It's Finally Here

When I woke up, Michelle was close enough that I could feel her breathing.

My head gradually awoke, finding myself in a dimly lit room.

We are sleeping on the same bed, wrapped in one blanket.

Only the area where our bodies touch is sweltering hot.

Thereupon, I noticed Michelle was already awake, staring at me intently, seemingly observing something unusual.

[Good morning, Michelle. Did you sleep well?]

[Unnn...]

The New Year sun was shining behind the curtains.

[It's already the next day huh. Happy New Year, I'm in your care this year too.]

[Me too. Happy New Year.]

I reached out my arms and gently embraced Michelle.

Feeling happiness within Michelle's warmth, I indulged in the little bit of laziness I had in the bed.

""

Michelle also embraced me back, rubbing her face against my chest like a cat, leaking out a small giggle.

[We should probably get up soon.]

[Isn't it fine, staying here for a bit longer...]

[I wanna drink coffee. You probably want some too, right?]

Pushing away the lazy thoughts out of my mind, I got up from the bed.

[In that case, I'll help you out on that.]

Michelle got up as well, and the light coming through the curtain shined on her exposed breasts.

No matter how many times I looked at them, they were large and beautiful.

Noticing my gaze though, Michelle covered her breasts with a blanket.

[Don't stare so much, it's embarrassing.]

Even though I had already seen everything last night, it seems that she was still embarrassed being looked at.

Well, I guess that's just the way it is.

[Stay in bed a little longer. I'll just turn on the stove and make us some coffee.]

I left Michelle in bed and headed for the kitchen.

It was our first night in the same bed, but we didn't actually cross that last line.

We talked a lot about this matter and decided on this.

Michelle has her research, while I have my own map-making goals.

Neither of these things could be accomplished while raising our children.

As I mentioned before, there is no reliable birth control in this world.

I think the unborn Machelle (temp) or Malfoy (temp) would be cute, but it's really just too early.

Michelle agreed with me on this.

Every day in the dungeon, several adventurers die.

Whenever I hear of the death of someone I know, my heart aches.

If tomorrow, Regal, Merle or Mira were to die... No, just the thought of that is already heartbreaking.

What's more heartbreaking is that such a thing happening is not at all improbable.

However, once my maps are completed, the survival rate of adventurers will surely increase.

The death rate, especially among rookies, will definitely decrease.

With this belief in mind, I will make maps.

I want to maintain this small bundle of happiness surrounding me as long as possible.

As a Dagashi Shopowner, meager it may be, this is my will and my dream.

◇

On the fourth day of the New Year, I dove into a dungeon for the first time in a long time.

It seems that in this world, just like back in Japan, it's common for people to rest for the first three days of the New Year.

Though I say that, such rest days don't matter for the adventurers who are struggling to make ends meet, already back to their job after welcoming the New Year.

[Good morning, Yahagi-san! We've been waiting for you to open!]

When I arrived at the underground onsen, Garm's team was waiting for my arrival.

[Yo, you guys are early.]

[Look, we got screwed over at the end of the year, didn't we?]

If I remember correctly, they ran into a powerful enemy and had to flee.

I heard that at that time, they left behind a bag filled with magic stones in the depths of the dungeon.

That must be why they gave up their New Year's holidays to work.

[Did you make some money?]

[Just enough to buy us dagashis.]

Garm bought some dagashis at my place, and it looks like they're going to work a little harder after they get their boosts.

[Hold on a moment, I'm opening my store now.]

Solemnly thinking of opening up the store, I take out the stand-alone house acting as my store inside the walls.

Even though it's a small wooden house, it would take up a lot of space to occupy if it's brought out inside the open space outside the onsen.

On the other hand, if I brought it out inside the wall of the dungeon, it won't get in everyone's way, so this is what I've been doing recently.

The appearance of my place now looked like a stone building with a Showa-style remodeled store.

[Arehh? Seems like my shop has gotten larger.]

It looks like my level has increased again.

The frontage is still the same, but the interior of the store is a little wider.

When I opened the sliding door and entered, I found that the right side of the store had been extended.

Moreover, there were about three tables in that area.

[What strange tables. They had this steel plate in the center.]

Garm and the others looked at new tables with curiosity.

I see, the time has finally come huh...

Yes, Dagashi Yahagi finally got its hands on griddles.

[That's a griddle for cooking. There's a portable magic stove underneath the table that gets that griddle very hot.]

[Cooking? Is Yahagi-san gonna cook?]

[No, the customers are basically the ones doing it...]

When one thinks of what represents the griddles, okonomiyaki and monjayaki are the staples.

In the western areas of Japan, okonomiyaki is the mainstream, right?

Meanwhile, monjayaki should be served only in a few areas in Kanto, though I also remember it being served as a regional food in Tokyo as well.

The dagashi shop I used to go to didn't have either though.

Now then, what is it that Dagashi Yahagi newly serves...

[Oh, they added a new fridge.]

I stopped to look at a white refrigerator I had never seen before.

It was an old-fashioned refrigerator with their staple white colors.

I guess the ingredients for the griddle were probably stored in this refrigerator.

[Let's see, I wonder what we'll have here...]

When I opened the fridge, the curious Garm team peeked in together.

[What are those, pasta?]

[Moreover, are those chopped cabbages?]

There were only two kinds of ingredients in the fridge.

[That isn't pasta. They're steamed noodles.]

[What are steamed noodles?]

[It's an ingredient for yakisoba.]

[Yakisoba?]

The adventurers from another world, not knowing what yakisoba is, looked at me with a look of confusion on their faces.

Product name: Sauce Yakisoba

Description: A simple composite dish made with just noodles and cabbages. Customers prepare it by themselves with sauce, salt, pepper, oil or any other condiment or ingredient they want. Customers can also bring their own meat to mix in! Eating it helps to reduce fatigue and increase stamina.

Price: 200 rims

Because of its low price, the dish is quite simple in its composition.

They hadn't even provided dried green laver or red ginger huh.

[I don't really know what that is, but I'm feeling kinda hungry. I'll have one of those for breakfast.]

Garm gave me two of the large copper coins he had just earned.

[Then, I'll teach you how to cook it.]

I'm not that confident with my cooking skills, but even if I mess up a bit with the yakisoba, I don't think it would be so bad that it's inedible.

As I watched the steam rise from the griddle, I gripped a spatula in each of my hands.