Published at 25th of March 2019 11:08 pm

Chapter 68: When should you do it? It doesn’t have to be now

Common sense of a world in war? Settling the truth? Revenge?

None of that matters to me. I’m not interested.

Other people can just go worry about it themselves and preach their ethics or morals.

Only the actual people concerned would know what’s the most accurate thing to do.

It’s the same for me. I would only decide what to do with the demi-human that killed my old man and mum once I actually meet him and see his face. There’s nothing I can do until that happens.

So, this is all I can do right now.

“Velt, what do you want to do!” (Ura)

There’s no deep meaning behind it. I’m just doing what I can do.

But like, I really didn’t think it would be this hard to make noodles with my heavily injured body.

Since there’s no noodle making machine, I’ve always made them by hand.

I stir the wheat flour, round up the dough, knead it, spread it evenly, and cut it.

Facing the things in front of me, I just silently repeated my work over and over again.

It’s amazing how sensei repeated this for over ten years. He wouldn’t have been able to even get one injury.

“Oi, Musashi, you properly cut the ingredients and tossed them into the pot, right? Watch over it properly.” (Velt)

“Ye, yes!” (Musashi)

To be honest, as long as you prepare everything, making the soup of the ramen can easily be done in around ten hours.

To make the really oily ramen that I like, I would need to boil it for a whole day.

I thought stuff like this was just something that was quickly handed out and then eaten in a flash in Asakura Ryuuma’s age, but I never knew it took this much effort. I get why a lot of the ramen restaurant managers from my past world looked so proud.

“Oi, Velt. Are you going to boil it now? Is there enough time for that?” (Ura)

“Hm~, well, I can’t give thick soup to guys who were drinking and eating so much, so I’ll give a simple one that can be finished in a shorter period of time. Well, it should take around six hours.” (Velt) (TL Note: I say simple, but it’s more like ‘not-as-much-oil-ramen’, rather than simply flavoured. Yeah, well basically just think of that for every time I say simple in this chapter.)

“Si, six hours? Does it take that long! However, dawn will break by then and because everyone is tired, would they not sleep before then?” (Musashi)

“Maybe. But no matter how seriously I do this, I need time. Just because I don’t have time, that doesn’t mean I can just give them some random stuff.” (Velt)

That’s right, in these five years, I properly learnt that patience is necessary for ramen making.

“Hey, Ura. You know, sensei worried and went through trouble and error to make this, before we were even born, and finally came to this point.” (Velt)

“U, umu, I have heard about that before.” (Ura)

“And then, one day, before I met you, sensei said something to me who doesn’t work hard at anything.” (Velt)

――Walking through my life as Melma, I continued piling up experience from the bottom rank of a restaurant when I was sixteen years old because I didn’t have any talent for magic or fighting. I started with washing plates, and it took multiple years until they entrusted me with cooking, and then I took ten years practising making ramen. Even so, I still didn’t stop seeking new flavours. Remember this. No matter what world it is, there’s nothing you can gain in just a day.

“………… That’s what he said.” (Velt)

At that time, I didn’t take the meaning of those words to heart.

Rather, I said hard work doesn’t suit me, and I didn’t even care about it.

But after my old man and mum died, I started thinking about those words every now and then

“You know this ramen~, one bowl is 800 Ell. No, something that I made without asking sensei is only something that’s lower than half price. It doesn’t match how hard he worked, right? But like, carefully doing it like this while still worrying and seeking still isn’t enough for it to be perfect. That’s the kind of world this is, you know?” (Velt)

Even though he achieved a huge success in the Elfarshia Kingdom, sensei is still seeking tastier soups, noodles and new flavours.

Since he was an enthusiastic teacher in his past life, when he immerses himself in one thing, he devotes his life to it.

“I used to think that devoting your life to ramen is way too much of a stupid exaggeration. Like, wouldn’t you think that? If you were to put it in another way, even the things sensei made only cost 800 Ell. Dirty old men coming home from work stop by for a few minutes, and then leave quickly. Devoting your life and going through trial and error for ten years for something like that is foolish.” (Velt)

Yeah, I ‘used’ to think that. It’s past tense.

“Ura, Musashi. Answering the questions you were given today is impossible, isn’t it? In addition, it’s a problem of your family being killed or killing others, right? If it’s such a serious problem that you might have to give answers like killing yourself to atone for it or killing them to take revenge, shouldn’t you be thinking about it more carefully?” (Velt)

“Carefully………… you say? However, that is simply running away from answering it. Can’t you take that as postponing the problem?” (Ura)

“Just because of that, making a quick decision for everything is impossible. When should you do it? Doing it straight away is also important, but there are also problems that need to be carefully thought about while taking time. So like, it’s fine even if you don’t do it now.” (Velt)

At the very least, that’s what I think.

“Well, I’m not going to link everything together with ramen. But since sensei and I both only did this, this is all I can do. You guys should go decide on what you’ll do now by yourselves.” (Velt)

Isn’t it fine to not thrust reality right in front of them? That’s my wish.

It’s because I don’t want anything to change.

However, I’m telling them that if they have to reach a conclusion or find an answer no matter what, there’s obviously no way they could find an answer for that so easily.

Then, probably because my words gave them a chance to think about stuff in some way, the two made a bit more refreshed faces, instead of hanging their heads down.

“You sure are unkind like always. Basically, you want to say that it’s not an easy problem to answer, so we should carefully worry and think about it by ourselves, right? Weren’t men supposed to pull along women and show them the way?” (Ura)

“However, this is troubling. In case our answer we end up thinking of is different to lord’s answer and we are blamed for it, we would not ever be able to get back on our feet.” (Musashi)

Good grief, you guys love me too much.

Well, it can’t be helped, since I can’t say any kind things to women like a man should do.

“Ahhh, you don’t need to worry about that. No matter what answer you make, I won’t hate you guys. Isn’t that great.” (Velt)

So, I at least said this.

But since it was a bit embarrassing, I didn’t turn around anymore to face them.

Although I heard a sobbing sound immediately after I said that, I ignored it.

I just kept staring at the soup.

No matter how many minutes or hours it takes, even if my consciousness becomes distant, I continued devoting myself to it, all throughout the night.

By the time I realized it, I could see a slight bit of sunshine from outside the window.

The morning sun is almost about to show itself.

I can still hear the voices of the drunkards from the centre of the village, but they should be fast asleep by the time the sun comes up completely.

And, I also felt that it was just the right time.

“O, ohh……” (Ura)

“Uu~mu, what a deep flavoursome smell. It is exciting my appetite.” (Musashi)

“Yeah, considering my standard, this is definitely well made.” (Velt)

When I dish up the soup from the huge pot and sip some, a simple but great flavour spreads through my mouth.

“Alright! Prepare some utensils!” (Velt)

“Yes!” (Musashi)

“Leave it to me! I won’t lose to anyone at carrying dishes!” (Ura)

It seems like they got over their doubts, as the two of them silently followed my instructions and quickly moved.

Huh? Two? What about Farga?

“So damn good.” (Farga)

Ah, he started eating before everyone else by himself!

You asshole! It’s so damn good? Well that’s great, you asshole!

“Hey~, I smell something really tasty~, but what is it? What are you making without telling oneechan~?” (Cleran)

Amazing.

Even though she collapsed on the ground from being dead drunk, she woke up from getting lured by the smell of food.

Well, although I’m scared to let Cleran, a food pro, eat this, I should have some confidence here and tell her.

“It’s a simple, tonkotsu concluding ramen.” (Velt)

“Simple tonkotu concluding rameeen? What’s that.” (Cleran)

“Concluding ramen. It’s a dish to end today’s special, fun banquet of drinking good alcohol, and swear that you’re going to work hard from tomorrow.” (Velt)

“Hmmm, what’s up with that, it sounds interesting!” (Cleran)

“Yeah, rather than cooking, this is culture! Study hard and get bulges of fat!” (Velt)

After putting in soup, noodles and the ingredients that were available in bowls, we went to the square.

The sky is somewhat bright, and the stack of firewood that was prepared for the campfire is already burned up with none remaining.

The Hunters and guys from the village are still holding their alcohol cups and bottles, while staggering.

Good grief, these old men……

“Oooi, just end this already! Go eat this quickly and sleep!” (Velt)

When we appear and shout, everyone raises their hands, looking dead drunk.

“Uo~, niichuan, vhere vere you~, aren’t you gonn dwink my alcohol~.” (Hunter)

“Boy~, vring this oneechuan to a ved~, and then~, I’ll give it to you~, chuuu~.” (Kuri?)

“Veryd-dono~.” (Villager)

“Ura, Muzashi, you guys gome too~.” (Hunter)

Alcohol really is amazing, huh. Wouldn’t it be easier to defeat the muscular Hunters by making them drink alcohol instead of fighting them? They were drunk enough for me to think that.

Furthermore, most of them are in undressed, naked states. It was such an unbearable situation that even Ura and Musashi reflexively looked away.

Good grief,

“Look, I’m giving you guys a treat.” (Velt)

“Oh~, what’s dis~, is niichan, going to tweat us to somefing?” (Hunter)

Like, these guys don’t even know what I’m trying to do, what they’re being given or what they’re about to eat.

They did somehow take the bowls and held their forks, but they keep sleeping and waking up that it looks like they’re going to spill it.

“Ve, Velt, if it’s come this far, how do I put it, isn’t there no point in making them eat it?” (Ura)

“Uuu~, even though, even though lord poured his passion into it!” (Musashi)

“Kuhahahahaha, it’s fine like this. Eating ramen crudely is the best.” (Velt)

After spreading it to everyone, they all took their own postures and timings to eat it, and then unsteadily started slurping the ramen.

And then, in the next moment……

“““““!!!!!!!!””””” (Everyone)

The moment they took ate one mouthful, their eyes all opened widely and their consciousnesses were woke up.

“““““So……………… so good!!!!!!!!””””” (Everyone)

And from the second mouthful, it was just a mess.

Regardless of whether they spilled soup or made noise, they just engrossed themselves in devouring it greedily.

“So good! Sooooo good! Uooo, what is this!?”

“Juruuuuuuuuuuu!”(Note: Slurping noise.)

“Kaaah, it’s spreading inside of me! What is this! Uooo, like, it’s so good!”

“I veel grozz~, I want to frow up~, vut it’z zo good that frowing up is a waste!”

“Ohhhh, otouto-kun, what is this, it tastes good! How do I put it, it’s easy on my stomach and the soup isn’t that thick, so it’s simple and tastes good!” (Cleran)

“Like~, I like the soup! It’s like~ hmm~, it’s calming.”

I think I can understand why sensei devoted his life to this.

In the end, just seeing this sight is probably enough for him.

No matter how they eat it, no matter how much time it takes, just hearing ‘delicious’ satisfies your heart.

“Haha…… ahahaha, this is amazing, Velt. Everyone is just intently eating it.” (Ura)

“Yes. Well then, with all due respect, I will also eat it…… ohh! Thi, this is! So good! Ah, excuse me! It is very delicious.” (Musashi)

Ahh, it went back to the same sight again.

The moment the banquet of humans, demons and demi-humans getting drunk and excited together, regardless of races, was supposed to end, this time all three species are engrossed in ramen.

Ura, Kuri and Risu, Musashi and the Hunters, all of them.

“Hmph, you truly are unrefined.” (Ura)

“What do you want~, Ura-chan, this tastes so good you know? Uu~, but what should I do if I get fat~.” (Kuri)

“Even the soup~, seems like it’ll make you fat~, but I’m going to drink it~!” (Risu)

“Hunter-dono. The soup is overflowing. Good grief, you are being too sloppy.” (Musashi)

“Uooo, such a waste~, like, are there any more servings? I’m so full that I’m about to throw up, but I just want to eat one more bowl!” (Hunter)

Yeah, it’s fine like this.

Rather than making things troublesome during happy times by recalling your bonds of the past, you should just enjoy yourselves and eat when you’re hungry.

“Hmph. Isn’t this fine, stupid younger brother?” (Farga)

“Yeah. We’re fine like this.” (Velt)

For me who’s not a hero nor someone that went to war, problems about races and wars can just be left alone like this.

Isn’t that right, sensei?

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