Fortunately, the peak rush had already passed, and we quickly found an empty table for five. These food court tables seemed designed specifically for explorer parties, with each one large enough to seat eight people.
There were also several counter-style seats available, so solo diners didn't have to feel out of place. In fact, a few individuals were eating alone—perhaps their companions had already headed home.
"The peak hours are over, but there are still quite a few people here. I'm just glad we got a seat," I said.
"Well, even if they aren't here for a full meal, there are probably plenty of people like us who just want a quick bite before heading home," Yuji replied.
"I imagine some groups are holding their review meetings here as well," Hiiragi-san added.
The three of us spread our pizza and fries across the table and waited for Mika and the others. They were currently at the microwaves heating their food. The machines here were high-output industrial models, so they wouldn't be long.
About a minute after we sat down, Mika and Saori-chan returned, beaming as they joined us.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!"
"Thanks for being patient!"
A mouth-watering aroma wafted from the containers they placed on the table.
"Yours look delicious. What did you two get?"
"Let’s see," Mika started. "I got the Western-style combo plate. It’s got a hamburger steak, omurice, and even a waffle!"
"I went with noodles," Saori-chan said. "It’s Taiwan mazesoba."
The containers were the plastic kind typical of frozen meals, but the food itself looked surprisingly authentic. If you transferred these to proper ceramic plates, nobody would ever guess they were frozen. I’d probably be the first person to fall for it, happily digging in and praising the 'authentic' taste.
"I didn't realize the machines here stocked things like that," I remarked.
"I took a quick look around while we were waiting, and most of the items in these machines are really high quality," Mika said.
"They seemed to be collaboration dishes," Saori-chan added. "They’re modeled after meals served at specialty restaurants. The one I bought was apparently a collaboration with a famous shop."
"I see."
If the lineup is that good, ordinary people who aren't explorers might start coming here just for the food. They’d come for the rare items or the restaurant collaborations. The whole point of installing these machines was to keep ordinary people away from the dungeon facilities for safety reasons, but if the food becomes a tourist draw, it’ll be a case of having the priorities backward.
"By the way, Onii-chan, what did you guys get? I know it’s pizza, but it looks like it was just pulled out of an oven..."
"Apparently, it came from a machine that serves it freshly baked. We only had to wait about five minutes for it."
"Wait, freshly baked? From a vending machine?"
"It must have a built-in oven," I explained. "At first, I thought a frozen pizza would pop out and I’d have to microwave it myself."
It really was a surprise. When I saw the pizza machine and read the description, it claimed it would serve the selection freshly baked. Vending machine technology has really come a long way.
"They’re evolving when we aren't even looking..."
"No kidding."
Before long, we might see machines that serve food prepared by automated robots. Regardless, if we kept talking, the food would get cold. It was time to dig in.
"Well, let's eat before it loses its heat."
"Right."
"Let's."
"Yeah!"
"Yes!"
"Thank you for the food!" we all said in unison.
After a quick, polite gesture, we began.
I’d been skeptical because it was vending machine food, but the first bite of pizza was excellent. The crust was thick, chewy, and pillowy, topped with a sauce that had just the right amount of spice and heat. The cheese was a rich, salty blend of several different varieties. Best of all, the generous toppings were flavorful enough to stand up to the strong sauce and dough.
"This is actually good."
"Yeah, I underestimated it. I didn't think vending machine pizza could ever reach this level of quality..." Yuji said, looking impressed.
"The balance is incredible," Hiiragi-san noted. "The toppings are so substantial that you’d expect them to overwhelm the crust, but the sauce acts as a perfect bridge between the two."
The three of us were genuinely shocked by how good it was. Since it was uncharted territory for us, we hadn't set the bar high, but this was a total surprise. Given the ingredients, I’d expected it to be decent, but it far exceeded my expectations.
"Since it uses orc meat and mino meat, I figured it would have a base level of flavor... but you could honestly serve this in a restaurant," I said. "It would definitely be popular, even if it is a bit pricey."
"If I could get this at a restaurant, I’d probably go there just to eat it. Even with the cost," Yuji agreed.
"True. The quality alone could attract customers. Though, as you said, it’s not cheap," Hiiragi-san added.
As we enjoyed the pizza, we couldn't help but grumble a little about the one downside. This single-serving pizza cost 5,000 yen. It was labeled as a specialty item using dungeon food, so we’d bought it mostly as a curiosity. I wasn't sure if it was truly 'worth' that much, but the taste was undeniable. Still, expensive was expensive.
"I wonder if the price is high because they assume explorers can afford it?"
"Well, there's more demand here than in a normal shopping mall," Yuji replied. "Parties that spend several days deep in the dungeon have plenty of cash. When those people come out and want a meal immediately, it’s only natural for them to want something delicious, even if it costs a premium."
"And if there's a place right here where they can get something high-quality without any effort... yeah, I can see the demand being high," Hiiragi-san said.
Operating inside a dungeon for days means you have to be frugal with your supplies. If you try to bring in fancy ingredients to spice up your meals, the weight of your pack becomes a nightmare. Unless you have a dedicated backup team or special circumstances like us, most explorer parties have to live off dried goods like cup noodles or retort-pouch meals. There’s nothing inherently wrong with those, but being stuck with such a limited diet is a major stressor.
Dungeons are already claustrophobic environments where the constant threat of monster attacks keeps everyone on edge. If you ignore the frustration caused by poor meals, the mental strain can easily lead to friction within the party, potentially causing it to collapse.
"Is your pizza really that good, Onii-chan?" Mika asked.
"Hmm? Yeah, it’s great. The only catch is the price because of the ingredients."
"Heeh..."
"I'm not sharing, okay?"
Mika was staring intently at the pizza with a longing gaze, so I quickly made an 'X' with my fingers. This pizza wasn't big enough to divide any further. Besides, Mika already had her own meal.
"Aww..."
"Don't give me that look. If you really want some, finish your own plate first. That’s a pretty big portion you’ve got there."
"Okay."
Her meal had hamburger steak, omurice, and a waffle—a heavy combination. Even after a day of exploring, adding pizza on top of that would be overkill. Besides, her plate didn't seem to be getting empty all that quickly.
"Anyway, yours looks plenty good too, Mika. Does that hamburger use orc meat or mino meat?"
"I don't think so. The picture didn't say it used dungeon food, and it was way too cheap for that."
"How much was it?"
"About 1,800 yen. It seemed like a product from a specific restaurant, so it wasn't that bad. It’s probably a local place that flash-freezes its menu items to sell here."
Mika took a bite of her hamburger steak and her face lit up, clearly satisfied with the taste.
"How are your noodles, Saori-chan? Are they from a local place too?"
"Ah, yes! These have quite a kick to them, but they’re very tasty. I can't believe this is frozen food."
"I see. I’ve heard freezing technology has become incredible lately. It really can match the quality of a restaurant."
"I haven't been to the actual shop, so I can't say for sure, but this is good enough to make me want to visit them in person," Saori-chan said.
In that sense, the restaurant that supplied the machine had already succeeded. If explorers get interested in the food and visit as customers, they might bring others along. If a rumor spreads that a shop is a favorite for explorers returning from a raid, it’ll draw in the general public too. Though there’s always a risk that if it becomes too much of an 'explorer haunt,' regular people might find it intimidating to enter.
"Hearing all that makes me want to try it too," I said. "I used to ignore this facility, but maybe I should start stopping by more often."
"If it’s not crowded, it’s a very convenient place to eat. With this many options, it would take a long time to get bored," Yuji added.
"That's true," Hiiragi-san agreed. "It would take a while just to try everything in a single machine."
"Each machine has five or six items, so if we only come on weekends, it would take a month just to clear one machine," Mika calculated.
"To try everything in the entire court... wouldn't that take more than a year?" Saori-chan asked.
As Saori-chan pointed out, conquering this many vending machines would easily take over a year. And by the time a year passed, the lineup would likely have been refreshed, forcing you to start all over again.
For pro explorers who go to the dungeon every day, it might be possible, but for student explorers like us who mainly visit on weekends, it’s a tall order. I certainly wouldn't have the stomach to eat five or six meals in one sitting just to clear a machine.
"Yeah, eating everything from one machine at once is out of the question."
"And it’s hard to take them home," Yuji noted.
"They'd melt before we got back," Mika added.
There were no ice packs or thermal bags available, likely because the facility assumed people would eat their purchases on-site. For locals, it might be fine, but for those of us traveling from further away, the food would be half-thawed by the time we reached our front doors. We had insulated bags for drop meat, but even if we bought ice at a convenience store, the quality would probably suffer during the trip.
"You're right," Hiiragi-san said. "Instead of worrying about trying everything, we should just come when we feel like it and eat what we enjoy."
"Yeah, definitely. It’s more fun to just relax and pick what you want than to make it a chore," Mika agreed.
"I don't think I could handle forcing myself to eat that much anyway..." Saori-chan added.
The three girls seemed to have lost interest in the 'completionist' approach. While there was a certain appeal to earning a 'Title' for conquering every menu item, it wasn't worth the misery. As they said, enjoying it in moderation was the way to go.
"Fair enough. There’s no point in overdoing it. Let's just enjoy it for what it is."
"Yeah. Stopping by once in a while after a long day in the dungeon sounds just about right," Yuji said.
I agreed with Hiiragi-san and Yuji as we finished our pizza. It had cooled down while we were talking, and the cheese wasn't as stretchy anymore, but the flavor hadn't diminished. Some pizzas get soggy or overly salty when they go cold, but this one held up. The quality of modern frozen food really is something else.
I felt a deep sense of satisfaction as I enjoyed the simple pleasure of eating good food with friends.