Chapter 26

Shinobu had brought back a bucket full of eels from the evening market. Although Laurence thought there was no need to buy such a large quantity for the staff meal, Shinobu just smiled slyly when asked about it.

From the fact that Taisho didn’t get angry, it seemed he really liked eels. Still, this was too much. If they made eel jelly, it would take until next week to finish it all.

"Mr. Laurence, if you want to eat, just order it."

"Come on, cut it out. I’ve got this grilled bacon. With this, I can drink ale all night."

He ordered his eighth ale and took a sip. Laurence no longer intended to listen to the argument at the back table. There was a sense that this job had been given to him because it wouldn’t be resolved anyway. If the city council really intended to resolve the issue, there should be someone more suitable than Laurence, who was originally a traveling craftsman.

Still, the fact that it was pushed onto Laurence meant they only wanted the record of having held a discussion. The city council could claim they had attempted to mediate the problem. Then, someone would draw the short straw and lend money to Reinhold.

Godhardt would get the money, no matter the source, and Eleonora would have done her part as a mediator. In other words, the discussion was a complete waste of time, but a necessary one. Godhardt’s mood might improve a little if he could yell loudly, but that was the extent of its meaning. It was a nuisance for Laurence to be involved in a waste of time he knew was a waste.

"Well, let's get started."

Taisho, more energized than usual, took the eels out of the bucket. He fixed the eel's head with a sharp, pointed tool and quickly filleted it. His hands were quick. His skills were so impressive that he wanted to show them to the blacksmith Holger.

"I think the Edomae style is the best for eels."

While saying something incomprehensible, he finished filleting the first eel and moved on to the next. It was impressive to watch the eels, which had been alive until then, turn into beautifully sliced fillets through Taisho’s artistic handling.

"Hey, Shinobu. You’re opening them up like that... Is it okay? I remember that for eel jelly and stew, you cut them into pieces."

"I don’t know about that way of eating, but eels are opened up. Opening from the belly is the Kansai style, and from the back is the Edomae style."

"Whether it’s Kansai or Edomae, there are various styles. Do you eat a lot of eels in your hometown, Shinobu?"

"Yes, we ate so much that they almost disappeared."

Eating eels to the point of almost depleting them was more than the people of the United Kingdom. There were still plenty of eels in the rivers of that country. After filleting all the eels in the bucket, Taisho skewered them and put them into a large, steaming pot one by one.

"What? You’re cooking them in a different way, but you’re going to stew them, right?"

"No, I’m not stewing them. I’m steaming them."

Watching Shinobu prepare the bowls with impatience, Laurence gradually became interested in the eels. He had decided to drink only grilled bacon tonight, but he started to think it would be fine to try a bite of Nobu’s eels.

Taisho dipped the steamed eels in the sauce and quickly grilled them. The sizzling sound and the sweet and savory aroma tickled Laurence’s nose at the counter.

"Are you going to grill the eels?"

"There are other cooking methods, but grilling is the most common."

"Really? I thought they would be cooked through from the steaming."

"Steaming and then grilling makes the flesh soft and fluffy. I prefer this method to the Kansai style of grilling them directly. The bones are also removed, making them very easy to eat."

As Shinobu said, the eel stew he had eaten in the United Kingdom during his travels had many bones and was hard to eat. Nobu’s eels had the bones removed by Taisho, so they might be easier to eat.

As Taisho started fanning the eels, the continuous shouting suddenly stopped. The good smell must have reached the back table. The sound of the three men swallowing their saliva could almost be heard from where Laurence was.

"…What are you grilling?"

"Yes, it’s our staff meal. It seems the guests aren’t eating much or drinking much."

In response to Reinhold’s question, Shinobu answered with a haughty tone. The youngest son, Hans, had also said that this server tended to be cold to customers who didn’t order food.

"Having a staff meal because the guests don’t order is a terrible way to run a restaurant… But being teased with such a good smell and not getting any is frustrating. Even if it’s a staff meal, can you serve me some?"

At Godhardt’s words, Shinobu seemed to have an idea.

"Understood. It’s impolite to serve only the staff, so I’ll serve this dish for free."

"Free? What are you up to?"

"Ms. Eleonora, don’t worry. I’m not up to anything. However, if you can guess the ingredients, it’s free. Each person gets one guess."

The word "free" seemed to pique the interest of all three. With such a good-smelling dish, they all wanted to try it for free. Eleonora was the first to step forward.

"The smell is… Is it lamb? Soft lamb fillet with a sauce, right?"

"Sorry, that’s incorrect."

Next, Godhardt raised his hand confidently.

"Eleonora is wrong. It’s not lamb but fish. It must have been brought from the northern port via the canal. It’s not salmon because the flavor would clash with the sauce, so it must be cod."

"Mr. Godhardt, that’s also incorrect."

Reinhold, the last one, didn’t answer rashly and looked at the ceiling or twisted his neck for a while. But, unable to come up with an answer, he decided to guess.

"Since the food experts couldn’t guess, I can’t either. I have no idea, but I’d be happy if it’s eel."

Eleonora and Godhardt laughed at Reinhold’s answer.

"Eels can’t produce such a delicious smell."

"Eleonora is right, Reinhold. If this dish is really eel and it’s delicious… I might consider compensating with a fishing license."

"Really, Godhardt? Is it okay to make such a promise?"

"Even if it’s any other ingredient, it can’t be eel."

With a full smile, Shinobu announced the correct answer to the two who were mocking Reinhold.

"The correct answer is eel!"

"What?"

"No way!"

"Got it!"

Enjoying the various reactions, Shinobu brought the grilled eel to the table, including Laurence’s portion.

"…So this is eel."

Leaving the mixed emotions at the back table, Laurence focused on the steaming hot dish in front of him. Wooden knives and forks were prepared for Laurence, who couldn’t use chopsticks.

"The smell is good… Let’s see how it tastes."

Putting a piece in his mouth, Laurence was surprised by its tenderness. The rich but not overpowering sweet and savory sauce and the fluffy texture that crumbled at the touch of the tongue made it feel like a completely different creature from the muddy, bony eels he knew. However, Laurence had watched the eels being prepared from the bucket, so he knew it was eel, no matter what anyone said.

Even at the back table, there were indescribable sounds. Even the most discerning food critics might not have tasted such a dish. Laurence had to bring Geaunot here someday.

Looking at Shinobu, she was enjoying a bowl of rice topped with eel, with grains of rice sticking to her cheeks, which was quite charming.

"Taisho, can I have another plate of eel…?"

"Can we have some for this table too?"

"That’s unfair, Godhardt! I want some too!"

"Can I have a plate too?"

With a laugh, Taisho started grilling the next eel. The aroma filled the shop with the sound of fanning, and the stomachs that had been full from ale started to rumble. Sake would be better with this eel than ale.

"See, Mr. Laurence, buying a bucket of eels was the right choice, wasn’t it?"

Faced with Shinobu’s triumphant smile, Laurence could only return a wry smile.

After the three from the Water Transport Guild left, Laurence stayed behind to enjoy the sake. The side dish was eel grilled without sauce. A little wasabi made it incredibly delicious. He had intended to pair it with ale, but the taste was so good that he switched to sake.

"But in the end, who really benefited?"

Muttering to himself, he organized his thoughts. Godhardt, who obtained the eel fishing rights, could be said to have benefited. If the eel cooking method spread, the previously worthless water rights would gain value. However, would the method spread so easily? Explaining it to his subordinates would be difficult. The real hard work might be just beginning.

Eleonora, who mediated between the two, gained prestige. She had been treated as a lower-class person despite her wealth. In that sense, she gained a significant benefit.

Reinhold was a difficult case to judge. In the sense that he concluded the deal with Godhardt for only the water rights as originally planned, it was a benefit. However, if he had kept the water rights, he might have made a fortune from eels in the future. He might have lost a new source of income. While he managed to get through today, there was no clear future prospect.

There was one person who definitely benefited. Taisho, who was sharpening his knife in front of Laurence, would likely make a fortune from eel dishes.

He looked like someone who found joy only in feeding others delicious food, but perhaps such people were the happiest. Thinking about this, Laurence dried the sake in the cut glass.