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

Favorite Choice: Onigiri Bento

“Today’s bento is onigiri, so if you’re taking one, please pack it yourself~”

““Okay~””

Yuuri casually informed everyone during breakfast, and the response was equally straightforward. Yuuri, who was washing dishes in the kitchen, was as usual, and so were the people eating breakfast.

After finishing breakfast, those who wanted to bring a bento for lunch came over. Lelei, holding her bento box, smiled and made her request to Yuuri, who was packing side dishes.

“Yuuri, Yuuri, I want lots of cherry tomatoes!”

“I’ll add broccoli and cucumbers too if there’s room.”

“Okay!”

Yuuri was packing side dishes into one-third of the large, square bento box known as a “doka-ben.” The amount of side dishes varied by person, with some wanting half of the box filled with side dishes. With cherry tomatoes, roughly cut cucumbers, and boiled broccoli packed in, the side dishes were done. Yuuri handed the bento box to Lelei, saying, “Here you go.”

Lelei took the bento box and happily faced the large number of onigiri placed on the kitchen counter. The onigiri were all shaped into cylinders for easy packing. After all, triangular onigiri are a bit inconvenient to pack into a bento box.

The reason Yuuri said, “Pack it yourself,” was because of these onigiri. Yes, there were just too many types of onigiri, almost to the point of being excessive.

“Yuuri, Yuuri! Where’s the tuna mayo?!”

“Who knows?”

“Geez! Why do you always mix up the ones with fillings?!”

“I thought it would be fun, like a game.”

“You’re so mean!”

Grumbling, Lelei stared at the tray piled high with cylinder-shaped onigiri, all with plain white surfaces. Yes, the problem was that all these onigiri had different fillings. While the onigiri mixed with ingredients were placed on individual trays, for some reason, Yuuri had put all the ones with fillings in the middle together. Yuuri thought it was a playful touch. Of course, she made sure there were no allergies or ingredients people couldn’t eat before doing so.

“If everyone knew what was inside, it would turn into a free-for-all, with everyone taking only what they like. Especially you, Lelei.”

“Ugh.”

“I remember the first time we had onigiri bento, you packed only tuna mayo, Lelei.”

“That doesn’t mean… it doesn’t mean you’re not mean!”

Even when Lelei realized she was the cause, she couldn’t quite accept it and continued grumbling. Beside her, Licht was calmly packing onigiri into his bento box. Without any particular preferences, he just picked up the cylinder-shaped onigiri, unaware of their contents, and packed them in. He, too, had his bento box filled one-third with side dishes. Apparently, having more onigiri rather than side dishes made him feel fuller.

There was also nori laid out on a plate for those who preferred to wrap their onigiri. Some people wrapped their onigiri with nori at this point, while others preferred to bring it separately and wrap it when they ate. Whether you like your nori crispy or soft is a matter of personal preference.

“Yuuri, about the mixed ones here,”

“Yes, yes. What is it, Licht?”

“I can tell the slightly red one is umeboshi, but what’s this pink one?”

“I mixed in raw cod roe.”

“Oh, cod roe. Got it.”

Satisfied with Yuuri’s answer, Licht packed one of the light pink onigiri. It was a simple onigiri with just raw cod roe mixed in. The version with grilled cod roe in the center was in the pile that Lelei was struggling with. Also, there were some with just a piece of raw cod roe stuffed inside. However, Yuuri’s recommendation was the onigiri with raw cod roe mixed in, as it had a consistent flavor throughout.

The red one that Licht pointed to was indeed umeboshi. Correct. It’s just a simple onigiri made by mixing pitted and chopped umeboshi into the rice, but it’s quite tasty. There are also versions with umeboshi in the center, but some people prefer the consistent flavor throughout the rice.

Neither the cod roe nor the umeboshi types stuffed in the center of the cylinder-shaped onigiri were disliked. Each has its own appeal, with some people preferring the contrast between the white rice and the filling. Some people also prefer plain rice to go with their side dishes. Everyone has their own tastes, and that’s fine. There’s no need to fight; just eat what you like.

“Yuuri, is this plain salted one at the edge?”

“Yes, it is. You really like plain salted onigiri, Licht.”

“Yeah. I do enjoy the ones with fillings or mixed ingredients, but… I don’t know. There’s something comforting about plain salted onigiri.”

Licht muttered as he wrapped a cylinder-shaped salted onigiri with nori. Having grown up in a bread-based household, he wasn’t particularly attached to white rice. But as he continued eating these onigiri bentos, plain salted onigiri became his favorite. Perhaps the simple flavor appealed to his senses.

The onigiri flavors change depending on the day’s mood. The only constants are usually salt and umeboshi. And tuna mayo. Yuuri herself didn’t particularly crave tuna mayo, but due to popular demand, it became a staple. Well, tuna mayo is also a staple in convenience store onigiri, so it’s nothing to worry about.

By the way, today’s top recommendation from Yuuri is the onigiri with bison shigureni. It’s made with the leftover bits or ends of bison meat from dinner, cooked together with onions in a sweet and salty sauce. The bison meat (and onions) simmered in soy sauce and sugar infused the rice with their flavor, making it quite tasty.

There are also onigiri mixed with finely chopped vegetables like pickled cabbage, carrots, and daikon, which is quite delicious in its own right. Or onigiri mixed with kombu that’s been finely chopped and simmered in soy sauce after making dashi. For something simpler, there are onigiri seasoned with just salt, sesame seeds, and soy sauce. Yuuri generally prefers mixing things in, as it gives a more uniform flavor throughout.

That said, stuffing the onigiri is fine too, and the onigiri are always evolving with new ideas. From these experiments, popular flavors become the regular offerings. Today’s new creation is a chakin-mushi onigiri, where the rice ball is wrapped in a thin omelet instead of seaweed. Or maybe it’s better to just call it a tamago onigiri?

The preparation is simple: make a thin omelet seasoned with salt, and wrap it around a salted rice ball. If you stuff it with fried rice, it could even be like an omurice onigiri. It’s up to individual preference, but the one Yuuri made this time is just a simple salted rice ball wrapped in a lightly salted thin omelet. When they taste-tested it, Urgus gave it a big thumbs up, so Yuuri made a bit extra. If there are any left, someone will eat them for lunch, they figured.

…As it turns out, perhaps due to the novelty, the chakin-mushi onigiri are selling out at an incredible rate.

Everyone packing the bento boxes, seeing this strange item for the first time, tilted their heads in curiosity as Yuuri explained it to them, and then they decided to pack some chakin-mushi onigiri. There’s no problem since it’s definitely tasty, but as Yuuri watched the chakin-mushi onigiri disappear rapidly, they couldn’t help but notice the sad, end-of-the-world looks on the faces of the apprentices. Seriously, it’s just an onigiri, so they wish the boys wouldn’t look so tragic.

“Remember, you four, priority goes to those who are taking bento boxes.”

“”“We know.”””

“If you know, then don’t look at me like that. It’s just an onigiri.”

“”“It’s not just an onigiri!”””

“Eh…”

At Yuuri’s attempt to calm them, the four apprentices immediately retorted. They looked at Yuuri as if to say, “Are you kidding?!” Sure, it’s an onigiri wrapped in a thin omelet, but it’s just a salted omelet and a salted rice ball. It’s not like it has some kind of special seasoning. Yuuri genuinely couldn’t understand why they were so fixated on it.

But from the perspective of the perpetually hungry apprentices, this unfamiliar but delicious-looking food was being taken away by others. They feared they might miss out entirely. Given their growing bodies and hearty appetites, it’s no wonder they were feeling anxious.

As Yuuri and the apprentices continued their now-familiar banter, Kurresh, who had been watching with barely contained laughter, patted Yuuri on the shoulder. Realizing they were being called, Yuuri turned around to see Kurresh with a friendly smile.

“Hey, Yuuri, for lunch today, can I have that chakin-mushi? The one with the egg-wrapped onigiri?”

“Huh? Kure, you’re on base duty today?”

“Yeah, I’ve got to finish up the mapping work. So, I can’t snag one like Lelei with a bento box.”

Smiling, he asked, and Yuuri tilted their head, still not understanding the obsession. But the reply that came out was entirely different.

“Sure, but is that enough for lunch?”

“That and some soup and meat, and I’m good.”

“Leftover veggies from the bento prep will be your side dish.”

“No problem at all. Yuuri, your onigiri always has such a variety of flavors, but this one seems different, and I really want to try it.”

“Alright then, let’s go with that for lunch. Is everyone okay with that?”

“”“Yes!”””

Having decided to honor Kurresh’s request, Yuuri checked with the apprentices. Today’s supervisor for those staying behind was Jake, so there was no need to consult him. As long as there’s food, he doesn’t complain, and he’ll eat just about anything as long as it’s not too greasy.

At Yuuri’s suggestion, the apprentices gave a cheerful and eager response. They were thrilled because they had been sure they would miss out on the chakin-mushi onigiri. Now they were guaranteed a taste. There were no complaints, just shining faces as they looked at Kurresh. He, in turn, waved happily at them. At this moment, Kurresh was undoubtedly their savior.

“…But seriously, why are you all making such a fuss over an onigiri wrapped in an egg?”

Yuuri still didn’t understand, tilting their head in confusion, but received no answer. The four apprentices were overjoyed, and Kurresh was proudly showing off to Lelei, who had been boasting about their bento. “I’m getting some too,” he seemed to say. Somehow, those two were also getting along quite well.

In the end, all the chakin-mushi onigiri were taken by the bento group, leaving the apprentices ecstatic that they would get to eat them thanks to Kurresh’s quick thinking.