The next day, I decided to head out, aiming for the opening time.
The only job I’m currently undertaking is glass polishing, requested by a young priest named Thomas from the cathedral, so I can finish up early. Apparently, he wants to make something called a “far-seeing glass” that’s becoming popular in the Holy Kingdom recently, but Lorenz doesn’t really understand it.
“Boss, shall we head out soon?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Leaving the workshop, they headed south along the road illuminated by the setting sun. The road, frozen by yesterday’s rain, had thawed, and now it was just a little muddy. The craftsman’s district and Coachman’s Lodge street are very close to each other.
“Is this the first time I’ve been to a pub with you?”
“I can’t drink, alcohol itself, you know.”
“Now that you mention it, that’s right. But, Nobu’s food is delicious too.”
“That’s something to look forward to.”
Unlike Hans, who has ordinary brown hair, Hugo’s hair and eyes are a deep, dark brown. Hugo’s mother is different from Hans’. Hugo’s mother, who originated from a nomadic tribe in the far west, couldn’t drink a single drop of alcohol. He had heard that the entire clan was like that, so he figured it must be a common trait.
While talking about the skills of the newly hired craftsman, they arrived in front of Nobu in no time.
Shinobu was just putting out the noren.
“Lorenz-san, welcome! It’s been a while.”
“Yeah, it’s been a bit.”
“And who is this?”
“You haven’t met Shinobu-chan before, huh? This is my son, Hugo. Hans’ older brother.”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Hugo.”
“Welcome, Hugo-san. Please, come inside.”
As they were guided inside, Hans looked surprised for a moment. But, without saying anything in particular, he gave a slight nod and immediately returned his gaze to the work at hand.
“…Welcome.”
Giving a brief greeting to Taisho, who was wiping his knife, Lorenz sat down at the counter.
He ordered a toriaezu nama and a non-alcoholic drink for Hugo.
After quenching his thirst with the delivered mug, he looked around at the menu inside the shop. All the food here is delicious, but today he has a different purpose.
“Shinobu-chan, I have a question.”
“Yes?”
“Out of the items on your menu, which one could my son make? Today, I want to try my son’s cooking.”
He thought she would give him an easy answer, but the reply he received was unexpected.
After bowing deeply, Shinobu declared in a firm tone.
“I’m very sorry, but I cannot fulfill your order.”
“Eh, what do you mean?”
“Our Hans cannot serve food to customers today.”
What kind of nonsense is that, not being able to serve food? Hans is hired by this shop as a cook and receives a salary. If Hans can’t serve food, then what’s the point of hiring him?
“But, the stew he made yesterday was quite delicious.”
“Even so, I cannot comply.”
“Don’t be so mean, Shinobu-chan. I brought my eldest son to Nobu for the first time, you know?”
Even so, Shinobu wouldn’t nod in agreement.
He himself and his son Hans are both stubborn to the core, but this young lady, Shinobu, is quite something as well.
“No, even so…”
“I don’t understand. If a customer says they want to eat something, and the shop can provide it, isn’t it common courtesy to serve it? Or does this shop not teach Hans anything?”
Ah, damn it.
His emotions got the better of him, and he was saying things he shouldn’t. He knew it, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself.
“That’s not true. Our Hans is a prized employee who learns his job quickly.”
“Then!”
“…Father, stop it.”
The voice that came from beside him, barely above a whisper, was Hugo’s.
Although his tone was weak, his eyes were strong.
“But, Hugo.”
“Even at our workshop, we wouldn’t sell something made by an apprentice to an important customer.”
“Ugh…”
That’s true. For example, Thomas from the cathedral requested work from Lorenz because he trusted Lorenz’s skills. Even if the apprentice had decent polishing skills, he couldn’t leave it to him.
An important customer is an important customer.
If you treat them carelessly even once, you won’t get any more work from them. If a customer complains, you might be able to clear your name, but most customers who feel they’ve been treated poorly will leave without saying anything, and sometimes they even spread bad rumors around.
That’s why he always tries to do his best and provide the best work the workshop can offer.
However, even so, Lorenz still had something he wanted to say.
“I understand that feeling. I know that a shop has to treat its customers with care. But, what about the craftsman? Isn’t there growth that can only be achieved when their work is valued?”
“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant…”
It was Hans who was flustered.
He scratched his head, thinking, “Oh dear,” and noticed something attached to his finger.
“What’s wrong, Hans? What happened to your finger?”
“…I cut my finger this morning while preparing the ingredients. That’s why I’m not supposed to cook today.”
“…I’m not familiar with cooking, but is it forbidden to cook if you have an injury?”
Taisho and Shinobu nodded deeply in silence.
Come to think of it, even Shinobu, who isn’t a cook, sometimes served homemade dishes at this shop.
Feeling like he’d been completely blindsided, Lorenz leaned back against the chair, his body having been leaning forward. Everything was ridiculous. He felt like something that had been tense inside him had snapped.
Hugo also let out a stifled laugh.
“If that’s the case, you should have said so earlier…”
“I couldn’t quite find the opportunity.”
When she said “hehe” and laughed, Lorenz lost the will to be angry with Shinobu.
“Well, if that’s the case, then it can’t be helped. I’ll order a dish that’s extra delicious and filling.”
“Yes, certainly!”
As soon as the order was placed, Taisho started cutting the chicken with practiced movements. Hans was preparing the bowls. It’s quite impressive that they can work together with such synchronicity.
“Hans.”
“What is it? No, what is it, sir?”
“You found a good shop.”
He tried to make his tone sound joking, but his words were Lorenz’s true feelings.
“…What’s with you, all of a sudden?”
“Nothing sudden about it. It’s perfectly normal for a parent to praise their son’s workplace after seeing him work, isn’t it?”
“Well, I guess that’s normal.”
They were a parent and child, no, a family, who hadn’t done what was normal.
He felt like both Hugo and Hans had grown up on their own and become adults on their own. Since they grew up on their own, they should be free to choose their own jobs.
A pleasant aroma began to rise from the pot. Taisho quickly bound the simmered chicken with egg. The sound and aroma stimulated Lorenz’s stomach, which was tired from work.
“Shinobu-chan, what’s today’s dish called?”
“Today’s menu is Oyakodon. The chicken is the parent, and the egg is the child.”
“Heh, Oyakodon, huh.”
Translator’s Note
Oyakodon (親子丼) literally means “parent and child bowl.”
A pleasant smile appeared on Taisho’s lips.
It was a stylish consideration.
Lorenz scooped up the Oyakodon with a wooden spoon and put it in his mouth.
The slightly runny egg was entangled with the rice. The compatibility of the chicken and egg was truly excellent.
Indeed, this is certainly a parent and child.
The rice, soaked in the broth, was also good. The fluffy, runny egg might be a little lacking on its own, but when eaten with the rice, it becomes just right.
Lorenz learned this way of eating for the first time.
When traveling around various countries as a journeyman craftsman, one tends to think they know more than those who continue to live in the old capital. This will probably turn out like this, and that will surely turn out like that. When you think you know things, you naturally tend to make assumptions.
He wondered if his younger self would have scoffed at such assumptions.
He was surprised by a single meal served at a pub. The world is vast.
As he shoveled the rice with the wooden spoon, he somehow started to feel like various things didn’t matter anymore. Eating delicious food brought forth a feeling of happiness.
Whatever kind of craftsman Hugo becomes, or if Hans becomes a cook, it’s their decision.
He himself had run away from home at the age of twelve to become a journeyman glass craftsman. Compared to that, his sons are working with a much clearer vision of their future.
“Taisho, can I have another serving?”
“Yes, you can.”
While scooping up the remaining grains of rice at the bottom of the bowl and putting them in the wooden spoon, he thought about the parent and child of chicken and egg.
It was a little unconventional, but the first family dinner in a while had a fluffy and gentle taste.