Are you sure this is the right place?
Yes, sir. Here's what it looks like...

　When we came back from the store, Yuki and I were working on two buildings in the corner of the yard.

　One is a smokehouse. Under the guidance of Natsuki, who knew the structure, we built another small hut with earthen magic next to Toya's blacksmith's hut (though it was only about three tatami mats and had a small furnace) that we had built the other day.

　I don't care about earthquake resistance standards. If there is an earthquake, there is a big possibility that it will collapse, but we are not going to live in it, and the roof is so thin that it will not hurt us if it falls down. If it were us.

　From what I've heard from my acquaintances in this town, they only know about earthquakes, so the possibility of one happening is almost zero.

　And even if it does collapse, it can be easily rebuilt, so there's no reason to bother.

It looks good. It can be used for cold, warm or hot smoking.
"Wow, there are so many kinds of smoked food?
Yes, they are all different and interesting, aren't they?


　The other is a wood yard.

　The trunk of the tree can be sold as is, but the branches need to be processed, whether they are to be sold as lumber, firewood, or chips for smoking.

　This is a building for that purpose.

　This one is a little larger, but it's just a hut, so there's nothing worth mentioning.
　For the time being, I just pile up the cut branches in the shed.
　These will be dealt with when you find the time to do so.

　　　　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ "Inspirational Source," "The

"Inspire source, launch, launch~!　Puff, puff, puff!

　After lunch, we were relaxing and taking a break.
　We were taking a break after lunch, and Yuki was the one who stood up and let out a blaze of fire.

I hope so.　--Wouldn't that be nice?

　I laughed at her as she nodded her head, saying something like that.

I smiled at Yuki, who nodded her head and said, "You're acting all weak, Yuki.　No prize for you?

"I don't have anything to offer!　Haruka~, do you have anything?

Haruka~, do you have anything to offer?" "I don't know if I can say that, ......, but I don't have anything to offer. --How about Yuki granting the winner's one wish?

Well, that's not too expensive!　But just me?
I'm the one who came up with the idea.

Yes, that's true, but... At least, the winner can ask one of us to do it. It would be sad if I won.

...... Well, that's fine, isn't it?　Is that okay with you guys?
Yeah, it's a good idea.

　No one will say anything strange, and it will be a sideshow.
　Natsuki and Toya nodded their heads as if to say, "Okay.


Who's up first?

　When the two jars of sauce that each of us made were lined up on the table and many small plates had been prepared, I looked around at everyone and it was Haruka who answered.

I looked around at everyone, and it was Haruka who responded, "I think it could be anyone, but let's start with me.　Let's start with A.

　Haruka took a little bit of the sauce from the jar with the lid open and passed it around to everyone.
　The color is ...... black. It's darker than the others. It's also more viscous.
　Scoop a little of it up with a spoon and take a bite.

"Sweet!　What the hell is this?

　What is this?" The taste was so different from what I had imagined that I couldn't help but exclaim.
　I had imagined it to be sweet and spicy, but this was pure sweetness.

It's like molasses. "It's like molasses, though it has a slightly different flavor than sugar.
"What did you put in it, Haruka?　Sugar is expensive, isn't it?

　Haruka's response to Yuki's curious expression was something unexpected.

"Actually, I only put potatoes in this. And only one kind.

　I'm sure the potatoes give it a sweet taste. .......
　I've heard that potatoes bring out sweetness, but this is more than I expected.

It's not exactly a sauce, but with sugar being so expensive here, it's got a lot of uses.
It's delicious just as it is, though!
It's more peculiar than sugar, but it's a valuable sweetener.

　It would be difficult to simply use it as a sugar substitute, but if it's made from potatoes, it's easy to use.
　I hope Haruka and the others will make sweets with it.

It seems to be a success. Next, B, this.
This one smells bad even before you eat it.

　It's still black in color, but when you lick it, you'll see that ...... it doesn't have much taste.
　It has a slight sweetness, but the smell is strong.
　It's also a little pungent. It's tangy and not very tasty to say the least.



This is a sauce with garlic and green onions in it. It's a sauce with garlic and scallions. ......
You can use it like a flavoring oil.
It's the kind of seasoning that, when mixed together, can take a dish to the next level.

　I'm not a fan of garlic, but I'm not a fan of garlic.

　Well, garlic is like that, isn't it?

　It doesn't taste good when eaten as it is, but a little bit of it in a dish gives you a strange appetite, or maybe it's not enough without it.

　At any rate, it seems to be a success.

The ingredients are simple but effective, as expected of Haruka. I think I'll go next.　I think I did pretty well, don't you?

　Yuki distributed both A and B together.
　The color of ...... A is light brown, B is darker than that, and both are light.
　Let's start with A.

It's ...... kind of fruity?
"It's not quite juice, but it's ...... something like ...... hmm.

　"It's not quite juice, but it's something.

It's a little like yakiniku sauce.
"Oh!　Exactly like that. It tastes like a diluted version of yakiniku sauce.
"Tastes like it's been diluted. ...... A bit of a mistake, isn't it?

　While licking the sauce himself, Yuki sighed with a sullen face.
　It's true that it's a little thin to be used as a sauce for grilled meat. But if you boil it down, will it be good enough?

Wouldn't it be tasty if I mixed it with the previous inspiration sauce?
Yes, it would. It's good to have a variety of flavors, don't you think?
Hmm, yes. But the real deal is B!　Try it!

　I licked B as Yuki confidently suggested.

　--Mmm!

"This is Worcestershire sauce!　It looks like Worcestershire sauce!

It looks like Worcestershire sauce! "Hmmm, looks like this one worked!　I tried my best to find ingredients similar to Worcestershire sauce and put them in.

　I did my best to find ingredients similar to Worcestershire sauce and put them in!" This time Yuki was satisfied with the taste and licked the sauce herself, smiling broadly.

"...... Wait a minute, Yuki. So you got tomatoes to make Worcestershire sauce?
"Yes!　I found some!
What?　Then can you make ketchup?

　I like ketchup a lot.
　I want you to make it if you can.

No, I don't know.　I found some dried tomatoes at ......?
"Dried tomatoes ...... might not be impossible to make, but ......

　Haruka twisted her head a little reluctantly at Yuki's answer.

I'm not sure if you know how to make tomato ketchup, Haruka?　I'm not sure if it's tomato puree, but I think it's hard to make it taste like that. ......

That's true. I understand tomatoes and sugar, but the other spices are difficult.

I think it's mostly those two, but a few spices can be decisive.

　The topic of sauces turned to ketchup, and as the two began to argue, Yuki snapped and poked Haruka.

"Hey, hey, do you want to talk about the sauce I made instead of ketchup?
"Yeah, it's good, isn't it?

　I'm not sure what to do with it.

I thought a lot about it.　I put a lot of thought into it.
But it tastes just like that. You know?
"Well, yeah. It's a normal sauce.
It's like a derivative of the existing sauce, so there's not much surprise.

　Haruka asked us to agree, and we nodded in agreement.
　It's good, but there's no surprise. It's just a sauce, right?

　If anything, it feels like it's too late, since we already have the okonomiyaki sauce, which seems difficult to make.

　If I'm honest, I think I can make Worcestershire sauce even if I don't have an inspirational sauce.

"d*mn, ......, I tried so hard!

Both of Yuki's sauces were not unexpected.

I can't deny it, but it's pretty bad, Natsuki .......

I can't deny it, but it's pretty bad. So, I'm next. I used something a little unexpected. I'm not sure how well it will work.

　The two sauces that Natsuki handed out as she said this were even lighter than the ones Yuki had made.

　They were light brown in color and had a transparent feel to them. The color of A is slightly darker?


　Just put a little on your finger and perk it up.

"Huh!
"Wait, is that soy sauce?

　The one who screamed was Yuki.
　I didn't scream either, but my first impression was that it was soy sauce.

　When I tasted it again, the aroma was a little different, and the taste was definitely different from soy sauce, but it was similar enough to be replaceable.

It turned out better than I expected. I didn't think it would work, but ......
What are the ingredients in this?
Just wheat and salt. It's too dry as it is, so I steamed it and then mashed it.

　Is it possible to make something more interesting by using specialized ingredients without thinking about the details?
　The only thing that was unique was the potatoes that Haruka made.

"Oh, this one looks like miso!
"B is beans. B is beans. I boiled them, mashed them, and added salt.

　Toya licked the B one and shouted.
　I licked it too, and sure enough, it tasted like miso.

　But the sauce is a complete liquid. It's not miso dissolved in water, but a liquid like soy sauce.

　I feel quite uncomfortable because of the image of miso.

"This looks good for ordinary cooking, but it's hard to use it like morokyu.

"Well, ......, for example, how about soaking dried okara in it?　Don't you think it would look like that?

That's a good idea. That sounds like a good idea. It would add a lot of variety to the dish.

　Thankfully, there would be more soy sauce-flavored and miso-flavored dishes in the future.
　But I didn't expect to be able to find soy sauce and miso.

　The ingredients are similar, except for the short fermentation time, so it is not impossible, but it is ...... lucky.

I'll go next. It's hard to give out after seeing Natsuki's magical.
I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that my idea just happened to work out, so don't worry about it.

　I'm not sure if I'm right or not.
　I opened the lids of the two jars and gave them a good stir.

　A is a ...... kind of light and thin?

　B smells good with those strong smelling vegetables. The thickness of this one is normal.

　I was nervous because I hadn't tasted it myself, but I divided it into small plates and handed them out to everyone.

　What do you think of ......?

"It's too light!　It's a little sweet, but it tastes like a watered-down sauce!

Yes, it's not sweet and salty, it's sweet and salty.

It's all over the place. It's an inspirational sauce that you can put just about anything you want in it.

It's an inspirational sauce that you can put just about anything in.

　For the time being, the A sauce was not well received by Toya, Haruka and Yuki.
　And Natsuki, you don't have to force yourself to find a use for it.　Just dismiss it as normal.
　I didn't think it was good either.

Nao, what did you put in it?
I put mainly root vegetables. I put some salt and spices in there.
Root vegetables? Like radishes?　Is it because it's too watery?　Radishes and turnips are mostly water.

　That's why they're too thin.
　Maybe it would have been better if it had been dried, but at any rate, it's a failure.

The other one is ...... Oh, this one is pretty peculiar, but it's good.
"Really?　...... Oh.

　The other one is .

　The smell of the bereage I bought from the boy is quite strong, but not inedible.

You put in vegetables with a very strong smell. It's a little peculiar, but if you use it for something like yakisoba, it might go surprisingly well.

The sauce itself isn't bad, you just need to cut down on some of the strong-smelling vegetables.

Oh, I guess I shouldn't have added all the bereage.

Oh, you put them in?　They sell a lot of it this time of year, and it's cheap. We don't buy it because it has a strong taste.

Nao doesn't like celery, so I thought she wouldn't like beleaguered celery.

"Well, it's not the kind of vegetable I would normally choose.

　I only bought it because I chose to buy the recommended one at each stall.

　Incidentally, the spices I put in the vegetables were also recommended.

　I didn't choose expensive ones, so the total cost of the two ingredients was less than three large silver coins.

That's why I added the bereage. But it's good enough to use if you adjust it.
"Yes. It will be a good sauce if we can adjust the peculiarity of the bereage.

　Oh, I knew A wasn't good, even if I adjusted it.
　Yeah, I knew that.

Okay!　I'll take the prize. The concept is Zero Yen Diner!



　You're suddenly starting to sound a little anxious, aren't you?

Have you been looking for something to throw away on ......?
No, I can't negotiate like that, can I?　I gathered it myself. In the woods.
I think that's what they give you for being on TV. ...... In the woods?

　It's not that cold, but it's winter.
　There must be a limited amount of food available in the forest. ...... I'm getting even more worried.

"Well, just try it.
Hey, what the hell?
No, it's just a little unexpected. Well, it's okay, I only put in edible food.

　Toya swirls the jar around and hands out the sauce in front of us.

It's green.
Green.
It's green.
"Green.

　We all say the same thing.
　But I'd be lying if I didn't say that first.

　Everything I've seen so far has been brownish, to varying degrees.

　In fact, I used to think that inspirational sauces made everything brown.

　But this source, while not as bright as ......, is distinctly green.

　The difference made everyone uneasy, and they looked at each other, not touching the sauce.

"...... who do you go from?
"You're the creator here.
Me?　I don't think there's anything you can't eat. ......

　The next thing you know, Toya is licking the sauce off his face.
　The next moment, Toya was silent for a moment, then opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue.

I don't know what you mean.

I don't know what he's trying to say, but I know it's not good.
""Yes."

　But you can't stop tasting it, can you?
　He didn't lick it as Toya had done, but dipped his finger in a little bit and licked it.

"Hot!　Bitter!　Bitter! And nasty!

　Contrary to expectations, there is no foul smell, but if I had to describe it, it tastes like bitter coffee with persimmon juice and horseradish dissolved in it.

I'm not sure what to make of that.
"Toya, did you just throw a bunch of wild plants in there without draining them because they were edible?
"I washed them, then mashed them in the food processor.

　I washed it and mashed it in the food processor.

　It's true that you can eat wild vegetables, but you need to remove the scum before you eat them, or make them into tempura without worrying about the scum.

　Many of them are too sour in their raw state.

　Putting them all together in a blender is an outrageous .......

I'm concerned about the pungency. Did you find a plant that looks like horseradish?

"Yeah. I found it growing wild, so I put all the leaves and roots together.

Don't put it in there!　Don't put it in there! You'd better save it for something normal!

　I can find chili peppers, but I haven't found any horseradish-like spices yet.
　I'm not sure if it's a good idea to use it as a substitute for the chili pepper.

...... That's true too, isn't it?　I'm sure you'll be able to find something that will work for you.

"I give you credit for discovering horseradish, but this source is dead. Out of the question.

Well, what can you do? I don't want to eat it either. And it's free, so it's not a waste. Let's go next, next.

　As he said this, he opened the lid of the other jar and stirred it, but then twisted his head again.

"......?
"Again?　Again?

No, it's okay. It's not green this time.
Then what color is it?
"Well, it looks like this.

　The plate was filled with a translucent yellow liquid.
　Compared to the sauce in A, it was still close to other inspirational sauces. .......

Just eat it, Toya.
"Me again?　No, I know what you mean. ......

　No, I understand what you mean. He didn't just lick it off, but dipped his fingertips in it and licked it off.

　Then, after looking up and tasting it for a while, he twisted his head with a curious look on his face and licked the spoon he used to take out the sauce.

"Toya, what do you think?
"Well, it's hard to describe. It's not bad, is it?

　We looked at each other and each took a sip of the sauce. ...... This is definitely a problem.



　Is there a ...... that doesn't seem to have a taste?

Is this ...... 'flavorful'?
"Oh, yeah, that's it!　Toya, what did you put in this?
"This?　This is some kind of mushroom from the forest. There's only mushrooms in it, nothing else.

　I suppose you can judge whether it's edible or not by [Appraisal], but this is quite a challenger.

So that's why. I've heard that the sockeye mushroom also contains a large amount of flavorful ingredients, and I wonder if there were any such mushrooms in the mixture, or if the ingredients were amplified.

It's not a sauce, but it could be used as a seasoning.
It's a chemical seasoning.

　Like "flavor enhancer" or something like that.
　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.

Chemical seasoning ...... is not good for you, is it?

It's not that bad.　There are some false rumors about it, but it is a chemical synthesis of inosinic acid, glutamic acid and other flavorful ingredients. ...... No, brewing is closer to it.　It's just a matter of extracting it.

　I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not.
　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.

That's right. If that's not good enough, then it's not good enough for amino acids to be produced by aging or fermentation.

If you use it well, it's good for your health. It's good for your health if you use it well, because the flavor will make your food taste better even if you use less salt.

"Well, I think it would be best if you could make a good soup stock without using such things, but isn't it too much to ask busy people to do that?

　For Haruka and her friends, who were still students in Japan, meals were not something they cooked every day, so they did not have the opportunity to use them, but they did not deny using them.

　The food Toya made this time is like a mushroom soup, and she will probably use it as needed.

　Well, as long as it tastes good, I have no objection.
　I wish you all the best.


Now that everyone has been announced, let's have a vote by raising our hands at ....... Anyone who thinks that Natsuki is the best!

　At Haruka's words, all hands went up immediately except for Natsuki.
　This is a no-brainer.

　Me and Toya are out of the question.

　Haruka's sauce is not really a sauce, and Yuki's is a little unfinished on one side.

　On the other hand, Natsuki's sauce was both ready to use and tasted more like what we were used to.

　More than anything, it was nice to have more variety in our cooking.

Me?

"No problem. Honestly, I appreciate the soy sauce. I wanted to make teriyaki, a meat dish that goes well with bread, but I couldn't do it without soy sauce.

Salt and pepper is boring for the meat.

I thought Yuki's yakiniku sauce wasn't bad, but it needed a little more flavor.

I'd like to try the pork chops or the spare ribs. I'm looking forward to it.

Thank you very much. Thank you very much. I'll use the right to ask again sometime.

　Natsuki was happy to receive praise from everyone. I'll use the right of request some other time." Receiving praise from everyone, Natsuki smiled happily and replied.

　I'm not sure when I'll be able to use the right to ask for help, but it hasn't been decided that it will be used against me, and I don't think Natsuki will have to worry about it.

　If Toya had gotten his hands on it, there was a good chance that I would have been forced to do something strange, saying that it would be difficult to use it on the ladies.

Next, the ranking of cost performance. Naturally, Toya is at the top of the list, Natsuki is next, unexpectedly me and Nao are about the same, and Yuki is the worst by far.

"What?　Such a ranking...

It's not a punishment, but just in case. Yuki, you spend too much.

　It's only natural that Toya, who hasn't spent any money, is at the top.
　Natsuki's food is also cheap because it's only wheat and beans.

　I thought Haruka would be cheaper because one of them only has potatoes, but he was about the same price as me.
　I wonder if the garlic was more expensive than I thought, or if I used cheaper ingredients.

　Yuki, on the other hand, seems to have spent just shy of two gold coins.

B was cheap except for the dried tomatoes, but A cost me a lot. Fruits are expensive.

Just look at the ding dong. It's a luxury item.

A...... sauce for grilled meat. It's a shame we don't make it.

It's a shame not to make it." "You can make it when fruit is cheap, or you can tolerate that level of luxury. There's enough to last for a while with just what we made this time, and I don't think we'd have a problem with two gold coins.

　Even though it is expensive, it is only less than two gold coins.
　The size of the jar is about 1.5 liters, which is enough for five bottles of regular sized yakiniku sauce from the supermarket?

　If you think about it, it would be a very expensive sauce, about ten times more expensive than what we normally pay, but considering how little we earn and how little money we have to spend, it's an acceptable price.

But teriyaki or ...... teriyaki chicken ...... makes me want raw vegetables.

　Thanks to the Inspire sauce, I can now eat a good hamburger, but I'm not eating enough raw vegetables.

　I haven't had any raw vegetable salads, and I want to do something about that.
　And it was my girlfriend who overheard my words.

"Oh, raw vegetables, huh?　Well then...