Isekai Nonbiri Sozai Saishu Seikatsu - Chapter 180

I enjoyed the slime jelly and was walking home when I had a thought.

Wouldn’t slime taste better if it was chilled?

The appraisal showed that it would melt when heated, so if I melted it once, added sugar and fruit, and then chilled it again, it should solidify.

If that works, it would create something like the fruit jelly from my previous life.

Jelly is delicious at room temperature, but I really want to eat cold jelly.

Cold jelly would definitely be delicious in this lingering late summer heat.

Thinking about that, I arrived at the Cat’s Tail Pavilion.

Since it was past lunchtime, there were almost no employees around, including Mia, and Bandel-san was polishing dishes in the kitchen.

“Bandel-san, can I borrow the kitchen for a bit?”

“What’s up? You want to cook something?”

“I want to try a slime recipe.”

“Oh, did you get it processed by an alchemist? You can’t use the back kitchen, but you can use this one.”

The dining area had a counter-type kitchen, and beyond that, there was a larger kitchen.

The small counter-type kitchen was more than enough for me.

“That’s fine. Thank you.”

With Bandel-san’s permission, I entered the counter kitchen.

It felt strange to be inside a place I usually viewed as a customer.

This is what Bandel-san and Mia always see.

Surprisingly, you can see quite far.

Setting aside these thoughts, it’s time to make slime jelly.

I took out the slime refined by Lumia and put it in a frying pan.

I heated it slowly over low heat.

Gradually, the plump slime started to lose its shape and turned into a slightly sticky liquid.

I added sugar to enhance the sweetness.

I thought about adding some convenient fruit, but since I was at it, I wanted to make it luxurious.

I decided to cut and mix in the seven-colored grapes that Lumia and I had gathered earlier.

“Wow, seven-colored grapes. That’s extravagant.”

Bandel-san commented with a wry smile as he peeked over.

Mixing in grapes with seven flavors would definitely increase the satisfaction level.

“Do you have any small molds?”

“Now that you mention it, someone bought some molds for making sweets a while back. They never got used…”

Bandel-san muttered as he rummaged through the cupboard.

“Oh, here they are. Will these work?”

“Yes, thank you.”

I received the molds from Bandel-san and poured the melted slime into them.

“Could you chill these in the refrigerator? As payment, I’ll share some of the jelly.”

“Sure.”

The jellies were stored in the refrigerator by Bandel-san.

I could use ice magic, but controlling it was difficult, so I decided to rely on the tools.

It would take about two hours for them to chill and set in the refrigerator.

They should be ready to eat right around snack time.

Now, all I had to do was look forward to them being ready.

♦ ♦ ♦

“I wonder if the jelly has set by now?”

Judging that about two hours had passed, I left my room and headed to the dining hall.

There were a few customers in the dining hall.

It wasn’t dinner time yet, but people were relaxing, having drinks, and taking a break, creating a cozy, café-like atmosphere.

However, the moment I stepped inside, the atmosphere became tense.

“Huh? What’s going on?”

I recognized the stares due to my experience as an adventurer.

It felt like I was being targeted by a large predator.

“Shuu, can I talk to you for a moment, nya?”

There was Mia, with a very pleasant smile and a sweet voice.

Behind her, Chloe and the other employees were all watching us.

It was kind of scary.

“W-what’s up, Mia?”

“About that mysterious dish in the refrigerator, the one with the colorful grapes inside the wobbly clear stuff, nya!”

“Oh, you mean the slime jelly?”

“So that delicious-looking thing was slime! Shuu, I’d like to buy some of that, nya!”

“Sure.”

“Yay, nya!”

“However, I can only sell three. The rest are for tasting and to give to people who have helped me.”

I wanted to give some to Lumia, who taught me the slime recipe, and to Saffy, who has been helpful to me.

I also wanted to give some to guild staff like Rabis, Shreddi, and Kathy.

That leaves two for me and Bandel to eat.

Since I made about ten, I could only sell three to Mia and the others.

“Nyanyanya! There are five employees here! That means two won’t get to eat… Oh, by the way, Ard and Chloe are on break, nya? So, the ones who have the right to buy are the members who are working hard now—”

“Objection!”

“Normally, it should be the opposite! Those of us who aren’t working right now should have the right to eat it!”

“Nyan-nyan! After leaving the negotiations to me, you’re complaining now!?”

The employees argued over the right to buy and eat the slime jelly.

When women have such discussions, it’s best for a man not to interfere.

I hoped they could resolve it peacefully through negotiation.

“Is the slime set?”

“It’s set.”

When I asked cautiously, Bandel took it out of the refrigerator for me.

When I shook the tray, I could see that the slime jelly had set perfectly.

“Well then, I’ll help myself.”

“Go ahead.”

As a thank you for letting me use the kitchen and refrigerator, I gave Bandel one of the jellies.

Bandel took out a spoon and inserted it into the slime jelly.

“Oh, it has a nice elasticity. And it looks good too.”

Bandel carefully observed the slime jelly before putting it into his mouth.

Watching him, I did the same.

The jelly had a springy texture that spread in my mouth. Perhaps it was because I had melted and re-set it.

It felt slightly firmer than when eaten directly.

However, this firmness seemed just right for eating cold jelly.

The slime had a solid sweetness from the dissolved sugar.

And then there were the pieces of seven-colored grapes.

Blueberry, strawberry, muscat, and orange—all sorts of juices burst forth.

“Whoa! This is delicious!”

“This is really good!”

Both Bandel and I were surprised by how good it was.

The luxury of mixing in the seven-colored grapes must have contributed.

“I’m not usually fond of sweet things, but I’d be happy to have something like this. It’s perfect for this lingering heat.”

“Indeed. It seems like something you could eat even when you don’t have much of an appetite.”

As expected, the cold jelly was even more delicious.

Ignoring the noisy argument Mia and the others were having in the distance, Bandel and I savored the slime jelly.

♦ ♦ ♦

After savoring the slime jelly, I decided to head to the Adventurers’ Guild to both receive the materials from the Big Slime and share some of the jelly.

When I arrived at the guild, the tavern was bustling with activity.

It was getting close to evening, but the increased purchase price for slime materials had also likely warmed everyone’s pockets.

People should save money when they earn it. Serious people think this way, but most of the free-spirited adventurers, who live each day to the fullest, don’t.

But that’s what I like about adventurers.

I passed by the lively, chatting adventurers and headed to the reception desk.

“Good work, Shuu-san. The Big Slime disassembly is complete. What would you like to do?”

“I’ll take as much as will fit in this leather bag. Please have the guild buy the rest and deliver it to Saffy’s shop.”

“Understood. I’ll have the materials packed into the bag for you.”

Rabis took the large leather bag and handed it to another staff member.

They would pack it in the storage room in the back.

“Today, the guild is offering higher prices for slime materials. Would you like to sell some?”

“No, I delivered them directly to Lumia this time, so it’s fine.”

“Oh, that’s right. You went gathering together this time. I forgot about that.”

Detailed reports must have come in about the appearance of the Big Slime.

Lavis nodded in understanding.

“You look kind of tired, don’t you?”

Normally, Rabis would have noticed something like this.

Her smile seemed less vibrant than usual, and she looked somewhat exhausted.

“Sorry. As a receptionist, I should hide my fatigue, but dealing with the mass slime outbreak and a large number of adventurers has worn me out…”

Lavis lay her head down, her bunny ears drooping.

“Rabis, you look like a slime that’s had its core removed.”

“That’s right. I’m a dead slime right now.”

With so many adventurers here, today’s work must be many times more exhausting than usual.

“I have a little something for you.”

“Really!?”

When I whispered softly, Rabis immediately straightened up.

Her bunny ears perked up, and her eyes sparkled.

Kathy, who was busy dealing with other adventurers, glanced over at us for a moment, and Shreddi’s pointed ears twitched.

I spoke softly, but they heard me, didn’t they? It was good that I prepared some for both of them, not just for Rabis.

However, I didn’t have any for the other staff members.

I took out a wooden box from my bag, making sure not to be seen by those around me.

“Please check this.”

“Are you selling materials? Let me see.”

Rabis perfectly understood my intention and accepted it.

“What is this?”

“It’s slime jelly. It’s sweetened with sugar and mixed with seven-colored grapes, so it’s delicious as is. It’s best when chilled, so please enjoy it soon, Rabis, Kathy, and Shreddi.”

“Shuu-san… thank you so much. This will help me get through the day.”

Rabis peeked inside at the jelly and thanked me with a tearful smile.

Alright then. Do your best at work.

After receiving the Big Slime materials and getting nods of thanks from Kathy and Shreddi, I left the guild.