“It’s been quite a while since I’ve been to this place,” Hans muttered to himself as he stood before the glass sliding door.
Izakaya Nobu.
The peculiar tavern built of plaster and wood had become a go-to place only to those in the know, even in the old capital.
Truth be told, he would like to come here every day, but the city guard’s salary wasn’t exactly great. Nobu was a reasonably priced establishment, but even so, it was a bit of a luxury with Hans’ current earnings. He wanted to be able to eat his fill without worrying about his wallet when he did come, so he had been limiting his visits to the tavern.
And today was payday.
He had put extra effort into his training, making sure not to get stuck with overtime from Captain Berthold – all for the sake of coming to this place. Thanks to that, he had managed to arrive here before the sun had even set.
“Welcome!”
“…Welcome.”
As he slid the door open, Shinobu’s cheerful voice and the Master’s deep voice greeted him.
The seats were almost all filled, but luckily there were still some empty spots at the counter.
“Oh, Hans-san, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
Shinobu said with a smile, and Hans gave a small wave in response.
He had half-given up on them remembering his face, but the tavern’s lovely proprietress remembered him clearly. These small things were somehow really pleasing.
“Hey, Shinobu-chan.”
“How have you been? Come, there are some open seats at the counter.”
As he sat down, the otōshi was brought to him with a practiced ease.
It wasn’t as if they had prepared it beforehand. The Master prepared it after seeing the customer’s face as they came through the door. He would give a little extra to the customers coming from work. For those who had already been drinking, he would serve the usual amount. Regular customers had vaguely noticed this difference in the serving size.
Today, it wasn’t beans but chicken and taro root stew. The dish, which had been stewed thoroughly in a sweet and savory broth, was served in a small bowl, which was still faintly warm. Although winter was ending and spring was approaching, it was still a chilly time of the year at night. Having something like this come out right when you were thinking you wanted something warm was a unique bit of attentiveness that could only be found at this place.
“Hans-san, is it a draft beer for now?”
“Yeah, Toriaezu Nama.”
He ordered the ale and picked up the bowl, placing the contents into his mouth. He was using chopsticks.
Lately, not only had Nikolaus learned how to use chopsticks, but even Captain Berthold had picked it up, so Hans had secretly practiced at home. He was still clumsy, but he managed to pick up a piece of chicken.
“…Soft.”
In the old capital, the only chicken they could get was the tough old kind of bird. Even if it was stewed, it would never be this tender. The chicken, thoroughly infused with flavor, seemed to fall apart into its individual fibers in his mouth.
And then, the root.
It almost slipped from the unfamiliar chopsticks, but he managed to get it to his mouth.
He’d been told the name for this root before: “Taro.” This root with its sticky texture was truly unique and interesting. It was a different texture from the potatoes he had eaten to the point of being sick of them.
This was also thoroughly flavored, making him want to eat a little more.
But, the portion was just right.
Not too much, and not too little. This otōshi was just enough to settle the stomach, allowing him to take his time to think about what to order today. If he liked it, he could order the same dish. It was a really well thought out system.
“Here you go, your draft beer!”
“Oh, thanks!”
Hans took a large gulp of the contents of the glass that had just been brought to him. This was it.
The cold bitterness spreading in his mouth rushed down his throat.
He had come to this place for this very first cup.
While ordering a second toriaezu nama, Hans looked around at the menu on the wall. The menu, which had previously been written in the Master’s hometown language, had now been completely rewritten in the language of the old capital.
What should he order today?
The stew of otōshi was good, but since it had been a while since he’d come, he also had the desire to try a variety of dishes. The oden was good, and the doteyaki was also tempting.
T/N: Doteyaki is a regional dish from the Kansai region in Japan, it’s a type of stew consisting of beef tendon simmered in miso.
The number of menu items seemed to be increasing day by day, and there were more than just one or two dishes that Hans had never seen before.
“Shinobu-chan, what’s the recommendation for today?”
“Okay, the recommendation for today, huh? Let’s see…”
Shinobu’s voice was as cheerful as usual. No, today, she seemed to be even more exuberant than usual, or so it seemed to Hans.
“Shinobu-chan, did something good happen?”
When he asked her that, Shinobu hid half of her face with the tray in her hand and smiled bashfully.
“You can tell? Today is, well, ‘Kiss Day’!”
