Chapter 82

Isekai Izakaya Nobu Chapter 82

The next day, Lorentz left early, aiming to arrive during Nobu’s opening hours.

He could leave early because the only the task that remained was polishing some glass, which had been contracted by Thomas, the young priest. Thomas had said that he wanted to be able to make the telescopes that were becoming popular in the Holy Kingdom, but Lorentz didn’t really understand what he was talking about.

「Master, shall we get going?」

「Oh, right.」

They headed south after leaving the workshop. The light of the setting sun illuminated the road. The rain from the previous day had made the road a bit soft and muddy. Inns & Stables Street was just a stone’s throw away from Craftsmen Street.

「I suppose this is my first time going to the Izakaya with you.」

「Well, that’s because I can’t drink.」

「Oh, that’s right. Though, Nobu’s dishes taste great, ya know?」

「I look forward to it then.」

In contrast to Hans’ standard brown hair, Hugo’s hair was the same dark brown shade as his eyes. Hans and Hugo were step-brothers. Hugo’s mother came from a nomadic peoples in the far west and also couldn’t drink alcohol. Lorentz figured it was hereditary.

They were deep in their discussion about the good and bad points of the newly hired workers at the shop when they arrived at Nobu.

Shinobu had just begun to unfurl the sign curtain.

「Welcome, Lorentz-san! It has been a while.」

「Yeah, it has been a while, hasn’t it?」

「And this is?」

「This must be your first time seeing him. This is my son Hugo, Hans’s elder brother.」

「Nice to meet you, I’m Hugo.」

「Welcome, Hugo-san. Please come on in.」

Hans looked a bit surprised when he saw Lorentz and Hugo being guided in. However, he only nodded at them before silently continuing with his work.

「’elcome.」

Taisho gave a simple greeting while wiping his kitchen knife. Lorentz sat down at the counter and ordered a Toriaezu Nama, as well as a non-alcoholic drink for Hugo.

After taking a gulp of beer from the mug to quench his thirst, he scanned the menu displayed in the shop. He knew each item on the menu was delicious, but he was here for something else today.

「Shinobu-chan, could I ask you something?」

「What is it?」

「Which of the dishes on the menu can my son make? I want to eat my son’s cooking today.」

He thought that he just had to ask and it would be done, but he wasn’t expecting the reply he got.

Shinobu bowed deeply and firmly apologized.

「I am very sorry, but we cannot fulfill your order.」

「Wh-what do you mean by that?」

「Hans cannot prepare food for our customers today.」

Such thoughts raced through Lorentz’s head.

「But the stew he made yesterday was delicious!」

「Even so, we cannot fulfill your request.」

「Please don’t kid around, Shinobu-chan. I even brought my eldest son to Nobu for the first time. I’m begging you.」

However, Shinobu didn’t give in.

He knew that both he and Hans were quite hard-headed, but Shinobu didn’t budge an inch.

「But still… 」

「I don’t understand. Doesn’t it go without saying that a shop should cater to its customers’ wishes? Or are you trying to hide the fact that you never taught Hans anything?」

“Ah, damn,” Lorentz thought.

He had said something he shouldn’t have, due to letting his emotions get the better of him. He knew that, but he couldn’t help himself.

「That’s not it. We are proud of Hans’ work in the shop. He is an employee who learns quickly.」

「Then, why?!」

「Dad, calm down…」

Hugo tried to placate his father with a soft voice.

He spoke timidly, but there was strength in his eyes.

「But, Hugo…」

「Even in our workshop, we don’t sell things made by an apprentice to our valuable customers.」

「Urgh…」

Hugo had a point. For example, when Thomas requested work from Lorentz, he expected workmanship on par with Lorentz’s. Even a decent apprentice was still an apprentice.

Valuable customers were important.

One little mistake, and there might not be a next time for that customer.

If a customer complained, it was possible to clear your reputation, but many disgruntled customers would leave without saying anything, and they could tell others about their bad experience.

That was why Lorentz took care to only allow the best work to leave his workshop.

However, Lorentz still had something to say.

「I understand how you feel. As a shop owner, you have to treat your customers well. Still, what about your employees? How can they grow if their work is not valued?」

「Ah, no, it’s not like that…」

Flustered, Hans scratched his head.

Lorentz noticed something on his son’s finger.

「What happened to your finger, Hans?」

「I cut my finger during prep work this morning… That’s why I can’t cook today.」

「I’m not familiar with cooking but…you can’t cook when you’re injured?」

Taisho and Shinobu silently nodded.

It suddenly occurred to Lorentz that even though Shinobu wasn’t a chef in this shop, she sometimes treated people to homemade dishes.

Lorentz slumped forward and slouched into his chair as his tension left him. It was all a foolish misunderstanding.

Hugo let out a little chuckle.

「You could have said that sooner…」

「I didn’t get the chance to say it. Tehe~」

Lorentz’s anger evaporated, and Shinobu giggled.

「Well, it can’t be helped. I would like to order something delicious and filling then.」

「Yes, certainly!」

As soon as he received the order, Taisho began to expertly slice up a chicken. Simultaneously, Hans prepared a bowl of rice. Lorentz marvelled at how well they worked together.

「Hans.」

「What? I mean, how may I help you?」

「You…found a good shop, huh.」

Lorentz spoke lightly, but his words were sincere.

「Why are you saying that all of a sudden?」

「It’s not sudden at all. Any parent would praise the shop when they see how well their son is doing. It’s only natural.」

「Well, I guess that indeed is natural.」

There were many ‘natural’ things that the parent and child, the family, had missed out on.

Hans and Hugo had both grown into fine adults before he had noticed. They no longer needed his approval to do what they wanted.

A pleasant smell began to rise from the simmering pot. Taisho cracked eggs over the cooked chicken. The sizzling of the food and the fragrance from the pot stimulated the tired Lorentz’s appetite.

「Shinobu-chan, what’s today’s dish?」

「Today’s menu is oyakodon. The parent is the chicken, and the child is the egg.」

<small>(TL: oya = parent, ko = child. So, oyakodon literal TL is parent-and-child rice bowl.)</small>

「Ooh, oyakodon, huh.」

Taisho smiled gently as he served the bowl of oyakodon.

This was his way of being thoughtful.

Lorentz scooped some up with his wooden spoon.

The lightly cooked egg melted into the rice and went well with the chicken.

The name of the dish truly fit.

The rice had soaked in the flavours of the dashi and was also good. The fluffy and viscous egg would be incomplete by itself, but had great flavour when eaten together with the rice.

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This was Lorentz’s first time experiencing this kind of dish.

He had been sure that a travelling merchant who visited various countries would know more than someone who stayed in the Old Capital. That was how things were. He had thought that he had seen everything. However, it was natural for his misconceptions to have blinded him to certain things.

Wouldn’t his younger self laugh at him if he knew that his current self was so prejudiced?

The world was truly wide, to be able find a dish that surprised him in an Izakaya.

As he shoveled the food down his throat with his wooden spoon, he realized that there were many things that he didn’t have to worry about. Feelings of happiness bubbled up within him as he ate the delicious meal before him.

Would Hugo succeed as a craftsman? Would Hans become a chef? That depended on them. He had run away from home when he was twelve years old to become a travelling glass smith.

In comparison, his sons had their eyes set on a clear goal.

「Taisho, can I get seconds?」

「Yes, of course.」

He scraped the bottom of the bowl for the last few grains of rice, not wanting to leave anything in the bowl. As he put the last morsels into his mouth, he thought of the chicken and the egg – the parent and the child.

It wasn’t quite the normal family meal, but he hadn’t eaten with his children for a long time, which made it taste all the more tender and gentle.