sakiyokantei 7: Cooking with Leftovers is the Wisdom of Homemakers

Saikyō no kantei-shi tte dare no koto?~ Manpuku gohan de i sekai seikatsu ~
Author: Minatose Tsukasa
—

Cooking with Leftovers is the Wisdom of Homemakers

A/n: Yuri, are you starting your job?

Yack explained the situation to Yuri, the boy who had appeared and called himself a newcomer. He was nearly crying.

Newcomers are in charge of meals and cleaning the baths in Scarlet Lynx. Of course the other members also take turns, but apprentices being in charge of meals is an ironclad rule. It’s most likely the first training given based on having to live on limited food supplies in a dungeon. But this wasn’t something all newcomers understood.

“I get it. Food’s important. It’s the norm to make the best meals with what food you have now.”

“Un. That’s the basics.”

“The food expenses for each month is limited, and besides, Leader won’t let us simply resupply if there’s ingredients left. It would be a waste, he said.”

“It would spoil, so using it up is standard.”

Yuri nodded along with Yack’s statements. The seniors who had experienced training aside, for a newcomer dressed in such nice looking clothes to say such things made Yack feel moved. As Yack saw it, this newcomer who suddenly appeared was much more reliable than his slightly higher ranked apprentice seniors. Especially in a situation that’s quite a tough spot.

There’s nothing for it. Aside from people who originated from less wealthy farming communities like Yack, those that had been raised in the capital and cities like it didn’t have enough appreciation for ingredients. They think it’s fine as long as they can buy it. Furthermore, they don’t know how to cook so it’s inevitable that the way they use ingredients is rough.

“We’re only full up on bread and potatoes. Leader said these two are food staples, so he bought a lot.”

“Ah, so potatoes are also treated as a staple food. Is there no rice or pasta?”

“There are, but we don’t use them that much. The bread is contracted from a local bakery, so every day we’re delivered a little more than the portions for the amount of people we have.”

“Wah~. So you get a delivery everyday from the bakery ~. How nice ~.”

For Yuri, who grew up in present day Japan, this situation was like a dream. If he timed it right, couldn’t he eat freshly baked bread everyday? What a splendid situation. Still, it was put together and delivered in the morning, so it seems the bread would cool by noon and evening. Even so, it wouldn’t change the fact that bread baked the same day is delicious. It seems that he can look forward to dinner.

“And we run out of ingredients by the end of the month. … Since they use it wildly.”

“… What a problem.”

“Un. It’s a problem. That’s why I set out steamed potatoes when we get to the end of the month. Since potatoes will fill your stomach.”

“Potatoes are an all purpose food after all.”

“All purpose food? … No, there isn’t any other way to use potatoes than steaming them, right?”

“… Eh?”

Not true, Yuri thought.

It seems the status of Potato-san is very low in this other world. And according to Yack, it seems they’re things that are simply steamed. He’d get sick of them and it’s not delicious, Yuri thought. If you don’t put butter on it while it’s still piping hot at least, it won’t be tasty. Or maybe boiling it in salt water.

As Yuri was surprised, Yack continued to complain. No, he wasn’t complaining. He was explaining the current situation.

“So I was trying to make the necessary adjustments, but my seniors used the ingredients however they wanted. And they even say, ‘Can’t you make something else?’ when it’s my turn to cook and I set out steamed potatoes as a result.”

“… U-m, Yack-kun?”

“Even I, even I can cook if there are ingredients! But using the ingredients without thinking about rationing, just what am I supposed to do when there’s only bits and scraps left every time it’s my turn to use them!?”

Slam; Yack hit the counter in the center of the kitchen. You could even say he whailed on it. It seems he’s been harboring a strong grudge. There there; Yuri patted Yack’s head.

To summarize, Yack was trying to cook seriously while thinking about the rationing of ingredients, but his seniors came and ruined it. And they aren’t even self aware, saying Yack’s cooking is stingy. And they’ve already run out of ingredients today, the end of the month, so it seems that he has no idea how to make dinner.

Furthermore, the last remaining ingredients were used recklessly for lunch to make something decent, it seems. By his seniors. Seeing the aftermath of the kitchen, Yack had hung his head at the disastrous scene. Since there’s pretty much nothing to eat.

“U-m, for now, can I see what’s left? I might be able to help.”

“Yuri, you can cook?”

“Just to the degree of an amateur with a hobby. It would be impossible to serve it to customers, but I can do home cooking.”

The otomen smiled. He hasn’t worked at a cafe or anything, so Yuri’s cooking is definitely home cooking. He has looked at recipes on the internet and tried reproducing things he’d seen on TV, but he was mostly taught how to cook by his housewife mother. The so-called taste of home. He can’t make anything but simple, common dishes, so he’d be troubled if they wanted something strange.

As for Yack, his eyes sparkled. There weren’t many men who could cook. His seniors weren’t very talented with cooking, and were just doing their best because it was training. And then a newcomer who can cook appeared. No matter how he thought about it, this was their savior.

“Then I’ll explain.”

“Un.”

“The vegetables left other than potatoes are like this.”

“… Uwaa. It’s a disaster zone.”

“… Un.”

Towards Yuri, who stared blankly into the distance with a smile, Yack made the same face. Rather than saying they’d been peeled, it would be more correct to say that what was there were contents that had been reduced to shavings attached to the vegetable peels. Yack’s shoulders slumped at the barely left vegetables scattered about. … His mood was like he was staring at rabbit feed.

Continuing on, he opened the refrigerator to show the meat. … Nay, what was meat? Correction, a bone with bits of meat stuck to it. There was almost no Meat-san left.

“The meat was sliced off and they grilled a lot of it at lunch so…”

“… I see.”

“How am I supposed to cook a bone with barely any meat left?”

Perhaps saddened by his own words, Yack snuffled. It was pitiful. Yack didn’t do anything wrong, but it all landed on him. Even if this is the fate of a newcomer, it was much too cruel.

Surveying the area, Yuri checked the seasonings and kitchen tools. There’s a water supply and a gas stove. No, it seems the stove wasn’t gas, but there was a knob for adjusting the heat, so the way to use it was similar. Unfortunately there weren’t any seasonings other than salt, pepper, and soy sauce. What a pity.

There was lots of milk and eggs in the refrigerator. When he looked at them while wondering he could use them, Yack smiled, or rather puffed out his chest, and responded.

“We receive milk and eggs everyday from a local farm, so feel free to use them! … That’s why in the morning, you see, we make do with milk, eggs, and bread…”

“… Ah-. There’s nothing else you can do when the ingredients are being squandered, ne.”

Nonetheless, they’ve been able to barely get by with the large amounts of potatoes and the bread, eggs, and milk delivered everyday. He’d actually want more vegetables and meat, but he should be able to prepare something like a breakfast set, at least. Yuri thought that this was the leader Ali’s mercy, or rather his precaution.

And so, Yuri looked at Yack and smiled. He thinks he can make a simple meal somehow with just this. If it’s fine to go shopping after using everything up, then they’ll make do with this today and endure a simple breakfast of milk, eggs, and bread tomorrow morning. And then they’ll go shopping for fresh ingredients tomorrow.

“Well then, shall we prepare dinner? How long until dinnertime?”

“Eh? … There are individual differences, but I think it’s about 3 hours until the first person comes.”

“Got it. Then let’s do our best~.”

Yack blinked repeatedly at Yuri’s voice that contained the feeling of, ‘Let’s go~.’ It didn’t make any sense to Yack. Because what was in front of them were ingredients that were completely unusable for cooking. He had absolutely no idea how they were going to make a meal.

“How many people are we cooking for? Is everyone coming together?”

“No, not together. There are people who went out to the dungeon. … For dinner tonight, including Yuri, maybe 11 people?”

“I see. Then I can manage somehow. See, I don’t often cook for so many ~”

It’s difficult to grasp the amount, Yuri laughed. That smile wasn’t the look of someone feeling any difficulties. Yack was speechless. He didn’t understand what Yuri, who smiled saying, ‘Let’s cook,’ so casually despite not having any ingredients, was thinking.

… And Yuri even seemed excited. He’s an otomen, so as an otomen he loves to cook. This is another world, and although he was suddenly transferred to another world, he had secured a place to sleep and a guardian for now, so he was excited at getting the chance to do his beloved cooking.

… … … … It’s been said an unknown amount of times, but it will be said again. Yuri is someone with a carefree and optimistic nature.

“Waitwait, Yuri!”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Y,you’re really going to cook!? With these ingredients!?”

“It’s possible to make a simple home cooked meal with just these~”

“Eeeeeh!?”

Ignoring Yack shriek in surprise, Yuri took a hard loaf of bread, probably from several days ago, from the basket full of bread. The loaf was quite hard. Thinking it would be hard to eat even if it was toasted, Yuri took out a bowl and prepared a grater.

“… Yuri?”

“For now, help me make this. Cut the bread and grate it into the bowl.”

“… U,un.”

Yack nodded in agreement for now as Yuri smiled at him. He couldn’t think of anything himself anyway. Since that’s the case, he thought he might as well leave it to the very enthusiastic newcomer. … If everyone got mad at him with, ‘You’re supposed to be in charge,’ he decided to give them, ‘There wasn’t any ingredients but these!’ as an explanation.

And that’s how Yack stood next to Yuri, grating the stiff bread and making a lot of breadcrumbs.

A/n: The my-pace otomen doesn’t worry about the details.
He’s just having fun being able to cook.
A tsukkomi probably won’t get through to him.
And Yack-kun sees him as his savior.
I am awaiting your opinions and impressions.