Chapter 86

The village of *Berserk* has become famous as a hot spring resort.

Thanks to this, merchants who used to gather in the city of Viesel, the tourist destination, have started to come here, wanting to set up their shops.

This has dealt a significant blow to the city, taking away its people, and can be considered a major step forward in our strategy to bring the lord to his knees.

Now, amidst all this, I am going around and greeting the merchants who have actually come to the village.

The main purpose is to get to know them and establish a relationship of "please continue to patronize us," but there is another aim as well.

I've heard that merchants procure various goods not only from all over the country but also from abroad.

So, there might be exotic seasonings, ingredients, and delicacies from overseas.

I thought, could these be used in the local cuisine?

While exchanging greetings with the merchants setting up their stalls near the village entrance, I was also carefully looking at their goods.

"Still... there are so many different types of merchants."

"Yeah, I interact with merchants as I operate from a market city, and their business methods are quite diverse."

Iksa and I walked while having this conversation.

Some merchants simply laid out their goods on mats on the ground, while others had their own stalls that served as shops.

The latter was like a modern food truck.

It brought back memories.

When I worked at a home center in my previous life, mobile vendors would come to sell takoyaki, taiyaki, and churros.

I often got the leftovers when they settled their rent.

"...Hm?"

In the midst of this, we stopped in front of a stall with a different atmosphere.

The goods laid out on the mat were not typical of this country's culture but had a more Western feel, and many items were distinctly Asian.

The merchant standing at the stall was a young girl, her hair tied up in buns, who looked so young she could pass for a child.

"Good evening, what kind of goods do you sell here?"

"Ah, hello, village chief. I am a merchant who has come from the far East."

The girl with the buns spoke in a lively voice.

Her intonation was unique.

...It felt a bit suspicious.

"Wow, the East."

"Does that mean you're from the 'Fifth Kingdom'?"

"Yep."

Iksa, standing next to me, interjected.

"Fifth Kingdom?"

"It's a large country to the east of the Grouga Kingdom. It has a unique culture different from this country."

I nodded, understanding.

So, it's like the Chinese equivalent in this world.

"By the way, I also have some unique goods from the 'Land of the Sun' further to the east."

"Land of the Sun?"

The bun-haired merchant showed me the corresponding goods.

"Wow... dyed fabric."

And this, is it a hairpin?

It has a Japanese-like feel.

So, the Land of the Sun is like Japan in this world.

"...Ah, this!"

While browsing the goods, I discovered a bottle of a transparent liquid with a slight yellow tint.

Could this be...

"This is a unique alcohol I procured from the Land of the Sun. It makes your mouth pucker."

I unscrewed the bottle cap and sniffed it.

The smell was familiar.

"This is vinegar!"

"Vinegar? I don't know much about it, but if you want something from the Land of the Sun, I have plenty more."

The bun-haired merchant kept bringing out more goods.

"Oh, rice!"

There's even rice!

"You're quite excited, Mako."

"Yay, Iksa! With this much..."

Holding the vinegar and rice, I approached Iksa with a strong sense of urgency.

With these two ingredients and the local produce, I could...

"With this much... I can make sushi!"

***

So, without further ado,

"Let's develop a new menu!"

I decided to make sushi with the vinegar and rice I got from the bun-haired merchant.

In the kitchen of the dining area, I rolled up my sleeves with enthusiasm.

"What's sushi?"

"I've never heard of it."

Maur and Meala tilted their heads in confusion.

"Well... it's probably a dish made in the Land of the Sun in this world."

I explained it to them like that.

If there's a similar culture, there must be a similar dish in this country.

So, sushi must exist in the Land of the Sun.

"By the way, Suaro and the other Skunas are from that country."

Iksa pointed to Suaro, who was standing behind us.

"Really! Suaro, is there sushi in the Land of the Sun!?"

"No... I'm just from that lineage. I was born in this country and have never been to the Land of the Sun."

"Ah, so you don't know."

But the more I thought about it, the more interested I became.

"I'd like to visit the Land of the Sun someday."

"...Yeah."

Iksa's expression darkened slightly at my casual remark.

Hmm? What's wrong?

"Mako, how do you make sushi?"

"Ah, well..."

Urged by Maur, I started making sushi.

First, I activated my *Alchemy* skill to create a *pot* for cooking the rice.

I put the washed rice in the pot, set it on the fire, and waited for it to cook.

While waiting, I did other tasks for a few minutes.

"Alright, the rice is done!"

The pot was filled with perfectly cooked rice!

Wow! White rice!

The first Japanese dish I've seen in this world!

But I couldn't just stand there marveling.

I had already asked Garai to make a wooden bucket and a rice paddle.

I transferred the cooked rice to the bucket and mixed in the vinegar with sugar and salt.

After mixing, I fanned the rice to cool it down... and the sushi rice was complete!

"Now, the main event."

I'm not a professional sushi chef, so I couldn't make nigiri sushi.

I could make chirashi sushi, but I remembered an interesting cooking method I had heard about, so I decided to use that.

I activated *Alchemy*.

What I created was...

"What's this?"

"It has circular indentations."

"Hehe... this is a 'metal plate' from a donut maker."

A metal plate with donut-shaped indentations—used to make donuts.

By filling these indentations with toppings and sushi rice, I could create neatly shaped, cake-like sushi.

First, the toppings.

"Mako, can I use the frozen fish I prepared?"

"Thanks, Reyle. But for safety, let's use boiled shrimp, squid, octopus, and scallops."

Reyle had frozen fish with her magic to try to make sashimi, but for safety, I decided to use boiled seafood.

Adding other vegetables would make it colorful.

I laid the toppings in the indentations and filled them with sushi rice.

Once completed, I flipped the plate onto a wooden board.

"How does it look!"

"Wow!"

The sushi, shaped like donuts and decorated with seafood and vegetables, looked like a blooming flower.

It was like a cake.

Everyone praised it, saying, "Amazing!" "Interesting!" "Beautiful!"

"Alright, let's try it."

It could be cut like a cake, or the sushi rice could be pinched off with the toppings, making it easy to eat like a nigiri sushi.

The taste was good.

It was the familiar taste of sushi!

"This is great! Let's start serving it to customers today!"

One of the *Berserks* exclaimed.

Everyone agreed.

"Great! Mako!"

"Yeah, I think it's good, but we only have a limited amount of rice and vinegar, so it will be limited."

"Wow, I never thought the goods I casually procured would turn into such a delicious dish. Village chief, you're quite resourceful."

The bun-haired merchant, who had somehow sneaked into the kitchen, said while eating the sushi.

"Whoa! When did you—!"

"If you like, I can procure the ingredients for you. I have a secret route that no one else knows, so I can get them at a good price."

Hmm, this merchant is still quite suspicious.

But being able to procure rice and vinegar is important now.

"Okay, I'll count on you!"

"Sure thing! Village chief, you're so generous, I love you!"

"Can you teach us how to make it?"

I taught the *Berserks* and *Beowulfs* in the kitchen how to make sushi.

And so—by night,

the village had gained a new specialty.

"Wow! Beautiful! A dish I've never seen before!"

"The toppings are squid, shrimp, and... vegetables too."

"The taste is unique but not bad. It's delicious to both the eyes and the palate."

When we announced the new menu, the donut-shaped cake sushi became an instant hit.

"Wow, this is beyond my expectations. I'll hurry and procure more goods."

"Sure, thank you... um—"

"My name is Amam, nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you, Amam."

So, with Amam, the merchant, on our side, our village continued to thrive.

***

Hot springs, vegetables, wood, seafood... and sushi.

The village of *Berserk* rapidly developed and prospered.

Every day, various people came and went, and the beastmen worked happily.

One day, after a few days of this, Iksa called me.

"Mako, look—"

"Hm?"

Looking in the direction Iksa pointed, I saw an unfamiliar group approaching the village entrance.

"..."

They had a neat and tidy appearance, and their clothes were embroidered with the same emblem as on Iksa's coat sleeve.

I understood.

The time had finally come.

"We would like to greet the leader of this village."

As we approached, the woman at the head of the group spoke in a cold voice.

She was a sharp-featured woman with glasses.

"Yes, that's me. What brings you here today?"

"We come from Lord Stinger, Prince Stinger."

As I replied, the woman gave me a sharp look.

"Those guys..."

The *Berserks* standing behind me muttered.

Looking at the group, I saw familiar faces.

Sylas and his companions, the A-rank adventurers I had defeated on the bridge, were among them, wearing coats with the national emblem.

They must have retired from adventuring and become knights or mercenaries.

But this made it clear.

The fact that they had brought guards meant they were prepared for a confrontation.

We could no longer be ignored.

"I am Walca, the secretary to Prince Stinger."

The woman with glasses introduced herself.

"Could you please explain your intentions?"