#516 Hyakka Ryoran Rice Ball Report

We’re back on the farm!

It’s autumn now, which also means it’s harvest season.

Our farm can reap several times a year thanks to Platy's hyper fish fertilizer. 

Still, this season is a special time of year, a time when there is a sense of accomplishment.

In such autumn, we harvest, thresh, remove the husks, and mill the golden ears of rice.

The polished rice at the end of this process always comes out beautifully.

Now, what’s the first thing we do with this rice?

At the farm, we have a rule.

The first ‘person’ to eat the fresh batch of rice is a certain someone: a god.

Hephaestus, the god of crafting, gave me power when I came to this world.

Thanks to the gift he gave me, I can get by living here.

As such, the first thing we do is to offer rice to him every harvest as thanks.

...I’m serious!

That's how we’ve been doing it for the past two years.

I just never mentioned it.

So, it's not like we just happened to think of it this year; it's already become a tradition at our farm!

“And so...”

I’m going to offer rice balls to Hephaestus.

He loves rice balls, you see.

The timing of the rice harvest is also significant, so I’m giving god a taste of the best rice ball this year.

And so...

“Fresh Rice ball Tasting Session!”

We would like to start a session to try out new rice ball recipes.

I've already offered him most of the standard rice balls: mentaiko, kelp, salmon, tuna mayo, and ume plum.

In order to please Hephaestus, I have to recreate new recipes that break away from these standard items.

Don't worry.

I’ve mentally prepared all of them.

Knowledge is a weapon.

I am a convenience store rice ball fanatic, and I used to check out every new release!

I have a lot of oddball ideas that would catch the attention of buyers!

“Still, it's been quite a long time since I came to this world... My memory is fading...!” 

That's why I have to make something now to jog my memory!

I’m making the first one by stir-frying freshly cooked rice with ketchup.

Then, I roll the bright red ketchup rice wrapped in a thin omelet I prepared separately.

“Ta-da! Omurice Rice Ball!”

Omelet rice balls are found in almost every convenience store.

Its ingredients are common, so it’s easy to make. Still, the fluffiness of the omelet makes it unique.

Inheriting this spirit, I recreated the omurice rice ball in another world.

Heaven be my witness!

I offer the rice ball to the altar I built in my house.

Now, will Hephaestus approve of omelet rice balls? Or not?

Hephaestus has a history of rejecting the nigirizushi I offered to him once.

I have a feeling he’s picky.

Will he approve of the anomalous rice ball mixed with ketchup and wrapped in an egg instead of nori?

“? ? ?!?!?!”

A hint of confusion can be felt from the altar.

“Y...Y e s?”

All righttttttttt!

Hephaestus has approved omurice rice balls!

Let’s keep this pace up!

Of course, we're not limiting ourselves to just one sample this time!

Today’s the Rice Festival, after all!

We have to make lots of samples to satisfy Hephaestus!

Next up is...!

“Butter Rice Rice ball!”

“Butter?!”

Mention butter and the earth spirits will come to you at lightning speed.

They are little butter-loving girls, and their ability to sniff out butter surpasses that of K-9.

“Butter! Butter!”

“Give us butter, pweaseeee!”

There are several earth spirits, but they all share the same greed for butter.

The rice is already cooked, and all that remains is to make rice ball...

What should I do?

I glance at the altar.

“...?”

“......?!”

Deafening silence...

“Y...Y e s?”

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!”

“God is so kinddd!”

Even Hephaestus couldn’t resist their cuteness.

Thus, the butter rice, which was supposed to be a sacred offering, was robbed by the adorable earth spirits.

They stand in a horizontal line facing the altar.

“Evewybodyyyy!”

“THANK YOU VEWY MUCH, GOD!!!”

Good.

What polite and lovely kids. I want Junior to learn from them in the future.

Now, eat up.

“Butter! Butter! Mlem, mlem, mlem, mlem, mlem...!!!”

“Ababababababababa!!!”

What messy eaters...

I don't want Junior to learn from them.

Now, then.

Since the earth spirits claimed dibs on the butter rice balls, let's make cheese rice balls next.

It’s topped with cheese and baked in the oven, so the melted cheese sticks to the surface.

This is the rice ball version of cheese toast.

The texture of the melted cheese will definitely increase your appetite.

“No to cheese.”

“Butter is better.”

Little rascals...!

Well, at least I can offer the cheese rice balls to Hephaestus without worrying about the earth spirits.

Heaven be my witness!

“Y E S.”

The god’s answer was immediate.

He must have been on edge since the butter rice ball.

But there’s more where that came from!

Sausage rice ball, half-boiled egg rice ball, meat roll rice ball, stir-fry rice ball... I have many ideas.

What shall I serve next? 

“Dear, wait!”

My wife Platy appears, opening the door with a loud slam.

“What’s wrong, Platy?”

"My...No, our son also has something to offer to Hephaestus!”

Whaaaaat?!

I see a lump of rice in Junior’s hands as Platy carries him. 

"Did Junior make that rice ball?!”

“Yes, this child also feels gratitude to the god that protects us. In return, he made these rice balls with these tiny hands to give thanks!”

No way!

...Wait, it’s possible.

He’s our son, after all!

"Truly marvelous! Behold, god! Our son is still so young, yet he knows how to show gratitude to a divine being!”

“We offer the very first rice ball our boy made!”

Junior’s rice ball is small and formed poorly that it falls apart, nevertheless, we reverently offer it to the altar.

“God!”

“Goddd!!!”

We bow before the altar, and after a short pause...

“.........Y-Y E S”

Yes! God has approved of Junior's rice ball!

My Junior might be a doctor or a minister in the future if a god recognized him at this age!

“Maybe the god sensed the mood...?”

“For a god, he’s actually vewy nice...”

I can hear the earth spirits mumbling something, but I don't care.

My son is the best in Japan!

No, the best in the world!!!

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Hyakka ryoran=originally means hundreds of flowers blooming in profusion/a gathering of many talents/great achievements, etc