NOVEL NEXT Chapter 86.2
Okonomiyaki Made With A Mountain Of Cabbage
(Speaking of squid, though it’s an acquired taste, people seem to eat it just fine when it’s chopped into a seafood mix. Maybe it’s the way the whole squid looks that puts some off? Yuuri wasn’t sure. But since he loved squid okonomiyaki, he didn’t dwell on it. People could choose what they liked—and leave what they didn’t. That was the beauty of today’s self-serve meal.)
“Magg, wait. I’ll cook for you—just sit down.”
“…?”
“You’re too short to reach the griddle properly, aren’t you?”
“…Thanks.”
Licht casually plucked the bowl from Magg’s hands just as the younger man stretched to pour the okonomiyaki batter onto the center grill. With a broad grin, Licht patted Magg’s head and offered to take over. Ever dependable, ever kind — that was Licht. Magg lowered his head in thanks, clearly grateful, and the whole scene had the warmth of two brothers sharing a quiet moment.
…Though, if it had been Urgs or Camille standing next to him, Magg would have unceremoniously shoved the bowl at them with a smug, “Your turn.” That was just how it was. It’s normal to treat superiors differently from friends, after all.
As for the ingredients, Magg chose none. His reasoning? The batter already contained plenty of dashi, and he intended to savor that richness before deciding on anything else. The man lived for dashi, and today was no exception—he looked absolutely delighted.
“Look at all that meat!”
“You really think you can flip that?”
“Watch me!”
“I’ll put 100 gold on it breaking in half.”
“That’s not even a real bet. I’m with her on this.”
“Figures.”
“Hey, Hermine! Aroru!”
““It’s gonna burn.””
“My meat!”
Lelei was piling her okonomiyaki high with meat, prompting Kurresh to give her a concerned glance. Lelei wasn’t exactly bad at cooking, but this was her first attempt, and Kurresh couldn’t help but wonder if she could pull it off. Meanwhile, Hermine and Aroru, sitting at the same table, acted like they were placing bets on whether she’d succeed or fail. Their teasing stung just enough to make Lelei nervous—maybe they weren’t entirely wrong.
In the end, as the meat started to burn, Lelei panicked and tried flipping the okonomiyaki, only to split it in half, just as predicted. Fortunately, it didn’t fall on the floor, so it was still edible. Puffing her cheeks in frustration, she watched the halves cook patiently while the others exchanged smug, knowing glances.
“That’s squid, Yakk. You sure that’s okay?”
“Yep! Yuuri let me try some earlier, and it tasted great.”
“Alright, if you say so.”
As Yakk arranged bite-sized pieces of squid on the grill, Brook gave him a skeptical look, but Yakk responded with a cheerful grin. Taste-testing was the cook’s privilege, after all. Incidentally, Kurresh had snagged a few samples too, though he was smart enough to keep quiet about it. If Lelei found out he’d already tasted everything, she’d probably shake him senseless.
After finishing his squid-filled okonomiyaki, Yakk carefully ladled sauce from a glass bowl over it. The rich aroma wafting from the sauce—a mix of sweet and soy-like notes—drew curious stares from Brook, Camille, and Frau at the table.
“Yuuri made this sauce just for the okonomiyaki. It’s delicious.”
“In that case, I’ll use it too.”
“Yakk, let me try a bite.”
“Sure thing.”
Without a word, Brook drizzled the sauce over his bison-meat okonomiyaki. Frau followed suit, coating her shrimp version in the same sauce, while Camille sneaked a taste from the edge of Yakk’s pancake before dousing his own pork-filled one with it.
The sauce, which everyone now raved about, was unmistakably Yuuri’s handiwork. Somehow, he’d managed to recreate okonomiyaki sauce in this world—a perfect blend of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors, just like the real thing back home. If you hadn’t guessed already, yes, he’d made it using his trusty alchemy cauldron. Yuuri, ever the laid-back perfectionist, had outdone himself once again.
“…Yuuri.”
“Yes?”
“That sauce…”
“Made it with the cauldron.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Uh, want a bite? It’s really good!”
“You better watch yourself later.”
“…Yes, ma’am.”
Even though it wasn’t the right time for a lecture, Ali couldn’t help but sigh in exasperation. She knew Yuuri too well—he always pushed things just a bit too far, and if someone didn’t rein him in, there was no telling what he’d do next. Being the responsible one was exhausting.
Later that day, the real chaos broke out when Yuuri casually added a fried egg on top of his okonomiyaki. The sight of it looked so mouthwatering that everyone at the table scrambled to make their own.
Because, in the end, deliciousness wins every time.