Chapter 96

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Allen.

I was really dreading the idea of being forced to make pointless visits all summer, so I'm relieved.

So, what's the real reason you're here?"

By the way, when the butler came out of the earl's mansion with Dan, he said something like, "We'll take you in a magic car," but I firmly refused, citing training as my reason.

There's no need for a send-off or welcome for a journey that follows the wind.

Besides, traveling in a carriage with the lord's family crest would only draw too much attention.

"Ah.

I heard that there's a town called Solcoast nearby where they serve delicious fish dishes.

Since the fish dishes in the capital are rather mediocre, I decided to extend my leisurely solo trip to try them out...

I heard that a fish called Duraize is particularly delicious, but there are monsters in the shipping routes, so they can't go fishing.

So, even though it's a bit sudden, I decided to rely on the magic tools from Dan's family."

"Eh?!

Duraize is one of my favorites too... Allen, are you on a gourmet trip?

The Allen with that diet...

I still can't understand what you're thinking.

Is it your hobby to surprise people?"

...What a rude guy.

He has a face like a potato.

I need to show Dan, who thinks I have a dull palate, my deep knowledge of fish in Solcoast and put him in his place.

"I don't have that kind of hobby.

By the way, I don't want to be treated like a royal academy student or be forced to make visits to important people, so I'm traveling as an independent explorer.

Dan, can you register as an explorer too?

We'll walk around the town as ordinary civilians.

You know the area well, right?"

"Yeah, remember that day at the end of the term when Allen declared in class that he wouldn't allow anyone to accompany him on explorations unless they were licensed professionals?

After hearing that, everyone went to register as explorers, so all the students in Class A have licenses.

...But, as an ordinary civilian, huh.

I have some connections in Solcoast.

Can you help me with my business after you're done with yours?"

...Even the most insensitive person would notice.

It's definitely related to Mimosa or the Nagefuu Trading Company.

Mimosa might have been planning a surprise, but a reverse surprise shouldn't be a problem.

It's all for the sake of eating Duraize.

We ran from Lakanthal to the port town of Solcoast.

By the way, I detected a guard who had been secretly following us from the earl's mansion using a detection spell, so we first ran into the forest in a different direction to lose them.

Dan and I, who are among the top in physical enhancement training in the Slope Club, ran at full speed, and it seems we quickly lost them.

◆

We returned to Solcoast at noon and entered the Silver Ginkgo, our meeting place with Mimosa.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"You're earlier than I expected.

So, about that lead you mentioned—"

Mimosa, who had been talking to the owner at the counter, turned around to answer and froze.

I glanced sideways at Dan, who was also standing next to me, and saw that he was wide-eyed and frozen in shock.

I don't have a hobby of surprising people...

"This is Dan, an explorer I know who happened to be nearby.

He just so happened to have a magic tool to repel the monsters on the ship, so I asked him to bring it and help me."

I introduced him matter-of-factly.

Mimosa, snapping out of her shock, tried to hold back her tears and clenched her teeth.

But then Katsuo, who was next to her, shouted, "Dan! You've grown so much!" and hugged Dan, crying, which made Mimosa's tears overflow as well.

"Idiot! Why are you crying first?"

Mimosa hit Katsuo's head while crying.

I sat at the counter and glanced at the owner's hands, saying,

"Hey, eel!

Owner, I want the main dish today to be grilled eel.

...The key to eel is how long you take to grill it carefully.

Take your time and don't rush.

Dan.

I'll wait here for the eel to be grilled, so go to the shipyard with these people from the Nagefuu Trading Company and have them equip the valuable magic tool to the fishing boat for Duraize."

I said this without turning around, and the owner smiled.

"Yeah, our grilled eel is steamed for two hours and then grilled over charcoal for one hour.

...But this is actually a conger eel."

"...Ah.

Ah, got it, Rent.

I'll be back in a bit!"

Dan said this and left with Mimosa and Katsuo.

...Such a thick conger eel?

◆

While the conger eel was being grilled, I chatted with the owner and his wife and enjoyed the fish dishes he prepared with great care for three hours.

In the evening, Dan, Mimosa, Katsuo, and the former head of the Nagefuu Trading Company, Gondo, came to the Silver Ginkgo.

They seemed to have brought a detection prevention magic tool from the trading company.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Rent.

And... thank you."

Dan, representing the four of them, who all had swollen eyes, thanked me.

"I don't need your thanks.

I just did what I wanted to do."

"Tch.

There you go again.

I really can't compete with you.

But the old man... I mean, the former head of the Nagefuu Trading Company, Gondo, insisted on thanking you in person, so he came with us.

Please accept his gratitude."

Dan pouted but seemed happy as he introduced the former head.

"Are you Rent?

I'm Gondo.

I'm truly grateful to you, both personally and on behalf of the trading company...

Really, really, thank you."

Gondo bowed deeply, and although his bowing technique wasn't great, his gratitude was genuine, and I could only scratch my head uncomfortably.

Really, I just gathered the necessary elements to eat what I wanted...

"Alright, I get it, so please stand up.

I don't like emotional stuff.

The eel... I mean, the conger eel, that the owner is grilling will be ready soon.

Let's have a drink to wish for a good catch tomorrow."

Saying this, I showed the wasabi and shark skin I had brought from the capital.

"...What's that?"

Mimosa asked curiously.

Hehehe.

Yesterday, the owner's work was so excellent that I forgot to bring it out, but I brought soy sauce and wasabi from the capital for this trip.

"This is my favorite spice, the root of a plant called wasabi.

Among connoisseurs, it's considered the best to eat grilled eel with this."

It's stronger than Japanese wasabi, so you need to be careful with the amount, but when grated with shark skin, the flavor is as good as or even better than Japanese wasabi.

"Hmm.

I've never seen this before.

It just finished grilling.

Can I try a little later?"

The owner, as expected, has a relentless pursuit of delicious food.

"Of course.

Please try it.

By the way, it also goes well with raw fish.

When combined with soy sauce, a condiment made in the Bearne Islands, it's the best."

Saying this, I put a little wasabi on the grilled conger eel sprinkled with salt and put it in my mouth.

Instantly, the sharp spiciness cleared my nose, and the next moment, the juicy but light flavor of the conger eel flooded my mouth.

The delicate white flesh, steamed and then grilled over charcoal, was incredibly tender inside and crispy outside.

Mmm!

Unbearable!

As I shook my head in ecstasy, everyone swallowed their saliva.

Then the wife asked curiously,

"Wow, you know about soy sauce?

I'm from the Bearne Islands, but I've never heard of 'wasabi.'

Can I try it too?"

But Mimosa, hearing this, interjected.

"Hey, hey, Chloe, the guest should go first.

Rent surprised us so much that we forgot to eat.

I'm starving."

Mimosa came unusually close and opened her mouth, closing her eyes, so I took a little wasabi from the shark skin and put it in her mouth as expected.

"Mmm! Where did the conger eel go?!

But what a spicy flavor.

I thought my tears had dried up, but they're coming out again!"

Mimosa protested with teary eyes, and Katsuo chuckled.

"Miss.

Spiciness and tears are not related.

Even you, Miss, seem to have a bit of a soft spot for tears."

Well, I can understand why.

With hot peppers, spiciness doesn't make you cry.

When we talk about spiciness, the unique nasal spiciness of wasabi is something you can't understand unless you've tasted it.

"Katsuo, you don't believe it?

Well, you've always been so strong with spicy things that I think your taste buds are dead...

You might be okay with it.

Just be a man and try a big pile of it."

Mimosa, with a mischievous look, suggested to Katsuo, who laughed confidently, piled a lot of wasabi on the grilled eel, and ate it in one bite.

"Whoa! My nose is burning?!"

As expected, the 1.9-meter-tall Katsuo, holding his nose and crying, rolled on the floor.

Seeing this, everyone, including those whose tears had supposedly dried up, burst into laughter.

But Dan was smiling wryly, saying, "That's Allen's favorite spice, alright..."

No... I'm an explorer named Rent, and I'm definitely not a dull palate...