Chapter 247: Luggage
Chapter 247 Luggage
The days passed as I finished all the things I needed to do, and finally, we’ll be departing tomorrow.
And so, I prepared dishes that I won’t be able to enjoy for a while.
The roasted meat is plated alternately with kamo eggplants, a variety of small, round, bulbous eggplants with flat bottoms and is actually a traditional vegetable of Kyoto, and drizzled with a sauce made with soy sauce, mirin and honey. I also put a bit of wasabi on the side. The eggplants are grilled whole because they taste absolutely better that way. They’re in season so I also pickled the young ones in mustard.
I also deep-fried some corn and edamame, and stewed octopus until it’s tender — I put a little bit of everything hassun-style.*
Oh, and sushi too. Pacific bluefin tuna isn’t in season, so I opted for southern bluefin tuna instead and also did a taste test and comparison between striped beakfish and crescent sweetlips. Striped jack, horse mackerel, octopus suckers, bigfin reef squid are wrapped in seaweed, gunkan maki sushi style. The scent of nori is heavenly. Yup, I really should add pacific bluefin tuna and red sea bream too.
The taste of the crumbling, fluffy vinegar sushi rice blends well with the toppings, and the finished sushi are all scrumptious. All of the ingredients I got here are in season, and the food from 『Pantry』are also in its most delicious state and at its best season too. Ah, but not everything there is in season; I have both young and matured, ready to spawn sweetfish swimming in it.
It’s better to make a whole bunch of various kinds of sushi instead of just a piece or two, so I slice everything and put the leftovers in 【Storage】. I can enjoy whichever toppings I want any time I want!
Next up is dessert, and it’s roasted green tea ice cream. I asked Riche’s help in making the ice cream; we mixed it in a chilled metal container. Riche is awesome, he chills the container just by a touch of his paw pads. So cute!
***
I start packing my things after a bath.
Alright, I should start first with the heavy objects that don’t change shape. My group already found out a lot of things about me, so there’s no need to hide anymore — I’m packing all sorts of ingredients, starting with dried fish, dried abalones, dried scallops and a whole lot more!
I also brought rice and mochi with me, and sweet jelly beans, nut bars, and taffy nuts in case of emergency. There’s a high chance we won’t be able to hunt unlike when we’re traversing the forest, so I’m bringing tons of jerky too.
Fuel might not be available so cooking might be difficult at times, so I also brought a lot of canned goods too. Ah, I might get scolded because the cans are made from spirit iron, so they’re strictly for emergencies only. Actually, aluminum might be a better choice since it’s also lighter, but don’t you need to electrolyze it first?
Anyway, I also prepared aprons, gloves, and a change of clothes. I took into account all the lessons I learned during our previous excursions. Oh, my luggage seems a bit too much now. Ah, but Retze said he also brings a lot of things when going to the Labyrinth, and that he also hires a porter sometimes, so I guess this is normal? Maybe?
I will still 【Teleport】home to walk Riche early in the morning everyday, but even so, I still played a lot with Riche.
***
I went to bed earlier than usual, then woke up early to brew coffee in the siphon. I listened to the bubbling sound of coffee as I filled my water pouch and did a last minute check of my luggage.
I felt more awake thanks to the coffee as I headed towards Canum while it’s still dark. Everyone will have breakfast together by the stalls. The Canum house will be left empty for a long while, soI already consumed everything that might go bad while we’re away. Actually I can just chuck everything into 【Storage】, but I finished them off yesterday.
We’re meeting in Dean and the other guys’ living room in the rental house they’re living in.
「Morning. 」
「Ou. Whoa, what an incredibly huge bag you got there, huh. 」
「It’s double the size of the luggage you brought with you last time, no? 」
Dean and Chris said that, but both of them were also carrying relatively huge luggage themselves.
「You won’t be able to pass through narrow and cramped spaces with that thing on your back. Lessen it a bit. 」
Retze’s carrying more things, but his luggage is more compact than before. I wonder how did that?
My luggage underwent inspection on the first floor of Dean and the other’s rental house while we’re waiting for Dinosso, Ash and Butler.
Khan is also joining us, but he only brought a few things. He can survive without eating anything so it’s mostly wine — he’s actually sitting on a corner drinking, but since he’s huge his presence is really obvious.
「Stop trying to carry everything with brute force. 」
Retze remarked.
My pants were pulled out and the canned food was confiscated. Ahh, argh, ack!! Folks used to wearing the same clothes all throughout the year won’t understand! I need my change of clothes, I need them!!
I managed to keep a few pants, some shirts and a few pairs of socks.
「Hey, you made something weird again, huh? 」
Retze was staring intently at the canned foods.
Retze, you might be grimacing, but you like those kinds of things, right. Yup, I know you.
「Oy Jean, isn’t this spirit iron!? 」
Ack, Dean found out. Well, it’s actually steel.
「What!? What a waste! 」
Chris leans forward.
「There’s something inside. As for the contents — knowing you, it must be food, huh. 」
Retze was still observing the canned goods.
「That has blood clams stewed in clay pots and I added sichuan peppers in it. Dean is holding the beef with balsamic sauce, Chris has the dip for chicken skewers. And the spirit iron can be reused. 」
I marked them beforehand so I’ll know the contents.
「Why make it heavy on purpose? 」
Dean curiously asked.
「That’s preserved food, preserved food got it. They can last over a year. 」
I didn’t bother explaining sterilization; too troublesome.
「How handy dandy. If it’s me I’ll use that as military rations for war. 」
Khan smirked when our eyes met.
Khan was right, soldiers would be able to travel long distances without worrying about how they’ll get food. Plus, they don’t have to choose where to go because there’s no need to source their food locally.
「…I’ll stop making them. 」
「That’s for the better. 」
Retze commented.
It’s convenient, but it might be a tad too convenient for this world.
「Ou, Morn— what are you guys doing? 」
「Breakfast. 」
Dinosso and Ash arrived.
We opened all the canned goods and ate them for breakfast.
Notes
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T/N: * Hassun (八寸) – it’s usually the perfect accompaniment to drinking sake. It’s a collection of aesthetic appetizer samplers that usually represents one of the four seasons.
Kamo eggplants
Eggplants pickled in mustard (Nasu no Karashi-ae)
Gunkanmaki sushi – literally battleship sushi
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
I Got Transferred in the Middle of a Mountain
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 80 hours
Thanks for the treat.