Chapter 3 – Sweets from Another World
“I’m home!”
“Oh, you’re back? Welcome home.”
“How did it go? Did you manage to pick any fruit?”
It seemed Mom and Dad were in the kitchen, but they poked their heads out from the counter. Marie climbed up onto a stool at the dining hall’s counter, opened the hemp sack, and showed them what was inside.
“Mom, Dad, look! We picked this much!”
“Oh my, aren’t those raspberries! You really got a lot. That’s amazing, Marie.”
“You’re right. With this many, we can all eat our fill. Should we have them after dinner tonight?”
“Yeah! I can’t wait!”
Marie was transferring the raspberries into a large wooden bowl Dad had brought out. She had a huge smile on her face and looked overjoyed. She must really love raspberries. I, on the other hand, would prefer them a bit sweeter. If we had sugar, I could make jam… Maybe I should ask Mom about sugar.
“Mom, do we have any sweet seasonings?”
“Sweet seasonings? Why do you ask?”
“Um… I was just thinking that if we had something sweet, the raspberries would taste even better.”
That doesn’t sound unnatural, does it? Please let there be sugar!
“Let’s see. We have honey or sugar, I suppose.”
“What? You have sugar?!”
“Leon, you know about sugar?”
“N-No, I just… happened to hear about it. That there’s a sweet seasoning called sugar.”
“I see. But they don’t sell sugar or honey around here.”
“What?! Why not?”
“Commoners aren’t wealthy enough to spend money on sweets, so sugar and honey just don’t sell. Besides, they’re more expensive than other seasonings.”
No… Even though it exists, we can’t buy it. But still, sugar does exist. It’s not like it’s absent from this world. In that case, the only question is how to get my hands on it!
“So, where do they sell it?”
“I think they sell it in the central district of the royal capital.”
“The central district of the capital?”
“That’s right. This is the western edge of the capital. The central district is where the king and all the nobles live. It’s full of high-end shops, so I’m sure they sell it there.”
So there really is a king and nobles. Does this mean only nobles get to eat sweet things?
“So, if I go there, can I buy some?”
“Probably not. I hear many of the shops in the central district only allow nobles and their associates inside. And even if you could get in, it would be too expensive for people like us to afford.”
“Oh… I see.”
“Besides, the central district is far from here. It takes over two hours by carriage.”
“Right… Well, I’ll give up on it then.”
“That’s probably for the best. …You’re eight years old now, Leon, so I’ll tell you this: you’d be in serious trouble if you caught the eye of a noble. I don’t think they ever come around here, so it should be fine, but you must never be rude to them. There might be some good nobles out there, but there are also unreasonable ones.”
Nobles sound terrifying… I want to stay as far away from them as possible. But to think that’s where the sugar is! It looks like I’d better find somewhere else that sells it.
“Thanks, Mom. I’ll give up on the sweet seasoning. The raspberries are delicious just as they are.”
I said that with a bright smile to reassure her. Mom had been looking rather grim just a moment ago.
At that, Mom’s expression softened, and she said.
“Well then, let’s all have some raspberries after dinner.”
“Okay!”
However, just eating those raspberries as they are is going to be tough. Isn’t there some way to make them delicious without sugar…?
What would be good? Maybe pouring them over French toast, or mixing them into pancakes… Mixing them into pancakes might actually be pretty good. With that idea, I immediately ran to ask Mom if I could use the kitchen.
“Mom! I thought of a dish using the raspberries. Can I use the kitchen?”
“I don’t mind, but… did you really think of it? You’ve never cooked before…”
Was it unnatural to come up with a recipe when I’ve never cooked? But I absolutely have to try this! Those things are way too sour.
“It’s from watching you and Dad cook all the time.”
I said that while gazing up at Mom with an innocent look. She chuckled and patted my head.
“Well then, I suppose I’ll let you make it.”
“Leon’s going to cook? I’m looking forward to this.”
Dad also agreed with a smile. I’ve really got to do my best now!
“Alright, I’ll clear a space for you to cook, so first, go put your things away and wash your hands.”
“Okay!”
“Marie, you go with Leon and put your things away, too.”
“Okay! Is big brother going to cook? I’m so excited!”
Marie is looking forward to it so innocently. The pressure is on… I really hope it turns out delicious.
I went with Marie to the storage room on the second floor and put away the gear we used for the forest. As I set down the basket I’d been carrying, I realized I’d forgotten about the firewood. It should probably go to the kitchen, so I’ll have to take it back downstairs.
“Marie, we forgot the firewood. Let’s take it downstairs.”
“Yeah! We have to get our allowance!”
It seems Marie’s attention had shifted from the raspberries to her allowance. She was already wondering what to buy with it.
“Alright, let’s go down.”
Marie and I carried the basket, still full of firewood, back downstairs. Mom was just coming out of the kitchen.
“Mom, we gathered firewood, too.”
“Oh, you did? Thank you. Could you go put it in the firewood box in the kitchen?”
“Okay!”
Marie and I replied cheerfully in unison and went into the kitchen, stacking the branches in the firewood box in the corner.
“You brought back firewood, too? Thank you.”
“Uh-huh! I gathered a whole bunch!”
“What a good girl, Marie.”
Dad gently stroked a proud-looking Marie’s head.
“Well, I’m gonna go put the basket away and wash my hands.”
“Me too!”
We went back upstairs to drop off the basket and then entered the living room on our way to the courtyard. Mom was waiting for us there.
“Here’s your allowance for bringing back the firewood.”
“Yay! Thank you!”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“You’re welcome. Go buy yourselves something at the food stalls.”
“Okay!”
Marie and I held our allowances tightly so we wouldn’t lose them and put them inside our own wooden boxes. There were four small wooden boxes in the living room, each for us to keep our important things in.
After stowing away our money, Marie and I went to the courtyard, drew water from the well, and washed our hands.
It seemed Marie was going to rest in the living room for a bit. I, on the other hand, had pancakes to make. Time to do my best and make some delicious pancakes!
“Alright, I’m heading to the kitchen.”
“Okay! Make something yummy, big brother!”
“Got it. I’ll do my best.”
With that, I headed for the kitchen.
When I got to the kitchen, Dad was still prepping the dinner menu, but Mom was waiting with the raspberries, having cleared a space for me.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“It’s no problem. I’m curious to see what you’ll make.”
“Dad’s really looking forward to it, too.”
“Don’t get your hopes up too high, okay? I don’t know if it’ll be any good.”
It’s kind of hard to deal with all this expectation. We don’t have sugar, and my memory of the recipe is vague, so I have no idea if it’ll turn out well… Ugh, their expectant looks are intense. I’ll just have to try my best.
“Well, let’s begin. What else do you need besides the raspberries?”
Um, if I remember right, pancakes are made with flour, eggs, milk, and sugar. I think… Man, in hindsight, I really should have learned to cook more. Wait… do they even have milk? With no refrigerators, milk seems unlikely.
“Mom, do we have any milk?”
“We don’t have any milk here. It doesn’t keep, and while we sometimes have it in winter, we don’t right now.”
Yeah, that’s what I thought. If there’s no milk, I guess I have to use water. I’m pretty sure there are pancake recipes that use flour, water, and eggs. The problem is, those taste good because you make them sweet with sugar. Since there’s no sugar, it’ll be a concoction of flour, water, eggs, and raspberry flavoring… Is that even going to be tasty?
Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
“Mom, I need flour, eggs, and water. Do we have those?”
“We do.”
Mom quickly gathered the ingredients for me.
“Here’s everything. What do you do with it?”
“Um, you mix it all together in a bowl.”
“I see, it’s similar to bread. Are you making bread?”
“It’s similar to bread, but it’s different.”
I said that as I mixed the egg and water in the bowl, then started adding the flour. I seem to recall it being pretty thick and gooey, so… maybe about this much?
As I was mixing with that rough-and-ready approach, Mom stopped me, her face pale.
“Leon! Wait. You’ve added so much water, it’s all runny!”
“Huh? But this is how this dish is supposed to be.”
“But… won’t it be a waste?”
“It’ll be fine. Are there no other recipes like this?”
“No. When we make bread, we only use a little water so it firms up, and we don’t add eggs. We really only use flour to make bread, and eggs are just boiled or fried.”
In that case, no wonder the food in this world is so undeveloped. I’ll have to gradually make the dishes I remember.
“But my recipe is supposed to be like this.”
Even after I said that, Mom still looked anxious. Well, Leon’s never cooked before, so it’s only natural she’d be worried. I was wondering what to do when Dad came to my rescue.
“Roana, Leon is motivated to do this, so why not let him try? He can just make a small amount so it doesn’t go to waste.”
“You’re right. Just a little at a time, Leon.”
“Okay. Thanks!”
Thanks, Dad! I’ll definitely repay you for this later. There’s not much I can do, but I’ll find a way!
“Alright, this looks about right.”
All that’s left is to add the raspberries. I looked up to grab them, only to meet the stunned gazes of Mom and Dad.
“Leon…? Don’t tell me… that’s the finished product? You’re going to… eat that?”
Dad asked me hesitantly.
“No! This is still in progress. I’m going to add the raspberries and cook it now.”
“Oh, I see. Well, if it’s not finished, I suppose it’s fine if it doesn’t look appetizing yet.” Mom said.
You don’t have to look at it like it’s some kind of unidentifiable sludge! Well, I admit it looks pretty unappetizing as-is. I’d better hurry up and finish this.
I rinsed the bowl I’d used to beat the egg, put the raspberries in it, and started mashing them with a wooden spatula. I could just add them whole, but I figured mashing them would infuse the flavor better. At this point, even I have no idea how this will taste. I just hope it’s good.
After mashing a decent amount of raspberries, I added them to the batter I’d mixed earlier. Then I mixed it all together again. After mixing, I threw in a few whole raspberries too. A bit of texture from the fruit should make it tastier.
“Okay, it’s ready! All that’s left is to cook it. Can I use a frying pan?”
“Yes, of course. Use this one. I’ll light the fire, so just wait a moment.”
With those words, Mom held her hand over the firewood in the hearth and whispered, “Ignite.” Just like that, the wood, which hadn’t even been smoldering, burst into flames.
I was so shocked I was speechless, but also thrilled. This is magic. Leon’s memories had it, but this was the first time I’d seen it in person. Amazing! So cool! This is another world! Inside, my excitement was at max level.
According to Leon’s memories, both Mom and Dad have a fire affinity, but their mana is low, so they can only use it a few times a day. I want to use magic soon, too. I can’t wait to go to the church to have my mana measured!
I was so lost in thought, staring at the hearth, that Mom had to call out to me.
“Leon? What’s wrong, spacing out like that? Don’t you need to cook that?”
Her words snapped me out of my magic-fueled daydreams. Right, I was in the middle of making pancakes.
“Sorry, Mom. I was just thinking how cool magic is.”
“You’re eight now, Leon, so you’ll be able to use it soon, too. We’ll have to go to the church one of these days.”
“Yeah! I’m so excited!”
As I beamed with a huge smile, Mom gave a wry laugh and said.
“Right now, you need to focus on finishing your cooking, not on magic.”
“Okay!”
I reined in my excitement about magic and decided to concentrate on the food.
This kitchen has a standing-height hearth, so they got me a stool. I stood in front of it, ready to cook the pancake. But as I was about to start, I realized something. It would be much better with butter. Since there was no milk, is there any butter?
“Mom, do we have any butter?”
“Butter? I wonder if we have any left.”
Mom started searching the shelves. Butter that’s hard to find like this… is it going to be okay? There are no refrigerators. Just as I was thinking that, she seemed to find it.
“Found it. There’s only a little left, but will this be enough?”
I looked, and there seemed to be about two spoonfuls, so it should be fine.
“That’s plenty.”
I wondered if it had gone bad, but it looked normal and didn’t smell strange, so it was probably fine. With that, I put the butter in the frying pan and set it on the fire. As the butter started to melt, I poured in the batter I’d made. It was a bit too much, so I decided to make two, pouring in only half.
If I remember right, you flip it when bubbles start to form on the surface. I waited, but after a while, no bubbles appeared. Still, it felt like it was probably cooked.
I peeked at the underside, and it was pretty well-browned. I should probably flip it now. Any longer and it’s going to burn.
I grabbed another, larger wooden spatula and tried to flip it. But it wasn’t working. This is actually pretty hard. After struggling with the pancake for a bit, Dad offered to help.
“Are you trying to flip that? Here, Dad will do it.”
“Really? Thanks, Dad.”
I handed Dad the pan and spatula, and he flipped it with a single, easy motion. Wow, he’s a pro!
“Dad, you’re amazing! That was so cool!”
“You think so? That makes me happy.”
Dad was grinning from ear to ear.
“Anyway, this is starting to smell really good.”
“Yeah! Smells delicious, doesn’t it?”
A really nice aroma had been wafting through the air for a bit now. It wasn’t exactly a pancake smell… but it smelled tasty, so that means it’s a success, right?
“It certainly does smell nice. Especially since the batter looked so incredibly unappetizing.”
Mom is a little too blunt. Well, given what it looked like, I can’t blame her. I glanced at the remaining half of the uncooked batter and had to agree.
Is it done? I checked the other side with the spatula, and it seemed to be cooked through.
“Alright! It’s done! Do we have a plate?”
“Use this one.”
“Thanks.”
I slid the pancake onto the plate Mom handed me. Then, I cooked the other one the same way and plated it. It smelled so good. It’s making me hungry.
“We still have a little time before the dinner service, so why don’t we all have this as a snack?”
“Good idea. But I’m worried about leaving the hearth fire this high, so… it’s a bit ill-mannered, but let’s just eat in the kitchen. I’ll go get Marie.”
“We’re having it as a snack?! Awesome!”
I always get hungry while helping with the dinner rush. Looks like I won’t have to suffer from hunger today.
“Leon, let’s cut this into four servings, one for each of us.”
“Okay!”
While Mom went to the living room to get Marie, Dad and I cut the pancakes and divided them onto four plates.
Just as we finished plating, the kitchen door opened, and Marie ran in.
“Is big brother’s food ready?! It smells so good!”
“It is. Want to try some?”
“Yeah! I’ve been waiting!”
I really hope she likes it. My heart was pounding as I handed out forks to everyone.
“Alright, let’s eat. Thank you for the food!”
“Thank you for the food!”
We all said it together, and I nervously took a bite of the pancake. Chomp… Not bad! In terms of taste, it’s definitely not a pancake, but it’s good in its own way! It’s a little chewy, with a texture more like… okonomiyaki, maybe. The tartness of the raspberries is also much less noticeable than when I ate them plain.
It’s hard to say if it’s a ‘success,’ but hey, it’s not bad, so I’ll count it as a win. It might even be the kind of taste that grows on you. Since it wasn’t horribly disgusting, I was eating mine with relief when I noticed how quiet everyone else was. I looked around and saw Mom and Dad, frozen, having taken only one bite. Marie was just silently continuing to eat.
Was it bad…?
“Guys, is it… is it bad?”
I asked, worried. I thought it was pretty good, but maybe it wasn’t to their liking?
Just as I was thinking that, they all shook their heads frantically.
“No, Leon! It’s not that! We were just so surprised by how good it is. The texture is really interesting, too.”
“That’s right. I’m just stunned that… that… turned into something this delicious. I was so sure it was going to be awful.”
“Big brother, this is yummy! I like the texture! Make it again, okay?”
Oh, they were just surprised. Haaa, what a relief. The tension drained from my face.
Still, if this dish surprises them this much, they’d be constantly amazed by Japanese food. I want to make something else for them again.
“I’m just glad you guys like it.”
“It really is delicious. And the ingredients are simple, it seems like you could adapt it easily.”
“Leon, you might have a talent for cooking. If you think of any other dishes, you should try making them.”
“Really?! Thanks!”
I’m sure there’s some parental bias in there, but it still makes me happy. I’ll do my best to make even tastier things. It’s a little complicated since I’m not the one who thought of it, but I’m glad it made everyone happy.
“It’s all gone. Big brother, that was so good!”
“You liked it, Marie? That’s great. I’ll make it for you again.”
“Yeah! Let’s go pick more raspberries again!”
“Sounds good.”
Marie seemed to have genuinely enjoyed it. She was smiling with satisfaction. As Marie and I were laughing together, the evening bell rang.
“It’s that late already? Time to open for the evening.”
“You’re right. Leon, Marie, can you two handle the dining hall?”
“Okay!”
Marie and I only help out for the first hour or so of the dinner service, which is usually the busiest part. Apparently, most people eat dinner at home, so the only customers who come are here for alcohol and snacks, meaning it’s not too hectic.
The dinner menu consists of only two items: ale and the snack-of-the-day set. Everyone orders those two things, so serving customers is apparently very easy. Just as I was thinking that, our first customer came in.
“Welcome. Please, have a seat anywhere you like.”
“I’ll have an ale and the snack set.”
“Right away.”
Most of the customers are regulars, just like this one, and they already know the menu, so there’s no need to explain anything. After that, a few more customers trickled in, and after five people had arrived, the flow stopped.
“Leon, Marie, you two can be done for now.”
Mom called us over. Our work was finished. When Marie and I went to the kitchen, Mom handed us our dinner. All that’s left is to eat, wipe ourselves down, and go to bed. Mom and Dad will eat and sleep after the customers leave.
“Marie, let’s go eat dinner.”
“Okay! I’m starving!”
Chatting like that, we went to the living room, sat in our usual spots, and started eating.
“Thank you for the food!”
Tonight’s dinner is bread and a soup full of vegetables. It seems light dinners are the norm in this world. They don’t eat much at night; instead, they eat a lot for breakfast and lunch. It seems to be a habit to eat more at times other than night, to have energy for work. Munch… munch… The bread is hard, but it’s pretty good if you dip it in the soup.
“Big brother, that raspberry dish was really yummy.”
“The pancakes, yeah.”
“Pancakes? Is that what it’s called?”
“Yep. I named it.”
I’m going to end up calling them pancakes anyway, even if I give them a different name, so I decided to just ‘officially’ name them pancakes. The taste and texture are completely different from actual pancakes, but once I get my hands on sugar and milk, I can just make them the real deal and say, “THIS is a real pancake.”
“Yeah! I want to eat pancakes again.”
“I’ll make them again. We’ll have to go pick more raspberries, too.”
“Okay! I’ll pick a whole bunch!”
Marie seems incredibly motivated. I’m glad she liked it that much.
After we finished dinner, we both wiped ourselves down and headed straight for the bedroom. Marie must have been tired; she seemed to fall asleep the instant she got into bed. We only have one bedroom, so the whole family sleeps together, which is a bit cramped, but as I looked at Marie’s sleeping face, I thought it was kind of nice, too.
I must have been tired as well, because I fell asleep almost immediately.
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