Who Is the World’s Strongest Appraiser? ~Living in Another World With Satisfying Meals~

The Sandwich Of Kindness

The day after the lively gathering with mayonnaise and potato salad, Yuuri was awake earlier than usual. In a world without alarm clocks, how does one wake up? It’s simple. He used the alarm function on his smartphone.

Yuuri’s smartphone and music player had become magical items, never running out of battery. He had thoughtlessly tossed them into his school bag, assuming they were dead, but they still worked.

So, while he couldn’t use them as phones or for the internet, he could still use the built-in apps, including the alarm. Also, the clock and calendar automatically adjusted in this world, so he could use them without setting them up. It’s all so convenient.

Yuuri, who usually wakes up at 6 o’clock, woke up at 5 today. And as soon as he woke up, he dashed to the kitchen. Today’s breakfast duty was Yuuri and Camille’s, but Camille was still asleep. Naturally, considering it was an hour early. And Yuuri’s early rising was voluntary.

With practiced hands, Yuuri sliced through a mountain of bread. Much thinner than when used for toast. He made countless thin slices of bread, discarding all the crusts. With practiced movements, the lump of bread was quickly divided into two parts: thin slices and discarded crusts.

“I’ll use the egg filling I made last night, lettuce, ham, cucumber, and… maybe jam for dessert.”

With an air of humming a tune, Yuuri got to work.

In a bowl taken from the fridge were chopped boiled eggs mixed with mayonnaise for the seasoned egg filling. Washed lettuce, drained in a sieve and bowl. Thinly sliced ham. The cucumber is also cut into strips. And there was mayonnaise left in the bowl.

You probably understand by now. Yuuri was planning to make a lot of sandwiches.

He would make egg sandwiches and ham sandwiches. In Yuuri’s mind, a ham sandwich equated to a combination of lettuce, cucumber, and ham. That was because that’s how he had them growing up at home, without any particular reason.

First, he spread mayonnaise on one side of the thinly sliced bread, from which the crusts had been removed. Then he topped it with lettuce, ham, cucumber, and another slice of bread. The layered bread was placed on a baking sheet, and when several were done, he covered them with a cloth and pressed them with a conveniently sized pot. Not to crush them, but to press them tightly together.

While pressing the ham sandwiches, he made egg sandwiches. This was simple. Just sandwich the egg filling between the bread slices so that it doesn’t overflow. Once made quickly, these were also lined up on the baking sheet.

Lastly, he took out the strawberry jam that had been sleeping in the fridge and made jam sandwiches. There were fewer of these than the other two. As they were meant as dessert, there were fewer of them compared to the main dishes.

With the sandwiches complete, Yuuri sliced them into triangular shapes with a knife. Without hesitation, he efficiently halved the sandwiches. Then Yuuri packed the finished sandwiches into small baskets with lids. Inside, of course, he had laid out clean cloths. He made three baskets, each containing ham sandwiches, egg sandwiches, and jam sandwiches, respectively. The quantities had been decided in advance, so they were neatly done.

“All right, sandwiches are good to go.”

With a grin, Yuuri boiled water in a kettle this time. Once it boiled, he poured it into a teapot with tea leaves and waited for the tea to brew. When he judged the tea was ready, he poured it into three small thermos flasks lined up. These flasks were made of metal, so they had some heat retention and cooling functions. They used a metal that didn’t transfer heat to the outside, making them cool to the touch.

After pouring the tea into the three flasks without spilling, he carefully closed the lids and set them with the baskets. He packed the baskets and flasks into small cloth bags he had made as a pastime recently. Three sets of lunch boxes were now complete. Yuuri moved the completed sandwich lunches from the kitchen to a table near the dining hall entrance.

Then, he waited for the intended recipients to arrive.

Before long, the footsteps of three people could be heard. They must be considering it’s early morning. Their footsteps were almost inaudible, and their voices were too soft to understand. Nevertheless, Yuuri understood that the three were approaching the dining hall.

“Good morning.”

“…Yuuri?”

“Huh? It’s Yuuri. Why are you up so early?”

“Good morning, Yuuri.”

Entering the cafeteria, Yuuri greeted the three who had come in with a smile. Brooke, Kuresh, and Lelei blinked as if they hadn’t expected to see Yuuri. Lelei quickly recovered and casually greeted Yuuri, but…

These three were going on a little trip today. They said they would go to a distant dungeon to fulfill a collection request. Because of the distance, they were leaving early in the morning. Therefore, they usually skipped breakfast and just ate something along the way. It was normal for them to leave with only a water flask and some bread.

But Yuuri couldn’t accept that.

Yuuri was the housekeeper for the Scarlet Lynxes. He wasn’t trying to become a treasure hunter. He was just there because he had nowhere else to go, so he lived as a lodger. And Yuuri’s role was household chores in general. Cooking, laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks. For Yuuri, the girly boy, it wasn’t a burden. It was an enjoyable life.

Because of this Yuuri, or rather, he had the values of a modern Japanese high school student. Making someone leave early in the morning without having a satisfying breakfast, and not providing them with a lunchbox was just wrong.

If this were modern Japan, Yuuri might not have thought so far. Convenience stores are open 24 hours a day, and food chain restaurants open from early morning to late at night are everywhere. But this was a different world. Even though there were street vendors and stalls, it wasn’t as convenient. Moreover, there were no large cities where Brooke and the others were heading. So, it was natural for them to struggle with their meals.

“Here, take these lunchboxes with you.”

“Yuuri?”

“There are three types of sandwiches and tea inside. Egg sandwich, ham sandwich, and jam sandwich. The jam is strawberry. Please enjoy it as a dessert.”

“Wait, wait, Yuuri…”

“What is it, Brooke-san?”

Interrupting Yuuri’s explanation, Brooke looked surprised. The usually calm and composed swordsman Brooke, had a surprised expression that he didn’t usually show. Neither Kuresh nor Lelei pointed it out. They were also surprised, perhaps even more than Brooke, because they were younger.

First, they asked what a lunchbox was.

Yuuri learned for the first time that there was no culture of lunchboxes in this world. While the portable food concept existed, they never imagined making and preparing food specifically for eating on the go or for a long journey like this. They might carry food, but it wasn’t what Yuuri imagined as a lunchbox. It was a cultural shock.

Next, they asked what sandwiches were.

Yuuri explained that it was food sandwiched between slices of bread and showed them the sandwiches he had prepared for himself and Camille as a meal. Lelei and Kuresh were about to dig in immediately, but Brooke stopped them. It wasn’t right to snatch someone else’s food. When told this quietly by Brooke, the two could only look disappointed.

Their disappointment was somewhat adorable, so Yuuri cut the sandwiches into bite-sized pieces and offered them to the two, claiming it was for taste-testing. They started eating without hesitation. Of course, Yuuri also offered some to Brooke. It was like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky for them, who only knew how to toast bread and spread butter or jam. They were astonished.

It was a meal where the main and side dishes were combined and could be eaten with one hand. Plus, it was portable. Brooke looked like he wanted to say something, with a very subtle expression. Yuuri didn’t quite understand, but if he expressed Brooke’s feelings, it would be like, “Just selling this recipe could bring in a decent fortune.” It was the same sentiment as the one with Tifana some time ago.

Of course, a laid-back girly boy like Yuuri wouldn’t think of such a thing.

“So, why did you bother to prepare this for us?”

“Huh? Because I heard you were leaving earlier than breakfast time.”

“Yeah, you said that, but why does that matter? Why did you wake up so early?”

“Yeah. The sandwiches are delicious and all, but why?”

“…Why? Because it’s normal where I come from to make lunchboxes for people who leave so early they miss breakfast?”

“…”

Such profound thoughts hadn’t crossed Yuuri’s mind, so he answered with a tilt of his head and a vague smile. If you were Japanese, wouldn’t you imagine scenes like making rice balls for family members who don’t have time for breakfast, or handing out bags of pastries to eat along the way? That was Yuuri’s perception.

But let me repeat, this was a different world. It wasn’t modern Japan. While there was a spirit of helping each other, the culture was different. There was no culture of preparing portable meals specifically for people leaving home, especially not with such effort.

Therefore, the feelings of the three who were handed sandwich lunches with a smile by Yuuri couldn’t be expressed with just one word of gratitude. Just the fact that this newcomer boy was always happily taking care of all the household chores that everyone else found troublesome was already something to be grateful for.

(Although for Yuuri, it was more like a reward and a beloved hobby, but it didn’t quite get through.) They never imagined that he would wake up early just for them and prepare such a time-consuming meal. And on top of that, the flask contents weren’t water but tea.

“Yuuri, do you want a souvenir or something?”

“Huh?”

“We’re going on a trip, so there might be some unusual things!”

“Hmm? Hmm? I don’t really want anything, and I’m not in trouble. Um, Kuresh, why are you so excited?”

“Of course! That’s normal!”

“Why?”

The cultural barrier was high and thick.

Kuresh’s shoulders drooped. Lelei patted him on the shoulder. Brooke smiled as if he had given up. For Kuresh, it was because Yuuri, who was the same age as him and had just joined the Scarlet Lynxes, had made lunchboxes specifically for them, which made him extremely happy. And that’s why he wanted to repay him with something like a souvenir.

Unfortunately, Yuuri didn’t attach much importance to it, so he had the usual vague attitude. Pitiful.

“Kuresh, give it up. Our common sense doesn’t apply to Yuuri.”

“Brooke-san, but we…”

“Then, then, let’s just buy souvenirs on our own, okay?”

“Yeah, that’s right. If we bring back some unusual ingredients, he’ll be happy, right?”

“All right! It’s settled!”

“Huh?”

Having decided to purchase souvenirs without considering Yuuri’s opinion, the three turned their attention to Yuuri, who was casually twisting his head with a smile. They looked at Yuuri’s face, only a part of which was visible due to his long bangs covering his glasses, with smiles on their faces. Considering the circumstances, they would inevitably have a somewhat childish expression.

After causing such a commotion, the three thanked Yuuri with smiles and took the sandwich lunches with them as they left. Yuuri bid them farewell with a smile, saying, “Take care”, and the surprised expressions on their faces, followed by their smiles, strangely stayed with Yuuri.

He was steadily beginning to walk the path of a “motherly” figure, as the laid-back girly boy.