Chapter 19: Salted Pork and Potato Stew with Fake Aquapazza
“You can use anything in the pantry.”
“Thank you. I hope I can make something to your liking.”
I’m cooking dinner in the kitchen. It’s a shame I couldn’t get any information about the whirlwind, but this is my first time cooking in this country. It’s been a while since I cooked, so I’m excited.
There are sweet potatoes that look like regular potatoes when cut, carrots, green onions, garlic, ginger, and meat that looks like pork. Should I make nikujaga (meat and potato stew)? It will be salty, but that’s what I feel like eating.
It seems Cyril-san lives quite comfortably, so I wonder if it’s okay to use the ingredients without hesitation. But let me confirm just in case.
“Cyril-san, how many days’ worth are these ingredients?”
“If they run out, we can buy more. Use them as you like.”
Yeah, he definitely seems wealthy.
There are dried fish and dried clams. They seem salty, but maybe I can rehydrate them with wine and make something like aqua pazza. There were tomato-like plants in the garden too. We have olive oil, and white wine. . .yes, we do.
When Victor returned to the room, he sat there absentmindedly as if he had a stomachache.
Well, I didn’t expect him to help with cooking anyway. He must have been focused on magic all this time. In that regard, Cyril-san, being a professional bachelor, efficiently washed vegetables and discarded peels while watching me cook. He is now making a quick pickled vegetable dish next to me.
I laid out all the dishes I made on the table, opened a bottle of wine, and started the meal.
“It’s delicious. Haru, you’re good at cooking.”
“I love cooking. It’s just simple, everyday dishes made with whatever ingredients are available.”
“It’s tasty. I had no idea, Haru, that you were such a good cook.”
“Huh? Aren’t you two married?”
“Ah.” “Ah.”
“Hahaha, well, it’s fine.”
The three of us enjoyed the meal. The salty meat and potato stew and the aqua pazza-like dish were delicious. It’s been a while since I’ve had familiar dishes.
Cyril-san seemed frustrated, saying that he’s not a wizard, “If I were a wizard, I would have been believed about the gold dust.”
To comfort him, I brought up various fun topics with the inn’s Aura companions. Cyril-san and Victor laughed as well. It was fun, and as I kept refilling my wine glass, I got quite drunk. Being drunk made me talkative.
“Oh, by the way, are there mice in this world?”
It fell silent.
“This world? What do you mean?”
“I mean in this country.”
“This country? Haru, are you from a foreign country? Which country?”
Victor silently ate his meat and potatoes. He must be desperately thinking about how to cover it up.
Did I anger him with my foolishness? I couldn’t say anything because I don’t know the names of any other countries. If Cyril-san asks me about other countries, I’ll only dig myself into a deeper hole.
“It seems like you two are carrying a lot of secrets.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t talk about it. If you knew, it might cause trouble for you too. Oh, I’m not a criminal, so you don’t have to worry about that. In fact, we are the victims.”
“Oh, okay, okay. I had a pleasant dinner with two friendly travelers.”
He said that.
Then Cyril-san suddenly had a mischievous look on his face.
“Speaking of which, mice, right? They exist. They can be quite troublesome.”
“Which animal that can get rid of them is the most helpful?”
“Probably a house lizard, right?”
“Y-Yes, a house lizard. Of course.”
At that moment, Victor let out a sigh.
“Cyril-san, please stop teasing Haru.”
“Huh?”
What does he mean? I looked at Cyril-san in surprise, and he shrugged his shoulders like a scolded child. Victor explained it to me.
“Haru, there are no animals like house lizards here. Cats are the ones that get rid of mice.”
“R-Right, cats. I meant cats.”
Cyril-san, looking a little down, suddenly bowed his head.
“I got carried away. I’m sorry. It was just so much fun. Since I was a child, I’ve always been called a liar or crazy because of the gold magic. It made me become misanthropic. I’ve lived without interacting with people except for work. It feels like I’ve made friends for the first time, and I got too excited. Can you forgive me?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. I’m having a good time too. Besides, Cyril-san seems trustworthy.”
Victor let out a light sigh.
“I’m teasing Haru, but even I’m worried when I see how kind-hearted she is.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“Huh? Is that so? Am I causing trouble?”
Victor chuckled and shook his head.
“Being with Haru makes every day exciting and enjoyable. Everything about you, including your kind-heartedness, feels fresh to me. I never knew there was someone like you.”
“Even though I’m a little drunk and can’t fully understand, it seems like I’m being praised a lot?”
Cyril-san and Victor burst out laughing at the same time. I don’t really understand, but it seems fun, so it’s fine.
“Well, um, I feel bad for not saying anything even though I noticed, but Victor, you’re a wizard, right? When you were exposed to the earth’s magic, the movement of the gold dust in your body was slightly different from that of non-magic users. It followed the pattern of someone with magic.”
“You noticed, huh? Yes, I am a wizard. I’ve had various things happen at work, and now I’m unemployed. But, this life is quite enjoyable. Thanks to Haru.”
“It’s fun, right? Hey, Victor, show that blue bird again. Wizards are amazing, aren’t they? They can summon a bird whenever they feel lonely. I wish I could freely summon Kuro too. I miss Kuro.”
Victor’s face suddenly lit up, and at the same time, there was a meow at our feet.
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