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

A Small Indulgence, Homemade Burgers

“So, today’s lunch is going to be homemade burgers.”

“…What’s a burger?”

“Well, it’s kinda like a cousin of a sandwich?”

Yuuri’s explanation made Yakk tilt his head in confusion. Today’s menu featured burgers simply because Yuuri was craving one. That’s all there was to it. While he had grown accustomed to life in this other world and didn’t have any real complaints, sometimes, as a modern person, you just get a craving for junk food.

Have you ever suddenly felt the urge to visit a fast-food joint? Or really want a hamburger for no reason? Well, that’s exactly how Yuuri felt.

Among the bread delivered today, there just so happened to be some round bread that could be cut in half and used as buns. The bread wasn’t exactly fluffy, but it wasn’t hard either. After preparing a bunch of these halved buns, Yuuri was fully committed to making a burger set for lunch. French fries are easy enough to make, after all.

“For now, Yakk, can you wash and cut the potatoes?”

“What about the skin?”

“Hmmm, personally I prefer them peeled, but it’s kind of a hassle, right?”

“I prefer them peeled too, so I’ll do it. Besides, there aren’t many people for lunch today, right?”

“Yeah, it’s just us.”

Usually, the apprentices would be at the hideout, but today they had all gone out, leaving only Yakk behind. Each had some assigned tasks, and the only one left to keep watch was Ali. In other words, there were only Yuuri, Yakk, and Ali. Among them, Ali was the one who ate the most, but it wasn’t like he ate excessively. So, peeling the potatoes wouldn’t take that much effort.

Yakk grabbed a peeler and began wrestling with the potatoes. Some people prefer their fries with the skin on, while others don’t. There’s also debate over the thickness of the fries. But since both Yuuri and Yakk were on the team “no skin”, today’s fries would be skinless.

While Yakk worked on the fries, Yuuri took a bowl from the fridge. It was filled with minced meat—a mix of orc and bison, specifically. Well, it wasn’t just minced meat anymore. After adding finely chopped onions, breadcrumbs, eggs, and salt and pepper, and kneading until sticky, it had become a proper hamburger patty mix.

That’s right—what you need for a burger is a hamburger patty. Huh? You think fish fillets or chicken cutlets would be good too? Sure, burgers come in many varieties, and I won’t argue that. But today, Yuuri was in the mood for an orthodox hamburger, so the filling had to be a hamburger patty.

By the way, ketchup was mixed into the patty during preparation. That way, you don’t need to add it when eating—a housewife’s trick. Why is it a housewife’s trick, you ask? Because it prevents kids, who love hamburgers, from smearing ketchup all over their mouths and the table, of course. Plus, it prevents overuse.

“Speaking of which, we do have ketchup, right?”

“Did you say something?”

“Nope, just talking to myself~”

“Gotcha.”

Yakk responded to Yuuri’s muttering, but since it was just a mumble, Yuuri smiled and brushed it off. In this world, there’s no mayonnaise, but ketchup exists. Yuuri figured if one existed, the other should too, but alas, no. Why?

This mystery was solved on the same day Yuuri found ketchup and asked about it. The scholar Jake explained it. Apparently, about a hundred years ago, there was a scholar nicknamed “Tomato Doctor”, a tomato fanatic. Entranced by tomatoes, he bred them to enhance their flavor and created processed tomato products like ketchup. And that’s why ketchup exists.

It was proof that no matter the world, there are always enthusiasts who channel their passion in odd directions. Not that Yuuri was complaining—it made ketchup easily accessible. Tomato puree was readily available too.

“Well, time to grill the patties~”

Yuuri shaped the patties a bit thinner than usual and lined them up on the hot frying pan. The sizzle of meat cooking caught Yakk’s attention, and he stared at the grill. But Yuuri, with a smile, swiftly shut down his anticipation with a simple, “Not yet.” He understood the hunger, but a burger set isn’t complete without fries, so Yakk needed to keep working on the potatoes.

Once the patties were cooked halfway through, Yuuri flipped them over to cook the other side. Even though the patties were thinner than usual, they were still meat. It’s important to cook them thoroughly—otherwise, it’s bad for your health. What? Some meat can be eaten raw? That’s a different story. Burgers are meant to be cooked through and enjoyed for their juicy flavor.

Yuuri, skillfully shaping and grilling the patties, continued with the process. The reason there were so many patties was simple: any leftovers could be used as sides for dinner. Sure, Yuuri could’ve made just enough patties for three burgers, but the amount of minced meat didn’t quite match up, so he decided to just turn it all into patties.

Placing the cooked hamburger patties on a plate, Yuuri began tearing and washing lettuce. Meanwhile, beside him, Yakk was frying the cut potatoes, making simple salted French fries. Of course, enjoying them with different flavors or dips is part of the charm of French fries. But since Yuuri was in the mood for a simple burger set, he stuck with salt. …As usual, when Yuuri craved something, he never compromised on making exactly what he wanted.

“…Yuuri, so with this burger, you put the hamburger patty in between?”

“Well, it’s not always just a hamburger patty. Sometimes it’s a fish fillet, cutlet, or various other things. Some even have hamburger patties with fried eggs, cheese, or sliced tomatoes.”

“Wow, they all sound delicious!”

“Well, everyone has their preferences. …Oh, Yakk, do you want cheese on yours? I’m not really a fan of adding cheese.”

“Yes, please!”

“Got it.”

Listening to Yakk’s request, Yuuri pulled out the pre-sliced cheese from the fridge. First, he placed lettuce on the halved buns, followed by the hamburger patty. For his own burger, that was it—he simply topped it with the other half of the bun. For Yakk’s, he added a slice of cheese before closing it up. And so, Yuuri continued this simple process, assembling multiple burgers.

He made sure to prepare two burgers per person, so there’d be enough for seconds. There were still leftover patties, buns, and lettuce, so if anyone wanted more, he could easily make additional burgers.

Yuuri placed the completed burgers on a large plate and added the French fries Yakk had made next to them. Normally, drinks in the hideout would be either tea or something similar, but today was different. Since it was a burger set, it called for juice. Yuuri mixed together the remaining fruits in the fridge to make fresh fruit juice, which he served alongside the meal.

“And here’s the finished burger set!”

“Yuuri, what’s a burger set?”

“In my homeland, a burger set consists of a burger, fries, and a drink.”

Of course, there were other side dishes as well, but that wasn’t important right now. Yuuri was just happy that he had completed a homemade burger set. …Even if it couldn’t quite replicate the taste of fast food and maybe wasn’t “junk food” in the strict sense, it was what he had wanted, and that was all that mattered.

As Yuuri carried the tray with the burger set to the table, Yakk dashed off to call Ali, who was likely working in his room. Though having just the three of them for a meal felt a bit lonely, it wasn’t often that Yuuri got to try out more adventurous menu items. …If there were more people, making the burgers alone might have been overwhelming.

“…So, what’s for lunch today?”

“A burger set.”

“And that is?”

“Think of it as a type of sandwich. The filling is a hamburger patty.”

“Got it.”

Seemingly satisfied that it wouldn’t taste strange, Ali quietly took his seat. Yakk, on the other hand, was practically bursting with excitement. Ever since the hamburger patties started cooking, his stomach had been growling, “I’m hungry! I’m hungry!” which was normal for a growing boy. Probably.

The three of them quietly clasped their hands together and spoke in unison.

“”Itadakimasu””

Since Yuuri had come to stay at the Scarlet Lynx hideout, this phrase had become a natural part of mealtime. Yuuri believed it was important to express gratitude before a meal and thought it was a good cultural practice. He had heard that Christians pray before meals, so in a way, “itadakimasu” was a similarly meaningful custom.

Yuuri reached for his long-awaited burger. Since he had made it himself, he had a pretty good idea of how it would taste. The seasoning of the hamburger patty was his own, after all. It wouldn’t be exactly like a fast-food burger. Even so, when he took his first bite, the nostalgic flavors brought a smile to his face.

The soft bun, the crisp lettuce, and the juicy hamburger patty, with its juices gently oozing out—they all came together in perfect harmony. That’s what a burger is. You don’t need fancy seasonings; the ingredients alone make it delicious.

“Mm, burgers really are the best.”

“Yuuri, Yuuri!”

“What is it, Yakk? Something wrong?”

“The cheese and hamburger go together perfectly!”

“Yeah, I figured they would. There’s even something called cheese-in burgers, you know.”

“What’s that!? I wanna try it!”

Yakk, enthusiastically chomping on his cheeseburger, raved about the great combination of cheese and hamburger. Yuuri, however, casually brushed it off. Cheese burgers, cheese-in hamburgers, and hamburgers with cheese on top were all familiar to him, so it wasn’t something that surprised him anymore. He did take note of Yakk’s request and promised to make it next time. …Though cheese-in hamburgers are tricky, so he figured he’d just settle for adding cheese on top. That would be their little secret.

While the two chatted, Ali, sitting beside them, silently ate his burger. He wasn’t slow, so it seemed to suit his tastes. As Ali quickly finished his first burger, Yuuri pointed towards the kitchen.

“Ali, I made extra in case you want seconds, so feel free to help yourself.”

“Ah, thanks.”

“Leader, leader! The one with cheese is mine!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Ali chuckled at Yakk’s plea to not take his cheeseburger and nodded before heading to the kitchen to grab a simple burger. Being an adult without much desire for cheese, he left the cheeseburgers for the excited boy.

In the end, the leftover hamburger patties were eaten not as part of dinner but as new burgers by the hungry apprentices who came back, claiming, “We want more!”