Chapter 43: 32.2: Ihoujin, Dungeon ni Moguru Chapte

The modified stock pot was shaking dangerously. Just in case, I got Bel to cast defensive magic on it.

Hihito started glancing towards me.

I went over and checked the pot. The soybeans had been crushed and mixed nicely. For the finishing touch, miso was added, and then I taste-tested it. The deliciousness of the tomatoes, cheese and miso came together to make it pretty delectable. The crushed soybeans would go down easily.

The second dish on the menu, Misuranika soup, completed. I instructed Hihito to cut the turnips next.

Thirty minutes had passed since the stock pot started shaking. It should probably be done by now.

I removed the lid and took out the meat.

It had been cooked till it was almost melting.

It was a hastily-made pressure cooker, but it seemed to have worked properly. Incidentally, the Misuranika arrow was a by-product of this. I soaked the meat in water to drain the excess fat.

It was a waste, but I threw away the vegetables that had soaked in the meat's fat. After washing the stock pot, I poured in equal amounts of soy sauce, sugar and ale. I threw in the chicken eggs, which had all been shelled, the cut turnips, the pre-cooked boneless pork ribs, and then poured in enough water to cover all the ingredients.

I left it to boil again.

The Knödel had all been taken out of the hot water. I instructed Tyutyu to start plating them using four per person as a guide.

I told Hihito to bring the Misuranika soup, pot and all, to the dining hall.

I instructed Bel to take the tableware and bring them to the dining hall.

As I had a bit of time on my hands, I decided to make a dessert. There weren’t a lot of the ingredients, so six people’s worth was probably the most I could make.

I poured milk into a pot and heated it up.

After extinguishing the fire when it was about 60°C, I added apple vinegar into the pot. I mixed it briefly with a spoon, and then left it alone.

I removed the lid of the stock pot when Makina announced that it was done.

The rich, appetizing smell of the meat and the scent of the sweet and salty soy sauce wafted out.

I put some of the egg, turnip, and meat on a plate and took a bite of each to test their taste.

The condition of the egg was 100 points. The sweet and spicy flavor had seeped into it nicely. It made me crave rice balls. The turnip that I had used in place of radish wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad either. The meat hadn’t fallen apart, even though it was soft and tender. When chewed, the deliciousness of the melting meat spread throughout my mouth. I tried eating them together. The plainness of the turnip accented the flavors well. It was invincible when eaten together with the egg.

It’s delicious, isn’t it? Well, it's not that difficult of a dish except for the fact that it's time-consuming.

The third dish on the menu, braised dungeon pork squares, completed.

Tyutyu was making a pitiful face, so I was about to let her eat some for taste-testing when Bel barged in and fought over it. Hihito took advantage of that opening and ate up all of the food meant for taste-testing. The three of them gave rave reviews. It would be great if it would go over well with all of the kin though.

The time taken to reach this point was two hours and twenty minutes. The time was 12:30 pm.

The braised pork was put onto the plates with the Knödel. Each plate got two boiled eggs, five pieces of pork squares and three pieces of turnip.

The plates were put five to a tray and I got Hihito to carry them to the dining hall. Bel was in charge of the eating utensils. It was her main profession, so Tyutyu carried the ale. I devoted myself to plating the food.

There were 22 kin here at the moment, one goddess, and six guests. I had sent out 29 portions of food, but there was still half of the braised pork squares left.

Bringing the pot, I also headed for the dining hall.

The dining hall of the dormitory was a little worn out, but it was a well-cleaned and tidy space. It was filled with the clamor of conversation.

Gladvain-sama was seated at the head of a long table with Ea and Rana on both sides of her, while Barfuru-sama sat one place away from Rana. The plates of food had all been laid out on the table and everyone was only waiting for the meal to start.

I felt some sort of killing intent though.

I placed the pot in the food preparation area of the dining hall. Bel, Tyutyu and Hihito were already seated. It appeared that I was the last one.

Barfuru-sama beckoned me over to my seat.

「Quiet down」

With a few words, Gladvain-sama filled the dining hall with silence.

「Forgive me everyone, lunch ended up being a little late today. And Souya, you’ve done well to meet my sudden request. It must have been difficult indeed. Our connection started with a dispute, but let’s swallow it down together with the food」

I might had died if things had gone badly, but well, I’ll let it go. Because I’m not such a child that I would get hung up on such things easily.

「So, Souya, what are the dishes? Explain」

「In that case, I shall explain」

「Oh no~」

For some reason, Ea buried her head in her hands.

「First, this red soup. It's Misuranika soup, which I named after my god. It has plenty of vegetables, including tomatoes, and cheese was added to give it a creamy flavor. The soybeans were crushed to give them an easy-to-eat texture. A slightly unusual taste has been added as a secret ingredient, but I hope you will like it.

The highlight of today’s meal is this braised dungeon pork squares. This is originally a dish that has to be cooked over a long time, but the time was shortened using a certain device. I believe that there aren’t many dishes with its springy and tender texture in this city. It has been seasoned with sugar and fermented beans to give it a sweet and salty flavor. Turnips were used as a substitute, which is the only thing that I’m worried about. Originally, a vegetable called daikon(radish) should have been used instead, but it seems that this continent doesn’t have them, which was troubling for me. Daikon is a wonderful food that won’t hurt your stomach no matter how much of it you eat, and it tastes good whether you cook it, use it in a salad, pickle it, oh, I’m sorry for going off on a tangent. Next is the egg, but as you can see, they’re chicken eggs, and not the large eggs. The Zavua merchant company has succeeded in raising a large number of chickens, so I believe that they’ll be able to supply them reliably and inexpensively in two months. Large eggs are also delicious, but they’re too big to eat easily, which is a problem, isn’t it? When you want to have a small bite to eat, chicken eggs are the best after all」

I heard a sharp clang of something metallic.

It’s probably just my imagination.

「And then, this Knödel is, gobfuuu!」

Barfuru-sama had poked me in the side with his finger. I thought that several of my ribs had passed away.

Your claws are sharp so they stabbed me, you know?

Look around, he signaled.

Everyone was looking at me like I had killed their parents. Even Ea, Bel and Tyutyu.

「………………En, enjoy your meal」

「Alright! Dig in, you guys!」

At Gladvain-sama’s cue, the kin became beasts.

「What’s this?! What on earth is this?! This is the first time I’ve eaten such springy pork!」

「It melts! It melts in the mouth!」

「IT’S DELICIOUSSSSSSSSS!」

The hall was filled with reactions like those from reaction celebrities*.

「There are seconds if you want more, alright?」

『UUUOOOOOOOOOO!!!』

A big roar replied my small voice.

「Rana, does it suit your taste?」

「Yes, it's delicious. There isn’t anything that you cook that doesn't suit my taste」

Rana smiled sweetly. To me, her『delicious』was worth the『delicious』of a thousand people.

I was satisfied.

「Ah, Ea. Not again」

My sister had taken out mayonnaise and was putting it on the Knödel.

「Mayonnaise is a must for potatoes. For me, this is a pride that I won't budge on」

「Don’t you sort of put it on everything?」

「This mayonnaise is different from the other mayonnaises. After all, Shichimi has been mixed into it」

She had used the seasoning that was running out in this manner again.

「Mayonnaise seems to be circulating in the city recently, am I right?」

「Yes, it was made by Onii-chan」

Ea told Gladvain-sama proudly.

「Souya, as I thought, you were a chef in the foreign lands, weren’t you? I can see that, given this delicious food」

「Yes, that’s right」

Came Rana’s reply.

「No, that’s wrong」

「Rana, you’ve got a good husband, don’t you? You must be proud」

「Yes」

I had been ignored, but well, I’ll let it go.

On a whole, the meal seemed to be well received. One after another, people were lining up for seconds.

「Umm, Gladvain-sama? If it’s alright with you, would you like some mayonnaise on your food?」

「Are you sure? Isn’t that something that’s important to you?」

「No, I’ve recently learned my lesson about trying to monopolize delicious food. Oh, would you like some too, Onee-chan?」

『Alright then』

Rana and Gladvain-sama responded at the same time.

These three people had similar features. In particular, Rana and Gladvain-sama’s eyes looked exactly the same.

Heures, Rana’s ancestor.

An elf who was famous for being a caster that controlled fog and a master of the bow. A hero who had subjugated the large spider that had plunged the right continent into a crisis in the past.

That wasn’t the entire truth.

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The subjugation of the large spider wasn’t Heures’ achievement alone.

Lumidia, the hero of the hidden name.

Heures had subjugated the large spider with the help of this unrivaled archer.

According to Makina's investigation, Lumidia's name had first appeared in a book summarizing the heroic tales of the left continent.

She was born the favorite of Velsvain, who was famous for her martial arts school. Ever since she was a child, she had been widely known for her valor, and had showed glimpses of becoming a hero.

However, she was exiled from the left continent on the charge of murdering a Myriad-King. While leaving anecdotes in various places, she found her way to the right continent, where she then disappeared from history.

What happened after that was something only I knew.

She fell in love with an elf and had a child. That child ruled the elven clans as the heir of Heures, leaving his blood to the present day.

In addition to that, alongside the account of Lumidia, Makina found the name of Gladvain-sama.

Lumidia was Gladvain-sama’s daughter.

In other words, she was a Hemu.

Elves valued the purity of their blood. Should this come to light, the Heures family would lose their ability to unify the clans, and a civil war would begin among the elves. This was a secret that I would have to take to my grave.

Gladvain-sama probably knew as well. That was probably the reason why she, who had attained godhood as a hero, took up residence in Lemuria.

Seeing the three of them eating together, they looked just like a parent and her children.

It felt lonely to know that there was no place for me among them.

「Oh, Souya. It's a good opportunity, so I'll ask」

「Huh?」

Barfuru-sama seemed a little serious as he talked to me. He spoke softly, as if not wanting to be heard over the din in the dining hall. He would have been cool if he wasn’t licking his plate.

「Are you having any problems with that bow?」

「No, not particularly. It's a wonderful bow. If not for that bow, I would have died ten times」

Barfuru-sama’s eyes were a little scary.

「Then, are there any abnormalities with your body?」

「Abnormalities?」

「That bow is a cursed item. There’s no way you’re alright after drawing it like it’s the most natural thing to do just because you’re possessed by a ghost. The regret of the Endguard, the resentment towards vampires, and the madness of the moon of misfortune. Any one of these are emotions that cannot be withstood by a person’s heart」

Even if you tell me that, I’m completely fine.

Not a single thing comes to mind.

「I'm sorry, there’s really nothing and there aren't any problems either」

「I see......... Then, maybe your god is protecting you from it. Misuranika…… Even though it rings a bell, I can’t recall anything about that name. Could there perhaps be some sort of connection?」

Misuranika-sama? Protecting me? Are you talking about the Misuranika-sama who is currently only holding the position of a pet? The god that sleeps an average of 16 hours a day? The god who only eats, sleeps and plays?

「Well, if you’re healthy, then there's no problem. But should you come to believe that the bow is harming your body, tell me immediately. After all, you’re also an Endguard. Always pay close attention to your body. Lately, I’ve been noticing disturbing signs in the north. The dogs of Lyridias have also stirred, but they’ll probably be useless. If anything, they’ll only be food for them. The time to mobilize isn’t at hand, but it won’t be too far off either. Don’t forget to polish your skills daily, got it?」

「………………Huh?」

What did this guys just say?

「Barfuru-sama, who did you say is what?」

「You and me, the two of us are the last of the Endguard. It’s a lonely feeling, and there’s no glory in it」

「Why?」

When was something like that decided? Was it during the times when I was drunk and remembered nothing?

「Well, you can use Lycan armaments, so that makes you an Endguard, doesn’t it? This is about all that’s left of us anyways. Come with me」

「I don’t want to」

「Nope, I won’t acknowledge that. I’ll forcibly bring you along」

NOOoooOOOoo.

Why do problems that don’t have anything to do with adventuring keep popping up like this?

I’ll definitely get dragged into this mess later, won’t I? Should I just throw this bow away? I can’t do that either. Even now, I was powerless against decent monsters. If I switched to a normal bow now, I’ll be a complete burden.

It’s a bow that I got at the unprecedented price of 8 gold coins, but to think that it came with such a snag.

「By the way, Barfuru-sama, what would we be doing in the north?」

「Hmm~, vampire hunting, I guess? No, the remainder of “those” aren’t such big-shots. For the time being, I'm waiting on Lemuria’s spies. Don’t worry, we won’t be suddenly setting out tomorrow or the day after」

「I’m only an adventurer, you know? Please don't involve me in momentous events like this」

「I’m involving you precisely because you’re an adventurer. Stepping foot on forbidden ground and facing off against unknown enemies, all for the sake of fame. Doesn’t that fill your heart with excitement?」

「No, not at all」

「Are you really an adventurer?」

That hit me where it hurts most.

To be honest, something like my own fame is as good as pig feed. If there is someone who wants to trade money for it, I’ll sell him as much as he wants. My goal is to reach the 56th floor of the dungeon and get the materials there. That's it.

I’ve already gotten into a lot of trouble because I prioritized feelings. Any more would be beyond the limit of my capacity.

However, the last of the Endguard, huh.

It was a title that made me grin a little in spite of myself.

「If you don’t want that, then I’m eating it」

He licked up my pork squares.

「You pig!」

Although it was bad manners, I got into a scuffle with Barfuru-sama, and was taken out in one hit.

The feast was also in full swing.

Observing left-overs on the women’s plates, I headed for the kitchen.

I took a look at the milk that I had left alone in the pot.

When heated milk was mixed with vinegar, it separated into liquid and solid. I had no idea what this phenomenon was called.

Using a clean cloth, I strained the solid. I mixed strong alcohol into the liquid. If I remembered correctly, it should be somewhat nutritious. It was a vague recollection though.

I dipped the cloth-wrapped solid lightly into water and then wrung it dry a few times to adjust its shape.

I was able to get it into a round shape that was more beautiful than I had expected. Perhaps because the apple vinegar was good, it ended up a smooth white mass. I slid a knife into it and cut it into 6 pieces. I laid them out on small plates and added a few round slices of baked apple to each plate. As the finishing touch, plenty of honey.

Cottage cheese and baked apples drizzled with honey, completed.

I had gathered my meager knowledge and tried to make something that looked like a dessert.

「Onii-san, I'll wash the dirty pots later」

「………………」

Bel and Hihito had come to the kitchen. Bel saw the cottage cheese.

「Is it ice cream?!」

She came over to have a bite.

「No, they’re not」

「Is that so…… they’re not, huh……. Hau」

Her soul slipped out.

「Now now, eat this and give me your impressions. Here, Hihito too」

I added spoons to two of the plates and handed them to the two of them.

Bel ate one bite and gave one impression.

「Oh, what a mysterious texture. It has a very refined taste, and is easy to eat. Might be delicious」

Thump! Thump! I was surprised by the sounds of something smacking the floor. It was Hihito’s tail. Her tail was swinging about while she was absorbed in eating.

「Bel, is it alright for me to interpret that as meaning that this is delicious?」

「Yeah」

My confidence boosted, I took the sisters’, Tyutyu’s and Gladvain-sama’s share to them.

The dish that wrapped up lunch received distinctly good reviews.

I wonder if I should be serious about learning how to make sweets.

*Now, how do I explain reaction celebrities lol. It’s kinda hard to explain if you’ve never watched Japanese variety TV, but there exists a category of celebrities called “talent” in Japan’s entertainment scene and a subset of them are the “Owarai” or comic talent that make people laugh using exaggerated reactions or doing funny stuff to elicit reactions from others. Of course, some do comedy and Manzai, but typically, comedic talent isn’t that important as the laughs they get are usually a result of the stuff that the producers and directors come up with and the sometimes ridiculous positions they put those celebrities in. Such situations can include food tasting, physical challenges, strange games or activities and many more. Their careers are typically short unless they manage to leverage their appearances into MC gigs or TV shows. Those that do typically have exceptional conversational abilities and funny reactions.

The implication is that Souya and Makina had tried to make a pressure cooker, but it blew up which resulted in them inventing the Misuranika arrow, which if you recall, is a sealed metal tube with water and what's effectively a heat source inside......

Surprised that Gladvain-sama is Rana and Ea’s “ancestor”? Up to this point, many tidbit had been given to show us that Lumidia was Rana’s ancestor, that she was Hemu and had a connection to Velsvain, which meant that she was connected to Gladvain. The final piece of info that brought all these tidbits together is the fact that she was Gladvain’s daughter. So, the first of many many mysteries solved and every single one is like this, clues for the readers are all over the place and it’s possible to get a pretty good picture before the reveal, but only if you infer and deduce them yourself.

And so, this breather arc has ended, though to be frank, I don’t know if I should call it that because of all the foreshadowing, hints and important stuff in it. However, now that it has ended, we’ve finally, FINALLY, reached one of the most significant points in the entire novel. To me, the author has only been showing us how the gears look, how they fit, how they are linked to one another, but in the next arc and the epilogue that follows, for the first time, the gears turn. Don’t miss this 9 chapter arc + 2 chapter epilogue as Souya and gang eat, live, fight, and, of course, explore the dungeon!

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