cook the other side briefly, and it’s done.

I plate them on individual dishes and garnish with the tomato and cucumber slices I just cut, along with the sashimi… The sauce is a dressing-like mix of diced tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and vinegar.

Perfect timing—the oven announces the hot dish is done. Oh! Everything finished with a nice stagger!

When I suddenly turn around, everyone is already seated…!

“Will all of this even fit on the table…?”

“It does look a bit cramped… should we eat outside like yesterday?”

“Hmm… I think we can just barely manage. Please take your seat too, Mr. Ville.”

I tried bringing the sautéed fish plates to the table, but considering that the rice bowl and the cheese-layered bake are also coming, it might be a bit tight… Yup, I might have gotten carried away with the quantity… I’m aware of that! I got excited about having vegetables at hand, and they turned out so delicious that I got out of control…

Well, even if it might stick out from the table a bit, we’ll manage somehow! There’s also the option of me eating in the kitchen… and since it’s a connected room, there’s nothing blocking us anyway, but I’d rather eat together with everyone if possible!

Plates of fish poêlé for everyone, tomato rice heaping in a large bowl, and cheese bake still bubbling away… The pale wooden table suddenly becomes vibrantly colored. I pull out a solo camping folding chair from infinite storage and settle into the birthday seat.

“Here you go. Sorry for the wait!”

“…There seems to be quite a lot of vegetables…?”

“I tried to make it as filling as possible by actively adding oiliness!”

“Ahh… our members don’t really eat many veggies. Sorry for the trouble!”

“No. Rather, I wanted to eat them myself, so it’s more like you’re indulging my selfishness… I should be the one apologizing.”

When I bow my head to Mr. Xenon, whose eyebrows droop slightly, looking a bit dejected, Mr. Ed casually follows up. Mr. Ed has a flirtatiously cute appearance, but he’s actually a considerate person… But well, I do feel guilty about having them indulge my desire to eat vegetables, so even when using vegetables, I want to somehow make them filling.

“Delish! Even the veggies are delicious! Cheese and tomato, delicious!”

“A-Aria is eating vegetables!? R-Rin… how did you…?”

“The ingredients themselves are delicious, so I think it’s thanks to that.”

Ms. Aria, perhaps having noticed the marriage of cheese and tomato during the earlier snack… I mean, sample, is already reaching for the cheese-layered bake.

Seeing this, Mr. Ed’s eyes widen to the point of overflowing, but is it really that surprising…?

The vegetables and cheese from this world have rich umami and are delicious. It’s not my cooking skills—I think it’s thanks to the ingredients themselves being top quality.

“I thought vegetables were a matter of either cooking them to mush or eating them raw… but to think they could transform this much…!”

“Mushy or raw, huh… that’s… yup. You’d come to hate vegetables…”

“Indeed… this tomato rice is excellent. It’s refreshing after eating fish, and even when eating it with salad, the acidity and sweetness spread pleasantly… It’s very delicious.”

“Right? Tomato rice is refreshing, but because it has the richness of butter, it doesn’t become too refreshing even when eaten with vegetables!”

Mr. Ville stares with admiration at the eggplant impaled on his fork, glistening seductively after soaking up plenty of tomato juice and cheese umami.

Yup, unless it’s being puréed into a sauce or something, having to eat tasteless, textureless mush that was once vegetables would be rough. Texture is quite an underestimated element when it comes to food.

Even Mr. Xenon, who initially had a "vegetables, huh?" expression, seems to have taken a liking to the tomato rice.

Next, I’ll make a stir-fried version of tomato rice too! It’s richer and more robust than the simmered version… I wonder if it would be delicious as omelet rice.

While watching people eat the vegetable menu deliciously, I also pick up my chopsticks for the sautéed sea bass, or rather, poêlé.

We are a bit short on cutlery, honestly…

When I put my chopsticks into the well-cooked skin, the skin breaks with a crispy sensation, and fluffy pure white flesh peeks out from underneath. The crispy, light-textured skin, having had excess fat removed from thorough cooking, spreads a moderately rich fattiness in my mouth.

Once in a while, you encounter fish with an indescribable smell—oily or fishy or muddy… but this one is very high quality. It’s a jackpot in another sense! The flesh with elasticity that springs back also has a soft, fluffy, gentle mouthfeel since I didn’t cook it until all the moisture was gone.

The vinegar in the side salad and the tomato’s acidity wash away the remaining oil, so I end up eating it bite after bite.

The sashimi also has a firm, chewy elasticity to the point where I feel like my teeth are being pushed back partway through biting… and every time I chew, umami oozes out.

…Ocean fish is delicious…! The milk trout was delicious too, but ocean fish really is the best!

The cheese-layered eggplant-tomato bake is so predictably delicious that it felt like saying “no explanation needed!” The eggplant, having absorbed all the oil, juice, and umami it could, melts limply, the heated tomatoes are sweet and soft with just a hint of acidity remaining, and the cheese, packed with the umami characteristic of fermented foods, melts thoroughly and intertwines…

I only added minimal salt and pepper, but perhaps because the richness of the cheese runs through like a core amid the sweetness of the vegetables, there’s not a trace of dissatisfaction.

“See, vegetables can be quite tasty, no?”

“Yeah. With this, I can think eating vegetables is okay…!”

“I’ll keep coming up with ideas! Good food really boosts motivation, after all.”

Seeing the party leader smile as he reaches for seconds of the cheese bake, I puff out my chest proudly.

I’m the cook after all! I did my best!

Later, Mr. Ville and Mr. Ed washed the dishes squeaky clean with cleaning magic!

As we sip barley tea after the meal, Mr. Ed, who seems to have remembered something, flips his hand in the air with sparkling eyes.

“Hey, Rin! I caught this, but can we eat it?”

“A water… cube…? Ah, no… there’s something inside?”

The next moment, a giant cube about 50 centimeters floats above his palm. The slightly bluish transparent thing looks just like jelly made of solidified water.

While I have many questions like "Where did he even pull that from?" and "How did he make it?", I have the enigmatic Camping Car, so I’m not the one to talk.

…Hm? But inside that, something is flickering and moving…?

You narrow your eyes at the swaying mass of water and witness a creature writhing within it.

It was a life form with an eerily grotesque appearance unthinkable in this world, with a conical body covered in slimy, highly viscous bodily fluids and fin-like organs fluttering irregularly. It possessed multiple tentacles covered in countless horrifying suckers and repeatedly flickered as if emitting phosphorescence. Suddenly, round eyes like an emotionless, bottomless swamp caught you. Quickly changing course, it extended its undulating tentacles toward you as if trying to capture prey…

…After witnessing this bizarre creature, you would normally need a sanity check… but you don’t actually have to.

“A squid!? It’s a squid!! It’s a tasty one! A really tasty one, Mr. Ed!”

“Ah, so it is edible! I felt like I saw something that looked like it was being grilled at a food stall. If it’s edible, I thought I’d have you cook it, Rin!”

“Oh! Is that why you caught it? Thank you! Um, but what should I make? I can’t decide!”

This squid with a form resembling a Japanese flying squid is apparently called a "Slue Squid," according to Survival. I’m incredibly happy that it’s rated as extremely delicious with large liver, thick flesh, and very delicious.

And there are about four of them in the water cube…!

With this many, I could use them for various dishes…! But that’s exactly why I’m agonizing over what to make… Sashimi would be delicious without saying, and though extravagant, it would also be delicious simmered!

“I’d prefer something that pairs well with alcohol.”

“I want it with rice!”

“I’d like something with a strong punch.”

“As for me, I’d like something a bit hot and spicy!”

I feel like everyone is watching me warmly as I grin while watching the squid swimming freely through the water.

It can’t be helped! I like squid! I like it enough to think about starting eging… I mean, squid fishing! An acquaintance took me eging once, and freshly caught lively squid… is really delicious! Not only is the flesh crunchy, springy, and sweet, but the innards… even the innards are sweet and delicious…! And when you make salted squid guts with it, oh…! Rice goes down so well, it’s a problem!

Still, it’s really nice that everyone voices their menu preferences. Being told "anything is fine" at times like this is the most troublesome!

“Are you all okay with delicacies, or rather, innard flavors?”

“Innards? Liver paste is great.”

“Cows’ offal is tasty…!”

“If it’s fresh, it’s delicious even raw, right?”

“Stewed innards usually come in large servings.”

“Okay. Thank you. I get the idea now!”

Yup. I expected it, but it seems okay. Then there shouldn’t be a problem using the whole squid!

First, one will be stir-fried with spices. Then I’ll use its innards to make salted squid with another. The third one will be fried, and the last one grilled. That way, it can be enjoyed with rice as the main dish, and the bold, spicy flavor will also pair well with alcohol!

…Well, the salted squid will take some time, so it’ll be something to look forward to later…

I should also add a soup dish to the menu. I still have the sea bass innards too, so how about a fish soup?

“Ah, but if we had a few more kinds of seafood, bouillabaisse would be delicious too… adding tomatoes, using spices…”

“A sort of fisherman’s style soup? That would be… delicious…!”

“That sounds amazing…! Rin, what do you want? Shellfish? Fish? Crab? I’ll have Eddie get it!”

“Rin, should I catch some more squid? Or would fish or crab be better, like Aria suggested?”

“I can also check some tidal pools. There might be fish left behind.”

“Huh? Ah, um… everyone, you don’t need to push yourselves, okay? We still have the sea bass scraps anyway, and the patrol mission is the real request, right!?”

“We can catch some while patrolling. You’re feeding five people, so more ingredients are better, right?”

Mr. Ville, who grinned and suppressed my restraint, eats the most after all! Sure, the more ingredients the better, but there’s the original objective, right!? The patrol mission is today’s main job, right!?

Aah… I was careless… I underestimated the immense gastronomic potential behind the name "Gourmands." Who would have thought their driving force wasn’t defeating a powerful enemy or succeeding in the mission, but acquiring ingredients… No one would expect that.

As everyone’s energy level rose with cries of "Next, shrimp!" "Fish!!" "Mollusks too!!!" "And shellfish!!!!!", led by Mr. Ville, I let out a quiet sigh.

…Right… if everyone is going to give me ingredients again, I’ll think up a menu as best I can.

But, just to be clear, don’t forget your actual mission!

“Um, you really don’t need to worry about increasing ingredients, okay? It’s just a matter of me being resourceful, okay? More importantly, if Mr. Tori says you neglected the patrol, I’ll reduce the variety of dishes for a while, okay?”

“…W-We’ll be careful…!”

Thinking there’s no way they’d neglect the mission, I look up at Mr. Ville, and he awkwardly averts his face… wait… huh…?

…Tell me it’s not true, leader!?

What are you doing, averting your eyes first, Mr. Ville! It’s like you’re saying, "I’ll search for ingredients, putting the mission aside"!

“Seriously… seriously, please do the patrol mission! But also come back without getting hurt, okay!?”

“Calm down, Rin. It’s a joke. I wouldn’t actually neglect the mission. You’re the one who’s been a bit flustered since earlier… why don’t you rest a bit?”

Mr. Ville’s large hand ruffles my head as I close in with momentum like I might grab him by the collar.

My body stiffens for a moment, but my eyes unconsciously narrow at the unexpectedly pleasant sensation.

…But what is this… this feeling of being petted like a dog…! When I pet the neighborhood dog, I also ruffled it like this!?

Huh, what? Pet position? A pet that can cook!? That’s a bit… I do have some pride as a human being…

“Everyone will come back safely, so make some delicious food and wait for us.”

“Today, we will have a wrap-up party with your cooking instead of the Wildcat Pavilion, Rin.”

“Well then, we’re off. Aria, Rin’s in your care.”

The men who drained the barley tea remaining in their cups head out again with their weapons. They’re probably starting the afternoon patrol.

“Rin… I’ll keep watch, so rest a bit?”

“Ms. Aria? No, I’m fi—hbuh!”

Before I know it, Ms. Aria, sitting on the sofa, pulls my arm, and just as I think my vision has flipped, I’m being given a lap pillow!?

Whoa! A beautiful woman’s lap pillow!? H-Her thighs…! Her thighs…!

You know, I had various things I wanted to say, like "please don’t treat me like a child" or "I still have things to do…" but they were blown to smithereens before the temptation of the lap pillow! Explosive scattering!

So soft! Smells so nice! And so cool!

…But this elasticity and coolness feel so good on my slightly flushed face…!

As she gently pats my back in a calming rhythm, my eyelids naturally begin to fall.

Just before falling into gentle darkness, I feel like I heard a thin, sweet voice quietly weaving a song I’d never heard before…

◆◇◆

…It doesn’t seem like I have been asleep for too long, as sunlight is still streaming through the windows when I wake up. Ahh… a beautiful woman’s lap pillow is amazing. The ultimate sleep aid. So soft and nice smelling… pure bliss!

But since the guys would likely return soon, I think I should at least process the squid.

“…Here, like this…! If you stab them right between the eyes, it kills them perfectly!”

“…I see, I see…!”

“Then, you stick your finger into the body, rip off the connection between the liver and body, and gently pull it out, being careful not to break the liver…”

By the way, when I took the squids out of the water cube I received from Mr. Ed, it burst with a pop like a soap bubble breaking and magnificently splashing water all around the sink before disappearing.

I never expected it to work like that! You should have warned me, Mr. Ed…!

After finishing cleaning that up, I’m finally in the middle of dismantling the squid now.

Squid have no scales and no real bones, so they’re super easy to butcher. Once you get used to it, you can disassemble them even without a knife. Using my fingers, I tear off the parts where the body and liver are stuck together, firmly grip the fins and legs respectively, and slowly pull them out, separating them into body and liver & legs. Incidentally, you can also peel off the fins with your fingers, and you can even peel the skin from that part, so it’s one of the parts I want to actively tear off. After removing the cartilage from the body, pulling away the intestines, and taking out the eyes and beak, you can enjoy all the way down to the base of the tentacles—squid is truly a great ingredient.

I’ll rub-wash the legs with salt and clean the ring-shaped suckers that have an unpleasant mouthfeel!

“…You’re experienced with this.”

“It’s my favorite ingredient, so I used to cook it often.”

Stir-fries, tempura, simmered dishes—I made them all the time. I also stuck to squid rice for a while, where I experimented with different flavors and rice amounts…

I suggest to Ms. Aria, who peers at my hands with a curious expression, to sit in the folding chair I haven’t put away yet.

I’ve finished dismantling all four for now, but if I cook them now, the taste will be… I think part of the deliciousness of squid dishes is when they’re hot. Because the umami and strong character of the innards are intense, I feel like when they cool down, that character becomes too strong…

So I’ll only process the salted squid guts now! I’ll just cook the rest at mealtime! In that case, I can’t do something labor-intensive like frying… Let’s make it simple and quick!

…It’s just my prediction, but I feel like the men are going to catch something and bring it back… If that happens, I’ll need to process that too, so simple squid dishes it is!

“I’ll make a spicy stir-fry and squid liver sautéed in butter. If I put the squid liver sautéed in butter on steamed sweet potatoes, it’ll be more filling…”

“Potatoes…”

“Yes, sweet potatoes. They fill you up quickly, and vitamins aren’t easily destroyed even when heated—they’re capable!”

The moment the word "potatoes" came out, Ms. Aria’s expression clouded slightly. Oh dear… could it be she has an aversion to potatoes even though they’re also carbohydrates? They’re the commoner’s friend, but yup, I’ve heard people get sick of them…

I guess I’ll have to keep trying different approaches and dishes to come up with a menu that makes everyone think, “This is delicious!”

…But this time, I’m making squid liver in butter with potatoes, no matter what! If there’s squid umami, butter richness, and soy sauce aroma, I’m sure she’ll think potatoes are delicious too… I hope… Rather, I personally believe that the compatibility is better than rice because the squid butter soaks into the solid potatoes, allowing you to enjoy both fluffy parts and moist parts!

Alright…

I’ll use one and a half squid for spicy stir-fry, another one and a half for squid liver sautéed in butter. And I’ll make the remaining one into salted squid!

For the stir-fry, I peel and chunk the squid. For the squid sautéed in butter portion, I’ll leave the skin on and also cut it into chunks before storing them in the fridge. And of course, the liver of those three squids will go for the liver butter!

For the salted squid portion, first, I coat the liver thoroughly with salt, wrap it in paper towels, and leave it in the fridge to drain moisture. I lightly salt the skinned body as well and place it in the fridge unwrapped. By draining moisture this way, you can make rich salted squid! Adding some strips of yuzu peel for extra flavor is also delicious if you like!

…Which I don’t have, so can’t add it now…!

“Rin, you come up with so many ideas.”

“I guess I just love eating that much. Basically, I’m thinking about the next meal while eating.”

When I’m eating breakfast, I’m thinking about lunch, and when I’m eating lunch, I’m thinking about dinner!

…That’s right! If Mr. Ed brings back more squid, I’ll make overnight dried squid… When you roast one that’s been dried just enough, it gets chewy and rich and so delicious… While dicing the last remaining tomato to use in the spicy stir-fry, I recall that indescribable elasticity. It’s not that you can’t bite through it, but the texture where it bounces your teeth back while still cleanly separating along the fibers, and the sweetness and richness that oozes out the more you chew…

No wonder my hometown uses dried squid when simmering konjac—it adds so much flavor! When you bite into a ball of konjac soaked with soy sauce and squid broth, dipped in sharp yellow mustard—ahh, it’s just…! That would pair amazingly with alcohol, but I wonder if this world even has a konjac plant…?

“Aria! Rin! Help us out a bit!”

“…Help?”

“What is it? Did something happen!?”

Around the time I started washing the cutting board I finished using… Mr. Ville’s somewhat desperate voice comes from outside.

…For him to be that flustered, what could have happened…?

Since I’m being called too, I guess there’s no danger…?

When Ms. Aria and I exchange glances and exit the Camping Car, an unexpected scene spreads before our eyes…

The white sandy beach before us, the blue sea… and a dynamite body with striking curves lying on the beach…

“…Um… an orca?”

“It’s called an Offshore Dweller, Lepn Kamui.”

A streamlined body about 10 meters long with a large dorsal fin and flippers, vivid black and white contrast…

…Yup. No matter how you look at it, it’s an orca. The classic choice for those ride-on inflatable pool floats! It is thrashing around vigorously on the shore, and surrounding it, adventurers are all trying their best to push and pull together to return it to the sea.

…However, the turnip won’t come ou—I mean, the orca won’t budge.

Huh, what is this? This is super surreal!

‘…Daughter… daughter over there… can you hear me…? …I am now speaking directly to your mind…’

“Th-this thing, directly into my brain!?”

’I got carried away wave riding with Johnny and ended up beached…’

“Who’s Johnny!? And you go wave riding!? Are you planning to become an angel or something!?”

Suddenly, a mysterious voice that could be taken as young or elderly, male or female, spreads through my brain. Thinking "what’s going on!?" I look around and notice the orca’s unexpectedly round eyes are gleaming with a clear "prank successful!" expression. When I snap back at it, the gleam in its eyes gets even brighter. The mouth with sharp teeth is distorting gruesomely, but could this possibly be… a smile?

…Th-that’s quite a ferocious smile!

“Oh… calm down, Rin… The Offshore Dwellers are folks who like to tease and play with people using their powerful telepathic powers…”

When I bat back the words being tossed at me, Mr. Ville, with a half-exasperated expression, intervenes.

…Wait, telepathic powers…! That’s a terrifying ability!

‘Daughter. I will reward you, so could you help me?’

“…Ah, so that’s why so many people have gathered…”

‘Everyone gathered when I promised a reward!’

“So that’s how it is. We need as many hands as we can get right now. Will you help?”

The illustration’s description: Rin looks at the orca, around which adventurers have gathered.

“Got it. I’d feel bad leaving it to die like this either, I’ll help!”

When I check the time for high tide, there’s still over an hour to go. If it stays on land like this, there’s the possibility of either its lungs being crushed by its own weight before high tide, dying from rising body temperature, or being too weakened to survive even if returned to the sea… I considered for a moment leaving it and eating it if it dies… but dolphin-types have a strong flavor, and thinking about that, meat without proper blood draining would be… it would smell fishy…

…Still, returning an orca that can weigh up to ten tons to the sea with just human power… how on earth should we do this…

It doesn’t budge even when pushed or pulled, and if we tangled it in Ms. Aria’s net and dragged it, we’d just injure its body… isn’t there something, like… something?

But for now, we need to cool its body surface… it seems pretty dried out…

“Mr. Ed, can you make another water cube like before? If it’s difficult to make, I’ll think of another method, so it’s okay…”

“Water cube? Yeah. I can make them easily. But why?”

“Maybe we should splash it with water to lower its body temperature periodically.”

‘You made a good point there, daughter! My precious skin was about to get sunburned…!’

“…I swear, I’ll grill you nicely with salt, pepper, and olive oil, you damn orca…”

Hearing my words, Mr. Ed creates water cubes larger than before and bursts them splash-splash over the orca.

Mr. Ville and Mr. Xenon move the adventurers away from the orca before the water bursts.

Their teamwork is impressive—perfect coordination!

The orca makes a happy sound at its skin regaining some moisture, but… somehow… this orca’s words and actions are subtly irritating…!

Well, this handles temperature maintenance and drying for a while, but the problem is how to move this massive body…

“Why is this orca beached on land in the first place…”

‘I tried to frighten you adventurers and as a result of launching an attack by crawling from the sea onto the beach, here I am☆’

“It’s your own damn fault!”

…This orca is hopeless… I need to do something about it quickly…

And the adventurers trying to help the culprit who tried to scare them are either kind or just motivated by rewards…

Honestly, wouldn’t it be better for the adventurers if we just finish off this prankster here…? If we let an orca that plays such tricks run free, I feel like it wouldn’t be strange if someone died or got injured eventually…

“Rin… It is, well, called a messenger of good fortune…”

“It likes pranks, but if you encounter it, it may also bless you with prey or rewards.”

“Ah… like a trickster? What an ambiguous role.”

‘Fufufu… I am a cold and ruthless hunter, as well as a benevolent ruler, daughter.’

Illuminated by the dazzling sunlight, the orca monopolizing the gazes of the people on the beach puffs out its chest proudly while flapping its flippers.

…Yup, it’s really pissing me off, this orca! Let me go get the big fish knife from the Camping Car’s kitchen… and turn you into fried orca strips!

‘…Still, daughter, my skin feels better, but I feel like I’m getting uncomfortable.’

“Oh… your lungs must be getting crushed under your own weight. Mr. Ville, if we’re going to help, we should hurry.”

As we continue this miserable work under the blazing sun, the orca—who caused all of this!—speaks up again. Feeling frustrated at the thought of it dying after we’ve worked this hard, I tell Mr. Ville next to me.

…Not that telling him helps me think of a way to move this massive body…

“Under its own weight… yeah, it does look heavy.”

‘How rude! Who said I’m a beached orca because of overweight!? I’m sleek and streamlined! Sleek and streamlined, I say!’

“In terms of aerodynamics, I guess you could say you are streamlined, but still…”

‘Daughterrrrr!’

At Mr. Ville’s line that picks a fight with all women, the beached orca protests by slapping its flippers bam-bam against the ground, but… Yup. Even from my perspective, the only impression is "looks heavy," yup.

The place where the orca is thrashing now is probably about 10 meters from the water’s edge. The water is right in front of us, but that "stone’s throw away" distance is frustrating! And since it seems the orca rampaged, trying to get back to the sea after failing its orca attack and beaching itself, the sand around it has collapsed away, forming a sort of trench.

Really, how should we return it to the sea…

With a light splash, the water cube Mr. Ed made bursts over the orca. While reflecting light in seven colors, sparkling, fine water droplets scatter all around. Naturally, the water spray also hits adventurers who were too slow to escape, but it seems well-received with "Cold! Feels good!”

“…Water cube… mass of water…”

“What’s it, Rin?”

“Mr. Ed! Can you trap that orca in a water cube!?”

“Eh!? That size!?”

“If we trap it in a cube, the buoyancy should prevent its lungs from being crushed!”

“Uh… a cube that big would be impossible…”

I thought so… Assuming that the orca’s size is 10m long × 3m wide × 2m high, about 60 cubic meters… that would require about 60+ tons of water by weight… that’s definitely difficult… If we could trap it, I think it could hold out for a while, so we could break the cube after high tide… I thought, but there’s no such convenient solution.

Um… is there anything else…

There were beached whales and dolphin strandings back home too, but what they used to return them to the sea was heavy machinery.

How about digging a waterway? Wide enough for the orca to pass through, deep enough to hide its belly, with a slope so water can be drawn from the sea…

“So, I was thinking, wouldn’t it be faster if we all dig a waterway…?”

“Good idea. Let’s gather anyone who can use earth magic.”

“Once we have a trench, we can use water magic or wind magic to bring seawater in, then push the Offshore Dweller out with manpower.”

Incidentally, when I went around telling this to the other adventurers, those who had realized it would be impossible with just human power agreed to cooperate.

At this point, it’s practically a festival atmosphere.

“I’ll take this area", "I’ll take that area"… everyone claims a section and begins using magic or digging as they are able. Those not part of the waterway team stand guard without being asked, ensuring the workers’ safety.

By the way, I’m on bucket duty—splashing water on the orca in place of Mr. Ed’s water cubes.

“You’re really loved, huh? Everyone’s working so hard!”

‘Fufufu… I am the incarnation of beauty descended upon this land, the very embodiment of the word "adorable." It’s only natural that I be loved.’

“…Ugh… I really want to make whale nuggets…”

The orca waving its flippers smugly, as if saying "Worship me more!", would be disappointed to hear that the chubby belly that would probably taste great fried is all I can think about. Got a problem with that?

As the orca gnashes its sharp teeth in a smug grin, I splash water on its face. This orca really has an annoying way with words…!

But the faces of the adventurers doing the work and the faces of those on lookout—all of them look happy. It’s probably partly because of the reward… but I think this orca itself is probably a beloved existence to everyone. …It gets on my nerves, but I can’t really bring myself to hate it either…

“Is it alright?! We are bringing in water!”

“Are you still alive, Offshore Dweller?”

‘I’m alive! Fresh and flopping!’

“Oh, it still seems okay! Water, please!”

Before I knew it, the orca’s body had settled snugly into the waterway. The depth only covers the orca’s belly, but as long as there’s buoyancy, this should probably work somehow.

Some mages by the shoreline were calling out and waving their hands, concerned for the orca’s well-being. Watching the orca respond by flapping its fins vigorously, I asked them to send water. Even though it was low tide, with the help of the wind and water magic guiding it, the cold seawater quickly filled the waterway, and the orca’s belly, though barely, lifted off the ground.

‘Ahh… the water feels wonderful…’

“Alright, push!!!”

“I’ll help too, Rin!”

“I’ll help as well!”

“Me too!”

Seeing me enter the waterway and start pushing the orca, first Mr. Ville, then the other adventurers come to help. One way or another, the orca also writhes and tries to make its way toward the sea.

Little by little… little by little, the orca’s body moves toward the sea.

On the seaside, Mr. Ed and the other mages continuously add water, and Mr. Xenon and the other priests cast healing spells on the orca, who’s starting to tire. Of course, during all this, Ms. Aria and the free adventurers are scouting and patrolling, so we can focus on the orca with peace of mind.

And then… finally…

There’s an especially loud splash, and today’s biggest spray goes up. Looking ahead, where my arms suddenly feel lighter, the giant orca is being released into the sea.

‘Thank you, little ones! This is the Sea Goddess’s blessing!’

The moment an even brighter voice echoes in my brain, the orca surfaces, flips its tail, dives into the sea, and sends up a tremendous spray of water.

Along with seawater droplets pouring down as if someone had overturned a bucket, fish, shellfish, shrimp, crabs… generously fall onto the beach in amounts that don’t require fighting over.

I see… so this is the "reward." That’s so like that orca…

As I think this while watching the orca’s dorsal fin heading offshore, something bonks onto my forehead as I look up. When I reflexively catch with both hands the "something" that’s about to bounce off and fall, a beautiful pink coral bead rolls onto my palm.

‘Talking with you was quite enjoyable, daughter who came from another world! Let’s meet again!’

Along with that peculiar creaking laugh, the orca’s cheerful voice bursts and fades in my head.

“…I’m not sure if I want to meet again or never want to meet again… It was like a storm…”

I tuck the "reward" I received into my breast pocket, so I don’t lose it, and head to the beach to join in gathering the ocean’s bounty. The beach after that orca returned to the sea is truly fitting of the word "abundance." Various seafood glitters with silver scales on the beach, flopping around. The quantity is such that even after the adventurers who participated in the orca rescue operation carry armfuls of catches, there’s still plenty left over.

“Just how generous is that orca…?”

“Which is precisely why those Offshore Dwellers are known as the ‘Messengers of Good Fortune.’”

Mr. Ville, holding a giant shrimp that is making creaking joint sounds, gazes at the horizon where the orca disappeared as if looking at something dazzling.

Yup. Even though the sun is leaning westward, the reflection on the sea from this unobstructed beach really does sting the eyes.

…Should I have brought my polarized glasses…? They work as sunglasses too, so this blinding glare would’ve been more tolerable…

The gently lapping tide line is gradually approaching us. This beach will soon be covered by the tide. Before that happens, we need to take back as much catch as possible…!

Even after the other adventurers took back plenty, there’s still a catch remaining on the beach. Though fish are still flopping here and there, it seems quite a lot has already been taken back by the earlier adventurers, and what mainly remains on the tidal flat where the tide is rising are things that can somewhat survive on land—shrimp, crabs, and shellfish wriggling about. They probably figured that when the tide comes in, the remaining creatures can return to the sea. The adventurers of this world seem to be largely the considerate type.

“The shrimp are huge! This sea bream is big too! It really feels like the Goddess’s blessing!”

“Thanks to the Offshore Dweller, a lot of folks made a good haul today, right?”

“Yes. We obtained quite good catches ourselves.”

“Anyway, it’s nice that nothing weird showed up today.”

“Mm. No injuries is best.”

The adventurers, carrying armloads of ocean bounty, hurry up the shore to avoid the rising tide… and the waterway we dug for the orca, as well as the sandy area scattered with shells, all quickly sink beneath the water.

We did run into the unexpected case of a beached orca, but at least high-level monsters like the fire bear didn’t show up. It’s anticlimactic for us who were on guard, but really, it’s better when such things don’t appear…

Mr. Ville, Mr. Xenon, Mr. Ed, and Ms. Aria watch with somewhat relieved faces as the adventurers return home with satisfied smiles.

“Shall we head back too? We need to report our quest completion and let Tori know about that Offshore Dweller.”

“Yeah, and we gotta sort out what to sell.”

Each of us carries a large pot filled with mountains of seafood and returns to the Camping Car parked on the beach. Given the quantity of seafood, I’m reluctant to bring it inside the vehicle, so we decide to check our catches outside.

To keep the haul from getting dirty with soil, I spread out my picnic sheet and lined up the spoils on it… and by stacking them flat, I can really grasp how amazing this mountain of seafood is!

What first catches the eye is a huge shrimp shaped like a cross between a spiny lobster and a regular lobster. Waving its lobster-like large pincers and spiny lobster-like impressive antennae, it crawls around the bottom of the pot. There’s also a big prawn with a rainbow gradient at the tip of its tail, and quite a number of small sweet-shrimp-like ones too. There are also crabs with shells about as long as a palm, turban shells as big as fists, bivalves very similar to scallops, plus several more sari clams and slue squid.

Perhaps because we joined the scramble late, the only fish we picked up was one fish about 40cm long, resembling a red sea bream. A fish with a beautiful red body and cobalt blue spots scattered on its back—quite a pretty fish. I picked it up while it was still flopping fresh, so I let it bleed out and killed it right there!

I mean, Survival was telling me it’s delicious!

I involuntarily sigh at the mountain of utterly fresh seafood before my eyes.

“Now that I think about it again, this is an amazing amount of seafood! Shrimp, crabs, shellfish, fish…?”

“The purchase price is probably going to crash for a while… Though it should be welcome news for the townsfolk.”

“Adventurers need to make a living too, so a price crash really hurts.”

Mr. Ville furrows his brow and mutters.

The adventurers who came to the sea took back mountains of seafood, and with that quantity, seafood will probably be sold cheaply for a while… A price collapse seems inevitable.

Though the contracted portion will be bought at the contract price, apparently the surplus gets bought at market price… The citizens will be happy to purchase fresh seafood at reasonable prices, but the adventurers getting their prices beaten down—well, you can imagine their wallets won’t be happy.

Mr. Ville, who’s been watching the wriggling seafood, suddenly looks up.

“If we’re going to get our prices beaten down anyway, why don’t we just eat the stuff that usually sells for high prices ourselves?”

“Ah! That’s a great idea! Better to enjoy the Messenger of Good Fortune’s blessing than get taken advantage of! Aria was saying she wants to try that huge shrimp too!”

“There’s no way we could finish this much… actually, with you here, Ville, maybe we could.”

Mr. Ed was the first to latch onto those words, his face lighting up instantly. Mr. Xenon, who followed up, compared Mr. Ville and the mountain of seafood several times before sighing in exasperation, but honestly, I’m in favor of it too. Mr. Ville could probably polish it off in no time, yup.

“…Mm. It’s sharing the Goddess’s blessing, from the Offshore Dweller.”

“Ah! Right, that orca did say something like that.”

“The Sea Goddess’s blessing!" What a very "Messenger of Good Fortune-like" line, but when I imagine the orca probably said it with an exquisitely smug face, I wonder why irritation wells up inside me.

It’s because of that thing’s behavior, yup.

The sweet shrimp-like ones could be deep-fried with their shells on. The large shrimp, spiny lobsters, and scallop-like bivalves could be grilled generously. I think if grilled thoroughly, you could even eat the shells of the large shrimp with a good crunch! Ah, but I want to eat some as sashimi too…! I think the squid would be delicious just scored and grilled whole too! The turban shells I’d love with some fragrant garlic butter and soy sauce! As for the sari clams… I first need to get rid of the sand, right!?

“If that’s decided, let’s start sorting what to sell and what to eat.”

“Yes. I think we can sell off the sari clams and turban shells when we make the delivery. They’re not particularly high-margin products normally anyway.”

“By that logic, we keep the shrimp and crabs, yeah?”

“Eating… the scallops…!”

As the others noisily start sorting the seafood, I send out a mental beam saying, “I want the big shrimp!” and suddenly realize something. Since we completed the quest, that means we have to go to the guild to report completion and make deliveries, right…? But I didn’t gather anything or fight today, so maybe I shouldn’t follow them into the city?

If the reports and whatnot take time and the main gate gets closed, I won’t be able to do prep work either…

“You all have to go report to the guild and deliver the seafood now, right? I don’t have anything to report today, so can I wait outside the city and prepare dinner?”

“…That would be acceptable, but I can’t leave you alone, Rin. I’ll have Aria stay with you.”

“Mm! Leave the tasting, and tasting, and tasting to me!”

“…I’m nothing but anxious… Will you be okay, Rin?”

“If Ms. Aria stays, I’ll feel reassured! Please come back before we taste away all the food!”

When I suggest this to Mr. Ville, I get permission on the condition that Ms. Aria stays as my guardian!

Alright! Now I have time to prep the food!

…Though with just Ms. Aria and me, there’s a possibility we’ll progress too far with the snacki—ahem ahem… tasting, so please do come back quickly!

“I’m planning to make barbecue the main dish today, so anyone who drinks alcohol, please purchase your own! Anyone who wants staple foods, please bring your own too!”

“Got it. We’ll grab something on the way back. Aria, Rin—do you want anything?”

“Alcohol! Ale, wine, anything!”

“I’d like bread or something that could be a staple food!”

“Alright. Well then, let’s head back to Ellarge first!”

Since leaving them at room temperature isn’t ideal, we clean off the sand and dirt with a cleaning spell, toss the bounty of the sea into the fridge, and then I start the Camping Car’s engine.

Brrrruuuuum… with that low rumbling vibration, I get the vague sense of something circulating through the vehicle body. I don’t really understand it, but I wonder if this is that "magical particles" stuff…? What a strange, inexplicable thing…

Lively chatter about meal possibilities drifted in from the living quarters, filling me with excitement too.

“I can’t wait for the seafood barbecue!”

“Yeah! I’m looking forward to it too, Rin!”

“Got it! Let’s make it a real feast!”

A bit of a bumpy road is nothing. The Camping Car speeds along the road to Ellarge.

After I drop off Mr. Ville, Mr. Xenon, and Mr. Ed, I’ll gather firewood, set up camp… and then the long-awaited sea-food bar-be-cue♪!

…Gasp! Could it be I was humming unconsciously again…!?

…When I fearfully glance at Mr. Ville sitting in the passenger seat, his lips are clenched tight as if desperately holding back laughter.

Ahhhhhhh! Again! He heard me again!!!

I just want to convey that the return journey, desperately holding back from collapsing onto the steering wheel, was quite an ordeal. Even so, I somehow manage to drive us back to the city, see the boys off as they carry the cooler box, and then Ms. Aria and I start getting everything ready for tonight’s celebration.

First, while it’s still daylight, we need to gather some branches for firewood to secure our fuel supply… For now, we have collected all the dried branches we could find, thick or thin. There was one log-sized piece, but Ms. Aria was able to drag it over by tying a thread around it! Let’s keep that as a last resort in case we run out of fuel.

Once we have gathered enough fuel, I should prepare the portable grill and everything else I need… Then, it’s time for the fun food prep!

“Going back and forth between the Camping Car’s kitchen and the outdoor fire isn’t really a good strategy.”

“…I can watch the fire’s condition… but cooking is, a bit…”

“I think both are pretty similar though…?”

Monitoring the heat of a campfire and monitoring the heat for cooking seem pretty much the same to me. Anyway, I’m going to start making a bouillabaisse-style fish-head soup. I’ll make stock first. As long as I have stock, I can make a soup!

I scrape off the scales from the blood-drained red sea bream-like fish with that trusty deba knife, then fillet it into three pieces. The translucent white flesh shows no signs of excess blood circulating through it. Looks like the blood draining went well.

Bigger fish taste better aged, but when everyone’s eating together, anything tastes great!

I cut the filleted sea bream into pieces slightly larger than bite-sized, keeping the skin on, to go into the soup later! I want it to fully absorb the soup’s umami.

I sprinkle salt on both the sea bass scraps from lunch and the sea bream scraps from now, arrange them on a baking sheet, and roast them thoroughly in the oven.

In the meantime, I slice one onion and sauté it nicely with olive oil and garlic…

“Smells… good…”

“Onions have lots of sugar, so if you brown them a bit, they get a nice fragrant finish.”

“I see.”

“…Then, when they get a good color, I add the roasted sea bass and sea bream scraps and sauté them until those get browned too.”

Ms. Aria twitches her cute, pointed nose as she peers into the gradually coloring frying pan.

By doing it thoroughly like this, I can make a stock that’s not fishy without having to do the blanching and washing method.

When I judge that the onions and scraps have turned a nice golden-brown color, I grate the precious tomato I’d been saving to use for spicy squid stir-fry and add it here. After all, bouillabaisse needs tomatoes. I think the taste is quite different depending on whether or not you include umami-packed tomatoes.

Bouillabaisse is ultimately "Western-style fish stew," so having a delicious stock is the bare minimum.

When you simmer raw tomatoes like this, they become surprisingly rich and delicious. When the tomato’s moisture evaporates, and it gets thick, I transfer it to a large pot, add water, and simmer it at a heat level that doesn’t quite boil… just enough that the surface ripples!

While I’m at it, I’ll slice and add whole bay leaves from the spice box and the ginger I bought this morning. Since it’s fresh, I don’t think there’ll be any fishiness, but well, just in case.

“While the stock is simmering, I’ll prep the small shrimp.”

“What will you do?”

“I’ll coat them with salt, pepper, and flour, and lightly pre-fry them. When the men get back, I’ll fry them a second time so they’re crispy and can be eaten whole with their shells!”

We caught enough sweet shrimp-like small shrimp to make a little mountain in a small colander. They didn’t feel too hard when I touched them, so I think if I fry them thoroughly, they’ll be crispy and edible whole! They’ll make a great snack with alcohol!

The dirt and whatnot were already removed with cleaning magic, so now a quick rinse should be enough. I thoroughly wipe off the moisture with kitchen paper… alright. I toss salt, pepper, and flour into a plastic bag, add the shrimp, tie it loosely, and vigorously shake it! Shake! Shake! Shaaaaake!

My hands don’t get dirty since I’m not touching them directly, and the kitchen doesn’t get dirty since the flour doesn’t scatter—remembering this technique is super convenient! By the way, when doing this with things that have antennae, spines, or protrusions like these shrimp, double-bagging the bag makes it harder to tear.

I put a bit of extra oil in a shallow frying pan and add the small shrimp before turning on the heat. By frying them slowly over low heat, the moisture is drawn out thoroughly, making them delicious to eat with the shells on. If you do it at high temperature, they just burn, so in the Takanashi household, we add color during the second frying. While I’m at it, I’ll add the remaining garlic cloves whole too.

I tilt the frying pan from time to time to pool the oil, making sure the shrimps are fully submerged as they fry. The door and windows are open for ventilation, but the kitchen is still filled with an amazing roasted aroma.

…Come to think of it, how effective is the concealment? We’re not going to get found out by the smell, right?

Carefully flipping them from time to time, I continue to fry them slowly, slowly… drawing out the moisture. The bright red small shrimp submerged in the bubbling golden oil sea… I feel like I’ve seen this scene before…

“…Maybe Ajillo?”

“Ajillo? Not fried shrimp?”

“…No. It’s just fried shrimp…”

At Ms. Aria’s voice as she tilts her head and stares at me, I involuntarily tilt my head too. Ajillo is basically "simmering in garlic oil," something close to a confit—a cooking method that involves simmering ingredients slowly in oil at low temperatures, around a hundred degrees.

If that’s the case, then what’s sizzling so fragrantly in front of us now really is just fried shrimp.

As I‘m drifting through those thoughts, the oil begins to change its tune. When the loud sizzling sound softens into a hissing sound, that’s the signal the moisture’s gone.

I’ll drain them on a rack, then do the second frying once everyone’s gathered!

…But since we have the chance!

“Ms. Aria, Ms. Aria, it’s super-hot, but here you go!”

“Rin…! I-is it okay?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. You can’t adjust the seasoning unless you know the current flavor.”

On the tip of the toothpick I hold out to Ms. Aria is a small shrimp still sizzling with oil. The shell visible through the thin batter is colored bright red, looking clearly crispy.

Perhaps overcome with emotion, Ms. Aria clasps her hands in front of her chest as if praying and stares at me, and I smile and nod at her.

Hmm? Does it look like a wicked food demon luring an innocent maiden to gluttony?

I know, I know, just leave me alone!

But what’s the point of fried food if you don’t eat it fresh! What kind of fried shrimp would that be!?

Without fearing burns in your mouth… not minding that the crispy batter and skin might hurt the roof of your mouth… that’s what fried food is all about—following your desires and bringing it to your mouth!

I gently hand the freshly fried small shrimp to Ms. Aria’s trembling hands… and I immediately toss a small shrimp into my own mouth.

“Ahf! Ahfah! A-ahfi!”

“Hahf! Hahfuu! Ahf, delishush!”

When you eat freshly fried food, this is just how it goes…

Even though I blew on it to cool it down, I bit into the shell that’s still hot enough to burn my tongue. Though still somewhat hard, it’s not to the point where I can’t bite through it. When I crack the shell, sweet shrimp juices and rich shrimp flavor gush out from inside, filling my mouth. I want to keep my mouth closed so I don’t lose this flavor, but because my already hot mouth gets even hotter, I end up opening it wide and taking in outside air.

…It’s understandable, right…? It’s so hot… that even the not particularly cool outside air feels cold…

Though the batter has a light salty flavor, the saltiness from the seawater remaining in the flesh also works nicely, and it’s plenty delicious without adding anything. The tightly packed flesh has concentrated umami, and with each bite, umami and sweetness drip out as meat juice. The thin legs have a nice crispy crunch and leave a fragrant flavor on the tongue.

I pour cold barley tea all at once into my mouth, heated to its limit…!

“—Puhaaa! Delicious! But hot!”

“But this will go well with alcohol! Definitely will!”

I exhale the lingering heat on my instantly cooled tongue along with a sigh, and Ms. Aria and I high-five with raised palms.

Right now, there’s still some hardness remaining, but if I fry them a second time, it probably won’t be noticeable.

“Hey, Rin. One more… one more, can I have one? Please? Please?”

“N-No! Ms. Aria, how many times are you planning to say ‘one more’!?”

“Until they’re gone!”

“That’s a no-no! How many is ‘one’ supposed to be!!?”

I’ll note here that the begging of the beautiful woman staring up at me with upturned eyes continued until she secured one more shrimp.

Dammit! A cutely coquettish beauty is nothing but a feast for the eyes!

By the way, even while we were making a fuss over the small shrimp, the stock was steadily being made.

I ladle the stock into a colander set over a slightly larger pot, again and again, then mash the leftover bones and vegetables with the ladle to squeeze out every drop. By the time the pot where I simmered the scraps empties, plenty of slightly thick red soup has accumulated in the lower pot, with golden fat floating in glittering rings.

When I take some in a small dish and taste it, there’s no fishiness at all. Behind the sweet and sour flavor of concentrated tomatoes and the sweetness of onions, the richness of sea bass and the freshness of bay leaf faintly linger—it’s delicious stock!

I’ll make bouillabaisse-style soup with this stock as the base!

“…What ingredients are you using…?”

“Let’s see… I’m thinking of adding slue squid, large prawn, crab, scallop-like shellfish, and the rest of the sea bream-like fillet I prepared earlier!”

“…Just hearing about it sounds delicious…!”

“I’ll do my best not to disappoint! Alright, one final push!”

Even though I didn’t add much salt, the umami of vegetables and fish is concentrated, making it rich enough that I hardly feel it’s lacking, but it’ll probably get diluted when I add ingredients, so I’ll add just one more pinch of salt. While I’m at it, I’ll add just a tiny bit of soy sauce as a secret ingredient to adjust the flavor… and heat it up again. In the meantime, I’ll prepare the other ingredients…

I got two additional slue squid. I’ll prep one the same way as before and cut the body into chunks. I’ll use the other one for log-grilled squid using the liver and tentacles I didn’t use for the soup!

For the scallop-like shellfish, I stick a table knife into the gap in the shell and move it to separate the shell from the adductor muscle to remove the shell. Once I remove the dark gills, I’ll generously add the whole thing to the soup!

For the crab, after removing the apron and gills, I split it in half with the deba knife. I cut the sea bream-like fillet into chunks too.

Once everything is chopped and split, I plop them into the boiling soup and let them cook for a bit…

“Phew! Soup prep is done!”

“Mm! Good work, Rin!”

“Oh! Thank you so much! I was just getting thirsty, so this is perfect!”

… Whew… processing this quantity really required quite a bit of time. I’m really glad I chose the option of staying in the Camping Car to do the prep…!

As I sighed in front of the pot that just needs to be reheated once the men return, Ms. Aria held out a cup of barley tea to me. Seeing no condensation on the cup’s surface, she must have just poured it. I thanked her and drank it down, and the ice-cold barley tea slid down my throat. My heated body cooled from the inside.

Did I get too absorbed? Quite a bit of heat seems to have built up in my body. I force down my slightly dizzy vision with willpower and look over the remaining ingredients.

The remaining large prawn and spiny lobster will be grilled over open flame, so they can stay whole, right? When the guys get back, I’ll stir-fry the squid and reheat the soup…

“After that… I’ll prepare the log-grilled squid and potatoes!”

“…Log grilling?”

“I’ll stuff the squid body with liver and tentacles and roast it whole in the oven.”

I don’t know who first said it, but in the Takanashi household, we called it log-grilling. Because the way it sits round and plump looks like a log… or something like that…

I thoroughly mix together the liver and tentacles from two squid, grated ginger, cooking alcohol, and miso paste, and stuff them into the squid bodies. Add a chunk of butter as a secret ingredient—it makes the flavor great! After securing the body opening with toothpicks, I wrap it tightly in aluminum foil… and it’s oven-ready! With the preparation done, you can simply leave it and have an easy, delicious dish that pairs well with both rice and liquor!

Squid is so versatile. Ideally, it’s even better with some green onion mixed in, but… do they have regular long green onions in this world? Leeks or spring onions… what do they call those in Western cuisine? Those seem like they might exist, so maybe I could substitute with that? Though in the first place, I’ve never eaten western leeks, so I don’t really know if they can be used as substitutes…

By the way, the potatoes are for squid liver in butter. I’ll microwave them to steam them, then pour stir-fried squid liver in butter over the top… that’s the plan! The log-grilled squid will be miso flavored, but this one I plan to make soy sauce flavored. Different seasonings are better, right?

Ms. Aria, who suddenly looks out the window, smiles broadly.

“Rin. They’re coming back soon!”

“Huh!? You can tell, Ms. Aria? Oh, true love…!”

“Th-That’s not it! Because I have my web up… that’s how I know!”

…Ah… I see. Her husband is coming back, so of course she’d know… or so I thought, but apparently she knew because there was a reaction in Ms. Aria’s web she had spread out for scouting purposes. Even with that understanding, how adorable this embarrassed beauty is…!

But if they’re coming back soon, I should finish the appetizers!

I start heating the remaining oil to double-fry and crisp up the small shrimp. Perhaps because the shrimp and garlic aroma has transferred, it’s a very fragrant smell.

…Should I use this for stir-frying later…? Shrimp-infused oil would be so tasty, right…?

Once the oil is sufficiently hot, I have the small shrimp that I drained on the rack take another oil bath.

Jubububububa! The oil bubbles up all at once, and steam rises heavily.

Despite the small splatters of hot oil that threaten to burn my skin, as I stir with cooking chopsticks, I can feel the shells becoming hard and light.

As a test, I pick up a small one, cool it thoroughly, and toss it in my mouth. The slightly damp, soft feeling that remained deep in the shells of the small shrimp I ate earlier is gone, and only a crispy, crunchy light texture comes back.

Yup! This should be just right as a snack with alcohol!

“Rin! Aria! We’re back! Time to eat!! And drink!!!”

“We’re hoooome, Aria☆! Thanks for the fooood, Rin!”

“We’ve returned. You two—did anything happen while we were gone?”

“Mm. Welcome back!”

Just as I finished plating the fried shrimps, the guys returned through the Camping Car’s wide-open entrance with lively voices, each carrying a heavy load of luggage.

…Huh? Is it just my imagination that the luggage seems to have increased compared to departure? Huh?

Why are you holding an alcohol barrel, even if it’s small, Mr. Ville?

What did you put in that cooler box with the lid clearly not closed, Mr. Xenon?

What’s that rose-like flower you’re holding along with a basket piled high with bread, Mr. Ed—oh, it’s a gift for Ms. Aria… Well, that one I can absolutely understand.

Ms. Aria, having Mr. Ed put the flower in her hair, looks so happy as she smiles bashfully, looking both pleased and embarrassed!

Well, putting the luggage mystery aside—everyone came back safely, and that’s what matters! Let’s start with a relaxed toast!!

“In any case, welcome back! I have snacks ready for the toast!”

Starting with placing the plate of small shrimp with excess oil drained right in the center of the table, everyone begins arranging the alcohol and glasses they bought on the table.

…Then. Mr. Xenon, who’s standing beside me before I know it, holds out glossy, bright red tomatoes with a cheerful smile. Apparently, the cooler box he was carrying held several tomatoes, a large quantity of wine bottles, and a chunk of ham.

“A souvenir for you, Rin.”

“Ah! These are tomatoes!”

“You were using them a lot at lunch. You like them, right?”

“Yes! I love them! Thank you!”

Mr. Ville, seeing my tomato-loving ways, apparently suggested buying more.

For that vegetable-hating leader to bring vegetables as a souvenir…! I’m so grateful…! Leader, seriously, thank you!

With this, I can add tomatoes to the spicy squid stir-fry!

“I made some snacks, so please toast with these!”

“What about you, Rin?”

“I’m going to finish a few more dishes, so please start without me.”

“That won’t do, Rin. You must also take a seat… we can’t have you working alone.”

“That’s right. You’re a member of Gourmands now. Don’t be unnecessarily reserved.”

Alright! I’ll make more snacks right away! …That’s what I was fired up to do, but… I never expected to be stopped with such serious faces… I can’t help but be moved. But cooking is already half a hobby for me, so I’m not being considerate. I’m doing it because it’s fun!

“I’m working inside the Camping Car anyway, so think of it as a little cooking attraction right in front of you! I want you to eat everything piping hot.”

“…You’re really not forcing yourself, are you?”

“I’m not! …But if you’re really concerned, could you start a fire in the outdoor grill? I’ll finish up in the meantime…!”

“Alright, got it. One sec.”

Though I stated my true feelings, Mr. Ville still seems concerned, so I ask him to start the fire. By the way, Mr. Xenon also said, "I’ll help too," so I’m asking him to prepare glasses for drinks. Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria are setting up perimeter nets and bug deterrent barriers.

Not that I’m trying to stall everyone, but I’ve got to complete the dishes during this window…!

While reheating the bouillabaisse-style soup, I’ll make two types of squid stir-fry on the side!

First, I grate the tomatoes I received as a souvenir into a frying pan with melted butter and stir-fry them. Once the moisture evaporates, I add the skinless squid I cut into chunks and stir-fry them together, season with my special mixed spices, a bit of curry powder, and soy sauce, then simmer it down more, and it’s done! If you prep ahead, this is one of those really simple dishes to make.

I plate the spiced stir-fry, rinse the pan quickly, add butter again, and this time fry the chopped squid with the skin on. When it’s about halfway cooked, I add soy sauce mixed with the squid liver, then turn off the heat once the sauce reduces slightly. This one is finished by pouring it over bite-sized pieces of steamed potatoes.

“After that, I’ll leave the log-grilled squid to Mr. Oven, and we’re all set!”

“Rin. The fire’s ready, but how should I adjust the heat?”

“Keep the heat as it is now! Let’s grill the shrimp!”

In front of Mr. Ville, who’s come back at just the right time, I wave the familiar barbecue wire rack while holding up with my other hand a bowl containing spiny lobster and large prawn.

The spiny lobster is big, but it’s fresh enough for sashimi, so it should be fine with rough grilling!

Leaving the squirming creatures on the grill net to sizzle, I head back to the Camping Car. It will take some time for them to cook through, and a little char on the shells is fine since we’ll peel them anyway. While keeping watch so they don’t escape or burn too much, let’s have our celebration party!

“The guild paid out rewards, including the fire bear’s share, but I think we’ll settle accounts tomorrow. For now, to the uneventful beach mission… cheers!”

After everyone’s distributed glasses and their preferred drinks, Mr. Ville leads the toast, and glasses clink together.

Mr. Ville and Mr. Ed have ale, Mr. Xenon has red wine, and Ms. Aria has sparkling wine. As for me, I have cold barley tea. Just in case I end up having to drive the Camping Car, that would be terrible! I’m curious about this world’s alcohol too, but I’ll enjoy it another time.

“Shho tashy! The shrimp are sho crispy! Why ish thish ale going down sho eashily?!”

“Shquid ish sho good… evwen with the veggiesh, sho tasshty…”

“Potatoes eaten this way are moist and quite good. I disliked that dry texture, but this doesn’t bother me.”

“…I made a mistake… should I have bought another barrel?”

My, my, the snacks are disappearing one after another at a satisfying rate! And the alcohol is being drained just as quickly, but with all those bottles and the barrel stocked up, we should still have plenty, right?

…Alright, before everything disappears, I should join the scramble too! Snatching the spicy squid and tomato stir-fry and buttery potatoes onto my plate, let me start with the spicy stir-fry…

…Ah… even if I say so myself, I made something delicious.

After the generous amount of cumin and coriander hits with a bang, the rich butter’s depth and squid’s umami cling to my tongue. The reduced tomato, now sweeter and tarter, refreshingly washes it away, and finally the curry gently tingles the palate. It’s the kind of deliciousness that keeps you coming back for more, and if I’m not careful, I might keep eating without stopping my chopsticks. If you don’t have a spice mix, it’s delicious even made with just curry powder! It would be good eaten with rice, or maybe delicious with somen noodles too?

By the way, my spice mix is centered on coriander, cumin powder, and whole cumin seeds, with paprika, chili, cardamom, cloves, allspice… whatever spices catch my eye mixed together as the mood strikes. Since there’s no salt in it, it’s an excellent child that can work with salt, soy sauce, or miso!

I cool down my mouth flushed from the chili, with barley tea, and now move my chopsticks to the buttery potatoes. This one has butter skillfully amplifying the rich liver’s umami. Perhaps because the sweet aroma of milk fat wraps around the liver, which could easily become fishy. And fragrant burnt soy sauce is entwined with it, so I don’t sense any fishiness. The tentacles are firm and chewy, the fins are crunchy, and the body is plump—each has a different bite feel, creating variety in texture that doesn’t bore the mouth. The potatoes, infused with squid umami, butter, and soy sauce, take it all in and melt softly and crumblingly in the mouth. The smell of the sea and the smell of the earth gently escape through my nose.

Squid is so delicious…!

While feeling a certain emotion at the rapidly emptying plates… I quietly stand up to retrieve the contents of the oven announcing completion.

When I open the door, heat, along with the fragrant smell of miso, butter, and squid, assaults my face. Being careful of burns, when I open the foil, the aroma drifts even more strongly around. In the silence where the members’ chatter has stopped, I can tell how much attention is focused.

Mr. Ville, who smells the aroma, gulps down the ale remaining in his glass.

“The smell is savage… I feel like I could drink on the smell alone.”

“That’s a total drunkard’s line!”

“Squid is… delicious… not fishy…”

“Yes, squid is really delicious!”

While eating the cut log-grilled squid, Mr. Ville nodded, and Ms. Aria murmured softly.

I always thought squid was tasty… but could it be that? Maybe it’s one of those ingredients they have trauma about, like burnt raw meat?

Setting aside Gourmands’ dark culinary history, the log-grilled squid is reliably delicious too!

Perhaps because wrapping it in foil and steam-roasting it made the heat penetration gentler? The outside is chewy, and the inside has a melty texture, with butter’s sweetness, miso’s saltiness, and liver’s richness being things that unavoidably make your chopsticks move… Squid is scary. Squid is really scary.

But having people eat something I made while saying it’s delicious… it really feels nice.

The illustration’s description: Ville and Xenon are looking at the log-grilled squid.

While clearing away the empty plates, I notice the garlic fried together with the small shrimp has turned a nice color, so I sprinkle some salt on it and set it out.

As for the bouillabaisse-style soup, it is… maybe a little more?

…Well, let me check on those shrimp on the grill while I’m up!

“Rin… are you eating anything yourself?”

“I’m nibbling here and there, you know? And it’s kind of a hobby for me, so please don’t worry about it!”

…That said, I want a bit more staple food, so I’ll foil-roast some potatoes and onions.

While I quickly wash and wrap the potatoes and onions, Mr. Ville half-rises from his seat, maybe worried about how much I’m running around during the feast.

He probably thinks they’re making me do all the work… I feel kind of bad… I stop Mr. Ville from standing up with a smile and head toward the grill.

Since everyone is enjoying their drinks, leave this kind of thing to a cooking-loving snack scavenger like me.

I stuff the foil-wrapped potatoes and onions into the glowing embers, flip the spiny lobster and large prawn… the large prawn should be ready after a bit more grilling.

“Ah. The soup pot should be ready soon!”

Um… what else… If I slice some of that extra ham, and maybe have sliced onions and tomatoes, we could put them on bread and eat them. Or maybe I should cut it thick and make it like a ham steak!

…Somehow… when there are people who’ll happily eat it, even cooking that sometimes feels like a pain when I’m alone becomes fun! Making food while thinking "I wonder if they’ll enjoy this menu"—it’s fun!

“Alright! The soup is ready too! I’ll just bring the whole pot over! Everyone can eat whatever ingredients they like!”

“You’re very enthusiastic, Rin.”

“Hehehe… I may have gotten a bit carried away! There are so many things I want to make, I can’t help it!”

I place a trivet where the finished shrimp plate has been cleared and set down the completed pot with a thump. Even after taking it off the heat, it’s still bubbling—that’s nice. The ladle and serving plates… wait, they’re already prepared. Hmm… So I made them worry after all…

As I watch hands reach for the pot competitively, I drain the barley tea remaining in my cup. I’m full of energy, but honestly… my stamina…!

“Here, Rin. First, eat a bit and rest.”

“Ah, sorry, Mr. Ville.”

“’Cooking’ is your domain, but even I can handle portioning out servings.”

A bowl filled with shrimp, scallops, sea bass pieces, and soup is placed before me with a clunk. The sweet aroma of mixed tomatoes and seafood gently tickles my nose. Apparently, he served me before the gluttons could devour it all. Heat gradually transmits to my fingertips from the somewhat thick ceramic. I bow my head to Mr. Ville, who shrugs and laughs, and I’ll partake without hesitation!

I stick my spoon into the still-steaming portion, and first the soup… In authentic bouillabaisse, you’d use saffron, but I obviously don’t have such an expensive luxury spice… But even without it, the seafood umami has thoroughly seeped out, and it’s plenty delicious.

The shrimp stock and scallop extract from the shells mix with the fish stock, and tomato sweetness is added, and though refreshing, there’s no sense of lacking at all. Since I didn’t simmer it long, I’m happy the seafood hasn’t shrunk. It’s fun to slurp up that concentrated umami punch from the shrimp heads, and the tender sea bass and chewy squid are great too, but the large scallop, with its plump texture and the enjoyable contrast between the firmness of the adductor muscle and the springiness of the mantle, is a big hit for me personally.

Looking around, it seems everyone’s eating is progressing like crazy. Hardly speaking, they’re moving their spoons frantically. Yes. There’s still plenty in the pot, so please eat as much as you like! I’ll be joining the scramble too!

Now then. Though the feast is in full swing, I think the shrimp should be ready to eat soon! After all, the savory aroma has been floating—no, flooding—through the air for a while, and I can’t stand it anymore!!

“Shrimp, shrimp, shri-mp♪”

“You’re in a good mood, Rin.”

“Because it’s shrimp! I absolutely love it!”

I pull leather gloves from the luggage area and squeeze them onto both hands.

When it comes to outdoor activities, work gloves…! Some might say that, but I definitely support leather gloves. After all, being thick makes them fire-resistant, they don’t hurt as much when breaking firewood by hand, and you’re less likely to get injured!

People say, “Yeah, but aren’t leather gloves stiff?”—but the ones I use are made by a long-established tool supplier who obsesses over materials and craftsmanship, so they’re incredibly comfortable! They’re soft and conform to your hands from the moment you open the package, yet the domestically tanned cowhide is solidly thick and can withstand heavy work—they’re excellent…

They’re washable, don’t get hard… and the price is an affordable three-digit yen! …If I had to point out a flaw, it’s that they’re such a popular product, they’re hard to get…

“All right… heave-ho!”

Through those leather gloves, I firmly grab the perfectly grilled spiny lobster and snap its head and body apart with a sharp crack. From the bright red shell bursts snow-white flesh that almost dazzles the eyes. Instantly, the rich aroma of shrimp essence spreads around.

It seems like the center isn’t cooked through yet. Juices drip from the slightly translucent core, wetting the ground black. I snap the heads off the remaining two lobsters and plate the large prawn alongside… and finally thump it all down onto the table.

Speaking of, when I peeked while carrying it, that petite barrel is already half gone, and the wine has been completely drained… just what capacity do these folks’ stomachs have?!

“It has such an enticing aroma. Thank you for the meal.”

“Just the smell alone makes this ale go down even easier! One more cup!”

“Huge shrimp! Can I bite it? Can I bite it?”

Mr. Xenon’s hand, who switched from wine to ale, reaches out first. His slender, supple hand boldly cracks the shell as if not feeling the heat at all. Mr. Ed cheerfully raises his glass with a bright red face, while Ms. Aria gazes earnestly at the spiny lobster.

Yup. Everyone really loves crustaceans!

And while I fully understand the dream of biting into a whole spiny lobster-like large shrimp, there aren’t enough for everyone, so today I need you to settle for chunks…

While keeping Ms. Aria in check as she tries to bite into a whole one at any opportunity, I cut up the spiny lobster. The plump, bouncing white flesh is like flowers blooming on the red shell.

While I’m at it, I split the head in two with the deba knife, and shrimp essence like cream oozes out… I’m pretty sure spreading this shrimp essence over the grilled meat would be delicious…

“Now then. I’ve cut it up, so please help yourselves! I think the shrimp essence would be delicious in the soup too.”

“I wanted to eat it whole!! …But this is fine too!”

Ms. Aria, her cherry-colored flushed cheeks puffed out, immediately stuffs spiny lobster in her mouth… and her ice-colored eyes shine as if the sulking from before was a lie. Yup. When you eat delicious food, you can’t stay angry.

Mr. Xenon and Mr. Ed are also reaching with their forks, which is great!

And Mr. Ville, who’s probably the Gourmands’ biggest eater…

“Hm? What’s the matter?”

“…Do you like that soup that much?”

“Yeah! The ingredients are delicious, and the soup is delicious too!”

“I’d like to try making it again sometime with proper wine and spices.”

Licking his lips, Mr. Ville looks up. Apparently, he was eating the bouillabaisse-style soup in complete silence.

Even if you don’t eat so intently, no one is going to steal it from you.

…But still, there aren’t even shrimp or crab shells left on the plate… could it be…? Sneaking a peek at Mr. Ville, I notice his jaw working with unmistakable crunching sounds.

…I see… You eat shells and all… Well… just be careful not to hurt your mouth, alright?

Glancing at Mr. Ville happily slurping soup again, I reach for a large prawn myself.

Ah, shrimp, dear shrimp. I love you enough that I would catch you myself if the law allowed. I like fishing, but free-diving for seafood fascinates me… I haven’t done it because fishing rights and various things seem complicated, but I wonder if I could do it in this world? But I didn’t bring a swimsuit, and I don’t have underwater goggles or a snorkel… and besides, there’s that. If I encountered that orca in the sea, it would be troublesome, so let’s think about free diving a bit more, yup.

To forget the nerve-grating smug orca face that suddenly popped up, I concentrate on the shrimp in my hands…

I pluck off the still faintly warm shrimp head, pinch the horn part of the head with one hand and the thin legs called walking legs with the other, peel it off with a rip, and savor the shrimp essence by sucking on it. It’s a bit bad manners, but there’s no way I’m letting delicious escape!

The fragrant aroma of the grilled shell and moderate saltiness. The shrimp escape, now richer with moisture evaporated, melts sweetly and salty, leaving a bit of bitterness on the tongue at the end. What passes through the nose is an intense ocean smell, like concentrated sea flavor. Whether you consider it a "fragrance" or "odor" is subjective, but I definitely lean toward "fragrance.”

I reset my flavor-overwhelmed tongue by crunching through the crisp, roasted walking legs. The shell’s stock and the meat juice from what little flesh there must be seep out, and this is quite delicious in its own right—like shrimp crackers, or some kind of snack.

“Uhaaah… the shrimp essence is so delicious…! So fragrant…!”

After sufficiently savoring the essence, it’s time for the meat!

Peeling off the crispy shell reveals a pleasantly plump flesh, though slightly shrunk from being cooked. Overcooking often leads to a rough and crumbly surface, but this large prawn seems to have been cooked to perfection. The reddish-white striped meat glistens moistly, whetting the appetite with its appearance alone. As I’m at it, I might as well cleanly peel off the shell from the tail and just pop the whole thing in my mouth!

When I bite into the faintly warm surface, the flesh stretched tight resists. When I apply force without yielding, it suddenly snaps as if the thin skin bursts, and meat juice full of umami overflows throughout my mouth. The bouncy, springy texture that seems to push back no matter how much I chew also feels very good.

“The shrimp is delicious… so delicious…!”

“You look happy, Rin.”

“I’m happiest when I’m eating.”

“I get it. How should I put it… the sensation of food pushing its way down the esophagus and dropping into the stomach is irresistible.”

“Exactly!”

Though I want to keep chewing forever, I finally swallow… The prawn slides down my throat, leaving a faint sweetness and umami that remains even after soaking into my tongue.

At my words as I bask blankly in the aftertaste, Mr. Ville nods vigorously, and I can fully understand the sensation he describes.

Are you me or what!

The spiny lobster had a finer-textured feel compared to the large prawn.

If the large prawn is bouncy and springy, this one has a firm bite. It’s soft, but not a sloppy softness—it’s a softness with a firm core running through it… The sweetness is subtle and elegant, and the texture feels moist and smooth.

“Mmm! The spiny lobster is delicious too! Next time we get some, I should fry it! Tempura!”

“What is ‘tempura,’ Rin?”

“Uh, ah… It’s a dish fried with wheat flour batter. The batter is thinner than in fritters, and it’s crispy…”

That’s exactly why tempura, which seals in the ingredient’s flavor, would be delicious eaten simply with salt.

Perhaps intrigued by the unfamiliar word, Mr. Xenon leaned forward. But what’s with this subtly striking sensation in my heart…? N-No security clearance violations here! I have no intent to rebel against the Computer! Stop! Don’t execute me with a laser gun!

…Setting aside that silly mental skit, I wonder if I’ll have another chance to get spiny lobster… If not, maybe I’ll make tempura with summer vegetables instead. Tempura is just delicious.

By the way, the essence from this one is even richer and intense. It melts and clings tenaciously to the tongue. Coating the flesh with the essence is predictably delicious too.

As I continue to eat, the refreshing meat juices help balance out the potentially cloying essence, while the rich essence complements the slightly lighter lobster meat compared to large prawn…

Everything works out so perfectly in this world, huh?

Of course, I’ll note here that it was also delicious dipped in the bouillabaisse-style soup. Shrimp and tomatoes are just meant to be friends.

Since the flesh is larger than the large prawn’s, it really absorbs the soup, or rather the soup clings to it… The sweet and sour flavor of tomatoes goes so well with the sweet-salty flavor of shrimp.

“But seriously, this goes so well with alcohol.”

“Seafood is excellent both as a drinking snack and as a rice accompaniment!”

Mr. Ville, who gulps down his glass, smiles contentedly.

What goes with rice goes with alcohol, and what goes with alcohol goes with rice. I, who love both rice and alcohol, have no blind spots!

I savor the warm baked potatoes with butter and soy sauce, clean up the fire, and casually listen to everyone chatting over the remaining alcohol… or at least I think I do…

When I suddenly open my eyes at the sensation of something gently patting my head, I meet strawberry-colored eyes peering down at me.

The illustration’s description: Ville is ruffling Rin’s head.

“Thanks to you today, Rin, we safely returned the Offshore Dweller. You helped us!”

“I didn’t do anything that great! It’s thanks to everyone working together!”

“Even so, the fact that we had a delicious meal tonight is thanks to your efforts, Rin.”

“Mm! Eating yummy food… being happy… It’s all thanks to you, Rin! Thank you!”

“That’s right! Please take care of us from now on too, Rin!”

Before I know it, hands extending from all four directions are ruffling my head.

Looking around, everyone has happy, joyful smiles on their faces.

Did I… did I help a little?

With overflowing joy and relief, I find myself beaming with a grin.

I’ll keep making delicious food!

The translator’s note

There is a single term in Japanese for lobster, prawn, and shrimp, it’s "エビ" (ebi), but there is no such term in English. So, in this chapter, when "shrimp" is mentioned, it means lobster and prawn too. And here is some small info about the difference between these three crustaceans. The size of lobster is the biggest, then comes prawns and shrimps are the smallest. Shrimps can live in freshwater, prawns are found in both fresh and saltwater, while lobsters live in saltwater and brackish water but not fresh water. Shrimps and prawns are swimmers while lobsters are crawling or walking crustaceans.

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