Chapter 164: 149

We covered the chashu as well as the vegetables that were used to make broth with a sauce made by mixing soy sauce, garlic, and honey.

That guy Melm had been collecting the liquefied parts of the older miso and straining it to make a primitive "tamari soy sauce[1]".

Around noon, he brought some to the temple of the flame religion, so I bought it from him, but whenever I recalled the smug look he had on his face, it pissed me off for some reason.

Now for the finishing touches.

We mixed the broth made from the bones of dungeon pigs and the broth made from the vegetables in the ratio of 7 for the bones and 3 for the vegetables, then added a little onion-infused oil, a little of the flame religion's pepper, and a very small dash of vinegar. The clincher was the elven miso, which was mixed in to complete the broth.

For the thick curly noodles, we made them from wheat flour, salt, beaten Chocho eggs, and the flame religion's detergent, then set them aside to rest for at least two days prior to use.

For the garnish, slow-fried onions were piled up in the middle of the ramen to look like firewood. In addition, we made spicy miso using the special spices of the flame religion and placed it on top of the onions to represent the flames they worshiped.

We only had enough chashu to put one slice per serving and used the sauce-covered vegetables in place of bamboo shoots.

With this, the first-ever ramen in the alternate world was complete.

We named it "Tonkotsu Flame Miso Ramen".

Evening came.

With the prototype completed, we had 30 people, including the priestess and other mikos, try it.

One thing that was a little unexpected was that about half of them finished the broth first. When only the noodles, ingredients, and spicy miso were left, they ate it like pasta.

I understood then why the priestess had increased the water content in the noodles to make them less stretchy. Is the concept of eating the noodles together with the broth something that people won't think of without being told?

「Souya-san」

The priestess was the first to finish eating. The other mikos also finished their ramen one after another.

At a quick glance, no one had left any food uneaten.

Everyone of the flame religion turned to me, Rutsuko-san, and Tyutyu.

『It was delicious』

Being thanked by such a large number of people made me shiver with emotion.

At the same time, I patted my chest in relief.

It would have been impossible for me to make this dish by myself. If I had tried, it would have been mock ramen with noodles floating in a thin vegetable broth. It would have been a far cry from this rich and flavorful tonkotsu ramen.

I was the one who had accepted the request and got things rolling, but it was Rutsuko-san who completed the dish. And in all likelihood, Alma-san and TyuTyu's mother had been responsible for creating the prototype of miso in this world.

I had gotten a little conceited because of the knowledge I possess from the modern world, but I wouldn't have been able to make ramen on my own.

It was good for me to learn the extent of my capabilities. This is a good impetus for me to start focusing on my main profession.

「Umm, Souya-san. Is it really alright for Nya to be here with you two-nya?」

「Of course」

Tyutyu looked like she was feeling a little awkward standing there with us

It's true that Tyutyu has little to do with this ramen. But she has an important role to play.

「This ramen. From now on, you'll be the one making it and then passing it down to others」

「Eh?!」

Rutsuko-san said to a surprised TyuTyu.

「That's right. We're adventurers after all」

「Okaa-san, change jobs and open a ramen store-nya」

「In order to find a way for me to return home, I have to explore the dungeon」

Yeah, Rutsuko-san's reason for becoming an adventurer is to return home. I could let her come with me through my return portal, but there's a good chance that her Japan and my Japan are two different worlds.

I'd like to help her, but I'll have to hold off on that for the time being.

「We have to explore the dungeon too」

「We need to keep an eye on them after all~」

I couldn’t quite understand the Gunmerrys' reasons.

「But are you sure you want Nya to do this-nya?」

「We've already put all of our names on the application for the certificate of ownership. Tyutyu, as the only one of us with time to spare, you'll have to be the one who makes it」

It's just as well, since she just renovated her store.

「I, I'm a little uneasy-nya. I'm good at remembering things, but will Nya be able to do it by myself-nya?」

Finally taking off the burlap sack, Rutsuko-san spoke with a stern look on her face.

「Until you get used to it, I'll teach you personally. Exploring the dungeon is important, but it's not that urgent that I cannot spare some time」

「Okaa-san, that will be a great help-nya」

「Umm, calling me "Okaa-san" is a bit………」

Come to think of it…….

「Well, Tyutyu, we're going to have to work through the night to make enough ramen to serve in the soup kitchen tomorrow morning. Can you handle it?」

「Sure-nya. Don't underestimate Nya's stamina-nya. Even four nights in a row is a piece of cake for me-nya」

……beastkin have amazing stamina.

「But before that, Souya, Nya need to have a word with you-nya」

Tyutyu glanced around. Having finished their ramen, the priestess and the mikos were all washing their bowls and utensils.

「This isn't the best place-nya. Let's go around back」

「Hmm? Sure, I guess」

What's the matter, I wonder?

After saying that, Tyutyu took me by the hand and led me out the back door of the kitchen.

The coldness of the night air hit me. I could hear the hustle and bustle of people in the distance.

「Oww!」

When she gave my arm a sharp tug, I couldn't help but cry out.

「Tyutyu, what are you doing?」

「Souya, as I suspected, your arm is hurt-nya」

「Yeah, it seems I kinda injured my elbow a little bit」

「Haaa～」

Tyutyu let out a deep~ sigh.

「What do you think our contract is for-nya? Do you know that when you do things like this, it affects Nya's reputation-nya?」

「Things like this?」

I have no idea what she's talking about.

「You've made me angry, so I'll make it painful for you-nya」

Tyutyu rolled up my sleeve and bit me in the elbow.

「Ouch」

The pain from being bitten and a sensation of my flesh and nerves seemingly being sucked out of me sent a shiver down my spine.

But it lasted only for a moment. It was quickly replaced by the sweet feel of Tyutyu's lips and the licking of her tongue on my skin.

「Hmpt~ That should do it-nya. See?」

Tyutyu gave my arm another sharp tug.

「Huh?」

The pain was gone.

I tried swinging my arm by myself, but not only was there no pain, it felt better than before.

「Next time, come to see Nya at the store sooner-nya. Actually, I'm not supposed to do this outside of the store, but you've done so much for me, Souya, so just this once-nya」

Tyutyu prodded her own elbow to check her arm's condition.

「Hmm. It's a pretty serious injury-nya」

「What?! You, give it back right away!」

Did she just transfer my injury to herself?!

「It can't be given back-nya. Not unless you contract with Roomen, Souya」

「I'll do that right now. Lead the way」

「Eeh? What about the ramen?」

「With your arm like that, you can't make ramen anyway, isn't it?!」

What the hell was she thinking? Dammit.

「I can-nya. You shouldn't underestimate the bodies of beastkin-nya. An injury like this will heal after a hard day’s work-nya. Souya, you always worry about the weirdest stuff-nya」

Tyutyu’s carefree smile only complicated my feelings further.

「But I mean, will you really be okay?」

「This is nothing unusual-nya. This kind of thing is also part of the purpose of having a kin of Roomen share their regeneration point with you-nya. Souya, even though you're so smart, you don't even know something like this-nya. Even after you've become an intermediate adventurer, you're still no good without Nya」

「………………Hnnn」

I just can't accept it.

It's not right to give away injuries to someone else to heal.

「It's really not a problem-nya. But Souya, you must be the only customer who worries about us beastkin-nya. So, I don't mind giving you a little more special service-nya」

「Eh」

Tyutyu came closer and snuggled up against me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her small but definitely present twin mounds against me. Without thinking, I put my hands around her slim waist.

Her wagging tail brushed against my fingertips.

Her eyes, feverish and moist, were so very close.

「Tyu………」

Oh no.

This is bad. Because it's been a long time in a lot of ways, I can't resist.

「Souya-san, Tyutyu-san, you're taking a long―――――」

And of course, Rutsuko-san would come at the worst possible time.

「I'm so sorry! Did I just catch you cheating?!」

「No! This isn't cheating!」

In a manner of speaking, this has been approved by my wife.

「That's right, Okaa-san-nya. This is my job-nya」

「What kind of job is this?!」

「It's this kind of job-nya」

「It's this kind of job」

It took us three hours to explain ourselves.

After giving Tyutyu and the mikos of the flame religion a crash course on how to make ramen, we set up a clear division of labor and assigned everyone to their tasks, then worked out a schedule for the ramen-making to come.

【162nd day】

A white morning greeted us. My eyes hurt from the rays of the morning sun reflecting off the snow.

It had been a while since I had stayed up all night.

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「Souya, have a taste of mine-nya」

「Souya-sama, please have a taste of mine」

「Understood」

Tyutyu and the fox miko asked me to try their broths at the same time.

I taste-tested each of their broths.

「Tyutyu, yours isn't bad, but you need to be more diligent in removing the scum」

「Got it-nya」

「As for you, Miko-san, you've cooked the vegetables at too high a heat, making them taste bitter. Take your time cooking the meat, and cook the vegetables for only about a third of that time」

「Understood」

I had some time to spare, so I watched over them as they made the broth for the next day.

For some reason, Rutsuko-san had requested that I wrap white cloth around my head and neck. And wear an apron around my waist.

I wondered if it was okay for someone like me to imitate the Buddha of ramen.[2]

Dressed like that, I went around the whole kitchen, observing and listening to the opinions of the people cooking.

Rutsuko-san, the priestess, and the other Hemu mikos had already retired for the night. The only ones who had stayed up all night were the beastkin.

These women are tough and learn quickly. However, they're also not very flexible nor good at adapting, so whenever there's a change in the situation or a lack of ingredients, they turn to the priestesses and the Hemu mikos for direction.

『Team member Souya, it’s been completed』

「It's so big~」

「That was tiring~」

I had Yukikaze and the Gunmerrys carve the instructions for making ramen onto a stone tablet. I had them use pictures to illustrate the process so that even those who couldn't read could understand them.

It was difficult to illustrate the time required, so I used hourglasses that had been carved to scale to indicate that. As long as the hourglasses were made using the sand from the nearby port, they should be able to measure time more or less identically if the size was right.

But, well……

「Somehow, it looks like a manga」

『That's true, indeed』

「So fun~」

「So amazing~」

The Gunmerrys were rejoicing with the sense of excitement from staying up late.

Do these guys sleep at all, I wonder?

The stone tablet was 2.5 meters tall and 1.8 meters wide. Its dimensions, as well as its content, made it look like a page from a manga. It was displayed where it could be easily seen by everyone in the kitchen.

『Wow~』

The mikos in the kitchen and Tyutyu looked at it with a great deal of wonder.

Is manga culture really that amazing? I'll admit that it's easy to understand though.

「Souya, Nya want one-nya」

「Yeah, I figured you'd say that」

I handed Tyutyu a piece of parchment the same size as the tablet and a piece of charcoal.

「Eh?」

「Put the paper over the stone tablet and rub the charcoal over it. Be gentle so as to not tear it」

「Eh? Huh?」

Though Tyutyu didn't quite understand, she followed my instructions without question. Due to the protrusions and recesses, the contents of the tablet were reproduced on the parchment.

It's a simple trick, but I remember being impressed when I saw it in a movie.

「What is this, magic-nya?」

「I wonder what classification it falls under…… Science? Experimentation?」

Next thing I knew, everyone other than the mikos cooking at the stoves had lined up behind Tyutyu. I was right to have prepared a lot of parchment just in case.

About the time when everyone had their turn, there was a visitor.

「Is the foreigner here?!」

The person who had shouted after coming into the kitchen was a well-dressed and portly man who was probably in his fifties. He was the Commerce Chairman who oversaw all the merchant companies in Lemuria.

「Oh, I’m here」

I raised my hand.

「You! What’s the meaning of this?!」

The Commerce Chairman was holding an unfurled scroll. I took a look at it and saw that it was a copy of a certificate of ownership for a cooking recipe. It was the one for ramen that had the names of me, Rutsuko-san, and Tyutyu on it.

I had a sense of déjà vu.

Could it be that I've infringed on someone's secret recipe again?

「Look here, the royalties for using the recipe. It's ridiculous!」

「Eh, what’s wrong with it?」

After completing the application, the priestess had asked me about the royalties and other details regarding its classification, and I had properly answered all her questions.

When I checked the certificate, the terms on it were as I had specified.

「The royalties! How could you set it at three copper coins a day?!」

「Have I set it too high?」

That money is for me, Rutsuko-san, and Tyutyu.

Well, since Tyutyu refuses to take the money, I plan to take it and pay her back in the form of equipment or something similar for her store.

「It's too low! At the amount you've set it, you'll have every beastkin, down-and-out adventurer, and also those merchants from the center continent churning out this ramen!」

「Isn't it fine? When there’s diversity, it brings about the development of our food culture」

「De, development, you say……… When you put it like that, it's not like I don't get where you're coming from at all, but……… No, then at least make it so that it’s limited to people from Lemuria. Otherwise, there's a chance that the merchants from the center continent that we've almost been able to crush will mount a resurgence using this」

It's a bit hard to tell whether he's an understanding person or not. He does take what I say into consideration, but he seems to be fiercely antagonistic towards the merchants from the center continent.

It's not that I can't understand this kind of small-town pride though.

「As long as the merchants from Lemuria work hard to make good ramen and win over their customers, there should be no problems, right? I mean, to begin with, we don't even know if ramen will be popular or not」

「………Urghh, but imagine this for a second. What if that bunch bring this ramen back to the center continent and then popularize it like it's their own product? That wouldn't sit well with you either, am I right?」

「Hmmm. That's certainly true」

It's something that was created through a lot of hard work and help from others.

I would hate for others to take credit for it.

「Right? It should say, "Only those from Lemuria or born on the right continent will be charged this amount." Also, won't you consider making it three copper coins per serving instead? Think about it, that'll make you a lot of money, you know? You can just sit back and watch the gold coins roll in」

Oh no, I can feel myself getting persuaded. After all, it doesn't hurt to have lots of money, right? Even the Commercial Chairman of Lemuria is saying so. I should follow his advice and rake in the………………

「What's all this fuss early in the morning, Commerce Chairman-san?」

「Geh, Priestess-sama」

The priestess showed up, looking sleepy. Upon seeing her, the Commerce Chairman broke out into a cold sweat.

「Isn't it fine? If there are all kinds of people making ramen, that can only mean more profits for the merchants, isn't it?」

「P, Priestess-sama, as the foreigner also fears, if our culture is stolen by those from another continent――――」

「Then let's do it this way. I'll ask King Lemuria to put his seal on this recipe」

「What?!」

When the priestess suggested a compromise, the Commerce Chairman looked taken aback.

Not knowing what she was talking about, I asked her.

「Priestess-sama, what does putting the royal seal on a recipe do?」

「It means that King Lemuria has officially declared it to be this country's specialty product」

「Huh?」

It escalated into a huge deal all of a sudden.

Despite the cold, the Commerce Chairman was drenched in sweat.

「Wa, wait a minute, Priestess-sama. If ramen is given the royal seal, does that mean that Lemuria will have a new specialty food product for the first time in twenty-five years following the dungeon pig bacon and the Guinelle large egg?」

「I suppose it does mean that」

「Err, aren't you guys going on about something that’s a huge deal without even bothering to talk to me about it?」

I want to discuss it with the other two as well.

「………Oh heavens. It's been five years since I took over from the previous Commerce Chairman after he died in the saddle. I would never have dreamed that there would be a new specialty product during my lifetime. I need to get started on this right away. Excuse me!」

The Commerce Chairman left.

Leaving a smiling priestess.

「Priestess-sama, could it be that you were only joking?」

「Oh, I'm quite serious」

Well, that's a problem for me.

「I've invited Lem-boy to come to the soup kitchen today. Depending on how he feels about it, it's entirely possible for that to happen, but I think the Commerce Chairman might have been a little too hasty. Ohohoho」

In a very short time, I've come to understand the relationship between this person and the Commerce Chairman. I feel kinda sorry for him now. I hope he doesn't come complaining to me later.

「Souya-san, are the preparations for the soup kitchen going well?」

「Not a problem. Everyone picked up on it very quickly, so we were able to divide up the work early on and even managed to do as much as four test runs. I was told that we would need to prepare 200 servings, but we prepared 300 just in case. If there are leftovers, they can be served the next day. As for the broth, I'm sure that someone of your skill can easily tweak it by mixing in new ingredients, right?」

「………………I owe you an apology」

「Come again?」

Eh, what could it be for? Is it for working me too hard the entire time? Or is it for going to sleep first?

「I purposely left you with only beastkin to work alongside. You may be a foreigner, but people tend to reveal their true colors around those submissive to them, you see?」

「R, right……」

I don't really get what she's talking about.

「But you never threw your weight around and patiently taught all of them how to do their tasks. That's a rare thing in this world. So……」

So……what?

「……would you care to become a priest of the flame religion?」

「No thank you」

Like I’ve said before, I'm an adventurer.

[1] Tamari soy sauce is formed as a byproduct during the production of miso. Unlike conventional soy sauce, it contains no added wheat and is made with a higher volume of soybeans, resulting in a richer and thicker texture. It’s also naturally gluten-free, though not every commercially available tamari is completely gluten-free.

[2] I’m not very knowledgeable about ramen lore, so I actually have no idea who the Buddha of ramen is supposed to be, and googling it didn’t help. However, there’s a man who started a very famous ramen store that has spawned many other branches who has been called “the kami-sama(god) of ramen”. He’s Kazuo Yamagishi of 大勝軒(Tai-Sho-Ken) in Higashi-Ikebukuro. He’s the one who’s seated and the white cloth around the head and neck as well as the apron is the signature uniform of the cooks in his store as that was how he dressed back when he cooked. (pic courtesy of tai-sho-ken.com)

I suspect most of you know this, but just in case, dying in the saddle doesn’t mean dying on a horse. Nuff said.

I’m sure most readers are well-acquainted with Japanese manga, but their manga culture extends beyond just entertainment. I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to come across them, but it’s quite interesting how Japanese government agencies will use manga to explain all sorts of things, even notices, laws or policies.

Souya has been asked to become a merchant by Lonewell in the past and now, has been asked to become a priest by the priestess. To be clear, the priest/priestess used here is the head of a temple. But she’s not exactly asking him to be her successor, he may end up as head of another temple, for example.

That injury ended up being “healed” really quickly, huh? Tennis elbows usually take a while, 6 months to a year, to heal fully. That means that he’ll be able to return to adventuring. So the way the chapter ended is really apt, isn’t it? There are still 2 more chapters until this arc ends though, so stay tuned!

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