One afternoon, I was paging through a magazine over a cup of black tea when an article caught my eye. It focused on the culinary culture of another world, highlighting dishes that were quite rare in this one.
Gourmet magazines have become increasingly vibrant and engaging lately, largely due to the rising popularity of photographs taken with magic tools. This one was no exception.
The article featured several rice-based dishes, but the one that truly piqued my interest was sukiyaki. Come to think of it, it felt like forever since I’d last eaten it.
The moment the thought crossed my mind, a sudden, intense craving hit me. I already had the soy sauce and mirin I’d received from Noin-san, so making it myself seemed entirely feasible.
I even had some tofu from her as well... though for sukiyaki, grilled tofu might be the better choice.
With plenty of vegetables on hand, putting it all together would be simple enough. Yes, sukiyaki sounded perfect. I was sure that if I asked Alice, she could have everything ready in an instant, but since the idea had come to me, I wanted the satisfaction of preparing it myself.
I decided I’d gather the ingredients and give it a shot. If it turned out well, I could even invite Lilia-san and the others over to share it.
"And that’s basically what I was thinking," I explained.
"Heh, sounds like a plan. Sukiyaki is great, isn't it? It’s a rarity in this world, though—the tradition has only really survived in the remote regions of the Hydra Kingdom."
"Wait, really? Is it not that popular? Oh, I see... is it because soy sauce is so rare that people can't make the warishita broth?"
"That's part of it. Plus, tofu didn't even exist here until quite recently. People in the Hydra Kingdom had to make do with substitutes."
"Now that you mention it, that makes sense..."
If tofu had been readily available in the Hydra Kingdom, Noin-san never would have asked me for the recipe. It seemed that while the concept of sukiyaki existed in this world, it occupied the status of a 'phantom dish'—a legendary meal that was nearly impossible to replicate perfectly.
They’d managed to recreate it with substitutes, but still...
"It sounds like fun! Mind if I help you gather the ingredients?" Kuro asked.
"I’d appreciate the help. I have a feeling you know exactly where to find the best stuff."
"I’m actually pretty confident in that department. My commercial associations have been busy lately, but things have finally settled down, so I’ve got some time on my hands."
"No kidding. You’ve been rolling out one new product after another."
"I can’t help it! Once I get inspired, I just keep going. The video magic tools aren't quite finished yet, but the recording magic tools are circulating perfectly. Most of the other new products have been hits too—the instant cuisine is selling so fast we can't even keep up with production."
"Yeah, I’ve seen them featured in magazines all over the place."
Recently, Kuro had been launching a flurry of new items through her various companies. The most notable was the recording magic tool from the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company—essentially a camera. While it was still too expensive for the average person to buy on a whim, it was a massive hit with publishing firms. Consequently, more and more magazines were beginning to use real photographs.
Her other ventures, like bath salts and playground equipment, were also doing brisk business. The initial 'Noble's Bath Series' had been such a success that she was already planning a 'Hot Spring Series' for the second phase. If that helped popularize the concept of hot springs, it might lead to certain areas becoming famous as tourist destinations. I found myself looking forward to it.
But the biggest winner by far was the instant series. These products were compact enough to carry without a magic box and allowed anyone to enjoy a fresh, hot meal with great flavor anywhere they went.
They were immensely popular with everyone from adventurers and traveling merchants to ordinary families. They sold as quickly as they were stocked, forcing many shops to implement purchase limits just to manage the demand.
Due to this overwhelming success, the development of dishes beyond bread and soup had been fast-tracked. The second instant series was already on the market, having been the subject of numerous magazine features even before its launch.
"The 'Anywhere Baby Castella' we released in the second series is a huge hit, too. After all, being able to eat fresh baby castella whenever you want is a wonderful thing, don't you think?"
"...Well, I’ll agree that they’re best when they're fresh."
The baby castella instant product clearly reflected Kuro’s personal tastes, but since baby castella was a beloved snack in this world, it had been genuinely well-received.
"Are you planning to do tie-ins with famous restaurants next? Recreating the flavors of a well-known shop?"
"...Hmm. That's a fascinating idea. It would be great promotion for the restaurants, too. It might be worth exploring... though elaborate dishes would be harder to produce. We might have to stick to limited quantities or short-term runs..."
"Uh, Kuro? Hate to interrupt while you’re in 'Chairman' mode, but could we get back to the sukiyaki?"
"Ah, right! Sorry about that. So, what should we look for first?"
Kuro had bitten hard on my offhand comment—which I’d only made because I was thinking of cup noodles—but she gave me a bright smile and immediately shifted her focus back to our original conversation.
What should we get first? Probably the beef, right?
Serious-senpai: "Is this... the Main Heroine's Turn...?"
???: "No, I... Alice-chan, plan to participate as well. As a dedicated eater! As a dedicated eater!!"
Serious-senpai: "...Why did you feel the need to say that twice?"