Chapter 279 - New seasonings.

After we finished ordering the houses, we headed to the Fiji Company. That's because they informed me that the products I had ordered were ready and available for purchase.

The items I ordered this time were Aonori, seaweed salt, kombu salt, and sesame salt, and since there were no problems with the prototype products, I will purchase them immediately.

I'm thinking of making takoyaki and seaweed salt potato chips right away.

"Hello."

""Hello~""

"Takumi-sama, thank you for coming."

"Eh, why is a branch manager like you standing at the front of the store, Hannah-san!?"

"Ah, I was told that you were going to come today, so I moved my work here so that I wouldn't keep you waiting. I'm usually in the back, so please be assured."

No, no, on the contrary, that's not reassuring at all.

Indeed, when I got contacted by the Fiji Company, I told them I would visit them today, but I didn't expect her to be waiting for me.

… I will come unannounced the next time I have to go.

"Erm, I would like to buy the new seasonings right away, would that be okay?"

"Yes, of course."

Hannah-san brought the goods over immediately.

"This is it, Takumi-sama."

The slightly larger jar contained the Aonori, the bottle that was the same size as the Easy Salt Series, but with a light blue lid contained the seaweed salt, the one with the gray lid contained kombu salt, the purple lid one contained sesame salt (black ground sesame), and the light purple lid one contained another sesame salt (white ground sesame).

"Ohh~ thank you very much."

"Nono, we should be the ones thanking you. The Easy Salt Series is very popular, so the sales will increase again with every new kind that comes out!"

I had thought that the Easy Salt Series was still not that well known, but it seems to be selling well.

However, I've run out of ideas, so I guess there won't be any new kinds unless the people at the Fiji Company come up with something else on their own. Well, I didn't want to be honest to a fault about it, so I left the Fiji Company with muddy thoughts.

"I think I would like to make takoyaki."

""Yay~!""

When we returned to the Ruven house, I immediately decided to try my hand at making takoyaki.

The place was not in the kitchen, but in my room. I can make it with the hot plate magic tool I got made in the Capital.

"The dough is ready and the octopus is perfect, too!"

""Perfect~!""

"I got Mayonnaise and an imitation sauce ready, Aonori and katsuobushi are ready too."

"Preparations are~"

"Perfect~"

"Indeed. Let's make it then."

""Ohh~!""

I poured the batter onto the hot plate, and the octopus was boiled and cut into bite-sized pieces.

"What's next~?"

"What's next~?"

"Wait for a moment until the sides are browned~"

The children stared at the hot plate while letting out "Sizzle, sizzle~♪" from their mouths.

"This should be good enough. Then, you… turn it over like this."

""Ohh~ round and round~""

I turned the dough around with a thin stick to make it round in shape.

""It became roundy!""

I have never made takoyaki before, but I guess even I can do it when I try~

"Alright, it's grilled."

""Grilled~""

"Well, let's put it on the plate and pour mayonnaise and the sauce over it. Allen, sprinkle some Aonori on it. Elena you sprinkle the katsuobushi."

""Will sprinkle~""

"And it's done~"

""Done~""

We immediately tried the completed takoyaki.

""Wafu!""

"It's hot! Uh, I was too late, wasn't I? You did not scald your tongues, did you?"

Allen and Elena devoured the entire takoyaki. It was fresh and hot, so I panicked.

""Dewish~""

However, Allen and Elena didn't seem to be scalded, rather they were chewing with a smile on their faces.

"It's piping hot when freshly made, so you must be careful when eating."

""Yeah.""

No, wait a minute. I have the "Abnormal Status Resistance" skill so I'm not going to scald myself, right? And the kids have the skill too. Well, I don't know how proficient their skill is, so I don't know to what degree they are safe.

Now that I don't have to worry about getting scalded, I'm going to try some takoyaki too.

"Oh, they turned out pretty good."

They taste good. It will be fine to mass-produce them like this then.

"They are easy to eat, so they are good when craving something to eat. I would like to make some for Rebecca-san to taste and also make a share for Joule and others. Allen, Elena, will you help me?"

""Yea!""

"Allen wants to try doing roundy-round, too!"

"Elena too, Elena too!"

"Sure, why don't you give it a try?"

""Yay~""

Once the grilled portion was consumed, we began mass production.

"It's about time."

""Yay~ err… like this?""

"Right, right, looks good."

""Round and round♪""

"Oh~ you are doing great."

""Ehehe~""

Allen and Elena dexterously managed to make the shape of takoyaki.

"Just keep twirling it around a bit more, and when it's as brown as the one you just ate, it's done, so take it off and put on the plates."

""Okay~""

Just as it was almost ready, there was a knock at the door.

"Coming~"

It seemed safe to leave Allen and Elena with the hot plate, so I left and opened the door. Rebecca-san and Velio-san were there.

"Huh, what happened?"

"The servants reported that they smelled a good fragrance coming out of your room."

"Takumi-kun, what are you making?"

I didn't think it smelled that much, but the smell of grilled octopus seemed to have leaked out of the room unexpectedly. It seems that the servants had reported it to Rebecca-san.

"Sorry about that."

"Nono, Takumi-kun, don't get us wrong. It's not like we are criticizing you."

"That's right. I came here with Velio-san to ask you to let us join you."

"Is that so? In that case…"

"Onii~chan."

"It's grilled~"

"Alright~——It seems you came just at the right time. Please, come in."

I invited Rebecca-san and Velio-san into the room and led them over to Allen and Elena, who were placing takoyaki on the plates.

"We will sprinkle, so."

"Pour the sauce~"

"Okay, alright~"

Then, Allen and Elena who were waiting for me with the seaweed salt and katsuobushi were hurrying me to pour the sauce and mayonnaise on it.

"There. Then, you can let Rebecca-san and Velio-san eat it after you sprinkle."

""Okay!""

"Obaa~sama, eat~"

"Velio Onii~sama, eat too~"

Allen and Elena happily presented the finished takoyaki.

"My, oh my! This is delicious!"

"Truly. It's very delicious."

""Yay~!""

The takoyaki seemed to suit Rebecca-san and Velio-san's palate.

"Takumi-kun, what kind of dish is this?"

"It's called takoyaki, or octopus dumplings."

""… Octopus?""

However, when Rebecca-san and Velio-san heard the word "Octopus", a bewildered expression showed up on their faces.

"Uhm… there's octopus inside the dumplings… are you bad with octopi?"

"Takumi-san, octopi are that, right? The strange creatures living in the seas, right?"

"Yeah. Those squishy creatures with lots of unidentifiable hands or feet, right?"

"Y, yes, I think that's it."

""...""

Rebecca-san and Velio-san were dumbfounded.

Is octopus perhaps something that shouldn't be eaten?

"U, umm…"

"Octopi are surprisingly delicious, aren't they~"

"Indeed. Their texture is quite amusing too. I never thought of eating them since they look like that, but I think it's a waste to dispose of them now."

"Indeed~ But would people accept them, I wonder?"

Apparently, they thought that octopi were inedible, so when they caught them, they were immediately discarded. But they are apparently going to make a policy to stop it.

I was relieved that they were not angry with me for making them eat something strange, and that they accepted it… The Ruven family really is broad-minded~

"Wouldn't it be fine if we present them in dishes like this one?——Takumi-kun, do you have more octopus dishes that are easier to make? I would like you to tell me if you do."

"Yes, I have a few suitable ones."

Velio-san asked me to tell him if there were any more dishes in which octopus was the main ingredient so that people would accept it, so I taught him how to prepare octopus dishes I could quickly think of, such as octopus karaage and octopus with vinegared miso.

Velio-sama told me that he would prepare an equivalent payment for it, but I refused.

They are always taking care of us and it's also my apology for letting them eat octopus without telling. When I said that, Velio-san backed off.

"Still, you are always full of surprises, Takumi-san."

"Yes, indeed."

I admit that I did scare them this time, but I was a little unhappy with the "always" assessment.