"Let's head back to the Guest House for now."
"Eh?...Okay."
With Reiko carrying the still-inactive Golem, Jin and the others climbed into the automobile.
It was a slow fifteen-minute drive back to the Guest House. They still had plenty of time before their meeting.
Upon arrival, Jin headed straight for the kitchen.
"Um, Jin-sama, what are you planning to do?" the Guest House Chef asked, his voice a little hesitant.
"Well, I thought I'd try making a snack—something to go with tea. Do you have any cooking oil?"
"Y-Yes. We have sesame oil, round bean oil, sunflower oil, and several others..."
"Ah, so sesame and sunflower are called by the same names here. In that case, I'll take the round bean oil."
That meant soybean oil. It was a standard salad oil, good for frying. Since it had a pale color and very little odor, Jin chose it for the task.
He poured the oil into a tempura pot and began to Heat it on the magic stove.
While it warmed up, Jin had the staff prepare some kagami mochi. Naturally, he used the pieces that had sat out for several days and grown quite hard.
"What do you intend to do with those? They aren't very good even if you grill them at this stage... surely you don't mean to deep-fry them?!"
Given the oil heating on the magic stove, it was an easy culinary deduction to make. However, Jin simply smiled.
"I'm not just going to fry them. First, we do this..."
Jin handed the hardened kagami mochi to Reiko.
"Reiko, crush these for me, just like we discussed."
"Understood."
Even though the kagami mochi was rock hard, it was no different from a ball of soft clay to Reiko. In an instant, she had pulverized it into small fragments.
"That’s about right."
She had broken it down into pieces roughly a centimeter square.
"Now, we fry these in the oil."
Jin could estimate the temperature by the sound of the oil, but he had Reiko check it just to be sure.
Since Reiko was well-versed in cooking, she had data on precise culinary temperatures. By simply touching the side of the pot, her sensors could tell exactly how hot the oil was.
The Chef’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw Reiko press her palm flat against the body of the heated pot.
"Father, it is approximately 170 degrees Celsius."
"Good, that's just right."
Jin scattered the crushed kagami mochi into the oil.
A sizzle—the characteristic sound of deep-frying—echoed as the mochi hit the surface. Once the pieces puffed up and the surfaces turned a beautiful golden brown, he scooped them out with a mesh ladle.
He placed them on a plate lined with two sheets of wood-paper to drain the excess oil, then sprinkled them with salt while they were still hot. With that, they were finished.
"Oh, what a fascinating dish!"
The Chef, who had watched the entire process with rapt attention, was deeply impressed.
"They're called 'kakimochi.' The trick is to drain the excess oil and eat them as soon as possible after they're made," Jin explained while popping a hot, freshly made piece into his mouth.
"I see, I see. So it's to prevent them from becoming greasy, and because they'll quickly absorb moisture from the air, right?"
The Chef replied as he likewise sampled a piece of the kakimochi.
As expected of a professional, he immediately grasped the logic behind Jin's instructions.
"This is delicious! This cooking method was a complete blind spot for me."
When Jin had asked earlier, he’d been told that while deep-fried foods existed, kakimochi was unknown here. That was what had sparked his desire to make it. Of course, the fact that he had seen the kagami mochi sitting in the room's alcove was the primary inspiration.
"I imagine the flavor would change if you used different oils as well."
"Indeed! Jin-sama, thank you very much!"
And so, another rice-based snack recipe was added to Mitsuho's collection.
"Jin-nii, this is delicious."
When Jin brought the kakimochi back to their room at the Guest House, Elsa, who had been waiting expectantly, immediately tried one.
"The faint saltiness, the flavor of the oil, and that crispy texture... it's irresistible."
One after another, Elsa plucked the kakimochi and tossed them into her mouth.
"If you eat too many, you won't have room for lunch."
"Mm. This... can be lunch."
"Hey..."
It was true that since they were made from glutinous rice, they were quite filling.
"Well, I suppose once in a while is fine," Jin said, showing his usual soft spot for Elsa.
"These are wonderful, Jin-sama!"
At noon, Saki, Hanna, and Mii returned from the Library.
Mii took a particular liking to the snack. The large pile of kakimochi Jin had prepared vanished in no time at all.
"Jin, that was tasty."
"Onii-chan, thank you!"
"Haha, I'm just glad Saki and Hanna liked them too."
Jin beamed at the positive reception.
"I hope this satisfied your request at least a little bit, Mii-san?"
Since she had asked for "stories about snacks" when they first met, Jin had decided to actually make one for her.
"Yes! I would have been perfectly happy with just a story, but I am honored that you actually went to the trouble of making them for us!"
Jin felt satisfied to have checked one more promise off his list.
"Now then, I believe I have one more promise to keep."
Jin informed Mii that the Library Golem was virtually complete.
"R-Really?!"
"Yeah. It's not active yet, though. It’s out in the automobile. I’d like to take it to the Library now."
"In that case, I will go fetch my grandf—I mean, the Chief! I'll bring him right away!"
"Alright, then we’ll be waiting at the Library."
Jin called out to Mii's retreating back as she dashed out of the Guest House.
"—Okaaay!—"
She apparently heard him, as she shouted her reply without slowing down.
"Well then, shall we head over?"
The group set off for the Library in the automobile.
Along the way, they were met with applause, cheers, bows, and fervent gazes from the townspeople, but no one stepped out to block their path.
They arrived at the Library shortly after. Jin had Reiko carry out the Library Golem.
The party decided to wait for Chief Hiro in the lobby just inside the Library entrance.
"Saki-sama, Hanna-sama, welcome back."
The woman acting as the librarian, who had clearly become an acquaintance over the past few days, stepped out from behind the counter to greet them. She appeared to be around thirty years old and had a very intellectual air about her.
"And you must be Jin-sama? And Elsa-sama, I presume?"
"Ah, yes, I'm Jin."
"I'm Elsa."
"My name is Ede. I am the Head Librarian here."
Just as they were exchanging greetings, Hiro and Mii arrived.
"J-Jin-sama! I heard the Library Golem is complete!"
"Er, yes."
Jin was slightly taken aback by Hiro's intense enthusiasm.
"A Library Golem?" Ede asked, looking confused.
"That's right. It's this one here."
"!!"
"Oh!"
"I... I've never seen anything like it..."
It seemed that seeing a high-spec golem before its activation was a first for everyone present.
"Well, please watch. 'Wake up.'"
"Yes, Creator-sama."
"Eek!"
As expected, the sight of a previously motionless object suddenly moving and speaking was quite a shock. Ede, Mii, and even Hiro all had slightly stunned, stiff expressions.
"I've taught it the basics already, so Ede-san, please take over and educate it on the specifics of this Library's management."
"Y-Yes."
Ede managed to squeeze out a response, though she was clearly still in a state of disbelief.