Chapter 34

The dish that came out was a slender fish with a well-browned surface.

To Johann-Gustav, for whom dried fish was the norm, this kind of fish seemed rather exotic.

His uncle, on the other hand, seemed to have a different impression, as he picked up his fork with a satisfied smile.

"It's grilled sardines marinated in soy sauce."

Sardines, another unfamiliar fish, were well-seasoned and delicious. It might not be the best match for ale or lager, but it was appetizing.

"The Nanban-zuke we had earlier was good, but I like this one better. It has a rustic charm, like something you'd eat in a fishing village."

"Have you ever been to a fishing village, Uncle?"

"I grew up by the sea before I became a son-in-law."

The food in fishing villages is quite flavorful, his uncle continued.

"When you work hard, you sweat. Not like the amount we sweat while hunting. It's so much that it leaves a layer of salt when it dries. When you sweat that much, you naturally crave salty food."

Saying this, his uncle, who even ate the bones, amazed Johann-Gustav as he ate the sardines. There was a different culture here, far from the meals served at court or noble banquets.

"Food changes with the place. The empire is vast. The bread we usually eat is made from wheat, but I hear that barley is mixed in north of the ancient capital. The empire negotiates with such people."

"Do you mean that we can't understand people who eat different things?"

"Don't be silly. That's only true up to the kingdom. An empire must have the breadth to embrace people who eat, wear, and even live for different reasons. If it can't, it shouldn't call itself an empire."

Sometimes, what his uncle said was so lofty that even Johann-Gustav, a noble, couldn't fully understand it. When he spoke like this, one had to be careful not to say anything careless and upset him.

"The next dish is fried horse mackerel. Please pour the sauce on it!"

The next dish was brought not by the previous waiter but by a girl who had been washing dishes. She was quite charming and seemed to be of imperial descent, unlike the other two staff members.

"Making us pour the sauce ourselves. This is an interesting twist."

Dousing the fish with sauce, his uncle stained the breading black. Still, the crispy fried fish looked delicious.

"Should I cut it with a knife and fork?"

When Johann-Gustav asked the girl, she laughed and replied.

"You shouldn't eat fried horse mackerel politely. The secret to enjoying it is to eat it rudely and noisily."

Hearing this, his uncle put down his knife with a pleased look.

"Eating it rudely, huh. It's been a while since I did that."

Piercing it with his fork, Johann-Gustav tentatively brought the fry to his mouth. The crispy breading and the slightly tangy, flavorful sauce went well with the mild taste of the horse mackerel.

"This goes well with lager, Uncle."

"Yes, it's delicious. There's a certain flavor that you can't experience if you cut it up elegantly."

They finished the two horse mackerels each and his uncle asked for a refill of lager.

"Johann-Gustav, I heard that in the Northern Three Provinces, they still eat with their hands."

"Yes, one of the counts from the Windelmark family was furious after being embarrassed at a dinner in the capital."

"That's the kind of small things that add up, I suppose."

The current emperor seems to be trying to suppress the independence of the Northern Three Provinces outright, but is that really the right approach? Talking to his uncle made him wonder if the policy was flawed.

Of course, as an imperial noble, he was against recognizing independence. If you recognize it in one place, it could lead to endless secession. For the empire's prestige, it should not be overlooked.

While he was thinking about this, the next dish was brought out. The girl who brought it seemed to be carrying a plate that was too large.

"It's braised flounder... Oops!"

Sure enough, the plate was too large. The girl stumbled, and the impressive fish on the plate fell to the floor. Fortunately, the plate didn't break, but the dish was ruined. It was a pity, as it looked like a fine fish.

"I'm terribly sorry! Are you hurt?"

The girl, who was frantically apologizing, was gently smiled at by his uncle, who took out his handkerchief and wiped her face.

"I'm fine. My clothes don't seem to be dirty either. Are you okay, miss?"

"Yes!"

"It would be bad if you had a burn. Here, take this handkerchief and cool it with water immediately."

"Thank you!"

The owner and the previous waiter also came out and bowed. The waiter immediately started cleaning the floor with the girl. It was a mishap, but the handling was not unpleasant. This kind of response would be hard to expect in a regular izakaya.

"Still, it's a shame about this flounder."

His uncle looked genuinely disappointed. It was probably a fish that was hard to come by in his usual environment.

"I'm terribly sorry."

The owner bowed deeply and apologized respectfully. It must have been the main dish.

"No, it's fine. I'm satisfied just knowing that a place that serves such fish exists in the ancient capital."

"No, that's not it. One of your flounders will be a bit late."

"What do you mean?"

He didn't understand what the waiter was saying, but his doubt was resolved when the waiter brought out a plate with a fish of the same size as the previous one.

"We'll prepare another one right away."

"Oh, no, that's fine. I'll share this flounder with Johann-Gustav."

"Is that so? I understand."

To have another fish of that size ready was unbelievable, but there it was. Johann-Gustav was even more impressed with the izakaya Nobu. His uncle, however, seemed to be thinking about something else as he ate the flounder, his face showing a sharpness reminiscent of his days before retirement.

"The final dish of the day is salmon ochazuke."

The dish that was brought out was a bowl of rice with soup poured over it, topped with a red fish.

"This fish... is salmon?"

"Uncle, do you know it?"

"Yes, in the regions north of the Northern Three Provinces, they come up the rivers in winter. The salted ones are widely distributed. I ate a lot of them when I was young."

Saying this, his uncle inserted a wooden spoon into the ochazuke and looked a bit disappointed.

"Ah, of course, there's no skin."

Noticing how despairing his monologue was, the waiter quickly responded.

"Don't worry! We kept the skin and will grill it for you!"

Hearing this, the owner began grilling the salmon skin on a wire mesh. The aroma was indescribably fragrant.

"You like salmon skin, sir?"

"Indeed. Do you like it, miss?"

"Yes, it's my favorite."

Johann-Gustav, who didn't know what salmon skin tasted like, was completely left behind, but it seemed to be incredibly delicious.

"When I was young, I once said I would give any reward to anyone who brought me a piece of salmon skin as thick as my thumb."

"That was quite a bold offer."

"Fortunately, no one brought me any salmon skin, so it's all right. Or rather, unfortunately."

Watching his uncle drink sake while betting on the salmon skin, Johann-Gustav felt a pleasant drowsiness come over him. He hadn't been sleeping well lately due to his busy schedule.

"Johann-Gustav looks sleepy. Let's call it a night."

"Thank you very much for coming today. We look forward to your next visit."

The waiter's greeting made his uncle smile happily.

"Thank you for the kind offer, but I live quite far away. However, I will definitely visit again if I have the chance."

"Thank you."

"Of course, after enjoying such delicious salmon skin."

They had entered the izakaya at dusk, but the sky of the ancient capital was already dotted with stars. On the way to the inn, his uncle quickly gave instructions to the gathered guards and butler.

"Change the menu for the meeting the day after tomorrow. It's urgent, but make sure to arrange it."