Chapter 21

The previous chapter left off with the use of the mayonnaise. Also, I received a review! Thank you very much!

The day after the lively discussion about mayonnaise and potato salad, Yūri woke up earlier than usual. In a world without alarm clocks, how did he wake up? It was simple: he used the alarm function on his smartphone.

...Actually, Yūri’s smartphone and music player, having become magical items, no longer ran out of battery. He had thrown them into his school bag, thinking they were dead, but they still worked. So, while he couldn’t use them as phones, for emails, or the internet, he could use the built-in apps, and decided to use the alarm function. Moreover, the clock and calendar had automatically adjusted to this world, so he could use them without setting them. It was incredibly convenient.

Yūri usually wakes up at 6, but today he woke up at 5. As soon as he woke up, he dashed to the kitchen. Today, Yūri and Kamille were in charge of breakfast, but Kamille was still asleep. Of course, it was an hour earlier than usual. Yūri’s early rising was voluntary.

Yūri was slicing a stack of bread with practiced hands, much thinner than usual for toasting. He made many thin slices and removed all the crusts. With skilled movements, the loaf of bread was quickly divided into thin slices and crusts.

"Last night’s egg filling, lettuce, ham, and cucumber... Maybe some jam for dessert?"

With a cheerful air, as if he might start whistling, Yūri began his work.

From the refrigerator, he took out a bowl containing chopped boiled eggs mixed with mayonnaise, lettuce that had been washed and drained, sliced ham, and cucumbers cut into strips. And the mayonnaise left in the bowl.

By now, it should be clear. Yūri was making a large number of sandwiches.

He was making egg sandwiches and ham sandwiches. In Yūri’s mind, a ham sandwich meant a combination of lettuce, cucumber, and ham. This was because the ham sandwiches he grew up eating at home were made this way, with no particular reason.

First, he spread mayonnaise on one side of the thin, crustless bread. Then he placed lettuce, ham, and cucumber on top, and added another slice of bread. He arranged the stacked bread on a tray, and when a few were completed, he covered them with a towel and pressed them with a pot of a suitable size, being careful not to crush them, to make them stick together.

While pressing the ham sandwiches, he made the egg sandwiches. This was simple: he just placed the egg filling between the bread slices, making sure it didn’t overflow. He quickly made these and arranged them on the tray.

Finally, he took out strawberry jam from the refrigerator and made jam sandwiches. There were fewer of these than the other two, as he intended them to be eaten as dessert, in smaller quantities than the main sandwiches.

After completing the sandwiches, Yūri cut them into triangles with a knife, efficiently and without hesitation. He then packed the cut sandwiches into small baskets with lids, lining the inside with a clean towel. He made three baskets, each containing ham sandwiches, egg sandwiches, and jam sandwiches, in pre-determined quantities, so they were neatly completed.

"Okay, the sandwiches are done."

Smiling, Yūri then boiled water in a kettle. Once it boiled, he poured it into a teapot with tea leaves and waited for the tea to steep. When the tea was ready, he poured it into three small flasks. These flasks were made of metal, with some insulation, and the outside was made of a material that didn’t conduct heat, so they weren’t hot to the touch.

After filling the three flasks with tea, he carefully closed the lids to prevent spills and paired them with the baskets. He packed the baskets and flasks into a small cloth bag he had made recently. Three sets of lunch boxes were now complete. Yūri moved the completed sandwich lunch boxes from the kitchen to a table near the entrance of the dining room.

Then, he waited for the people he was expecting.

Soon, the sound of three pairs of footsteps could be heard. Considering it was early morning, the footsteps were almost inaudible, and the voices were too low to understand. Still, Yūri knew they were approaching the dining room.

"Good morning."

"...Yūri?"

"What? It’s Yūri. Why are you up so early?"

"Good morning, Yūri."

Yūri greeted the three who entered the dining room with a smile. They seemed surprised to see him, as Brook, Cule, and Rerei blinked in confusion. Rerei quickly recovered and greeted Yūri casually.

These three were going on a short trip today. They were heading to a distant dungeon to complete a gathering request. Because of the distance, they had to leave early in the morning and usually ate breakfast on the way, taking only flasks and bread.

However, Yūri couldn’t accept this.

Yūri was the housekeeper of the "Crimson Lynx." He wasn’t trying to become a treasure hunter; he was just staying there because he had nowhere else to go. His role was to handle all household chores—cooking, cleaning, and other tasks. For Yūri, a gentle boy, this was not a burden but a joy.

And because of this, or rather, because of his modern Japanese high school student values, he thought it was wrong not to give a lunch box to someone who had to leave early in the morning and couldn’t have a proper breakfast.

If this were modern Japan, Yūri wouldn’t have thought so much. Convenience stores are open 24 hours, and there are many restaurants open from early morning to late night. But this was a different world. While there were street vendors and stalls, they weren’t as abundant. Moreover, there were no large cities where Brook and the others were heading, so it was natural that they would have a poor diet.

"Here, these are lunch boxes. Please take them."

"Yūri?"

"They contain three types of sandwiches and tea. Egg sandwiches, ham sandwiches, and jam sandwiches. The jam is strawberry. Please enjoy them as dessert."

"Wait, wait, Yūri."

"What is it, Brook?"

Brook interrupted Yūri’s explanation, looking surprised. The usually calm and composed swordsman was showing a rare look of shock. Cule and Rerei, however, couldn’t point this out, as they were also shocked, perhaps even more so due to their youth.

First, they asked what a lunch box was.

Yūri realized for the first time that this world didn’t have a culture of lunch boxes. While the concept of portable food existed, the idea of preparing food specifically for a trip and eating it on the go was foreign to them. The food they took with them wasn’t what Yūri imagined as a lunch box. It was a cultural shock.

Next, they asked what a sandwich was.

Yūri explained that it was bread with fillings and showed them the sandwiches he had set aside for himself and Kamille. Rerei and Cule were about to dive in, but Brook stopped them, saying they shouldn’t take someone else’s food. The two looked dejected.

Finding them cute, Yūri cut the sandwiches into smaller, bite-sized pieces and offered them as samples. They immediately started eating, and Yūri also offered some to Brook. For people who only knew how to toast bread and spread butter or jam, this was a revelation. They were amazed.

A meal that could be eaten with one hand, combining the main and side dishes, and was also portable. Brook looked at Yūri with a very subtle expression, as if he wanted to say something. If Yūri understood, it would be, "You could make a fortune just by selling this recipe." It was the same feeling Tiphana had.

Of course, the laid-back boy didn’t think that far.

"So, why did you go to all this trouble to prepare these?"

"What? Because I heard you leave earlier than breakfast time."

"You said that, but why? Why get up so early?"

"Exactly. The sandwiches are delicious and it’s nice, but why?"

"…Why? Because in my hometown, it’s normal to make a lunch box for someone who leaves so early that they miss breakfast."

"…..."

Yūri, who hadn’t thought much about it, tilted his head and answered with a gentle smile. For him, that was all there was to it. A Japanese person might imagine making onigiri or giving a bag of sweet bread to someone who doesn’t have time for breakfast. That was Yūri’s perspective.

However, this was a different world, not modern Japan. While the spirit of mutual help existed, the culture was different. There was no culture of preparing portable meals for family members who were leaving. Therefore, the gratitude the three felt when Yūri smiled and offered them sandwich lunch boxes was beyond words. They were already grateful for Yūri’s cheerful acceptance of all the household chores, which others found tedious. (For Yūri, it was more like a reward and a beloved hobby, but it didn’t quite get through.) The idea that he would wake up early and go to such lengths to prepare a meal for them was unimaginable. And the flasks contained tea, not water.

"Yūri, do you want any souvenirs?"

"Huh?"

"We’re going on a trip, so we might find something interesting!"

"Um? Um? I don’t really want anything, and I’m not in need... Why is Cule so excited?"

"Of course! It’s normal!"

"Why?"

The cultural barrier was high and thick.

Cule’s shoulders slumped. Rerei patted his shoulder, and Brook smiled wryly. Cule was incredibly happy that Yūri, a new member of the "Crimson Lynx" and still a teenager, had gone to such lengths to make lunch boxes for them. He wanted to do something in return, so he suggested bringing souvenirs.

Unfortunately, Yūri didn’t see it as a big deal and maintained his usual gentle attitude. It was pitiful.

"Cule, give up. Yūri doesn’t understand our common sense."

"Brook, but we..."

"Then, then, we’ll just bring back souvenirs on our own, okay?"

"Sure. If we bring back some rare ingredients, he’ll be happy."

"Alright! It’s decided!"

"Huh?"

Without Yūri’s input, the three decided to buy souvenirs. They looked at Yūri, whose long bangs covered most of his glasses, with smiles. ...It was inevitable that they would look at him with a slightly paternal air.

After this minor commotion, the three thanked Yūri with smiles and left with the sandwich lunch boxes. Yūri waved and said, "Have a good trip," but the three were surprised and then smiled, which left a lasting impression on Yūri.

...He was steadily walking the path to becoming a mother figure, the laid-back boy.

There was a cultural barrier that couldn’t be crossed.

And the only ones who felt the struggle were the locals.

Yūri was too laid-back to care about the details.

I look forward to your comments and feedback.