Volume 10 – The Hero Attacks!

Chapter 98 – What Should I Bring as a Gift!?

I’m thinking of a big plan to support the hero without holding back too much, but even if I’m not planning to hold back, I still want to get to know what kind of person the hero is first. So, how should I go about doing that?

Maybe it’d be a good idea to start with something inoffensive as a gift and gradually build up a friendship. Eventually, I could even add a little letter or something.

That’s the kind of plan I’m thinking of. I’ll use whatever connections I can.

“So with that, I hereby declare the start of the ‘What Does the Hero Like?’ brainstorming session!”

I announce to Mimi and Kirara in our shed.

“The hero’s?”

“Likes and dislikes?”

Mimi and Kirara tilt their heads in sync. Cute.

“I want to give them something as a gift to make a good impression, but I don’t know what would be best.”

This is a tough problem.

It has to be something that will appeal to a high school student summoned to another world and also pass whatever checks the royal palace probably has in place.

“How about Luokudo?”

Kirara said with a look on her face as if she had just come up with a brilliant idea. Hmm. That might be worth considering. However—

“Luokudo is a really delicious treat, but I’m not sure if kid’s these days would even know what it is.”

It’s one of those classic sweets with so much history and tradition that you think everyone knows it, but I wonder how popular Luokdo is with young people.

And it’s incredibly delicate. Would it even survive transportation by wagon?

There’s also the issue of temperature. Chocolate coatings melt in the heat, don’t they?

Thinking about that, anything chocolate-based is probably difficult in this season.

“Also, it’s too delicious. That makes it risky when it comes to the palace inspections.”

Exactly. If someone from the royal palace does a poison test, Luokudo is so ridiculously tasty and the method of making it so mysterious that it could raise all kinds of suspicion. I mean, seriously, how do they even make those thin crepe-like crinkly cookie layers? No one understands. There’s no way it could be reproduced in this world. I think it’s definitely problematic.

“It’s a sin to be too delicious.”

Kirara agrees.

 “What about curry bread?”

I think about Mimi’s suggestion.

Curry would definitely be a hit. I don’t think there are many kids who don’t like curry. Although—wait, there was that one kid. They couldn’t handle how oily Japanese curry tends to be. Well, there are probably some who don’t like it, but I think they’re in the minority.

“That’s a good idea. But it’d take time to deliver it to the capital, right?”

“True…”

Food that doesn’t keep well is hard to deal with. It’s unlikely they’d eat it right away after receiving it.

The more I think about it, choosing a gift is really hard.

Maybe I should bring in some 100-yen home appliances as useful magical tools —like an LED lantern that also works as a flashlight?

But that’d probably get flagged by the magical tool inspectors. If they took it apart and found batteries or something, it’d be over.

“Ugh, this is impossible. My brain’s about to explode just thinking about it.”

It’s so frustrating. I’m really not cut out for complicated planning like this.

Hmm? Something that pops…

“Ah—Popcorn!”

Yes! This world has corn. I don’t know if they have the popping kind, but if it’s just corn, oil, and salt, it should be fine in this world.

It’s easy to recognize just by looking at it, which is important for getting through to high schoolers. I once bought popcorn kernels from the 100 yen store—it should be about 220 grams for 108 yen. That’s a lot! You always end up with way more than you expected with popcorn mixes.

“Freshly popped popcorn.”

I say it with a bit of excitement. Freshly made popcorn is so good.

 “What’s that?”

“Are you going to make something?”

“Yep!”

Alright, time to make some popcorn.

I pour oil into a frying pan and heat it up. Maybe about 3 yen’s worth. Maybe a bit more. Well, doesn’t really matter.

Once the oil’s hot, I toss in about 50 grams of kernels and add some salt, then carefully stir.

Ah—Kirara, it’s dangerous to lean in like that.

Pop! The first kernel explodes, flying straight at Kirara.

“Gyaa!”

Now! I cover the pan with a lid and start shaking.

The rapid popping sounds surprises Mimi too. The sound of popping kernels and them hitting the lid echo all around.

“It’s exploding…”

“It’s dangerous, so stay back.”

“I wish you had told me that earlier…”

Sorry, sorry.

I’m out of practice, so getting the timing right is tough. Plus, I have to keep shaking it. The popping is slowing down now, so it’s probably ready.

I take it off the heat and give it a few more shakes. There are always a few stragglers that pop late so you have to be careful.

The ones that didn’t pop and the ones that almost popped were hard. I grimace, remembering how they hurt your teeth. I used to be able to eat them no problem, so I enjoyed eating hard popcorn, but as the years went by, my teeth got weaker and it became harder to eat hard popcorn.

But I wonder if I can eat now. But I shouldn’t push myself too hard. Even if there were dentists in this world, I’d be scared.

When I open the lid, the frying pan is full of fluffy, white, fragrant popcorn.

A wonderful aroma spreads throughout the air. Nice. It turned out well.

I heap it onto a plate and prepare to dig in.

The popcorn is still warm, with a light, crispy texture and a toasty flavor. It melts gently in the mouth. Delicious. That toasty aroma and just the right amount of salt— That irresistible popcorn flavor.

The crunchy outer bits are also delicious and add fun texture. Ah, some of the skin got stuck in my teeth. Still good, though. Looks like I used just the right amount of oil—not greasy at all. Turned out great, even though I was winging it.

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It was a bit rough, but it turned out perfect. There were a few kernels that didn’t pop, but that can’t be helped.

Kirara had been wary after getting hit by a flying kernel, but after seeing me eat it, she reaches out for one. Ooh, good eye! She picked one that popped beautifully, like a little octopus shape.

“It’s delicious!”

Her eyes lit up after taking a crunchy bite. Luokudo is elegant and refined, but popcorn’s humble charm is just as delightful.

Especially with salt—it never gets old. I could eat it forever.

“That tiny amount turned into this much?”

Mimi seemed fascinated by how much it expanded. Right? The way it puffs up is really cool. You put in just a little, and end up with a pan overflowing with popcorn.

With all this popcorn, we might as well go see a movie.

Speaking of movie theaters, caramel popcorn is great too.

I already salted this batch, but maybe I could do a little flavor swap.

Let’s see—just need sugar, water, and butter.

I coat about half the popcorn in caramel and spread it out to cool.

I kind of burnt the caramel a bit, but that gives it a slightly bitter edge—a more “grown-up” flavor.

It’s sweet, salty, and delicious. So simple and tasty!

A snack made with just oil and salt; popcorn is truly a great snack… wait a second. Speaking of that—there is another super simple snack made with just oil and salt that’s insanely tasty. deep-fried sliced potatoes. It’s guaranteed to be a hit with high school students!