I bought all the ingredients at the market.
I took a stroll around the town with Chocola.
I played to my heart’s content with Mint.
I relaxed leisurely with Noah and the others.
And at night, I slept soundly with Karen.
And so, the day of the party finally arrived.
「Mother, could you chill these plates and drinks? Karen, please carry these dishes.」
「Of course, I got it.」
「Leave it to me.」
「Mint, can you help your grandma? We need to grate these vegetables.」
「Uuuu! Leave it to me!」
「Ara ara, she’s so enthusiastic. Be careful not to hurt yourself. Come here and sit on grandma’s lap.」
「Noah, keep an eye on the oven. Take things out when they’re ready. Parker-san, can you handle the table arrangement?」
「Sure, I’ve got it.」
「This calls for a good sense of aesthetics. I’m excited!」
「Chocola and Pochi, can you keep the fairies entertained so they don’t get bored?」
「Bark, bark!」
「Kyururu!」
With everyone’s help, we started the preparations early in the morning, and it quickly became a chaotic scene. It felt like working a shift at a restaurant—though I’ve never actually worked at a restaurant, so that’s just how I imagine it.
The party venue is Noah’s mansion.
We set up a large table in a corner of the garden and arranged it as a buffet-style party. With so many people and such lovely autumn weather, an outdoor setting seemed perfect.
At the designated time, just before noon, the guests began to arrive.
First came Berde-san and Schnei-san.
Then the Ejetia twins.
Next were Lila-san and her family, a group of four.
Following them was Tomoe-san’s family, a group of eight.
Lastly, the Novium couple—
Since there were many people I was meeting for the first time,
「We are honored to have been invited.」
「Oh, thank you for coming.」
…such greetings were repeated numerous times, but that was to be expected.
Everyone was dressed casually, with nothing pretentious about them.
And thus, the party to celebrate the two couples began.
※※※
We laid out the food on the table.
Naturally, I put a lot of effort into the dishes, but I also paid close attention to the menu.
The main dish was a whole roasted Gigi bird.
Stuffed with round yams and aromatic vegetables, its surface glazed with malt syrup, it was slowly roasted over a low flame.
Additionally, we had steamed sawtooth salmon. This was, of course, the fish we bought at the market yesterday—the one caught by Tomoe-san’s brother.
It was prepared with mushrooms and vegetables, using plenty of butter and a dash of soy sauce as a secret ingredient. For this occasion only, I decided to use some of the seasonings from Earth, which had so far only been used in the privacy of my home.
This meant a few dishes were given a Japanese twist.
Miso-grilled tusk boar.
Clear soup made with broth from kelp and garnished with fish liver.
Root vegetables stewed in soy sauce and mirin—among other things.
I also included tofu here and there in the salads and soups.
Everyone knows that I am a person who crossed worlds due to the boundary fusion phenomenon, so if I say it’s ‘cuisine from the there’ it won’t invite much curiosity.
Of course, I also prepared plenty of consommé dishes.
Pot-au-feu with bacon and vegetables.
Barley porridge simmered in a rich consommé.
Stir-fried meat and vegetables seasoned with a consommé base.
However, this time, I didn’t use instant consommé granules.
I made a proper consommé soup from scratch, using hard water, beef tendons, and fish heads for the broth, adding vegetables, and skimming off the scum meticulously. It took nearly an entire day to make, with the broth alone requiring about eight hours.
But that’s not all.
Naturally, we also have a wide array of side dishes, bread, and desserts.
First, the sesame dishes.
Noah brought back a large amount from the capital, so I used them generously.
I made chapati flatbreads with plenty of ground sesame.
I spread sesame paste on a tomato and cheese pizza as well.
And as a sweet treat, I made halva and, of course, sesame tofu.
Sesame tofu could be served in various ways—with dashi broth, alongside steamed vegetables, or topped with molasses and cream—making it quite versatile.
And then there were the desserts, including halva—an array of colorful sweets.
Rare cheesecake, mille crepe, and Stollen. I made every recipe I could remember teaching Tomoe-san since coming to this world. Each dish was carefully crafted with the finest ingredients. The Stollen had been aged for about half a month, so its flavor had matured nicely.
Additionally, we prepared a variety of vegetables for Pochi and Mint, and plenty of cut fruits for the fairies to sneak a taste of. We also had beverages like soy milk shakes.
For Chocola, we offered milk and dog food, along with a salt-free stew made from the ingredients used in the human dishes.
So that everyone here could enjoy themselves.
So that everyone here would find joy.
With the help of my family and friends, I gave it my all.
※※※
Everyone enjoyed the delicious-looking dishes crowded on the table.
「Hey, Sui, did the ‘Kannagi’ come in handy?」
「I heard you were good at cooking, but this is really something. I’m genuinely surprised.」
The couple, Novium-san and Spurdia-san, were gnawing on meat, each holding a large beer mug.
I patted the knife at my waist and showed it to them.
「I’ve finally fulfilled my promise… the promise to have you taste my cooking. How is it? Does it match the quality of a masterpiece forged by someone with the title of ‘Iron’?」
Novium-san silently raised his cup.
His eyes were filled with pride and joy.
「It’s delicious. Next time, I’ll cook some Elven dishes for you… although we can only manage simple home cooking.」
「I’m completely impressed. To think that a mage feared by witches would also be an outstanding cook.」
The Ejetia twins praised me with a mix of amazement and admiration. They seemed to have taken a liking to the tofu, eagerly scooping up the cold tofu with a spoon. Maybe it’s in their Japanese genes…
「Well, Karen probably can’t even handle home cooking, so with our level of skill, we’re satisf—… never mind. I just want to congratulate the masters, so I’ll be off!」
Noemi-san, her face turning pale, quickly made her exit. For a moment, a greenish magic aura flickered behind me.
「All of this is sold at Tomoe-neechan’s store, right? I’m so grateful.」
「Thank you, Sui-san! All the cakes are delicious.」
The siblings I met yesterday had brought Tomoe-san’s family with them.
It was a large family: a mother and six children.
Including Tomoe-san, that made seven siblings. Judging by their looks and ages, the fisherman little brother was likely the youngest.
Tomoe-san herself was with Schnei-san, so the seven in front didn’t include her—the one who stepped forward was a middle-aged woman. She was a beautiful lady who resembled Tomoe-san closely.
The family’s mother bowed her head to me.
「My daughter has been in your care. Thank you for this event for her sake. Being the oldest, she’s had a lot of burdens to bear. It’s only now that she’s started thinking about her own happiness. Seeing her find happiness… that makes me truly happy.」
As she spoke, her voice choked with emotion.
Though it might be presumptuous for someone like me to gauge her feelings, there must have been long-standing, pent-up emotions.
So, I shook my head and, in a soft voice, whispered to her.
「I didn’t do anything. Besides, Tomoe-san looked happy from the first time I met her. She said… that the colorful cakes she ate with her family were the taste of happiness for her. But keep that a secret from her, okay?」
「Sui-tchi! Thank you so much, really. Oh, over here, these are my dad, my mother, and my grandma.」
It was Lila-san who came over, waving her hands enthusiastically. Her family followed behind, each greeting me in turn.
「I’m her father. I apologize for my noisy daughter. But thank you for hosting this event.」
「This is our child born when we were quite old. She was smart, but had no talent for magic, and with such a personality, we really didn’t know what to do with her. And now she’s gone and caught that Berde-san, so you really never know what life will bring.」
「Thank you. I’m grateful to have lived to see my grandchild get married.」
Her parents, likely in their fifties, and her grandma, probably in her seventies with a bent back, all had appearances befitting their ages. Just like Lila-san, they probably didn’t have much magic power.
As I bowed to her family,
「You know, I want to thank you. Not just for the party, but also for this.」
Lila-san showed me the bowl she was holding in one hand.
It was a soup filled in a white porcelain bowl—a clear amber-colored consommé soup with tofu and sesame tofu floating in it.
「This tastes just like the powdered stuff, but it’s way better. It’s deeper, richer, and somehow really beautiful.」
「Ah, the powdered consommé was made to replicate this soup quickly.」
「Can we make this at home? And what about these soft things inside it?」
「It takes a lot of effort and time, and you’ll need plenty of ingredients, but if you do it carefully, it’s doable. Making the tofu and sesame tofu isn’t too difficult either, so I’ll teach you the recipe next time.」
「Really!? Yay! Thank you, thank you!」
With a huge smile, she grabbed my hand and shook it up and down.
After doing that for a while, she turned around, crouched down, and met her grandma’s gaze.
「Grandma. I’ll make lots of this, not just for my husband but for you too. Even after I get married, I’ll come to see you every day. So… please live a long, long life, okay? Stay my grandma forever, okay?」
I couldn’t see Lila-san’s face since she was turned away from me. But her grandma—
「Good grief. If you’re going to say that, this old woman has to keep trying a bit longer.」
Her voice was muffled, probably because her teeth weren’t in good shape.
Yet, the old woman—raising her bent back and reaching out her hand—gently patted Lila-san’s head and said,
「Lila, you’re such a good girl… Be happy.」
That single phrase carried profound emotion, and it was probably what everyone here felt for the two couples.
Lila-san, shaking with emotion, hugged her grandma. Her parents watched the two with gentle expressions.
I, too, closed my eyes and wished,
—May they all be happy.
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