"It's juice, but cheers!"

"I'm disappointed it's not alcohol, but cheers!"

"I can't drink alcohol, so I'm happy with juice. Cheers!"

A celebration after completing the exploration.

We can't go near the temple, so we enter the cafeteria within a safe range.

Lately, I've been intentionally trying out various cafeterias.

Maybe because I'm originally Japanese, I don't have strong likes or dislikes when it comes to food—I can eat a wide variety. I also enjoy eating with Reflea. Grapflour, who usually doesn't eat much of good quality, happily enjoys these treats whenever I treat her, and I feel happy just seeing her joy.

And I think many viewers probably also enjoy these moments after an adventure.

There's probably no viewer who'd be happy seeing me eat, but Refrea and Grapefloo might be an exception.

Hating the monk, you end up hating even his robe—maybe they're both disliked by now... But even so, I think ratings would struggle if we only had adventure scenes. Tension and relief are necessary.

"This is my first time at a shop—I'm a bit nervous."

"Yeah, it's a place recommended by the guild, right?"

"The guild does seem to have their hands in a lot of things..."

Well, the guild probably wants as many adventurers as possible under their control. After all, it's a commission-based system—without adventurers, nothing runs smoothly.

"But it smells great. Is that cheese and shrimp?"

"Yes. I've never had shrimp before... Are they the kind you catch in the sea?"

I often eat the small ones caught in the river—they’re addictive, you know? But these here are too big to be sea shrimp.

Judging by what’s being carried to the other tables, they’re either lobster or Japanese spider crab—pretty huge shrimp, really.

Before I transferred here… well, I’ve had them before, sometimes. My younger sister loves crustaceans and would occasionally order massive amounts online using money she earned through mysterious internet gigs.

After a while, the dish arrived.

It looked like a giant shrimp split in half, topped with sauce and cheese, then baked in the oven.

The menu listed it as “Shrimp Thermidor,” but I didn’t recognize it right away.

The shrimp were (as is typical for food in this world) about twice the size of Earth’s.

If these were actually Japanese spider crabs, they’d have been incredibly expensive.

"An impressive meal. Smells delicious, hot and fresh."

"Is this expensive? Are you sure it's okay? Really?"

"It's fine. Meals taste better when shared with everyone."

It's only about one silver coin, even if it's pricey.

I still haven't cashed in the spirit stone I collected yesterday on my own.

During the viewership race, saving money makes no sense—ideally, we should spend as much as possible to boost our viewership. Spending on food might actually be more important than it seems.

I vaguely remember reading somewhere that cooking shows and animal programs are guaranteed hits.

Using a large two-pronged fork, I eat the shrimp.

The melted cheese and rich sauce blend together into a deeply satisfying flavor. The sauce uses shrimp paste, I see.

"This is really good. It goes well with bread too."

It's the kind of flavor that makes you crave rice. Perhaps only a Japanese person would think this way after eating something richly flavored.

"Mmm, it melts in your mouth. Nothing like river shrimp at all, nyaa."

"I-is it really that delicious? Umm... alright... I'll eat it..."

Refreia, with a serious expression, steeling herself before the giant shrimp.

Well, honestly, shrimp can look pretty intimidating the first time you try them.

Even in Japan, quite a few people dislike shrimp, but how about Refreia? If she's just prejudging it, that's fine.

"Ei!"

Refreia plunges the shrimp meat into her mouth.

Well, it's always nerve-wracking trying something new.

"Oo—"

"O?"

"O... it's delicious!"

Refreia's face lights up in delight.

Seems like it suited your taste—good.

"I'm truly moved. I never knew such delicious food existed. Munch, munch."

"Crustaceans are one of those things people either love or hate. My little sister's really into them."

"Oh really! So you have a sister named Hikaru?"

"Yeah, unlike me, she's incredibly talented."

I wonder if Serika and Karen are listening in on our conversation too.

I hope they still believe I'm not the killer who murdered Nanami.

But because they believe that, it must be painful for them to deal with the tension between others. If they could just say, "How could there be a murderer in our family? We're victims too!" it might make things easier. But I know they won't choose that path.

I don't want them to suffer and get hurt fighting against the world...

"Huh~. But Hikaru is strong in battle, good at giving orders, and her techniques are always precise, so I think she's really outstanding?"

"It's nice to hear you say that, but my sisters' excellence goes beyond that level. I'm not sure how to explain it."

Both of my sisters were already fluent in English by the time they started kindergarten, and somehow, they had an exceptional drive to tackle new challenges, coupled with an extraordinary ability to absorb everything they encountered. By the time they entered elementary school, they were already famous as prodigies.

They even appeared on television a few times, and to their parents, they were the ultimate source of pride.

"Really? Their parents must be incredibly proud."

I flinch slightly at the casual remark.

　

"Yeah, that's true."

I reply briefly, glancing briefly at my parents in thought.

My parents are strong people, so probably they wouldn't care much even if the world accused me of being the killer of Nanami.

Honestly, I couldn't quite picture whether my father and mother were genuinely worried about me.

At first, after I'd just been transferred, I thought they must have been worried when I was suddenly dumped into the forest—there was no denying that.

But now, well—

"—Hikaru? Are you okay? You look really distressed."

"Hm, ah, sorry. I was just thinking about my family."

"I see. There must be something going on. Well, that's usually the case with explorers."

I thought I might get questioned, but maybe that's just not something to touch upon.

Anyway, my situation's too unusual. Even if I explained it, they probably wouldn't understand.

After the ratings race ends, I’ll definitely talk to Rifaia and Grapeflew, but that moment hasn’t come yet.

"I also have a younger sister—you know, a really talented one… hehe, that’s kind of like Hikaru too."

"Me too! We’re five sisters in my family!"

I wonder if it’s because they’re cat-like beasts, that they tend to have more offspring at once? I’m having utterly pointless thoughts like that. Names like Orangeflew or Lemonflew… well, that’s not going to happen.

The shrimp Termidoor was delicious, and since I was hungry, I finished everything that came out and even asked for seconds.

I’ve heard that as one’s rank increases, the monster form progresses and appetite grows—so this is what they meant. With my combat ability improving, my food expenses might get out of control.