Chapter 53

"Today's meal was delicious too."

After seeing Hans off after he finished his lunch, the only remaining customers were Arnu and Ingrid.

The izakaya "Bu" doesn't put out the noren (shop curtain) until the evening, but regulars come before that. It's hard to turn them away, so I serve them food. For some reason, Arnu and Ingrid have started coming almost every day.

"Are you eating tempura again, Arnu?"

"Speaking of which, Ingrid, are you having pudding again?"

Their orders are always tempura and pudding. I start preparing as soon as I hear them knocking on the glass door.

"Since you're at an izakaya that serves delicious food, why don't you try something other than tempura?"

"If you say so, Ingrid, why don't you order something other than pudding?"

"I'm fine. I don't have much time left. I'll just enjoy my favorite things and fade away gracefully."

"I think you'll live to be a hundred at this rate."

Their banter is full of barbs, but there's no malice. Despite being a pharmacist and a prodigal son, they seem to get along surprisingly well.

As Ingrid was repeating this banter, she suddenly looked down at Arnu's plate. It was tempura of shiitake mushrooms. Today's shiitake mushrooms were of particularly good quality, and Shinobu was confident in serving them.

"Mushrooms. That's a rare type, isn't it?"

"Yes, they're sourced from a special supplier."

Ingrid skewered the shiitake with her fork, saying "Hmm."

"Speaking of mushrooms, there's a silly story."

Ingrid's tone became more relaxed, probably due to the alcohol.

"Long ago, in the Holy Kingdom, there was a tall nun and a short novice. The short one was smart but was often mocked by others. He was always looking for a chance to show them up. One day, he got a big opportunity."

The big opportunity was to assist in the reception of a visiting noble at the Holy Capital, the headquarters of the Church. The noble was known to make large donations, so the reception had to be perfect.

The two young ones were assigned to inspect the food. They were to confirm the menu with a renowned chef from a top inn in the Holy Capital, and to exclude any inappropriate ingredients, combinations, or cooking methods. The tall nun was in charge of alcohol and sweets, while the short novice was in charge of the food.

"The short one was very enthusiastic. He started researching classical texts and made some minor discoveries. But then—"

"Then what?"

When Shinobu urged her to continue, Ingrid's chuckle grew louder.

"He forgot to research the customs of the Duchy of Sanknusenburg."

Arnu reacted slightly to the name "Sanknusenburg," but Ingrid continued.

"The Duchy of Sanknusenburg is around the old capital. In this area, they don't eat mushrooms. The short one overlooked the fact that the main dish was filled with mushrooms. It's a silly story."

A chill ran down Shinobu's spine. Selecting foods that customers dislike or shouldn't eat is important in a restaurant. She could relate to such a story.

While Yukitsuna, as far as Shinobu knew, had never made such a major mistake, she had hired a chef who had caused a similar incident and had to leave his previous restaurant.

"So, what happened to the Duke of Sanknusenburg?"

Arnu asked with a somber expression, and Ingrid smiled.

"Nothing as bad as you think, Arnu. The short one was fine. The Duke of Sanknusenburg was known as a wise ruler. However, someone had to take responsibility."

"But the Duke didn't get angry?"

"Shinobu, you're not a child. Taking on this role was a significant promotion. It would have caused trouble for those who chose them."

"So, what happened to the novice?"

"No, the one who left the Holy Kingdom was the tall nun. She took all the responsibility."

She sent a letter to everyone involved, stating that all the responsibility was hers, and the next morning, the tall nun was nowhere to be found in the Holy Capital. It was believed that the tall nun was the real culprit and the short novice was just caught up in it.

"Still, the short one was smart and had a promising future. So, everything was resolved, and all was well."

"What about the tall nun?"

"Who knows? Maybe she's doing well somewhere."

Ingrid's expression was brighter than usual as she said this.

"Still, I didn't know mushrooms were taboo around here. Everyone seems to eat them normally."

Arnu responded to Shinobu's murmur.

"About a hundred years ago, there was a witch hunt in this area. They suspected that witches were spreading food poisoning through mushrooms. It turned out to be a false accusation, but it's a reminder to not forget the lesson. Also, there are many poisonous mushrooms in this area that are hard to distinguish. Some are only toxic when eaten with alcohol."

"You know a lot, Arnu."

"Anyone from around here knows this. Young people don't care much and don't want to waste food."

Arnu laughed and took a bite of the shiitake tempura.

"So, Shinobu, here's a tip. I wouldn't recommend serving mushrooms in a recognizable form around here."

"I've already sold quite a bit."

"True, after a hundred years, the custom of avoiding mushrooms has probably weakened. Still, it's better to be safe. Dishes like tempura, where the shape is less recognizable, might be okay."

Shinobu nodded, and Shizuo sent a sad look her way.

"Come on, boss."

"I just bought a lot of mushrooms... mushrooms..."

One of Shizuo's bad habits is buying too much. When he finds good ingredients, he tends to buy more than he needs.

Looking at the bag Shizuo showed, Shinobu let out a groan.

"What do we do with this...?"

"It doesn't keep for long, so we should serve it quickly."

As Shizuo pondered, Ingrid and Arnu smiled encouragingly.

"Luckily, neither of us cares about avoiding mushrooms. Feel free to serve it. We can help with the inventory."

With Ingrid's words, something seemed to spark in Shizuo. He rolled up his sleeves and started preparing the mushrooms.

He chopped them into bite-sized pieces and heated olive oil in a frying pan, not forgetting the chili peppers.

"Hmm, you're making them in oil?"

"You know this, Ingrid?"

"I've had it many times when I was young. It's cheap but delicious. I tried to make it for Camilla here, but it's hard to get good olive oil this far north."

The smell of olive oil tickled their noses. With plenty of garlic added, the aroma hit their empty stomachs.

After adding salt and parsley to taste, the dish was complete.

"Hey, boss, didn't you make this last time too?"

"That time it was with octopus."

"Usually, you only serve Japanese food. What's the sudden change? I think it's good for an izakaya to have a variety of dishes."

"Shuhari, that's what it is. Shuhari."

Shinobu was skillfully deflected because the dish on the plate looked so delicious. If it weren't for the mushroom issue, she would have added it to the regular menu.

Even Arnu, the tempura fan, and Ingrid, the pudding fan, were holding their forks, salivating in anticipation.

"Here, please enjoy."

As Shizuo served the dish over the counter, he started baking bread.

In a proper setting, he would bake baguettes, but he wasn't that prepared.

It was probably bread he had bought for breakfast, which he keeps in the second floor of the shop.

Dipping the bread in the olive oil, rich with the flavors of mushrooms and garlic, would be incredibly delicious.

Shinobu wanted to eat it. She had to eat it.

When she tried to get a small portion, the boss smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, Shinobu. I put in a lot of garlic."

"Boss...!"

As a server, she couldn't eat something with a lot of garlic before opening the shop.

While Shinobu was complaining with tears in her eyes, Shizuo moved on to the next task.

He boiled water in a pot and cooked pasta.

He heated the remaining ajo blanco in a frying pan and added the cooked pasta, mixing it well to create a mushroom oil pasta. He added a bit of chili and basil to make it more palatable.

"Master, are you having this today?"

Camilla, who had just peeked in, was wearing a black robe she had received from Ingrid, instead of her usual red one. She was apparently dressing like Ingrid to become a pharmacist at the pharmacy in front of the temple.

"Master, that's unfair! You're eating something delicious!"

"Camilla, why don't you try it? Shizuo is making pasta for you."

"Thank you!"

Camilla attacked the pepperoni pasta with her fork.

"It's spicy!"

It seemed a bit too spicy for Camilla, but she was still eating it with a "hmm" and looking delicious.

Shinobu decided to ask Shizuo to make a garlic-free ajo blanco pasta before they ran out of mushrooms.