Chapter 83
Han’s a.s.signment (Part 1)Hans folded his arms as he stared at the chopping board .
He had been thinking in this posture for a while now . Inside his head, he had been thinking about the crisp yet slightly bitter taste of ‘Toriaezu Nama’ .
Taisho had a.s.signed a task to Hans who had happily reconciled with his father, Lorentz, the other day .
Hans was tasked with thinking of a new dish to add to the menu .
He was still not in a position to make something that could be served at the shop, but being tasked with thinking up something new for the menu was significant progress . Taisho had at least this level of expectation for him .
The topic was “something to pair with Toriaezu Nama . ”
Although there was no time limit, he wanted to complete his task as soon as possible .
That was why he had recently been staying after Izakaya n.o.bu’s business hours everyday and thinking with his arms folded .
「Did you come up with any good ideas?」
Leontaine stroked the ice floating in her Taketsuru pure malt with her finger, and a pleasant clinking sound could be heard from the gla.s.s . Recently, she had started entertaining herself with the other liquors in n.o.bu . Leontaine seemed to enjoy them very much, to the point of exclusively having Taketsuru or Tantakatan as drinking companions every night .
(TL note: Taketsuru and Tantakatan are liquor names . )
「None . 」
「You can’t possibly have nothing . You’ve been standing there for days . 」
「I want to make something that is completely new . 」
「There you go again, aiming high as usual . 」
It went without saying that making a whole new dish required a lot of thought .
Every dish in Izakaya n.o.bu was delicious and refined . In order for a dish to be added to the menu, it had to be something new .
Hans wouldn’t be making full use of this hard-earned opportunity that had been given to him if he just imitated Taisho’s dish and added his own spin to it . Above all, Hans himself wouldn’t agree to it .
「How about you at least decide on the ingredients first? How many of them do you think will go well with ‘Toriaezu Nama’?」
「I’d like to try using pork . 」
Pork was a widely popular ingredient in Aitheria, but it was surprisingly uncommon in Izakaya n.o.bu . It was used for tonkatsu, kus.h.i.+katsu, and braised pork, but it wasn’t used as much as chicken was .
The pigs that had been released to graze in Branton’s forest had fed on a twin diet of acorns and fruits from the medicinal dwarf chestnut tree, and they were currently lined up in the markets . He wanted to make something with one of those pigs .
「Pork, huh . It would go well with ‘Toriaezu Nama’ even if it’s stewed, grilled, or deep-fried . I think that’s a good choice . 」
「The question is how to cook it . 」
Leontaine was able to quickly a.s.sess that it would pair well with ‘Toriaezu Nama’, whether it was stewed, grilled, or deep-fried – which meant that those kinds of dishes already existed .
There was no meaning in Hans coming up with a dish that wasn’t available in Izakaya n.o.bu, if it was already being served in other shops in Aitheria .
Now then, how to proceed?
He took the pork out of the refrigerator and put it in front of him . Since pork absolutely couldn’t be eaten raw, it was necessary to cook it .
Was there anything he could do besides stewing, grilling, or deep-frying? He thought about it while staring at the pork from various angles when, suddenly, there was a rapping sound on n.o.bu’s gla.s.s doors .
He spontaneously exchanged looks with Leontaine .
The sign curtain had been put away a long time ago, and Taisho was watching his detective dramas upstairs . If s.h.i.+n.o.bu had forgotten something behind, she would come through the back door, and Eva wouldn’t come at this hour .
Was it a thief?
Leontaine already had a broom in hand . She took a stance while facing the door . It was a graceful stance that one wouldn’t think could come from a veteran mercenary .
Hans nodded to Leontaine and lowered his own posture before placing his hand on the gla.s.s sliding door .
He adjusted his breathing and pulled it open in one go .
He adjusted his breathing and pulled it open in one go .
「Who’s there?!」
「Uhyaa!」
The visitor yelped in response to Leontaine’s question and fell on their bottom .
Hans recognised that face . Rather, he saw that face every day .
「Big brother…?」
Hans’ elder brother, Hugo, was sitting on his bottom on the miserable, snowy ground of Inns & Stable street .
「Hans, aren’t you finished with work at this time?」
「That’s true . Hasn’t the sign curtain already been put away?」
「It was still bright inside, and I was hungry, so I thought of…」
For now, Hans let Hugo into the shop and lit the stove in response to his brother saying that with upturned eyes . He brought the soup in the “yukiharanabe” to a boil and tossed cold rice into it .
Since Hugo had come after business hours, he was not a customer . It wouldn’t be a problem if Has was the one who served him something .
The injury on his finger had already healed .
(TL note: yukihira nabe is an aluminium hammered pot, commonly used in j.a.pan . )
「You should come earlier next time . 」
「Sure . I will do so if possible . But I’ve been busy lately . 」
It seemed the work that had been contracted by Thomas from the church was surprisingly difficult . Hugo and Han’s father, Lorentz, were the foremost gla.s.s smithing specialists in Aitheria, but it seemed that polis.h.i.+ng it to the thickness specified by the customer was not an easy task . Apparently Hugo and two other people had been a.s.signed to concentrate solely on this task now .
It seemed the work that had been contracted by Thomas from the church was surprisingly difficult . Hugo and Han’s father, Lorentz, were the foremost gla.s.s smithing specialists in Aitheria, but it seemed that polis.h.i.+ng it to the thickness specified by the customer was not an easy task . Apparently Hugo and two other people had been a.s.signed to concentrate solely on this task now .
Leontaine grinned widely when she saw that they were able to chat with each other normally .
「You two are close, aren’t you? It’s the first time I’ve seen Hans open up so much . 」
「Is that so?」
They had not realized it themselves, but perhaps they had been building a wall between them somehow .
From an early age, they had lived as travellers .
Even though they could make friends in places where they didn’t understand the language, in the end, it was his brother Hugo who became his best friend . Therefore, Hans still had a close relations.h.i.+p with his elder brother, even at this age .
Hans cracked an egg into the pot, resulting in an egg porridge . He figured something light would be better for his elder brother, who had digestion problems .
「Here, enjoy . 」
「Thanks . 」
Hans looked at his elder brother’s face as he slurped up the porridge deliciously, and he was reminded of the times when they had travelled to the west . Hans’s mother had already been gone by then, so it was a trip with only the two brothers and Lorentz .
If he remembered correctly, it had been a trip to meet their uncle .
They had ridden on horseback for days, through a meadow that was as vast as the eye could see . They had been with a trade company, travelling with caravans that were on their way to buy pepper, but Hans and his brother had been the only children around .
Even now, he still remembered the delicioud mutton they had eaten under the starry sky, in the middle of a plain that stretched to the horizon in all directions .
After finis.h.i.+ng the porridge had filled Hugo up, his facial expression relaxed . After introducing himself to Leontaine, whom he was meeting for the first time, he spontaneously started chatting with Hans .
「Hans, you have been coming back home late recently . Is something the matter?」
「Yeah, I can’t think of a new item for the menu . 」
As Hans mentioned that he was going to use pork, Hugo picked up his wooden spoon with a thoughtful expression . He didn’t stir at all .
This was an old habit of Hugo’s to become like this when he started to think .
As Hans mentioned that he was going to use pork, Hugo picked up his wooden spoon with a thoughtful expression . He didn’t stir at all .
This was an old habit of Hugo’s to become like this when he started to think .
「Looks like it’s going to take a while before we can return home…」
「What do you mean?」
「Ah, this will take a long time once it starts . 」
Hans was proud of his elder brother, who could do anything skillfully, but this was the only downside . When Hugo focused on something, he would ignore his surroundings . He wouldn’t respond even if someone yelled at him .
Hans gave up on him returning home, so he went to try some things out . What if he tried slicing the pork in a different way? When he sliced the smoked squid that Berthold brought, it changed the texture completely . Maybe doing the same to the pork would be interesting .
Leontaine had also planned to stay for a while long, so she poured another gla.s.s of Taketsuru on the rocks .
Time slowly and quietly pa.s.sed .
Since snow had not fallen today, a dog’s howl could be heard in the distance .
「How about…ground meat?」
Hugo returned to himself sooner than they had expected . Hans had been prepared to stay up until morning, so he was a little thankful for that .
「Ground meat? To make sausage?」
「No, no . Do you remember, Hans? The wrapped, boiled lamb . 」
「Ah, pelmeni!」
Han s a.s.signment Part 1 Hans folded his arms as he stared at the chopping board . He had been thinking in this posture for a while now . Inside his head, he had been thinking about the crisp yet slightly bitter taste of Toriaezu Nama . Taisho had a.s.signed a task to Hans who had happily reconciled with his father, Lorentz, the other day . Hans was tasked with thinking of a new dish to add to the menu . He was still not in a position to make something that could be served at the shop, but being tasked with thinking up something new for the menu was significant progress . Taisho had at least this level of expectation for him . The topic was something to pair with Toriaezu Nama . Although there was no time limit, he wanted to complete his task as soon as possible . That was why he had recently been staying after Izakaya n.o.bu s business hours everyday and thinking with his arms folded . Did you come up with any good ideas Leontaine stroked the ice floating in her Taketsuru pure malt with her finger, and a pleasant clinking sound could be heard from the gla.s.s . Recently, she had started entertaining herself with the other liquors in n.o.bu . Leontaine seemed to enjoy them very much, to the point of exclusively having Taketsuru or Tantakatan as drinking companions every night . TL note Taketsuru and Tantakatan are liquor names . None . You can t possibly have nothing . You ve been standing there for days . I want to make something that is completely new . There you go again, aiming high as usual . It went without saying that making a whole new dish required a lot of thought . Every dish in Izakaya n.o.bu was delicious and refined . In order for a dish to be added to the menu, it had to be something new . Hans wouldn t be making full use of this hard earned opportunity that had been given to him if he just imitated Taisho s dish and added his own spin to it . Above all, Hans himself wouldn t agree to it . How about you at least decide on the ingredients first How many of them do you think will go well with Toriaezu Nama I d like to try using pork . Pork was a widely popular ingredient in Aitheria, but it was surprisingly uncommon in Izakaya n.o.bu . It was used for tonkatsu, kus.h.i.+katsu, and braised pork, but it wasn t used as much as chicken was . The pigs that had been released to graze in Branton s forest had fed on a twin diet of acorns and fruits from the medicinal dwarf chestnut tree, and they were currently lined up in the markets . He wanted to make something with one of those pigs . Pork, huh . It would go well with Toriaezu Nama even if it s stewed, grilled, or deep fried . I think that s a good choice . The question is how to cook it . Leontaine was able to quickly a.s.sess that it would pair well with Toriaezu Nama , whether it was stewed, grilled, or deep fried which meant that those kinds of dishes already existed . There was no meaning in Hans coming up with a dish that wasn t available in Izakaya n.o.bu, if it was already being served in other shops in Aitheria . Now then, how to proceed He took the pork out of the refrigerator and put it in front of him . Since pork absolutely couldn t be eaten raw, it was necessary to cook it . Was there anything he could do besides stewing, grilling, or deep frying He thought about it while staring at the pork from various angles when, suddenly, there was a rapping sound on n.o.bu s gla.s.s doors . He spontaneously exchanged looks with Leontaine . The sign curtain had been put away a long time ago, and Taisho was watching his detective dramas upstairs . If s.h.i.+n.o.bu had forgotten something behind, she would come through the back door, and Eva wouldn t come at this hour . Was it a thief Leontaine already had a broom in hand . She took a stance while facing the door . It was a graceful stance that one wouldn t think could come from a veteran mercenary . Hans nodded to Leontaine and lowered his own posture before placing his hand on the gla.s.s sliding door . He adjusted his breathing and pulled it open in one go . Who s there Uhyaa The visitor yelped in response to Leontaine s question and fell on their bottom . Hans recognised that face . Rather, he saw that face every day . Big brother Hans elder brother, Hugo, was sitting on his bottom on the miserable, snowy ground of Inns Stable street . Hans, aren t you finished with work at this time That s true . Hasn t the sign curtain already been put away It was still bright inside, and I was hungry, so I thought of For now, Hans let Hugo into the shop and lit the stove in response to his brother saying that with upturned eyes . He brought the soup in the yukiharanabe to a boil and tossed cold rice into it . Since Hugo had come after business hours, he was not a customer . It wouldn t be a problem if Has was the one who served him something . The injury on his finger had already healed . TL note yukihira nabe is an aluminium hammered pot, commonly used in j.a.pan . You should come earlier next time . Sure . I will do so if possible . But I ve been busy lately . It seemed the work that had been contracted by Thomas from the church was surprisingly difficult . Hugo and Han s father, Lorentz, were the foremost gla.s.s smithing specialists in Aitheria, but it seemed that polis.h.i.+ng it to the thickness specified by the customer was not an easy task . Apparently Hugo and two other people had been a.s.signed to concentrate solely on this task now . Leontaine grinned widely when she saw that they were able to chat with each other normally . You two are close, aren t you It s the first time I ve seen Hans open up so much . Is that so They had not realized it themselves, but perhaps they had been building a wall between them somehow . From an early age, they had lived as travellers . Even though they could make friends in places where they didn t understand the language, in the end, it was his brother Hugo who became his best friend . Therefore, Hans still had a close relations.h.i.+p with his elder brother, even at this age . Hans cracked an egg into the pot, resulting in an egg porridge . He figured something light would be better for his elder brother, who had digestion problems . Here, enjoy . Thanks . Hans looked at his elder brother s face as he slurped up the porridge deliciously, and he was reminded of the times when they had travelled to the west . Hans s mother had already been gone by then, so it was a trip with only the two brothers and Lorentz . If he remembered correctly, it had been a trip to meet their uncle . They had ridden on horseback for days, through a meadow that was as vast as the eye could see . They had been with a trade company, travelling with caravans that were on their way to buy pepper, but Hans and his brother had been the only children around . Even now, he still remembered the delicioud mutton they had eaten under the starry sky, in the middle of a plain that stretched to the horizon in all directions . After finis.h.i.+ng the porridge had filled Hugo up, his facial expression relaxed . After introducing himself to Leontaine, whom he was meeting for the first time, he spontaneously started chatting with Hans . Hans, you have been coming back home late recently . Is something the matter Yeah, I can t think of a new item for the menu . As Hans mentioned that he was going to use pork, Hugo picked up his wooden spoon with a thoughtful expression . He didn t stir at all . This was an old habit of Hugo s to become like this when he started to think . Looks like it s going to take a while before we can return home What do you mean Ah, this will take a long time once it starts . Hans was proud of his elder brother, who could do anything skillfully, but this was the only downside . When Hugo focused on something, he would ignore his surroundings . He wouldn t respond even if someone yelled at him . Hans gave up on him returning home, so he went to try some things out . What if he tried slicing the pork in a different way When he sliced the smoked squid that Berthold brought, it changed the texture completely . Maybe doing the same to the pork would be interesting . Leontaine had also planned to stay for a while long, so she poured another gla.s.s of Taketsuru on the rocks . Time slowly and quietly pa.s.sed . Since snow had not fallen today, a dog s howl could be heard in the distance . How about ground meat Hugo returned to himself sooner than they had expected . Hans had been prepared to stay up until morning, so he was a little thankful for that . Ground meat To make sausage No, no . Do you remember, Hans The wrapped, boiled lamb . Ah, pelmeni