Chapter 15

"Beautiful..."

At the counter of the fully occupied izakaya Nobu, an elderly man has been staring intently at the sashimi for a while now.

It's not just a casual look. He leans his face close to the plate, almost as if he's peering into it.

"Truly a beautiful cut."

The man, seemingly oblivious to Aifa's curious gaze from across the counter, admires the cut of the tuna sashimi.

The man, whose muscular build is crammed into a blacksmith's outfit, is named Holger. He is a master blacksmith of the ancient city's blacksmith guild, and since he arrived at the shop, he has been praising various things non-stop.

"Can you, the dish washer, appreciate the beauty of this cut?"

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Aifa shook her head from side to side.

Before coming to this shop, Aifa had never seen a cut of raw fish, so there was no way she could compare.

"I see, you can't appreciate this beauty... This is something truly remarkable."

"Is it that beautiful?"

"It's not something that can be described as just beautiful. Of course, the chef's skill is excellent, but it's the knife. The knife is truly remarkable. I've been a blacksmith for a long time, but I've never seen a knife that can produce such a perfect cut."

When Aifa looked up at Taisyo, who was preparing the grilled dishes, his usual stern expression had softened slightly. He seemed pleased to have his tools praised, and his movements in the kitchen looked more cheerful.

"Hey, Taisyo. Could you show me the knife one more time? I'm asking you."

Holger bowed deeply, and Taisyo chuckled.

"Alright, just for a moment."

Handing over the sashimi knife handle-first, Holger leaned in so close that he almost touched it, examining it intently.

The other customers watched with wry smiles, amused by his enthusiasm.

"I knew it was forged, but this is not just any forging. I've never seen steel like this..."

Holger's eyes, as he scrutinized the knife, took on a strange light that Aifa could see. She had a feeling he might take the knife away. Panicking, Aifa stepped out from behind the counter, tugged on Holger's sleeve, and whispered in his ear.

"If you take it, Taisyo won't be able to make sashimi anymore. Please don't take it."

Holger, perhaps realizing the seriousness of the situation from Aifa's pleading expression, returned the knife to Taisho. He seemed a bit embarrassed, aware that he had gone too far.

"Thank you, miss. Don't worry, I won't take it. This knife is like a soul to a chef."

He ruffled Aifa's red hair. His large, strong hand felt surprisingly gentle.

"No, Taisyo. You've shown me something truly remarkable. Thank you."

"It's an honor to be of service."

"It's more than that. I have a mountain of things I want to try from tomorrow. I'm grateful."

Holger nodded in satisfaction, then picked up a piece of tuna sashimi with his fingers, dipped it in the wasabi soy sauce, and popped it into his mouth.

Customers who are not used to chopsticks often use forks to eat sashimi, but some, like Holger, eat it this way.

After chewing a few times, he closed his eyes and swallowed, then washed it down with a beer.

"Delicious. This sashimi is truly delicious."

"Thank you."

Taisyo bowed.

With the premium tuna as his accompaniment, Holger was drinking sake from a special cut glass. The beautifully patterned glass was one that Aifa was not yet allowed to wash.

Recently, other izakayas in the ancient city have been trying to mimic Nobu's flavors. Aifa thought it was not easy to replicate, but there were many persistent ones.

While washing dishes, Aifa sometimes spotted employees from other shops who seemed to be scouting. When this happened, she would whisper to Taisyo or Shinobu, but they would just smile wryly and ignore them.

Even so, there was one dish that other shops could never replicate: sashimi.

The ancient city has many rivers and canals, but the fish that live there, no matter how carefully the water is drained, still have a muddy taste. It's impossible to eat them raw, so customers who fall in love with the delicious sashimi have no choice but to frequent Nobu.

"There's a man named Geaunot, a tax collector. He's a nasty guy, but he has a refined palate."

Holger holds a seat on the city council as a representative of the blacksmith guild. He often has the opportunity to speak with Geaunot, another council member, and it was through these conversations that he became interested in this shop.

"Since Geaunot, with his refined palate, praised it, I decided to come and try it. Taisyo, do you remember him?"

"No, I don't recall cooking for such a person."

While washing dishes, Aifa noticed Shinobu hiding in the corner, covering her face with a tray. Something must have happened.

"In any case, I really enjoyed the food here. I enjoyed Taisyo, the server Shinobu, and the dish washer Aifa. To add, I also really enjoyed the knives. I'll be a regular from now on."

As Taisyo responded with a "Thank you," a new customer slipped through the curtain and entered the shop.

"Welcome!"

"...Welcome."

The customer, as usual, responded cheerfully to the greetings. He was even larger than Holger, his body crammed into a blacksmith's outfit.

"Sorry, is there room for one more?"

"The counter is available."

As Shinobu guided him, the new blacksmith customer seemed in high spirits.

"You must be the famous Shinobu. My son told me about you. He's a guard and a regular here..."

As he sat down next to Holger, Aifa sensed a sudden tension in the air.

"...Isn't that <Clumsy Glassmaker> Laurenz?"

"...What's <Crybaby> Holger doing drinking here?"

The warm atmosphere from before was gone, and the counter was now enveloped in a tense air, as if a fight was about to break out. It wasn't a polite joust like a knight's tournament, but a brutal brawl like a clash between trolls in a story.

While moving the expensive plates that Shinobu had warned her about, Aifa prayed to the heavens that today's business would end safely.