While I stood there hesitating and second-guessing myself in front of the shop, Hiiragi-san opened the door without the slightest hint of tension.
"I’m back, Dad. I brought the guys with me. Is the tasting all set?"
"Yeah, welcome back. Everything's ready," Eiji-san’s energetic, spirited voice rang out from inside. It seemed the lunch rush had ended right on schedule.
Following Hiiragi-san’s lead, Yuji stepped inside and gave a polite greeting.
"Sorry to intrude, Eiji-san. Thanks for having us today."
"Ah, Hirose-kun. Glad you could make it. I'm going to show off a bit for this tasting session."
"Haha, I’m looking forward to it."
Through the open door, I could hear their friendly banter. From the cheerful tone, it was clear that Eiji-san was quite enthusiastic about this.
Well, I couldn't just stand here forever. Alright... my turn.
"...Hello. It’s been a while, Eiji-san."
"Oh, Kokonoe-kun! Long time no see. I heard from Yukino—you aren't exactly thrilled about this?"
"Haha, well, something like that. It’s just a category of food I’ve never tried before, so I’m feeling a little hesitant."
"Well, anyone would feel that way about trying something new. But today, I’m going to prove that you were just judging a book by its cover—or a meat by its scales."
"...Haha, I’ll take your word for it."
I managed a strained, awkward smile and gave a small, faltering reply. I was officially cornered.
Following Eiji-san’s instructions, we moved to a table at the back of the shop.
"Right, let's get this tasting session started. I’ve prepared a few dishes using the meat of that lizard you brought back. I want your honest opinions. If the reception is good, I’m thinking about actually putting it on the menu."
"On the menu...?"
"Yeah. Not as a regular item, though—more like a limited-time special. No matter how good it tastes, lizard meat is considered 'bizarre' in Japan. People are going to have strong opinions before they even take a bite. Just like Kokonoe-kun over there."
"..."
"As I said, that reaction is perfectly normal. It’s to be expected, really."
Eiji-san nodded to himself while observing our reactions, then presented a plate.
"So, for the first dish, I’ve disguised its appearance a bit. Here."
"Wait... is this karaage?"
"Yup, lizard karaage. To get past the initial repulsion, it’s best to start with a dish people are used to seeing every day. I have to get you to take that first bite before you can appreciate the flavor."
The plate Eiji-san set down held golden-brown nuggets of fried meat, garnished with lemon wedges and lettuce. It looked exactly like chicken karaage. If this were served to me without context, I wouldn't have hesitated for a second.
I moved a piece of the lizard karaage to my own plate and gave it a long, hard stare.
"..."
"Wow, this looks great! You really wouldn't know it was lizard unless someone told you."
"Visually, it's just normal karaage."
Ignoring my hesitation, Yuji and Hiiragi-san both popped a piece into their mouths.
"!? Whoa, this is good! Eiji-san, this is delicious!"
"Right? The texture is lean like breast meat, but it’s as juicy as a thigh."
Yuji was grinning from ear to ear, genuinely surprised by the quality, and Hiiragi-san wore a blissful smile. Watching them, I started to feel a bit silly for just sitting there staring at my food.
I took a sharp, quiet breath, steeled my resolve, and finally took a bite.
"!? This is actually good!"
My eyes widened as the flavor hit me. Just as Eiji-san said, it had a lean texture that gave way to an explosion of juices. Thanks to his careful preparation, there was no gaminess at all. It was every bit as good as high-end chicken karaage. In an instant, every bit of my prejudice against lizard meat was shattered.
Seeing my reaction, Eiji-san let out a proud, knowing chuckle.
"Well? Good, isn't it?"
"Yes. I honestly never imagined it could taste this good."
"Lizard meat is actually eaten in many parts of the world. It’s just that they're usually too small to provide much meat, so they never became a commercial staple like beef or pork."
"I see."
We continued eating the rest of the lizard karaage while Eiji-san explained the culinary history of the meat. If the flavor wasn't an issue and only the supply chain was the problem, things might change soon. As more explorers started bringing back lizard materials, maybe... well, maybe it wouldn't become a household staple, but more restaurants might start serving it.
With my repulsion gone, the tasting session proceeded in a warm, pleasant atmosphere. Eiji-san was a true professional; every dish he served was excellent.
After the food was gone, we sat with Eiji-san during his break and talked about the dungeon.
"So, are you three going to be spending all of August in the dungeon?"
"Eh? Oh, yes. For now, we’re planning to dive as much as possible, except for the Obon holidays. We can’t get down to the deep floors during the school year because the travel time is too long."
"I see... Well, I won't tell you not to work hard, but don't let the fatigue pile up. Take breaks, and for heaven's sake, don't get hurt."
Eiji-san gave us—mostly Hiiragi-san—a stern look of concern. Even though they had settled their differences about her being an explorer, he was still her father. He couldn't help but worry.
Yuji and I looked him in the eye and gave firm, reassuring nods.
"Yes, of course. It’s way too dangerous to push ourselves if we aren't at a hundred percent."
"Safety first. We won't take any unnecessary risks."
"Good. I know I probably don't need to say it, but I can't help myself. A parent's worry always finds a way out of their mouth..."
Eiji-san gave a self-deprecating smile, but seeing him like that made us feel a little guilty.
We had our parents' permission to be explorers, but there was always the risk of a major injury. Just because we had been safe so far didn't mean our luck would hold forever. We were essentially keeping our families in a constant state of anxiety.
"...It’s okay, Dad. We've been going often lately, but we're taking our rest days, and our preparations are more than thorough."
"You say that, but..."
"Besides, compared to other explorers, our strategy is incredibly cautious. We're the types to tap on a stone bridge before crossing it."
Hiiragi-san tried to reassure him, but Eiji-san still looked unconvinced. No matter what she said, a parent’s worry isn't something that can be reasoned away.
Though, I had to agree with her. Our strategy would look like cowardice to most people. We didn't just tap on the stone bridge; we smashed it, rebuilt it from scratch, and then crossed the new one while wearing a safety harness. If other explorers saw how we operated, they'd tell us to just get a move on already.
"...Fine. So, when are you heading back in?"
"Soon. We finished our supply run this morning. We’re going to keep up this pace until Obon."
"...Just don't overdo it."
"We won't."
Once Hiiragi-san finished settling things with her father, Yuji and I decided it was time to head out. We didn't want to overstay our welcome and get in the way of his dinner prep.
We stood up at the same time to say our goodbyes.
"Hiiragi-san, Eiji-san, we should probably get going. We don't want to be a nuisance."
"Eiji-san, thank you so much for the tasting. Everything was delicious."
"Anytime. Feel free to come to me whenever you find something interesting. It’s good practice for me to work with new ingredients."
"Thanks. We'll let you know if we find anything else."
I was grateful for his kindness. He claimed it was for his own study, but I suspect part of it was just being a good dad. Then again, being able to experiment with rare dungeon ingredients that weren't even on the market yet was a huge advantage for a dedicated chef. Actually... come to think of it, we were basically providing him with cutting-edge culinary research material. Maybe he was getting more out of this deal than we were? Well, whatever.
"Oh, before I forget. Here, you two."
"What’s this?"
"Souvenirs. There’s some lizard karaage in there. Have your families try it and let me know what they think. It’s better to get opinions from a wide range of people."
"Understood. Thanks for the food."
Yuji and I took the bags from Eiji-san. The taste was great, but I knew the mental hurdle would be the real issue.
I wondered about Mika... would she eat it if I told her what it was first?
"See you tomorrow, Hiiragi-san."
"Good work today. Thanks for the food."
"Yeah. See you both tomorrow."
Hiiragi-san stayed behind to talk with her father a bit longer, so Yuji and I left the shop with our souvenirs.
After parting ways with Yuji, I headed home.
"I’m back."
"Welcome back, Daiki. Oh? You don't have much with you... did you finish your shopping?"
My mother, who was watching TV in the living room, looked up as I entered.
Ah, crap. I forgot about the "luggage."
"Oh, yeah. I was just restocking consumables for the dungeon, so I left most of it with Yuji. It's fine. Anyway, look—I brought a souvenir."
"Oh, karaage? Thank you."
I quickly brushed off the luggage question and handed her the bag of lizard karaage. As she started to open it, I decided to drop the bombshell to keep her distracted from the missing shopping bags.
"That's special karaage made from the Grass Lizard meat we got in the dungeon. I had some for lunch, and it was actually really good."
"Grass Lizard meat?"
"Basically... lizard karaage."
"LIZ—!?"
As expected, my mother reacted with a jolt, reflexively thrusting the bag away from her.
"Whoa, Mom, take it easy. It looks like normal chicken, and Hiiragi-san’s dad made it, so the flavor is guaranteed. It’s delicious."
"I-is that so...?"
She cautiously peeked back into the bag and sniffed it.
"...It does smell like normal karaage."
"I wouldn't bring home something gross. When you serve it for dinner, you should probably wait until everyone starts eating before you tell them what it is. Otherwise, they'll react just like you did."
"True. It'll definitely be easier to stomach if they don't know what it is first."
"Trust me, it's good."
Still looking a bit skeptical, she took the bag into the kitchen.
Alright, that seemed to cover up the luggage issue... hopefully.
"I’m going to my room. Let me know when dinner's ready."
"Okay, dear."
I headed upstairs to get ready for tomorrow. Not that I had much to do, since all the supplies I’d bought were already tucked away in my Spatial Storage.
Dinner that night was a success; the lizard karaage was a hit with everyone. However, once I revealed the truth after the meal, a minor uproar broke out. Mika, in particular, was fuming about why I hadn't told her beforehand.
Yeah... sibling brawls are strictly off-limits once you've both become explorers. It's just too dangerous.