Chapter Forty-nine: Sometimes It Is Better To Just Eat the Shrimp Rather Than Using Them As Bait To Fish For Sea Bream!
I really like dipping bread into the bouillabaisse-style soup. Crunchy on the outside, moist and soaked with soup on the inside, biting into the bread makes you appreciate the goodness of carbohydrates!
Well then, the feast is in full swing, but I think the shrimp are ready to eat now! After all, the fragrant smell has been wafting not just gently but vigorously since earlier, and I just can’t wait any longer!
“Shrimp, shrimp, shriiiiiimp~♪”
“You seem in high spirits, Rin.”
“Well, of course, it’s shrimp! I just love them so much!”
I pull out a pair of leather gloves from the storage area and tightly put them on both hands. When it comes to outdoor activities, some might prefer work gloves…! But I support leather ones. They’re thicker, more resistant to fire, easier on your hands when breaking kindling, and less prone to causing blisters…!
Some may say, "But aren’t they kind of stiff and uncomfortable?" However, the leather gloves I use are products made by a long-established work equipment supplier who pays attention to everything from materials to craftsmanship. That’s why they are incredibly user-friendly!
They’re already soft and mold to your hands right out of the package, but that domestic-tanned cowhide still has ample thickness to handle tough jobs. Plus, they’re washable and don’t stiffen up… And all that at a price in the three-digit range, making them relatively affordable!
…If I had to nitpick a downside, I suppose it’s that they’re so popular, that they can be hard to get your hands on.
“Alright then… heave ho!”
Grasping the nicely roasted spiny lobster through those gloves, I neatly twist them to separate the head and tail. Bright white meat burst forth from the vivid red shells. An intensely briny aroma of flesh essence instantly wafted out.
It seems like the center isn’t cooked through yet. Juices drip from the slightly translucent core, wetting the ground black. I snap the heads off the remaining two lobsters and plate the big shrimps alongside… then unceremoniously put the plate on the table.
Speaking of, glimpsing the depleted supplies as I carried it over—that petite barrel is already half gone, and the wine has been completely drained… just what capacity do these folks’ stomachs have?!
"It has such an enticing aroma, I’ll dig right in.”
"Just the smell alone makes this ale go down even easier! Another round!”
"Ooh big shrimp! Can I have one? Can I pleeease?”
Mr. Xenon, having switched to ale after the wine, was first to reach out—his slender, dextrous hands deftly peeling away the shells as if he didn’t feel any heat at all. Mr. Ed cheerfully raised his glass, face fully flushed. Meanwhile, Ms. Aria simply stared intently at the lobster tails.
Yup, seems crustaceans really are universally beloved!
And while I understand the primal urge to just chomp into those massive lobster tails, there, unfortunately, aren’t enough for everybody to have a whole one… we’ll need to make do with chunks today. As I deflect Ms. Aria’s wandering hand trying to sneak a grab, I quarter the lobster tails. The bouncy, snowy white meat blooms like flowers atop the crimson shells. I even split the heads with my big knife, releasing an oozing stream of velvety flesh essence… I bet it would be delicious to coat the grilled meat with this essence…
“Alright, I’ve portioned everything out, so please help yourselves! The essence would also be delicious added to the soup.”
“I wanted to eat it whoooole!!! But this is good too!”
Puffing out her rosy-tinted cheeks in a pout, Ms. Aria was first to seize a lobster chunk, and… those flushed cheeks instantly drained of color as her icy eyes gleamed with delight.
Yup. Hard to stay mad when you’ve got delicious food in front of you.
Mr. Xenon and Mr. Ed were already extending forks too, which is just splendid!
And as for Mr. Ville, well… the biggest gourmand of the Gourmands…
“Hmm? Something the matter?”
“…Are you really that enamored with the soup?”
“Ah! Both the ingredients and the soup are so tasty!”
“I’ll have to make it again sometime with proper wine and spices.”
Licking his lips, Mr. Ville finally looked up. Seems he had been single-mindedly devouring the bouillabaisse-style soup in silence.
You don’t need to attack it quite so intensely—no one is going to steal it from you.
…Speaking of, not a single shrimp or crab shell remains on his plate… could it be…? Sneaking a peek at Mr. Ville, I notice his jaw working with unmistakable crunching sounds.
… I see… you eat shells, huh? Well, just… be careful not to injure your mouth, alright?
Giving Mr. Ville a sidelong glance as he happily slurped another spoonful of soup, I reached for the big shrimp myself.
Ah shrimp, shrimp. Were it legally permissible, I’d love to harvest you myself—that’s how dearly I love shrimp. I do enjoy fishing, but free diving intrigues me too… Even if I’ve never actually done it due to the hassles of obtaining fishing permits and such. Maybe it’s possible in this world? But I don’t have a swimsuit or mask and snorkel with me… And then there’s that other concern. Running into one of those killer whales underwater would be quite troublesome, so free diving might need to wait.
Pushing aside the unbidden mental image of that nerve-gratingly smug orca face, I refocus my full attention on the precious shrimp before me…
The translator’s note
There is a single term in Japanese for lobster, prawn, and shrimp, it’s "エビ" (ebi), but there is no such term in English. So, in this chapter, when "shrimp" is mentioned, it means lobster too. And here is some small info about the difference between these three crustaceans. The size of lobster is the biggest, then comes prawns and shrimps are the smallest. Shrimps can live in freshwater, prawns are found in both fresh and saltwater, while lobsters live in saltwater and brackish water but not fresh water. Shrimps and prawns are swimmers while lobsters are crawling or walking crustaceans.
Damn they making me envious, I too am a hug enjoyed of shrimp...ugh damn I want shrimp so badly now
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