Rei returned to the Full Belly Diner, leaving the Gamelion dismantling to Hasta.
Near the entrance, he found Arka setting out a dish of failed prototype udon soup—a mixture of vegetables, bacon, and suiton-like dough lumps. Seto was happily purring, skillfully using its beak to fish the suiton out of the broth. Rei watched with a smile as Arka contentedly ran a comb through the griffon’s feathers, then stepped inside the establishment.
Since it was just past 10:00 AM, the lunch rush was still a ways off. The customers who had been present during Rei’s earlier visit were gone, leaving the dining hall empty.
The only person there was Enedra, who was busy wiping down the tables.
"Ah, you’re back."
"Yeah. I left the rest of the Gamelion to Hasta, so it should be fine."
"That’s good to hear. Well then, could you head straight to the kitchen? He’s preparing the udon right now. It sounds like he made some progress a little while ago."
"Heh, he’s fast. I didn’t think he’d get that far in such a short time."
Rei muttered his admiration, but his gaze lingered on Enedra as she worked. When he and Hasta had returned to the city the previous day, several other women had been working as waitresses, but today Enedra was alone.
Curious, he asked, "Weren't there others here yesterday?"
"Hm? Oh, yes. They only come in starting at lunch. It gets busy in the morning, but usually not so much that I can't handle it on my own."
"I see... so that’s how it works."
It sounded much like a part-time shift. Not wanting to interfere with her cleaning, Rei made his way into the kitchen.
"Phew, that should do it... Hm? Ah, you’ve arrived."
When Rei entered the kitchen, he found Dishot putting his full weight into kneading a lump of wheat flour dough.
"Didn't I mention that treading on the dough is the best way to give it firmness? I saw you slamming it around earlier, too. You don't need to exhaust yourself by doing it all by hand."
"I did hear you say that, but... well, wouldn't it be unhygienic to step on it? If the customers found out I made their food that way, no one would eat it."
"No, it's not like... Ah, I see."
Rei realized the problem mid-sentence. In the City of Gilm—and throughout the world of Elgin—plastic wrap and bags didn't exist. One could try putting the dough in a paper bag before treading on it, but the paper wouldn't be strong enough to withstand the pressure. From a hygiene standpoint, the cook had a valid concern; customers would likely be repulsed by the idea of "foot-made" food.
(If we really wanted to do it, we’d need to wrap his feet in fur specifically for treading udon, or find some other footwear... but the mental hurdle of "stepping" on food is probably the real issue.)
"It’s just not coming together right," Dishot admitted. "Noodles, you called them? Getting them into that shape is the difficult part."
"I can only tell you that you’ll have to rely on your experience. I remember the ingredients, but not the exact proportions."
"True enough. If there’s too little water, it won't bind; too much, and it becomes a soggy mess. I'll just have to keep testing until I find the sweet spot. ...Still, I have some confidence in this batch. Take a look."
Dishot proudly thumped the lump of dough onto the prep table. It possessed a certain luster that matched Rei’s memory of authentic udon dough.
"Now, all that's left is to roll it out."
Dishot pulled out a rolling pin—or at least, that’s what it looked like at first. Rei stared at it, feeling a strange sense of deja vu, until he noticed the pointed tip at the end.
It wasn't a rolling pin at all. It was a short spear.
"Why are you using a short spear?"
Rei let out a long sigh at the absurd sight. Dishot, however, acted as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I went looking for the tools we discussed yesterday. When I described the shape of a rolling pin to the blacksmith Pamidoor, he handed me this."
"Pamidoor again..."
Rei thought of the blacksmith with the face of a mountain bandit. The man seemed to have a hand in everything. Resigned to the oddity, Rei watched as Dishot prepared to continue.
"I let the dough rest for about thirty minutes. I think it’s time for the next step."
(He let it rest for thirty minutes and then kneaded it even more by hand?)
Rei wondered if that was overkill, but decided it wouldn't hurt.
"Yeah, go ahead. I’ll speak up if I see anything, but I'm just here to watch. I can't compete with a professional cook’s intuition."
"I appreciate that."
Dishot was a man who took immense pride in his craft; he clearly didn't relish being lectured by an amateur. Fortunately, Rei respected that conviction. Since Rei’s only goal was to be able to eat the noodles he missed from his old world, he was perfectly happy to stay in an advisory role and let the expert handle the execution.
"Let's begin, then."
With the solemnity of a ritual, Dishot began using the short spear shaft to flatten the dough. The spear had been thoroughly scrubbed when Pamidoor gave it to him and cleaned again before use, so there were no hygiene concerns.
As the dough thinned out, Rei spoke up.
"That should be enough. Now, you need to cut it into strips about a third of a fingertip wide, but..."
"Understood. One-third of a fingertip."
"Wait—it’ll be easier to cut if you dust the dough with flour and fold it first."
"Hm? Ah, right. Dusting flour."
Dishot was already familiar with the concept from making bread. He lightly floured the sheet of dough and folded it over. Then, with the speed and precision of a professional, he began slicing. In less than a minute, the entire sheet had been transformed into uniform noodles.
"...So these are udon. They look much better than my attempt this morning."
Satisfied with the result, Dishot immediately brought a pot of water to a boil. He boiled the noodles for ten minutes, rinsed them in cold water, and then briefly dipped them back into hot water to warm them. Finally, he ladled over a hearty soup of meat and vegetables prepared for the lunch crowd.
The very first bowl of udon in the world of Elgin was complete.
"Eat up."
Dishot handed the bowl to Rei. Since chopsticks didn't exist here, it was served with a fork.
"Is it okay if I'm the first? Shouldn't you taste it yourself?"
"No. I believe the one who provided the idea deserves the first bite."
Dishot’s gaze was firm. Rei gave a small nod, tangled the noodles around his fork, and lifted them to his mouth.
Slurp. Slurrrrp.
The sound of slurping echoed through the kitchen. In a high-class noble's manor, such a sound would be a scandal, but in a back-street diner like this, no one cared. Rei finished the noodles in silence and drank the last of the soup.
Dishot watched him intently, finally asking with bated breath, "Well?"
"It’s good. I think the boiling time could be a little shorter, but that’s a matter of preference. The udon itself tastes great. I’d recommend offering a few different types of soup, though—something rich and heavy, and something light and clear. Changing the broth will give the dish a completely different feel."
"I see. I'll keep that in mind."
Nodding at the advice, Dishot served a portion for himself and began to eat. He wound the noodles around his fork, nodding thoughtfully with every bite. Rei watched him, his mind wandering.
(Udon, huh... Since there aren't any chopsticks, we have to use forks. If you’re eating noodles with a fork, it feels more like pasta. But I have no idea how to make pasta from scratch. All I ever bought were those bags of dried pasta. Is it made with regular flour? No, I think it was some 'Dual-something' flour... Wait, since Hasta is here, making pasta would actually be a pretty funny pun.)
While Rei was lost in these trivial thoughts, Dishot finished his bowl, looking satisfied. A small smile played on the cook's lips as he began plating more portions.
"Wait here. I want to get Enedra and Arka’s opinions."
"Sure, underst—wait, you should probably make one more."
"What?"
"Your pride and joy is here. He’s brought the Gamelion meat."
A moment later, Hasta’s voice rang out from the entrance.
"Father! Mother! I’ve got the Gamelion meat! Come help me carry it!"
"...The meat, right."
Dishot looked down at the bowl in his hands. He was likely thinking about Rei’s suggestion of using the Gamelion meat as a topping.
Hasta appeared in the kitchen doorway, lugging a massive hunk of meat.
"Ah, Rei-san! How is the udon?"
"It’s basically complete. Or rather, the foundation is there. How it evolves from here depends on your father’s skill."
"Really? Father, that’s amazing! You finished it already?"
"Here. Try it and tell me what you think."
Hasta set the meat on the counter and took the offered bowl. He slurped the noodles down just as Rei had.
"Wow... it's good! This is really good! Father, this is going to be a hit! You called it 'noodle,' right? It’s so easy to eat. It’ll be perfect for people who are in a hurry."
The bowl was empty in seconds.
"Hey! That's not fair! Arka wants some too!"
Arka burst into the kitchen, carrying a smaller but still substantial piece of meat.
"My, my. In that case, I’d like to try some as well," Enedra added, following behind her.
"...Here. Give me your honest thoughts."
Dishot prepared two more bowls. Arka dug in happily, while Enedra took her first bite with a gentle, intrigued smile.
"We should probably finish bringing the rest of the meat in," Rei suggested. "No point in us just standing around."
"Ah, right. That would be a huge help. I’ve left the magic stone and the other materials in the dismantling shed, so please check them later."
"Will do."
Rei and Hasta spent the next few minutes shuttling the rest of the Gamelion meat into the kitchen. Passersby noticed the fresh delivery and realized the season for Gamelion meat had arrived. Foot traffic to the Full Belly Diner began to pick up as people decided to stop in for an early lunch.
Seeing the crowd, Dishot immediately pivoted. Rather than the time-consuming stews, he began preparing the Gamelion meat as a quick stir-fry.
With the delivery complete, Rei and Hasta pulled the handcart back to the dismantling shed.
The moment they stepped inside, they were greeted by the heavy, coppery scent of blood. Rei grimaced slightly, but followed Hasta to the workbench.
"Here are the Gamelion materials and the magic stone."
Laid out on the table was the fur the guild would buy, the venomous fangs, the blade-like ears, and the tail—which served as both a proof of subjugation and a valuable material. Finally, there was the magic stone Rei had been waiting for.
"I’ve received them," Rei said, nodding. He began storing them in the Misty Ring.
Hasta watched the process with naked envy. As an adventurer whose primary goal was providing meat for his family's business, an Item Box that could preserve and transport entire monster carcasses was his ultimate dream. However, given the astronomical price of such items, it was forever out of his reach.
"...sta. Hasta!"
"Eh? Ah, yes! Sorry, what was it?"
Rei’s voice snapped him out of his reverie. Rei looked down at the shed floor, guessing exactly what the young man had been thinking.
"Is it alright if I dismantle the Rare Species now? It’s so massive that the meat might rot before you can use it all."
"Oh, don't worry about that. Gamelion meat is a seasonal delicacy; it’ll sell out in the blink of an eye. Go ahead and start."
"If you say so..."
Rei reached into the Misty Ring and produced the eight-meter-long Rare Species Gamelion.
For the next several hours, the two worked together to process the massive beast. As a token of gratitude, Rei received an extra hunk of Gamelion meat for himself and Seto—a fortunate bonus for them both.
Udon. The dish originated at the Full Belly Diner and eventually spread throughout the Kingdom of Mireana, the neighboring countries, and the entire world of Elgin. In time, it was joined by pasta, ramen, and soba. Dishot would be remembered by history as the "Founding Father of Noodle Dishes," but that is a story for another time.