Chapter 285
I spent the next two days on food preparations for our upcoming trip.
The Cockatrice and Red Boar I butchered were made into standard fried chicken and other various deep-fried stuff [6] such as breaded fried pork and fried minced patties. I also made lots of stir-fried sliced meat in miso marinade as well as ginger sauce marinade.
The rest of the odds and ends of meats were minced and made into various other minced meat dishes [8] such as gyoza. I made fried gyoza and gyoza boiled in stock made from Cockatrice bones stewed with plenty of vegetables. I minced up some Golden Back Bull meat and mixed them with minced Red Boar and grilled them up into Salisbury steaks in onion sauce.
[6] These meat, meat, meat options were obviously for my companions who love meat of all kinds.
[8] As for me, I decided that I couldn’t face having meat all the time and got out some ingredients I bought from Verulean and made assorted breaded fish, scallops and other seafood. I also made some Foil Wrapped Tyrant fish in butter and soy sauce.
[9] Ever since I had gotten ‘Cook’ as part of my occupation, my expertise in cooking had levelled up. It felt like I could make anything I put my mind to. Food I have never made before came together smoothly as though I have an instinctual understanding of how recipes would work.
[9] Actually, that is kind of an exaggeration. I’m mostly making things from packaged roux, such as the Cockatrice Cream Stew now bubbling away in a pot. [6] At least, I’m using more actual fresh ginger and garlic instead of the stuff from a tube nowadays.
Compared to Cream Stew, I actually prefer stews made with a Demi-Glace base. I haven’t made any since I’ve come to this world but now I suddenly want to eat it.
The recipe I use is from a roux that’s made with a blend of different kinds of blessings of Hokkaido. [8] It’s the same recipe used by my parents at home and I’m really glad to see it for sale in [Net Super].
As I tasted the stew and smelt the same comforting scent, I wonder if I would ever be able to return to my old world… [5]
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Once the two days were up, the travel meals for our trip was done. I visited the Adventurer’s Guild with Elland-san to make my good-byes to Nadia-san and to inform her that I’ll be leaving Avering tomorrow morning.
As usual, I brought pound cakes as gifts. This time, I made both tea and plain versions, just like I had back at Verulean.
“Please have it during your break,” I said, handing the basket over.
The female staff somehow noticed that I was handing out sweets and were staring at the basket with envious eyes. Unable to stand the scrutiny, I gave them a couple of pound cakes that [6] I had made for our travel meals as well.
Despite still being at work, the female staff cheered. I guess it’s a universal rule that women really like sweet things, huh.
We left the Adventurer’s Guild and had a dinner of Katsudon, made from the Tonkatsu, breaded fried pork cutlet, that I had made earlier.
[6] Yes, yes, it’s another Don dish.
[6] What can I say?
[6] There’s nothing like fried pork cutlet over rice, you know?
[6] Naturally, it’s not just made of plain rice and fried pork.
I already have the pork and rice ready, so the next thing to do is finely shred a huge amount of cabbage.
“Oraaahhhh!!!”
Next, let’s make a Tonkatsu sauce via a combination of chuno sauce [10], ketchup, mirin, sugar and a little water. Adjust to taste and the sauce is done.
[10] I could have bought Tonkatsu Sauce from [Net Super] but I could get the flavour profile I like by mixing my own sauce.
After serving everyone Tonkatsu topped with plenty of freshly shredded raw cabbage and home-mixed sauce, [1] Dora-chan, Sui and I enjoyed our final bath before the trip to Doran.
Since Elland-san is with us, I don’t think I’ll have the time to enjoy a leisurely bath on the way. [5]
Speaking of Elland-san and the lack of time, there’s one more thing I’ll have to do.
Ahh, how annoying, since we have to be up early tomorrow, I really want to go to bed early. However, I have to hang around until everyone’s asleep to do this thing. [5]
Anyway, once everyone was asleep, I called out into the darkness.
“Everyone, are you there~?”
Running footsteps answered my call.
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Today’s offering was a repeat of the same. [5]
Ninril-sama: Fujiya cakes and loads of it. I nearly had heartburn just looking at her pile of sweets and desserts.
Kishar-sama: Washable face mask for dull skin and slightly more expensive bath salts from Germany.
Agni-sama: A case of Y-Bis beer, 6-pack of Company A’s premium beer and Company S’s black label beer.
Ruka-sama: Fujiya cakes and ice-cream as well as Salisbury steaks, fried seafood and gyoza she saw me making earlier.
Hephaestus-sama and Vahagn-sama: Different kinds of whiskies. I was actually quite shocked at how fast they ordered. They had clearly paid attention to the list of recommended whiskies and had already made up their minds.
Once everyone’s offerings were placed on cardboard boxes, I pressed my hands together and prayed, “There you go, everyone~”
The items all disappeared in a flash of light and cheers rang in my ears.
Phew, finally, it’s over now…
“Hold it!!!”
A strident voice stopped me on my way to bed.
“What is it now?” I muttered
“What is it- have you forgotten?! You promised us something, remember?!”
“That’s right! Didn’t you say we could pick out something we like? Don’t think you can just wriggle out of your promise to the gods like that!”
“…ah, in my defence, I was hungover that time…”
“Oi! What are you talking about?” [7] I couldn’t tell who said that…
“Nani?! What promise is this!? The two of you actually did something useful for once?!”
Ninril-sama’s cry of delight was followed by protesting male voices, ‘What do you mean for once…’
“So, this promise applies to us as well?” Agni-sama asked.
“Why yes, yes, the Goddesses are included as well,” [5]
[7] I had better curb their enthusiasm before it gets out of hand, “Everyone gets one item per person and the value could only be around 1 gold or less,”
“Around? That means more than 1 gold?”
Trust Kishar-sama to pick up on that.
“Only by a little. Too much and it will be rejected,” I said sternly. Got to be firm with these irresponsible gods and goddesses. [5] “First of all, Ninril-sama?”
“Fufufu, I’ve already decided. I’ve seen it once before and have been dreaming about it since. The big square cake with lots of red fruits!”
[4] “Square cake with red fruits…” I scrolled through the list and finally spotted it. The cake was aimed at large company parties or other similar big gatherings. [6] The biggest strawberry cake on Fujiya’s menu. [5]
“That’s it! That’s the one!” Ninril-sama’s excited squeal rang in my ear as I checked the price. Huh, 1 gold 1 silver.
Okay, sure. If you want to get fat or give yourself diabetes, go ahead. Not my business. [5] I obediently checked the item into the cart.
“Me next! Fufufu, I too have something I have been eyeing. A certain night cream…” [5]
I could feel goosebumps forming on my skin as I checked for night creams and found one item from SHISYOUDO [5] priced at 1 gold and 2 silver coins.
“This one! This is it!”
1 gold and 2 silver coins for a 50gram product. As expected, beauty products are scarily expensive.
“Right, next is-”
“Me! Ah, but a whole case of beer is less than half a gold, right? I feel like I’m losing out like this…” [5]
Woah, Agni-sama went from cheerful to sad real quick.
Wait a minute, the last time I was at Tanaka’s Liquor Shop, I saw something unique…
“How about this?” [3] I showed Agni-sama a gift set of a slightly expensive beer with a black bottle and gold label.
Beer of Dreams
Beer of dreams is a special beer that brewers paid special attention to its brewing process. Its deliciousness sets it apart from other beers. Bittersweet notes with deep flavours.
Price: 1 gold for 30 bottles
*Most probably this one
https://www.suntory.com/brands/mastersdream/
“Oh, that’s a good one! Even the name is amazing!”
I placed the Beer of Dreams into the cart.
“Ruka-sama?”
“… I want delicious food that can be eaten now,”
Food that can be eaten now should be cooked food, right?
But are there cooked food that reaches all the way up to 1 gold at [Net Super]?
Wait.
Of course.
The gift section!
If you want to spend big money, just have a look at the gift section.
Let’s see, under the gift section for food-related items…hmm, hmm, local branded raw steaks, finely marbled sukiyaki meat slices… why are all the expensive food in some kind of raw beef form?
They certainly looked delicious though.
However, since Ruka-sama wants something that could be eaten immediately, I should get something that’s cured like ham or…
Hang on.
“How about this one, Ruka-sama?” the page I’m showing her was an exquisitely package assorted ham and roasted pork set made from the meat of carefully selected local pigs. “These cured meats could be eaten on their own, sliced on toast or in sandwiches. If you wish to cook it, all you have to do is cut a nice thick slice and grill it a little to make it more fragrant.”
“Meat from another world… sounds really good…gulp”
Was that… the sound of Ruka-sama swallowing her drool?
“Is this alright?”
“Yes,”
Nice, I applaud your immediate answer, madam customer. [5]
“Finally-” [5]
“It’s us!”
“We’ve already decided!”
“We want the 12-year-old Best Whiskey in the World!” came the ecstatic chorus.
“I see…” I do see. [6] The 12-year-old whiskey costs 1 gold 2 silver coins. No wonder they were so keen on this ‘deal’. [5]
Well, compared to the 25-year-old whiskey, with its sudden steep rise of 32 gold [11]. That’s… at least 300,000 yen difference in price! Compared to that ridiculous thing, 1g2s is very reasonable. So, it’s still not too bad.
“That’s one 12-year-old whiskey each,” I checked the bottles in.
“Umu, one each,”
“Yes, I’ve been waiting to know what this liquor tastes like…” [5]
[6] Argh, the heavy breathing in my ear is particularly unpleasant.
Once again, I went through the motion of checking items out, placing them on individual cardboard boxes and then pressing my hands together.
“Alright, please pick up your order,”
The items on the boxes disappeared and cheers rang in my ears. However, before I could breathe a sigh of relief, the authoritative voice of an old man said, “Oho? Why have the venerable gods and goddesses gathered here for?”
“Nuoo!”
“Uoo!”
“Kyaa!”
“Ah!”
“Guooo!”
“Geh!”
Hmm? What just happened?
“G-g-g-g…. God of Creation-sama!!!!!”
[8] …wut?
[Gumihou: Oho? A new god in town?]
[1] Structural Change: Combine 2 paragraphs
[2] Structural Change: Combine 3 paragraphs
[3] Structural Change: Combine paragraph & dialogue
[4] Structural Change: Change passive sentence to dialogue
[5] Delete Repetitive or Pointless Information
[6] Additional Information for Aesthetic Purpose
[7] Add Dialogue Tag
[8] Creative Licence Taken
[9] Give a realistic description of how his ‘skill’ would have influenced his cooking.
[10] 中濃ソース – Chuuno Sauce: Medium thick sauce that is actually a specific sauce made from various vegetables and other ingredients. It’s classified as ‘thicker and sweeter than Worcestershire sauce’ but not as thick and sweet as Tonkatsu sauce.