Side: Yuki
Today was yet another peaceful, uneventful day.
While Seraria kills time developing her cookie recipes, I refrain from offering my assistance and instead focus on relaxing on the veranda with a cup of tea.
"It is quite peaceful, isn't it?"
"Sure is~"
Ria and I lazily gaze out from the veranda.
By the way, even though she didn't participate in the conversation during the cookie fiasco, she was right there by my side the entire time. She even helped bake them.
Let's just say that because it was a digest segment focused primarily on Seraria, Ria's scenes got cut—it doesn't mean she's fading into the background.
Setting the topic of Ria's screen time aside, she has been just as free as I have lately. Well, her job is to be my bodyguard, after all. For the record, she does receive a proper salary. It's essentially drawn from the budgets managed by my other wives, though it doesn't hurt my own pockets in the slightest.
After all, as long as we are here in Weed, those of us who know the truth about the dungeon can use DP to secure just about anything. Though saying "anything" might invite a misunderstanding. As long as the citizens of Weed are around, DP rolls in heavily every single day, allowing us to endlessly replenish our supplies.
Setting all of this up was a massive headache, but now that it's functioning, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it an infinite supply chain. Consequently, unless we go out of our way to shop in Weed's commercial district or other countries, we rarely spend actual money.
Of course, my wives hold high-ranking executive positions, so they spend a fair amount of currency to look after their subordinates or cover expenses out of pocket during diplomatic negotiations.
Anyway, I was getting off track.
"Ria, is there anything you want to go buy?"
"Not particularly. The casual clothes Narjia-san tailored for me are very cute, and Ratz-san let me browse through a clothing catalog to pull out some lovely outfits."
Ah, right."
Ria hasn't been in Weed for very long, so she probably doesn't even know where to start. Besides, she has already received a ton of luxury items, clothes, and sweets from Ratz and Riel.
Given the general living standards of this continent, Ria is already living in royalty-level luxury; if I ask her if there's anything else she wants, she's bound to be at a loss.
"...Shall we go to bed?"
"No, let's not. At this rate, I'm going to dry up and shrivel away."
"That's unfortunate."
...Why do all my wives share the exact same train of thought? It's not that they're nymphs or anything, but they definitely seem a bit too aggressive when it comes to me. I don't dislike it, but my stamina is a finite resource.
"Still, it's not like we can just casually go out shopping either."
"Officially, we are still supposed to be at the Demon King's Castle preparing for a counteroffensive, after all."
In reality, we're just lounging around and working from home via our body doubles.
Games would be fine, and Ria might enjoy them, but there’s a risk she’d end up like Seraria, so let’s avoid that.
"Hmm, in that case, maybe we should think up a new dinner menu."
"A dinner menu?"
"Yeah. You're surprisingly fond of steak, aren't you, Ria?"
"Ah, yes! Back home, we could only ever eat meat during festivals. Though things are quite different here."
Ria's favorite dish is a thick, juicy steak drizzled with spices and steak sauce. Tori, Riel, Ratz, and Milly are incredibly fond of it too. Whenever everyone starts chanting "Meat! Meat! Meat!" in unison, I feel like I'm going to lose my mind.
"I guess in an era like this, meat would naturally be considered a luxury item."
"Yes. Furthermore, the steaks you grill, Yuki-san, are so tender they practically melt in your mouth, whereas the meat outside is incredibly tough."
Well, that's only natural.
By the standards of this continent, livestock brought to market for meat consists either of animals that have reached old age or the meat of defeated monsters. In the case of the former, since the animals weren't raised specifically for consumption, the meat isn't flavorful.
Of course, that's assuming we're judging it by Japanese standards. Fundamentally, animals meant for meat back home are raised from birth with the sole purpose of being eaten, so there is a night-and-day difference between the livestock meat of Japan and that of this continent.
As for the latter—monster meat—it consists of creatures brought down by adventurers, which rarely ever circulates among the general public. While it's true that some monsters possess delicious meat, those cuts are immediately snatched up by wealthy merchants and nobles.
Another reason meat doesn't circulate widely is that it isn't suited for long-term preservation. Jerky and smoking are about the extent of their methods, so cuisine utilizing fresh, raw meat hasn't developed very far. We've been trying to popularize various meat dishes centered around Weed, but it's going to take some time to fully sink in.
"Alright, let's make a dish that incorporates steak into it."
"Incorporate steak? Are you going to cook a large variety of dishes?"
"Ah, how should I put it? That's both correct and incorrect."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I'll technically only be making a single type of food, but it would be more accurate to say it features a wide array of variations."
In the end, without naming the dish, I had Ria help me.
What I prepared was dough — the crispy type and the regular thick type, which are the mainstream in modern Japan.
Ria prepared her favorite ingredients as much as she could by herself. Then we just put the prepared toppings on the dough, sprinkle cheese, and bake.
The dish in question is "pizza".
Loved by people across a massive age range from children to adults, it is the undisputed epitome of delivery food back in Japan.
"You've gone and made another bizarre dish," Seraria remarks.
"Is this... something akin to a pie?" Eris wonders.
"What a wonderful aroma. Ah, is this the 'pizza' that was also available in the frozen food section?"
Ratz chimes in, completely spoiling the surprise.
Well, everyone has their own initial impressions, but in the end, they all converge on a single point:
"""Can we eat it?"""
And with that, the fierce battle for the pizza begins.
The very first one to vanish entirely is the pizza topped with finely diced pieces of steak.
"Would you mind letting go of that piece?"
"No way, I reached for it first!!"
Milly and Riel continue to glare each other down.
"Let's just split ours."
"That sounds like an excellent idea."
Tori and Ria wisely opt for a peaceful resolution.
The next one to disappear is the pizza topped with potato salad.
"I feel like I could keep eating this forever."
"Indeed... to think that simply eating potatoes with cheese like this could transform the flavor to such an extent..."
Eris and Ratz express their amazement even as their hands reach out toward the other varieties.
And speaking of pizza, it naturally calls for a certain classic beverage.
"Phew~!! Beer tastes absolutely incredible with this!!"
"You're right. It pairs beautifully with wine as well."
Narjia-san and Seraria are thoroughly enjoying the pizza as a savory accompaniment to their alcohol.
But more than anything, pizza is...
"Onii-chan, it feels just like a festival!!"
"...You're right. Because there are so many different kinds of pizza, everyone is walking around from spot to spot with their plates in hand."
"Pizza truly is a magnificent dish. And since it is handmade by Yuki-san, it is the absolute best. Wouldn't you agree, Kirue?"
"Yes, it is exceedingly delicious. However, I can't help but feel every single time this happens that my own standing as a chef is being entirely overshadowed..."
"Everyone, there's more delicious pizza over this way!! Nii-sama, you come too!!"
And just like that, with my hand firmly grasped by Filia, I am led over toward our next target pizza. Every single person here is smiling and enjoying their food. It carries an entirely different charm compared to our usual sit-down dinners.
That's what pizza is all about.
Something everyone gathers around and enjoys together.
...Well, monopolizing an entire pizza by yourself is a form of luxury too, though.
