Chapter 12

"Welcome!"

"…Come in."

The greeting was the same as always.

There was nothing unusual in the shop; familiar patrons were enjoying their drinks with delicious dishes, and the atmosphere was warm and inviting, making it hard to believe that there had been a commotion over a thief just a little while ago.

The shop was sparsely populated, perhaps due to the late hour, and both the tables and the counter were neatly cleaned. Although the izakaya Nobu sometimes struggled to keep up with washing dishes on busy nights, it seemed that wasn't the case tonight.

Nicolaus and Etwin exchanged glances.

Perhaps nothing had happened after all. If it was just a prank by a drunk patron, it wouldn't be surprising.

"Come, you two, the counter is free."

Following the invitation, they took their seats at the counter, and Shinobu brought out the otoshi (appetizer). A plate of sashimi was placed in front of Nicolaus. However, it seemed a bit different from the sashimi he had eaten here before.

"Mr. Nicolaus, your otoshi is katsuo no tataki."

"Tataki?"

"The fish is lightly seared and then sliced like sashimi. It's delicious."

There was no small dish of soy sauce, suggesting that the sauce had already been applied.

Taking a bite, Nicolaus realized it was indeed different from sashimi.

"This is good."

The softness of the fish remained, but a fragrant aroma filled his mouth.

It might even be easier to eat than sashimi.

Although he had grown to love it, Nicolaus, like many other regulars, had initially found sashimi difficult to eat. The thought of eating raw fish always made him feel a bit queasy. However, this tataki had none of that.

It paired well with the triaetzena, which Shinobu had thoughtfully brought out before they ordered.

Etwin, on the other hand, was served a different otoshi, a small bowl with a strong, sticky smell. He was drinking sake instead of triaetzena, and his expression was that of a contented old man, making it hard to believe he was the same person who had been so serious just a moment ago.

After eating about half of the tataki, Nicolaus suddenly remembered why he was there. He was supposed to investigate the thief who had entered the izakaya Nobu.

Turning to Etwin, who had shed his priestly solemnity the moment they entered, he spoke in a low voice.

"Deacon."

Etwin seemed to sense the seriousness in Nicolaus's tone and finished his drink.

"Ah, sorry. Refusing what is offered goes against the will of God."

Adjusting his collar, Etwin showed no sign of remorse.

Seizing a moment when Shinobu was not serving, Nicolaus made a small gesture to get his attention.

Although the counter was empty, there were still other customers, and he didn't want the news of the thief to spread.

"Shinobu, I have a question."

"Yes, what is it?"

"…Did a thief enter the shop today?"

Nicolaus didn't miss the way Shinobu's eyes darted around at the question.

He was trying to remain calm, but something had clearly happened. Looking around the shop, he saw nothing suspicious.

"Something did happen, didn't it?"

"Well, not exactly a thief… Hey, Taisho?"

Taisho, who was suddenly addressed, choked in the counter.

Nicolaus noticed someone moving next to Taisho.

"Who's there!"

The shadow, which had been trying to escape, trembled slightly at the sound and stopped. Peering into the counter, Nicolaus saw a red-haired girl, about twelve years old, crouching like a small animal.

"Oh no… Caught, huh?"

Ignoring Shinobu's mutter, Nicolaus spoke to the girl.

"Are you the thief who entered the shop today?"

The girl, still crouching, nodded repeatedly.

"Your name?"

"E, Epha."

Seeing the trembling girl, Nicolaus inwardly wondered. She didn't look like someone who would steal. The way Taisho and Shinobu were protecting her suggested there was more to the story, but with Etwin present, he had to maintain a professional demeanor.

Taisho, scratching his head, seemed exasperated.

"Taisho, who is this girl?"

"She's the thief Nicolaus is talking about. She tried to take something from the shop without permission."

"If that's true, we'll have to take her to the guard barracks and let the city council judge her."

Nicolaus's stern tone made Taisho flustered.

"It's not that serious. Nothing was actually stolen."

"Even an attempt is a crime, Taisho. What did she try to steal?"

Taisho shrugged and pointed to the sink in the counter.

"The faucet. Epha tried to steal the faucet."

As he spoke, Taisho demonstrated how the faucet worked, turning it on and off.

Etwin, watching this, let out a small exclamation.

"So, you're using pressure to control the water flow. Clever, Taisho."

"Epha thought that with this faucet, she could have as much water as she wanted."

Nicolaus interjected.

"Water can be drawn from the river or the canal."

"Nicolaus, you can draw water, but you can't drink it. It needs to be boiled first."

Etwin was right. The water in the old city was unpleasant and had a strong odor. Even the poorest residents boiled their water before drinking it. Only the wealthy could afford to dig wells.

"If that's the case, just boil the water. There's no need to steal a faucet from an izakaya."

"That's not so easy. This year, the price of firewood is especially high."

Shinobu nodded in agreement.

"Our customers have been saying the same thing. The spring is late, so the price of firewood is high."

The price of firewood had indeed risen, and Nicolaus had noticed this as well. The price would likely stabilize once the weather warmed, but the cold nights were still a reality. The situation was exacerbated by Baron Brantano, who owned land near the old city, banning the collection of firewood from the forest.

"Even so…"

Looking at Epha, Nicolaus saw tears in her large eyes as she looked up at him pleadingly, like a stray cat.

"So, what do you plan to do, Taisho? If you let her go, she might try to steal from another shop to get firewood money."

"It's okay! We've got it covered!"

Shinobu, speaking for Taisho, took a plate from the sink.

"Epha will work here, washing dishes!"

"Does that mean you're hiring her at Nobu?"

"Yes, Nicolaus. We've been getting more customers lately, and it's been hard for me to handle both serving and washing dishes."

Indeed, the shop seemed cleaner than usual today.

If Epha could help with the dishes, Shinobu would have more freedom to move around.

It was a good idea. The shop didn't want to make a fuss, and Epha could earn money for firewood legitimately. Plus, a clean shop and a drink in a cozy environment would be a win-win.

Nicolaus scratched his head and sighed deeply.

"If Taisho and Shinobu are okay with it, then I'm fine. The city council probably doesn't have time to deal with a girl like this anyway."

Shinobu jumped up in joy, and Epha's face lit up with a smile.

Taisho, smiling, began preparing the next dish.

"Well, Deacon."

"What is it, Nicolaus?"

"I've been wondering, why did you come along today?"

Etwin's hand, holding a cup, paused.

"What do you mean? I just wanted to see how the guards work."

"Didn't you say the church only serves simple food until the spring equinox?"

"Y-Yes, that's true."

Nicolaus's initial impression of Etwin as a stern figure had completely changed.

"Have you been here before?"

"W-Well, what do you mean?"

"Otherwise, how would you know about the sake here?"

The sake at Nobu was well-known among regulars as a drink that, once you started, you couldn't stop. However, few people outside the shop knew about it.

Hearing a chuckle, Nicolaus turned to see Shinobu trying to suppress a laugh.

"What's so funny, Shinobu?"

"Nicolaus, Deacon Etwin is a regular here. He usually comes early, so you probably haven't seen him with the guards. And he always orders the sake thief for his otoshi."

"Sake thief?"

"It's katsuo no tataki marinated in its own innards. It's so good with sake that it's called a 'sake thief.'"

"Wow, it must be a big deal for a clergyman to have his sake stolen."

Etwin was quite the clergyman.

He had come here under the pretense of observing the guards, but it was clear he just wanted to drink.

"Deacon, you'll have to explain this to me on the way back."

"Alright, alright. By the way, how do you plan to report this? We were supposed to respond to a report of a thief, right…"

"We have a thief."

Nicolaus picked up the remaining sake thief.

"A serious criminal for stealing sake. The guards will take responsibility for capturing this small dish."

"Oh, there's still some left…"

Seeing the dejected deacon, Taisho and Shinobu burst out laughing, while Epha looked on in confusion.