#10 Stirring and vanilla ice cream
When we come back to the dining hall, Mika-san is there with an unfamiliar woman. With wavy raven-black hair, her age is about the same as Mika-san. I guess she works in the inn’s kitchen because she’s wearing a white ap.r.o.n.
We both each have a dish placed in front of us. I see her troubled face while eating with the fork and cutting with the knife. Mika-san calls out to us when she raises her head and notices us.
[Ah, just at the right time.]
[What is it?]
Mika-san comes over to us together with the girl.
[This child is called Aeru, okay? She runs the coffee shop [Parent] in town…]
[Ahh, we went there yesterday. That shop has a nice atmosphere, doesn’t it?]
Let’s keep silent about the flooded table. I think she was probably in the kitchen because I didn’t see her in the shop. It would’ve been awkward if she saw us there.
[We were thinking of making a new menu for the shop so we wanted to hear your opinion, since there’s a possibility of any unusual menus if we asked a person from another country.]
[Can you please tell us if you know any good dishes?]
Aeru-san says so and then bows her head. Lindsey and I exchange glances and give a small nod.
[If you’re ok with us, then]
[…Un]
Though I don’t know if I’ll be helpful at all.
[What do you want to take out?]
[Let me see…I guess something light after all. Like a dessert, or something that will be popular with women would be good.]
[Something pleasing to women, is it? Something that uses ice (Aisu) like a crepe comes to mind.]
A very poor idea if I say so myself. I’m not even good at cooking in the first place.
[Ice? Like shaved ice?]
[No, not that. Ice cream (Aisu kuriimu)]
[Ice cream?]
Huh? Everyone is looking puzzled. Does this world not have it perhaps?
[What kind of dish is that?]
[Um, it’s cold and sweet, white…don’t you know vanilla ice cream (banira aisu)?]
[No. I’ve never heard of it.]
Seems to be quite true. I guess it’s only natural because we’re talking about a world with no refrigerators here.
[Do you know how to make it?]
[No, as far as making it…If I remember correctly, the only bit I know is using milk…]
I mumble, trying to answer Aeru-san’s question. Even if you ask me how to make it.
……Wait. Certainly, I don’t know how to make vanilla ice cream, but I can just look it up!
[Please wait a moment. We can possibly somehow manage it. Um Lindsey, can you give me a hand?]
[…Un, sure…]
I return with Lindsey back to my room. I take out my smartphone and search the words [How to make ice cream] on the internet. Good, it’s loading, it’s loading.
[…That…What is it?]
Lindsey asks me who is operating the smartphone with a curious look.
[Ahー, this is something like a useful magic tool. However, only I can use it. I would appreciate it if you didn’t ask about it too much.]
Lindsey who had a doubtful face for a while doesn’t dwell on it any longer. Such a good understanding child.
[Then now, I will read it aloud, so can you write it down on paper?]
[Yes.]
[3 eggs, 200ml whipped cream, 60〜80g sugar…are there any words that you don’t understand at this point?]
I give the ingredients briefly and tried asking Lindsey.
[What are millilitres or grams?]
……So it’s come to that.
[A millilitre is a unit of quant.i.ty in my country. Gram is weight. Can’t be helped but to use measurement by eye here…. ah, Lindsey, can you use ice magic later?]
[Yes, it’s possible to use it because I have water attribute.]
Good, if so, then there’s no problem. Let’s continue writing down the recipe to make ice cream.
Aeru-san begins cooking while looking at the recipe written by Lindsey. Since it’s certain that I’m at the rank of an amateur, I still help beat the ingredients. The mixing took so much effort that my bones started aching.
Lastly Lindsey uses magic to surround the container and above the cover in ice and then we leave it for a while. After choosing a suitable time, we break off the ice and take out the container inside.
I try a mouthful with a spoon. Although there’s a subtle difference, I think there’s no doubt that you can call this vanilla ice cream.
We take a plate and present it to Aeru-san. She opens her eyes wide after eating a mouthful and afterwards spills a smile.
[Tasty… !]
It appears she is pleased by it. I feel relieved with this.
[What is this! it’s cold and delicious!]
[It’s delicious desuー…！]
It seems Mika-san and Lindsey is pleased with it too. Frankly however, it’s still lacking for me. Well, I can’t expect it to be like the ones from famous ice cream chain stores.
The problem is whether there’s someone who can use ice magic in Aeru-san’s shop. It appears Aeru-san’s younger sister who works with her in the shop seems like she can use it. I guess it’s alright then.
[I think if it’s this, then it will surely appeal to women. I guess this is satisfactory for a new menu, is it not?]
[Yes! Thank you very much! Vanilla ice cream, I will make use of it!]
Although you can’t accurately call it vanilla ice cream because we didn’t actually use any vanilla essence…well, let’s leave the small details.
Aeru-san hurriedly returns to her shop at once after saying her farewell because she wanted to try making them by herself.
Later on Elsie erupts in displeasure after hearing the story when she returned from the guild because she was the only one who didn’t get to taste it. So it is decided that Mika-san will make it. In that case, this means that I will be mixing the ingredients again, so I sincerely wish for something called a hand mixer from civilization. My arm hurts…….