Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 66: True Strength
I was really looking forward to another great match, but…
The result was a complete upset—Donnie won in an overwhelming landslide.
It was such a one-sided victory that there wasn’t much to explain. Both Sheila and Lime were left in a daze, utterly speechless.
Of course, Velvet and I, who were watching, could do nothing but gape in astonishment.
“…T-Too strong! Donnie was always this powerful!?”
“I’m quite surprised myself. Because of my poor eyesight, I was always forced into a defensive stance before. But now that I can attack freely, my range of strategies has expanded significantly.”
“Even so, I can’t believe it. Lime’s phasing ability, high-speed movements, and even his blinding flashes—all of them barely fazed you, right?”
“That’s because those are ‘first-time encounter’ tactics. Even without these so-called contact lenses, I probably could’ve handled them to some extent. But now, I could see right through his phasing, track his high-speed movements with my eyes, and even notice a faint glow in the core before he started flashing. …With all that in mind, there was no way I’d lose.”
Donnie puffed out his chest, wearing a smug grin as he explained his victory.
After his previous loss, his confidence had taken a hit, so now he seemed more than happy to bask in his triumph.
Still, I hadn’t expected the contact lenses to have such a dramatic effect, and I was honestly quite pleased.
With this, Donnie might be more willing to return to work, and he’d probably let his guard down around me a little.
“Bringing Donnieback to the frontlines… Otherworldly items really are incredible.”
“Even among magic items, I doubt there’s anything this amazing. Honestly, I might just be reaching my peak strength right now. Not that I have any plans to go back to being an adventurer.”
Even Donnie himself was stunned by how the mock battle had played out.
I wanted to watch more of his fighting prowess, but if we didn’t wrap things up soon, I wouldn’t have time to cook dinner.
I’d save that for the first official mock battle tournament.
For now, it was time to head back to the villa and start preparing the meal.
“Now that we’ve confirmed the contact lenses fit you well, let’s wrap things up here and have dinner.”
“I’m still a bit shaken by my complete defeat, but… just hearing ‘dinner’ makes me smile again.”
“Sheila, you really love food, huh? Not that I blame you—I’m looking forward to it too.”
“Not only did you give me these contact lenses, but now you’re even treating me to dinner? …I finally understand why the young lady keeps coming here.”
“Right? Honestly, I’d love to just move out of the royal castle and live here.”
“Just hearing that makes me happy. I’ll get started right away, so please wait in the living room.”
After telling the three of them that, I hurried back to the villa.
As for what to cook… I planned on making hamburg steak.
If I didn’t get too fancy, I could keep the ingredient costs low, and I was sure Donnie would be satisfied.
The sauce would be a garlic-infused tomato sauce.
I’d always loved Matsuya’s “Uma-Toma Hamburg,” so I used to make my own version whenever it wasn’t on the menu. I was pretty confident in my recipe.
Since there wasn’t much time, I got straight to cooking.
With practiced hands, I mixed ground beef and pork with onions and breadcrumbs, shaping them into patties before pan-steaming them to perfection.
At the same time, I prepared the garlic tomato sauce.
The key was using a generous amount of garlic—this alone would multiply the umami.
By the time the hamburg steaks were fully cooked, the sauce was ready as well.
The rice was done cooking too. Now, all that was left was to bring the meal to the three waiting in the living room.
“Thank you for waiting. Here’s the garlic tomato hamburg steak.”
“It smells incredible! That’s a whole chunk of meat!”
“No kidding, the aroma alone is on another level. I always thought the food here was good, but this… This is in a different dimension.”
“Sheila’s cooking is great too, but… When Sato gets serious, the food is so good it’ll make your knees buckle. I’m sure this ‘hamburger’ dish is no exception.”
“You’re really raising the bar too high… But I do think it turned out well, so please give it a try.”
Velvet was hyping it up like crazy, but I was confident this dish would live up to her expectations.
After our usual pre-meal greeting, we cut into the hamburger steaks and took our first bites.
—Yes, absolutely delicious!
I hadn’t been able to buy nutmeg due to budget constraints, but it didn’t matter. The rich tomato sauce and garlic-packed flavor were more than enough to make up for it.
Ad
I’d made plenty of tasty dishes before, but this hamburger steak might just be my best yet.
The flavor was so intense that it was almost overwhelming on its own. But pairing it with a bite of fluffy white rice? Pure bliss.
“Sato, this is too good! I’ve never had meat this delicious before!”
“What is this umami…!? It’s not just the meat—the sauce is bursting with flavor too.”
“—Umaaai!! …Damn, Sato, you’re a genius. I swear, I’m tearing up.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
As the others showered me with praise, Donnie was literally crying as he devoured his meal.
Back when I cooked for Ren and the others, they also cried tears of joy, and it really made me feel like all the effort was worth it.
Smiling as I watched the three of them eat with delight, I took another bite of my own hamburg steak, savoring every moment.