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Tl: Sam

…

「Kraken Takoyaki!?」
「It certainly looked like an octopus, but…」
「I’m amazed he made takoyaki out of that」
「Kraken: “I ended up like this…“」
「Is it delicious?」
「What do you eat to get ideas like this lol?」
「Probably because he eats monsters」
「By the way, it actually looks delicious… lol」
「I’m hungry」

Comments about my cooking were greatly excited.
During my corporate slave days, I couldn’t eat out much due to my low salary. So, dishes made from monsters were a feast for me.
At first, there were mostly simple dishes like grilled or stewed food, but gradually I started making slightly more elaborate dishes. Takoyaki was one of them.

“Yeah, it turned out well. Here, try some.”

I drizzled sauce and mayonnaise over the piping hot takoyaki and handed it to Rin.
Rin blew on it for a bit, then took a bite.

”—! I-it’s delicious!”

Though a little hot, Rin ate the takoyaki with sparkling eyes.
It seems she liked it.

“The batter is fluffy, and the octopus… no, the Kraken meat is elastic and very delicious. The more I chew, the more the umami spreads in my mouth… I never thought Kraken could be this delicious…!”

「Munching cutely lol」
「I never thought the day would come when I’d hear a food review of Kraken…」
「And takoyaki at that lol」
「Rin-chan’s puffing is too cute」
「I want to be puffed on too… lol」
「Reported」
「Watching this made me hungry lol I wonder if they’ll sell Kraken takoyaki lol」
「I wonder if Gin-dako will release it」
「The Kraken procurement route is the challenge lol」

I have many monster dish recipes, but this takoyaki is one of the least peculiar and easiest to eat among them. I thought she’d like it, and I’m relieved it suited her taste.

“Hmm, it’s certainly delicious. I never thought that Kraken would be tasty.”

Before I knew it, Dojima-san was also munching on takoyaki.
He seemed to like it, throwing them into his mouth as soon as they were cooked. How hungry was this man?

“If monsters this big can be eaten, it might even solve the food problem. It might be worth seriously thinking about.”
“…Just so you know, people who aren’t Awakened will get magic energy poisoning if they eat it, okay?”
“That’s the problem, isn’t it? I’ll ask Kurosu if he has any good ideas.”

There are ways to dilute magic energy, as I did when I served Hoshino before, but it’s difficult to completely eliminate it so that ordinary people can eat it.
If only that could be cleared, ordinary people could also eat monsters… but I wonder how many people would want to eat them that badly.

「Seriously? I’d be happy if I could eat it」
「My dreams are expanding」
「I want to eat dungeon food made by Shachiken!」
「How much do I have to pay?」
「I’m a chef, I’d want to work at a restaurant like that lol」
「Shachiken Diner opening soon lol」
「Tanaka! I’m counting on you!」

…There were a lot of people here who wanted to eat it.
I might have underestimated Japanese people who would eat anything. Hmm… I’ll consult Adachi about this next time. He’ll probably be motivated if it’s a chance to earn money.
For me, if the viewers are happy, procuring ingredients is an easy task.

“Alright, next let’s eat the Sea Serpent kabayaki. I’ll also make octopus rice with Kraken.”
“It looks delicious… slurp”
“Haha! If I knew I could eat something this delicious, I would have brought some sake!”

And so, the lunch I made was consumed by the two, to great acclaim.

◇　◇　◇

“Phew, I ate a lot.”

Having finished all the food I made, I muttered contentedly.
I had made quite a large amount, but everyone ate so much that it all disappeared.
Dojima-san ate a lot too, but Rin’s eating capacity surprised me. She polished off an amount that made me wonder where it all went in her slender body.

“Alright, I’ll put away the leftover parts for storage and discard the inedible parts. Rin, can you put away the cooking utensils?”
“Yes, leave it to me.”

I stored the leftover Kraken and Sea Serpent meat and materials in my business bag. Then, I went to dispose of the inedible parts, such as the Kraken’s stomach and other internal organs.
To be precise, these parts aren’t entirely inedible, but aquatic monsters’ internal organs often contain poison. I have poison resistance, so I’d be fine, but I wouldn’t want Rin to eat them.
They also spoil quickly, so it’s best to dispose of them here.

“If I throw them in the water, other monsters will take care of them… huh?”

As I tried to lift the large stomach, big enough for 10 people, it suddenly began to squirm. W-what is it? Is it still alive?

「Gulp」
「What’s happening!?」
「It’s not alive… right?」
「Too creepy」
「Something’s inside, lol」
「No way, it can’t be alive if it was eaten, right?」
「Stop with the sudden horror development, it affects me」

“Is there something inside? Shall I check?”

Perhaps the eaten monster was still alive. I could just throw it away, but it feels strange to discard it without looking. It wouldn’t hurt to check what it ate.
I grabbed the edge of the stomach and shook it vigorously.
Then, something plopped out of the stomach’s opening.

“Ow! What on earth…? Hmm? Oh, I’m finally out! It pays to struggle without giving up!”
“…Huh?”

Surprisingly, what came out of the Kraken’s stomach was an adult male in a white coat.
He had short white hair and round glasses. He looked to be in his early thirties. He looked like some kind of researcher, but… who is he?

“Um, excuse me for a moment?”
“Hmm? Oh, you! Did you defeat the Kraken and save me?”
“Huh… Well, I guess so?”

Since I defeated the Kraken, I suppose I ended up saving him.
I couldn’t exactly tell him I was about to throw away the stomach he was in.
Anyway, I understood that this person was a human capable of communication. He seemed easier to communicate with than Dagosuke or Lilicia, who suddenly attacked me.
By the way, this person… what is he?
He looks like a normal human and doesn’t seem strong. I do feel a little magic energy from him, so he might be an Awakened, but…
This dungeon is on the seabed to begin with, so how did he even get here?
For now, to get some information, I took out my business card and offered it to him.

“Nice to meet you. I am Makoto Tanaka, president of the White Wolf Guild. Pleased to meet you.”
“Ah, thank you very much for your politeness.”

The mysterious person accepted my business card.
Hmm, he’s normal. Different from the two I’ve met in dungeons so far. He doesn’t have pointed ears or scales, so he’s a normal human after all?

“Oh, I apologize for the late introduction. I am Nero Revoke, a researcher belonging to the Ministry of Magic of the Kingdom of Rustalia. Feel free to call me Dr. Nero. Pleased to meet you, Sir Tanaka.”
“…Eh? Huh?”

I replied with a pathetic voice to the unexpected answer.
No doubt about it, this person is also from a different world, just like Dagosuke and Lilicia. Still, after an elf and a fish-man, for a normal human to appear… I feel like the impact is a bit weak, but is it really okay?

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