The Other World Dining Hall Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Fried Chicken

 

After the giant he had crossed swords with for a long time fell, Tatsugorou took a breath after retreating a distance away so as to not being bathed by its blood.

[Whew, it’s finally finished.]

A hag. It’s a monster with the appearance of an old woman, the swiftness and strength of a beast, and wielding a huge kitchen knife as tall as him that was crusted by the blood of many travelers.

Tatsugorou had successfully defeated the child kidnapper and eating monster after he was requested to do so by a village in exchange of money.

Tatsugorou murmured while stroking his sore body.

[Fuu. I don’t want to get older.]

The pain was not due to injury. Tatsugorou was not senile enough to get hit by an attack to would kill him in one strike.

However when the battle was over, his body that was overworked by the life threatening battle was complaining in pain.

When fighting, his body that obeyed him silently appealed in pain and numbness, so he stopped at the foot of his travel.

[It can’t be helped. A few days of slowly curing… no.]

Returning to the inn, Tatsugorou who thought that he would spend a few days resting in the inn noticed it and deepened his smile.

[Tomorrow is Satur’s Day.]

And the “door” was surely close to the city as it was only half a day journey from here.

As soon as he remembered that, his joints that were complaining in pain and numbness became silent.

(Yareyare, I need cash for my health.)

With a wry smile, Tatsugorou packed the hag’s head into his bag and rushed to the village that gave him the request.

(If I leave now before sunset, I can get ready in a nearby inn. Then tomorrow I can enjoy sake from morning.)

Tatsugorou’s steps were light as if he was still young.

 

The next day.

At the end of previous day, he partook in an early appreciation feast at the village and went to the city. By the time he arrived at Nekoya’s door, the sun had nearly reached its peak.

(One month after the last time.)

He remembered that recently he could not go to places where a door was located so his mouth watered.

Yesterday, the villagers’ celebration feast before he left was good, but it’s still inferior to otherworld dining hall.

Tatsugorou grasped the door handle with expectation.

(My usual… no.)

He thought that he would order teriyaki chicken with seishu as usual, but he reconsidered.

He would change his att.i.tude a bit today. Thinking that, he looked around.

The season was summer. It was the hottest season though the heat climate was different from his hometown.

Only in such period there was something else he wanted to eat.

Noticing that, Tatsugorou opened the door.

 

‘Chirinchirin’, the cool air of air conditioning pa.s.sed Tatsugorou.

While accepting that wind, Tatsugorou entered the otherworld dining hall.

 

Aletta greeted Tatsugorou, though she was surprised that a regular that usually came at evening arrived at mid-morning today.

[Welcome. You’re very early today.]

[What, it’s just a bit.]

While saying such, he firmly sat down and said his order.

[I would like fried chicken today. The one with its bone. I don’t need cabbage. And, what did he say… right, with gin and tonic.]

The usual teriyaki chicken and seishu were closed.

As usual, an aged body sometimes wanted to eat food with strong oil flavor.

Especially after a heart pounding intense fight.

[Ye, yes. Please wait a moment.]

Although being a bit startled by Tatsugorou’s orders, Aletta nodded.

[Umu. As soon as possible please.]

Tatsugorou suppressed his impatience and lightly urged her.

(I haven’t eaten a fried chicken for a long time.)

While waiting, he thought about the fried chicken he’s going to eat for the first time in a while.

Due to that thought, his mouth watered.

 

He waited for a while.

[Thank you for waiting. Here’s your fried chicken.]

Aletta brought it.

Fried chicken that was still sizzling and an elongated gla.s.s shaped like a cylinder filled with bubbling liquor.

It’s a rare deep-fried food of this restaurant that did not fit with sauce; beside it was just a wedge of lemon.

[Umu, umu.]

He relaxed after inhaling the fragrant scent of the still hot chicken and first drank the gin and tonic.

[Nuuu.]

His voice involuntarily leaked. This drink had a sharp taste that was different from his usual seishu.

Unlike the ale of Eastern Continent, it did not contain bitterness. After striking sharply at his tongue, it flowed down his throat to his stomach.

Drinking alcohol during summer when the sun was still high.

Such a taste would be good.

(Well, let’s eat after that.)

After emptying half a gla.s.s and quickly asked for another cup, Tatsugorou did not reach for chopsticks, he reached for the fried chicken with his bare hands after wiping them with hot towel.

The heat of fried chicken transmitted to his hand was hot enough to burn.

The chicken wing filled with plenty fat and deep-fried in oil, it told Tatsugorou that it was firmly cooked before he ate it.

This unusual deep-fried food that did not match with any sauce… he bit it.

(Oo… oo!)

The moment his teeth bit down on the crunchy coating seasoned with shoyu and spices, the meat juice leaked into his mouth.

The soft meat of young chicken that had never laid eggs.

The fat and meat juice overflowing from inside the coating mixed with the thin and crispy skin, leaving strong taste in his mouth.

(This is unbearable.)

After sufficiently enjoying the taste, he quickly drank the rest of his gin tonic.

The taste of fried chicken meat and fat was quickly swept away by the sharp taste.

It was a special taste that was different from his usual teriyaki chicken and seishu.

(Well, next…)

After eating a piece, he changed the pace.

The fruit named lemon served with the fried chicken.

He pinched it over the fried chicken.

The strong sour juice fell from the crushed lemon and wetted the fried chicken.

After he spread it uniformly, Tatsugorou picked up another piece of chicken and started to eat again.

(Umu. The second piece has to use lemon.)

It became easier to eat after the sour taste was added to the fried chicken.

As it was, the strong acidity of lemon was inferior to the strong flavor of fried chicken, so it further harmonized and enhanced the chicken.

The first one was meat and its coating without lemon, the second with lemon.

During the occasional times he ate fried chicken, this was his well-established manner.

(Well, let’s start the second dish…)

Eventually after finis.h.i.+ng the fried chicken with three gla.s.ses of gin tonic, Tatsugorou called Aletta again.

[Sorry, I would like a second serving. Fried chicken without bones this time. With rice.]

Yes, this fried chicken went well with rice.

The oily food was extraordinary when eaten with the slightly sweet rice.

(The day is still long. I’ll enjoy it for a while.)

While drinking with good mood, Tatsugorou was excited and waited for his food.

He expected the owner would serve it soon.

[Thank you for waiting. Here’s your fried chicken with rice.]

Fried chicken cut into pieces to remove its bones and eatable using chopsticks.

Slightly darker brown than before, it was piled on top of mountain of leafy vegetables together with lemon.

Beside that was the usual combination of rice and miso soup.

[Umu umu. This shouldn’t be with sake after all.]

Tatsugorou whose appet.i.te did not match with his age picked up chopsticks.

This smaller fried chicken without bones was a different dish.

Tatsugorou left the vegetables alone now and picked up a piece of chicken.

This piece was large enough to be eaten in one or two bites, so he threw it into his mouth and chewed.

Overflowing from it was the greasy meat fat and taste of coating.

While the taste was still in his mouth, he ate the rice.

(Umu! While alcohol is good, rice is also good!)

The slight sweetness of rice sucked in the taste of fried chicken and became another taste entirely.

The taste of thick fried chicken with gin tonic from earlier mixed with the light taste of rice and became even more delicious.

(Oo, this is bad. I’ll eat too much…)

In matter of seconds, half a bowl of rice was eaten with one piece of chicken.

Fried chicken was not as good as teriyaki chicken, but it also went well with rice.

He could eat a bowl of rice with just the fragments of fried chicken.

[Excuse me! Another bowl of rice! Gin and tonic too!]

However, Tatsugorou’s appet.i.te had swelled up after eating fried chicken.

Alcohol and fried chicken.

This taste which was only second to teriyaki chicken, Tatsugorou was going to enjoy it to his heart’s content.

 

[Fuu, I’ve completely eaten it.]

After his belly was filled with fried chicken, rice and alcohol, he completed his meal with sweet and sour lemon sherbet.

Tatsugorou was deeply satisfied with the coolness resounding in his head and the peculiar sweet and sour flavor.

[I suppose I take a rest for a while.]

The meal was over but his belly swelled up to the point of bursting, so he didn’t want to move for a while.

While this was a dangerous situation in a journey, there’s no problem if it’s at the restaurant.

[Ou! Owner! We’re here! …N? Something smells nice.]

[What’s this? It smells like chicken.]

While Tatsugorou was relaxing, familiar pair of regulars… the ogre couple stronger than unskilled samurais were able to sniff out the scent with their sharp noses.

[Aa, just now someone ordered fried chicken.]

Behind the handmade paper, he dozed off a bit while watching the owner welcoming the couple.

Feeling drowsy at mid-afternoon after drinking alcohol. It was a pleasant time that made Tatsugorou forgot about his daily fatigue.