Chapter 11
TL Note:
Tonjiru/Butajiru = Pork Soup
Butashabu = shabu-shabu using pork (buta = pig)
Butadon = Pork and veggies on rice
Dashi = Japanese soup stock
Kombu = Kelp eaten in Japan and other East Asian countries
Changes in terms:
Side Dish Store -> Fine Dish Store (or would you guys prefer Delicatessen?)
Fictional Ingredients:
Jija = Ginger
Ramon = Lemon (I think; if someone could double check it, that'd be great.)
Regarding the Queue:
I'm aware I still have that free extra chapter I mentioned for this series. I'll post it when I have the time, school's a bit busy right now, so I might post it sometime nearing November or something.
P.S. I kept typoing Kurana as Kurama this chapter. haha
Edit:
2015/10/04: fixed a name error pointed out by Inuzuka
2015/10/04: fixed a duplicate word pointed out by Mantius
Volume 3 Chapter 11
The next day.
Pioro-san gave me some miso and soy sauce in the morning. Afterwards I thanked him, and I threw the lot into my ‘Item Box’.
Then I went to the guild to submit the fang of the smash boar and the herbs I gathered yesterday. And immediately, I was able to receive the compensation for both. Looks like the male employee had properly informed them just as he said he would.
I went out of the way to make it look like a coincidence, even going as far as to equip the wrong equipment, but apparently it wasn’t necessary… Then again, I’m just saying that because of how things turned out. Normally it wouldn’t have been strange if they pursued the matter a bit, but I did save Ken-san and the others, so let’s just consider it a good thing that they’re not pursuing the issue.
While I was thinking that, the employee in charge came back with the compensation, and along with it, a word of gratitude. Apparently he’s a friend of those three yesterday. Taking the opportunity, I asked about what happened to the two adventurers, and apparently they’ve already been caught.
From what I’m told they were overheard at the bar by some guild employees who were there drinking after work. Those employees informed the guild, and the two adventurers were quickly apprehended. After that, the investigation found out that they were in fact guilty, and that their guild cards were masked. Being guilty of other crimes, the guild decided to excommunicate them. And having committed the crime of masking their guild card, they will be serving over five years of forced labor in the mines, or work indefinitely as a slave.
When I heard about masking the guild card, I asked about whether something like that was really possible. And apparently it is possible to remove the punishments and information written on one’s card, however it takes a special magic tool to do it, so a normal adventurer can’t do it. Of course, the employee couldn’t talk about how to aquire the means to mask one’s card, so I wasn’t able to get any more information other than that. Not that I want to mask my guild card or anything, but I should be careful.
After I thanked the employee for the reward, I left the guild. Now, what should I do? I’ve already finished everything that I needed to do here.
While I thought what to do from here on out, I walked to Pioro-san’s store. There, I was informed that Pioro-san was looking for me, and was brought to Pioro-san’s office. At Pioro-san’s office, I drank the tea I was served while I listened to Pioro-san.
“Ryouma, would ya happen ta know any good dish with the smash boar’s meat, miso and soy sauce as ingredients?” [Pioro]
“Dish, you say?” [Ryouma]
If you’re talking about Japanese cuisine, then there’s Tonjiru, Butashabu, Butadon, and pork fried with ginger.
“Well… I do know a few.” [Ryouma]
“Could I have ya teach me? I mean don’t get me wrong, fried fish and miso soup’s plenty delicious, but it gets pretty tiring after a while, ya know? So I’ve always been thinkin’ that I could sell miso and soy sauce more if there were more way ta use it.” [Pioro]
So that’s what it was. Well, it’ll be convenient for me too if I could get Japanese food easier, so I guess I could teach him.
“Then how about some Por- I mean, how about some Smash Boar Fried with Jija?” [Ryouma]
There’s pork, there’s soy sauce, and there’s even mirin. And I can get the ginger from a chemist! With this I won’t be making the ginger-tasting meat I’ve been eating this past three years… but the real, unadulterated, one true pork fried with ginger dish!
“Ah, if ya don’t mind, could I have ya cook this fried jija of yours? Ya can use as much of our ingredients as ya want.” [Pioro]
“Is that ok?” [Ryouma]
“Of course, of course… after all, we’re benefitting a lot from ya teaching us a new dish.” [Pioro]
Like this it was decided that I’ll be cooking lunch. But what surprised me was that Kurana-san and Miyabi-san will apparently also be cooking alongside me. “I thought I’d be teaching some servants,” I said, to which to they laughed and said this,
“From time ta time, mom would drill in ta me how cooking is a woman’s taste. So yeah… and besides it’s not like I hate cooking or anythin’, and it’s not cool for the daughter of a company that sells food ta suck at cookin’ either.” [Miyabi]
“I’m looking forward ta Ryouma-han’s skill and that new dish of yours.” [Kurana]
Under the scrutiny of the two, I took the tools and ingredients that were prepared beforehand, and I began to cook.
First, comes grinding the rice and cooking it. Though, to be honest, I’ve never really gotten the opportunity to do this with a kilt back in my previous life.
To be eaten with the pork fried with ginger is Tonjiru, so I need to make that too to serve as a complement for the main dish. Then comes the dashi which I made from seaweed that’s similar to Kombu and small fish. And for garnish are onions, great burdocks, mushrooms, and other various vegetables on smash boar meat. Ever since entering the towns, I’ve come to realize just how many vegetables being sold are similar to the ones in Earth, both in name and taste. It’s highly possible that this too is a result of the otherworlders' influence.
While making the Tonjiru, Miyabi-san took charge of watching over the rice. And after I finished making the Tonjiru, I got a pot from my ‘Item Box’ and filled it with the excess Dashi. Then I added soy sauce, mirin, and vinegar into it. When Kurana-san saw that, she walked over and asked me a question.
“Ryouma-han, what is that?” [Kurana]
“It’s seasoning made from soy sauce, mirin, dashi, and vinegar. If you leave it for a few days, the sour taste will mellow out, and it’ll become quite delicious. And if you add the juice of Ramon to it, it’ll become even more delicious. It can be used as dressing for salads, as well as seasoning for meat or fish.” [Ryouma]
“Ta think was somethin’ like that…” [Kurana]
Said Kurana-san as she looked into the pot. Not long after though, she immediately went back to the Tonjiru
After a while, the Tonjiru was almost ready… so I guess I should start working on the pork fried with ginger now.
I cut the smash boar’s meat into thin slices, and then fried it on a frying pan. During that time, I grated some jija, and mixed it with an appropriate amount of soy sauce and mirin, mixing it into a sauce.
Adding that to the fried pork, and after a little mixing, the fired pork with ginger was done! It’s simple and easy to make, but it’s definitely delicious.
The pork fried with ginger can be made in many ways like marinating it with the sauce instead of doing what I did, but this is the method I prefer the most. After all, fast and delicious is the way to go.
Then for garnish, I cut some cabbage into thin strips, and then cut a tomato with a strange size that’s bigger than a cherry tomato but smaller than a normal one into four pieces. Good. Next is the rice which should be finished around now…
As I was about to go over to the rice, I noticed a man with black hair at the corner of my eyes.
“Pioro-san? Since when have you been there?” [Ryouma]
Pioro-san came out from the shadow of the kitchen’s entrance. It was quite awkward.
“Ah~, well the thing is, something delicious found its way ta my nose, and before I knew it I found myself here.” [Pioro]
Ahh, of course. I mean with the rice’s scent and the pork fried with ginger being cooked, anyone’s appetite would be whetted, right?
“Dad, that’s bad manners, ya know? If ya wanna watch, then just go in.” [Miyabi]
I gave a sidelong glance to the dad that was being rebuked by his own daughter, and prepared the dishes for us four to eat.
“It’s done.” [Ryouma]
“Oh? Really? Then let’s eat already.” [Pioro]
The servants brought the food into the dining room, and we took our seats.
“Please, enjoy the Smash Boar Fried with Jija Set Meal.” [Ryouma]
“It really looks good. Itadakimasu.” [Miyabi]
Said Miyabi-san as she nimbly used the chopsticks and quickly put the pork fried with ginger in her mouth. Then in the next moment, her ears tensed, and with her eyes wide open, she said,
“Delicious! This is really, really, delicious!” [Miyabi]
“Oh wow, it’s true. I thought it’d be delicious watching you make it, but looks like the real thing’s even more delicious.” [Kurana]
“This fried jija is also good, but what was this soup called? Tonjiru? Well, it’s also delicious. And not only is it good, but since it has so much vegetables, it’s also good for the body. If this kind of dish were to be widespread, then soy sauce and miso will definitely start to sell!” [Pioro]
Looks like they like it. Well, I’m happy they’re enjoying it. I know Pioro-san’s also somewhat thinking from a merchant’s standpoint, but it looks like he's really enjoying it.
I tasted the dish I made while I explained it to them. And after eating, Pioro-san announced that the pork fried with ginger that he likes so much, will be added to the Fine Foods Store from evening onwards. And just as he had announced, the pork fried with ginger was there, recommended in one corner of the Fine Foods Store. He sure works fast…
The next day.
After having breakfast, I was about to go to my store, when a carriage stopped in front of the Saionji Firm.
Hmm? The things loaded on its roof rack are…
“Karla-san!” [Ryouma]
“Eh… Boss!” [Karla]
The one who responded to my voice was Karla-san. Apparently, because she had her back turned and was ordering other people, she wasn’t able to notice me.
“So you’ve arrived. Well done, you must be tired from your journey.” [Ryouma]
“Sorry for making you wait, boss. By the way, where’s the store?” [Karla]
“It’s that building over there that’s separated by the road.” [Ryouma]
I said, pointing to the store’s location. In response, Karla-san gave orders to some people I don’t know, and made them go to the store. Those guys are probably new employees. Afterwards, I brought Karla-san, Caulkins-san and the others with me, and dropped by Pioro-san’s place to say hi. Finally, the store's getting started.
Four days after.
It took us two days to settle the details regarding the store, and after reviewing the work to be done, we opened on the third day. Interestingly enough, the work actually went smooth for a first day. But apparently, it’s because they had given the new employees a crash course while travelling.
This new store has five new employees. One is exclusively for cooking, and the other four are clerks and at the same time bouncers. These four are apparently C Rank adventurers. When I asked why they decided to join the store, they said it’s because they’ve started to see their limits as adventurers. Moreover, when they happened to meet a magical beast outside, they even lost two of their friends.
During that time, they just ran away and were only able to survive because of luck and because their two friends who died frantically tried to get the magical beast’s attention when they realized they wouldn’t make it anymore.
Having been able to survive, they ran to the guild, submitted information about that beast, and had it subjugated. And as luck would have it, there was an A Rank party in that town, allowing the quick subjugation of the magical beast. In order to settle their feelings, they went to take a look at the place where the killer of their friends had died. But then they found out at the guild there that it was apparently a B Rank magical beast.
A magical beast that they couldn’t fight against at all was only one rank above them. Moreover, it was easily hunted by a party of adventurers. After finding that out, they just gave up on becoming B Rank adventurers up. To begin with, even C Rank requests alone are already sufficient enough to make money. So they just did those while saving money. And at the same time, they looked for a workplace they could settle down with. It was then that they heard about my store.
Although these guys can’t fight B Rank monsters, their strength is more than enough for handling ruffians. So there shouldn’t be any problem with them working as bouncers.
Moreover, they also asked whether I was an adventurer or not. And then when they found out that I was, they told me of their experiences, and warned me to prioritize my safety above all else. They’re good people. So I’m sure they’ll get along just fine with other employees.
Incidentally, just a few days ago when the store had just opened, Ken-san and his group came over. There were barely any customers at the time, so taking the opportunity, I serviced them to get them as regular customers. I also explained to them how the store works, and also introduced to them the employees. But somehow they ended up talking about the case a few days ago regarding the smash boars, and Ken-san’s story tugged at the heartstrings of the four employees, leading to them talking about various things, and the four giving advice to ken-san and his group. Actually, that talk about the employees being retired adventurers is something I only found out when I introduced them to Ken-san.
In any case, with nothing left for me to do, I left the branch store in Renauph to Karla-san, and went back to the town of Gimel.
Right now, Pioro-san and Karla-san along with the others are sending me off at the gate.
“Ryouma, do your best, ok? Because from now on’s a match! A match of whoever can multiply his store the fastest!” [Pioro]
“Please take care.” [Kurana]
“Boss, please rest assured and leave all the work here to us.” [Robelia]
“We’ll learn how to manage a store as soon as possible, boss!” [Tony]
“Don’t worry, and just leave things to us. Wasting money like what had happened before won’t happen anymore, and I’ll definitely show you a prospering store!!” [Caulkins]
“Boss, please take care of your body.” [Karla]
“You too, take care of yourself, alright?” [Ryouma]
“Ryouma-han, it’s no good to push yourself too hard, ya know? I don’t know when we’ll get ta meet again, but don’t die, ok?” [Miyabi]
“Of course, I won’t die just yet.” [Ryouma]
After all, I still have my grandparents’ inheritance, their research, the matter regarding the slimes, and my promise with Elia. Oh, speaking of which, Miyabi-san’s going to the Imperial Capital’s Academy in half a year, right? Then in that case she might meet up with Elia.
Elia did say she didn’t have friends, and Miyabi-san is going there to meet with nobles, so…
“Oh right, Miyabi-san.” [Ryouma]
“Yeah?” [Miyabi]
“You’ll be going to the academy at the Imperial Capital this year, right?” [Ryouma]
“Yep, what about it?” [Miyabi]
“Then in that case, I have a request.” [Ryouma]
“What is it? If it’s something I can do, then go ahead.” [Miyabi]
“There’s a girl who will be enrolling this year named Elialia. If you could, please be good friends with her. She’s a good kid, and she’s also a noble. And also please tell her, “Do your best!” for me.” [Ryouma]
“Well we can’t have such a nice kid getcaught up with some no good bunch now, can we?” [Miyabi]
“Thank you very much. Miyabi-san, please do your best.” [Ryouma]
“Of course. You do your best to, ok?” [Miyabi]
I bowed my head to everyone who came to see me off, and I went on my way back to Gimuru.