“It’s… it’s delicious!”
Sokuran, a young Elf eating curry at Santos Diner, jumped up and shouted.
“Hahaha! What is this… Another one with an over-the-top reaction. Well, eat as much as you want.”
Mr. Santos laughed, shaking his shoulders with pleasure.
“Well, that’s understandable… I was similar, and mmm… it really is delicious!”
Lansia said happily, also enjoying her curry.
This Sokuran.
He was out on a hunt and collapsed near our convenience store…
At first, he was very wary, but when I brought his fellow Elf, Lansia, he knew her and after listening to his story, he became interested in the smell of curry, and since he seemed hungry, I treated him to Santos’ curry… and he ended up like this, as expected.
“Ah, it’s all gone already. I wanted to savor it more slowly…”
Sokuran sadly gazed at his empty plate.
“Here… You can probably eat another bowl. Honestly, you Elves only eat things like weeds, that’s why you’re so weak. Look at Lansia, she eats meat, curry, and ramen here every day to her heart’s content, and she’s gotten a little plump.”
As he said that, he handed over another plate of curry, and Sokuran’s eyes lit up as he started on his second bowl.
“Wha—! I-I’m not fat! But the food here is exceptionally delicious. Ah, and today’s Bunchiki is also delicious.”
After eating curry, Lansia then deliciously ate Eleven Chicken.
Indeed, her thighs are becoming more full and plump.
When I had her give me a lap pillow, it used to be quite thin, almost bony, but recently it’s become softer and more comfortable!
Well, these people who have settled in this convenience store village… especially the women, their main worry is overeating and gaining weight.
But then again, no one looks overtly fat… It just seems like their food situation has improved.
I think it’s good for girls to have a little meat on them.
It seems healthier.
“Haa… Mr. Takakura, thank you for the wonderful meal… I feel like I’ve eaten something proper for the first time in my life.”
An Elf, who is still a youth if he’s less than twenty years old… using the expression “for the first time in my life” is quite serious.
“Hahaha… You’re exaggerating… Or rather, what do you Elves usually eat?”
I asked out of curiosity, and Lansia and Sokuran exchanged a subtle, indescribable look before sighing in unison.
…Did I ask something I shouldn’t have?
“…Uh, sorry?”
“No, no. Sokuran… why don’t you tell her what we Elves usually eat in the village?”
“Me? …Well… first, there’s Egil grass that grows in large quantities everywhere, right?”
“Ah, the one that looks like a cat’s tail?”
It’s a grass with long, thin leaves… apparently from the grass family, it’s very common.
Well… in a word, it’s a weed.
It’s not something that can be eaten deliciously by any means.
“First, we eat the leaves raw, crunchy.”
“…Is that tasty?”
“…Not at all. It’s grassy and stringy, and bad.”
Lansia replied with a weary expression.
After all, Egil grass doesn’t attract insects… Cats might like it, but cats eat grass for hairball control, they don’t eat it because it tastes good.
“And then our staple food is acorn dumplings. We eat these raw, without cooking. And soup made by boiling Egil grass with salt. This is the basic Elf diet.”
…What kind of meager meal is that?
Even Buddhist vegetarian cuisine would be better than that…
Huh? Is that even possible? Won’t there be a riot? That’s normal.
“It’s sad, as it’s a disgrace to our own kind. Forest Elves… especially our tribe, are completely entrenched in conservative ideology… starting with Tribe Leader Ilhad, they are allstubborn. When it comes to food, they insist that traditional food is all we need.”
“Or rather, is that enough?”
“How could it be enough…? So, we all hunt desperately, dry the meat, and secretly eat it when everyone is asleep, or catch fish in the river, spending most of the day gathering food just to get something edible.”
“…In fact, I was in the middle of a hunt. But today I couldn’t catch anything… and I overextended myself…”
“I see… That’s why you collapsed. You shouldn’t push yourself too hard…”
This Sokuran.
Actually, he was found by Mimi and Momo unable to move in the forest due to hunger and brought here on an Infinite Crawler Vehicle.
It was a bit cruel to talk to someone starving in a diner full of curry smells, but when I asked “Do you want something to eat?”, he responded instantly with “Yes.”
He must have found it incredibly delicious, as he’s now discreetly asking for a third refill, enjoying it shyly.
Come on! If that’s the case, eat as much as you want!!
…I’d heard that Lansia’s homeland was in this forest, but they were said to be reclusive people, and Lansia wasn’t keen on guiding anyone, so I thought they were untouchable.
…Unexpectedly, I met one of its residents and got firsthand information, which is cheap for the information fee.
He seemed to like the curry, and he’s a nice-looking guy to talk to, so I took a liking to him.
Ah, it’s not like I’m in love… but good-looking people are nice.
I can like them unconditionally, whether they are men or women. I wish I had been born good-looking…
“I’m sorry… I’m truly ashamed. But I will never forget this kindness.”
“You don’t have to be so formal… Oh, right… If that’s the case, I’ll take you back to your village, could you introduce me to everyone in the Elf Tribe? After all, we’re neighbors… I’ve wanted to pay my respects for a while. What do you think, Lansia?”
“I wouldn’t recommend it. They’re introverted, for better or worse… That’s why I became a Watari, an Adventurer.”
“Oh dear… That won’t do. Speaking ill of your own home town like that… Or rather, Sokuran, isn’t that kind of life difficult and counterproductive? How about this… why don’t we visit the Elf settlement and offer some curry, as a courtesy visit? Mr. Santos, would you do that?”
“If Owner Takakura asks, I have no choice. I don’t mind… What about those two?”
“…I don’t mind at all! Or rather, could you teach me how to make that curry? I want my siblings to eat it too, and it’s such delicious food… I can’t forgive myself for hogging it!”
“…So, Lansia, what do you think? If you have reasons not to go back, I think staying here is fine.”
“No, it’s not that I can’t go back… It’s just that when I think about the terribly bad food waiting for me, I naturally stay away… I want to see my older sister and my mother after so long, so if that’s the case, I’ll accompany you. I see, if the food in the village is irredeemably bad, then maybe we can teach them how to make delicious food and make it popular!”
Are Elves really that bad at cooking…
This is actually getting interesting…
“Alright, it’s decided. Sokuran, you should stay here for the night too. And tomorrow, we’ll bring various ingredients and gifts and pay a courtesy visit to the Elf settlement… How about this?”
“If that’s the case, I’ll head to the settlement ahead of you to give them notice. Oh, can I take a bento box with me? Could you set aside a curry and fried chicken bento, three Bunchiki, and five packs of Chiki Chiki Ramen? I need to bring souvenirs for my homecoming after a long time.”
…Lansia’s request for takeout, as if determined not to eat their food there.
All of them were Lansia’s favorite items.
Lansia loves chicken!
“Yes, I understand. You can take the cooler bag too. For warming up the bento… you can do it yourself now, can’t you?”
Lansia, touched by the convenience of modern technology, developed her own original magic after hearing the principle of the microwave from me.
“Mage Aura.”
When activated with a magical phrase while holding it in her palm, it works on the same principle as a microwave, emitting strong electromagnetic waves that heat food instantly.
“Yes, I can. It’s so convenient… Thank you for explaining the principle of the microwave then. It was very easy to understand. Oh, I’ll teach Owner too next time.”
Hmm, if I combine that with water magic, it’ll be invincible, won’t it?
…You can make hot water anywhere, anytime… You can make as many cup noodles and instant coffees as you want.
You can even go solo camping without bringing anything.
I definitely need to learn this!
“That’s great! That… Of course, please! I’ll accept that offer.”
“Fufu… Then, next time during training, just the two of us… I’ll teach you carefully, with a lap pillow service.”
Meaning: I’ll make you work until you collapse!
Wow, Lansia’s message of love.
But for me, it will probably involve wrapping my bento in my tail… something like that.
I need to train my tail strength, not just my arm strength.
But operating electromagnetic waves… if applied, it could also be used for unlocking electronic locks or hacking.
And in the future, electromagnetic acceleration of objects through the Lorentz force…
“The Super Electromagnetic Cat Tail of a Certain Convenience Store Owner.”
…That’s a cool title.
Oh no, if I go back to Japan, I’ll be arrested by the Judgment!
This is an impromptu side story I’ve made up.
Chronologically, this is a past story… a little before the slime attack.
By the way, I’ve boldly plagiarized the subtitle from my fellow novelist Soraumi’s work, “Food Reform in a Meshi-mazu Otherworldly Realm”… I’ve also gotten permission from him.
If you’re interested, I’ll provide the link, so please give it a read!
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4449dk/
