Ryouriban Chapter 27

Truth and Potato-mochi (Part 1)

 

Characteristic of the ma.s.ses. Limited to the Region.

It seems that there is no one who can’t sense the fascinations behind these words.

Even I, in order to eat Miso Ramen in Hokkaido, have been to Susukino.

After I ate the Miso Ramen I went into a Bird Tavern (Tori Izakaya) for a drink, it seemed to have become quite a vigorous trauma. But the Tsukune was delicious.

(TL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsukune was tempted to just call it skewers)

 

The nice guy living underground, it’s Shuri.

Recently, Gann-san hasn’t been coming so it’s boring.

At least food is being delivered so I’m not starving to death but, it’s boring.

So boring.

It’s important so I said it twice.

 

“What happened to Gann-san?”

“That guy is busy. Eat and behave criminal”

 

Eeeeehhh?

This Food Guard-san is terribly blunt and has such a sharp tongue.

He’s not looking over here and has on a sour expression. It doesn’t seem we’ll get along….

I was sad so I started on the food.

A steamed potato and soup made from vegetable sc.r.a.ps….

Let’s arrange this a little.

I drink up the vegetable sc.r.a.ps soup and pick up the steamed potato.

I take out the potato starch.

It was given to me secretly by Gann-san.

Mixing the potato with the potato starch, I heat up the portable stove and fry it in the pot.

That’s all it is.

This potato rice cake, aka Potato-mochi is similar to a sweet which you can eat in Hokkaido.

A texture of puffiness and springiness with the sweetness of sweet potato. This is an irresistible dish.

If possible it’s best eaten with soy sauce or miso paste but, since there isn’t any I wipe the remains of the soup and take a big bite into it.

 

Hmm, as expected it’s missing something.

 

“Oh, you’re eating”

 

As I was thinking that, Gann-san came along.

Like always, in his hands were alcohol snacks and fish sauce.

You, is your att.i.tude towards work fine like that?

 

“….Something that looks good again”

“I have one. Want it?”

“Oh, can I take it?”

“If you add fish sauce to it, it tastes a lot better.

Therefore, please share some with me onegai”

“Are you actually kneeling?”

 

Of course. It’s dull if it’s just like this.

Gann-san got closer to me, and gave me the jar in which the fish sauce was contained.

 

“Is this fine? Lessee, what sort of thing is that?”

“It’s called Potato-mochi. It’s a snack you eat, made from making potato springy.”

“Potato again. Do you want to become the entire country’s provider for it as well?”

“Eh? At most it’ll be with potato dishes?”

 

What a cheap world… it seems if I spread around cup ramen I’ll become one of the multimillionaires on this continent.

Ah, I want to try making some instant preservative foods… I’ll try it next time.

 

“Oh, you probably can become one if it’s with a potato dish this good”

“Then, you popularise it please, Gann-san”

 

I, have no intention of leaving the corp.

Besides potatoes can grow anywhere (even in the wastelands) and because the amount you harvest is decent, if you popularise this then wouldn’t famines disappear?

As I was thinking that, Gann-san, grabs hold of the cell’s iron bars and fixates on me.

Scary?!

 

“Are you seriously saying that!?”

“Yes. After I’m free I’ll teach you. Potato cooking or cooking edible plants.

Since it’s pretty rare to have someone cook together with me, isn’t it fine because it seems fun?”

 

Besides if I cook by myself, since the Hamburg Junkie will secretly change the menu, there is a need for a guard.

The consumption for the beef is staggering, it’s troubling.

 

“You, do you understand just how much this is worth?”

“How much it’s worth…. It’s delicious, brings forth conversation, and fills stomachs. Isn’t that what cooking is about?”

 

It’s true that places like restaurants have a part of them which prioritises profit as well so, I understand that it’s just my ideals.

But, a person who opens a shop thinking from the start “Let’s profit! Become rich!” probably doesn’t exist right?

Isn’t it more like “I want lot’s of customers to come in and eat, and tell me it’s delicious!”.

 

“….You, that’s the sort of person you are”

“I don’t really get what you mean but….

I am myself”

“I get it. It’s fine”

 

Saying so, Gann-san calms down and let’s go of the iron bars.

Then puts the Potato-mochi in his mouth as if he was annoyed.

 

“d.a.m.n it. Why do I have to watch over this kinda careless guy.

And why did I hand over a knife to this guy like it was normal. It’s like I’m helping him break out.

But he doesn’t break out. Such a totally careless and idiotic guy.

However his meals are good….

This potato thing has its unique softness and a mysterious springiness.

It’s doesn’t have the dryness of potato and it crumbles and melts in your mouth.

And if you add fish sauce, it tastes even better.

The saltiness and tastiness is just right.”

“Sorry but, I only have that one.

There’s not enough”

“I’ll go and bring more! Make as much as you want!

Kaa~, I’m becoming senileee.

Why, why did you knock down the lord’s wine gla.s.s and get arrested”

“It’s simple”

 

Well, it’s obvious if you see that.

 

“Because if he had drank it like that, most likely the feudal lord would’ve collapsed and died”

 

At those words, Gann-san’s gaze sharpened at once.

Super scary!

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Low, so low, his vocal tone is so low.

Hiii, why is this person so angry?

 

“Don’t curl up so frightened. Tell me. Would the lord have died if he had drank that wine?”

“Y-yes, it might not be as serious as death though….”

“What? Are you able to distinguish the poison which was put into the wine?”

“N-no, it’s not the wine. It’s the gla.s.s”

“Gla.s.s? Impossible, to coat that in poison?!”

“Hiii. N-no. It’s not poison.

Even if you use the same trick, it would only work on the feudal lord…”

“What did you say? Then, a magic engineered poison which is only effective to the lord?”

“I-it’s not such an exaggerated thing”

 

I said nervously.

 

“I mean, the feudal lord is allergic to metals right?”

 

At those words, Gann-san stiffened up with a crack.

 

“Aller…. what?”

“Allergic. If he touches metal objects with his skin, it’ll become a rash. His skin becomes red, hot, and his whole body itches”

“Ha, sounds stupid”

 

Gann-san folds his arms and said.

 

“The lord has advanced in the battlefield wielding his sword before. If by holding an iron sword he becomes itchy, wouldn’t that be a story”

“Yes, looking at it, it doesn’t seem to be too terrible of an allergy but…”

“Besides, I’ve never heard of some terrible disease which arises just by wearing metal armour.”

“It’s a physical const.i.tution problem. In addition even for metal armours, there are metals which lessen the allergic reaction.”

“Ha?”

“Gold or silver… those are metals the allergy won’t react to strongly”

“Wait wait. The fallen wine gla.s.s is made of silver. If what you’re saying is true then, with that there shouldn’t be any allergy or whatever”

“Which is why”

 

I said as I recall that scene.

 

“The insides of the handle, the plating was polished with iron.”

 

I wouldn’t have understood if I didn’t see it carefully.

‘The feudal lord’s hands are sorta red’, I had mysteriously thought.

And then, the handle wasn’t silver but iron.

The insides were also polished with iron.

Unlike the modern j.a.pan where it’s refined with machinery, this world which relies on the intuition of magic engineering, has no technique to remove the materials responsible for allergies, and even the techniques to mix different metals into alloys are scarce.

If the mulled wine was poured and drunk just like that, it would be terrible.

 

The reason for metal allergies is that the metal ions are liquidated from the metal and it comes into contact with the skin.

The worst is nickel and such, the others I can’t remember.

Nickel can be removed without a worry but, I’ve seen the damage it does. There was a person who got an inflammation from a nickel necklace. As long as it’s not metal cups manufactured in the modern times, I can’t get rid of the unease.

If it touches your mucous membranes, then you’ll get mucous membrane inflammation. If it gets in your bloodstream then you’ll get full body dermat.i.tis.

If it comes to that then it’s terrible. Your body will hurt, heat up and be in agony.

 

Basically, the metal ions inside of the gla.s.s which had mulled wine poured in will begin to dissolve.

Drinking that will lead to the inflammation of the throat and esophagus.

It’s dangerous even if it gets into the liver or intestines.

And by digesting it, it gets into your entire body’s bloodstream and that’s three strikes.

You won’t be able to do anything anymore.

 

“B-but, if what you said is true, the symptoms should’ve come up much earlier.

That, he’s been using it for a week already”

“That’s why it’s vicious.

As long as your body const.i.tution doesn’t change, the allergy won’t improve.

On the contrary, the metal ions which have entered the body causes the body’s immunity system to overreact, and it slowly deteriorates over time.

And then someday, the allergy symptoms will show up and he’ll suddenly collapse”

 

If you ask me how I know so much, it’s because my father was like that.

His tooth chipped, and metal was added in as a dental treatment.

And then suddenly one day, his whole body started itching.

Sending him into the emergency room, it didn’t become a big thing but it seems that after that, at the dental clinic they removed the metal and replaced it with something else. This time it would be something that doesn’t cause a reaction. It was a flashy gold.

After listening to my explanation of general knowledge, Gann-san was in a panic.

 

“Impossible… that it was such a close call”

“Well, it’s fine as long as he doesn’t use that gla.s.s again.

The person who gave it to him wouldn’t have known of such a thing right?”

“… I can’t make a judgement myself.

Someone I can talk to, I’m going to go and talk this out with someone I can trust”

“Ah, is that so…”

 

Even just using one wine gla.s.s needed a meeting?

 

“Never, tell anyone else about this. Alright?”

“Eh? Yes”

 

I don’t really understand it but, he ended up giving me a warning.

Well, even if I told someone else, they probably wouldn’t believe me anyway.

Because I too, had only brought out my vague knowledge and memories of that time.

 

However, when I knew that this problem was way bigger than I had thought.

Was the next day.