Knock, knock.

"Hey, Tetsuya. You in there?"

"Oh, Lange, good morning..."

"Wha—what’s going on, Tetsuya? You’ve got dark circles under your eyes! Haven’t you been sleeping?"

"Yeah, I stayed up pretty late last night, so I’m a bit sleep-deprived."

"Don’t tell me it’s because your ability got an upgrade and you can buy more stuff now?"

"Exactly. More items became available than I expected, so I stayed up with Lilia deciding what to sell... and lost track of time."

"Wow, that sounds exciting! Show me what you've got!"

"Of course! I’d love to hear your thoughts on it."

I let Lange into the room. It seems Lilia had just woken up too.

"Let’s start with breakfast, shall we? I want to try making something, if that’s okay with both of you?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Mm, I’ll leave it to you."

"All right, it’s ready!"

"That was quick."

"The curry yesterday was so delicious. I’ve got high expectations for today’s dish as well."

"What’s this ‘curry’ you’re talking about?! Is it something new from your ability? I want some too!"

"Yeah, I figured you’d ask, so I made both dishes for you, Lange. Lilia, if you want seconds, I can whip up more in no time."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

"So, this is ramen—an immensely popular dish from my world!"

"Ooh, it smells amazing!"

"The soup has these thin noodles in it, huh?"

"I’ll explain more after you taste it. Go ahead, dig in!"

Honestly, I can’t wait any longer either! That nostalgic aroma of ramen is irresistible.

The curry from yesterday smelled incredible, but this ramen is equally mouthwatering. For toppings, I prepped boiled eggs, smoked meat, and green onions last night.

"Ah, it’s just like I remember!"

"Whoa! This rich and flavorful soup is incredible! The noodles are so thin, yet they have a satisfying texture and soak up the broth perfectly!"

"Wow, what is this?! It’s insanely delicious! And the boiled egg and meat are so tasty too!"

It seems ramen’s flavor is a hit in this world as well.

"Tetsuya, can I have seconds?"

"Tetsuya, I want to try the curry too!"

"Got it. I’ll make myself another bowl of ramen while I’m at it."

Ramen and curry might be heavy dishes for breakfast, but they’re too good to care!

We indulged in a hearty breakfast of ramen and curry together.

"Ah, I’m stuffed! Both the ramen and the curry were absolutely delicious!"

"Indeed, both dishes were excellent."

"While it seems like the curry would be hard to sell due to the lack of suitable packaging, the ramen might work as a product. The noodles come like this originally, and you just boil them for a few minutes and add powdered soup to make it."

"Huh, so this is what transforms into that tasty noodle dish?"

"And it only takes a few minutes to cook. That makes it perfect for adventurers who need a quick meal during the day."

The ramen I can buy with my outdoor shop ability isn’t the cup type but stick-style noodles. Their thinness means they cook quickly even at high altitudes, where water boils at a lower temperature.

On top of that, their compact stick form takes up little space in a bag, and they have a long shelf life, making them excellent emergency food.

The only downside is that there are only two flavors—soy sauce and tonkotsu (pork bone). Back in my world, there were so many more options.

"For now, we can taste-test the other instant food items later. But there’s something else I want to show you, Lange."

"Oh? What is it?"

I placed two books and a map in front of Lange.

"What’s this?"

"It’s a map of the area, a monster encyclopedia, and a plant encyclopedia."

Yes, in the outdoor shops of my old world, they sold maps, plant guides, bird guides, and insect guides.

At first, I thought, "What use would these have in another world?" But the title Monster Encyclopedia caught my eye, so I decided to buy it.

It turned out to contain detailed information about the monsters in this world, including their habitats and weaknesses.

"Wow, this is amazing. All the information matches what I know. And these illustrations are so precise!"

Lilia also checked it out and confirmed that the text was written in this world’s common language, so anyone who could read would be able to use the book.

The monster illustrations were not just drawings—they were crystal-clear photographs.

"This is incredibly useful. But it seems like it only covers the monsters around this area?"

"Yeah, Lilia said the same."

Apparently, the monster encyclopedia only includes creatures found in the vicinity of this town and nearby areas. The same goes for the plant encyclopedia and the map—they’re limited to the region around the town of Beginnings.

...Honestly, it’s probably better that way. If it covered every monster in the world, it would be way too overwhelming to handle.

"That said, I’m hesitant to sell these outright. The illustrations—actually photographs in my world—are far too advanced for this world. It would definitely raise questions."

"Yeah, these are incredibly detailed. The map is also exceptionally precise, which makes it extremely useful, but it might cause problems."

Exactly... The map, especially when paired with a compass, would be an invaluable tool, but its sheer accuracy could lead to all sorts of suspicions.

Still, it would be a shame not to use such handy resources. The plant and monster encyclopedias, in particular, would be a big help to novice adventurers.

"What if we don’t sell them but donate a few to the Adventurer’s Guild?"

"That’s a good idea. It seems like the safest option for now."

Selling them might be tricky, but donating a few copies to the Adventurer’s Guild could work. If they’re kept there, beginner adventurers could access the information. I’ll consider that as a possible plan.