Who Is the World’s Strongest Appraiser? ~Living in Another World With Satisfying Meals~

As A Souvenir, Salt-Grilled Salmon Mixed Rice Balls

“Well then, I better get things ready before Ridi and the others arrive.”

In the kitchen, after finishing cleaning up breakfast, Yuuri was alone, wearing an apron and rolling up his sleeves. The kitchen was completely tidy and spotless. Normally, at this time when everyone had finished breakfast and the cleanup was done, there would be no tasks left in the kitchen. On days when lunch preparations took a long time, it might be different, but on ordinary days like this, this time would usually be allocated to laundry or cleaning.

The giant salt-grilled salmon that had been given as a gift by the young lord of the Werecats, Ridi and his group, who had come to visit yesterday. Since last night’s dinner was hamburgers made together with Ridi and the others, the salmon had only been tasted and not consumed at all. Yuuri took it out and, with practiced hands, began cutting it up and grilling it in the oven.

To reiterate, everyone had already finished their meals. And this wasn’t for lunch preparation either.

So what was Yuuri doing? He was preparing a souvenir for Ridi and the others. It might be more accurate to call it a lunchbox. The young lord of the Werecats didn’t seem to have much free time, and due to the nature of their business here, the only day they could freely play was yesterday, the last day before their return. Ridi had whined about wanting to play more, but unfortunately, they were returning to the Werecat village today.

Seeing Ridi feeling down after the fun day had ended, Yuuri had asked him, “Come see me again tomorrow before you leave, okay?” Of course, the young lord had nodded eagerly. He was quite fond of Yuuri. If it meant meeting him, he might even skip other promises to come running.

In any case, for the sake of the adorable young lord, Yuuri decided to prepare a souvenir. He was making rice balls. The ingredients included the flaked meat of the giant salt-grilled salmon that Ridi and the others had brought, along with some quickly chopped green shiso and sesame seeds. He thought that mixed rice balls, where every bite tastes the same, would be perfect for children.

“Alright, the salt-grilled salmon is done, so let’s remove the meat.”

While chopping the green shiso, Yuuri began flaking the grilled salmon with practiced hands. He carefully removed any small bones to ensure there were none left. Since only the flaked meat would be used for the mixed rice, he set aside the skin on a separate plate. He planned to grill and eat it later.

The delicious-looking, fatty salt-grilled salmon was a lovely pink color, fresh off the grill. Suppressing the urge to eat it right away, Yuuri continued his work. After diligently flaking all the salmon, he smiled with satisfaction.

Next, he scooped rice from the rice cooker into a large bowl and mixed in the flaked salmon, chopped green shiso, and sesame seeds. He mixed it carefully to ensure everything was evenly distributed, then tasted it. The salmon itself had a strong flavor, so he didn’t need to add any additional seasoning this time. If it tasted too bland, a bit of salt or soy sauce could be added to perfect it.

The white rice, pink salmon, green shiso, and light brown sesame seeds created a visually appealing mixed rice that looked delicious on its own. Confirming that everything was well mixed, Yuuri began shaping the rice balls. This time, he made them cylindrical for easy packing into lunchboxes.

He prepared two large lunchboxes. He had considered making individual portions, but since he wasn’t sure of their plans, he decided to make two with the intention of “Please share this with everyone.” He thought one might not be enough, especially considering how much Ridi could eat despite his small size.

After finishing the rice balls, Yuuri moved on to the next task: making dashi in a pot. He had already soaked the kelp, so that saved some time. He removed the kelp before it boiled and added salt, soy sauce, and sake to create a light, clear broth.

After a quick taste test, satisfied with the flavor, Yuuri paused, holding the tasting dish. Because…

“…Dashi.”

“…………Why are you here, Magg?”

“Dashi.”

“You’re supposed to be hanging the laundry right now, aren’t you? Why are you here!?”

“Dashi.”

“Magg, listen to me!”

Magg, who should have been hanging laundry with everyone in the yard, was inexplicably there. He was staring intently at Yuuri—or rather, at the pot in Yuuri’s hands. Yuuri desperately tried to explain to Magg, who only said “dashi,” but the dashi enthusiast was, as usual, not listening.

Incidentally, Magg had entered not from the dining room side but from the kitchen’s back door. After finishing the laundry, he had been cleaning near the back door when the aroma of dashi wafting from inside had drawn him in. Typical Magg.

After somehow managing to get that explanation out of Magg, Yuuri slumped in place. Of course, in the process, he ended up giving Magg the tasting dish of dashi as a gift. Well, it was Magg, after all.

“Just so you know, this is a souvenir for Ridi and the others, not for us.”

“…Dashi.”

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“…………Dashi.”

“I said no.”

Yuuri repeatedly emphasized this to Magg, who stared at him expressionlessly. After a few repetitions, Magg either finally understood or simply gave up, as he stopped saying anything. Instead, he looked curiously at the lunchboxes.

“That’s also a souvenir for Ridi and the others.”

“Rice balls.”

“Yeah. Since they’re leaving today, I thought it could serve as a lunch replacement.”

“…………Dashi chazuke.”

“…Tch.”

Magg muttered softly.

Hearing that, Yuuri thought, “Oh no.” He had once served Magg umeboshi dashi chazuke for breakfast. Moreover, Magg had already heard that Yuuri and the others had eaten dashi chazuke as a taste test for the salt-grilled salmon. It was only natural for Magg to connect the rice balls and dashi in front of him to that.

…Or rather, Magg only ever reacted in the direction of “eating deliciously with dashi,” so perhaps it was because it was Magg that he reached this conclusion. Anyone else would have thought the dashi was meant to be turned into soup.

“…Alright, alright, Magg.”

“?”

“There’s a little left in the bowl, so pour some dashi over it and eat it properly…”

“Understood.”

Since Yuuri had planned to eat the leftovers himself while cleaning up, he handed Magg the bowl with the remaining rice that wasn’t enough to make more rice balls. Magg, as expressionless as ever, nodded with musical notes floating above his head. It was safer to hand it over now rather than risk him targeting the souvenir portion.

Magg happily scooped dashi into the bowl with a ladle and moved to the counter space. He began eating with a spoon, clinking it against the bowl. The dashi chazuke, flavored with salmon, green shiso, and sesame, seemed to be a masterpiece, as his legs swayed happily. The dashi enthusiast loved dashi as much as ever. No one knew how he ended up like this.

Glancing at Magg, Yuuri began pouring dashi into a thermos. He chose one that could retain some heat because he wanted to give it to them while it was still warm. A fully insulated thermos was a bit expensive, so he couldn’t just hand it over like that.

In this world, convenient tools and magical items using magic stones were commonplace. However, not all of them were easily accessible to the common folk. This hideout, stocked with various items by Ally and the other instructors, was exceptionally convenient, but it was likely an exception rather than the rule.

As Yuuri packed the thermos and lunchboxes into a bag so they wouldn’t be in the way, a voice called from the dining room.

“Yuuri, the guests are here.”

“Ah, Ridi and the others?”

“Yeah, they’re here. …Wait, what’s Magg doing…?”

“Uh… leftover disposal?”

“…Magg, finish the rest of your work properly.”

“…Understood.”

Yakk, with a exasperated look, interjected, and Magg nodded repeatedly. However, he didn’t let go of the bowl or stop eating its contents. After letting out a big sigh, Yakk left. He still had work to do. The apprentices had plenty of chores.

…By the way, while Magg was leisurely enjoying his dashi chazuke, he too had tasks assigned to him. His relaxed demeanor wasn’t just because he was a dashi enthusiast savoring the broth. Magg was simply efficient. His movements were precise and wasted no time, so he actually finished his chores quickly.

“Alright, Magg, when you’re done eating, fill the bowl with water, okay?”

“Understood.”

Leaving the cheerful Magg behind, Yuuri headed to the entrance with the bag containing the rice balls and dashi. If he kept them waiting too long, the free-spirited kitten might start running around the hideout. Of course, the two overseers would catch him, but it was best to avoid any trouble.

Sure enough, when Yuuri arrived at the entrance, Ridi was squirming in Crest’s arms. Knowing that their time was limited, Ridi wanted to spend as much time as possible with Yuuri. He wasnyaing loudly, but unfortunately, Yuuri couldn’t understand what he was saying. Among the members of the Scarlet Lynx, only Aroru, the monster tamer, could understand cat language.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Nya!”

“No, it’s fine.”

“We apologize for taking up your busy time.”

“Not at all. I was the one who asked you to come.”

Yuuri hurried over, and both Crest and Fia bowed their heads. At their feet, Etol also bowed politely. The only one acting normally was Ridi. In Crest’s arms, his face lit up, and he reached out his small hands toward Yuuri. The young lord was in high spirits as usual.

“Nyanya!”

“Uh, playing is out of the question, Ridi.”

“Nya!?”

“But instead, here, a souvenir.”

“Nya?”

Ridi, who had been struck with shock, became intrigued when Yuuri held out the bag. He tried to open it with his little paws, and Yuuri watched with amusement as he explained the contents to the two adults.

“There are rice balls and dashi inside, so please have them when you get hungry. The rice balls are made small.”

“Thank you so much.”

“Not at all. The rice balls are mixed with the salt-grilled salmon you gave us. If you pour the warm dashi over them, they’ll become dashi chazuke.”

“We’re truly grateful for everything.”

Fia and Crest bowed repeatedly at Yuuri’s explanation. The two adults understood that this souvenir was for Ridi, who loved Yuuri’s cooking. Of course, Yuuri intended it for everyone, but it was clear that the young lord was the main reason.

As they were having this peaceful conversation, Ridi suddenly started shouting. However, Etol immediately rejected whatever he was saying.

“Nya? Nyaaa!”

“No, young lord.”

“Nyanya!”

“No!”

Ridi, with a “Why not!?” expression, was shouting, while Etol stood firm. The sight of the two young kittens arguing was endearing, but the three adults could tell they were both serious. Yuuri, without needing a translation, could guess what was going on. Ridi was undoubtedly shouting, “I want to eat it now!”

“Ridi.”

“Nya?”

“That’s for the journey, so you can’t eat it now.”

“Nya…”

“Listen to everyone and make sure you get home safely, okay?”

“Nya…”

Ridi, having his head patted, smiled happily. But his face soon twisted into a pout. He looked like he was about to burst into tears, protesting. Just how much did he want to play here?

“If you listen to everyone and behave, I’m sure you’ll be able to come back again.”

“Nya?”

“That’s right. If the young lord studies hard and behaves well, it’s possible.”

“The elder might allow it. Of course, with us accompanying you.”

“Nya!”

Kittens are simple.

With Yuuri offering a sweet promise and Fia and Crest providing concrete details, Ridi was completely won over. Just the thought of being able to come back and play again was enough to cheer him up. Ridi was still very much a child.

Seeing Ridi like this, Etol sighed. He seemed to have mixed feelings about the young lord’s usual behavior. However, he wasn’t just exasperated. He cleverly brought up a topic to Ridi.

“In that case, you should work hard on your studies so you can speak by the next time you come.”

“Nya!?”

“After all, why do I have to translate for you? You should be able to speak for yourself.”

“Nya,nya…”

“No excuses.”

Ridi, still caught in Crest’s arms, tapped Etol’s shoulder and tried to argue. But Etol wasn’t having it. Of course, Etol was right. Despite being the same age, Etol could speak, while Ridi couldn’t.

Watching their interaction, Yuuri crouched down to meet Ridi’s gaze. Smiling at the puzzled kitten, he shared his thoughts.

“I’d like to talk to you directly next time, Ridi.”

“Nya?”

“Since we’re friends, it’d be more fun to talk without a translator, right?”

“Nyanya!”

At Yuuri’s words, Ridi looked surprised. Then, clenching his fists, he let out a determined cry. Until now, he hadn’t thought much about it because he could understand what Yuuri was saying, and his own thoughts seemed to get across.

But now that his important friend had said this, he had no choice but to get fired up. He seemed ready to work hard. …Children are simple.

“Alright, work hard so we can talk directly next time, okay?”

“Nya!”

“It’s a promise, okay?”

“Nyanya!”

Ridi shook hands vigorously with Yuuri, who smiled warmly. Watching the heartwarming scene, Crest and Fia smiled softly. …And beside them, Etol clenched his fist, as if to say, “I’ve got this in the bag.” Surely, once they returned to the village, the young lord would be hit with a whirlwind of studies. It would be great if this enthusiasm could be put to good use.

And so, after promising to meet again, the Werecat group returned to their village. By the way, in a letter that arrived later, there was a message from the young lord (still a bit hard to read, with messy handwriting). It seemed he was working hard on his studies.