Tondemo Skill de Isekai Hourou Meshi

Eguchi Ren: We have reached chapter 500!!! It is thanks to all the readers that I have continued this far! Please continue to support Tondemo Skill de Isekai Hourou Meshi!!

Gumihou: Yay! We have reached chapter 500!!

I hurried to explain this horrendous misunderstanding to the [Ark] members. How Grandpa Gon had brought it as some kind of souvenir etc etc…

Do they believe me?

Please believe me.

I believe in you, [Ark]!

Hahh…

There was no point agonising over what was done. Let’s just pull myself together and make lunch. We found a relatively mud-free area with plenty of grass and even a little shade from some squat trees on a fairly large sandbank.

Fer and Grandpa Gon put up barriers while I set up my cooking station.

As I prep my ingredients, five pairs of very intense eyes stared at my every movement. That’s right, the Elf of Gluttony, Feodora was basically staring holes into the back of my head as I cooked.

Yes, yes, I understand you guys are hungry, but please wait.

I considered the Emperor Dorado for a moment.

As expected, a hotpot would be the best for a quick and easy lunch that could be easily shared…

As for which kind of hotpot, hmm, considering that we have people who may be unfamiliar with the concept of ‘hotpot’ let’s go with the standard ‘Yosenabe [1]’ with a simple dashi-based broth.

Ahhh, but I still want to put an extra twist on the dish.

Umu…

Should I risk it?

After flashing a glance at the people from [Ark], I dived behind the magic stove and opened up [Net Super].

Yes, yes, I know I’m kind of spoilt by [Net super] at this point, but I can’t help it, okay?

[2] While I could technically make the broth with kelp and dashi granules, I wanted something a little more interesting. I found myself scrolling through pre-packaged hotpot soup bases and paused at one of them.

[Vegetable Soup Base]

Light but strongly flavoured, goes well with either meat or seafood.

Hoho, let’s go with this one.

[2]

I bought a dozen packets. I also bought shiitake mushrooms and shimeji mushrooms since we can’t have hotpot without mushrooms and I’m all out of shrooms in my [Item Box].

As for the vegetables, I have plenty of those from Alban.

After checking out the purchase, I made sure to quickly cut the packets of soup base open and pour them all into a large pot before tossing the plastic bits into the empty cardboard box. I also took out all the mushrooms from their packaging and tossed them in a basket, making sure to dispose of the modern wrapping properly.

I really don’t want to have to explain plastic wrapping, cellophane packages and various ‘other world’ things. After putting the rubbish away, I got up and started rummaging for vegetables in my [Item Box].

Let’s see, hotpot veggie staples should always include Chinese Cabbage, leeks and carrots.

[2]

First, split the Chinese cabbage core and leaves. The leaves should be roughly chopped while the core finely sliced so that they cook at roughly the same rate. Slice the leeks into diagonal shapes. Carrots should be peeled and cut into half-moon shapes. [2]

For the mushrooms, cut the ends off the shimeji mushrooms and split them up; shiitake mushrooms should be cut in half after taking the stems away.

“Right, now that the vegetables have been prepared, let’s see, my clay pots… oh, before that…”

[2] Since I have already put all the soup base in a pot, let’s just add water and adjust the taste there. While waiting for the stock to heat up, I arranged the vegetables in various clay pots along with [3] slices of fish.

When the soup started to simmer, I taste-tested it.

Ssipp…

“Hmm, not bad, let’s ladle it out to the clay pots…”

It was quick work ladling out soup onto six clay pots on six different stoves. Soon, the air was filled with the enticing smell of simmering vegetables and fish…

Ssipp…

Eh? What’s that sound? I looked around and spotted one Elf as well as my familiars staring at me. Drool was dripping down the side of their mouths…

“Oi, even if you keep looking at me like that, I can’t make the cooking go any faster. Also, please leave, you’re in the way.”

They reluctantly dispersed.

Once the six pots of hotpot were done, I quickly put them away in my [Item Box] before simmering the next set of six. Who knows what kind of ruckus they would kick up if I don’t have things ready to feed them?

[4]

“Umu, this fish is pretty good…”

“So this is hotpot? It’s delicious,”

““Oohh, nothing like having hot food at times like this, the fish is delicious too~””

““Fish~~ delish~~””

“Make sure to eat your vegetables. Alban grew them with great care, you know? I’m looking at you, Fer!”

“Gunununu…” Fer was making a face as though I had told him to eat bugs.

“Vegetables are good for you, so eat up!”

“I have the goddess’ Blessing…” he muttered.

Humph, so what if you have the Blessing of a Deplorable Goddess who could not control her own sweets addiction? All the more reason for you to eat vegetables! Vegetables are good for you!

““Uncle Fer~ The veggies are yummy~””

“Oh my~ my sweet Sui-tan is so right~”

“Humph,”

Personally, I had no idea how Slimes get their nutrients, but it can’t hurt to eat more vegetables, right?

“”I don’t like eating plant matter, but Master always makes them taste good!”” said Dora-chan as he nibbled on a piece of Chinese Cabbage.

“Indeed, Master is incredibly talented at making everything taste good, be it meat, fish or even plant matter.”

“Thank you for saying that, Grandpa Gon.”

“No, no, it’s the plain truth…”

We all looked at Fer.

“Ughh… what- what are you looking at?”

I sniffed and said to nobody in particular, “Nothing, it’s just, those who do not eat everything on their plate do not deserve seconds.”

“Hear, hear,”

“Gunununu….”

Honestly, it was difficult to recall that I had once been terrified of this legendary beast.

Chomp chomp chomp!

“There! Seconds! No vegetables! No, I mean, fewer vegetables for my seconds!!”

I beamed, “Well, that’s a little difficult, Fer-san…”

All the clay pots have more or less the same amount of vegetables and fish. Anyway, I generously move a few pieces of leaves from his portion into my bowl before giving it to him.

Fer grumbled, but he still ate it.

While my familiars were busy with their seconds, I checked in with the [Ark] party.

“How was it?”

“Oooh, Mukouda-san, this hotpot thing is really amazing!” said Gideon-san.

“It’s so rare to be able to eat such a great variety of vegetables during a dungeon challenge. Adventurers like us tend to eat a rather unbalanced diet of jerky and hardtack.” I swear, Gaudino-san had a manly tear in his eye.

“I generally eat meat, but fish is not bad,” said Siegwald-san with a sage nod.

As for Feodora-san… well, she was too busy stuffing her cheeks to say anything.

“Oi! Feodora!”

“Refrain yourself!”

“That’s for all of us, don’t eat it all!”

Finally, Feodora-san opened her mouth to say, “The fastest wins.”

Then, she proceeded to stuff her mouth with food again.

Gideon, Gaudino and Siegwald immediately attacked the hotpot, not wanting to lose to Feodora-san.

I had to wonder… just where did all that food go in that slender body…

“Ahem, I’m here to tell you that there will be a nice surprise at the end, so please save the soup, alright~?”

“Ou!”

Chomp, chomp.

Hahh… these people are too good at eating…

I had to make sure to come and remind them not to eat everything. Especially that Feodora-san.

Needless to say, the rice porridge made with remaining hotpot soup and beaten egg was very well received.

I am happy to declare that everyone had an extremely satisfying lunch today.

[Gumihou: I’m full after translating this chapter~]

[1] Yosenabe – Japanese Hot Pot

Basic chicken or seafood hotpot with vegetables in a dashi-based broth.

https://www.justonecookbook.com/yosenabe/

[2] Give a little more details to his secretive movements to make it more logical and delete excessive‘vege grown by Alban’ comments

[3] Author forgot to do anything about the fish. People just started eating it after the page break.

[4] Adjust dialogues so that they showed the speaker’s personality more. Make them more natural sounding too.