Chapter 89

"Reincarnated to Live a Slow Life in the Countryside" will be on sale the day after tomorrow! It might be available at some stores tomorrow. Thank you for your support.

Due to a request from my cute little brother, Silvio set off for the mountains.

He asked for more wild vegetables and mushrooms than usual, so there shouldn’t be any shortage.

This alone would make the dinner menu more colorful.

Having green and orange in the meal makes it look beautiful and vibrant.

While preparing lunch, I waited, and then Baltro stopped the fire and walked over to the bowl.

One of the advantages of a magic stove is that you can turn it off immediately.

"Hey, isn't the first rise of the bread almost done?"

It seems the first rise of the bread is almost complete.

I stopped cutting vegetables and went over, and Baltro removed the Muona leaves he had placed to prevent drying out.

Then he moved the bowl of hot water used for temperature control and showed me the dough.

There, the dough had swollen to about twice its original size.

"Wow, it's doubled in size."

As I exclaimed, Baltro dipped his finger in flour and lightly poked the dough.

It’s called a finger test.

After pulling his finger out, the hole remained open for a while without closing.

If the hole had closed immediately, it would have been under-fermented.

"It's fermenting properly."

"…If Elinora's chest swelled up this much, it would be nice."

"You sometimes say the most outrageous things. You’ll get killed!?"

Hearing my offhand remark, Baltro exclaimed in alarm.

"Elinora isn’t around. She was chatting happily with Mother Elna just now, so she couldn’t have heard."

When Silvio went to the mountains, I heard cheerful voices, and it seemed they were talking about something like tongs and the capital.

Whatever they were discussing, they were in a good mood, so they wouldn’t have asked Silvio to go gather wild vegetables.

I’m a considerate little brother.

"R-Really? You’re usually so meek, but you’re surprisingly bold."

"That’s not true. I usually can’t say it, so I say it here."

If I said something like that to her face, I’d definitely be killed.

"You’re a real enigma, kid."

"But, isn’t it true? Mother Elna is so well-endowed, yet… Elinora is so pitiful…"

My sister Elinora is thirteen this year. It’s about time for a girl to start blooming. Even Emma, who is a bit older, has started to develop.

But Elinora shows no signs of the first rise.

I wonder where Mother Elna’s genes, which seem to have gone through the first, second, and third rises, have gone.

Maybe she discarded them somewhere to gain sword talent.

I know that she touches her flat chest like a cutting board every time she gets out of the bath.

I also know that she drinks milk every morning because she took my joke about "drinking milk makes you grow" seriously.

Every time I see it, my heart aches...

"Hey, kid. You’re laughing out loud. She’s self-conscious about it. Be gentle with her..."

"Even if I do, it won’t rise, though."

"Wow! That was a good one!"

"Hahaha!"

As we laughed merrily, I suddenly sensed a presence behind us.

"Mom said, 'There’s a sweet and fragrant smell, so there must be some sweets!'... Do you have any sweets?"

Elinora appeared in the kitchen.

It seems she came here following Mother Elna’s accurate instructions.

Mother Elna’s nose is really something. This is my bread ear stick, after all.

What a greedy mother to try to take her son’s sweets.

But more importantly, did she hear our conversation about fermentation?

As we cautiously sent her a glance, Elinora looked puzzled.

"...What’s wrong? Both of you look pale."

"N-Nothing! Nothing at all. Here, I have some bread ear sticks, so take them!"

"Bread ear sticks? Are they delicious?"

As I pushed the plate towards her, Elinora picked up a stick and bit into it.

The satisfying crunching sound filled the air, and Elinora smiled brightly.

"These are fun and delicious! I can eat them anytime!"

"Right, right?"

Despite her typically poor comments, she seemed to like them.

Elinora munched on the sticks like a squirrel, licking her fingers and then taking another one.

Once you start, you can’t stop, which is the scary part of potato chips and bread ear sticks.

Speaking of which, I should make some potato chips later.

"Do you need to take them to Mother Elna?"

I wanted her to leave quickly for my heart’s sake.

As I said this, Elinora’s eyes widened as if she had just remembered something, and she crunched on the stick.

She looks so cute, like a small animal.

"That’s right. I forgot... I’ll take them!"

We smiled and waved as Elinora left, and then we let out a big sigh of relief.

"...I thought my heart would stop, kid."

"I was the most surprised. I had a vision of getting my head split open with a wooden sword from behind."

If Elinora had arrived a few seconds earlier, it would have happened just as I imagined.

I must have had a vivid vision.

"When you say things like that, check your surroundings first."

"You’re not going to stop saying it, are you?"

We continued our cooking with pale faces.

◆

After that, we made lunch and smoothly progressed with the cooking.

Silvio returned from the mountains, and we were busy preparing for dinner.

The bread ear sticks I had given her as a distraction were so popular with the women that an order for more was immediately issued.

As always, Mother makes quick decisions.

All the leftover bread from the morning was fried and turned into bread ear sticks.

To prevent them from being taken, I packed my share in a box and stored it with a spatial magic spell.

Now I’ll never run out of bread ear sticks.

The bread has finished its bench time and second rise.

We’re about to make fried bread.

"So, you’re going to fry this in oil, right?"

As I looked at the streamlined shape of the koppa bread, Baltro spoke up.

"Right."

The oil in the pot was already heated.

I inserted chopsticks to check the temperature.

"Yeah, it looks to be over 170 degrees, judging by the bubbles."

"...You’re still pretty good with those two sticks."

Baltro sighed as he peered over my shoulder.

"They’re quite easy to use once you get used to them."

"Is that so? I might practice when I have time. They seem convenient. So, you can tell the temperature just by putting them in?"

"Right. If the bubbles are small and quiet, it’s around 150 degrees. If they’re coming from the entire chopstick, it’s around 170 degrees. You can also tell with breadcrumbs."

"Interesting."

While Baltro stroked his chin in admiration, I put two pieces of bread into the oil.

The oval-shaped bread sank into the hot oil, making a quiet sizzling sound.

I waited until one side turned golden brown, then flipped it over.

I cooked each side thoroughly, being careful not to flip it too quickly.

After a while, the fried bread was done.

The fluffy, golden-brown bread filled the kitchen with a fragrant aroma.

I love the smell of baked wheat; it’s comforting.

While it was still hot, I generously sprinkled sugar on the koppa bread.

"AAAAAAAAA!"

"What is it, Baltro?"

As I poured sugar from the jar, Baltro let out a strange cry and lunged at me.

"Aren’t you putting too much sugar, kid!?"

"This is how it’s supposed to be."

Ignoring his protests, I continued to pour. He was making strange noises, but I ignored him.

Then,

"Done!"

"Hey, you’ve used up a lot of sugar."

"...That’s why people get fat."

"It’s easy to make, but the sugar consumption is ridiculous."

Baltro looked dejectedly at the nearly empty sugar jar.

On the plate, the fried bread was covered in sugar like a snow-covered landscape.

When you bite into it, the outside is crispy from the bread and sugar, and the fresh bread aroma fills your mouth.

The sugar, melted by the heat and oil, will overwhelm you with its intense sweetness.

Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

"...Well, I’ll take it to them quickly!"

"Yeah, so everyone, please move out of the way."

At the kitchen door, Mina, Sara, Mel, Mother Elna, and Elinora were peering in.

They must have been drawn by the smell.

They had actually been there since I started frying the bread.

They even made strange noises when I sprinkled the sugar.

We didn’t immediately start eating because we were being watched.

If we had, it would have been like hyenas rushing in.

"Is the tea ready?"

"“It’s ready!”"

At Mother Elna’s voice, the maids responded in unison like soldiers.

"Can you call Nord and Silvio?"

"“They’re already at their seats!”"

"Then let’s go to the dining room. It’s snack time."

"“Yes!”"

Mother Elna and Elinora turned gracefully, giving us a sharp look.

The maids followed behind them.

What a farce.

I and Baltro thought this but didn’t say it out loud, and we followed with the fried bread.

◆

The fried bread was popular mainly with the women.

Silvio and Father Nord found it a bit heavy and shared half each, eating it happily.

Naturally, the women snatched up the leftover fried bread.

The fried bread, though not flashy, was highly praised, and the magic stove proved its worth.

We had originally planned to make sata andagi as well, but since we had already eaten bread ear sticks and fried bread, today’s snacks were over.

They said they wanted to save it for later, not because they were full, but because they wanted to look forward to it.

They definitely want me to make sata andagi next time.

I’m a bit scared of when that “next time” will be. For now, I thought I could drizzle honey or jam on the bread ear sticks.

Next, we were going to make fried dishes for dinner.

Tempura, karaage, potato chips, and fried chicken came to mind.

We had to be careful not to overdo it, as it would be too much to eat.

First, we made tempura batter.

Of course, there’s no such thing as tempura flour in this world. No one even knows what tempura is, so it’s understandable.

But making a substitute is easy.

Mix an egg with cold water, then add flour.

It’s better to leave some lumps in the batter.

"Is this what you dip it in?"

Baltro asked as he coated a mushroom.

"Right. Be careful, as it makes a lot of noise and the oil can splatter."

I had changed from a short-sleeved shirt to a long-sleeved one to prepare for this. I told Baltro to do the same, but he didn’t.

He said a little hot oil was no big deal.

Whether it’s pride or recklessness, I’ll leave that judgment to others.

Baltro put the mushroom into the oil.

The mushroom sizzled loudly as it hit the boiling oil.

"Whoa! It makes a pretty big noise."

The noise was louder than expected, and Baltro took a step back.

"Damn... Did it burn you?"

"...Did you say something, kid?"

"Nothing. Here’s the next vegetable."

It’s fine. If I keep having Baltro put things in, the oil will eventually splatter on him.

A short-sleeved shirt won’t protect him.

As I silently coated and handed over the next item, Baltro hesitated before putting it in.

At first, I was scared of the loud sizzling oil too.

But I decided to tease him.

"What’s wrong, Baltro? You’re hesitating. A little hot oil isn’t scary, right?"

"Of course not, kid. I’m just being careful so the oil doesn’t splash on you."

Bang!

"Ow! What the...!?"

"It’s just the batter breaking a bit."

"R-Right. The timing is important in this dish. I’ll leave it to you, kid. I’m switching places with you."

As he said this, Baltro came over to me.

Baltro must have been scared.

But since it was his first time, I decided to do the frying.

If you fry meat or shrimp first, the oil gets dirty and takes on their smell, so we started with vegetables.

"When the big bubbles become small and uniform and quiet, it means the inside is cooked."

"Got it. I can see that happening."

I taught Baltro a few tips as I fried carrots, onions, mushrooms, and wild vegetables, one after another, placing them on a plate.

I secretly fried some thinly sliced potatoes and turned them into potato chips.

They seemed to be frying well.

"Most of the vegetables are done. Next is the chicken."

Baltro brought over the chicken he had seasoned.

I added an egg and flour, then put it in the oil.

The kitchen filled with the sizzling sound unique to frying.

"I’m getting used to this sound. It’s a good sound when you listen closely."

The sound of the oil is indeed interesting when you listen closely. It makes you feel like you’re frying something.

Once the batter was set, I flipped it over and placed it on a plate when it was done.

Then I raised the oil temperature and put the chicken in again.

This is called double frying.

"Is it done already?"

Baltro, who was about to fry the next shrimp, looked puzzled.

"When you fry it quickly at a high temperature, the outside becomes crispy. It’s called double frying. Though, it can fail depending on the part and material."

"Is that so? Teach me more about it later."

I nodded at Baltro and started putting the fried items on a plate.

Suddenly, two people appeared in my field of vision.

Elinora and Mina.

They must have been drawn by the sound of the frying tempura and karaage.

This time, they couldn’t resist and were reaching for a bite.

Well, it’s fine to have a taste, but it’s dangerous while we’re frying.

Just as I thought this, a drop of oil splattered and hit Mina’s forehead.

"AAAAAAAAA!? It’s hot!? It’s hot! Something pierced my forehead!?"

See? I told you so.

As Mina rolled on the floor, Elinora made a soundless cry and started hitting my shoulder.

"Hey, it’s dangerous to grab things while we’re frying!?"

"..."

Elinora was rolling a piece of karaage in her mouth.

Of course, it’s hot right out of the fryer.

But I decided to tease her a bit.

"How is it? The karaage is delicious, right?"

I said with a big smile, and she glared at me and hit my head silently.

If I tease her any more, I don’t know what she’ll do.

"Alright, alright, I get it. Water, right? Here, take this."

I used magic to fill a nearby glass with water.

Elinora snatched the glass and drank it in one go.

"Phew! I thought I was going to die."

She drank it like she was having a beer.

"I didn’t expect it to be so hot. My mouth is tingling. I want some ice."

Elinora, still maintaining a dignified attitude, held out her cup.

I used magic to put small pieces of ice in it, and she put one in her mouth. After cooling her mouth, she looked at me intently.

"Al is so convenient."

"It’s the magic that’s convenient. And don’t call me that; it makes me sound like an object."

"If you’re done snacking, please pick up and leave. We’re still cooking."

Baltro appeared and pointed with his chin.

"It hurts! I hit my head on the dresser."

There, Mina was rolling around, adding more injuries. What a useless maid...

Elinora looked at Mina, then back at me.

"This is...?"

"It’s hot. If you want to take it, use this."

After putting the karaage in her mouth, Elinora dragged Mina out.

"AAAAAAAAA! Lady Elinora! My share!?"

"There isn’t any. Lick some ice."

"That’s so unfair!"

"...Mina is as noisy as ever."

"...Yeah."

After that, we fried river shrimp and completed the dinner.

Everyone was amazed by the luxurious fried dishes made with the magic stove.

The crispy, flavorful fried dishes were a hit, and the usefulness of the magic stove was recognized by the whole family.

Still, I’m tired from cooking all day. I don’t want to cook for a while. I’ll leave the rest to Baltro.

Although it’s a bit long, I decided