Using Gacha to Increase My Companions and to Create the Strongest Girls' Army Corps

A few days after Freesia's first outing.

As her companions, we accompanied her on her daily excursions outside. Honestly, I wanted to go hunting for magic stones and earn some money, but this was something I had to endure until Freesia got used to going out.

Today, with the sun already beginning to set, we were heading home.

Nooru had improved the hood, making sure it wouldn't fall off even if she hopped around. Now, she always wore it, and the initial look she had when she was first summoned was almost completely gone. Even if a GC player were to see her, they probably wouldn't recognize her as Freesia right away.

"Ehehe, today was another satisfying day."

"Freesia, you sure are full of energy."

"Yup! Thanks for always playing with me, Nooru-chan!"

"Mufufu, it's no trouble at all! Compared to hunting with Ookura-dono, this is nothing!"

Nooru… Just when I thought she was enjoying hanging out with Freesia, she was thinking such things. Today, we walked up to a small hill, and the three of us, along with Mofuto, ran around. Despite walking around from early morning until evening every day, they never seemed to get tired of it.

"You two still seem to have plenty of energy even after running around so much. Mofuto's already exhausted."

"Freesia having as much stamina as Nooru is impressive."

"Fufun! It's nothing, really!"

Mofuto, nestled in Nooru's arms, let out a tired "puu." Despite being a magical creature, Mofuto seemed quite worn out, while Nooru and Freesia still had energy to spare. Freesia had even climbed a tree with the speed of a monkey… Despite being an archer, her agility was impressive. I could now understand why Sisya and Runa couldn't catch her.

When we arrived home and entered, we found Runa in the living room. Sitting on a chair and staring blankly, she furrowed her brows when she noticed us coming back.

"Runa-chan! Good morning!"

"...Good morning."

"You still look sleepy. Instead of staying inside all the time, why don't you come play outside with us next time?"

"I refuse. It's a bother. Besides, I don't like noisy people like you."

"Ugh, please don't say you hate me…"

Ever since the incident when we were away, Runa has been treating Freesia like this. She doesn't completely ignore her, but she avoids her to prevent getting disturbed during her naps. Invitations to go outside are also unwelcome, making Freesia almost like a natural enemy to Runa. But since she doesn’t bite or anything, I’m sure her mood will improve eventually.

As Freesia kept talking to the indifferent Runa, Sisya came out from the back room.

"Oh, Sisya-chan! We're back!"

"Welcome back. You seem to have been quite active today as well. The bath is ready, so why don't you take a bath?"

"Yup! Thank you, as always!"

Freesia’s clothes were quite messy from running around. Like a child, she didn’t seem to mind getting dirty while playing, so Sisya always prepared a bath for her when she returned. Unlike Runa, Sisya didn’t show any coldness towards Freesia. In fact, she seemed quite eager to catch her next time. Always competitive, that one… but it’s better than them becoming enemies.

"Well, then, I suppose I'll start preparing dinner. If I don't hurry, it'll get late. Runa, can you take care of Mofuto?"

"Got it. Leave it to me."

Handing Mofuto to Runa, Nooru headed towards the kitchen. That’s when I decided to make a suggestion.

"Nooru, how about I cook dinner today? You can take a bath with Freesia."

"Huh? Ookura-dono, are you sure?"

"It's rare for you to cook. You've been leaving it to Nooru lately."

"What’s gotten into you? Is it going to snow?"

They seemed quite surprised by my offer. I used to cook before Nooru took over the kitchen, but it’s been a while. Snow, really?

"You've been running around a lot lately, and I thought it would be nice for you to take a break. Besides, I’ve been craving something and thought it’d be nice to make it for Freesia's welcome."

"Can Heiha even cook? Will it be edible?"

"That's rude. I'm a professional at making bean sprout dishes."

"Bean sprouts? I don't get it, but I'm looking forward to it if you're cooking!"

Living alone in the previous world, I learned how to cook out of necessity. When money was tight, I had no choice but to cook for myself. While it started as a necessity, I eventually found it enjoyable to experiment with various recipes… until I settled on easy pasta dishes.

"In that case, I'll take you up on your offer… Freesia, let's go take a bath together!"

"Yup! Let’s wash each other!"

Nooru hesitated a bit but accepted my offer and went to the bath with Freesia. I wanted to reduce their workload, considering they were always taking care of Freesia. Plus, I wanted to make a dish I’d been craving. Freesia didn’t seem picky about food, so it should be fine.

"So, what are you going to make? Is it really going to be bean sprout dishes?"

"Unfortunately, not today."

"Oh, then what are you making?"

"You'll find out soon enough… Though I'm not sure if you'll like it. It's a staple dish from my home country."

"When you say it might not suit our tastes, it makes me curious."

"If we don't like it, what then?"

"Don't worry. If it turns out badly, I can always pull out some food from the gacha."

The dish I’m planning to make is a classic from my home country. I love the Western-style dishes Nooru makes, but sometimes I miss the food from back home. I’d love to have white rice, but it might not suit their tastes, so I'll skip it this time. If they don't like it, I'll just store the leftovers in the magic bag and eat them later.

"Hey, can I help you with the cooking too?"

"Hm? I can handle it myself."

"I’ve been learning to cook from Nooru lately. Plus, I want to cook with you, Heiha… Is that okay?"

She looked up at me with pleading eyes, hands clasped together. Damn, how can I refuse that?

"Sure, I don't mind."

"Yay."

Estel did a small victory pose, looking pleased. With her so happy, I felt a bit embarrassed. Meanwhile, Sisya was silently grinning at me, but I decided to ignore it.

We headed to the kitchen and stood in front of the food vending machine. The display read 14,800 points, indicating that food could be purchased. I’d been tossing in goblin fangs occasionally, so Nooru could buy ingredients as needed. I selected potatoes, onions, carrots, and shirataki noodles for the dish. Instead of pork, I’d use orc meat… though I still had some reservations about it.

I decided to scale the recipe for six servings. Having lived alone, I was used to cooking for one, so this was a bit daunting.

With the ingredients ready, I put on an apron. Estel did the same, tying her hair back into a short ponytail instead of her usual two-side up style. A girl in an apron is really cute.

First, we peeled the potatoes and carrots. The quantity was large, but with two people, it didn’t take long.

"Next, we cut the ingredients… Are you okay with that?"

"Leave it to me. I often help Nooru with the chopping."

Though she handled peeling fine, I was a bit worried about her cutting skills. I watched her cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and saw no problem. She held the knife correctly, her left hand in a “cat’s paw” to avoid cuts. Nooru taught her well. I’d feared her teaching might be a bit over the top, considering her superhuman speed.

Relieved, I picked up the knife and started slicing the orc meat. The knife cut through it effortlessly.

"Whoa! This knife is amazing!"

"Noru sharpens it often. She once cut through the cutting board with it."

Cutting through the board? She really does cause accidents even in the kitchen. This knife must be from the gacha, but with Nooru’s touch, it’s terrifyingly sharp.

Surprised for a moment, I resumed chopping the ingredients with Estel. We soaked the potatoes in water to prevent them from falling apart during cooking.

"This makes my eyes hurt."

"That’s what happens when you cut onions. I can do it if you want."

"It’s fine. Let me handle this."

Estel continued cutting, tears welling up in her eyes from the onions. 

Yeah, this is nice. I never cooked with anyone back in my world, so this felt refreshing. I probably won't have this experience again if I go back to my world.

Feeling a bit melancholic, I watched Estel work hard next to me as we finished cutting all the ingredients.

"These are quite big. Is this really okay?"

"Yeah, next we fry the meat and vegetables and let it simmer."

"It seems simple enough."

"Well, the cooking part is easy, but the flavor can vary."

Once everything was chopped, the bulk of the work was done. The simmering part is crucial, though. The right balance of soy sauce and sugar is key.

We heated oil in a pot, frying the thinly sliced

 orc meat. Then we added onions, potatoes, carrots, and shirataki, stirring them together. When they changed color, we poured in the broth made from water, soy sauce, and sugar, skimming off any foam that rose to the top. After that, it was just a matter of letting it simmer.

"There, that should do it. I hope it turns out well."

"You added a lot of different things. It must be tricky to get the flavor right."

Balancing the soy sauce and sugar was tricky. I measured everything with a cup, but who knows how it will turn out. I also added a bit of sake. Hopefully, it won’t get Nooru drunk.

After a while, I dished out some potatoes and broth into a small bowl for Estel to taste.

"Estel, can you taste this?"

"Sure, leave it to me."

If she doesn’t like it, Nooru and the others might not either. It’s nerve-wracking.

"Hmm… It’s good, but maybe a bit bland."

"How about the broth?"

"…It’s a bit strong."

The potatoes probably haven't absorbed all the flavors yet. Cooling it down should help. Phew, that's a relief.

"Then it should be fine. Let’s turn off the heat for now and take a bath while it cools."

"Oh, taking a bath together? You've finally accepted me."

"…Separately."

Estel blushed and said with mock modesty, putting her hand on her cheek. We never agreed to bathe together, but she still seems to be aiming for that.

After simmering the pot for a while, I turned off the heat, and we went to take a bath. When we came out, Nooru and Freesia were already done and clamoring for food.

"Ookura-dono, we're starving! Is it ready yet?"

"Heiha, I'm hungry!"

"Yeah, it should be ready soon. Hang on."

"It smells really good. I have high expectations."

"Indeed, but the real test is the taste."

"It tasted good during the test… But we'll see."

The aroma had spread throughout the house, raising expectations. I checked the pot, and the potatoes had absorbed the flavors nicely. This should be fine.

Reheating the dish, I served it in bowls and brought it to the living room. I also brought extra carrots for Mofuto.

"Here, Mofuto. Some carrots."

"Mufufu, he looks happy munching on those."

Before setting the table, I gave Mofuto a carrot. The fluffy white ball happily munched away. Now, for the main event. I hoped they'd like it.

"Here you go, this is nikujaga."

With a mix of excitement and nervousness, I placed the bowls on the table. Yes, I made nikujaga.

"…Potatoes?"

"This is quite a lot. It’s mainly potatoes with some carrots and meat. This seems very filling."

"It looks plain."

Their initial reaction wasn’t great. It might look plain, but the taste is what counts. 

"I love potatoes! They smell so good!"

"Great, have as much as you like."

"Yay!"

Freesia's cheerful reaction made me feel better. She eagerly stabbed a fork into the potato mountain and took a bite.

"How is it?"

"…It's delicious!"

Oh, thank goodness. I was worried despite the taste test with Estel. Seeing Freesia's reaction, the others started to try the nikujaga as well.

"This is delicious. The sweetness is surprising, but the potatoes and meat are well-flavored. Did you add sugar? If I’d known you could make such dishes, I would have asked you to teach me!"

"…Not bad. It’s a comforting taste."

Nooru praised it, and Runa seemed to enjoy it too, even if she was less enthusiastic. Being praised for something I made feels great. Now I understand why Nooru always looks so happy when her food is well received.

"It’s popular. Good for you, Heiha."

"Yeah, thanks for helping, Estel."

"Fufu, let's cook together again sometime."

Estel seemed happy to have helped. This was nice. I’d love to do this again, maybe make curry next time… if I can find the ingredients.

Just then, I noticed Sisya frowning and looking serious.

"Sisya? What’s wrong?"

"…Hmm."

Holding a fork, she seemed to have tasted the nikujaga. She didn’t respond to me and stood up, heading to her room.

Did she not like it? Maybe it really wasn’t good.

"Nooru, is it really good?"

"Yes, it is!"

"Yeah, it's very tasty!"

Noru and Freesia seemed genuine. So, what’s up with Sisya?

After a while, she returned with a sake bottle in hand. She poured some into a cup and took a bite of nikujaga, then drank the sake.

"Ahh! This goes great with sake!"

"Are you an old man? So, you did like it."

"Yes, it’s delicious. You should make it more often. Here, have some sake, Ookura-san."

I guess she was thinking about pairing it with sake… This girl is hopeless, but I’m glad she enjoyed it. Some people do enjoy it as a snack, after all.

The nikujaga was a hit, and they asked me to make it again. It feels good to be praised for your cooking. I’ll definitely try cooking more often.