Drink, But Don’t Be Drunk
Returning from the city via Joan’s teleportation, they looked for Grandfather to report back and were told by Sebastian that he was in the living room.
“Grandfather, we’re back.”
“Oh, welcome back. I’ve been waiting.”
Across from Will and Lindsey sat Ijok and Sachiko, drinking tea.
“Missy, we came to eat without hesitation.”
“Long time no see, little miss. Glad to see you’re well. But I was surprised by the letter from you.”
“““A letter!?”””
They were surprised because Joan hadn’t told Gene and the others about the magical letter yet.
“Jo, you were able to send a letter? But we learned that it can’t be sent with Null attribute… right?”
Gene’s words were nodded to by both Belle and Young Master Eric.
“Umm, Assist said that even for Null attribute, there are people who can send letters.”
“Ah~ I see. That sounds like something Aunt Julieta would be happy about.”
“… Right I’ll send a letter about that later. Ah, speaking of which, what do your letters look like?”
Curious, I asked…
Gene, of [Wind] attribute, had a purple dragon.
Young Master Eric, of [Fire] attribute, had a red scorpion.
Belle, of [Fire] attribute, had a red butterfly.
“And yours, Joan?”
“Mine is…”
I summoned a Pegasus in my palm to show them.
““Oh, it really appeared.””
“Cute.”
The Pegasus glided gently toward Belle and transformed into a letter. Written on it was: “Let’s continue to get along well.”
“Thank you, Joan. Likewise, let’s get along.”
After that, I explained about Nel’s mother. They told me I had done a good deed and not to worry about receiving the items. Still, I wasn’t satisfied, so-
“Joan, even if you acted kindly without expecting anything, the other person paid for the ‘kindness’ with their ‘thanks.’ If you hadn’t accepted it, they’d have worried forever. Moreover, from an outsider’s perspective, it could be seen as impolite toward a noble lady. So this time, you must accept it. Set your feelings aside.”
Grandmother said this. She also cautioned that if the other party were a noble, it could get complicated later, so I should consult beforehand in that case.
“Understood. Then I’ll make delicious dishes with what we received.”
＊＊＊＊＊
“Now, to welcome my grandchildren and their friends… Cheers!!”
““““““““Cheers!!””””””””
Like the previous BBQ at the training ground, they grilled krakens, shrimp, and clams. The kraken was leftovers from last time. Even after four years, it was still edible—what a convenient storage system.
“““““So tasty!!”””””
“Was Karkinos really this delicious?”
“The crab paste may look bad, but this richness… amazing. Goes well with sake.”
“The crab soup has a really good stock too.”
“The crab rice, I could eat endlessly.”
The dishes using Karkinos were apparently popular with everyone.
“How is it?”
Ijok, devouring crab rice with all his might, gave a thumbs-up with a huge smile—it seemed he couldn’t talk with his mouth full.
“Ahaha, I’m glad… Sacchan, how about you?”
“As always, your cooking is delicious, little miss. Truly, thanks for inviting me.”
“Eat plenty. I’ll drop by the shop before heading back… okay?”
“Hahaha, still the same as always. Don’t worry, I’ll have everything ready.”
“Much appreciated, Sacchan.”
Finally, they went to Will and the others.
“Grandfather, how is it?”
“Oh, Joan. Karkinos can be enjoyed in many ways depending on the cooking. But what I like is this.”
In the small bowl Will pointed at was *namero* made from horse mackerel received from Nel’s father.
A simple, delicious namero: the mackerel was filleted and finely chopped, then mixed with miso, garlic, shoga, and negi, and pounded with a knife. In a previous life, fresh mackerel was often available, so it was a familiar dish.
“Grandfather, the dashi chazuke for the finish is also delicious, you know?”
“Really! Not just a sake snack but good for finishing a meal… Joan, be sure to teach Mack how to make it!”
“Ehehe, understood.”
Ijok, satisfied with the Karkinos dishes, happily staggered home, saying he’d make the best thing for Joan and Belle. By the way, he neatly dismantled the Karkinos claws for ingredients himself. The knife he used was so sharp that Joan even asked if he could bring a cooking knife or single-edged knife tomorrow if she brought a gift. He agreed.
ーーThe next morning.
Arriving at the kitchen early, she found Dolly slumped over the work table, exhausted.
“Good morning. What’s wrong? Feeling sick?”
“Ah, Young Lady Joan… just a hangover. Ugh…”
“Are you okay? Ah, why did you drink that much? Drink, but don’t be drunk.”
“Sorry… I’ll wash my face.”
Watching Dolly leave the kitchen, Joan thought she’d be useless and began preparing breakfast alone. Surely many others felt the same after yesterday.
She took out the shijimi received yesterday from storage. Since it had already been purged of sand, it was ready to cook. Perfect for shijimi soup after drinking. Also on the menu: rice balls, rolled omelet, and grilled fish.
When Dolly returned, Joan asked her to cook the rice. Meanwhile, she put water, kelp, and shijimi into a pot over high heat. Once it boiled, she lowered the heat and skimmed the foam. After all the clams opened, she added miso and it was complete. Next, she made the rolled omelet and stored it in storage as it was done. For the grilled fish, she had a bluefish like mackerel in the fridge, seasoned with salt, and grilled.
Once the rice was cooked, they made rice balls together. This time only salted ones since there were side dishes. These also went into storage.
The gift for Ijok followed the same menu.
Because it was easier…
What do you think about this chapter?
