Chapter 124: The Horror of Seiza
Chapter 124: The Horror of Seiza
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「Aah! I did it」
Thanks to the ‘how to use chopsticks’ lesson from the proprietress, Aleutia was able to take a buri sashimi with the chopsticks, despite the chopsticks moving clumsily. Although the chopsticks are shaking, she dips the buri into the soy sauce and brings it to her mouth.
「Ahー, delicious. The fatty meat is rich in flavor.」
Aleutia holds her cheek with an ecstatic expression on her face.
I was eating meat, but when I saw it, it made me want to eat some buri, so I reached out for a buri sashimi with the chopsticks.
The buri sashimi that they currently served has a strong reddish color to it, so it is natural. Certainly, the cultivated one has a high-fat content and a whitish body
Well, aquaculture is much more difficult than I can imagine, so I would be terribly surprised if there is a resulting product from the aquaculture.
I took the buri with the chopsticks, dip it into the soy sauce moderately, then bring it toward my mouth.
It is not too fatty and the characteristic sweetness of buri is delicious. The soy sauce gave a great accent to the natural taste of buri, further complementing the flavor. The more you chew on it, the more the taste spread inside your mouth. I don’t taste any fishy smell from it
.
「……delicious」
As I relish the natural taste of buri sashimi, I decide that I will enjoy it with various things next.
Grabbing a buri once more, I dip it into the soy sauce. Dip the front and the back of the buri, then put it on top of some white rice and eat it as is.
Ahー, the fat of the buri and the somewhat strong taste of the soy sauce went extremely well with the rice. Aquaculture makes them have more fat content, so I feel that it goes well with the rice, but as for me, I prefer a natural taste of a fish with less fat in it.
Perhaps Aleutia also showed an interest when I was deliciously eating the buri with rice, she tried to do the same while her hand moved clumsily.
「What is this! It goes well with rice!」
「Right?」
I smiled at Aleutia who had her eyes opened wide.
「I think it will be even more delicious if you place something like salmon or Dos tuna’s fatty meat on it.」
「Aaah! That’s going to be absolutely delicious!」
Aleutia said that kind of high school girl-like remark when I tried to suggest it.
After that, Aleutia started to happily arrange some salmon and Dos tuna’s fatty meat on a plate. The so-called seafood bowl.
「Uu, this is difficult. The sashimi is escaping.」
Next to Aleutia, who is happily arranging her food, Ilya - who is still not used to use the chopsticks - is teary-eyed.
Perhaps she can’t maintain the proper manner in which she has to hold the chopsticks when she tries to grab the buri sashimi, there are times when the chopsticks are crossing each other, so even if she tried to grab it, it’s as if the food slipped away and escape her.
Well, I think Aleutia is much more dexterous while Ilya is more of a normal type. Even someone with good dexterity will only be able to hold them a bit.
「Aah! I got it! ……aah!」
Ilya finally managed to raise the buri, but then perhaps she was exhausted since the buri smoothly fall from her chopsticks. It dropped to the soy sauce plate and the impact from it scattered the soy sauce.
「Kyaa!? Hey Ilya what are you doing! My face and yukata got covered in soy sauce, see! 」
「I, I’m sorry!」
Aleutia - who was meticulously arranging her seafood bowl beside her - was greatly harmed. Small droplets of soy sauce had splattered her right cheeks and the bottom of her neck.
It's a common disaster with soy sauce. The stains from soy sauce don't come off easily, and it has quite the smell.
Fortunately, I didn’t suffer the same fate because I’m sitting diagonally in front of her.
The soy sauce splattered Tori’s plate in front of her, and I think it also splattered on Irvine who was concentrating on his chopsticks practice beside her, but it doesn’t seem that she realized it.
「I’ll wipe it with the napkin right now, alright!」
「Hey, it got soy sauce on it! Wipe it with a new napkin, will you! Proprietress―! Please bring me two new napkins!」
Ilya used the napkin and tried to wipe the soy sauce splattered on Aleutia’s face and neck, but that napkin had been absorbing plenty of soy sauce already.
Perhaps, she might have been using it to a spilled soy sauce and use it to wipe it from time to time. And from Aleutia’s perspective - whose face was being wiped -, it might look unbearable.
Hearing Aleutia’s voice, the proprietress soon returned with new napkins.
After receiving that, they each start to wipe the scattered soy sauce.
「I’m sorry Toriela-san. Your plate got splattered with a bit of soy sauce, right」
「S’okay. That happens quite often when you start using chopsticks, ‘fter all.」
Tori smiles and forgives her while Ilya apologizes as she looks apologetic.
「But, neither Aleutia nor Alfried-sama’s make any careless mistake………」
「Well, those two are really strange, don’t you think? You wouldn't be able to easily hold the food with the chopsticks at first, you know. Especially Alfried-sama, he’s as dexterous as the people of Kagura who use the chopsticks every day.」
「………certainly, the way Alfried-sama uses the chopsticks is beautiful isn’t it」
Even the proprietress looked in my direction curiously after listening to Tori’s words.
Aleutia doesn’t mind them since she went to work on arranging the seafood bowl once again.
「That’s because it’s thanks to proprietress-san and Sannosuke-san’s neat example.」
「Oh, it’s great I can be of help. And I’m glad that I can properly convey the culture of Kagura.」
For now, let’s silence the proprietress and end this conversation.
I was able to change the conversation to head off toward the proprietress’s explanation and example. That’s great, isn’t it.
For some reason, Tori’s gaze is painful, so I decided to also make a seafood bowl in silence.
Dipping the seafood into the soy sauce puts some rice on it, then arranges it as if to put them on top of each other.
「I did it! It’s an assortment of sashimi!」
Aleutia happily shouts.
On top of Aleutia’s donburi, is Dos tuna red meat, light pink fatty meat, and there are salmon and all manners of sashimi on the buri. Each of them is lined toward the middle of the plate, the carefully stacked arrangement of food looks beautiful.
Aleutia might have a good sense of presentation.
「Ooh! What is that, Aleutia! Is it tasty if you put rice on top of the sashimi!?」
Roomba was the first to react to Aleutia’s seafood bowl. For Roomba, who loves tamago kake gohan, it may be something that he couldn’t miss.
「It’s good you know! Roomba-san should also try it and taste how it’s like!」
Encouraged by Aleutia, Roomba also started to put the sashimi on top of the rice.
It doesn’t feel like Roomba is going to use the chopsticks, he dexterously made the seafood bowl using a fork.
And in the blink of an eye, Roomba instantly wolfed down the arranged sashimi.
Though it’s not an elegant manner of eating, it’s strange that it makes it look more delicious.
「Uooooh! This is good! I can eat plenty of rice with this!」
Though, the sashimi is limited. Maybe we can order for more, huh.
I thought while also enjoying the seafood bowl.
「I’ve been wondering for quite some time but, don’t you feel tired sitting like that, proprietress? 」
Irvine curiously asked the proprietress as I ate up my seafood bowl, simmered dishes, and vegetables.
Because of that, our gaze went to the proprietress who sits conservatively in seiza.
「……you’re right. It looks really compact. How did you sit like that I wonder?」
「It looks like she folded her legs, huh?」
Gingerly, Aleutia and Ilya send their gaze toward the proprietress’s leg.
There is no culture of seiza in Misfrit Kingdom. In general, there are no particular rules on how to sit, such as raising one’s knee or crossing one’s legs. Women basically also sit normally.
Well, people don’t sit on the carpet or tatami mats that often, so the sitting manner in the Kingdom - with the exception being the nobles etiquette - is not that particular.
Even now, the male members are sitting cross-legged while the women are sitting normally.
「This is called seiza. A traditional manner of sitting that has been passed down in Kagura since the old times.」
As if to make it easier for Irvine and the others who were curious about it, the proprietress relaxed her posture and reseat herself.
「Looking at it again, the spine is tightly stretched, and it looks neat isn’t it.」
「That’s true. It also doesn’t take up space so I think that it’s nice.」
Aleutia and Ilya praised, seeing the proprietress’s neat appearance as she sat.
「You can sit like this if there is something like a cushion, a carpet, or tatami mats on the floor. You will not stoop and the burden on your lower back will be light. 」
If there is an advantage, then that’s it.
「I see, that’s such an unusual sitting manner, isn’t it. Should we try it?.」
「That’s right.」
「Shall we try it then?」
「Yes!」
The members of Silver Wind start doing seiza after saying that.
「Ooh, this is nice. It’s also easier to eat!」
「Right. We also look like the proprietress now, aren’t we?」
Irvine and Mort sit in seiza and raise their voice in surprise.
「It feels nice, this way. Do I sit neatly just like the proprietress now?」
「I think you need to stick out your chest a little bit more.」
「Like this!」
Aleutia and Ilya also happily confirm each other’s sitting posture.
Without knowing the terrifying demerit of seiza.
The other members of the Firm around us and Tori are watching them while grinning. I dare say that the members of the Firm might already know about it. That’s probably why everyone didn’t try it.
And only at this time does the proprietress understand and watch them while smiling.
Surprisingly, she seems to be a person who can read the situation.
Incidentally, Roomba immediately went back to sitting cross-legged, maybe because it feels cramped for him.
「Will Alfried-sama also try it?」
Perhaps he saw me beside him sitting not in seiza, Tori openly tries to make me sit in seiza. You won’t deceive me. I know about the biggest demerit of seiza, so I won’t do it, alright?
「No, I’m currently sitting on top of stacked cushions and it feels unstable, so I will refrain from sitting in an unfamiliar way.」
I respond with a sound argument to refuse him.
That’s right, this table is a bit tall for a seven years old kid like me, so I cover it by stacking three cushions.
There’s the possibility of falling over if you sit in a seiza, and it might be difficult to fall safely when you fall over, right?
「Che……, ‘s that so」
He clicked his tongue just now, this guy.
The Silver Wind members who like seiza start eating again while sitting in seiza.
I watched them while directing a gaze of pity to them, and sipping my miso soup as if I had nothing to do with it.
Smirking and watching with a piercing gaze as if something will happen soon, and then a few minutes later, the symptom finally appears.
「……somehow I can feel a tingling in my legs」
「Eh? For some reason, it's like I can’t feel my legs……………?」
Aleutia and Ilya began to slightly move their legs.
While they were exchanging glances wondering about it, a victim appeared.
「Ah, aaaaaaaaaahhhhh!? What is this!? My legs are going numb!?」
Irvine fell over while screaming as if he found it unbearable.
At last, it looks like numb legs due to seiza have appeared. Maybe it’s because it’s their first time, the time when they’re numb is quick.
And then next to him, there was a banging sound, and Mort - who lurched forward - came into sight in front of me.
「What’s this!? Paralysis?………proprietress, could it be that you poisoned our meal!?」
Mort glared at the proprietress while having cold sweat on his forehead.
The surrounding members are laughing because of Mort’s mistaken remark.
Seeing that, Mort and the others looked around strangely.
No, I didn’t think that they would think someone would poison them even though they just experience the numbness from seiza.
Even I have to take my hat off to you.
「……I’m not, alright? The chef and I will not do anything like that.」
When the laughter subsided, the proprietress answered as she grins.
「Then why are our legs so numb!?」
「It’s a phenomenon that often happens to people who are not used to sitting in seiza. And you experience numbness because your nerves and blood vessels are being compressed.」
The members of the Firm are shaking their heads - vertically - as if to agree with the proprietress’ words.
「……then how can you sit like that?」
「But you’re fine, aren’t you?」
Irvine and Mort ask with their eyes wide open as if not believing what she said.
「If you are used to this then this is nothing. And you will not fall over if you change your center of gravity.」
You can relieve the pain by constantly shifting your center of gravity, or coming up with a way to sit in seiza. I don’t like sitting in seiza so I didn’t do it even back in my previous life, but I was sitting in seiza when my mother and sister lectured me. I guess it probably shows that I hate it even more than the scolding.
「Ahh! Ow, ow, it hurts! I can’t reseat myself」
Irvine tried to sit again but then he awkwardly fell over, maybe because his legs are numb and it’s painful.
Then he raises his numb legs toward the ceiling so that they won’t touch the floor. Irvine’s appearance that appears like an overturned insect is really not a nice sight to look at.
「I don’t want to be like Irvine………」
Looking at the shameful sight that is Irvine, Mort remains as he is on the floor.
「This is bad Ilya. If we continue sitting in seiza, at this rate we will also――kyaaa!」
Aleutia tried to stop sitting in seiza, but then――it’s too late. She doesn’t fall into an awkward position like Irvine, but it’s a situation where her legs fell to the side and she can’t move it for even one bit.
「Aleutia! Hyaaa!…… I also can’t move……」
Ilya was worried about Aleutia and tried to move, but then she stopped moving.
Looking at Ilya’s twitching expression, I can guess that she can’t even move already.
The four of them would feel a stinging sensation running through their legs right now. And when your legs are numb you will feel a painful tingle even when you did nothing.
「……oi, Irvine. Stop that overturned insect-like posture. It looks disgusting seeing you like that」
「That’s impossible. If I step on the ground with my foot right now, I would feel a painful tingle as if my legs are being stabbe――aaahh!? Don’t touch me!」
Poked by Mort, Irvine moves his legs noisily while screaming. Really, that leg movement of his is terribly disgusting.
「We are eating now, right? Sit properly, will you? If your blood flow is bad, then should I give you a massage? 」
「I don’t need it! I’ll kick you, alright?」
「If you kick me then your legs will also get damaged, don’t you think?」
「「……………」」
When I look at the two of them glaring at each other, it makes me have a bit of a sadistic thought.
Right now the two of them can not move, so I can freely have my revenge on them, for provoking me as I can’t drink the Kagura sake back there.
As a guy who has decided to do something after considering it, I went beside Malt with the sake bottles lined up on the table.
「What wrong? Alfried-sama? I feel that your nice smile is giving off an eerie atmosphere, though? 」
So rude. Even though I was smiling casually.
「No no, I have been indebted to you you see, so I thought that I would try to pour some sake or something. Oh, I have no grudge from the open-air bath a short while ago, alright? Uh-oh, sorry, I accidentally hit Irvine’s leg.」
「Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?」
When I deliberately hit Irvine’s numb leg with my body, Irvine screamed as if he was writhing in agony.
Then perhaps it’s because I pressed Irvine’s leg, my posture collapsed, and stepped on Mort’s numb leg by mistake.
「Ugyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! De, it’s a demon! There is a demon here!」
「Oh, I’m sorry. Irvine push me with his leg, you see」
This is simply not my fault. This happened because Irvine pushes me with his leg. I never meant to do that.
「……Ilya, let’s settle this peacefully, alright」
「……yeah」
Author note :
It made me want to eat buri sashimi.
Dinner is over.