TN: Another short chapter, which is nice. I can spam a lot of chapters without some unnecessary (and sometimes repet.i.tive) background translations.
Sausage with Potato
After perceiving that the morning sun had rose with his enchanted helmet that enabled him night vision, Glenn caught a breath.
[It"s finished.]
[Aa, it"s time to change.]
While removing his helmet, he nodded to his friend Ignis who wore a similar suit of armor.
At that moment, the cold air of winter morning caressed his cheeks.
The lookout work from evening to morning was boring and sleepy, but while it was a trivial job, he always got this open feeling at the end of the work.
Especially since he knew that another "fun" was waiting.
[Well then… let"s change quickly.]
Ignis was his close friend… a magnificent demon with two tusks protruding from his chin just like a boar.
On the day they had overnight watch, a soldier"s work was finished until the next morning.
Yes, as long as they had enough personnel to alternate shifts, their work that day was already over.
[Oo, sorry. I guess I"ve let you wait for a bit.]
[So tired. Let"s go back.]
When their conversation was finished, another shift workers came.
A dwarf soldier as tall as Glenn"s waist carrying a large axe and a half-elf soldier with sharp ears carrying a spear. They both wore the Empire"s light armor.
[Ou. I leave it to you.]
They lightly greeted the two familiar people and returned to their dormitory together.
In the Empire, it was said to be easy to become a soldier as long as one had "a good head and a healthy body that could understand discipline and order", so it"s not uncommon that the soldiers were of different races.
Although it was not as rewarding as adventurers and mercenaries, it was much less dangerous because their enemies were of a more suitable scale of power.
Therefore, becoming a soldier were one of the more popular jobs in the Empire, those who had no skill or education and those who couldn"t inherit their household chose to conscript to the military.
After a while when the sky was brightening, there were two figures of Glenn and Ignis who sheathed their swords and took off their armors.
[The city is empty as usual.]
[Ou.]
Created near the fort, the town still had a rough atmosphere.
It was a small town where people who had restored a broken fort created during the war lived there and applied soldiers were sent there from the capital for its defense.
For entertainment, they could go to a brothel though there were only country girls or a shop that sold commodities from the capital.
For food, soldiers would go to the bar most of the time as it served better meals and alcohols than the food served at the fort.
[Well, I"m blessed with just being here.]
[I agree.]
However the two"s destination were neither the bar nor the brothel.
They walked among the town that was just starting to wake up.
[Alright. It"s there when it"s morning.]
[Ou.]
A black door nestled quietly in the back alleys.
It seems that there was another person that "used" it in the town, so they could only go there only during the morning after their watch duty.
Nodding, Glenn opened the door.
"Chirinchirin", while listening to the clear bell sound reverberating in the quiet morning, they both went through the door.
[A, welcome! You"re both as early as ever.]
Early in the morning, there were almost no customers yet.
After her breakfast, Aletta who had been cleaning the room noticed the customers and greeted them.
They were customers that just started to come recently, but since they usually came early in the morning, it was easy for her to remember them.
[Yo~o, Aletta-chan. You"re as cute as ever.]
[O, ou. It"s been a while.]
Gleen greeted cheerfully while Ignis blushed as he replied seeing her exposed legs that felt a little sensational though it had a sense of cleanliness.
[Thank you very much. Are you ready to order?]
While thanking them both, Aletta asked for their order.
[Ou, I would like a platter of sausage and potato as usual. Half of the sausages are boiled and the other half grilled. And I would like 2 mugs of beer too.]
[I would like two cups of cider. Serve it in a mug.]
Glenn and Ignis ordered as they were familiar with Aletta.
[Yes, please wait a moment.]
After Aletta retreated to the kitchen, they went to an appropriate table.
[[Fuu…]]
Sitting on a chair with comfortable, high-quality cushions, they exhaled and relaxed while waiting for their food.
Overnight watch shift was the most tiring shift.
That"s why they had long awaited for this.
[Sorry to keep you waiting! I brought your order!]
On a tray, Aletta brought their drinks and food.
[Ou! I"ve been waiting!]
[It"s here!]
They cheered seeing the food on the middle of the table.
Pork intestine stuffed with meat and Baron"s fruit split in 8 and fried in oil.
The food had fragrant aroma and was still hot, it hit the two"s stomachs that were empty after their work.
And their gla.s.s cups were filled to the brink.
[Well then, please enjoy.]
Aletta returned to her work and left the two with their modest banquet.
[Yoshi, why don"t we drink first.]
[I agree.]
They gulped down their large gla.s.s of cold drinks.
Glenn"s mug was filled with golden bubbles, a different world ale.
While in Ignis" mug was crystal clear sweet drink with transparent bubbles.
They finished it at once.
They drank to water their throats.
The combination of sweetness and bitterness of alcohol pa.s.sed through their throat while its bubbles fizzed.
Each drink healed their thirst.
[[Fuha-!]]
To the stimulation of the fizz, they relaxed in their seat.
[The liquor here is the best, the beer particularly. It"s wrong not to drink it here.]
[No, it"s the cider. We could drink ale at our world but this sweet water does not exist there.]
They reb.u.t.ted as they competed with each other.
Each thought that their choice of drink was the best, so they couldn"t help but to say that every time.
[…Well, let"s eat.]
[Ou.]
They put their second cup aside and started to eat the dish that suited both beer and cider.
Platter of potatoes fried with oil and fried sausages.
It"s ideal for drinking because it"s cheap for its amount, it was a relatively common dish in the Empire but it was different here.
Glenn immediately reached to the fried potatoes.
His fork pierced into the thickly sliced Baron"s fruit.
When he brought it to his mouth, the salty flavor of its seasoning and the flavourful Baron"s fruit crumbled inside his mouth.
(Ou! This thing is really delicious!)
He picked up his beer.
He recalled the days when he would grab a coin as a kid and went to a fried potato stall during cold weather.
In those days, croquettes that were coated with flour and fried in oil was a feast for the child him.
The fried potatoes of this restaurant were much more delicious, but it tasted nostalgic to Glenn.
On the other hand, Ignis reached for the sausage first.
(It should be "grilled" after all.)
When the sausage was boiled, the taste was overflowing with meat juice. But Ignis preferred the taste of burnt intestine.
He pierced the grilled sausage and brought it to his mouth.
He knew that sausages fit with the red sour ketchup and yellow spicy mustard served in small bowls, but he wanted to eat it just like that first.
(Ou, this thing here sure uses good meat.)
It reminded him the taste of his homeland.
Even if the demon tribe was recognized, its pioneer village was still poor and their crops were still of low quality.
Because they always had empty stomachs at such a place, the men would grab a bow from the time of war and went to hunt at the mountains. On those days, they stuffed their stomachs with meat.
[Un. I should eat it with my liquor.]
Then he drank his cider.
The numbing sweetness made his tongue tingling and it washed the leftover meat juice in his throat.
For Ignis who hated the bitter taste of ale, this suited the food.
For a while, those two enjoyed their food without saying anything.
Fried potatoes with ketchup and sausages with mustard seemed to disappear from the plate…
[Ou! Another serving please!]
[Beer and cider too!]
As soon as the plate was empty, they ordered again.
Their feast of two people was always like this.
They did not speak unnecessarily and just ate.
They ate until their belly would burst.
Then after a while.
[…O, is it time for you to go?]
[Sorry. I still have some account calculations to do.]
When the restaurant was becoming crowded, they stood up.
[Okay… since the bill is 3 silver coins and 6 copper coins, each person pays 1 silver coin and 8 copper coins.]
They gave the money to the owner who came from the kitchen.
[Well then, come again.]
[We will.]
They returned after that.
[Yes, I"ll be waiting anytime.]
The owner answered with a smile.
When they returned to the town, the sun had reached its peak and the town was bustling.
[Yoshi, let"s go back.]
[Ou, I want to sleep until the evening.]
On the way back, they saw a knight with better equipment than theirs and thought of their future plans.
Let"s sleep until the evening and think of the rest after that.
The two drowsy people with full bellies considered the same thing.
And they returned to their usual dirty fortress.