Chapter 15

With the meat and eggs of the Big Frog, it's a Tanindon (serious face).

"Let's all make lunch together, then."

"“Yes!!”"

A lively response came from the kitchen. They had spent the morning cleaning the hideout, but these were boys who aimed to be treasure hunters and trained daily. They had moved three times as much as Yūri, but not a single one of them was exhausted. Moreover, Yūri had been told to take it easy and was leisurely cleaning at his own pace.

The reason for such consideration was in this very moment. If Yūri were to be exhausted when making lunch, it wouldn't do. Yack remembered that Yūri could make easy and delicious dishes. Therefore, all the apprentices lined up in front of Yūri and responded sincerely.

"Today, since there are fewer people, let's make Tanindon."

"Tanindon?"

"Well, it's a dish where you simmer the meat in a sweet and savory sauce, top it with a beaten egg, and serve it over rice. How about a vegetable soup to go with it?"

"…Is it delicious?"

"Personally, I think it's a dish that makes you want to eat more rice."

"“Yeah, let's do it!!”"

When Yūri tilted his head and answered, everyone was extremely excited. They were very happy. They already knew that Yūri's cooking was delicious. The croquettes he made, which he said would make you want to eat more, were indeed very tasty. Since Yūri said this dish would make you want to eat more rice, it was bound to be delicious. The boys' hearts were united.

They were waiting for Yūri's instructions, eager to start the work. Yūri, while helping, planned to make his own portion. There happened to be a frying pan of just the right size, so he thought he would make a portion of the egg and meat topping for himself. However, seasoning would be difficult for beginners, so Yūri planned to simmer the meat in a deeper frying pan.

"Let's start with the soup. Yack, can you boil the bones like last time?"

"Got it—"

"Hey, Yūri, where did you get these bones?"

"I got them from the butcher. They were leftover bones after the meat was cut, and they add flavor to the broth."

"“Eh?!”"

Ignoring the shocked boys, Yack threw the bones into the pot. To add flavor to the vegetable soup, broth was essential. So, Yūri had obtained the bones from the butcher, which would have been discarded. Moreover, they were free. For the butcher, it was just a matter of having someone take away the garbage, making it a win-win situation.

Meanwhile, Yūri took out another pot. It was filled with water, and in it was a green object that no one had ever seen. The boys didn't know what the slimy thing was, but it was a very familiar ingredient to Yūri. It was kelp, which is very useful for making broth.

Yūri had discovered the kelp, which the fishmonger had placed in a corner, and bought it. It seemed that the concept of using kelp for broth didn't exist in this area, and it was considered a mysterious, useless product. The fishmonger had only bought it along with the dried fish from the fishermen and didn't know what it was for. If the fishermen had explained it properly, the deliciousness of kelp broth might have spread beyond the port town, Yūri thought seriously.

Next, Yūri transferred the broth from the pot with the kelp to a deeper frying pan. When the pan was about half full, he moved a few pieces of kelp into the pan and put it on the fire. While doing this, Yūri picked up an onion.

"Everyone, do you know how to peel an onion?"

"Huh? Just peel off the brown part, right?"

"Right. So, cut off the top and bottom, remove the brown part, cut it in half lengthwise, and remove the core."

"“…The core?”"

They didn't know about removing the core of the onion. The core was still white and didn't seem harmful. However, Yūri always removed it. It was the part that would eventually sprout. He didn't particularly like the texture, even though it wasn't poisonous. So, the boys followed Yūri's method, each holding an onion for their own portion. Yūri had two because he was also making a portion for Tiphaine, who was staying behind and acting as a lookout.

After peeling and removing the core, the onions were sliced to each person's preference. Yūri liked thin slices, but not so thin that they lost their texture. Yack and Ulgrus preferred larger pieces for stir-frying. Camille sliced them to about the same thickness as Yūri. Mag, on the other hand, sliced them so thinly that they looked like onion rings. His focused, silent knife work made him look like a craftsman.

Next, Yūri took out the meat of the Big Frog. He sliced it into bite-sized pieces. Slicing it thinly increased the surface area for flavor absorption and helped it cook faster. After cutting enough for everyone plus a little extra, Yūri checked that the kelp broth was boiling. Of course, he had removed the kelp before it boiled.

"For the seasoning, we'll use soy sauce, sake, and a bit of sugar to make it slightly sweet."

"Got it. Why are we using the broth from the kelp?"

"Kelp is one of the best sources of broth among seaweeds. It makes the dish much more delicious. Try tasting this kelp broth and compare it to plain water."

Yūri poured the kelp broth into small cups for everyone. They drank it and were surprised by the flavor, even though no salt or soy sauce had been added.

"Huh? Why does it have flavor?"

"Wow, the water is delicious—"

"It has a different taste from the animal bones."

"…Delicious."

"“Mag spoke?!”"

"…Huh? Mag doesn't usually speak?"

Seeing the three boys in a frenzy, Yūri was taken aback. Mag was usually quiet and hid his eyes behind his bangs, so no one could see his expression. However, he was meticulous and completed his tasks diligently. The fact that Mag, who rarely spoke, had said something, even if softly, surprised everyone.

Thinking it was fine, Yūri added the seasonings to the kelp broth in the frying pan. He added sake, soy sauce, and sugar, simmered it to create a sweet and savory sauce, and then added the sliced Big Frog meat. He left it to simmer.

While the four boys watched the frying pan intently, Yūri quickly sliced the onions. He thought about slicing the carrots the same way but decided it would be more interesting to cut them into half-moons. Finally, he cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and checked the pot where the animal bones were simmering. The broth was coming out nicely.

He skillfully moved the bones to a bowl, tasted the soup, and quickly added salt, pepper, and herbs to adjust the flavor. Since the main dish was a sweet and savory Tanindon, the soup was slightly lighter to bring out the vegetables' flavors. After adjusting the taste, he added the vegetables and simmered them on a low to medium heat. The soup would become soft and flavorful as the vegetables' flavors dissolved.

"Is the meat cooked?"

"The color has changed."

"Let's taste it, then."

Yūri took two larger pieces of meat, cut them into five portions, and placed them in tasting cups. Everyone tasted it and, except for Yūri, exclaimed at its deliciousness. Yūri checked the texture and flavor absorption of the Big Frog meat, which had become tender and flavorful due to the sake in the sauce. It had a texture and taste similar to chicken thigh meat, but the umami was much stronger. Yūri thought, "This is monster meat, huh?" The meat was more delicious than the livestock he knew, which were raised for consumption. The texture and taste were similar, but the umami was incomparable. He thought the simple cooking method might be enough to bring out the deliciousness of the high-quality ingredients.

"Let's make the Tanindon. First, we'll put the rice in the bowl."

In this world, there were magic devices powered by magic stones, including rice cookers. The hideout had two of these one-liter capacity cookers. While it might not be enough for all 20 of them at once, Yūri served freshly cooked rice in deep plates. Of course, he didn't put too much because he would be adding meat and eggs on top.

"Put the meat and broth for one person in this small frying pan. Add the onions and simmer until they are cooked."

Yūri demonstrated by putting the meat and broth in a small frying pan, adding the sliced onions, and putting it on the fire. While simmering, he quickly cracked two eggs into a bowl and beat them with chopsticks. The boys watched in amazement at the sound of the eggs being beaten, but Yūri didn't notice.

"Once the onions are cooked, pour in the beaten eggs and cook them. …How much you cook them is a matter of preference. I like the whites to be cooked."

With a smile, Yūri poured the completed egg and meat topping onto the rice in the deep plate. The runny eggs, visible meat, and onions, along with the sweet and savory sauce seeping into the rice, made everyone's mouths water.

"Let's all try making it one by one. I'll watch you."

"“Yes!”"

Everyone completed their Tanindon without any major mistakes. Yūri had already made a portion for Tiphaine, who had quietly joined them in the dining room. The vegetable soup with well-cooked onions and the tempting Tanindon were served, and just as everyone was about to eat, Yūri took action.

"Let's eat."

He put his hands together and quietly expressed gratitude for the ingredients. This was a common action for a Japanese person, but it seemed unusual to the people of this world. While it was common to pray before meals, the meaning of "Itadakimasu" as an expression of gratitude was not widely known, especially in this different world where everyone looked at Yūri curiously.

Noticing this, Yūri smiled and explained.

"It's a custom from my hometown. It means expressing gratitude for the ingredients and the people who prepared them."

"Then, I will follow your custom. Is this correct?"

"Yes."

"…Then, let's eat."

"“Let's eat!!”"

Following Tiphaine's gentle smile, the boys echoed her. They started eating the Tanindon with great enthusiasm. The boys only said it was delicious. Tiphaine, curious about the cooking process, asked Yūri detailed questions. After hearing the answers, she was surprised.

"Despite being so delicious, the process is quite simple. And it can be made in large quantities."

"Yes. In my hometown, bowls of rice were often served to workers. They are quick, delicious, and easy to eat."

"…If you teach this dish to the restaurant, they will be very happy."

"Is that so? It would be nice to be of help."

Yūri smiled and ate his Tanindon. Tiphaine smiled, a bit puzzled. "You're a person without greed," she said, her eyes soft. Yūri, tilting his head in confusion, thought it was just lunch. But from Tiphaine's perspective, teaching this dish and receiving payment for the information would be quite profitable. However, Yūri had no such intentions.

In fact, if asked to teach the dish, he would do so without hesitation. It wasn't his invention, and the idea of charging for teaching a recipe didn't exist in his worldview. It was a concept that wouldn't occur to an ordinary high school boy (albeit a gentle one).

When Yūri was invited to go to the restaurant with them and nodded, the boys looked envious, but he didn't notice.

The cooking method Yūri used was the one he learned at home, so there might be some objections. Additionally, this world lacks a culture of using broth, so the purpose of kelp might be unclear.

I look forward to your comments and feedback.