Chapter 71

Beltholt arrived as promised, just before sunset.

His wife, Hermine, was with him. Beltholt, who usually had a stern expression, was now full of affection as he helped his pregnant wife through the sliding door of the izakaya.

"Welcome, Beltholt-san."

"Thanks for having us today, Shinobu-chan."

"Yes, the boss is waiting inside too."

As they welcomed the Beltholts, Shinobu squinted at the winter sunset.

The <Bakutei-ya> street was covered in white from the snow that fell from midnight to noon yesterday. The reflection was blinding. There were few people out on New Year's Eve, and the snow had not melted.

"Is it just you and the boss, Shinobu-chan?"

Beltholt asked as he pulled out a chair for Hermine.

"Yes. The shop is closed today anyway. Eifa and Hans are at their parents' house, and Leontine is attending a hometown association meeting."

A hometown association is a mutual aid society for people who have moved far from their hometowns.

In the ancient city, which is known for its commerce, many people live away from their hometowns. These people form hometown associations centered around chambers of commerce to support each other in their daily lives.

While their usual work involves lending money and arranging rentals, it is customary to gather on New Year's Eve and serve hometown dishes. Leontine was attending a meeting for people from the southern part of the Eastern Kingdom, and she was excited about making a special dish.

"Is that so? Then I might have brought too much."

From the large bag on his shoulder, Beltholt took out a package wrapped in bark. The delicious smell of cheese wafted from it.

"This is cheese from my hometown. In my family, we always make fondue with it."

Beltholt's hometown, where he served as a squadron leader in the guard, is known for its rugged mountainous terrain. As expected of a place famous for mercenaries and dairy products, the cheese is said to be excellent, Shinobu had heard.

"I've never had cheese fondue. How about you, Hermine?"

"Me neither. Even if we get cheese from home, we save it for New Year's Eve."

Hermine's cheeks, which looked a bit fuller than when she worked at the izakaya, smiled. Although her belly was not yet noticeable, she seemed to have a different aura now that she was pregnant.

"Beltholt-san, here are the ingredients you asked for."

Shinobu's partner, Nobu, appeared from the back of the shop with a basket full of ingredients.

Starting with sausages and thick slices of ham, there were also baguettes, warm vegetables, and seafood like shrimp and clams that had been briefly blanched.

"Excellent, excellent. As expected of the boss. Shall we start preparing?"

Beltholt placed a pot he had taken from his bag on a portable stove that was already set up. As he cut the cheese and put it in the pot, he smiled slyly.

"Left alone, the cheese will just burn. We need to add some alcohol to thin it out."

"Is it wine?"

"Ordinary fondue, yes. But our family's fondue is a bit different."

Beltholt then took out an old earthenware jar. The moment he opened the lid, a faint floral scent filled the izakaya.

"This is Zakhru Schwaesser, a wine made from the fruit of flowers that bloom in spring. It goes best with fondue."

Hearing about spring flowers, Shinobu remembered last spring.

The light pink flowers that bloomed all over the ancient city were like cherry blossoms. Eifa had called them Zakhru.

"Can you make wine from those flowers?"

"In the ancient city and Sakhnusenburg, I haven't heard of them being used for wine. I think it's probably a custom only in the mountains."

Understanding that it was a local specialty, Shinobu nodded and helped prepare the fondue.

Nobu, who was always well-prepared, had somehow found a long-handled fondue fork. He must have guessed the menu from the ingredients Beltholt had requested.

As the cheese in the pot warmed, an indescribable aroma began to fill the shop.

"In winter, we tend to eat a lot of preserved foods, so we splurge on a feast on New Year's Eve. That's the official reason, though."

"What do you mean by 'official reason'?"

"Basically, it's a way to make old, hardened bread and meat a bit more palatable. It turned out to be unexpectedly delicious, so it became a real feast."

Beltholt's tone was self-deprecating, but his expression was proud. He must love his hometown, even from a distance.

"By the way, Leontine said they fry ham and mushrooms at the hometown association meeting."

Nobu, who was cutting thick slices of bacon into bite-sized pieces, mused aloud.

"Is that also a way to make preserved foods taste better?"

"Probably. They coat them in batter and fry them, so they sound delicious too."

Different places have different ways of doing things.

Thinking about how New Year's dishes were originally preserved foods, Shinobu watched the pot. The cheese was just right, and the bubbling sound was stimulating his appetite.

"Is it ready yet?"

"Yep, it's ready."

Before Beltholt finished speaking, Shinobu had already stabbed a piece of baguette with a fondue fork, but the other three didn't move.

Observing the situation, Shinobu noticed that Beltholt and Hermine were quietly reciting a prayer.

"...We have been able to eat our fill this year thanks to the blessings of the Sun God, the Moon God, and the Moon Goddess. May we be able to eat our fill next year as well."

It was a rather casual prayer, but Shinobu felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment upon hearing it.

It's easy to forget that they have their own customs when interacting with them as a regular customer and staff at the izakaya. It's not something to be dismissed lightly.

Although it had been almost a year since they opened the shop, there was still much to learn.

"Let's eat, then."

After Beltholt and Hermine finished their prayers, Nobu signaled for everyone to pick up their forks.

Each person dipped their favorite ingredients into the cheese and brought them to their mouths.

"Delicious!"

The type of cheese Beltholt brought was unfamiliar to Shinobu, but it seemed to be a slightly salty variety. The rich flavor combined perfectly with the ingredients.

It seemed that not adding any seasoning to the ingredients was the right choice. The cheese, melted with a slightly sweet wine, added depth to the flavor.

"Isn't it delicious?"

Beltholt, who was helping Hermine by dividing the ingredients for her, smiled with his teeth showing. Indeed, it was a proud dish.

"It's really delicious."

"You can add it to the menu at the izakaya if you want."

Even without being asked, Shinobu was already thinking about how to make this cheese fondue fit the izakaya. From the look on Nobu's face, he was probably thinking the same thing.

Since Beltholt's fruit wine would be hard to get, they would need to use something else. Perhaps a fruit liqueur could be a substitute. Or, they could change the cheese to balance the flavors. Changing the cheese might even allow them to use sake for the fondue, which could be interesting.

While thinking about the brands, Shinobu's hands didn't stop.

The classic baguette was good, but the meat, with its strong flavor, also paired well with the cheese.

It's a well-known fact that seafood goes well with cheese. The combination in her mouth was like a reunion, creating a perfect harmony. She could eat this all night.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, Nobu dashed into the kitchen. He returned with another portable stove, some oil, and a supermarket bag.

"What's up, boss? Is that the mochi from Tawara-san?"

Yesterday, Tawara, Nobu's former master from the ryotei Yuki-tsun, had brought mochi. While Yuki-tsun uses round mochi, Tawara had brought square mochi, the style used in the Kanto region. They had been discussing how to enjoy it.

"Shinobu-chan, you need to be prepared."

"Prepared?"

Nobu, who was saying something incomprehensible, suddenly dropped bite-sized pieces of mochi into the oil.

It was arare (crispy rice crackers).

And the fact that Nobu was frying arare right now meant...

"Boss, no! That's too dangerous!"

Using freshly fried arare as an ingredient for the cheese fondue.

It was bound to be a dangerous combination. Especially since this cheese was stronger in flavor than what could be found in Japan. It had to go well with the arare.

Nobu reverently handed the first piece of crispy arare to Shinobu.

Her throat naturally rumbled.

Tonight, she didn't care about calories.

She dipped the freshly fried arare into the sea of cheese with her fork. The mochi and cheese intertwined.

In front of the other three, who were watching with bated breath, Shinobu slowly put the fork in her mouth.

Her reaction was speechless.

As expected, it was delicious. She was incredibly happy.

Seeing Shinobu nod silently, Nobu began to fry the next piece of arare.

"Shinobu-chan and the boss, you two are really close."

Beltholt muttered. Hermine, who was eating broccoli, nodded.

"Are we, really?"

"Yeah, you two are really close. Hans is lucky to have you two looking after him."

The conversation took an unexpected turn, but Beltholt was Hans' former superior. He might be worried about Hans, even though he hadn't seen him do anything specific.

"Boss, how is he doing? Is Hans doing well?"

Nobu scratched his chin when asked.

"It's hard to say. I'm having him do plating and odd jobs. But... "

"But?"

"He has a good demeanor. He has the potential to be a great chef."

"Is that so... a good demeanor, huh?"

Beltholt's words conveyed a mix of relief and sadness.

"If he wasn't suited for it, I was prepared to take him back into the guard."

"Is that how it works?"

Nobu looked a bit surprised. He had been a chef since high school and might have felt something about a chef returning to his original path.

"Of course, only if he agrees."

"Is the guard short-handed?"

Beltholt laughed and shook his head at Shinobu's question.

"I'm not that unsentimental to call back a fledgling just because we're short-handed. I just thought it was a shame for Hans to leave the guard."

"I see."

Shinobu could clearly see that Hans was loved. The charm was evident. His decision to become a chef was not a whim.

"Anyway, I'm relieved. Please take good care of Hans from now on."

Without needing to bow to the "Demon" Beltholt, both Shinobu and Nobu had already accepted Hans as part of the izakaya family. There was no reason to refuse.

"Sure, leave it to us. We'll make him a great chef."

As Shinobu pounded her chest, Beltholt and Hermine burst into laughter.

"May next year be a good year."

Beltholt mumbled as he scraped the bottom of the pot with a piece of baguette.

"It will be, I'm sure."

Hermine said, hugging Beltholt's shoulder. Shinobu and Nobu watched quietly.

The bell signaling the new year rang from the center of the ancient city.

It was the bell from the cathedral on the island.

The snow, which had started falling again, covered the old year.

The light from the izakaya continued to shine until the night was deep.