With the prototype pudding proving to be a massive hit, even more adventurers and townspeople began to gather. Since many of them were craving something sweet rather than just takoyaki, it looked like Halfa and Spira had pivoted to running a soft-serve stall. I wasn't even sure if this counted as a Takoyaki Party anymore, but the event was a success, so I suppose it didn't really matter.
Actually, during the event, some members of the Molybdenum Group had learned about takoyaki and wanted to try making it themselves. Personally, I welcomed the idea. The recipe wasn't difficult, and the ingredients could be gathered right in the dungeon. I taught them the ropes, hoping it would spread as a new culinary staple... but the name turned out to be a problem.
I had intended to introduce it as "takoyaki," but Spira had blurted out, "It's Mohawk-yaki, right!" The word "Mohawk" didn't exist in this world, but she seemed to have remembered a term I’d accidentally let slip once. By the time I noticed, the name had already stuck, so I gave up on trying to correct it.
It was Muscle-yaki in Aingurna and Mohawk-yaki in Albiroda. Even though it was the same dish, it had ended up with two different names. It reminded me of those snacks back home, like kaiten-yaki or imagawa-yaki, which had countless regional variations. Perhaps one day, different factions would form and a grand naming dispute would break out.
As for the pudding recipe, I made sure to properly pass it on to Halfa and Spira. Since the process involved cooling and setting the mixture, I’d worried it might not be suitable for a food stall, but the two of them didn't seem concerned. They figured they could just prepare batches in advance and keep them fresh inside a Storage Ring.
And so, the two girls finally opened their pudding shop. For their memorable first location, they chose the Fairy Realm.
"I’ve been waiting for this! So this is the new treat, huh?"
"Welcome, Roro-chan."
"It's a very delicious pudding, you know."
Whenever we stayed in Albiroda, Halfa and Spira would open their sweets shop in the Fairy Realm like this. They were incredibly popular among the fairies. Led by Roro, a huge crowd of fairies swarmed them, but the girls handed out the pudding with smiles on their faces.
"I finally got to eat some! It's so good!"
"It’s sweet and just melts in my mouth..."
Shiroru and Pino, who had missed out on the pudding during the Takoyaki Party, had finally gotten their hands on some and looked utterly satisfied.
"What are you making, Tort?"
As I started my own preparations, Rowell peered curiously at what I was doing. He probably noticed the soy sauce I’d set out, which didn't exactly look like a dessert ingredient.
"I'm going to make rice crackers. They aren't sweet, so they might not be as popular with the fairies."
"Hoh. So there are snacks like that too?"
Oh, he seemed interested. Might as well get started.
The process wasn't difficult. I crushed rice into a powder, mixed it with water, and then boiled the dough in small clumps. Once they were soft enough, they naturally floated to the surface, so I scooped them up and rolled them out thin. Usually, they would need to be dried, but I handled that instantly with the dehydration magic, Dehydrate. After that, it was time to grill.
I laid the dough onto a hot iron plate. The sizzling sound alone was enough to make my mouth water. But that wasn't the final step. Once they were partially cooked, I used a brush to coat them in soy sauce. A savory, toasted aroma immediately filled the air.
"Now that really whets the appetite."
Rowell’s eyes were glued to the rice crackers. Even Garna, who usually kept a dignified distance during these things, wandered over.
"What a violent fragrance you are releasing..."
"It’s rare to see you interested, Garna."
"Gunu... It is vexing, but for once, I can understand Shiroru’s obsession. I cannot resist this scent!"
She looked frustrated, but her gaze never wavered from the crackers. Honestly, I couldn't blame her. The smell of scorched soy sauce was truly wicked.
Once they were finished, I immediately served them to Rowell and Garna. The two of them ate the piping-hot crackers in silence, huffing and puffing to cool them down as they went.
I tried one myself. Yeah, that crisp snap was perfect!
"Is that a new dish?! You have to report these things to us properly!"
"That's right, Master! We have our own tasting schedules to manage, you know!"
The gluttonous duo, having caught the scent, came rushing over. Shiroru still had pudding smeared all over her face. As I wiped it off, Garna, who had already finished her first cracker, interjected.
"You two already have your pudding. Stay over there and eat that."
Rowell nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. These aren't sweet, so I don't think they'd suit your palates."
As he spoke, he reached for a second one.
"It’s good, isn't it?! We know it’s good! It's unfair for you to keep them all to yourselves!"
"You lot should just stick to your other sweets!"
"No way! It’s our mission to enjoy every kind of treat there is!"
"No such mission exists!"
While Shiroru, Garna, and Pino bickered, Rowell quietly reached for a third cracker. That was truly a rare sight.
"Now, now. I can make plenty more, so everyone should share."
"See? Tort said so too!"
"Nuu... Fine. Wait, why are there so few left?"
"A total mystery, isn't it?"
"I have to eat before they’re all gone!"
Intrigued fairies began to gather as well, so I offered them some crackers too. The reaction was mixed; most of them still preferred the sweet pudding or soft-serve, but a few fairies took a real liking to them. Just like Rowell and Garna, they refused to budge from their spot in front of the iron plate.
Following the success of the Takoyaki Party, the sweets shop in the Fairy Realm was a hit as well.
A few days later, I used the medicinal herbs I’d received from the fairies as payment to brew some Status Enhancement Potions. Since I also had a Mutant Magic Stone from a Slot Mimic, I decided to craft a Status Enhancement Potion (Special) while I was at it. The last time I’d used one of those, I’d gained the Creativity Lv3 trait... I wondered what would happen this time.