Fate. The predetermined future. An unchangeable destiny.
These are the cool things I want to say these days. It’s Shuri here. I ate some potato mochi and now I’m sleepy, so I’m going to bed. That’s it for today!
“Shuri, are you awake?”
Just as I was lying down, I heard Garn’s voice.
“Yaaawn… What’s up at this hour? Well, I don’t really know what time it is.”
There’s no clock, and no sunlight either.
“There’s someone I want you to meet.” “Can’t it wait until tomorrow…?”
I’m already sleepy, so I’m just going to roll over and go to sleep. Good night!
“No, I need you to meet him today.” “Who is it…?” “It’s Lord Aeclys, the eldest son of the lord who rules this domain.” “Oh! Please, come in anytime!”
Oh man, such an important person has come!
“Well then, Lord Aeclys.” “Thank you, Garn.”
Led by Garn, a man comes to stand in front of my cell. …
Who?
I mean, I know he’s the eldest son, but… He’s a strikingly beautiful person. An incredibly pretty person. But something feels off. Is this person a man? A woman? He’s so androgynous, I can’t tell…
“Hahaha. Did I surprise you? I’m Aeclys Sounité. What’s your name?” “Yes, Your Highness! My name is Azuma Shuri! Azuma is my family name, and Shuri is my given name!”
Oh no, I was hesitating and that might have been rude!
“So, can I call you Shuri Azuma then?” “Yes!” “Well then, Shuri. I’d like to talk to you for a bit. Is now a good time?” “Of course, at your service.”
If I refused now, I might get my head chopped off. But suddenly, Lord Aeclys chuckles. What’s going on?
“You’re an amusing person. It’s rare to find someone who can make me laugh like this.” “I’m not sure I understand… Was I being disrespectful…?”
If so, I might lose my head after all!
“Ah, don’t worry. This is an unofficial visit, so you don’t need to be so formal.” “If you were disrespectful, I’d have already cut off your head.”
What?! Garn, that’s not cool!
“So, Shuri. I have a favor to ask. Is that alright?” “A favor?” “Yes, I hear you’ve been cooking a lot of dishes for Garn?” “Huh?” “No need to hide it. I’ve read the reports. Thank you for looking after Garn’s health.”
Well… I guess that’s true.
“I just wanted to make delicious food…” “Fufu, you’re modest, aren’t you? Now, here’s my request.”
Lord Aeclys’s expression becomes serious. The atmosphere is so intense, I feel like I might be swallowed up. Then, Garn, who had been standing behind, brings out two ingredients. Potatoes and bacon. He hands them to me, then steps back behind Lord Aeclys again. What a model servant!
“Right now, our domain is facing a severe food shortage. Even for me, the lord’s son, having these two ingredients on the table would be considered luxurious. So, how would you cook these ingredients?”
Bacon and potatoes? Couldn’t I just fry them…? No, it doesn’t seem like that’s what he wants.
“Do you have any salt?” “For this task, no seasonings are allowed.”
Hmm… Cooking these ingredients without seasoning, huh?
“Is this bacon already seasoned?” “No, it’s just regular processed bacon.”
I see. Well, in that case, let’s go with that. In this world where refrigeration technology isn’t advanced, they probably use a lot of seasonings.
“Then, let’s make a potato galette. It should have plenty of flavor.”
Bacon is amazing, you know. Even without extra seasoning, it’s flavorful enough to be a great snack with alcohol. Still, I’d really like some salt and pepper. First, I thinly slice the potatoes and fry them in a pan. Once they’re cooked through, I add the bacon. I concentrate it in one spot, cook it thoroughly, then flip it when I think it’s done. I cook the other side the same way, and it’s finished. I transfer it to a plate and hand it to Lord Aeclys.
“It’s ready. Please enjoy the flavor of the bacon.” “Thank you. But I’ve never seen a dish like this before. It looks like the potatoes have been thinly spread out with the bacon embedded inside.”
Lord Aeclys seems impressed. He receives a fork and knife from Garn behind him and starts cutting into it. Do you always have those ready?
“…Oh.”
A sound of admiration escapes from Lord Aeclys as he takes a bite.
“This is wonderful. It certainly has a rich flavor. How strange. You didn’t add any other seasonings, did you?” “That’s because the flavor of the bacon itself transfers to the potatoes, and combines with the natural sweetness of the potatoes to create that taste.”
Bacon uses a lot of seasonings in its processing. Everything from salt to spices, and sometimes even wine. It’s salt-cured and smoked meat, after all. So, its inherent flavor is strong and deliciously aged. That’s the beauty of bacon.
“Yes, yes, that’s exactly right. This bacon, which is good as a preserved food, would enhance the quality of taste just by being served alongside breakfast. But that would just be serving it or frying it. It’s rare to see bacon embedded in potatoes to create a single dish like this. The people in town could easily imitate this.”
Preserved food? Oh, that’s right, bacon used to be a preserved food in the past. That’s because they used to use more salt back then. We don’t do that in modern Japan. Now that we have the taste, appearance, and refrigeration environment sorted out, we use less salt and keep more moisture in the bacon. So I absolutely wouldn’t recommend storing bacon at room temperature. Sometimes there’s bacon that can be stored at room temperature, but that’s okay. However, I recommend eating it quickly. After finishing the entire galette, Lord Aeclys smiles with satisfaction.
“Wonderful. I can certainly understand why Sir Gungrave wouldn’t want to let go of someone with such culinary skills.” “How is Gungrave doing?”
That’s something I’ve been worried about for a while.
“They’re currently being held in the castle town. We’ve separated them and confined them to various inns.” “So they’re safe then?”
Thank goodness. I’m so relieved. That was my only concern…
“However, since the reason for your actions was unclear, you might face punishment for disrespect.” “What?!”
That’s ridiculous. If I hadn’t done that, the lord would have collapsed and it would have been an even bigger problem!
“I understand what you want to say. I’ve received the report from Garn. But right now, there’s a political struggle going on in our domain. Unless we do something about that, I can’t even get you out of here.”
Then, Lord Aeclys lowers his gaze and says:
“Moreover, if time passes idly like this, the Gungrave Mercenary Group might lash out. If that happens, I’ll probably be killed.”
Wow, the situation is much bigger than I thought. I don’t want to get caught up in such a messy conflict!
“So, I have a proposal.” “?” “Would you run away with me?” “Eh, Lord Aeclys?!”
Huh? What is this person suddenly saying? Look, even Garn behind him is surprised! I don’t understand this situation at all!
“I’ve been thinking. Whether it’s this current problem or past issues, the more I try to unify this domain, the more something seems to ‘warp’. So, I thought, maybe it would be better if I disappeared. But to do that, I had concerns. Could I escape from here and live among the common people? That’s where you come in. With your cooking skills, and with Garn and me supporting you, we could definitely make a living among the common folk. Of course, I’ll do my best to resolve this issue first. Once it’s over, I’ll renounce my right of succession and retire. What do you think? Would you help me escape from here?”
This is so sudden. Way too sudden. But I don’t have any reason to refuse. As long as everyone in the mercenary group is safe. I can leave the rest to this person and just watch how things unfold. If they’re going to tackle the problem, there’s nothing better than that. I nod and say:
“I understand. After we get out of here, it looks like you’ll end up being a cook under Gungrave, but is that okay with you?” “That’s fine. As long as I can get out of here.”
Lord Aeclys says this with a smile. That smile, somehow… It looks like the face of someone who’s relieved to be able to throw away everything they’ve been forcing themselves to do.
After that, Lord Aeclys left with Garn.
“…Is this really okay?”
Is it okay to let him throw everything away…? To let him discard everything he’s built up… Well, even if he tried to stay, there are things that are impossible. If there’s another path available, maybe it’s better to take that one. In the end, I went to sleep with an indescribable unease in my heart.
Check out my Patreon for early access to upcoming updates. Patreon Link
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Chapter 29
Fate.
The predetermined future. An unchangeable destiny.
These are the cool things I want to say these days.
It’s Shuri here. I ate some potato mochi and now I’m sleepy, so I’m going to bed.
That’s it for today!
“Shuri, are you awake?”
Just as I was lying down, I heard Garn’s voice.
“Yaaawn… What’s up at this hour?
Well, I don’t really know what time it is.”
There’s no clock, and no sunlight either.
“There’s someone I want you to meet.”
“Can’t it wait until tomorrow…?”
I’m already sleepy, so I’m just going to roll over and go to sleep.
Good night!
“No, I need you to meet him today.”
“Who is it…?”
“It’s Lord Aeclys, the eldest son of the lord who rules this domain.”
“Oh! Please, come in anytime!”
Oh man, such an important person has come!
“Well then, Lord Aeclys.”
“Thank you, Garn.”
Led by Garn, a man comes to stand in front of my cell.
…
Who?
I mean, I know he’s the eldest son, but…
He’s a strikingly beautiful person. An incredibly pretty person.
But something feels off.
Is this person a man? A woman?
He’s so androgynous, I can’t tell…
“Hahaha. Did I surprise you? I’m Aeclys Sounité.
What’s your name?”
“Yes, Your Highness! My name is Azuma Shuri!
Azuma is my family name, and Shuri is my given name!”
Oh no, I was hesitating and that might have been rude!
“So, can I call you Shuri Azuma then?”
“Yes!”
“Well then, Shuri. I’d like to talk to you for a bit.
Is now a good time?”
“Of course, at your service.”
If I refused now, I might get my head chopped off.
But suddenly, Lord Aeclys chuckles.
What’s going on?
“You’re an amusing person. It’s rare to find someone who can make me laugh like this.”
“I’m not sure I understand… Was I being disrespectful…?”
If so, I might lose my head after all!
“Ah, don’t worry. This is an unofficial visit, so you don’t need to be so formal.”
“If you were disrespectful, I’d have already cut off your head.”
What?! Garn, that’s not cool!
“So, Shuri. I have a favor to ask. Is that alright?”
“A favor?”
“Yes, I hear you’ve been cooking a lot of dishes for Garn?”
“Huh?”
“No need to hide it. I’ve read the reports. Thank you for looking after Garn’s health.”
Well… I guess that’s true.
“I just wanted to make delicious food…”
“Fufu, you’re modest, aren’t you?
Now, here’s my request.”
Lord Aeclys’s expression becomes serious.
The atmosphere is so intense, I feel like I might be swallowed up.
Then, Garn, who had been standing behind, brings out two ingredients.
Potatoes and bacon.
He hands them to me, then steps back behind Lord Aeclys again.
What a model servant!
“Right now, our domain is facing a severe food shortage. Even for me, the lord’s son, having these two ingredients on the table would be considered luxurious.
So, how would you cook these ingredients?”
Bacon and potatoes?
Couldn’t I just fry them…?
No, it doesn’t seem like that’s what he wants.
“Do you have any salt?”
“For this task, no seasonings are allowed.”
Hmm… Cooking these ingredients without seasoning, huh?
“Is this bacon already seasoned?”
“No, it’s just regular processed bacon.”
I see. Well, in that case, let’s go with that.
In this world where refrigeration technology isn’t advanced, they probably use a lot of seasonings.
“Then, let’s make a potato galette.
It should have plenty of flavor.”
Bacon is amazing, you know. Even without extra seasoning, it’s flavorful enough to be a great snack with alcohol.
Still, I’d really like some salt and pepper.
First, I thinly slice the potatoes and fry them in a pan.
Once they’re cooked through, I add the bacon.
I concentrate it in one spot, cook it thoroughly, then flip it when I think it’s done.
I cook the other side the same way, and it’s finished. I transfer it to a plate and hand it to Lord Aeclys.
“It’s ready. Please enjoy the flavor of the bacon.”
“Thank you. But I’ve never seen a dish like this before.
It looks like the potatoes have been thinly spread out with the bacon embedded inside.”
Lord Aeclys seems impressed.
He receives a fork and knife from Garn behind him and starts cutting into it.
Do you always have those ready?
“…Oh.”
A sound of admiration escapes from Lord Aeclys as he takes a bite.
“This is wonderful. It certainly has a rich flavor. How strange. You didn’t add any other seasonings, did you?”
“That’s because the flavor of the bacon itself transfers to the potatoes, and combines with the natural sweetness of the potatoes to create that taste.”
Bacon uses a lot of seasonings in its processing. Everything from salt to spices, and sometimes even wine.
It’s salt-cured and smoked meat, after all.
So, its inherent flavor is strong and deliciously aged.
That’s the beauty of bacon.
“Yes, yes, that’s exactly right. This bacon, which is good as a preserved food, would enhance the quality of taste just by being served alongside breakfast.
But that would just be serving it or frying it.
It’s rare to see bacon embedded in potatoes to create a single dish like this. The people in town could easily imitate this.”
Preserved food?
Oh, that’s right, bacon used to be a preserved food in the past. That’s because they used to use more salt back then. We don’t do that in modern Japan. Now that we have the taste, appearance, and refrigeration environment sorted out, we use less salt and keep more moisture in the bacon.
So I absolutely wouldn’t recommend storing bacon at room temperature.
Sometimes there’s bacon that can be stored at room temperature, but that’s okay. However, I recommend eating it quickly.
After finishing the entire galette, Lord Aeclys smiles with satisfaction.
“Wonderful. I can certainly understand why Sir Gungrave wouldn’t want to let go of someone with such culinary skills.”
“How is Gungrave doing?”
That’s something I’ve been worried about for a while.
“They’re currently being held in the castle town. We’ve separated them and confined them to various inns.”
“So they’re safe then?”
Thank goodness. I’m so relieved.
That was my only concern…
“However, since the reason for your actions was unclear, you might face punishment for disrespect.”
“What?!”
That’s ridiculous. If I hadn’t done that, the lord would have collapsed and it would have been an even bigger problem!
“I understand what you want to say. I’ve received the report from Garn. But right now, there’s a political struggle going on in our domain. Unless we do something about that, I can’t even get you out of here.”
Then, Lord Aeclys lowers his gaze and says:
“Moreover, if time passes idly like this, the Gungrave Mercenary Group might lash out. If that happens, I’ll probably be killed.”
Wow, the situation is much bigger than I thought.
I don’t want to get caught up in such a messy conflict!
“So, I have a proposal.”
“?”
“Would you run away with me?”
“Eh, Lord Aeclys?!”
Huh? What is this person suddenly saying?
Look, even Garn behind him is surprised!
I don’t understand this situation at all!
“I’ve been thinking. Whether it’s this current problem or past issues, the more I try to unify this domain, the more something seems to ‘warp’.
So, I thought, maybe it would be better if I disappeared.
But to do that, I had concerns. Could I escape from here and live among the common people?
That’s where you come in. With your cooking skills, and with Garn and me supporting you, we could definitely make a living among the common folk.
Of course, I’ll do my best to resolve this issue first. Once it’s over, I’ll renounce my right of succession and retire.
What do you think? Would you help me escape from here?”
This is so sudden. Way too sudden.
But I don’t have any reason to refuse. As long as everyone in the mercenary group is safe.
I can leave the rest to this person and just watch how things unfold.
If they’re going to tackle the problem, there’s nothing better than that.
I nod and say:
“I understand. After we get out of here, it looks like you’ll end up being a cook under Gungrave, but is that okay with you?”
“That’s fine. As long as I can get out of here.”
Lord Aeclys says this with a smile.
That smile, somehow…
It looks like the face of someone who’s relieved to be able to throw away everything they’ve been forcing themselves to do.
After that, Lord Aeclys left with Garn.
“…Is this really okay?”
Is it okay to let him throw everything away…?
To let him discard everything he’s built up…
Well, even if he tried to stay, there are things that are impossible.
If there’s another path available, maybe it’s better to take that one.
In the end, I went to sleep with an indescribable unease in my heart.
Check out my Patreon for early access to upcoming updates. Patreon Link
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