Since Hayato is here after we returned from Amatsukuni…… it is only natural that we end up eating a lot!
The dango we made the other day apparently made Hayato extremely happy.
As expected of a drifter, he has a real weakness for Japanese food.
Well, in this world, unless you are in Amatsukuni, most meals revolve around wheat flour like bread and pasta, so it is no wonder he is extra pleased.
That is why I decided to share the joy with Hayato using the ingredients I bought in Amatsukuni.
Fufufu. Who would have thought I could eat this in another world……
It must be completely unexpected for Hayato too.
「Hoooh…… hooooh……」
「Hm? What is wrong, Hayato? You are spacing out. The rest is just boiling, so wait a little longer, okay?」
「No, yes. Of course I will wait…… But…… I never imagined that Itsuki-san could make soba noodles by hand……」
That is right. This time we are eating soba noodles made with the soba flour I asked Gouki-dono to prepare.
And the truth is, I can actually make soba noodles!
「My grandpa got really into making soba for a while. I watched him and he taught me, so I learned how to do it. It has been a while since I last made any, but I still remember.」
Grandpa must have been happy to teach his grandson something he loved.
When I think of memories with grandpa, soba-making is the first thing that comes to mind. Thanks to him teaching me so well, I can now eat soba even in another world. I am truly grateful to him.
「All right. While they are boiling, I will get the other things ready. How do you want to eat yours, Hayato? We have mentsuyu, sesame sauce, tororo, and even spicy grated daikon, so eat whatever you like.」
「Ooooh…… You prepared everything. But as expected, I will go with mentsuyu!」
Yeah, I figured you would say that.
I also think mentsuyu is the best way to eat soba…… but it is the hardest to hide any mistakes with.
「Okay. Looks like they are just about ready. Cool them in cold water…… and place them on the handmade zaru……」
The woodworking skill I learned in Amatsukuni came in handy right away.
Though all I did was tie thinly cut bamboo together with string……
It is simple, but it has a certain craftsmanship to it.
「Foooooh…… Soba. It is soba, Itsuki-san!」
「Yeah, it is…… You are really happy. What is up?」
I understand being happy about soba, but the joy on your face is greater than anything I have seen before.
「No, I actually love soba a lot!」
「Oh, is that so? Ah…… Well, I do not know if a beginner’s soba will satisfy you, but let us eat right away.」
「Yes! Let us dig in!」
I watched quietly as Hayato eagerly took soba from the zaru, dipped it lightly in the mentsuyu, and slurped it up with a loud, hearty sound before chewing with pure joy on his face.
Aah…… He is eating it so deliciously.
「Mmm! Nnn! Yeah. Yeah! It is delicious, Itsuki-san!」
「I am glad to hear that. It has been a while since I last made it, so I was a little worried.」
It turned out decent in shape, but since it had been so long, I made some small mistakes.
The thickness of the noodles was uneven, some cuts were crooked, and if I started listing every little flaw there would be no end.
Still, none of them broke during cutting, so they at least kept the proper soba shape.
「No no, there is no need to be modest. They have good chew, the soba aroma comes through nicely, and they are the most delicious soba I have ever eaten!」
「I am just an amateur. There is no way they are the best. Maybe you feel that way because we are in another world? Well, I will have some too.」
I took my own portion and first tried a bite with only the mentsuyu.
Of course, I slurped it loudly and boldly.
Ah…… The mentsuyu turned out well, even if I say so myself.
However, the texture is still not quite right.
Even so, thanks to the high-quality soba flour, the distinctive soba aroma rises from my mouth to my nose, and both the flavor and taste seem to be covered well by the ingredients.
「……Yeah. What do you know. It is properly delicious!」
「See? You should have more confidence! Now then, next is…… with green onions and grated yam…… Slurp…… slurrrp! Mmm!」
「Haha. You really are eating with such a happy face. Just seeing that smile makes all the effort worth it.」
「Because it really is delicious! Thank you for inviting me, Itsuki-san!」
「Yeah. After all, food from the original world should be eaten with you, Hayato.」
「……I am really happy. Itsuki-saaan.」
Hey. Do not get all embarrassed.
There is no deep meaning behind it, okay?
Come on. Eat your soba. Eat your soba.
There is still plenty of sauce left, so try all the different kinds.
「Lord. Nn? Are you eating something?」
「Hayato-sama! Nn? What are you eating nano desu?」
Oops. The hungry duo has arrived.
They were running around the town playing with Mii today.
Looks like we will need to make more.
「Pasta? Dipping pasta?」
「No. This is soba, food from my original world.」
「Ooh. Lord’s world’s food! It smells good. Looks delicious.」
「Want some? Well, of course you do.」
「Hmm. I will eat!」
「Mii will eat too! Hayato-sama looks really happy eating it no desu! This must be something super delicious nano desu!」
Got it. Then I will make some more soba.
But before that……
「All right, you two. Hold out your arms first.」
「Arms? Nn.」
「Arms, desu?」
Yes, yes.
Excuse me for a moment……
「Hake? Is it ticklish?」
「No, no.」
「Hyaa! Something was smeared on me nano desu!?」
「Just a little soba-yu. If the spot I applied it to turns red after a while, you cannot eat any, okay?」
「Wh…… at……」
「Desu……」
TN: Soba yu is the leftover water of where the soba was boiled(soba bathwater?). By the way, don’t underestimate food allergy.
No, you two were happily getting painted with the brush and giggling just a moment ago. You do not have to suddenly open your eyes wide in shock……
I am not being mean or anything, you know?
「There is something called soba allergy. Some people cannot eat soba. That is why we have to check beforehand if it is safe.」
「S-Shiro will not lose to any ingredient!」
「That is not the kind of problem it is.」
「Mii will not lose either nano desu!」
「It is not about winning or losing……」
Yeah. I understand that the possibility of not being able to eat it is scary, but you cannot take allergies lightly.
It can be really dangerous. Things like willpower do not work against it.
「Mii. Please wait quietly. Allergies are truly scary. You must listen to what Itsuki-san says.」
「Uuu…… I do not like being put on hold nano desu……」
「Shiro will not lose…… Shiro can eat anything. Even leaves…… if I try hard enough. So…… Shiro will not lose.」
The two of them are staring intently at the spots where I applied the soba-yu……
「……By the way, sometimes it takes about two hours for symptoms to appear.」
「That long!?」
「We cannot eat until then nano desu!?」
「Nope.」
「「Gaaan!」」
I do not know the exact time for a proper test, but to be safe if anything happens, we will wait properly.
Making those pitiful faces and pleading will not work.
Even your begging beams will not work on something that is no good.
「Anyway, Hayato, you can eat. Want seconds?」
「Ah, yes please! I still want to try many different flavors! Um…… sorry, you two.」
Then I will make some more soba.
I will make enough for Shiro and the others too. I will boil Hayato’s and my portions first and store the rest in the magic space.
Still…… Hayato really loves soba, huh.
Normally he would hold back because of the two of them.
Well, I am eating too.
「Uuuu…… Do not come out, do not come out……」
「It cannot turn red nano desu…… It cannot turn red nodesuuu……!」
-0-
Quite some time had passed since then. Hayato and I had enjoyed soba to the point where we could barely move, so we decided to simply have tea like this.
Well, to be accurate, we were not moving because we still had to boil more once the two of them finished their checks.
「Haaa…… Soba. It was so delicious…… The soba-yu was delicious too……」
「Yeah. Next time we should make tempura and have hot tempura soba.」
「Ah, that sounds wonderful. Kitsune soba with fried tofu…… Wait. Fried tofu……」
「Exactly. Ah, but that meat-like thing that was in the miso soup Chris made for us the other day tasted similar to aburaage, didn’t it?」
「Oh! That might work as a substitute!」
Right, right.
I learned about it afterward!
But there were too many steps and I could not remember them all, so next time I will have to give Wendy a note and ask her to recreate it.
Still, aburaage…… I do not know if it will form a pouch properly, but it would be nice if we could make inarizushi too.
「Itsuki-san, what was your favorite thing you ate today?」
「Let me see…… Personally, I was surprised by how good the one with grated walnuts was.」
「Ah! That one was really good! But for me, the simple version with mentsuyu, nori, green onion, and wasabi was the best!」
Simple is best.
Since the mentsuyu is made with soy sauce too, no matter what, that ends up being the one people call the best.
「Lord! Lord! Is it okay now?」
Ooh, Shiro has been waiting so long that her speech has become polite…… That is rare.
「It did not turn red nano desu! Can I eat soba now no desu?」
「Yeah. It should be fine for both of you. I let you try a little earlier and there was no problem…… Then let us boil a big batch.」
「Hmm!」「Yes, nano desu!」
I only let them try one small bite each to check, but there was no reaction, so it should be safe.
Even that single bite had them worrying about which sauce to use, so they will probably eat a lot. I will have to work hard on making more noodles too.
「Hmm! Lord! Is it okay to go zuru zuru? Will Wendy not get angry?」
「Yeah. It is fine with soba.」
「Chururu…… Uu…… It is surprisingly difficult no desu!」
「Zuru! Zuzuzuzu!」
「Shiro is so good at it!?」
「Hmm…… Nfu. This way of eating is delicious.」
「Th-That is unfair! Mii also wants to eat it in a delicious way no desu! But it turns into churu o desu!」
「Mii. Instead of slowly, if you slurp it all in one go, it is easier.」
「Hayato-sama! I understand! Zuzuu! Nnn! Nn…… Nfuu! I did it! This way of eating is delicious no desu!」
Yeah, yeah.
Both of them are eating so happily.
……Maybe I will have a little more too.
Ah, Hayato too? Yeah. Just a little. Just a little, okay.
「My lord. I am back…… What are you doing? Cooking?」
I thought we had finished boiling a large batch, but it seems Aina and the others have returned, so we need to make more?
No, but……
「What? Is it my liege’s world’s food again?」
「Ooh! In that case we definitely want to eat it toossu!」
「No.」「No, nano desu!」
「Why not!? And even Mii?」
「Being mean is not nicessu!」
「That is right. We also want to eat my liege’s handmade food.」
「Allergies are scary no desu!」
「Hmm. Inspection is necessary. Shiro and Mii passed it.」
Yeah, yeah. Of course, Aina and the others need the allergy check too.
「Allergy? Inspection…… What do you do?」
「Hmm. Nn…… Rub Shiro’s leftovers on it?」
「Wrong, Shiro. You just brush a little of the boiling water on the skin.」
「What kind of misunderstanding would turn something so humiliating into an inspection…… But it is only that, right? Then I will do it.」
「What are you all talking about?」
「Hayato and Mii, what are you doing?」
Wendy and Letty also arrived, and soon after everyone had gathered. Since there would probably be more chances to eat soba in the future, we decided to do the allergy check for everyone.
Naturally, Shiro and Mii had to wait the same amount of time they had waited earlier, and in the end it became dinner. Even though it was two meals in a row, we enjoyed it very much!
Well, the result was that everyone was fine, so we were able to safely eat soba together like this.
「……Um…… Why is everyone ignoring the fact that m’lord is wearing a heart-patterned apron? Eh? Is this the current trend? Maybe Shion-chan is falling behind?」
It just happened that the normal apron I usually use was in the laundry!
No one reacted at all, so even I forgot I was wearing this. Please do not point it out!
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