Chapter 37: The Ultimate Topping
The Chinese-style rice porridge was warmly welcomed for being cheap, delicious, and satisfying. It sold very well.
“Miss, this is delicious!”
Men were eating hot Chinese rice porridge while panting. Children were mixing in the rich toppings and eating with spoons.
Because I decided to change one topping daily, I ended up worrying about the toppings. It’s a fun dilemma.
“Now, everyone. I made various new toppings today, so please taste them and give me your feedback.”
On the table, there were various toppings lined up, and everyone put a little on their rice porridge and ate.
“Haru, I like the sweet and savory simmered chicken.”
“I like the one where I cooked various beans and topped it with black honey.”
“Oh? What about Cyril-san?”
“They’re all delicious. But if I had to be picky, I would love it if I could have the taste of my nostalgic mother’s cooking.”
“What kind of taste is that?”
“It’s made by chopping boiled pork intestines, frying them until crispy, and sprinkling them with spicy spices and rock salt.”
Everyone who listened to the explanation had a face that said, “That sounds delicious.”
“That would go well with ale.”
“It would definitely go well with distilled spirits.”
Pauline and Victor were praising it with their mouths full.
Just imagining it made me crave the spicy fried intestines.
“I’ll make it! I can get the intestines at the butcher’s. Cyril-san, would you come with me and buy spices that resemble my mother’s taste at the spice shop?”
❂❂❂
“Haru, I want you to sprinkle green onions on it too.”
“Pauline-san, that’s definitely a winner!”
While Cyril-san tasted it, I made the spicy fried intestines. The intestines, fried until crispy and brown, had a satisfying chewiness, but when placed on the rice porridge, they became tender. The spicy flavor of the intestines soaked into the rice porridge.
Pauline closed her eyes while chewing.
“I didn’t really like intestines, but this is delicious. The key is that they’re fried well.”
Victor piled up a mountain of intestines to the point where you would think, “Is that enough?” and while chewing, he let out a sigh and said, “Delicious. . .”
“How about you, Haru? Did you like my mother’s taste?”
“Cyril-san, this is the ultimate topping. I also tried adding green onions, grated ginger, and roasted sesame, but I can keep eating it endlessly.”
“Wow, I want to try it too.”
“Me too!”
We finished eating the intestines we made together. We’ll have to make more. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s rice porridge sales.
After finishing the preparations for tomorrow, I went out to the garden. I called Kuro and stroked his back while sitting absentmindedly on a bench. Then, Cyril-san came over.
“Haru, what are you doing at this hour?”
“I’m thinking it would be nice if Victor could bathe in that golden powder here in town to help his recovery. Do you know any places where magical energy is abundant?”
Cyril-san chuckled.
“I was born and raised here. Of course, I know.”
In a hurry, I called Victor and Pauline-san as well and followed Cyril-san. In a few minutes, we saw it.
“Wow. . .”
“See? It’s amazing, right?”
“What is it, Haru, Cyril-san? Explain it to us so we can understand.”
“That’s right, that’s right.”
It was a place that looked like a small park built in the middle of a residential area.
“I bought this land with my own earnings. I wanted everyone in the neighborhood to relax and be able to bathe in it.”
In the center of the small plot of land, about the size of an ordinary house, there was a round flower bed with a statue of a goddess in the middle. Golden magical energy was gushing out from around the statue. Four benches were placed around the flower bed. Deciduous trees were planted in positions where the benches would be shaded in the summer.
“Cyril-san, this is wonderful.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Victor, no matter which bench you sit on, you can bathe in the magical energy.”
“I see. Let’s try it right away.”
Pauline-san followed Victor’s lead and sat down. The golden powder from the flower bed was evenly showering the surroundings. Victor and Pauline-san were covered in golden powder all over their bodies. Before I knew it, Kuro was there too, closing his eyes and bathing in the golden powder at the edge of the flower bed. Cyril-san and I also bathed in it.
“Victor, I have a question that I’ve been wondering about.”
“What is it?”
“Do you realize where the magical energy that my body receives goes? Magical energy can help heal wounds, revitalize plants, or attack others, right? It should have some kind of energy. But when I bathe in magical energy, my body only warms up a little, and magic attacks don’t work on me. Where does the energy from the magical energy I receive go?”
“Hmm.”
Victor pondered, while Cyril-san had a puzzled expression on his face.
“Haru, haven’t you noticed?”
“Noticed what?”
“The magical energy from the earth that your body bathes in passes through your body and escapes into the ground.”
“Huh?”
When I looked at the ground Cyril-san was pointing at, it was faintly brighter. . .or so it seemed, at the spot where my feet were stepping.
“Oh, it’s passing through? The ground at my feet is slightly brighter.”
“Oh, I thought you had noticed.”
“I didn’t notice at all. I was bathed in a large amount of glowing powder, so it was hard to tell. So it passes through, huh?”
“I can’t see magical energy, so I didn’t notice. Maybe the magical energy passes through you, so your magical energy is zero.”
“I see.”
At that moment, Pauline-san made a suggestion.
“Victor, why don’t you try using an offensive magic spell on Haru in front of me? I want to see how it’s different from when you receive magical energy from the earth.”
We ended up unexpectedly conducting an experiment in the park at night.
In front of Cyril-san, who was slightly nervous, and Pauline-san, who was excited with curiosity, I stood in a defensive stance and faced Victor. The purpose this time was to see where the offensive magic spell I received would go.
“Here I go.”
“Anytime.”
Victor raised one hand to his chest and the other above his head, then swung it down. At the same time, he chanted, “Ice Lance.” A large ice spear flew towards me.
As usual, the ice spear disappeared just before touching me. Cyril-san and I were focused on the ground at my feet.
Pauline-san pressed closer.
“So? How was it?”
“The moment the ice spear disappeared, the ground at Haru’s feet glowed.”
“Yeah, I saw it too. It seems like the magical energy is returning to the earth. I’m like a lightning rod.”
Huh? Victor tilted his head.
“What’s a lightning rod?”
“It’s when you intentionally guide lightning to it and lead the lightning’s power into the ground using a metal wire. It’s to prevent houses from catching fire or being destroyed.”
“Oh, I see.”
Victor pondered.
“Well then, let’s go back. We’ll sell rice porridge from tomorrow morning!”
“Don’t forget to sell gelato too.”
“Yes, yes.”
The four of us returned to Cyril-san’s house lively.
[insert page=’4633′ display=’content’]
[insert page=’4587′ display=’content’]
Translator’s Blog
Blog
- My Two Classmates Just Went Full Anime Fight Club Over… WAIFUS?!
- Lacus Clyne: The Ultimate Waifu? A Gundam SEED Freedom Deep Dive
- Isekai’d: From Hero to Zero (and Back to Reality, Kinda)
- Yo, Millennials: This TikTok Dictionary Translates Gen Z So You Don’t Sound Like a Boomer
- Is Your Friend Turning into a World-Class Shut-in? How to Help Your NEET Buddy See the Sunlight Again (Without Becoming Their Personal Sun)
Leave a Reply