Volume 3 Sequel 2.5

Volume 3 Sequel 2.5

Translator: Reflet

Editor: Weasalopes

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「Ugh, Lime’s ahead of me……」

「Well, Teres, it isn’t like you can’t do it, okay……」

「Why do I suck so much at cooking……」

「Teres-chan, mass production elf～」

「I don’t think that has anything to do with this.」

Teres had a tendency to immediately botch any cooking. Nora comforted her fellow partner. In her case, she was never good or bad at anything, and the same could be said for gyoza.

「Is this how you do it?」

「Artiem, don’t you think that’s a bit too much?」

「Ah, yeah. You’re right. Fum-chan, apparently it’s easier to fold it when you start from this side.」

「Ah, you’re right.」

Fum and Artiem told each other what things they noticed from Lime’s method as they watched her. They did seem to be close in age appearance-wise and looked like actual sisters. Layla looked at all of them with affection, doing her part in a timely manner.

「This is quite fun, huh?」

Aearis murmured in a truly happy manner while moving her hands as she gazed at everyone having a good time wrapping gyoza. In this country she was the top, while Layla and the others were essentially at the bottom of society with the commoners. Aries and the other humans, goblins, elves, forest giants, moras, and even the octogals who were retainers of the gods were all gathered round the table, doing the same work and eating the same food regardless of status.

Hiroshi’s group didn’t realize this, but this was actually quite the miracle. Although Farlane hardly had any discrimination, lifestyle choices and customs often caused friction with locals. As a result, a line was drawn and most races did not interact with each other beyond what was necessary.

There were hardly any races besides humans staying/living in Wulls anyway, so there were hardly any cases of multiple races working at the same tables unless you counted the entrance to Wulls where there were crowds of people. This was evident of peace for the nation and a great hope for the future in Aearis’s case.

「Yup, of all the family activities, makin’ gyoza is the best.」

「It’s fun even if you do it sloppy.」

「I haven’t made gyoza since I went to elementary school.」

With or without knowledge of how Aearis felt, Hiroshi’s group enjoyed this situation to the fullest. Coming from another world, as long as they could communicate with others then race did not play much of a factor in this. When it came to common sense or ways of living, humans, elves, they were all the same to Hiroshi’s group.

Therefore no one even tried to avoid offending anyone. They all just chatted away without questioning their situation as they wrapped gyoza together harmoniously.

「Elle-chan. I’ll teach you the recipe later, so when they have time, how about you bring along His Highness and Elena-sama to make some with you?」

「Yes, that sounds fantastic.」

「I bet Mark-o would have a super tough time wrappin’ it all.」

「And King Avin seems like he would be a natural at this.」

Aearis nodded, imagining what the scene would look like. Though royalty was quite a constrained way of life, the temple could always just carefully select ingredients for Hiroshi to use in order to carefully make panaceas. That should shut up anyone who asked about testing for poison. All that was left after that was really just matching their schedules.

「Now then, we’re just about outta stuffing ‘n skin, so how bout we get to cookin’ it.」

「Hiroshi-kun, wanna cook it in the kitchen?」

「Nah, doin’ it the same as always is a buzzkill. We gotta go to an extreme with this one.」

「I agree. Then I’ll go ahead with the other food.」

「Thank ya. I’ll use steel plate right here to cook ‘em.」

Watching Haruna go off to prepare the remaining food, Hiroshi heated up the steel plate and poured oil on it. Mio, who had been watching him, rushed to the kitchen and took out chopsticks and gyoza plates for everyone alongside a small plate to put sauce in.

「Alright, let’s do it all at once, y’all」

Confirming that the steel plate had gotten hot enough, Hiroshi began placing gyoza after gyoza on it. The gyoza roasted with wild abandon, the noise and smell bolstering everyone’s appetite whether they liked it or not.

「Alright, it’s almost there y’all」

Hiroshi poured water into it and covered it with a lid to bake it as he proclaimed. Everyone else looked like they could not handle any more waiting. Even Aearis had a dignified look on her face, but her eyes were absolutely locked on to the steel plate.

「Alright, looks good.」

He scooped up the first batch with a spatula and piled them onto all the plates. At the same time, the stir-fry greens were carried out from the kitchen as the first dish.

「We still got more comin’, so eat up while it’s hot.」

Hiroshi urged them on. Unable to handle it any longer, they said their prayers and then piled the gyoza into their mouths.

「Hot!」

「So good……」

「Dang, if we had some cool beer on us then it would be even more amazing.」

「Right?」

Artiem’s eyes flickered black and white at the seriously hot gyoza, while Tatsuya and Makoto lamented the absence of the golden combo of beer and gyoza. Almost as if she had heard them discussing alcohol with food, Layla brought out sweet ‘n sour pork and beer.

「Ooo!」

「Haruna-san told me you two would probably enjoy these.」

「Way to go, Haruna! I love you!!」

Tatsuya and Makoto let out cheers of happiness as they saw the cold beer handed to them. After putting some gyoza into their mouths, they gulped down their beers with indescribably happy expressions on their faces.

「Gah～、this hits the spooot!」

「Yep, beer is the foundation for a good meal!」

As if declaring that tasty beer and tasty food go together, Tatsuya and Makoto did not stop at the gyoza, but began going after the sweet-and-sour pork and stir-fried greens, piling them up. Goivejon and Foeldan were making similar expressions now that they also had beer.

「Dis here food is always tasty, eh.」

「An it goes perfectly with booze, eh.」

The only people here who drank in the workshop besides Tatsuya and Makoto were Goivejon and Foeldan. Teres and Nora did not dislike drinking, but also were not especially attached to it, and everyone else was not old enough to drink.

「Big Sis Teres, is alcohol really that good?」

「I’d say it’s a matter of taste. I don’t feel like drinking too much today, but I do get that liquor would go quite well with this food.」

「Artiem, you don’t drink?」

「I don’t think anyone would be angry at me if I did, but I’ve never tried it, so I guess I’m a little scared to?」

And as the girls of different races discussed liquor,

「Chem-chan’s probably a violent drunk～」

「Maudlin drinker～」

「Unpleasant drunk～」

「Stripper～」

「Body disposed of～」

「Y’know, I kinda feel like someone’s slandering me!!」

The octogals went straight to bullying her.

「Come on～、Bi～g Sis、this is tasty～」

「Lime, you need to calm down and eat your food!」

「I wouldn’t be talking if I were you, Fum.」

Fum admonished Lime, who was rifling through her tasty food, while Layla chastised Fum for practically doing the same thing. Such a heartwarming time spent between mother and daughter.

「……You know, I really like having lively feasts like this.」

Haruna murmured thoughtfully, carting in the remaining shark fin soup, shaomai, mabo tofu, and white rice and serving it out as she looked at everyone merrymaking while they ate.

「That’s cuz a fun atmosphere an a hungry stomach are the best kinda seasonin’, mate.」

「I agree. I feel that eating here with everyone makes the food that much better.」

「Right, you don’t have much of an opportunity to eat in a relaxed environment, do you Elle-chan?」

「Indeed. That is why I feel that Father would also take refuge here while everyone is present.」

「Although maybe you could keep the refugees to a minimum, yeah?」

Haruna mumbled with a grimace at Aearis’ questionable statement. Although this would always be a free and easy gathering, everyone still tended to choose their words carefully around those of high status.

「……Hey, Haruna?」

「What?」

「I’d love it if we could have this sort of excitement at the dinner table as much as possible whenever we’re all here.」

「……Mm, for sure.」

The words naturally spilled out of Mio as she watched everyone busily eating their food. Haruna nodded at her in an impressed manner before bringing her chopsticks down to her plate to get some more ready-hot food.

Also, digressing a bit to bicycle practice the next day…

「This is so fa～st!」

「Lime, keep your focus ahead!!」

「So this bicycle thing can just go fast without any mana or anything.」

「It’s handy, but I bet it’s quite the hassle to make it yourself.」

The workshop crew and Aearis took turns riding the bicycle as two people watched them from the side.

「Ugh……、I resent myself for being so clumsy……」

「Why do I feel so humiliated……」

Somewhere in the distance were the silhouettes of Mio and Artiem, desperately practicing, falling down, getting back up, and practicing again.