Chapter 57

Kokushin brought the middle-aged man home.

"Huh? Why is he here?"

It's that middle-aged man. The pushy guy we met at the commercial guild. He peeked out from behind Kokushin with a smile,

"Good evening. I'm sorry for dropping by unannounced. Oh, what a nice smell."

He said this cheerfully while zeroing in on the mountain of fried chicken on the plate. Really, he's so eager.

When I looked at Kokushin, she seemed a bit down.

"What's wrong?"

I leaned in and asked in a whisper.

"It's nothing..."

I think it's not nothing, but everyone has one or two things they don't want to talk about. I won't push it.

"Why is the middle-aged man here?"

"Oh, just to report something and see if there's anything interesting... No, no, it's to check on your mood. Of course, I didn't come empty-handed."

He's being quite honest.

The middle-aged man then pulled out a wine bottle from behind. Well, calling him a middle-aged man isn't good.

"Thank you. By the way, may I ask your name?"

As I took the wine, I asked, and he tapped his forehead and made a face.

"What a mistake. I apologize for not introducing myself."

"Oh, no, I probably just forgot."

I glanced at Kokushin, and she nodded.

"Is that so? Well, as a merchant, it's important to be remembered. I'll have to work on that."

He didn't seem offended and laughed heartily before introducing himself again.

"My name is Gabal. I run the Gabal Trading Company. It's a family business, but we deal with a wide range of goods. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to visit us."

He bowed gracefully.

"Then, Mr. Gabal, why don't you join us for dinner?"

I invited him before he could say anything, since he looked so hungry.

"Thank you! I'd love to!"

So, we had dinner with four of us. Kokushin was back to normal, and Rada was happily showing off her mayonnaise. Unfortunately, I can't tell her about it.

We poured the wine into wooden cups and toasted. I drank too. It has a low alcohol content.

Fried chicken, fresh vegetables with mayonnaise, bread, and fish soup. I made the soup by boiling the bones of dried fish I caught from the lake, seasoned with salt, and added shredded fish. It's a simple dish.

"Mayonnaise is so good!"

Rada, who made it herself, seemed to like the mayonnaise. She was eating vegetables she usually doesn't eat. I understand. With mayonnaise, you can eat vegetables.

Kokushin was into the fried chicken. This meat lover. Of course, I'm a meat lover too. I love fish too. Ah, I want some tuna. I wonder if they have a raw food culture.

Mr. Gabal, the middle-aged man, was nodding while eating. He was smiling, so it must be good.

I started eating. The soup was a bit lacking but delicious. The fish is delicious, even when it's for sale, but the best-seller is salted fish. I prefer dried fish. I caught it from the lake, opened it up, and dried it in the yard. It's essentially one-night dried fish. The fried chicken is delicious. I'll eat it with mayonnaise. I want some seven-spice. If there's any left, I'll make a sandwich for breakfast. Will there be any left?

"Mr. Reito!"

While I was enjoying my meal, I realized Gabal was talking to me. His face was close.

"Please, I know it's a lot to ask, but could you teach us how to make these dishes?"

"Eh, ah~"

I don't mind teaching. But not the mayonnaise.

"Of course, I won't ask for free!"

His eyes gleamed as he entered negotiation mode. I don't mind, but...

"Let's talk after we finish eating. You mentioned something about a report too."

"Ah, right. I got a bit ahead of myself."

Gabal sat back down.

"Still, I've never tasted anything like this. I thought I had tried everything in my line of work."

"Really?"

Well, these dishes aren't cheap, despite appearances. If you tried to sell them at a street stall, you'd need to do a lot of work.

Adventurers can earn a lot if they have the skills. They can earn a lot, but they also have expenses like equipment adjustments and potion purchases. They love to drink and socialize. Some get hooked on brothels or gambling. So, some parties are always short on money. For us, expenses are mainly food and rent. We're not pushing ourselves right now. And Rada's medicine helps a lot. It reduces expenses and provides income. She's embarrassed that she can't contribute in battle, but she's actually a big help. So, we have money. We've covered the expenses from our recent splurge.

"Um, the fried chicken is like this."

After the meal, I explained the ingredients verbally, and Gabal wrote them down.

The compensation was money and food, and introductions to skilled carpenters and blacksmiths. I want a whisk and Jenga. I'm not good at Othello, so I'll do that later.

By the way, the report he mentioned was about using vacant houses. We agreed to try a few and let them do as they please.

"Hmm, a lot of oil, huh?"

"Fat from animals like boar is fine too. It might be a bit greasy, and it will have a smell."

"Um, I'll have to try it to see, but I'm sure we can manage. So, what about this mayonnaise?"

This is the main event, right? I get it, the ingredients are hard to imagine.

"I can't teach you. It's not out of malice, but it involves a skill, so for now... you know."

"Skill, huh..."

Gabal looked disappointed.

Actually, raw food is difficult.

I went to a house that raises chickens to buy eggs for this. They were free-range, and I got eggs of unknown age. Even though they last a while at room temperature, they can't be eaten raw. I had to appraise each one to buy them.

So, I can't teach something that has potential risks. A group food poisoning incident would be no joke. Even if it can be cured with recovery medicine, there's a chance it might not be in time and someone could die.

"Well, I can't help it. If we can find someone with the same skill..."

Purification is one thing, but does he have the appraisal skill?

Gabal flipped the memo paper.

"Then, what about this soup?"

He doesn't give up easily.

"Um, it's made from dried fish."

When I explained it in detail, he said, "Oh," with interest. Dried fish usually means whole dried fish.

"Does it last long?"

"No, it doesn't."

Probably 2-3 days. When I shook my head, he folded his arms and thought.

"Um, I'm sorry, but can I bring someone with the cooking skill another day to learn the fried chicken? Of course, we'll provide the ingredients!"

"Eh, um~"

It's a bit of a hassle, but it's not urgent. I glanced at Kokushin. She shrugged. Rada's face said, "I want to eat fried chicken."

"Alright, how about the day after tomorrow?"

"Really! Thank you! I'll prepare something to show my gratitude!"

He shook my hands vigorously.