567 - - Episode 565. Even the Devil Sells His Soul

A tasting of Toruku's new dish using soy sauce. There are a lot of things to be picky about, such as the fact that Betty appeared very skinny for some reason, or that she was attending the tasting in between the confusion, but that's not important right now. What we should do with the food in front of us is what is important.

"It's delicious!

In front of me, Betty, who has just joined us, is eating a dish that can't be described as soy sauce ramen or soup spa with a big smile on her face.

Gina, Sara, Marco, and Kikka, who are also seated at the same table, do not seem to feel any discomfort with this dish.

It's a pity that Bell and the others can't rush into the dishes now that Betty has joined them, but they have to finish the dishes in front of them first.

The fact that Betty and my disciples, who are used to eating my food, are so picky about the taste must mean that the taste is acceptable in this world.

The fact that Mr. Toruku, who is a skilled chef, is so confident in his cooking skills, is sure of this fact.

I don't think it tastes bad either. No, it is very strange, but I admit that it tastes good.

But ...... can't admit it.

I mean, if I'm this close, I'd rather have a proper soy sauce ramen anyway.

Then, the problem is the noodles.

You may want to be concerned about menma, chashu pork, boiled egg, etc., but first of all, you have to do something about the noodles.

I know how to make noodles and the ingredients to some extent.

However, the brine is difficult.

Ramen is a dish that is frequently used in novels about other worlds and web novels. I have never made it, but as an otaku, I know how to make ramen and brine.

However, it is only a fluffy knowledge to the extent that it is said that nigari, which is produced when boiling seawater to make salt, can be substituted by diluting it with water, or that the supernatant of dissolving wood ashes in water can be substituted.

I do not know how much water to dilute the nigari with, or how much ash to dissolve in water, or how long it takes to dissolve the ash in water, or any other details at all.

Is it possible to make this with such a level of knowledge?

I glanced at Mr. Torque, who was looking at me with a serious face, as if he was concerned about the taste evaluation.

......I think that if I tell Mr. Torque my fluffy knowledge and throw it to him, he will somehow make it.

But I'm sure he'll stay up all night.

Martha can control it, but unlike soy sauce, the ingredients of noodles cannot be easily controlled, so there is a high possibility that Mr. Toruku will take advantage of Martha's opportunity to devote himself to the research of noodles.

Can we put any more burden on Mr. Toruku, who is already so busy?

He has a wife and children, and the inn is doing well. How could we possibly ruin the happiness of Mr. Toruku and his family?

The answer is ......YES.

"Mr. Torque."

"Oh, oh, you're looking awfully serious, what's wrong with you?"

Complaints?　The discomfort of this dish is because I know Japanese ramen. It is a little different to say that you are dissatisfied with this dish made by Mr. Toruku, who does not know about it.

"...... is not a dissatisfaction. It's just that Mr. Torque..."

"What?"

"I know where this dish is going."

Oh, how sinful!

I know that Mr. Torque can't help biting my hand if I say this, but I still can't help saying it. .......

"What!　What kind of food is that?"

Mr. Torque bites easily as expected.

"I don't mind if you teach me. But it could be hell from here on out. Like curry, or even worse, you may find it even more difficult to see the future. Do you still want to know?"

These words are not meant with good intentions. I do not in the slightest bit believe that Mr. Toruku will give up even after I say these threatening words.

It is just an ugly ritual to make Mr. Toruku make a meaningless choice and to lighten my heart by saying that it can't be helped because he has made a choice.

I even feel nauseous at the ugliness of my own heart.

But I keep going.

Shoyu ramen, miso ramen, salt ramen, tonkotsu ramen, I aim for a world where I can easily eat my favorite ramen anytime I want. .......

I'll sell my soul to the devil for it.

Yuta. You are a little bit mistaken, aren't you?　Curry is certainly difficult. Just the combination alone is a challenge. But no matter what kind of dish it is, you can't see the future. Even if you think you have made a perfect dish that day, you will be inspired to make a better one the next day. That's how a cook is. Don't worry about nothing, teach me already!

Huh?　I have a feeling that the cook I know is different from the cook Mr. Toruku thinks he is.

I'm not a cook, so I just don't know. Is a cook such a seeker-like profession?

...... Well, okay.

I tried to cover up my guilt by making it serious, but if what I consider hardship is not hardship for Mr. Torque, then I'll leave it to him in peace.

Oh, I might ask him to develop Tsukemen, Champon, Yakisoba, etc., in addition to the various kinds of Royal Ramen.

It would be really awkward if Mr. Toruku gets sick or his family breaks up, so I will at least do my best to support him.

Vita has been examining me from time to time, and I have the fruit of the spirit tree, which is a very cool item.

To be frank, I don't have to worry about my health, and it's enough to support the food and make sure that my family doesn't break up.

At any rate, I now have a goal for the next month of free time. While Mel is working hard, I'll do my best to pursue the path of Ramen.

*****

"Sylphy. I'm sorry, but could you take Nomos and go check on the blacksmiths who are participating in the competition?"

Only five days left until the competition.

It is possible that some blacksmiths have not finished their works yet, but most of them have, and even if they have not, they have enough materials for Nomos to judge how good their works will be.

"I don't mind, but what's the point of doing that?"

"I'm betting on Mel's workshop, so I just want to be sure."

It is almost impossible, but it is not impossible that there is a chance, or even a billion chances, that a better work than Mel's will be exhibited.

We know how much Mel cares about his workshop, and we cannot let him give it up even for the slightest chance.

In the worst case scenario, the blacksmith's work will go missing, and I will try to somehow make it possible for him to have his own workshop in the labyrinth city later on, because I feel bad about that.

"You can't be too overprotective, can you?"

"Ha-ha, well, just in case."

Maybe Sylphy sees through all my ideas.

Sylphy is so stunned, but Nomos is looking far away without even saying a word. Perhaps it is a silent protest.

I'll pay a tribute with a keg of sake later.

Well, the tournament is in five days.

It's been a while since I stayed in the labyrinth city for a long period of time, but it's been a fulfilling day in its own way.

The usual errands were completed without incident, although Marie did make me cry.

When I went to the Adventurer's Guild to greet Mr. Lee and the others, I was able to hear about the activities of the spiritists I had lectured them about.

They are not powerful, but they are trusted by the party members as a valuable magician.

Tom-san, in particular, was highly evaluated by the Adventurers' Guild.

He is a valuable magician who contributes to the guild as a healer, and is also a serious adventurer who takes good care of a younger adventurer (Julio), as his competent secretary, Richelie, had assured us.

Well, he didn't seem to be very happy because he didn't have a fixed party and he seemed to have his hands full taking care of Julio, but I think he is happier than he was before the training.

Julio-kun was ...... still the same Julio-kun.

I guess he can't be helped until the time is up, but I'm very worried about his proliferation.

I also found out the reason why Betty was so skinny.

At first, she had too much work to do and had become morbidly thin to the point of worrying.

Martha, who was worried about her, literally showed her fatness.

She declared that Betty had been taking care of her and that she would give her a free meal every day.

Betty is now able to eat a delicious meal every day to keep her energy up and work hard to burn off the calories.

As a result, she has become a healthy and beautiful woman, which is a result that is both imaginable and unexpected.

Martha laughed and said that if it were true, she wouldn't mind if the three meals were free, but in her case, she eats too much.

Betty, who is the one in question, was depressed for a while because she had to buy new clothes after losing weight, but she soon felt better after eating Torque's cooking every day.

I guess Betty is still Betty even though she has lost weight.

In a way, I really admire Betty's ability to forget the word "reserved" when it comes to eating.

If it were me, I'd feel sorry for myself if someone offered me a free meal every day, and I'd be reluctant to go there. .......

While I was admiring Betty's boldness, there was a knock at the door.

Gina and her friends are at the guild for training, so who could it be?

"Come in."

"Yuta. I'm sorry, but I need a saltwater guy for tonight."

"Oh, yes. Yes, sir.

The door was opened by Mr. Torque, who quickly gave the message and left.

He must be very busy, but it is amazing that he never forgets his research even when he is so busy.

After my explanation at the tasting, Mr. Toruku tried to concentrate on his research, but was immediately disciplined by Ms. Martha.

The fact that I was allowed to study only for two hours at night was a factor, but the bottleneck was the brine, and with my fluffy knowledge, I have not yet succeeded in making noodles that I am satisfied with.

I am not sure if I will be able to finish the soy sauce ramen during my stay, and I haven't even started on other kinds of ramen.

My dream of all-you-can-eat ramen seems a long way off.