Prison. It’s built beneath the castle or beneath the guardhouse. Unlike a jail, this is where suspects are held before their sentence is decided, simply waiting for punishment. Typically, prisoners are detained one per room and kept under surveillance. The rooms are dimly lit, with just enough sunlight barely filtering in. After nightfall, one must live by candlelight alone, and even that is quickly extinguished. Then, no light enters at all, and a profound darkness spreads. There is no hope or future here. It’s a place where only those to be punished suffer in darkness.
Or so they say, but I’m not really bothered by it. Hey there, it’s Shuri here. I’m the poor guy who got caught after accidentally knocking over the lord’s silver wine glass yesterday. I’m used to the dark. Actually, I can sleep well, so it’s kind of nice. The cold is a bit tough, though. I wonder how everyone else is doing. I hope things aren’t in chaos because of my mistake right now. But if I had left that alone, it would have been disastrous…
“Shut up, criminal. Keep quiet in your cell.” “Yes, I’m sorry!”
This prison is a special one located beneath the castle. It’s made of stone, of course, and the iron bars are a specially ordered hard type. It’s a harsh place with just a straw mat laid on the stone floor. This place is for monitoring serious offenders. And the one watching over me is just one tough guy.
“Damn, can’t even drink in peace…”
Over two meters tall. Buzzcut hair. An incredibly intimidating face. I get the impression he hasn’t been without a drink since I got here. That’s my guard.
“Um, is it okay for the guard to be drinking?” “Huh!?” “Nothing, never mind, sorry!”
Scary. Scarier than Gungrave.
“…A scrawny guy like you couldn’t take me down no matter what you did. And you can’t break those iron bars no matter what. That’s why a guard’s enough.”
Isn’t that, like, neglecting your duties? He’s even eating snacks with it…
“What’s that you’re taking out of the bag?” “Huh? Clams. Dried and salted clams. They’re a snack for drinking. I’m dipping them in this fish sauce to eat ’em. There ain’t any for you.”
Clams?
“Is that wine you’re drinking?” “Rice wine. Now shut up.”
Michiu (rice wine). Clams. Ah, steamed clams in sake, I see.
“I have a request…” “Denied.” “Could you share some of that with me? I could make a delicious sake appetizer with the wine and clams.”
Now I want to eat some too. The guard looks at the wine and clams with a puzzled expression.
“With these?” “Yes. And if we had a pot and some fish sauce, it’d be perfect.”
I’ve got a hidden portable stove, so we can manage. They didn’t confiscate it during the arrest because it just looked like paper.
“…Go ahead and try. It’ll be a good way to kill time.” “Got it.”
I receive the pot and fish sauce, light the stove, and start cooking. Well, steamed clams in sake isn’t that simple to make. And we don’t have many ingredients. So, I’ll just stir-fry them, add sake, and cover. Once steamed, I’ll add a dash of fish sauce and it’s done.
“Here you go.” “Oh, smells good.”
The guard takes it with an excited look. After taking a bite, his face softens a bit.
“There’s alcohol, but it’s not too strong. The fish sauce is nice too.”
Right? That’s the best part of steamed clams in sake. It’s perfect to have with drinks.
“You’re an interesting one.” “You think so?” “Yeah. Usually, criminals don’t cook.” “And usually, guards don’t give ingredients to criminals and let them cook.” “You’re not wrong.”
The guard laughs heartily.
“Looks like I won’t be bored.”
And so began the strange life between me and the guard.
Records show that Shuri Azuma, the “Food King,” was once imprisoned for a short time. The exact nature of his crime is unclear, with accusations ranging from murder to theft, and the truth remains unknown. According to the testimony of the Six Heroes, it’s said to have been a seemingly fabricated charge of disrespect, but in modern times, the truth has been buried in darkness. However, during this time, Shuri Azuma encounters a fateful meeting. The guard, Garn Labor. A man who had given up on life and was living lazily. Meeting Shuri Azuma would greatly change his life. Shuri Azuma’s first disciple. The destiny of being called the “Inheritor of Food” would come to him. In the not-so-distant future.
Check out my Patreon for early access to upcoming updates. Patreon Link
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Chapter 24
Prison.
It’s built beneath the castle or beneath the guardhouse.
Unlike a jail, this is where suspects are held before their sentence is decided, simply waiting for punishment.
Typically, prisoners are detained one per room and kept under surveillance.
The rooms are dimly lit, with just enough sunlight barely filtering in.
After nightfall, one must live by candlelight alone, and even that is quickly extinguished.
Then, no light enters at all, and a profound darkness spreads.
There is no hope or future here.
It’s a place where only those to be punished suffer in darkness.
Or so they say, but I’m not really bothered by it.
Hey there, it’s Shuri here.
I’m the poor guy who got caught after accidentally knocking over the lord’s silver wine glass yesterday.
I’m used to the dark. Actually, I can sleep well, so it’s kind of nice.
The cold is a bit tough, though.
I wonder how everyone else is doing.
I hope things aren’t in chaos because of my mistake right now.
But if I had left that alone, it would have been disastrous…
“Shut up, criminal. Keep quiet in your cell.”
“Yes, I’m sorry!”
This prison is a special one located beneath the castle.
It’s made of stone, of course, and the iron bars are a specially ordered hard type.
It’s a harsh place with just a straw mat laid on the stone floor.
This place is for monitoring serious offenders.
And the one watching over me is just one tough guy.
“Damn, can’t even drink in peace…”
Over two meters tall. Buzzcut hair. An incredibly intimidating face.
I get the impression he hasn’t been without a drink since I got here.
That’s my guard.
“Um, is it okay for the guard to be drinking?”
“Huh!?”
“Nothing, never mind, sorry!”
Scary. Scarier than Gungrave.
“…A scrawny guy like you couldn’t take me down no matter what you did.
And you can’t break those iron bars no matter what. That’s why a guard’s enough.”
Isn’t that, like, neglecting your duties?
He’s even eating snacks with it…
“What’s that you’re taking out of the bag?”
“Huh? Clams. Dried and salted clams. They’re a snack for drinking.
I’m dipping them in this fish sauce to eat ’em.
There ain’t any for you.”
Clams?
“Is that wine you’re drinking?”
“Rice wine. Now shut up.”
Michiu (rice wine). Clams.
Ah, steamed clams in sake, I see.
“I have a request…”
“Denied.”
“Could you share some of that with me?
I could make a delicious sake appetizer with the wine and clams.”
Now I want to eat some too.
The guard looks at the wine and clams with a puzzled expression.
“With these?”
“Yes. And if we had a pot and some fish sauce, it’d be perfect.”
I’ve got a hidden portable stove, so we can manage.
They didn’t confiscate it during the arrest because it just looked like paper.
“…Go ahead and try. It’ll be a good way to kill time.”
“Got it.”
I receive the pot and fish sauce, light the stove, and start cooking.
Well, steamed clams in sake isn’t that simple to make.
And we don’t have many ingredients.
So, I’ll just stir-fry them, add sake, and cover.
Once steamed, I’ll add a dash of fish sauce and it’s done.
“Here you go.”
“Oh, smells good.”
The guard takes it with an excited look.
After taking a bite, his face softens a bit.
“There’s alcohol, but it’s not too strong. The fish sauce is nice too.”
Right? That’s the best part of steamed clams in sake.
It’s perfect to have with drinks.
“You’re an interesting one.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah. Usually, criminals don’t cook.”
“And usually, guards don’t give ingredients to criminals and let them cook.”
“You’re not wrong.”
The guard laughs heartily.
“Looks like I won’t be bored.”
And so began the strange life between me and the guard.
Records show that Shuri Azuma, the “Food King,” was once imprisoned for a short time.
The exact nature of his crime is unclear, with accusations ranging from murder to theft, and the truth remains unknown.
According to the testimony of the Six Heroes, it’s said to have been a seemingly fabricated charge of disrespect, but in modern times, the truth has been buried in darkness.
However, during this time, Shuri Azuma encounters a fateful meeting.
The guard, Garn Labor.
A man who had given up on life and was living lazily.
Meeting Shuri Azuma would greatly change his life.
Shuri Azuma’s first disciple.
The destiny of being called the “Inheritor of Food” would come to him.
In the not-so-distant future.
Check out my Patreon for early access to upcoming updates. Patreon Link
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