Isekai Kansha - Chapter 53

Chapter 53: A Turning Point

"Alright, I guess that should do it for now."

Jin’s expression was a little stiffer than usual, and there was a hint of tension in his voice.

In the spacious living-dining area where Jin stood, another large table had been added, attached to the regular dining table. On top were several simple dishes—bowls of fresh vegetable salad, potato salad mixed with homemade mayonnaise, and more. There were also bottles of alcohol, glasses, and small plates neatly arranged.

Yes—today was the day of Jin and his friends’ housewarming party.

"Good evening!"

A bright child’s voice called out from the entrance. Jin quickly went to greet the guests and found Airis standing there with her parents, Orto and Iris.

"Good evening, Airis. You’re early."

Originally, Jin had planned to invite Burke and Aria a little before the party officially started, so they could have some private time to talk first. He hadn’t expected Airis and her family to arrive ahead of them—but it wasn’t a problem. In fact, just seeing Airis’s cheerful smile helped ease Jin’s own nerves.

Smiling, Jin welcomed them and placed a pair of small pink slippers with red ribbon decorations in front of Airis.

"Ehehe, I’ve been looking forward to this!"

She happily slipped them on, already familiar with the house—it was her second visit, after all. The slippers were specially made for her: Jin had sewn the red ribbons onto a pair of children’s slippers himself.

"I’m sorry. She wouldn’t take no for an answer," Orto said apologetically.

"Not at all. We’re just about done with preparations, so it’s no trouble," Jin replied with an easy smile.

Then he picked up Airis—who was eagerly climbing up his leg—and, holding her as she laughed with delight, led her parents further inside.

While Orto and Iris relaxed on the sofa in the living room and Rachel brought them tea, Jin played with Airis for a bit. Before long, another voice came from the entrance. A few minutes later, Erza led in the Burke family.

"Thanks for inviting us, Jin." 

Burke said, though his face clearly showed how nervous he was. Jin could easily understand that feeling, but for now, he decided to introduce Burke’s family to Orto’s and let them get to know each other. Since they were the only two families with children at the party, it was also the perfect opportunity for their kids to meet.

After introducing Burke to Orto and Iris, Jin called the children over.

"It’s been a while, Nils. Here, Airis—go ahead and introduce yourself."

"Okay! I’m Airis, and I’m four!"

"I’m Nils, six years old. Nice to meet you, Airis-chan!"

"Well done, both of you," Jin said, patting their heads.

The two kids squinted and giggled, ticklish from his touch.

Thanks to their shared connection with Jin, they became fast friends. Airis was happy to have someone her age to talk to, and Nils, feeling like an older brother, earnestly kept up with her excited chatter.

Their parents, meanwhile, exchanged introductions and started chatting comfortably. Even Burke seemed to relax a little.

At that point, Jin quietly excused himself from Orto and Iris and called Burke and his wife over to a more private corner.

"Like we discussed earlier, I’ll make sure you can talk with Aria-san before dinner starts. Sound good?"

"…Yeah. I’m counting on you."

Burke said firmly, his voice filled with determination.

"It’ll be fine. You have my word." 

Jin said, hiding his own nerves as he spoke reassuringly.

"Thank you, Jin-san. I’ll make sure to talk to her properly," Beth added.

Though she was nervous like her husband, her tone carried the same quiet resolve.

"Alright, once everything’s ready, I’ll come get you. Until then, please relax here."

With that, Jin guided the two of them back to the sofa, offering them tea that Rachel had prepared as they waited. They didn’t have to wait long—the person they were waiting for soon arrived.

"Good evening, Jin-san. Thank you for inviting me."

"Good evening, Aria-san. I’ve been expecting you."

Jin greeted Aria with a firm tone, a hint of tension showing, but it was the kind born from anticipation. Instead of taking her to the living room, Jin led her to the guest room on the other side of the house.

"Burke-san and his wife are already here. I’ll go call them over right away."

After seating Aria in one of the chairs, Jin was about to leave the room when he noticed something—her hands, folded neatly in her lap, were trembling slightly.

"Aria-san," he called softly.

He crouched down in front of her and placed his hands gently over hers. She looked startled, unsure what to do.

"It’s alright. Everything’s going to go well. You and Burke-san and the others both feel the same way about this. Trust me."

Jin spoke steadily, looking her straight in the eyes. Whatever she felt from his words, the trembling in her hands slowly stopped.

This time for real, Jin left the room and returned shortly after, leading Burke and Beth back with him.

"Aria-san, we’re coming in." 

Jin said as he knocked lightly before opening the door.

Aria stood up from her chair and faced them. Burke hesitated at the doorway for a moment, but soon gave himself a mental push and stepped inside, with Beth following behind. Jin alone stayed outside.

"Then, I’ll leave you three to talk." 

He said as he started to close the door.

"Jin." 

Burke called out, stopping him mid-motion. Through the small gap in the door, Burke met Jin’s gaze and said,

"Thank you. We’ll be fine now."

When Jin saw the smile on Burke’s face, he knew—this talk would go well.

"Alright." 

Jin replied with a smile, giving them all a firm nod before closing the door.

---

While Aria, Burke, and Beth were talking, more and more guests began to arrive. Jin, along with Erza and Rachel, split up to greet everyone, serve tea, and prepare the food.

In the oven, spare ribs marinated in a sweet and savory soy glaze were roasting, filling the room with a mouthwatering aroma. On the stove, peeled shrimp were being sautéed with minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Two large pizzas—one with homemade tomato ketchup sauce, the other with mayonnaise—were laid out on the counter, ready to be baked next after the ribs came out. Jin had made plenty of both sauces ahead of time and stored them in his Item Bag.

All the dishes were ones he’d cooked at least once before for dinner, and Erza and Rachel had already given their seal of approval. Though he was busy, Jin wore a bright, content smile as he cooked.

In the past, he’d always had to watch his calorie intake, limiting things like oil and sugar. Now, being able to use normal amounts made the flavors so much better. He didn’t have to obsess over every bite anymore, just avoid overeating, and that alone made him happy. Something so ordinary for most people felt special to him.

Of course, he knew his cooking wasn’t on par with a professional chef’s, but hearing Erza and Rachel say his food was delicious still made him feel proud. Hoping everyone would enjoy the meal, Jin continued preparing the dishes with a cheerful heart.

"Jin, everyone’s here now," Erza called.

When Jin turned around, he saw Burke, Aria, and the others chatting with Greg and Gantz, all smiling. Aria wasn’t exactly grinning, but there was a warmth in her expression that reassured Jin everything had gone well.

Tonight’s party had a total of 14 invited guests, including children:

• Greg and Melinda, plus three of Aria’s guild colleagues.

• Rachel’s grandfather, the temple head Clark, and Erza’s aunt, the bowmaker Seema.

• Orto from the Galdin Trading Company, his wife Iris, and their daughter Airis.

• The soldier Burke, his wife Beth, and their son Nils.

• Jin’s mentor in alchemy, Bean, his wife Maggie, and the blacksmith Gantz.

That made 14 guests, plus Jin and his household—17 people in total.

Jin had also wanted to invite Dan and the other members of his old cohort, as well as Gain and the rest of Seekers of the Wind, but considering the space and their schedules, he decided to wait for another opportunity.

"Alright then, Erza, could you show everyone to their seats? I’ll join you in just a moment."

As Jin said that, he transferred the sautéed shrimp onto a serving plate, sprinkled some grated cheese over the top, and secretly gave it a quick sear using a small Fire spell to finish it off.

He placed the completed dish on the table, then joined the others at their seats. Once everyone had a drink in hand, Jin stood up to address the group.

"Everyone, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here tonight. We wanted to express our gratitude to all of you for everything you’ve done for us, so we’ve prepared this small feast. It’s nothing fancy, but please enjoy the food and drinks from the bottom of our hearts."

After speaking, Jin lifted his glass and looked around at everyone.

"Cheers!"

""""Cheers!""""

Following Jin, everyone chanted in unison and raised their glasses.

"Alright then, let’s eat!"

"Itadakimasu!"

"Itadakimaaasu!"

After the toast, those who were used to saying a phrase before eating cheerfully said, "Itadakimasu," while those unfamiliar with it looked puzzled. Then, as usual, the ones who knew explained the meaning — a pattern that had repeated many times before.

"That’s a lovely thing to say," murmured Erza’s aunt, Seema, with a thoughtful smile.

"Yes, really," Iris agreed.

"It would make anyone happy to hear that," added Maggie, Bean’s wife, nodding along with them.

"I suppose this is something we all need to reflect on," Orto said, scratching his head.

"Indeed. Still, it’s a wonderful custom," Bean replied with a wry smile.

Clark, the temple head, chimed in thoughtfully, 

"Funny—I feel like I’ve heard something similar before. But expressing gratitude not only to the gods, but also to the life that became the food, and to the one who prepared it… That’s a beautiful way of thinking."

Rachel beamed as she served him some salad. 

"Hehehe, right?"

"Hehehe, I never thought I’d see the day Erza would do something like that."

"I’ve grown a little, you know."

Melinda chuckled as she watched Erza serving salad, and Erza replied, looking a bit embarrassed. Her aunt Seema also laughed in agreement.

Greg and Gantz were pouring drinks for Burke, while Beth chatted happily with Aria. Nils had already started eating his salad with soy sauce dressing, whereas Airis just glared at the one sitting in front of her.

"Come on, Airis. Try it with some mayonnaise — it’s really good, I promise."

Jin moved next to Airis, who was sitting in a child’s chair, and offered her his secret weapon for conquering a dislike of vegetables: mayonnaise. He drizzled a bit of dressing and mayo over the salad, scooped up a small bite of potato salad and vegetables with a spoon, and held it up to her mouth. He’d made sure not to use any bitter vegetables this time, hoping it’d be easier for her to eat.

"Alright, Airis, open wide—"

Jin smiled warmly at her, saying it would taste good. Bracing herself, Airis squeezed her eyes shut and opened her mouth, and Jin quickly fed her the bite.

"…It’s not bitter."

Airis murmured in surprise after tasting the salad, realizing there was no bitterness at all. The rich flavor and oil in the mayonnaise had coated the vegetables, masking any harsh taste.

"See? Tasty, right?"

"Yep… It’s tasty."

Catching her off guard with a taste she didn’t expect, Jin gently steered Airis’s feelings toward thinking it was delicious — and managed to pull it off, at least for now.

"Hehe. You’re going to start loving vegetables more and more from now on, Airis."

Jin said that with a smile as he gently patted Airis’s head, narrowing his eyes in satisfaction as she reached for the salad with her spoon on her own. Just getting rid of her preconception that all vegetables were bitter was already a big win.

"This mayonnaise sauce… I think I’ve tasted something similar once at a restaurant in the royal capital. It’s delicious," said Airis’s mother, Iris, watching her daughter happily eat her vegetables.

"Oh, that’s right. If I remember, they called it a secret sauce—never seen it served anywhere else."

"I see. It’s not actually hard to make, but it probably hasn’t spread because hygiene control is important." 

Jin replied with a wry smile to Orto's comment.

He’d never planned on making mayonnaise a business venture anyway, and hearing that it was considered a "secret recipe" made him even more resolved to just keep it as a private treat for their group.

Naturally, both the mayonnaise and the dressing were homemade by Jin. The dressing was simple — soy sauce he bought from Elan’s shop, mixed with oil and vinegar, and shaken well. The mayonnaise, too, was just egg yolk, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and a touch of sugar, all thoroughly mixed together. There were a few tricks with the mixing order and temperature, but nothing particularly difficult.

He had hesitated at first because of concerns about egg safety, but the existence of Purification Magic solved that problem. It was a basic healing spell that Rachel had learned — much like Smithing Magic or Nature Magic, it didn’t require written magic script.

According to Rachel, it was "a spell that removes impurity before healing," but in practice, it seemed to neutralize harmful bacteria or toxins. Judging that it would work, Jin had Rachel cast it on a large batch of eggs. Just to be safe, he also used Appraisal afterward, confirming that everything was perfectly fine.

After that, Jin continued to bring out more dishes, spare ribs, pizza, and more, and everyone ate and drank happily. The soy sauce he used in the dressings and marinades wasn’t a common ingredient in this region, but since it wasn’t served as-is, people found the flavors interesting and delicious, much to Jin’s relief.

Seeing Jin handle almost all the cooking, some of the women offered to help, but since he couldn’t let them see him using his Item Bag, he only asked them to help with serving. Despite moving around so much, Jin didn’t feel burdened at all — he was enjoying both the food and the conversations.

Any lingering awkwardness between Aria and Burke’s group was gone, and Greg and Gantz looked pleased. The housewives, led by Seema, happily vented their daily frustrations together, while their husbands exchanged weary smiles and drinks. Clark and Melinda looked on with content smiles, and Erza and Rachel, while helping Jin here and there, were deepening their bonds with others. On the sofa, Nils was reading one of Jin’s newly bought picture books aloud to Airis.

As Jin looked around the room, his gaze met Aria’s. She smiled warmly at him; it was a genuine, gentle smile.

At that moment, Jin felt an overwhelming sense of fulfillment and happiness. The people he’d met after coming to this world—all these important friends—were here, laughing and enjoying themselves together. For him, nothing could be more precious.

There aren’t that many things in life that are truly "ordinary."

Meeting these people wasn’t ordinary. Becoming close to them wasn’t ordinary. And the fact that everyone could be here, smiling together, wasn’t ordinary either.

All of it was the result of small miracles—and the rest, their own choices and actions.

I’m happy we met.

I’m happy we became friends.

I’m happy we can laugh together like this.

Those things aren’t to be taken for granted — they’re irreplaceable treasures born from everyone’s will to connect.

And that’s why Jin, too, would keep smiling and living each day with gratitude in his heart.

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