He went back to the kitchen and took out the fried foods he had bought earlier from the refrigerator.
Deep-frying was a common cooking method everywhere.
Yuto had purchased several packs of meat skewers and meatballs. Fried meatballs were a popular local snack, while meat skewers were a staple at street stalls.
Occasionally, he would see vendors selling fried foods from food trucks on the streets, which reminded him of his previous life.
He took out the skewers and meatballs, which didn't require much thawing.
Once the oil was hot, he could fry them right away.
Yuto switched to a different pot and poured in a generous amount of oil, enough to completely submerge the ingredients.
Once the oil was hot, he carefully lowered the food into the bubbling liquid.
A sizzling, crackling sound filled the air, and the savory aroma of frying meat wafted through the kitchen.
Grilling and deep-frying are the two fastest ways to unleash the full flavor of food.
One involves direct contact with searing flames, while the other immerses ingredients in scorching hot oil.
Both methods use high heat to draw out the natural flavors.
If cooking were warfare, these two methods would be frontal assaults: straightforward and direct!
Yuto used chopsticks to occasionally flip the skewers and meatballs in the hot oil.
The meat was already coated in breadcrumbs, likely pre-prepared by the vendor.
As the coating gradually turned golden brown, he carefully removed them at the perfect moment and placed them onto a waiting plate.
They wouldn't require a second fry.
He fried a generous batch, considering that Shoko would be sharing them with Kanna.
Though he knew little about Kanna, the two horns on her head marked her as a dragon.
'Since she's a dragon, she must eat a lot,' he thought. 'It's better to make extra, especially since Yuyuko is here too.'
After frying everything, Yuto didn't serve it right away.
Instead, he called out to Tohru.
He needed to give her some instructions first.
"I'm here, Boss!" Tohru rushed into the kitchen.
Her eyes lit up at the sight of the food on the counter, and she reached out to steal a bite.
Yuto slapped the back of her hand with his chopsticks.
"Hehehe..." Tohru withdrew her hand, looking a bit embarrassed.
The skin remained pale, without a trace of redness.
After all, she was a dragon, and even in human form, her natural defenses remained intact.
A tap from some chopsticks wouldn't hurt her, even if he threw something heavy, she would just laugh it off.
"Tohru, Shoko will be bringing out this plate of skewers soon since she wants to make friends with Kanna," Yuto began.
He was worried about what might happen if Shoko approached the dragon table alone.
"Could you take Shoko with you? Otherwise, I don't think she'll have the courage to go over there."
"She wants to make friends with Kanna? No problem! Kanna might be a bit mischievous sometimes, but she's a good girl!" Tohru declared, patting her chest with confidence.
"Good to hear it," Yuto nodded.
He picked up the food and headed back out to the dining area, approaching Shoko.
"Shoko, follow Tohru over there in a second. Don't be nervous—Kanna's a sweet girl. I'm sure you two will become good friends."
After reassuring the timid child, he glanced at Tohru behind her.
Tohru gave a supportive nod.
Shoko took a deep breath, hopped off her seat, and slowly followed Tohru to Kanna's table, carrying her plate.
Quetzalcoatl gave the little girl a curious glance, while Fafnir merely looked at her before ignoring her.
Kanna, however, stared at Shoko with genuine curiosity.
"Kanna, this is Shoko," Tohru introduced her with a smile.
Shoko nervously placed the plate in front of the young dragon.
"D-do you want to eat together?" She spoke with a slight stammer, her face flushed crimson.
Kanna's eyes flickered, a subtle change appearing on her usually blank expression.
"Thank you. I'm Kanna."
Shoko's face lit up with a bright smile at the response.
Watching this scene from behind the bar, Yuto felt a warm sense of satisfaction.
But then a strange thought struck him.
'Why do I feel like an overprotective father watching over his daughter?'
..
Yuto returned to the kitchen to ponder.
'A dessert that's quick to make but also popular with kids... Let's make tamagoyaki.'
Sweet tamagoyaki has always been a favorite among children, and he was confident Kanna would enjoy it too.
While he worked in the kitchen, Shoko chatted happily with Kanna.
Quetzalcoatl was quite fond of the adorable little girl too. Her natural maternal warmth seemed perfectly suited to her generous nature.
The only one who didn't quite fit in was Fafnir.
He stared coldly ahead, even when facing a wall. He treated Shoko with indifference, causing her to flinch whenever she looked at him.
Tohru and the others had noticed this.
"Hey, Fafnir, don't be so cold!" Tohru snapped, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"Hmph, I won't speak to humans, not even their young one," Fafnir replied flatly, casting a detached glance at Shoko.
This made Shoko tremble slightly!
"Shoko, don't mind Fafnir. His brain isn't working right," Kanna said, taking Shoko's hand reassuringly.
The girl's anxiety gradually faded.
"Kanna, I'm right here beside you," Fafnir reminded her blandly.
But Kanna ignored him.
Instead, she turned to face Fafnir, who met her gaze.
After a four- or five-second stare-down, Kanna stuck out her tongue.
Fafnir froze for a moment, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Fafnir's brain is still broken," Kanna repeated, turning back to Shoko.
The slightly comical yet adorable scene couldn't help but make Shoko giggle.
"That's right, Shoko-chan. You don't need to worry about Fafnir," Quetzalcoatl said with a gentle smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
She reached out to stroke Shoko's hair, but even this simple gesture made the timid child's heart tremble.
"It's okay, I'm fine," Shoko said, her smile returning.
She was a resilient child.
Having been bullied by her peers countless times, Fafnir's coldness only caused her a brief moment of disappointment.
Her quick recovery surprised Quetzalcoatl slightly.
As the longest-lived dragon among Tohru and the others, she had once served as a guardian deity of human civilization.
Though she often appeared indifferent with her perpetually narrowed eyes, this was merely because she had witnessed too much and had grown detached from many things.
Sometimes, she was the only one who noticed subtle nuances.
Watching Shoko, she let out a quiet sigh, though her expression remained unchanged.
"Shoko-chan is such a sensible child," Quetzalcoatl said softly, her voice as gentle as an early summer breeze.
Shoko smiled sweetly.
After a moment, she seemed to remember something. Her eyes flickered with a hint of nervousness and apology.
"Wait for me, Kanna, Quetzalcoatl-san, Tohru-san!"
Under their surprised gazes, Shoko dashed over to the other group across the room.
The trio of Ainz, Rimuru, and Saitama, who had been engrossed in discussing games, paused their conversation.
Their discussion had gradually shifted from exchanging management tips for other world to frivolous topics like manga.
"Shoko, what's wrong?" Ainz asked, his gaze softening as he looked at the little girl.
The red dots in his eyes glowed with a gentle, peaceful light.
Rimuru and Saitama also turned their attention to her.
Standing before Ainz, the petite girl pulled a small pendant from her bag—a charm shaped like a kitten.
"Uncle Ainz, this is for you," she said, extending the pendant toward him.
Standing on the ground, Shoko barely reached half the height of the seated Ainz. Her eyes shone with gratitude and joy as she looked up at him.
Faced with such a heartfelt gaze, Ainz immediately cast his Forced Calm skill!
"Ahem, Shoko, why did you give me this?" Ainz asked, his voice unusually gentle.
However, his terrifying appearance made it difficult to believe his gentle tone!