In the plate, there was a slightly thick liquid.
　The color is almost black, but the thickness is similar to my favorite okonomiyaki sauce.
　I put a little of it on my finger and we all lick it.

It's ...... good.
"Yeah, it's really deep and thick. ......
No, no, no, it's really good, okay?

Is it?　I'm a little frustrated with it. There are a lot of things you can't get at home, so my parents' food tastes better. But still, I don't think it's as good as my mother's.

　Aera-san says this with a slight tilt of her head, but to be honest, I think this sauce is more complete than the sauces made by Japanese companies after their research.

　I don't think it will sell explosively in Japan, because whether it will be popular with everyone is another matter, but those who like it will like it very much.

　It is slightly sweet, yet mildly sour, with a nice fruity aroma coming through the nose. There are many kinds of spices that add depth to the taste, but they also make it a bit peculiar, which is probably the reason why people have different tastes.

　Nevertheless, it is by far the most delicious seasoning I have eaten since I came to this world.

Do you have a lot of these?
No, it's for myself, so I don't have much. Even if I made a lot, I wouldn't be able to use it all.

　He thought it would be good to use it for the dishes served at the restaurant, but he didn't think it was something he could sell, since it was a kind of homemade pickle and a seasoning unique to elves.

I'm sure this will sell well.
If Yuki-san and Natsuki-san can accept it, then why not?

Can you teach me how to make this?　To be honest, I want this myself. If it's a secret, I'll do it.

No, no, it's not that big of a deal. No, it's not that big of a deal. It's something that's made in every Elven home.

　Yeah, yeah. I didn't know about it, so you took care of it.
　But I'm a pseudo-elf, so who cares?

First, I need to prepare the inspiration source.

"...... has suddenly fizzled out.

　I'm hopeless!

　I feel as if I've been told, "Eggs first, or chickens first.

Oh, no, of course I'll share mine with you.
Thank you!　This is the only reason why I came here today!

No, no, no!　No, no, no! I'm the one who's taking up your time. Besides, I'm glad that you like my Inspiration Sauce.

　Aera-san smiled happily. I wonder if it's like a kind of homemade miso.
　Although we don't make it at home, my grandmother's homemade miso was very popular among my relatives, and I recall that she used to make and distribute a large amount of it every year.

Now, marinate the fruits and vegetables of your choice in the prepared spirit sauce. You can leave them as they are, but if you are in a hurry, it's better to chop them into small pieces.

Are you sure it's okay?

Yes. As long as it's plant-based food. There is a tendency for each family to have a certain amount of plant food, but in our house, if we have leftover vegetable scraps, we throw them in as well, so it's pretty random. Some families put in nuts, but this is not recommended. If you succeed, it will be delicious, but it seems to be quite difficult.

　Hmmm, the sauce was more random than I thought.
　Is it possible to get this flavor?

I'd recommend using the peel of the fruit. It's usually thrown away, and it gives the sauce a nice aroma. Then you can add spices to taste.

"Well, ......, is this sweetness from the fruit?

No, the sweetness is stronger when you add potatoes. Our sauce is very sweet. Some people make sauces with little or no sweetness, so even if it's an inspirational sauce, it will give you a very different impression.

"Does the potato saccharify the ...... starch?

　Natsuki muttered, as if surprised.
　The sweet sauce I knew was sweetened with dates, but this sauce seemed to be made with potatoes.
　I remember learning a long time ago that the enzyme amylase converts starch into sugar, but I wonder if this is similar to that.

If it's so easy to grow, why don't we sell the 'pork cutlet sandwiches' that Nao-kun mentioned earlier?

It takes about a week, but it's easy to increase. However, when it comes to serving it in the store, there is a problem with this sauce: the taste is not stable.

　Basically, we just throw in whatever fruits and vegetables we can get our hands on at the time, so there is a lot of variation in taste.

　In addition, since the aroma of the drink decreases when the fruits are not added, they increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in the fall to prepare for winter consumption.

　In other words, if you want to serve it in your restaurant, you have to prepare it in large quantities this season.

In other words, if you want to sell them in the store, you need to buy a lot of fruit this season. If you're a local, you can pick it up in the forest.

Fruit is expensive, isn't it? "Fruit is expensive, isn't it, when you buy it at the market?

　In general, the price of fruits in this world is still high compared to Japan, which is high in the world, so it costs a lot of money to prepare with fruits.
　If you want to make it for yourself, you can just use the peels and scraps, but if you want to make enough to serve at a restaurant, you have to buy them.

Nao, how's the ding dong?　I thought you said it was over for the season.
"No, I think they're still available. ...... What do you think, Aera-san?
When I was in my hometown, I sometimes went to pick dingles. It's delicious, isn't it?

　I'm not sure if I'm remembering the taste I had before, but I'm a little enchanted by it.


　But that's not what I'm saying.

"No, I mean, if you were to put it in an inspirational source...
"Oh, yes, of course. Yes, it would be delicious, very delicious. But the ding dong in this town is very expensive, isn't it?

　Yes, it's very expensive.
　I've made a lot of money thanks to you.

Shall we go pick them?　Actually, I was there a few days ago, so I think I can still get some.
Well, are you sure?　I don't think I'll be much help. ......

　I don't think I'll be much help.

I'm not sure what to make of this.　Are you sure you can handle it without Toya and Haruka?

　At best, the goblins would only appear, and with Natsuki's skill with a spear, there would be no danger.
　I'm not sure what to make of this.
　You're not going to get flagged, are you?

I'm sure you'll be fine.
I think it's better to check with Haruka,.......

　Natsuki also told me.
　What?　I don't think I'm that trustworthy.
　I'm a little depressed.

I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.
I don't mind, but ...... there are no customers coming. But what about you, Nao?
We're fine. The next day or two will be like a rest period.

　That was the end of the discussion.
　After that, we chatted for a while, eating some sweets that Aella had brought out, and broke up before lunch.

　Natsuki and I went straight back to the inn, while Yuki accompanied Aera to the carpenter's place.
　Yuki went with Aella to the carpenter's place, apparently to explain the signage in detail and also to make an acquaintance with the carpenter so that it would be easier to ask him to repair the signage when we rented the house.

　Yuki said, "If we are recognized as acquaintances of Mr. Aera, who paid a lot of money, we can be more flexible. He is very strong.

　　　　"Inspirational source, right?

"Inspirational sauce, right? Is it good?

"Yes. Apparently it's an elven family dish. The closest thing I know to Aella's sauce is Oofuku okonomiyaki sauce. It's a little sweeter and has a stronger spice flavor.

That's great!　The pork cutlet is getting closer!　It's true that salty pork cutlets are tasteless.

　That evening, we had our respective debriefing sessions, similar to yesterday.
　Toya was the one who was most pleased with the existence of the inspiration sauce.
　He said he wanted to make pork cutlets.

He said he wanted to make pork cutlets, "but if the flavor changes so much depending on what you put in it, it'll make the meal more varied. It's a little strange that the sweetness is enhanced by potatoes.

　The potatoes here are not sweet potatoes like sweet potatoes, but non-sweet potatoes like potatoes.
　There are several kinds of potatoes on the market, but it doesn't matter what kind you use.

I'm sure it's the saccharification of starch, but at room temperature, it's not an enzyme, is it?　Is it yeast?

"But even if you just throw in some spices, it will still be active and break down fruits and vegetables in about a week, right?　I wonder if there are multiple fungi living in symbiosis?

Spices: ...... Well, if you put in regular spices, the fungus activity will be suppressed.

　That's why it can be stored for a long time, right?

Of course, there are some bacteria that are active even in such an environment. Of course, there are some fungi that can work in such an environment, but I'm pretty sure that the fungi in that source are quite powerful.

Yes. ...... In the case of koji mold, it takes a few days to turn steamed rice into rice malt. It takes about half a day to convert it into sugar by adding water and adjusting the temperature. This is why it's so important to have a good environment to decompose most plants just by leaving them alone for a week.

It's possible that the room temperature environment is the ideal environment, but if such a fungus existed in nature, it would probably cause serious damage to crops.

"Maybe there are some conditions for its activity. For example, it may be anaerobic, or it may not work unless a certain number of people gather.

If the sauce is so smooth that it doesn't need to be strained, it's possible that cellulolytic bacteria are present. If the sauce is so smooth that it doesn't need to be strained, it could be cellulolytic bacteria.

I'm sure there's a good balance of different types of bacteria.
It's only natural that the recipe would be 'first prepare the inspiration sauce'.

　The three intellectuals started to talk about difficult things.
　In my case, all I know is that amylase turns starch into sugar.

It's okay, it's 'The Fantasy'. It's easy to make a delicious sauce.
"This guy!　He cut it off!

　That's Toya.
　You've ruined the discussion.
　The three of us look at each other in slight disgust.



"Toya, ......, it's pretty important to think about principles, you know?　Like magic.
I can't use magic. I've decided to go with the brainy character.
Toya is turning out to be more of a disappointment than I thought.

　That's a very clever decision.
　Yuki is surprised, but in a way, it's possible.
　It's better for the balance of the party to have him train his body and act as a shield than to use his head.

That's fine. So, you want to go get a dindle. I can't make it tomorrow. ...... Where's Toya?
I'm almost there. I'm almost there. I'll have something by the end of the day tomorrow. ......

　I can't do it tomorrow.

I'm not sure what to make of that.　I'm sure you'll be able to find something that will work for you.

　I've been putting off updating their equipment because it's kind of like resting for a while, so they still have normal clothes and a cheap spear, that's it.

If I lend mine to Yuki, will it be too difficult for Natsuki to wear Toya's?

　We're about the same height: Toya and I are around six feet, Natsuki is in the upper 160s, and Haruka is a little shorter. Yuki is the smallest, probably around 155.

　However, in terms of body thickness, there is a considerable difference between me and Toya, and the same goes for the women.
　Therefore, it is difficult to share equipment simply based on height.

　In particular, chainmail is adjusted to fit our bodies, so it cannot fit. Specifically, the chest armor.

"Why don't you give mine to Natsuki and I'll borrow Toya's?　I think I can manage to wear it.
Hmm, I'm not sure if all of us have the right gear, but ...... let's try it on for now.


　I tried it on.
　I was reminded that there was a big difference between me and Toya in terms of shoulder width and chest plate.
　It didn't fall down, but it was too big, and it would be a little tight if I moved too much.
　It might be better to tie it with a string or something.

I think it fits you better than you think.

　The one who said that was Natsuki, who was wearing my chainmail.
　I'm taller than you, but I think the slenderness of the elf's body and Natsuki's breasts make a good match.

"I think I'm a little tight, my breasts.
Unbearable?
Not so much?　Maybe for a day.

　Yuki, who wore Haruka's dress, seemed a little ill-fitted for Haruka's slender figure.
　I'm not sure what to make of it.
　I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one. Yeah.

For weapons, ...... Yuki got the stick technique, right?
Yes. This morning's training.
Toya's sword is of higher quality, but I doubt it.
You may have the skills, but you'll never be able to wield my sword. Not with your height.
No, no, no!　It's too heavy!

　The height difference between Toya and Yuki is 25 centimeters.
　The sword he is using is also a very heavy sword that is designed for the strength of a beast.
　If they could wield it, it would make for an interesting fantasy picture.

But I guess I'll just have to make do with a stick. Be careful, okay?　Take care, Natsuki.
"Oh, ......, isn't that me?　It's not me, is it?

　Experience wise.
　Natsuki, you've got great specs, but you've only fought once, right?

You're in charge of calmness. And you're going to hunt Task Boar anyway, right?　Take it easy.
"Copy that, ....... I'll be very careful. I'll be very careful. Aella's here too.

　Haruka reminded me to take care of myself, and I nodded curiously.