Chapter 98

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

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Amidst the cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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I like chicken dumplings stuffed with minced meat and finely chopped vegetables. The reprinted copies of the book should be available in each store, but the number of copies may vary. Therefore, if you are looking for it, please check with the store or request a delivery.

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"…Hermine, what is this?"

"It's meat?"

"…Yeah, I know it's meat, but what kind of meat is this?"

"You'll know if you appraise it."

Yuri sighed at Hermine's beaming smile. In front of her was a piece of meat that had been processed. It was definitely meat, but it was a type she had never seen before. What made her curious was that Hermine had called it a "trophy" rather than a souvenir. What did she mean by calling it a trophy instead of a souvenir?

With no other choice, Yuri activated the "Eye of God" to appraise it, thinking that Hermine, who was smiling, probably wouldn't tell her. The result was as follows:

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Winged Cocco Meat.

The meat of the monster Winged Cocco. The cuts are comparable to those of a chicken.

The lean meat is mild, and the fat is also light, making it easy to eat.

Among the meats of bird-type monsters, it is relatively easy to obtain.

Think of it as a well-known brand of chicken.

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The last sentence was, as usual, directed at Yuri. Compared to the recent freewheeling nature of the "Eye of God," this appraisal was relatively faithful to the basics. It was better that it didn't suggest recommended dishes. Probably.

"…Is a Winged Cocco a flying chicken?"

"A bit bigger. Let's see, it's a bit bigger than what I can hold with both hands."

"Got it. So, why is this meat a trophy and not a souvenir?"

"Because I caught it!"

Yuri nodded in understanding at Hermine's sparkling smile. Indeed, if she had caught it, it was a trophy, not a souvenir. The meat of the monster she had caught had been bled on the spot and then processed by the Adventurer's Guild. Some people even processed the meat themselves, but Hermine was not good at it. The reason was that she lacked the strength to process the meat. As a bow user, Hermine's trophy was already processed fresh chicken meat. Thinking about what to make for dinner with this meat, Yuri remembered that there was still some tofu in the refrigerator. If there was both chicken and tofu, there was only one dish to make: chicken dumplings.

"Alright, Mag, let's mince this Winged Cocco meat, shall we?"

"…Affirmative."

Mag, who was in charge of today's meal, nodded. …He nodded, but then looked around and bowed to Yuri before leaving. Confused, Yuri headed to the kitchen with the Winged Cocco meat. Hermine followed, probably curious about what they were going to make. Yuri placed the Winged Cocco meat on the cutting board. It was beautiful meat. She would have to use a knife to mince it, which would be quite a bit of work. Mincing meat with a knife is actually quite difficult.

While thinking about this, Yuri picked up the knife, and Hermine, who had been following her into the kitchen, poked Yuri's shoulder. In front of Yuri, Hermine's face was sparkling.

"Hey, Yuri, I want to try mincing the meat too!"

"…Eh?"

"Didn't Kure and Rere do this the other day? It looked fun."

"…Fun, huh…?"

Yuri thought that this was a matter of personal perception and handed Hermine an apron. After washing her hands and putting on the apron, Hermine happily faced the piece of meat. Since it couldn't be minced all at once, she cut it into smaller pieces and then started pounding it with the knife. While watching Hermine happily mince the meat, Yuri started on another task. She took the tofu out of the refrigerator and cut the rectangular pieces in half. She made several of these and opened them up, making sure they were properly bagged and not torn, preparing enough for everyone plus a few extra.

After preparing the tofu, the next step was to prepare the fillings. Since Hermine was diligently mincing the meat, Yuri prepared the carrots and burdock root. Both needed to be finely chopped, and the burdock root needed to be rinsed in water after chopping to remove the bitterness. She changed the water a couple of times until it was no longer black, then drained it. She combined the finely chopped burdock root and carrots in a bowl. While doing this, Yuri checked on the minced meat and was surprised to see that it was now being handled by Urugus, who was not in charge of the meal.

"…Why is Urugus mincing the meat?"

"…Shut up."

Earlier, Hermine had been happily mincing the meat. But while Yuri was chopping the vegetables, Urugus had somehow taken over. Hermine had moved to the other side of the counter and was drinking herb water. The priceless, smiling girl had taken off her apron, probably indicating that she was done with the work.

Confused, Yuri turned to see Mag, who had appeared behind Urugus, giving a thumbs up. Mag had become a bit more playful recently.

"…Um, did Mag bring Urugus here?"

"Affirmative."

"This guy dragged Urugus by the ear, without giving a reason, and then forced him to mince the meat with Hermine. You should be angry."

"…But Urugus is still doing the work, so he's nice, right?"

Yuri thought that the one who should be angry was Urugus, who had been forced to do the work. But Urugus just sighed and continued mincing the meat. Behind him, Mag, who usually had a blank expression, slightly lifted the corners of his lips and gave a thumbs up.

"Mag, since you're in charge of the meal, if you're going to switch tasks with Hermine, shouldn't you do it yourself?"

"Physical work."

"Right, mincing the meat is physical work."

"Suitable."

"…Well, Urugus is suitable, but…"

"Broth."

"…Ah, you were making broth for the soup?"

"Affirmative."

Mag, who seemed confident, pointed to the pot on the stove. Inside was broth made from kelp and bonito flakes. He was trying to say that he had been doing his job. …The broth enthusiast had also mastered the technique of making broth.

Yuri glanced at Urugus, who, despite being treated as a handyman, continued to mince the meat and put it in the bowl without any change in his expression. …Maybe he had given up because it was Mag. Yuri thought about letting him taste the dish when it was done. She believed that Urugus, who had worked hard to mince the meat, deserved to taste it.

Poor Urugus, but Yuri was grateful for the minced meat he had made and would use it for dinner. She added the minced Winged Cocco meat to the bowl with the finely chopped carrots and burdock root, seasoned it with salt and pepper, and mixed it thoroughly. When it was well mixed, she added a small amount of miso as a secret ingredient. Adding miso seemed to enhance the umami flavor.

She then stuffed the mixture into the tofu. After stuffing, she sealed the openings with toothpicks to prevent the filling from spilling out. The toothpicks had been a bit difficult to use, so Yuri had suggested making them more like Japanese toothpicks, which had apparently sold well according to Haro.

"Mag, can I ask you to stuff the tofu like this?"

"Affirmative."

"Hey, why are you stuffing the tofu? Aren't you going to cook it?"

"We're not cooking it, we're simmering it."

"Really?"

"Right. We'll simmer it in broth and soy sauce… …Mag, get back to work."

"…………Affirmative."

While explaining to Hermine, Yuri felt a silent pressure. Looking over, she saw Mag staring at her, his hands stopped. When Yuri pointed out, Mag nodded and resumed his work more quickly. …The moment he heard about the broth, he was back on track.

Yuri and Mag worked together to stuff the tofu, and as they finished, Yuri submerged them in the simmering liquid she had prepared while Mag was working. The liquid was a light-flavored broth made with Japanese granulated broth and soy sauce, with a touch of salt. Adding sugar to make it sweet and savory was an option, but this time, she went for a lighter flavor.

She carefully placed the chicken dumplings into the boiling pot, making sure they were fully submerged, and then covered it. All that was left was to wait for them to cook and absorb the flavors.

"…Will it be delicious?"

"Sure, it will be. The umami from the minced meat inside will come out."

"…Delicious."

"…Mag really loves broth, doesn't he…"

"…Kelp is delicious."

"Wait, only kelp broth?"

"…No, not only kelp broth."

When Yuri asked curiously, Mag shook his head. Mag loved broth and umami, which he had discovered thanks to Yuri. He was very much captivated by them. However, he particularly loved kelp broth, though he didn't know why. It just suited his taste.

Mag, looking at the pot as if musical notes were floating above his head, seemed to enjoy even the steam coming out, which smelled of broth. Yuri smiled wryly at his childlike behavior and looked up at Urugus, who was also smiling wryly.

"Urugus, you'll taste it too, right?"

"Ah?"

"Since you helped with the mincing."

"…Ah, thank you."

"No, thank you. …Don't worry, I'll let Hermine taste it too."

"Great!"

Yuri called out to Hermine, who was leaning over the counter, with a cheerful smile. Hermine had a look on her face that suggested she might have shouted, "What about me!?" if Yuri hadn't said anything. A beautiful girl ruined. …No, a beautiful girl eating deliciously is priceless.

While they were talking, the minced meat and vegetables inside the dumplings cooked. Yuri took one out, removed the toothpicks, and cut it into four pieces with a knife. Once fully cooked, the tofu would hold its shape, so the filling wouldn't spill out even without the toothpicks.

Steam rose from the cuts. The tofu, which had absorbed the Japanese broth, looked delicious on its own. But the colors of the cooked white minced meat, orange carrots, and brown burdock root peeking through the cuts were even more eye-catching. Moreover, a liquid, whether meat juice or broth, was dripping from the cuts, which was sure to stimulate the appetite.

"Here, one each. Be careful, they're hot."

"Got it."

"Affirmative."

"Okay!"

The three of them responded energetically and took the chicken dumplings on small plates. Using small forks, they brought the dumplings to their mouths. Urugus blew on his to cool it down before taking a bite. Mag and Hermine cut their pieces into smaller pieces before eating them. Watching them, Yuri picked up a dumpling with her chopsticks and took a bite.

The flavor of the Japanese broth, slightly thicker than a clear soup, had seeped into the tofu and spread in her mouth. The umami from the minced meat and the miso she had added was even more pronounced than when she made the broth. The well-cooked carrots and burdock root crumbled in her mouth, creating a comforting and satisfying texture.

"Is it good… …Mag, wait! Mag, wait! That's the end of the tasting!"

"…No."

"No, no! Urugus! Urugus, help meee!"

"Ah? …What are you doing, idiot! Don't eat it!"

"Refuse."

"Refuse isn't a word!"

Before she knew it, Mag had stealthily taken another chicken dumpling and was about to take another one. Yuri shouted, and in response, Urugus, who was smaller than Mag, grabbed him in a headlock and pulled him away from the pot, finally stopping him. …Mag, however, finished the chicken dumpling on his plate.

As a penalty, Mag, who had eaten one extra dumpling during the tasting, would have one less at dinner. …But the extra one was shared among everyone.

The remaining minced meat was mixed with miso to make meatballs, which were added to the soup.

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This is how it always goes when Mag appears, the author thinks.

While a sweet and savory version would be good, I personally prefer a lighter flavor.

I look forward to your comments and feedback.

A new short story, "The Beginning of Hazama and Kurugi" (http://ncode.syosetu.com/n9799ed/), is now available.

Please read it if you have the time. It's a low-fantasy story with supernatural elements.