And this is the last extra chapter. Enjoy, everyone.
Chapter Ninety-six: Fry Meet the Good
“Alright! Here’s the freshly fried food, enjoy it while it’s hot!”
No sooner were the words out than a flurry of cutlery extended towards the dish. After all, with the contents confirmed as either meat or fish, there is no reason for our protein-loving members to hesitate.
Of course, I too reach out with my chopsticks, careful not to dislodge Gomamiso who has settled on my lap. I’ve finally become able to join these food scrambles without losing out! Although the batter concealed the contents, the golden-brown, crispy fried food looks delicious regardless of what is inside!
The lemons Ms. Aria cut… wait, isn’t that awfully small? It looks like it got sliced up pretty thinly… well, it’s still usable, so I guess it’s fine, yup! I squeeze the tiny slice of lemon tightly, sprinkle on some of the special good salt, and take a bite!
“Huff! So hot!”
The contents turned out to be orc loin. And right from the middle, where you can enjoy both the meat and the fat! As I bite into it, I’m hit with the pleasant crunchiness of the well-fried batter and the sensation of the muscular meat pressing against my teeth. Applying more pressure to my jaw, it easily tore apart with a juicy texture. The slightly pink color in the center is probably due to the residual heat cooking it through. Meat juices ooze from the cross-section, dripping onto the plate. Looking closely, it seems that fat had marbled within the meat, producing this abundance of juices.
“Rin! It’s delicious!! Whatever you eat… whatever you put on it, it’s delicious!!!!”
“Isn’t this just the best?! What is this!? It goes too well with ale!!”
“I’m glad you like it! If it’s not enough… well, I can make some fried vegetables, so just let me know.”
“Eh… vegetables…? But, fried vegetables… hmm…”
Ms. Aria’s cry of delight brought my attention back to reality, as I sat surrounded by condiments—lemon, salt, soy sauce, and other sauces.
I notice mysterious sounds, like groans or sighs, rising from those around me. Mr. Xenon and Mr. Ville seem to be silently focused on the task of moving their jaws and forks.
Not wanting to waste any more of the delicious meat juices on my plate, I pop the remaining fry into my mouth while advocating for vegetable tempura. I chew the meat thoroughly. The fat, cooked through while steaming inside the batter, melts and releases its sweetness and umami throughout my mouth. The flavor of the meat is intense. It is like a stronger version of pork umami… but without a trace of gaminess or greasiness. Thanks to the lemon’s acidity, it doesn’t feel heavy at all, which is almost scary… I could probably eat this endlessly!
Even after swallowing, the savory aftertaste of the meat lingers in my mouth. I kept my mouth closed for a while, feeling like the flavor might escape if I opened it…
“…It’s so delicious… Orc meat is incredibly tasty…! I understand why everyone wants to eat King meat!”
“Right?! Well then, we should go King hunting…”
“…Ah… I understand how you feel, but shouldn’t we report back to the royal capital first…? I think the taste will be even better if we can eat without any worries, don’t you?”
I couldn’t contain my excitement after all.
Mr. Ville, who had been moving his fork, immediately reacted to the opinion that slipped out with my sigh.
…I understand why Mr. Ville is hesitant, especially after hearing about his family story, but still… let’s take care of our tasks first. Isn’t it better to eat with a sense of accomplishment and relief after finishing a job properly, rather than eating while thinking, "I don’t want to go, but I have to"? Well, he’s probably aware that he’s stalling. I see Mr. Ville’s shoulders slump in my peripheral vision.
“Rin is right. Shouldn’t we fulfill our obligations first?”
“Exactly. We have to go anyway, so there’s no point in putting it off. Make up your mind already.”
“…I know…!”
While transferring several pieces of fried food from the mountain of fries to their own small plates, Mr. Xenon and Mr. Ed voiced their unanimous opinions.
An aura of what seems like sadness or resignation emanates from Mr. Ville’s back as he glumly chews on his fry.
…Um… Is there anything that might motivate him in this situation…? A way to flip his motivation switch…?
Hmm…
“Ah… After we finish reporting in the royal capital and hunting a King, if we get some good meat, I’ll make tonkatsu… a bigger version of this fry. How about setting that as a goal?”
“…A bigger version… of this?! This size is already a lethal weapon, and you’re talking about making it even bigger?!”
“Ah, yes, that’s right. Depending on the shape of the dropped meat, I’ll make it into a slightly thicker cutlet… For now, let’s just focus on finishing what we need to do, okay?”
As a member of the Foodie Hall of Fame, the only thing I could think of was to "lure him with food." You know, the whole "Treat yourself after finishing a tough job! Eat a thick, freshly fried tonkatsu" thing!
The moment the words "large fry" left my mouth, Mr. Ville’s strawberry-colored eyes glinted sharply.
Yup. As expected from the number one foodie and my kindred spirit.
I knew this would hook him!
When you want to get motivated, there’s nothing like the promise of a delicious reward meal, right?
“…There’s no lie in those words, is there, Rin?”
“Of course not! I’ll fry up the most delicious cutlet with all my might!!”
“…I’ll believe you…! Your cooking has never disappointed me!”
As I steadily returned his gaze, which had taken on an almost threatening light, the color in his eyes softened slightly.
“…Alright. Tomorrow morning, let’s gather information about the weather and road conditions at the Guild. After that, we’ll prepare and set out early the day after tomorrow.”
Everyone nodded deeply at the words of our party leader, who had finally made up his mind.
One way or another, everyone must have noticed that Mr. Ville was hesitating and let him take his time to sort out his feelings. Everyone here is such good people, yup.
Tomorrow, we will gather information on the planned route and prepare for the journey. I should make a list of things to buy and things we need…!
Oh. This is completely unrelated to the previous conversation, but I want to note here that both the cockatrice meat fry and the rock seabream fry were extremely delicious.
The cockatrice meat fry was like a thick and juicy chicken cutlet! I thought the muscle would be tough and sinewy since it’s used for "supporting body weight and running around," but despite its thickness, it was easy to bite through and so juicy that it filled my mouth with meat juices. So, was it tender then…? Well, when you chew about halfway through the meat, there’s enough elasticity to push back against your teeth, making your teeth and jaw happy to do their job.
If anything, the rock seabream was the tender one. When you take a bite, a large chunk easily breaks off into your mouth due to its large fibers, but the texture is fluffy and melts on your tongue. Thanks to being fried with the skin on, the oil at the boundary between the skin and flesh melted smoothly and mixed with the soft flesh, creating a delightful contrast between the crispy batter and the moist meat. The slight ocean aroma was also tamed by the frying process, making it palatable even for those who don’t like fishy smells.
In any case, the only regret was the absence of tartar sauce! It would have been the perfect match for both the cockatrice meat fry and the rock seabream fry…!
For tomorrow’s shopping, I’ll definitely stock up on eggs… and if possible, pickles too…
As I threw myself back into the fry scramble, I deeply etched those two items into my mental notepad.
The Translator’s Note
The name of this chapter was originally in English.
Thank you so much for the multiple chapters!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the chapters, TL-nim!!!
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