SWNOVELXO Chapter 141.1
Curry Bread With A Gooey Soft-Boiled Egg Inside
“So, that’s why, please put a soft-boiled egg in the curry bread.”
“…You, huh…”
“Yes?”
While munching on a teriyaki sandwich, Yuuri spoke in his usual carefree manner. Whether he was satisfied with his own words or not, he was happily enjoying the teriyaki sandwich from the bakery. By the way, today was one of Yuuri’s rare days off. Since he had been doing household chores day after day without realizing it, it was only natural that he was forced to take a break. And on this day off, Yuuri was enjoying eating out at various places.
This bakery was primarily a takeout shop, but there was a small eat-in space in the corner where drinks were also sold. So, there were people like Yuuri who would buy bread and enjoy it on the spot. It wasn’t as spacious as a café, so it was more for a quick bite.
That being said, Yuuri was cheerfully smiling and saying how delicious it was, but the person on the receiving end wasn’t having it. The one sighing and holding his forehead was the bakery’s owner, an old man.
He was the familiar bakery owner who delivered bread to Scarlet Lynx every morning. He also knew Yuuri. They had collaborated on new bread ideas before. At the same time, he was a kind old man who worked hard to make delicious savory bread even when Yuuri made unreasonable requests. Well, it was more that he decided it was worth selling, so he put in the effort.
The teriyaki sandwich Yuuri was eating now was one of those additions. With mirin becoming more widely available, teriyaki dishes were gaining popularity, and this sandwich seemed to be a hit. The sweet and savory flavor went well with both rice and bread, proving once again that teriyaki was a righteous choice.
Anyway, back to Yuuri’s request for the day.
“Curry bread is a bestseller, but how am I supposed to put a soft-boiled egg in it?”
“…How do you do it?”
“Hey now.”
“Well, I’ve eaten it before, but I’ve never made it.”
Yuuri tilted his head and muttered, prompting the bakery owner to retort. The old man wished Yuuri wouldn’t just throw out requests without knowing how to make them. When it came to curry bread, Yuuri at least explained the basic steps, but this time it felt like a complete handoff. Yuuri was a natural at causing trouble.
By the way, a few days after Yuuri made curry, he had stormed into the bakery and asked them to make curry bread. He even went so far as to make the curry just the right consistency for stuffing into the bread. Yuuri wanted to eat curry bread but couldn’t make it himself, so he turned to the professionals. While his judgment wasn’t wrong, everyone wanted to point out how he only showed such initiative when it came to delicious food.
Incidentally, the curry bread was made with several types of curry fillings, offering a variety of flavors. To put it simply, even just changing the meat inside could create a completely different taste, and each version was popular. Among the younger male customers, bison meat curry seemed to be a favorite. Since bison meat was positioned similarly to beef, it packed a punch like beef curry.
“First of all, do curry and eggs even go together?”
“They do! Whether it’s boiled eggs, onsen eggs, scrambled eggs, omelets, or sunny-side-up eggs, they’re all delicious.”
“R-Really…?”
The bakery owner was a bit taken aback by Yuuri’s enthusiasm. Yuuri didn’t mean any harm, but when it came to delicious food, he was the type to go all out. In Yuuri’s mind, various egg toppings for curry were floating around.
Whether hard-boiled or soft-boiled, sliced boiled eggs dipped in curry. Dropping a runny onsen egg on top of curry and mixing it to add richness. Eating simply seasoned scrambled eggs with curry rice. Enjoying the contrast between the crispy and creamy parts of a fluffy omelet made with milk, paired with curry. Mixing the white and yolk of a sunny-side-up egg with curry to savor the difference in texture. Yuuri knew all of these were delicious.
Hence, he passionately argued that curry and eggs were a perfect match. …The Japanese, a nation of culinary innovators, loved curry. Yuuri was no exception, so he had no hesitation in advocating for deliciousness. Please don’t tell him to hold back now.
“But even if you say that, I don’t know how to make it…”
“Hmm… I think I’ve seen ones where they put a soft-boiled egg inside…?”
“Won’t that harden when you bake the curry bread?”
“Right… But putting a raw egg in seems like a hassle too…?”
Yuuri groaned, and the bakery owner groaned along with him. Even if they knew it would be delicious, not knowing how to make it was the problem.
Still, they both racked their brains, determined to figure it out.
A few days later.
After much trial and error, the curry bread with a soft-boiled egg inside was finally completed. Yuuri asked the bakery owner how it was made, but was told it was a secret. So, he simply requested that they make it with various types of curry. After all, Yuuri just wanted to eat it—he couldn’t make bread himself.
Huh? If he can cook, shouldn’t he be able to make bread? Well, he’s never made proper bread before, so it’s impossible. What Yuuri can make are sweets using pancake mix. He’s made something bread-like using that, but without the convenient pancake mix, he’s out of luck. Pancake mix is strong.
So, Yuuri returned after buying a large quantity of the bakery owner’s hard-earned curry bread with soft-boiled eggs. It was today’s snack. Since curry bread was already popular, he was sure this new version would be a hit too.
“I’m home~! I brought curry bread for snacks~!”
“Curry bread!”
When Yuuri showed his face in the dining room, the group, who had been eagerly waiting, lit up and cheered. The apprentices got up from their seats and ran over to Yuuri. Yuuri, who had stuffed the curry bread into his beloved student bag (which had likely become a high-performance magic bag unlike any other in this world), didn’t mind the apprentices clinging to him and casually asked them to prepare drinks.
The apprentices, tasked by Yuuri, all ran to the kitchen. Yakk took out the drink containers from the fridge, while Urgus and Camille worked together to prepare glasses for everyone. Mag was getting the ice ready. …Their teamwork was flawless because they wanted to eat the delicious food as soon as possible. They all loved curry bread.
“But why curry bread again? It’s a regular item, right?”
“This is a new version of curry bread.”
“…So that’s why you went to the bakery the other day?”
“Yep.”
“…………Sigh.”
“Ali?”
Ali let out a heavy sigh, and Yuuri tilted his head in confusion. However, Ali’s mind was already thinking, “This guy probably made some unreasonable request again, so I’ll have to go apologize properly next time.” While it was true that he had helped with a new menu item, the fact that he had made an unreasonable request couldn’t be denied. Being a guardian is tough.
That said, Ali didn’t dislike curry bread, so he accepted it when Yuuri handed it over. Thanks to the time-stop function of the magic bag, the bread was still piping hot. While hot curry bread was delicious, it also required caution when eating, so Yuuri warned everyone as he handed it out.
“Hey hey, Yuuri. What’s new about this curry bread?”
“The ingredients are different, right? But we’ve already seen most of them, haven’t we?”
Holding the hot curry bread and blowing on it to cool it down, Lelei asked, while Kurresh, looking like he was about to take a bite as soon as he got permission, added on. Sitting across from the two, Yuuri smiled happily. He was in a great mood because he could finally eat the curry bread with a soft-boiled egg that he had been craving. While he liked regular curry bread, the addition of a soft-boiled egg made it milder and even more special. It was a dish even kids who didn’t like spicy curry could enjoy.