“Bento, huh…they really thought this through.”
Before Berthold’s eyes, eel bento boxes were selling one after another.
The eel bento, an idea proposed by Hermina, was a huge success from day one. The line in front of Nobu stretched all the way to the next block.
At the sales stand set up in front of the shop, Hermina and Eva were working as salesgirls. Their uniforms for the job were chosen by Shinobu. The adorable outfits, primarily white, suited the young girls well.
The bento consisted of eel placed on top of rice with sauce, and umaki.
The inclusion of wooden spoons for easy eating was also a key to its popularity.
The bento boxes and wooden spoons were made at a discount by a woodworking guild, thanks to connections from Hans’s father. Apparently, several apprentices had just joined in the early spring, and this was a perfect practice project, so they gladly accepted the order.
Occasionally, there were some oddly shaped bento boxes, but no customers seemed to mind.
The price was set slightly higher than a typical lunch bento, but that was Shinobu’s suggestion. Something sold with pride needed a proper price tag, and more importantly, the number of bento they could prepare was limited.
Word of the eel bento spread quickly throughout the city.
The fact that Godhart and Eleonora from the Water Transportation Guild, and Gernot from the City Council, were sending their subordinates to buy them also fueled the popularity.
These people were known for their refined tastes. The people of the old capital were the type who would want to try something even if it meant tightening their purse strings a little.
Gernot, in particular, was so enthusiastic that he ordered three servings for himself, and he had his subordinates line up well before the sales began to ensure he got the eel bento before they cooled down.
Imitation shops began to appear, but the sauce was an insurmountable problem.
Some shops were even selling their unsold eel in aspic jelly.
Izakaya Nobu was booming, but they absolutely refused to serve eel at night.
Naturally, there were complaints from customers. However, no matter how much they persisted, it simply wouldn’t appear, so the customers had no choice but to give in.
It seemed like there would be some trouble for a while, but the situation surprisingly calmed down within a few days because people were told that if they wanted eel, they should come during the daytime.
“Eva-chan, is our Hermina being helpful?”
“Yes, Hermina-san is so fast at calculating money, she’s amazing!”
Hermina blushed as she handed change to a customer.
He had worried that the quiet Hermina wouldn’t be able to handle customer service, but it turned out to be a needless worry.
Berthold, as her husband, didn’t really want to admit it, but some customers were even coming to buy bento just to see Hermina.
The move to their new home seemed likely to be completed in a few days, but Hermina’s wish was to work at Nobu at least until this eel craze was over. Of course, Berthold agreed with that.
He also had the desire for her to stay at home, but he wanted to let Hermina do as she wished.
“One eel bento, thank you very much!”
Eva, handing over a bento with a cheerful expression, was also full of life.
Inside the shop, Taisho and Shinobu must be busy making eel bento and preparing for the evening.
“Here you go, Berthold-san.”
Taking advantage of a break in the customers, Hermina handed him a bento.
This wasn’t an eel bento, but a homemade “beloved wife’s bento.” As the daughter of a fisherman, Hermina was also skilled at cooking.
When she came to Nobu in the morning, she would borrow a corner of the kitchen to prepare a bento for Berthold. She also seemed to be learning various dishes from Taisho.
“Thank you, Hermina. It looks like I can go home a little early today.”
“That’s great. Then I’ll wait for you here. Let’s eat something before going back to the inn.”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
Having a plan for after work made him more motivated for the afternoon’s work.
The retraining of his subordinates, who had been slacking off in his absence, was progressing smoothly, and he had a little more leeway.
Several territories in the north were acting strangely, hiring mercenaries and buying extra food, but there was nothing Berthold could do about it at the moment.
Unless the other side came to attack the old capital, there was no need for the guards to intervene.
In any case, he needed to eat first.
He slid open the glass door, which was still before opening hours.
Listening to Hermina’s voice as she sold bento, eating his bento at Nobu had become Berthold’s secret pleasure for the past few days.
Without much greeting to Taisho and Shinobu, he took over the table seat near the front by himself. This was also a small luxury.
He carefully opened the lid of the bento he had just received.
“Oh, what’s this?”
Inside was just rice.
It was covered with the same sauce used in the eel bento, but the main attraction, the eel, was nowhere to be seen.
“What in the world is going on?”
Berthold was at a loss, holding the wooden spoon, when he heard Taisho and Shinobu stifling laughter from inside the counter.
Apparently, both of them knew what was inside the bento.
“Hey, what’s so funny? A newlywed couple with just sauce and rice for their bento… this is a marital crisis!”
“No, just try a bite, Berthold-san.”
Encouraged by Taisho, he stuck the wooden spoon into the rice. He thought it was only rice, but there was an unexpected resistance. He pushed the rice aside a little, and some slightly crumbled eel appeared.
“Eel from inside?”
“It’s called ‘mamushi’. Apparently, in the old days, eel was steamed between the rice. It’s quite stylish, isn’t it?”
Translator’s Note
Mamushi is a dish where eel is placed between layers of rice, rather than on top.
“You could have just told me that from the beginning.”
Berthold grumbled, but used the wooden spoon.
The delicious aroma of the eel stimulated his appetite, and his stomach ached.
The rice was cooked perfectly, and the flavor of the sauce had soaked in. The hidden eel was also soft and fell apart easily.
“Delicious. As expected of something grilled by Taisho.”
“That’s rude to Hermina-san.”
Shinobu interjected while preparing the food.
“Eh, Hermina can grill eel?”
“Well, I actually grilled most of it. But, it’s true that Hermina-san helped me.”
“In any case, it’s something made by my wife.”
As he savored the mamushi bento, he gradually understood why the eel wasn’t on top. It was falling apart.
Taisho had said that, but Hermina probably insisted on grilling it herself.
In the end, the eel fell apart, but she borrowed some wisdom to make it look delicious anyway.
Thinking about it that way, each bite of the ordinary bento became precious.
“Delicious. I’m lucky to be able to eat such a delicious bento.”
“You should say that to the person who made it.”
Teasing him, Shinobu brought a steaming bowl.
“It’s shijimi clam red miso soup. Hermina-san and I made this too.”
Translator’s Note
Shijimi are small freshwater clams, a common ingredient in miso soup. Red miso (akadashi) is a type of miso that is fermented for a longer time, giving it a stronger, saltier flavor.
“Oh, I appreciate that. I can have soup for lunch.”
The typical bento in the old capital was just bread and cheese.
Considering that, it’s no wonder Nobu’s eel bento was so popular.
He put his mouth to the bowl and took a sip.
The hot soup flowed from his mouth to his throat and into his stomach. He had been sweating a lot during the morning training, so the richly seasoned soup was welcome.
He ate the soup and the mamushi bowl alternately.
Sweat was pouring from his forehead, but for some reason, it felt incredibly good.
He ate every last grain of rice and let out a big sigh. This was a happiness he couldn’t have imagined during his mercenary days.
A cute wife, good-natured subordinates, and delicious food and drinks.
He wished these days would last forever. He didn’t want any trouble.
As he thought about that, his old wound suddenly ached.
Complacency leads to injury. On the battlefield, those who let their guard down are the first to fall.
But even so, he wanted to savor this happiness a little longer.