LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 93 - Chapter 93: Bread and Eel
Chapter 93: Bread and Eel
Returning to the dining area, Zamza and Mil were sitting side by side, chatting happily.
Smoke slowly rose from the kiln.
“Seems heartwarming yet somewhat lacking… I’m back.”
“Hmm? What’s up? Welcome back. Did you catch any fish?”
“Yeah, Kuro and Shiro caught quite a few… Smells nice, doesn’t it?”
“Oh, actually, I tried baking some bread.”
“Oh! That sounds exciting!”
“Gya~u~!”
“It smells good.”
“Mil, you did well.”
“Ah…”
Mil seemed deeply moved.
Come to think of it, she was a baker.
During the time we were fighting the Black Wolf, I wondered what her bread tasted like. Now, finally, I could taste it.
I wish Marie, Azir, and also Kane, who has passed, could have shared it with us.
“It’s about time! Zamza, could you help me take them out?”
“Yeah, leave it to me.”
Everyone silently watched as Zamza took the bread out of the kiln.
The scent of freshly baked bread already filled the air.
“Yeah… Visually, it’s not bad. Besides the wheat and bread seeds I got in Savoia, I also used ingredients from the hideout… How’s the taste?”
Mil put the still steaming bread into her mouth and chewed, checking the flavor.
She squinted happily, but tears welled up in her eyes.
There were various emotions that I couldn’t understand.
“You’ve made quite a variety.”
“Yeah, it was also an experiment. I need to think about new products for Bonus’ stall.”
“That’s appreciated.”
“Let’s start sharing them out for now!”
Saying so, Mil boldly sliced the largest bread with a knife.
Thin white steam spread from the cut.
As soon as Mil finished slicing, everyone reached out at once.
It was a slightly firm bread with various grains kneaded into it.
The smell of wheat was fantastic.
Perhaps it was because it was freshly baked, or maybe it was the contribution of baking it in a wood-fired kiln that added to its fragrance.
It was still quite hot to touch, but I tore off a bite-sized piece and put it in my mouth.
The crust was crispy, but the inside was soft and slightly sweet.
There might have been a little sugar in it too.
“Not only because it’s been a while since I had proper bread, but even without that… it’s undeniably delicious.”
“Yeah… It’s already gone…”
“Gya~u~…”
“But there are still many other types!”
Although we intended to slowly eat while having a tasting session, the situation didn’t turn out that way at all.
The bread was just too delicious.
Mil was also very accustomed to using the kiln, and the compatibility with the sugar, cocoa, chocolate, cinnamon, some grains and potatoes from the hideout, fruits, and Elizabeth’s milk was excellent.
Furthermore, the favorable condition of being able to eat it freshly baked overwhelmed us, leaving us with no room to give any thoughtful comments… we just ended up devouring the bread.
“Ah, I ate too much… But it was delicious.”
“Gya~u~”
“Mil, it was really tasty.”
“Mil, it was amazing!”
“The compatibility with the ingredients from the hideout was also superb. There’s still some left, so let’s save it for dinner.”
After eating, watching Mil playing with Kohaku, she seemed to have a somewhat relieved expression.
Perhaps something had come to a conclusion within her.
“Mil, I want to cook dinner together too. Making bread was fun.”
“I feel like having stew for dinner, but… maybe I’ll fry some fish and sandwich it.”
“Gya~u~!”
“Looking forward to it.”
“Haha, me too! Zamza, please help again. Pink, don’t try to hide inside the bread anymore.”
—
After a slightly longer lunch, I taught Kuro how to handle fish.
By the way, I also tried eating the fish we caught at the lake before, but it wasn’t particularly smelly, and I didn’t get a stomach ache.
“We seem to have caught quite a variety this time… Well, frying them should make them edible.”
“Gya~u~!”
“Well then, Kuro, let’s start by cutting the knife like this…”
I started by opening the smaller fish and filleting the larger ones into three pieces.
They were all fish I had never seen before, but there was no difference in their body structures.
As I concentrated on my work, a bird resembling a bulbul landed on Kuro’s shoulder, peeking into our work.
(Note:Bulbul is a type of bird irl and it’s NOT a monster name.Go touch some grass.And here’s some brief explanation. Bulbuls are small to medium-sized birds known for their melodious songs and varied plumage. They inhabit a range of habitats across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. These monogamous birds build cup-shaped nests, share parental duties, and are admired for their adaptability and vocal abilities.)
Originally not very good at it, and it had been a while since I last did this, so I was quite tired.
“Gya~u~!”
“Hmm? Ah, Kuro, do you want to try it too?”
—
Taking a short break, I observed Kuro’s skill while watching the bulbul.
She was still remarkably good at handling the knife.
“Fast… Kuro, you’re really skillful.”
“Gya~u~!”
Already better and faster than me.
With the exception of one, he quickly finished cleaning all the fish.
But when faced with the last remaining fish, Kuro’s hands stopped.
“This one here… Honestly, I don’t really remember how to do it… But I want to eat it somehow…”
“Gyaaah?”
Kuro looks at me as if asking what to do.
Will I be able to clean this eel in front of me?
“Alright! It didn’t go well at all!”
“Gyaa, gyaaah…”
“It was tough… but I guess it’s edible for now. Shall we try grilling it?”
Kuro and I struggled with the slippery eel, managing to remove the bones and fins after much effort.
We were already drenched in sweat.
Kuro, unusually tired, probably because my handling was too clumsy, making her quite anxious about me getting hurt.
Every time I slipped, she let out a scream.
“Sorry, Kuro… but I really wanted to eat eel…”
“Gyaaah… gyaguagyaguagyaguagyagyaugyaguagyau!”
“I got it, I got it! I’ll leave everything to you from now on, Kuro! I’m sorry! By the way… could you make a thin stick by shaving wood, as a substitute for a bamboo skewer?”
With a somewhat exasperated expression, I asked Kuro, and in no time, she made something resembling a skewer.
After somehow pounding the skewer, we finally got it into a decent shape.
“Anyway… let’s grill it.”
“Gyagaaah!”
Even though I had just eaten a bellyful of lunch earlier, I couldn’t resist.
It’s a shame there’s no sauce, but I really want to eat it quickly.
“Ouch! It’s hot! Hot after all!”
“Gyaaah! Gyaguagyaguagyaguagyaguaguagyaguagyaaah!”
Together with Kuro, we lit a fire and carefully grilled the eel, but we couldn’t get it grilled properly with the wood fire.
It seems like I might get burned.
Kuro was also panicking at the sight.
Maybe steaming it would have been better…
“Can I watch this, Bonus?”
“Oh, Gisella… everyone, when did you…”
Before I knew it, everyone had gathered.
Even Pink was there.
“Thank you, Gisella. Please.”
“Sure thing.”
“Oh… as expected of a blacksmith…”
Unlike me, Gisella showed no signs of panic and skillfully grilled the eel while keeping an eye on the fire.
After a while, along with the sizzling sound of oil dripping, a savory aroma spread around.
“This looks delicious…”
“I wonder what kind of fish this is?”
“Could it be the slender one I caught?”
Indeed, it was fatty and moderately thick… Ah… if only we had sauce and rice.
My mouth won’t stop watering.
“Is the heat through already?”
“Thanks, Gisella! It looks great! Fantastic! Well done, Kuro!”
“Gyaaah!”
Somehow exchanging a high-five with Kuro, we praised each other’s efforts.
“Oh! Pink!”
“Don’t do that.”
“Salt is fine, right?”
While we were doing that, Pink was caught sneaking a bite and was scolded.
Mil brought salt and a plate, and we divided it up.
Once divided among everyone, there was barely enough for one piece each.
“Wow, it’s delicious.”
“I’ve never eaten such fish before. Ah… but this is definitely delicious.”
“I didn’t like the fish I ate in the village before, but this is delicious.”
“This is… amazing.”
I was worried about what I would do if it tasted different from what I knew, but this was definitely eel.
I never thought I’d be able to eat eel in this world.
Despite my terrible handling, with parts of it crumbling, it was incredibly delicious.
“Ahh… delicious… Kuro, your hard work paid off, didn’t it?”
“Gyaaah!”
Kuro waved her hands in joy.
It’s rare to see someone so happy about food.
“Oh, Kohaku!”
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Mm…!”
As soon as Kohaku seemed to have taken a bite of Zamza’s half-eaten eel, he swallowed it with a squishy motion.
Zamza remained frozen with his mouth open.
He was always wandering around us as usual, playing around with everyone indiscriminately, so I didn’t pay much attention…
“I was savoring it because it was delicious…”
“Has Kohaku become able to eat soft things? Is it okay?”
“Mm…!”
Well, he’s reasonably big, and seeing Elizabeth not saying anything in particular, it seems there’s no problem.
Although Kohaku was born not long ago, he already seems to walk quite steadily.
I wonder if it’s safe to take him to town soon.
Maybe I’ll try taking him tomorrow…