Chapter 56

As everyone might have guessed, it's my turn to bring sweets as a thank-you gift.

...Since it was a bit hot the other day, I felt like eating chilled kuzumochi (a type of jelly made from bracken starch) ←

※I received many opinions about kinako (roasted soybean flour), but in Yūri's world, kinako is something you buy, so I'm looking for it in the market.

He is a young man who loves cooking, but being a modern person, he is accustomed to buying ingredients. If I can't find it, I might have to resort to the Alchemy Pot, but for now, I'm looking for it in the market.

The day after receiving bamboo shoots from the old lady at the market, Yūri, after surviving a hectic breakfast rush, got down to a task. He entrusted the laundry to the other apprentices, as he needed to do this. When the apprentices asked what he was doing, Yūri casually replied that he was making sweets.

...Thus, understanding that they would get a taste of the sweets, the four apprentices very obediently took over the laundry for Yūri. The malnourished children were as usual.

"She said it would be nice if I brought some sweets."

Fortunately, it seems to be warmer today than usual. The sweets I plan to make today are better when chilled, so the timing is good. The only downside is that one ingredient for the flavoring is missing, making it slightly incomplete.

"Where can I find kinako...?"

Yūri muttered to himself. He felt that if he looked, it would probably be somewhere. After all, in a world where soy sauce and miso exist, there are also things like tofu and aburaage (deep-fried tofu). If such familiar Japanese ingredients and seasonings exist, it wouldn't be strange for kinako to be found somewhere. After all, soybeans exist.

Yūri decided to ask Haro for help. Haro, a traveling merchant who wanders around, is a wonderful uncle who always brings back nice ingredients as souvenirs for Yūri. ...On the other hand, Haro seeks Yūri's ideas for selling ingredients he doesn't know how to use, so a give-and-take relationship has been established. It's wonderful when interests align.

By the way, the reason Yūri is looking for kinako is that he is about to make kuzumochi. It's a very easy Japanese sweet to make with just potato starch, sugar, salt, and water. ...Huh? Kuzumochi, so kuzumochi powder? No, no, you don't need to use such expensive stuff; you can make something similar with potato starch. If you're making it with ingredients you have at home, potato starch, which is more likely to be on hand, is more versatile.

Moreover, kuzumochi is a wonderful Japanese sweet because the ingredients are easy to get, the method is very simple, and you can make a large amount at once. Also, by adjusting the size, it can be enjoyed by people of all ages. On a hot day, chilled kuzumochi is really delicious.

"Well, there's no point in wishing for what I don't have. I'll just use black syrup this time."

Convincing himself, Yūri returned to his task. The ingredients were already prepared.

The process was very simple. He threw potato starch, water, sugar, and a pinch of salt into a pot. Then he put it on the stove and simmered it over medium heat. He stirred it with a spatula to make sure the powder dissolved properly, checking the progress. At the beginning of stirring, the liquid was white due to the color of the potato starch and sugar. However, as the heat was applied, it turned transparent.

When it became transparent, he turned down the heat and kept stirring. As he stirred, it started to solidify. He continued to stir in a circular motion until it was completely solidified, then moved on to the next step.

He took ice from the refrigerator and put it in a bowl to make iced water. Then he scooped the solidified kuzumochi with a spoon and dropped it into the water. The image is similar to dropping tsukune (chicken meatballs) into a pot. The transparent kuzumochi is very hard to see in the iced water. Although it was hard to see, Yūri didn't seem to mind and kept dropping them one after another. All he needed was for them to solidify and cool.

When everything was done, he put it in the refrigerator. The kuzumochi was already solid after being in the iced water. It could be eaten as it was, but it would definitely be better chilled. Since he was bringing it as a thank-you gift, he wanted to deliver it in the best possible condition. So, the kuzumochi was left to chill in the refrigerator.

"Even without kinako, I can make black syrup, right?"

With a large amount of sugar thrown into the raw materials, the kuzumochi actually had a good taste on its own. Yūri tasted the finished product and thought it was delicious. The jiggly kuzumochi had a proper elasticity but melted in the mouth after a while. It had a chewy texture, and although it felt like you were chewing to eat it, it would melt before you knew it—a mysterious texture. It was a delightful Japanese sweet for the hot season.

Then Yūri put powdered brown sugar and water into a small pot and mixed it lightly. When it seemed to be mixed, he put it on low heat and simmered it. As he simmered it, scum would rise, so he carefully scooped it out. If the scum remained, it wouldn't taste good. Yūri watched the pot seriously, scooping out the scum.

Of course, to prevent it from burning, he simmered it on low heat. If it burned, it would be a fail. Since he was making black syrup, it would be a problem if it burned. If it burned, it would taste bitter. It wouldn't be sweet black syrup anymore.

As he continued, it started to thicken. When the scum was gone and it thickened, the black syrup was complete. He transferred it to a storage container and let it cool. It was important to wait for the heat to naturally dissipate rather than cooling it quickly. ...By the time the black syrup cooled, the kuzumochi in the refrigerator would probably be chilled.

While waiting, Yūri decided to look for containers. The black syrup and kuzumochi should be carried separately. To make it easier to eat, he needed to bring a fork. Also, a spoon for pouring the black syrup was necessary. Thinking about these things, he stood in front of the unnecessarily large kitchen cabinet.

"...Honestly, even though there are many people, there are a lot of dishes here."

That was true.

Indeed, this is the hideout of the "Crimson Lynx," and when the clan members gather, a large number of dishes would be needed. However, even so, the number of dishes crammed into the large, large kitchen cabinet was abnormal.

He knew the reason.

These large numbers of dishes were the training works of apprentice craftsmen. The "Crimson Lynx" buys these works at a low price. In return, they prioritize requests for gathering materials needed by the apprentice craftsmen. This can be easily established through the system of designated requests.

This side wants requests to train, and the other side wants to sell their works at a low price to get money. A cooperative system is established through the alignment of interests. ...Of course, this was the result of the first leader, the predecessor, negotiating with the masters of the workshops.

In the end, Yūri chose a deep glass bowl with a flared edge. The deep bowl was just the right size to hold with both hands, so the kuzumochi would fit well. Considering that he would pour black syrup on it, he chose a slightly deeper bowl.

For the container for the black syrup, he chose a ceramic container with a lid. It was a simple lid that just clicked into place, but since he planned to put it in his school bag, there was no problem. Yūri's magic bag was the best. It had a time-stop function, so what was put in would come out in the same state. It was impossible for it to spill in the bag.

After securing the containers, Yūri started washing the pots and tools he used. After finishing the washing, wiping the kitchen clean, and completely tidying up, he finally took out the bowl with the iced water and kuzumochi from the refrigerator. In the water that was gently swaying, the jiggly kuzumochi could be seen in some places. It was completely solidified.

"Here we go!"

Yūri poured the contents of the bowl into a large colander placed in the sink. If it was solidified, it should be fine. Although he poured it all at once, he did it near the colander to make sure the contents didn't break. The water was drained, and the jiggly, chilled kuzumochi appeared on the colander.

He carefully placed the portion to be taken to the old lady in the glass bowl and put the remaining kuzumochi on a large plate. He also put the black syrup in a container for the portion to be taken and left the rest. After nodding in satisfaction, he put the kuzumochi and black syrup in his school bag and headed outside.

At the entrance, the apprentices were weeding and cleaning. The laundry had gone smoothly, so they were cleaning. When they saw Yūri, they looked up with shining eyes full of expectation.

"There's kuzumochi in the kitchen. It's on a large plate, so don't fight over it. Also, it's better with the black syrup on the side. That's all!"

"Understood!!"

It was a wonderful response. The apprentices quickly put away their cleaning tools and dashed to the kitchen. After seeing them off, Yūri walked towards the market. Even though he was just walking, the sun was strong and it was strangely hot. He thought about buying a hat next time. The heat of the sun was quite uncomfortable.

While thinking about such things, he arrived at the old lady's shop. The old lady, who was fanning her face with her hand, seemed to be hot. She had a slightly stern face to begin with, so when she looked unhappy, it was hard to approach. However, Yūri didn't mind at all. He thought, "If it's this hot, she would be unhappy too." After all, the old lady he knew always had a gentle and kind smile.

...He didn't know that this was irregular.

"Hello, Grandma."

"Oh, it's Yūri. What brings you here?"

"I came to thank you for the bamboo shoots I received yesterday."

"Haha, you really came. You're quite considerate, aren't you?"

The old lady laughed heartily. The unhappy look from earlier was gone, and it was the familiar smile Yūri knew. Thinking that it must be hot where she was, Yūri guided her under the roof. Then Yūri went inside as if it was normal. They looked like a kind old lady and a carefree grandson. ...However, passersby looked surprised, while the owners of nearby shops looked normal, so one could understand the situation.

"I made some sweets."

"...Oh, I don't recognize this sweet."

"It's a sweet from my hometown called kuzumochi."

Yūri handed the kuzumochi he took out of his school bag to the old lady. He first had her try one as it was. The old lady, curious about the jiggly texture, stabbed it with a fork and put it in her mouth. It was cool, jiggly, and had a mysterious texture. However, it wasn't hard at all and melted in her mouth. The sweetness of the sugar spread in her mouth, and she couldn't help but smile.

"This is delicious. It's quite chilled."

"It's better when chilled. Also, it has a different flavor when you pour black syrup on it."

"Is that made from brown sugar?"

"I made it by simmering brown sugar and water."

Yūri poured the black syrup he had scooped with a spoon onto the kuzumochi. The old lady, who knew that the food Yūri brought was always delicious, put it in her mouth without hesitation. The black syrup, which was concentrated with the sweetness of brown sugar but without the lingering sweetness, combined perfectly with the subtle sweetness of the kuzumochi, making it a delicacy. It was even better than when it was eaten plain.

"It's delicious."

"Did you like it?"

"I did. You really make all sorts of things every time."

Laughing heartily, the old lady put the kuzumochi in her mouth. In the middle, she even put some in Yūri's mouth, just like a grandmother and grandson. They looked very happy.

Then, Yūri remembered something and took out a drawstring bag from his school bag. Inside was a bento box containing rice balls made from bamboo shoot rice. He had made the rice balls before the malnourished children ate all the rice yesterday and put them in the bento box, which he then put in his school bag. ...So, they were still warm.

"Here, I made rice balls with the bamboo shoots I received yesterday."

"Oh, you're from a place where rice is the main staple, right? Thank you for your trouble."

"If you like, you can have it for lunch. ...It's still warm."

"Oh, in that case, I'll gladly accept it. ...This way, I'm the one receiving all the time, aren't I?"

"It's not like that at all. I just wanted to thank you for the delicious bamboo shoots. Everyone was very happy too."

"That's good to hear."

The old lady smiled with her eyes squinted, and Yūri smiled too. ...Subtly, the people around were watching the old lady eat the kuzumochi with interest, but since they knew her usual demeanor, they couldn't approach. Yūri didn't notice this.

When Yūri returned to the hideout, he was scolded by the others who lost the battle for the sweets, saying, "That's not enough!" So, he had to make kuzumochi again.

Making kuzumochi with potato starch is really easy.

I think it's also fine to mold it in a mold and cut it, but personally, I like making it one by one with a spoon.

There's something fun about making each one a bit different.

If I can get kinako, I might try again. ←

I look forward to your comments and feedback.