Now that I’ve gotten my hands on some rice, my curry rice is complete. As a Japanese person, I really can’t do without rice. I’ve been secretly cooking and eating rice, keeping it hush-hush from everyone else. It seems that rice isn’t eaten much around here. What a waste. Maybe I should start a rice revolution.
It’s Shuri here. I’m in high spirits because I have rice. During our last magic crystal negotiation, Gungrave and Arius’s marriage was decided. How wonderful! I want to secretly prepare a wedding ceremony to surprise them, so I discreetly consulted with Tegue and Kuuga about it.
“A wedding ceremony?” “Yes. Don’t you celebrate marriages on this continent?” “Well… we do gather with relatives, and the village or town representative acts as a go-between for the vows.” “Vows? Like promising to love each other forever?” “Yeah, something like that. Then they greet everyone, and that’s it.” “What? No celebratory meal or gifts?” “There used to be… But nowadays, with the way things are, it’s more like ‘hurry up and have kids to work.’“ “That’s right. Children are both heirs and labor force. There’s no time for celebrations. Only the nobles still have wedding feasts.”
How tasteless. This won’t do at all.
“Since we have the chance, why don’t we throw a grand wedding ceremony for Gungrave and Arius?” “A grand one?” “Like setting off fireworks, making them kiss in front of their subordinates.” “K-kiss?! In front of their subordinates?!” “The groom carries the bride princess-style to show off to everyone.” “That’s… bold.” “And they swear before God: ‘To love and support each other, for richer or for poorer.’“ “Before God, huh…” “Shuri, you’re surprisingly romantic…”
Huh? Are these two put off by this? Strange. This should be normal on Earth… Or maybe I should create a new form of wedding ceremony for this world?! I’ll make it catch on, no matter what. I set myself a new goal.
Now, for the wedding preparations, what kind of food should we serve? I decided to ask Lill.
“Food suitable for a wedding?” “Yes. I was wondering what kind of dishes would be appropriate for a celebration without embarrassing anyone.” “Hamburger steak.”
I asked the wrong person.
While I’m still pondering this, it’s time for the next battle. To cut to the chase, we won. I’m glad no one died. And now, they’re planning to hold a grand victory celebration.
The night before, as I’m washing dishes, Gungrave comes to me and bows his head.
“Shuri, I want you to cook for us.”
“Sure, no problem. Please raise your head.” “No, this time it might be a bit difficult even for you.”
Difficult… how so?
“Actually, at this victory celebration, the lord is planning to gift us some land.”
Land?!
“You mean, you’re going to become a lord?” “In simple terms, yes. I’ll finally be able to rule my own domain.”
That’s wonderful news.
“But the lord is quite the gourmet. I want to please him, so I’d like you to make some dishes that will suit his tastes.” “So, something that wouldn’t be embarrassing to serve to nobles. And also, something unique and delicious, right?” “That’s right.”
Gungrave looks a bit uncomfortable. I don’t think this is anything out of the ordinary, though…
“I understand. By the way, are there any specific ingredients required for serving to nobles?” “It’s going to be suckling pig.”
Suckling pig… I think I know what to do.
“Gungrave, have you ever eaten roast suckling pig?” “As if I could afford something so expensive!” “Do you know how it’s prepared?” “Hm? They use a special oven to circulate heat, put the pig inside, and roast it slowly until it’s golden brown. That’s the usual way, right?”
So it’s like roasting a whole pig in an oven… Alright, I can do this.
“Got it. I’ve already decided what to make.”
Gungrave looks surprised, but that dish is quite challenging, so I’ll need to practice… The troubles never end.
On the day of the celebration. I’m allowed to participate in the party attended by many nobles and soldiers, even though I’m out of place. The event, held in the castle gardens, is very luxurious. And I’m completely out of place.
“Everyone else has formal wear, so why am I the only one in casual clothes…?” “Well, we thought you’d be in the kitchen, but you suddenly said you’d cook in front of everyone, so we didn’t have time to prepare.”
Kuuga answers, but I feel uncomfortable. Damn, should I have just stayed in the kitchen?! Gungrave and Arius are standing side by side, conversing with the nobles. They seem used to this. And they’re spreading the news of their marriage to those around them. Tegue is talking with the noble children, albeit a bit awkwardly. I wish his popularity would just disappear. Lill is going around tasting all the food. I was relieved thinking she’d moved on from hamburger steak, but she’s looking this way, pleading. I won’t make hamburger steak, no way. And Kuuga is with me. He says he’d be too worried to leave me alone.
“Kuuga, you don’t need to stay with me. Isn’t it okay if they don’t remember your face?” “Huh? You mean the nobles? I don’t care. I’m not good at dealing with them anyway. It’s better for me to get along with the rank-and-file soldiers than the high-ranking officers.” “Is that so?” “That’s how it is. Oh, Gungrave is calling. It’s about time for you to start cooking, isn’t it?”
Oh, is it that time already? They’ve already prepared the ingredients and utensils in the middle of the banquet. I catch Gungrave’s eye and get his permission.
“Everyone, I will now prepare a special roast suckling pig dish called ‘kǎo rǔ zhū.’ It’s an auspicious dish, so I thought it would be fitting.”
Everyone seems a bit restless, probably because they’ve never heard of it. Well, even Japanese people don’t hear about it much. I stick a spit through the already prepared whole suckling pig, and let’s begin. I continuously turn the pig over the charcoal fire. Then I take it down, brush it with sugar water (a mixture of honey and vinegar) and peanut oil, and roast it again. Roast, brush, roast, brush, roast, brush… The first time I made this, I failed, but after practicing many times, I can now do it perfectly. By the way, this kǎo rǔ zhū (fire-roasted suckling pig) is a celebratory dish from Guangdong province in Chinese cuisine. It’s mainly about eating the skin. I take down the finished roasted suckling pig, cut the skin, and plate it. I hand it over to a nearby server, and I’m done.
“Aren’t you going to eat the meat?”
The lord comes near me and receives a plate, asking this question. He looks like he thinks it’s wasteful.
“This dish is about enjoying the delicious skin.” “I see. Well then, let me taste it.”
The lord eats the skin plated on the dish.
“This is…! It’s crispy yet melts in your mouth…! What an interesting texture!”
The appearance is a well-roasted brown skin. And when you eat it, it crunches and then melts away in your mouth. In the end, only the delicious taste remains – that’s the characteristic of kǎo rǔ zhū. If an amateur cooks it, it becomes like roasted dried squid. It breaks with a hard crunch and lingers unpleasantly. I’m glad it turned out well…!
“This is an interesting dish. I see, it’s a new dish that pursues the deliciousness of the skin.” “Yes, I’m honored by your praise.” “Hmm, I’m in a good mood. Bring me some mulled wine.”
The lord seems to be in high spirits. He’s receiving a glass and having wine poured into it.
…Huh?
“Stop!”
I instinctively knock the wine glass, making it fall to the ground. That’s dangerous! You can’t drink from something like that!
“You scoundrel! What are you doing to the lord?!”
However, it seems the others didn’t see it that way. I’m surrounded by soldiers who rushed in at the military officer’s command. Crap, I’ve been caught. By the time I realized it, it was too late. I was already cornered.
Check out my Patreon for early access to upcoming updates. Patreon Link
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Chapter 23
Now that I’ve gotten my hands on some rice, my curry rice is complete. As a Japanese person, I really can’t do without rice. I’ve been secretly cooking and eating rice, keeping it hush-hush from everyone else.
It seems that rice isn’t eaten much around here. What a waste. Maybe I should start a rice revolution.
It’s Shuri here. I’m in high spirits because I have rice.
During our last magic crystal negotiation, Gungrave and Arius’s marriage was decided. How wonderful!
I want to secretly prepare a wedding ceremony to surprise them, so I discreetly consulted with Tegue and Kuuga about it.
“A wedding ceremony?”
“Yes. Don’t you celebrate marriages on this continent?”
“Well… we do gather with relatives, and the village or town representative acts as a go-between for the vows.”
“Vows? Like promising to love each other forever?”
“Yeah, something like that. Then they greet everyone, and that’s it.”
“What? No celebratory meal or gifts?”
“There used to be… But nowadays, with the way things are, it’s more like ‘hurry up and have kids to work.’“
“That’s right. Children are both heirs and labor force. There’s no time for celebrations. Only the nobles still have wedding feasts.”
How tasteless. This won’t do at all.
“Since we have the chance, why don’t we throw a grand wedding ceremony for Gungrave and Arius?”
“A grand one?”
“Like setting off fireworks, making them kiss in front of their subordinates.”
“K-kiss?! In front of their subordinates?!”
“The groom carries the bride princess-style to show off to everyone.”
“That’s… bold.”
“And they swear before God: ‘To love and support each other, for richer or for poorer.’“
“Before God, huh…”
“Shuri, you’re surprisingly romantic…”
Huh? Are these two put off by this?
Strange. This should be normal on Earth…
Or maybe I should create a new form of wedding ceremony for this world?!
I’ll make it catch on, no matter what.
I set myself a new goal.
Now, for the wedding preparations, what kind of food should we serve?
I decided to ask Lill.
“Food suitable for a wedding?”
“Yes. I was wondering what kind of dishes would be appropriate for a celebration without embarrassing anyone.”
“Hamburger steak.”
I asked the wrong person.
While I’m still pondering this, it’s time for the next battle.
To cut to the chase, we won.
I’m glad no one died.
And now, they’re planning to hold a grand victory celebration.
The night before, as I’m washing dishes, Gungrave comes to me and bows his head.
“Shuri, I want you to cook for us.”
“Sure, no problem. Please raise your head.”
“No, this time it might be a bit difficult even for you.”
Difficult… how so?
“Actually, at this victory celebration, the lord is planning to gift us some land.”
Land?!
“You mean, you’re going to become a lord?”
“In simple terms, yes. I’ll finally be able to rule my own domain.”
That’s wonderful news.
“But the lord is quite the gourmet. I want to please him, so I’d like you to make some dishes that will suit his tastes.”
“So, something that wouldn’t be embarrassing to serve to nobles. And also, something unique and delicious, right?”
“That’s right.”
Gungrave looks a bit uncomfortable.
I don’t think this is anything out of the ordinary, though…
“I understand. By the way, are there any specific ingredients required for serving to nobles?”
“It’s going to be suckling pig.”
Suckling pig… I think I know what to do.
“Gungrave, have you ever eaten roast suckling pig?”
“As if I could afford something so expensive!”
“Do you know how it’s prepared?”
“Hm? They use a special oven to circulate heat, put the pig inside, and roast it slowly until it’s golden brown.
That’s the usual way, right?”
So it’s like roasting a whole pig in an oven…
Alright, I can do this.
“Got it. I’ve already decided what to make.”
Gungrave looks surprised, but that dish is quite challenging, so I’ll need to practice…
The troubles never end.
On the day of the celebration.
I’m allowed to participate in the party attended by many nobles and soldiers, even though I’m out of place.
The event, held in the castle gardens, is very luxurious.
And I’m completely out of place.
“Everyone else has formal wear, so why am I the only one in casual clothes…?”
“Well, we thought you’d be in the kitchen, but you suddenly said you’d cook in front of everyone, so we didn’t have time to prepare.”
Kuuga answers, but I feel uncomfortable.
Damn, should I have just stayed in the kitchen?!
Gungrave and Arius are standing side by side, conversing with the nobles. They seem used to this. And they’re spreading the news of their marriage to those around them.
Tegue is talking with the noble children, albeit a bit awkwardly. I wish his popularity would just disappear.
Lill is going around tasting all the food. I was relieved thinking she’d moved on from hamburger steak, but she’s looking this way, pleading. I won’t make hamburger steak, no way.
And Kuuga is with me. He says he’d be too worried to leave me alone.
“Kuuga, you don’t need to stay with me. Isn’t it okay if they don’t remember your face?”
“Huh? You mean the nobles? I don’t care. I’m not good at dealing with them anyway. It’s better for me to get along with the rank-and-file soldiers than the high-ranking officers.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s how it is. Oh, Gungrave is calling. It’s about time for you to start cooking, isn’t it?”
Oh, is it that time already?
They’ve already prepared the ingredients and utensils in the middle of the banquet.
I catch Gungrave’s eye and get his permission.
“Everyone, I will now prepare a special roast suckling pig dish called ‘kǎo rǔ zhū.’ It’s an auspicious dish, so I thought it would be fitting.”
Everyone seems a bit restless, probably because they’ve never heard of it.
Well, even Japanese people don’t hear about it much.
I stick a spit through the already prepared whole suckling pig, and let’s begin.
I continuously turn the pig over the charcoal fire. Then I take it down, brush it with sugar water (a mixture of honey and vinegar) and peanut oil, and roast it again.
Roast, brush, roast, brush, roast, brush…
The first time I made this, I failed, but after practicing many times, I can now do it perfectly.
By the way, this kǎo rǔ zhū (fire-roasted suckling pig) is a celebratory dish from Guangdong province in Chinese cuisine. It’s mainly about eating the skin.
I take down the finished roasted suckling pig, cut the skin, and plate it.
I hand it over to a nearby server, and I’m done.
“Aren’t you going to eat the meat?”
The lord comes near me and receives a plate, asking this question.
He looks like he thinks it’s wasteful.
“This dish is about enjoying the delicious skin.”
“I see. Well then, let me taste it.”
The lord eats the skin plated on the dish.
“This is…! It’s crispy yet melts in your mouth…! What an interesting texture!”
The appearance is a well-roasted brown skin.
And when you eat it, it crunches and then melts away in your mouth.
In the end, only the delicious taste remains – that’s the characteristic of kǎo rǔ zhū.
If an amateur cooks it, it becomes like roasted dried squid. It breaks with a hard crunch and lingers unpleasantly.
I’m glad it turned out well…!
“This is an interesting dish. I see, it’s a new dish that pursues the deliciousness of the skin.”
“Yes, I’m honored by your praise.”
“Hmm, I’m in a good mood. Bring me some mulled wine.”
The lord seems to be in high spirits.
He’s receiving a glass and having wine poured into it.
…Huh?
“Stop!”
I instinctively knock the wine glass, making it fall to the ground.
That’s dangerous! You can’t drink from something like that!
“You scoundrel! What are you doing to the lord?!”
However, it seems the others didn’t see it that way.
I’m surrounded by soldiers who rushed in at the military officer’s command.
Crap, I’ve been caught.
By the time I realized it, it was too late.
I was already cornered.
Check out my Patreon for early access to upcoming updates. Patreon Link
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