"Sorry to keep you waiting! Today’s dessert is grilled fruits!"

Using the barbecue charcoal, I had grilled an assortment of fruits and arranged them on a plate. In this world, many of the fruits and vegetables are strikingly similar to those from my original world.

Technically, they might be slightly different, but since terms like "apple" and "banana" seem to be understood by Lilia and Fia, it should be fine.

"Oh, wow! I’ve never had grilled fruit before. Is it tastier than eating them raw?"

It seems Lange has never tried grilled fruits. Apparently, grilling fruits isn’t a common practice in this world either. Well, even in my original world, most fruits are usually eaten raw.

"That depends on the fruit. I’ve grilled a variety, so give them a try."

"They all look delicious! I’ll start with this red one."

"Wow! Then Fia will have this purple one!"

Everyone began selecting their grilled fruits. This time, I had prepared apples, bananas, and grapes.

"…?! Tetsuya, this is so sweet!"

"It’s even sweeter than regular grapes, and so delicious!"

When fruits are grilled, their moisture evaporates, concentrating their flavors, making them sweeter and enhancing their aroma. Rather than directly grilling them on a frying pan, I usually wrap them in aluminum foil and steam them.

"Uh… this pitch-black one, what is it?"

"Oh, that’s a banana. It might look burnt on the outside, but inside, it’s just fine."

Bananas are protected by their thick peels, so they can be placed directly on the fire without aluminum foil. While the peel turns jet black, it retains enough moisture to protect the fruit inside.

"It’s so soft and creamy, and incredibly sweet!"

"Wow, bananas taste like this when grilled!"

Both Angel and Rea were amazed by the grilled bananas. Their texture changes significantly when grilled, which is also a pleasant surprise.

"The apple smells like butter! It’s so sweet and delicious!"

"The grapes are great—you can eat the skins too!"

The apples had their cores removed and were filled with sugar and butter before grilling. Both ingredients are relatively pricey in this world, so this counts as a bit of a luxury dessert.

If I had cinnamon, the aroma would have been even better, but unfortunately, it wasn’t available here. It’s made from some kind of tree bark, I recall.

As for the grapes, grilling softens the tough skins, so I wrapped them in aluminum foil and grilled them whole. The result is a condensed sweetness that’s absolutely delightful.

"Everything is so sweet and tasty! I think I like the apples the most."

"They’re all incredibly delicious! It’s hard to choose."

"Mom, let’s make these at home sometime!"

"Sure, the grapes and bananas look easy enough to prepare."

…Hmm, the reactions from the ladies were completely different from when we had the barbecue earlier. I guess sweet treats really are more appealing to girls. Maybe I should try recreating some desserts from my original world.

Personally, I love grilled pineapple, but unfortunately, it wasn’t available in this town. It’s often served in Brazilian churrasco, and it’s sweet and absolutely delicious.

"I made a little extra, so feel free to take any leftovers home with you. While they’re best eaten warm, they’re still quite tasty even after cooling down."

Despite what I said, everyone ended up eating more than I expected, so there weren’t any leftovers to take home.

Even though the dishes weren’t particularly elaborate, seeing everyone so happy made it all worth it. Since there’s space behind the shop, hosting occasional gatherings like this could be a good idea.

"Fwaaah~ I’m so full, I can’t move anymore."

"Yeah, I feel the same. I won’t be moving for a while either."

"Me too. I’ll do the cleanup later."

After enjoying the gathering with everyone, I graciously declined their offers to help clean up. Now, I was lounging in the living room with Lange and Lilia.

While I truly appreciated their help, I didn’t want to trouble them any further since they came all the way here on their day off.

That said, group barbecues tend to make you overeat and overdrink. While I managed to hold back on alcohol, I ate way too much and won’t be moving anytime soon.

"Oh, Tetsuya, could you share some of the sauce you used for the barbecue meat earlier?"

"Of course! Also, take some of the Marsé meat Lange brought as a gift after I’ve smoked it, just like before."

Lange handles procurement for the shop and sometimes stops by distant places. Since he knows where the shop sources its supplies, there’s always the risk of being targeted.

In exchange, he prefers receiving cooking supplies and dishes I’ve prepared over monetary payment.

"Yay! The smoked meat you gave me last time was amazing. This outdoor spice you use tastes better than just salt and pepper!"

"I’m glad you like it. Also, I should be able to level up my outdoor shop skill next week. If you’re in town then, I’d love it if you could stop by."

"Wow, that sounds exciting! Sure, I’ll swing by next week!"

"So there’ll be new products again, huh?"

I had already told Lange and Lilia about my abilities. Their input as active adventurers is incredibly helpful whenever I introduce new items.