'Come on, Tori, wake up.

A familiar voice shakes me awake.

I see a close-up of my father's wild-looking face. Perhaps it is because the room is illuminated by the magic lamp, but his chiseled face shows exquisite shadows.

'Oh, my God! I'm out!''

'Who's out? Come on, get up!

My father pats me on the head and I turn my gaze to the window.

There are no curtains shining brightly in the light. Or rather, the room is still dark, and it is clearly night.

It is too early in the morning for the innkeeper's son to wake up.

Dad, it's still early, isn't it?

'...... you told me to get up early because I'm selling lunches today, right?'

Oh, oh. Come to think of it, I think I heard you say something like that yesterday. ......'

He told me to nail it to the wall, but I neatly forgot about it when I fell asleep. I mean, in this world without an alarm clock, I don't think it's possible to wake up early suddenly like that.

'Huh......... Anyway, go down to the kitchen as soon as you change your clothes. I'll leave the lamp here for you.

Yes, sir.'

If I fall asleep twice or something, I'm going to get in trouble this time.

I'd like to do it, because sleeping twice is bliss, but it wouldn't be fashionable, would it? No, but I'm sure my dad would forgive me if I just lay down like this and sleep a little--.

Don't fall asleep twice.

As I was thinking these thoughts, I saw my father, who I thought had gone downstairs, peeking at me from the ladder.

His still, eerie gaze is strangely scary.

'Yes,' he said.

I replied immediately and got off the bed and started to change my clothes.



I got out of bed and started to get dressed.



'Today I'm going to ask Tori to sell lunch boxes at the waiting area for the carriages. 'Since you're here, Tori, make one kind of lunch too!

As soon as I got down to the kitchen, my father suddenly told me this.

Can you use any ingredients?

'You can use any ingredient here as long as it fits in the price of three copper coins!

Our lunches cost three coppers. Basically, you are asking me to make a dish so that you can offer it for less than this.

Well then, since Ralph urged me to do so just yesterday, I'll make you a hamburger steak.

I promised him that I can make it anytime he wants, but it would be better to get this done as soon as possible.

So I decide to start cooking.

I chop onions and heat them in a frying pan with a little oil.

When the onions are browned, I transfer them to a bowl and remove them from the heat.

When it is done, the next step is to pick up the leftover meat from the eigfang.

I know how tasty this meat is yesterday, so I decide to make it into minced meat anyway.

With this in mind, I beat the meat of Eigfang with a knife to make minced meat.

The rhythmic clanking sound of the knife echoes through the quiet kitchen.

'...... Is that it? Is that the hamburger steak you were making the other day?

''That's right.''

Dad seems to be satisfied with what I'm about to start, and starts to cook the other bento boxes.

Meanwhile, I continue pounding Eigfang's meat into small pieces.

When I finally get a tasty minced meat, I add salt and pepper to it and mix it.

When the mixture becomes sticky, I add the cooled onions and eggs and mix evenly.

Once the basic ingredients are ready, knead the hamburger patties by hand and let them air out thoroughly.

This is the key to prevent the hamburger from cracking later.

After adjusting the mixture so that it does not become too thick, put it into the frying pan.

Cook them over high heat, making a slight depression in the center.

When each surface is fully cooked, lower the heat, cover the pan and let them steam slowly.

While waiting for the hamburgers to be cooked, I could smell the delicious aroma.

I opened the lid and checked that the inside of the hamburger was well cooked, so I took it off the heat.

Then, shred the cabbage and put it between the hamburger steak and the bread, soaking it in the juices, and the dish is ready.

Then, cut it into pieces so that it can be easily packed in the lunch box, and you're good to go.

Oh, it's done? Give me one.

As I was cutting the hamburger sandwich into easy-to-fill pieces, my father grabbed it with one hand.

As soon as he popped it in his mouth, his eyes widened.

Whoa! That goes with the bread!

Well, since breakfast isn't ready yet, I guess I'll have a taste too.

I take a bite of the hamburger steak sandwich, despite my father's astonishment.

Eigfang's hamburger steak is delicious, with a rich meaty taste. The hamburger steak has a strong taste when eaten by itself, but the soft bread and shredded cabbage are perfectly neutralized by the juices of the meat.

'......If we leave this longer, the bread will absorb the juices and become tastier, won't it?

'Did you notice that too, Dad? Yes, it tastes good cold. No, it's more of a combination that tastes better the longer you let it sit.

It's like a pork cutlet sandwich. It tastes better when the bread and cabbage soak up the rich gravy sauce. It's a dish like that.

It's just like my father to notice it after the first bite.

'...... This is good enough to serve as our lunch box. Okay, make more!



The first time I saw a man who was not a fan of the "I" in the first place.



I had made a large amount of hamburger sandwiches since this morning and had come to the plaza, a waiting area for wagons on the south side of the town of Lubera.

There are many wagons lined up in the square today, ready to transport people and goods to various villages and towns.

People are taking advantage of it, paying money and going to their destinations.

And I sell my lunch boxes to these people and others who come from other places.

Oh, Tori is here to sell lunch boxes too?

As I was thinking about where to sell my bento today, Ira approached me.

She is carrying a box without a lid on her shoulder like a vendor at the Koshien Stadium. He is carrying a box without a lid on his shoulder like a vendor at Koshien.

It was a hassle to pack and sell each and every bento in a wooden box, so I started to do it and it quickly became popular.

Nowadays, all the people who come here to sell bento are doing it this way.

I feel a little sorry that I have introduced the Showa-era style to this fantasy-like world.

Yes, that's right. I woke up early today because my father asked me to make one lunch box too.

'Tori made you a lunch? What kind?

It's a hamburger sandwich.

'A hamburger sandwich? Is it like a sandwich?'



I say, and Ira tilts his head and says.

'Huh? Didn't I ever feed Ira a hamburger?

'I've hardly ever had a home-cooked meal from Tori.'

Oh, yeah. Letty and my mother sometimes eat it, so I thought Ira had eaten it too.

What's for lunch over there?

'Sandwich with black buffalo meat. Well, left overs from yesterday. It's only natural that I'd eat it with bread to make it last longer and make me hungrier.

For the customers, it may seem boring with sandwiches everywhere, but we have to make do with our personal ingenuity.

Hey, let's exchange one lunch box with each other.

'Great. I've always wanted to try black buffalo meat.

'Just for the record, what kind of dish is hanbagu?

It's a meat dish made by mincing meat into small pieces, kneading it by hand while seasoning it, and grilling it.

As I explain what a hamburger steak is, Ira's expression turns grim.

'...... are you sure about that? It's in the realm of a proper product for sale, or rather, a dish, isn't it?

''Rude. I have my father's seal of approval.

'Oh, yeah. I hope so. ......'

Ira exchanges his lunch box with a skeptical look on his face.

I don't think she would have that look on her face if she had said so herself. .......

As I was thinking this, Ira immediately started to open his lunch box.

Ira opens his lunch box and looks at the hamburger sandwich with a doubtful look.

It looks like a typical meat sandwich. The aroma is surprisingly good.

After he said this, Ira grabbed one of the hamburger sandwiches with his hand and brought it to his mouth.

What! What's this? It's so tender and delicious!''

'Hmmm, isn't it? Plus, I love how the juices and sauce soak into the bread and cabbage.'

While I am bragging about it, Ira is munching on his hamburger sandwich.

I'm glad he likes it, but I wonder if Ira himself doesn't have to sell his lunch box.

What's a hamburger sandwich? I've never heard of it?

As I was thinking this, an adventurer-like man carrying a sword approached me.

Apparently, he had overheard our conversation.

You shouldn't do that. Sandwiches are just ingredients on bread, aren't they?

Then wouldn't it be better to buy the ingredients of your choice and make it locally? You can make it the way you like it and cheaper, right?''

'Oh, I know. If you buy it at the store, you may find ingredients you don't like, or a subtle combination of ingredients mixed together.

As I try to explain, my fellow women and men open their mouths and say things like that.

Well, I don't know how they feel. It is part of the truth that my fellow women and men said that.

But I think my hamburger sandwich is good enough to overcome those opinions.

'Well, if you're so sure, I'll buy it. How much is it?

Three coppers.

When I say this, the man offers me three copper coins from his wallet.

I take them and put them on the edge of the stack.

Thank you very much.

There are as many kinds of sandwiches as there are people. That's why I love sandwiches made by other people. Whenever I enter or leave a city, I always try to buy a sandwich like this.

'Is it time to leave now?'

'Yeah, that's right.'

'Well, if you eat your lunch and like it, please stay at our inn the next time you come back.

'Oh, I'll get the name of the inn you're at just in case.

'It's the Bird Lodging Pavilion.

'Okay. If it's good, I'll stay there next time.

The adventurer's brother replied, and then he and his companions got into the carriage.



Around dusk.

As usual, while preparing dinner, a noisy group of people arrived.

There they are! It's the boy who sold lunch boxes this morning!

'Huh? The adventurer who bought my lunch in the morning. What's wrong? I thought you left town. ......'

'I turned around on the way back because the hamburger sandwiches and such were too good!

Tilting his head, the adventurer's brother proudly announced.

Well, don't tell me that you were on your way to your destination by horse-drawn carriage all morning, and now you've come all the way back because you ate my bento?

' It was so delicious! That's a taste you have to be a chef to make!''

'Yes! You can't make something like that there!

Some of our friends who had been somewhat negative about the sandwiches had eaten them, and their opinions had been turned upside down. They liked it so much.

They came all the way here because they liked Tori's food. I'm going to have to add a new dish to my menu.

'Well, I'm tired of making hamburgers.

This seems to have prompted them to decide to stay in town for a while longer.