Chapter 114: Let’s Eat Sashimi
「Oi oi, I’m telling you, stop! That thing is absolutely not good, alright? It’s not something that a human can eat!」
「Being curious is a kid’s privilege, but that’s really too much, y’know!?」
Irvine and Mort shouted at me to stop.
「It’s fine I said, if you cook it properly then it will be delicious and you can eat it! I’m sure Irvine and Mort will like it, you know? 」
「「Absolutely not!」」
Irvine and Mort immediately deny it as I addressed them while pointing at them.
What are you saying? When you look at these twisting tentacles moving around, with the countless, suckers at the back of its brown body, it will whet your appetite……or not.
No matter how I see it, it doesn’t look like something that can be eaten. People in the olden days are really amazing.
Un, you boiled them after the prep work and after it turns red like a shrimp, then it will be fine. After you reach that step, it will look delicious.
Irvine warns me again after seeing me faltering.
「If you want to stop, now’s the time, alright?」
「It’s okay. I’ll show you exactly how delicious it is.」
I had also done the prep work before, perhaps it’s because I had a friend who loves fishing in my previous life.
As long as there’s no difference in the structure peculiar to another world, I don’t think I will make any mistakes. Besides, the prep work for octopus is a lot easier than fish.
「……I‘m not going to be the poison taster, alright? 」
Maybe he was afraid of being asked to be the poison taster that Irvine desperately asks me to stop? Nevertheless a poison taster, huh, how rude.
「It’s alright. I’m not going to make you a poison taster. 」
When I answered with a carefree smile on my face, Irvine looked so relieved.
Though I might have you sample it.
「Al seems to be braver than the hero who appears in the fairy-tale.」
「……you’re really going to eat it?」
Mort and Douglas-san are truly surprised as they said that
「Well, if it’s Al, he will be able to make something delicious, right? If you can make it, give me some, okay!」
「You’re not afraid, Roomba?」
Douglas-san nervously asked Roomba when he said that while laughing heartily.
「That’s because Al usually made new dishes. Irvine and Mort have also tried eating at the Koryatt village restaurant, haven’t you? There are that spaghetti and omelet…」
「We did, but…… Alfried-sama created those things?」
「That’s right.」
Irvine nervously asks Roomba, then I proudly answered that question. Oh well, spaghetti is something that Bartolo managed to complete as I casually told him about the food from my previous life.
「No way! Someone who wants to eat this kind of strange thing can’t be the someone who made those delicious and refined dishes! Those are the latest dish, boasting enormous popularity even in the Misfrit Kingdom, you know!? 」
It seems that it is outrageous just because I was saying that I want to eat an octopus.
Even so, I didn’t know that spaghetti was placed in such a position among the masses.
But well, I don’t think it’s strange it became popular since it’s something that can be a substitute for bread. Though it’s not something that can fill you that much.
「If the one who made those dishes is really Alfried-sama, then he might be able to make something delicious……no no, octopus is impossible after all, right?」
Mort turned his eyes toward the octopus while groaning.
I’m not going to force you to eat it if you don’t want it, but I think you’re going to ask for it after it’s done, you know?
◆ ◆ ◆
Because of that, I went to the galley with Douglas-san to ask for the head chef’s favor to borrow a corner of the galley to cook.
But, perhaps they’re worried about what would happen for just a small child to do it alone, they decided to have one assistant chef to accompany me.
The one who will be my assistant this time is a chef with five-year experience, Elam.
A young man with blond hair and blue eyes, and gentle-looking drooping eyes as his trait.
Different from the muscular sailors on the deck, he has a slender figure as a chef, wearing clean whitecook’s clothes.
「……uhmm, are you really going to cook it?」
「I will. I will cook the octopus.」
When I clearly answered as he timidly asked me, somehow Elam had a distant look in his eyes.
The other cooks and Irvine and the others - who were fearfully observing us - are listening to our conversations, and looked at Elam with pitying eyes.
It’s fine, it’s fine. You won’t die anyway.
Speaking of preparing the octopus, the procedure is simple. First, remove the content of its head. Two, remove the eyes. Three, wash it with cold water. Four, sprinkle some salt on it and rub it on the octopus. Five, boil it. Six, let it cool. There will be no problem if you follow these procedures.
「Now then, Elam-kun. First of all, please cut it. After that, remove the contents of its head as preparation.」
When I directed Elam - who was still in a daze - while pointing at the octopus on the cutting board, he came to his senses with a start.
「There are internal organs inside its head?」
「Does it seem that it has any internal organs beside that place?」
「……I guess there are none besides the head.」
Octopus is a creature with eight long arms and legs, the eye part is on its head, and a bulging head above its body, the part internal organs are located in that bulging body.
「……so, Alfried-sama. How do I cut it?」
Elam looked puzzled as he stiffened while holding the kitchen knife.
「There is a nerve between its eyes, please stab there with the kitchen knife. It’s about five millimeters below its eyes.」
「I, is it this place!?」
「Yes, if you cut it properly, then its color will turn white.」
「I, I’ll try it!」
I answered without hesitation so as to not make Elam worry.
Immediately after that, Elam slowly brings the knife toward the octopus.
「Aah, I forgot, but please stick the octopus suckers to the cutting board. If you don’t do that the octopus will violentl――」
「Hiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!? Te, tentacles! My arm! Help meー!?」
I suddenly remembered the important point but it seems that it’s already too late, the octopus wrapped Elam's right arm.
Wrapped by a creature with slimy tentacles, Elam screamed while shaking his arm like mad, trying to wrench himself from the octopus.
However, there’s no way you can detach the octopus suckers just by shaking your arm like that.
The octopus wrapped Elam’s arm even tighter, not separating itself.
Elam also notices that and while in a frenzy, he somehow grabbed the octopus with his left hand but perhaps because of the octopus being slimy, he can’t properly grab it.
Uwaa, his right hand is being engulfed by the octopus.
「Someone, please take it away! I can’t remove this guy, and I also can’t grab it since it’s so slimy!?」
「Oi, wait, Elam! Don’t come here! I’ll fire you if you come here, got that!」
「Head chef!?」
Elam tried to ask for help from his fellow chefs, but the head chef ruthlessly gave up on him out of fear.
His dumbfounded look was so interesting, just like a Haniwa, but if it were to be left as it is then he might end up running away and cry so I’ll help.
「Hey, Elam. I’ll cut it, so get your arm over here.」
「Ye, yes!」
When I said that, Elam immediately held out his octopus-wrapped right arm.
After that, I carefully checked on the state of the octopus and swiftly grabbed the octopus’s body with my left hand.
Then I use the kitchen knife I’m holding in my right hand to stab the nerve at the area between its eyebrows.
The knife seems to have made a clean-cut on the nerve and the octopus’s color changes from reddish-brown to grayish-white.
Maybe because it’s been cut, the octopus’s body loses its strength as Elam is somehow able to tear it off from his arm.
「……my arm……」
Elam checked his arm while breathing roughly.
There are countless marks of octopus’s suckers maybe because the octopus was tightly sticking to his arm.
I don’t want to say it but, it looked kinda gross. [This or this]
I control my expression so as to not stiffened and said cheerfully to pull myself together.
「Well then, let’s took out the head’s internals.」
「Ye, yes.」
Elam’s mind seems to have been greatly weakened, but he’s not discouraged.
He had probably cooked various sea creatures other than fish, Elam will surely get used to it.
「Insert your finger at this part of the head, then turned it over. And then, take all of the internal organs using your hand. Just be careful not to break the ink sac, alright.」
As I explained it to him, Elam shoved his hand into the opening on the octopus’s head and turned the body around.
For people who don't cook that much, it would be a shocking image for them, but perhaps Elam is used to processing the internals for a fish dish, he only frowned while quickly removing them.
After that Elam removed the eyeballs and the prep work for the octopus was over.
「Now the prep work is over, next is to remove the mucus.」
After placing the octopus on the cutting board, we moved to the sink.
At the same time as we headed for the sink, the other chefs immediately moved to the edge.
Pressing the switch above the tap, a slight amount of magic power is absorbed from inside my body, and water flows.
「Now then, Assistant Elam-kun. Please rinse the octopus.」
「Uueeeeeee!? M, me?」
「It’s going to be difficult for me to do it while standing on a wooden box like this, you know. You also need quite a bit of strength in washing it. 」
It’s not because it’s troublesome or that I don’t want to touch the octopus’s mucus that much, not at all. That’s because it will be more efficient for Elam’s hand who has more strength to do it.
「………mou, I don’t want to touch it……」
「I exercise my special right as a noble.」
I solemnly commanded Elam who complained.
「You should just tell me if you want to eat fresh meat, drink liquor, or eat the sea’s delicacy, the sea dragon!?」
……what the. I guess those normal nobles said something absurd like that, huh? But I’m not an unreasonable person.
「……Elam, wash the octopus with your hands.」
「Even though I heard that you’re a friendly noble that won’t say something selfish………!?」
With tears in his eyes, Elam reluctantly said that as he washed the octopus with his hands.
「Put the octopus on its side and wash it so that it slides as you washed from the head to its legs.」
「Hiiiiiiiiiiii!?」
I understand how it feels. I also feel the same way when I first washed it.
The slimy feeling as your hands slides on the octopus when you wash it, ughh………
After that, Elam managed to properly wash, and smear some salted on the octopus while screaming.
At the moment he smeared the salt on the octopus, Elam had already stopped screaming, but I’m worried since his expression gradually turned expressionless.
I’m sure that Elam has gotten used to processing octopus.
◆ ◆ ◆
Had it been dusk while we cooked I wonder, the sky and sea outside had started to turn crimson.
The gradation from a sky-blue color to a reddish sky. And the shining and sparkling waves that reflected the setting sun are beautiful.
It seems that they had caught a large amount of fish while we were in the kitchen, so we will have a feast on the deck tonight.
Perhaps the sailors had scrubbed the deck that it's so cleanly polished long tables were currently also being lined up.
The members of the Silver Wind party and the sailors are already sitting beside the tables, talking happily with many brightly colored fish dishes in front of them.
I was worried that the octopus dish that I made was placed in the middle of each table and treated as a test of courage.
「Oーi. Al. Over here.」
Irvine waved at me, toward what seemed to be my special seat where there are a lot of Dos Tuna and the octopus sashimi on the table.
「Now then, time to eat! We caught a lot today, and the side dishes are also so lavish! Everyone, eat as much as you like! However, we’re still sailing tomorrow, so drink in moderation, alright. 」
At Douglas-san’s final remark, everyone looked disappointed.
That’s ‘cause if you’re drunk, you won’t be able to work tomorrow, right.
「Kuuh! To put off drinking in front of so many meals……」
「It’s fine if we have a light fruit wine, isn’t it? Besides, Douglas-san also said that it’s fine to drink in moderation.」
「Be patient. You’ve had liquor back in Esport, enough for you to bathe, didn’t you?」
「When the two of you are drinking, drinking moderately is not enough, you can’t do that.」
Aleutia and Ilya chided Irvine and Mort, who groaned as their bodies trembled.
Come to think of it, a great feast is needed to restore your energy to get over ocean travel. I completely forgot about it.
As usual, I can’t drink some liquor, leaving me feeling as if I’m in limbo.
Even though there is sashimi this time………
「Well then, cheers!」
「「Cheers!」」
With Douglas-san’s lead, everyone clinked their fruit water or wine-filled cup.
Whether it’s Irvine or Mort, and of course I also drink fruit water.
On the table in front of me are the octopus dishes I made in an earthenware pot, octopus carpaccio, raw octopus sashimi, octopus mixed with cucumber and Akara fruit, and also grilled octopus legs.
By the way, it was an octopus, but I tasted it with Elam and there was no problem. Instead, I was really surprised since it was the most delicious thing I’ve ever had.
Sure enough, I strongly felt that it’s different in taste when you eat it immediately after catching it.
Even Elam let slip a 「…… its delicious」comment while having a complicated expression that looked interesting.
In addition to that, there are platters of Dos Tuna sashimi, Dos Tuna steak, salt-grilled white-fleshed fishes, and other sumptuous fish dishes.
「Hm? What’s this? I know it’s a carpaccio, but I have never seen these red things……」
「Yeah. Just what are these red things? It looks different from a fish, right」
Aleutia and Ilya’s eyes were immediately drawn to the octopus carpaccio in front of them.
The deck was so noisy but it seems that those two are so engrossed in their magic practice that they didn’t notice it.
Realizing their reaction, Irvine and Mort nodded to each other while smiling.
「That’s delicious, you know. Try eating it.」
「It’s interestingly sweet and crunchy.」
Those are the words I said to Elam when we were tasting the completed dish.
Naturally, these two haven’t tried the octopus dish yet. It looks like they’re going to try it after making Aleutia and Ilya eat it first.
Perhaps the other members also wanted to see the situation first, no one is going to tell them about it being an octopus. Everyone is having an indirect conversation about it while furtively looking at them.
「Really? Then, I’ll take it.」
「So excited.」
Not noticing Irvine and Mort’s intention as they hide their evil smile, those two happily put the octopus carpaccio into their mouth while smiling.
I can hear the sailors nearby swallowing their saliva.
「It’s crunchy and delicious! I wonder, is this a type of shellfish?」
It’s not, it’s an octopus.
「There’s no raw smell at all! And it also has this chewiness, I like it. But, some people might not like this chewy texture.」
Indeed, I guess a lot of people may not like the chewy texture of the octopus.
At any rate, it appears that those two liked the octopus as they kept eating the octopus carpaccio.
「……no way. Are those, really delicious?」
Someone unconsciously said such words.
Irvine and Mort looked at those two suspiciously, but they still gingerly reached out for a salt-grilled octopus leg.
「……this is, it’s surprisingly good. The more you chew on it, the more its sweet and salty taste spread inside your mouth, it’s chewy.」
「Yeah. Even though it looks gross, this is good.」
Irvine and Mort genuinely said in surprise.
It really suits Irvine’s appearance as he eats while an octopus leg stuck out from the edge of his mouth.
「「But, I want to drink!」」
They drank the fruit water in a gulp and slammed their cup on the table while saying in a loud, serious tone.
At the same time, I guess other courageous sailors also reached out for the octopus, I can hear surprised voices like「Hey, it’s surprisingly delicious!?」.
See, it’s delicious, right?
I looked at those situations with satisfaction.
After that, I reached out for the thing I look forward to the most today, Dos Tuna sashimi.
I add the Kagura’s soy sauce that I got from Tori to the sashimi, then put it into my mouth.
The fatty meat softly melts inside my mouth. The fish meat is so rich, it doesn’t smell raw at all.
While it also slightly keeps the fatty meat in check, the soy sauce gives a kind of accent that makes you not get tired when you chew it, which is wonderful.
「……aah, I knew it, freshly caught produce are different.」
The Dos Tuna is so tasty that I sigh deeply.
It’s a shame that there is no sea near Koryatt village.
But thanks for the trip this time, I can always go to the sea any time with Teleport magic.
When I think about it, I’m looking forward to what’s ahead.
Rather than looking to the past, we should look forward and enjoy our life.
I was having my fill of the Dos Tuna sashimi and after that, I reached out to taste the raw octopus.
It’s difficult to pick it up since it’s raw octopus, but I manage to stab my fork into it somehow and put it on my plate.
I also ate the raw octopus, after adding some soy sauce to it.
Every time I chew on it, the rich taste of the octopus spreads inside my mouth. The chewy texture of the meat and the feeling when I chew on the suckers are interesting.
It’s a taste that can’t be experienced from an octopus you bought in a supermarket…… Irvine did a good job catching an octopus, didn’t he?
「……ooh, eating raw octopus, huh……」
Irvine groaned when he saw me eating raw octopus.
「……wait a minute. What did you say just now?」
Perhaps she heard what Irvine said, Aleutia asked Irvine with a serious expression on her face.
Ilya - who is eating carpaccio next to her - suddenly stopped moving.
She probably imagined it in her mind already, Ilya’s face turns really pale.
「……it is nothing.」
「Say it.」
「No.」
「I won’t get angry if you said it.」
It finally came out. The promised words that have never been kept since time immemorial.
Irvine, don’t believe in those words!
「……you’re lying! If I say it then Aleutia will definitely get angry!」
As expected of you Irvine. It seems like he had that much knowledge after he has lived for so many years.
On the other hand, Aleutia widely smiles.
「I won’t get angry okay……but, if you’re lying and I found out about it later, then I will get angry, you know?」
「…………」
Don’t be deceived Irvine. Don’t listen to that kind of sweet voice.
It was the kind of situation like 『If I don’t say it now then she will beat the hell out of me. But if I say it now then she will go easy on me, right? 』
A verbal promise is something that can’t be trusted, it is lighter than paper. It doesn’t mean that Irvine’s safety is guaranteed by such a promise.
「…………o……」
「o?」
「……oct――」
Stop it! Irvine!
「Ooh, The octopus that Irvine caught is so tasty!」
「I told you, right? If Al is the one who cooks it, then it will be delicious.」
The moment Irvine was about to say something, Douglas-san and Roomba came to our table.
I sigh inside, looking at the two's bad timing.
「Oc, octoppuuuuusssssss!?」
Aleutia shriek, while Ilya staggered as she fell.
Because of the two’s unexpected appearance, the promise was not kept, and Irvine was beaten mercilessly by Aleutia using her cane.
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