195: Generous Burrito

"Welcome!"

Today's lunch is a burrito.

In simple terms, a burrito is a large, thin wheat-based tortilla wrapped around various fillings, with the ingredients varying by product or restaurant.

As for size, it's roughly enough for one full meal.

That said, the restaurant we visited today caters to tourists, so the burritos are slightly smaller than the ones meant for workers.

"Wow, there are quite a few options."

"That's right. Not only are the ingredients varied, but the sauces are too."

"Hmm, I see."

As for what's available at this shop... it seems the basic burrito consists of a tortilla wrapped around a mixture of leafy vegetables, sautéed meat or beans, and a special sauce.

There are many ways to vary it—changing the sauce, swapping out the sautéed ingredients, adjusting the seasoning during cooking, or switching the leafy vegetables used as a base.

Still, it seems they’re catering to tourists a bit, as they often give a rough idea of the flavor profile.

It’s a good thing that even unfamiliar ingredients are easy to picture.

"Then I’ll go with this sweet one."

"We’ll take the crunchy one with extra nuts."

"Well, what should I go with...?"

Vilijanira ordered something centered around fruits and vegetables, with a sauce heavy on sugar and dairy—so light in quantity it could easily pass as dessert.

Johalis ordered something primarily made of walnuts, soybeans, and root vegetables—something that looked quite chewy.

Meanwhile, while the two were placing their orders, I happened upon something unusual.

"Hmm. Retro style... I'll give it a try."

It seems to be a recreation of something that was eaten among workers during the early days of colonizing the Shibra Smith system.

Well, since I'm here, I might as well try it.

"Here you go!"

"Thank you very much."

With that, I purchased it and moved to a spot a short distance from the shop.

"Then, let's eat."

"Alright, dig in."

"Let's eat."

And the three of us began eating together.

"Delicious!"

"Indeed!"

"Hmm, I see. So this is it."

As for my order, the retro-style one... it seems to be a burrito packed with ingredients that are meant to be shelf-stable.

The filling, sautéed with a thick, spicy sauce, includes salty bacon, mashed boiled beans and root vegetables, melted cheese, fat, and chopped vegetables that have been processed for long-term storage—over a dozen different ingredients mixed together.

The overall flavor is strong, spicy, and salty—punchy enough to revive your energy and replenish nutrients lost during pioneering work.

Though it has a slightly greasy quality, it settles in your stomach with remarkable staying power, making it easy to understand why one serving could easily make a full meal.

"Satā's food seems to have thoughtful preparations to keep the sauce and ingredients from spilling."

"Yeah. Probably because of the thick sauce designed for that purpose."

"In some cases, it feels like you could even eat it right in the workshop without a problem."

A little sauce is visible on Vilijaniela's hands and mouth.

But there's no such trace on my hands or mouth.

Even though Vilijaniela should be more careful in her eating habits, the difference comes down to the high viscosity of the retro-style sauce I'm eating.

Honestly, the high viscosity means it's easy to bite through, and the ingredients don't spill out from where it's been chewed.

That's probably why this kind of thing is made for people actually working on-site.

"Miss Vee, Miss Sata, Miss Johalis. Your drinks are here."

"Thank you, Memo."

And here comes Memo with the drinks.

Hmm, all of them are hot tea.

Yeah, delicious.

It felt as though the fat, which had nearly solidified in my mouth, was being washed away.

"Still, warm drinks really are best when eating something like this."

"Yeah, that's right."

"Mm-hmm."

Come to think of it, though I'm not sure how true it is, there's a saying that when eating fats with a melting point higher than body temperature—fats that are hard to digest—it's better to drink warm beverages rather than cold ones.

Something about how cold drinks cause fats to solidify inside the stomach, which isn't good, and so on...

Anyway, while thinking along those lines, I silently finished the rest of the burrito and drained my drink.

Yeah, it was delicious.

This was a truly satisfying meal.

"Now then, should we head back to the hotel for today? By the way, the plants that arrived at the hotel have already been moved to the greenhouse."

"You're reliable as always, Sata. Regarding today... yes, I think we can head back to the hotel now."

"Understood."

"Very well."

Today's schedule is complete.

With that, we begin walking toward the hotel.

"...Jo哈リス-sama, the 'Hetero Water Mirror'."

"Got it."

"..."

After taking a few steps, Mebokushi requested Jo哈リス's assistance.

Mebokushi has had the 'Hetero Water Mirror' integrated into her body through modifications, and by using a specially adjusted liquid, she remains constantly ready to activate a basic version of the 'Hetero Water Mirror'.

Since the 'Hetero Water Mirror' in this state has shown some kind of reaction, she's asked Jo哈リス to enter it so a full-scale scan can be conducted.

So, right now in the Shibraus Mis system, the only two possibilities for whatever's triggering the 'Hetero Water Mirror' are me or Magatsuki. If it suddenly reacted, it's almost certainly Magatsuki.

This is the first reaction since escaping from the Fifth Prime Colonial Zone... I wonder where it is?

For now, I adjust our positioning—including the main body—so that not only Memokshi and Johalis, but also Viridiana, can be protected while I conduct a scan using the 'Hishuijing'.

"We've found it."

"Mem, where is it?"

"In space... no, it seems to be a privately owned colony."

The location revealed by the 'Hishuijing' scan turned out to be within a privately owned colony—a surprisingly inconvenient place to conduct an investigation.