The Flying Board after-party was finally underway. Since we were among the top finishers, we were initially ushered into an area with the members of Scarlet Blue and Black Muscat. I was relieved to learn that being winners didn't mean we had to deliver a speech or lead the toast.
The city representative of the host venue was scheduled to handle the formal address and the toast; the most we had to do was acknowledge a brief introduction during his remarks.
It seemed that no matter which world you were in, the speeches given by officials on such occasions were always interminable. The representative rambled on for an age about his impressions of the tournament and the revitalization of the remote regions. By the halfway point, the atmosphere in the room had soured into a palpable "please just finish already" mood. Naturally, the representative remained undeterred, reading every single syllable of his prepared script until the bitter end.
Once the long-winded speech finally concluded and the toast was made, we were free to do as we pleased. We could enjoy conversations with the other participants or sample the prepared food and drink.
Since we were all quite hungry, we decided to eat first.
"...Oh, look! It’s quite rare to see a rice dish."
"It certainly is for this world. It looks a bit like paella, though..."
"That’s a huge frying pan! I love it when they serve food with this much flair using giant cookware!"
The meal was buffet-style—or rather, closer to a standing reception—but it felt far more like a lively festival banquet than the formal parties the nobles held. You took small portions of the grand dishes prepared in large pots and platters onto your own plate.
The first thing that caught our eye was a paella-like dish filled with plenty of seafood.
Since bread was the main staple in this world and rice-based dishes were quite minor, it was rare to see them at such events.
Now that I thought about it, I recalled hearing that rice cultivation in this world had its humble beginnings in the remote regions of the Hydra Kingdom. Considering this area was one of those places, this might very well be a local specialty.
Where had I heard that again? Ah, right—I hadn't heard it, I'd read it. It was in Noin-san's diary. I recalled something to that effect being written there.
"I wonder if you can catch seafood around here?"
"I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s brought in from another region? This area seems more agricultural, and being too close to the sea usually brings the risk of salt damage to the crops..."
"Ah, that's true... then, did they procure it from somewhere else?"
"Maybe they were caught in that big lake over there?"
While Aoi-chan and I were discussing where the shrimp and shellfish were sourced from as we helped ourselves to the paella, Hina muttered with a blank expression.
Aoi-chan replied to Hina's suggestion with a wry smile.
"Hina-chan, those kinds of shrimp and shellfish aren't found in lakes..."
"Huh? But that's just how it works in our world. Who's to say it's not different here?"
"...Ah."
Come to think of it, she was right. In our world, things like shrimp and mussels were harvested from the sea. But there was no guarantee it was the same in this world. Just because they looked similar, there was a good chance they were actually crustaceans or shellfish native to fresh water.
"...I think we were being a bit too narrow-minded."
"You know, Hina-chan, once in a very long while, you have some truly sharp insights."
"...Aoi-senpai? Was it really necessary to add 'once in a very long while'?"
It was a heartwarming sight to see Hina looking at Aoi-chan with disgruntled eyes. It wasn't as if she were truly angry; it just felt like the two were close enough to voice their complaints freely.
As I shifted my gaze while thinking that, I spotted a familiar trio of macho men—the members of Yellow Pipe.
"...Look, you two. Yellow Pipe is over there."
"Ah, you're right. It looks like they're doing a live cooking show."
"...Those cook suits are practically painted on..."
Just as Aoi-chan said, Yellow Pipe seemed to be preparing for a live cooking performance, setting out their ingredients and cookware. However, because they were wearing tight suits over their massive physiques, the sense of incongruity was immense. As Hina noted, their pectoral muscles and arms were so thick that the fabric looked stretched to the breaking point.
"Now, everyone! Feast your eyes on our culinary prowess!"
"The secret ingredient to any delicious dish is muscle!"
"With these polished bodies, let us craft a feast fit for kings!"
They were the same intense trio as ever, leaning hard into their muscle theory. Admittedly, there were probably more opportunities to use brute strength in the kitchen than there were in a board race.
Indeed, the way the three of them cooked was incredibly flashy, drawing a large crowd. Given their visual impact, they were perfectly utilizing their natural strengths.
Presumably as fan service, they periodically struck bodybuilding poses between steps. Watching them flex while wearing cook suits was bizarrely surreal and hilarious.
???: "Nice bulk! That chicken wing has reached its ultimate, complete form!"
Machina: "You're shredded! There's a mountain range sitting on your shoulders!"
Serious-senpai: "Seriously, what are you two even doing?"
Machina: "Well, ??? told me to join in."
???: "I thought I should participate at least once."
Machina: "Though to me, they just look like talking meat slabs, no different from any other human..."
Serious-senpai: "What on earth is wrong with your eyes?"