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

Quick And Easy Tartar Sauce?

“Ali-san, can I borrow the alchemy pot today too?”

“Ah, I’m not using it, so go ahead.”

“Thank you. I’ll be borrowing it, then.”

“…Can you carry it?”

“I can carry it~”

Yuuri smiled at the skeptical Ali and hugged the alchemy pot with both hands. Due to its size, it had to be carried at chest level with both hands. Although not particularly heavy, it was quite large, and since Yuuri was small, it looked very precarious. Nevertheless, Ali thought it wouldn’t be good to intervene too much and watched her small back as she left.

However, those who saw Yuuri walking unusually slowly with the pot in the hallway couldn’t just stand by. The women who offered help were turned down with a smile, “I’m a man, so I’m fine.”, and despite knowing they were stronger, they couldn’t insist. Similarly, the apprentices Magg, Camille, and Yakk were refused assistance because they were of similar size to Yuuri.

So, the apprentices decided to drag Urgus, who was seriously cleaning the entrance. Without understanding why he was brought, Urgus saw Yuuri struggling with the pot and took it without asking.

“Hey, Urgus, what are you doing? I borrowed that from Ali.”

“I’m not taking it away. Where are you taking it?”

“Huh?”

“It’s dangerous to watch. So, where are you taking it?”

“The cafeteria.”

“Got it.”

Urgus, with his strong arms, grabbed the pot Yuuri was holding with both hands and hoisted it onto his shoulder, seemingly not feeling the weight. It was probably due to his skills and constant training. As you might guess, Yuuri, who only did housework, was not physically trained at all.

Thus, Urgus carried the pot, and Yuuri walked beside him. The curious apprentices followed them to the cafeteria. Urgus placed the pot lightly on the table as Yuuri directed, and then Yuuri ran to the fridge.

Yuuri returned with a large bowl filled with ingredients. The others tilted their heads at the sight of eggs, cucumbers, onions, various herbs, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar. Urgus was the only one to ask, “What are you planning to do?”

“Just a test.”

“A test?”

“I want to see what I can make with the alchemy pot.”

Though Yuuri was smiling, the others looked puzzled, wondering what he was up to. None of them understood the structure of the alchemy pot. Naturally, none of them had alchemy skills.

Leaving the uneasy group behind, Yuuri opened the pot’s lid and started throwing in ingredients. He gently placed the eggs, arranged cucumbers and onions around them, and added unpeeled onions. He then sprinkled fresh herbs, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar in sequence. No one could understand what he was doing.

“Switch on!”

“…”

Yuuri was having a blast. Excitedly, he pressed the activation button, and the pot started with a small sound. Watching the red activation light, the apprentices were anxious. They knew Yuuri had a different set of skills and had added alchemy to his repertoire. They felt he was doing something different from other alchemists.

It’s probably not wrong.

The alchemy pot eventually stopped and opened its lid slightly. Yuuri’s face lit up, and the apprentices watched him with curiosity. Running away seemed like a missed opportunity.

“Wow, it’s done!”

“What is that?!”

They couldn’t help but shout at the object Yuuri pulled from the pot. Even the usually silent Magg raised his voice. Yuuri looked puzzled, then at the white substance in the plastic tube and said, “What? It’s tartar sauce.”

“No way! What did you make in the alchemy pot?!”

“And what is that container made of?!”

“Yuuri, how did those ingredients become this?!”

“…Could it be, mayonnaise?”

“Huh?!”

It was Magg who mumbled last. The three apprentices stared at him in shock. Magg stared at the tartar sauce in Yuuri’s hand and muttered “mayonnaise” again. They realized the unfamiliar container and substance resembled their beloved mayonnaise. But Yuuri said it was tartar sauce. Receiving their puzzled looks, Yuuri tilted his head and explained with a grin.

“Tartar sauce is made by adding pickles, onions, and herbs to mayonnaise.”

“It was mayonnaise?!”

“Magg, you’re scary!”

“Magg, you’ve become too sharp about food lately!”

“…Aim to be a chef.”

“Really?!”

“Just kidding.”

“That’s not funny!”

Hearing such a statement from Magg, who has awakened to the wonders of dashi and umami, made it highly credible. Since Magg usually doesn’t joke, everyone almost believed him for a moment. However, when he immediately denied it with his usual serious face, Urgus smacked him on the head, Camille patted his back, and Yakk tugged his cheeks in protest. Magg endured it all quietly. They were a close-knit group of apprentices.

Watching them, Yuuri reached into the alchemy pot again. This time, he pulled out two more bottles of tartar sauce, identical to the first. The apprentices didn’t comment because they weren’t paying attention. There was still some left inside.

Yuuri lined up five bottles of tartar sauce on the table and jotted down how much of each ingredient he used to make them in his trusty notebook. In a way, it was a recipe. Those who used alchemy pots often engaged in such trial and error, although typical for creating healing potions or rare metals.

“Today, let’s have fried fish with this tartar sauce.”

“Got it!”

The apprentices replied obediently.

Two reasons: 20% because they thought it was pointless to question Yuuri’s actions, and 80% because they were curious about the taste of fried fish with mayonnaise-based sauce, which had taken over their thoughts about food. They were firmly captivated by Yuuri’s cooking. Not just the apprentices, but also the trainees, instructors, and occasional graduates were all hooked on Yuuri’s meals. The world was ending.

However, the story didn’t end there. Whether driven by curiosity about what Yuuri had made with the alchemy pot or simply to quench his thirst, Ali walked into the cafeteria. By then, the mysterious tartar sauce was being tasted with cucumber and carrot sticks, and the four apprentices were happily munching on vegetables. The sauce had a distinctly different, superior flavor than plain mayonnaise.

Ali didn’t pay much attention to them eating something, thinking Yuuri had fed the hungry kids again. But when he saw Magg squirting the sauce from an unfamiliar container onto a carrot, his eyes sharpened. The white substance from the mysterious container was unfamiliar.

“Yuuri! What did you do this time?!”

Ali’s angry voice echoed. The surprised apprentices quickly secured their plates, ensuring they had some tartar sauce and veggie sticks. They discreetly moved to the corner of the cafeteria, away from Ali’s wrath, still enjoying their veggies. They were ready to abandon Yuuri.

“What? I just made tartar sauce.”

“…What’s that tartar sauce?”

“It’s a mayonnaise-based condiment.”

“You used the alchemy pot to make that?!”

“It hurts, Ali-san, it hurts!”

“Shut up! It’s supposed to hurt, you idiot!”

Yuuri screamed as Ali applied an iron claw to his head, though Ali was holding back a bit. If he applied full force, Yuuri, who hadn’t undergone combat training, could be seriously injured. Even so, Ali was genuinely angry at Yuuri for recklessly following his own pace. It was tough being the responsible one.

Ali had deduced that the tartar sauce was made with the alchemy pot because of its unfamiliar container. If it had been in a familiar bottle, he wouldn’t have suspected. However, even if asked, Yuuri would have honestly admitted he made tartar sauce, so he would have gotten scolded anyway.

“So, why did you make this?”

“Making tartar sauce is really hard.”

“And?”

“I thought it would be convenient if the alchemy pot could make enough for everyone.”

“Why does your brain always go to such trivial ideas, huh?!”

“Ali-san, it hurts!”

Iron claw, again. As Ali continued to scold him, Yuuri struggled but couldn’t escape Ali’s grip. Though the pain allowed Yuuri to complain, he couldn’t realize that Ali was holding back.

However, the tartar sauce made with the alchemy pot and the fried fish were indeed delicious, satisfying everyone’s appetites.