Rice for Enoch's Second Expeditionary Unit

Chapter 05: Steak wrapped in pie

The cleaning and drying of the meat is finally over for today.

It will take about ten days to finish the process, and I sincerely hope that we don't get called to a next expedition until then.

It seems that there are different kinds of tasks that are assigned to us according our unit.

Sometimes, we are ordered to go to slay demons with no time to rest, and sometimes it takes a whole month to complete the task.

Tomorrow I'm going to bake bread with my natural yeast.
I want to use a kitchen stove, but I wonder if I can find someone who will lend me one.
The cafeteria have one but it will be difficult to ask them if they can rent it to me.

Being able to increase the variety of preserved food, is something I greatly desire now.
Bread and dried meat only is not enough.

Dried fruit cakes, biscuits, etc. Food that can be conserved for a long time.
It would be delicious to apply jam or liver pate on bread. But will the jars be too much baggage?　
If we have some vegetables in oil or something like that, so we wouldn't have to worry about suffering nutritional deficiency.

Oh, and bivalves in oil would be nice too! So delicious!!

For the Forest Elves, seafood from the sea is a luxury.
I wonder if it can be obtained some cheaply in the market, next time I'll check that out.

Investigating... It's getting more and more fun, like a field trip, it's not that but that's how it feels.
It's understandable how everybody in the second unit is so strong, when you think about the time it took to prepare that huge quantity of dried meat.

Once the sun turns reddish brown, it's time to end the workday, I returned to the captain's office and gave my final report before returning to my room.

"There's nothing much to say. I was --"

"Ah. On behalf of the captain, I have a message for you. Today, we're having a welcome party for our newest recruit, Doctor Squirrelly."

I was so surprised that my ears started bouncing.
Looking around, I saw that everyone seemed to be calm.
Apparently, I was the only one who didn't know about this tradition.

"Doctor Squirrelly, do you have time today, right?"

"Yes, no problem! I'm really happy, thanks!"

I didn't expect them to give me a welcome party.
The tops of my eyelids are... I think I'm going to cry.

Before I came here, I had been rejected of so many workplaces because I was an elf.
There were days when I thought it was impossible for someone like me to work in the capital, but now I have a place that welcomes me so warmly.
Thank you! Thank you very much, I want to say that to everyone, but they'll feel embarrassed.

"Well, let's get going. I made a reservation at a good place."

"Oh, thank you.... You all did that just for me...!"

"Don't worry about it. It's just that sometimes everyone needs a little encouragement."

We went out into the city still wearing the knight's uniforms.

There were more people in the evening than when I came here to buy the meat, moving around busily and carrying something back home...
Even so, there are various shops, and just by looking at them my tiredness disappear.

Vice Captain Berly told us about the delicious pastry shops and coffee shops she prefers.

"Is there anything you don't want or can't eat, Doctor Squirrelly?"

"No, not at all."

Meat, vegetables and fish, all of them are my favorites.

Growing up in a large family, you've to be a voracious eater to survive.
Any vegetable peel nor root was left behind never, and I even collected forest sap to make candy... once.

As the oldest, my duty is helping to take care of my little sisters and brothers, so I would go to the forest to get nuts and grind them to bake bulky biscuits.
My younger sisters and brothers were always hungry, at the end not much of what I cooked entered in my own mouth, but....

"Doctor Squirrelly, you're going to have to eat a lot of food today! We pay!"

"Yes, you can have my beef, if you want!"

After making a comment about how my life used to be on the village, it seems that Vice Captain Berly and Mr. Urgas took pity on me.

It's something common... or, so I thought before seeing these reactions, maybe because it's the royal capital.

While talking about such things, we arrived at the place for the welcome party.
It seems to be a very popular store and most of the customers in the store are knights.

"Welcome~!　Ah, Crowy!"

A beautiful lady with blonde hair and blue eyes greeted us.
Her long hair is tied, and she has a mole under her lips, but it makes her look glamours.

The woman hugged our Captain's arm and said "it's been a while".
Apparently, the members of the Second Expeditionary Unit were regulars here.

However, the captain is amazingly expressionless even after being hugged by such a beautiful lady.
... In fact, does she think he is actually irresistible? Or the bandit-style-boys are the ones popular in the Royal Capital?

"Ah! It's been a long time, Mr. Gull!"

As she said this, she hugged Gull, Urgas, and Vice Captain Berly, one after the other.
... Maybe... She is too friendly with the customers?

Vice Captain Berly introduced me.

"Zara, this is our newest member. This is our doctor, Mel Squirrelly."

"Oh! Isn't she a forest Elf! How unusual."

"Hi. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Zara Art."

"Lady Zara, right?"

I hold out my hand, and she grabs me pulling me towards her.

"U-o-o!"

For some reason, even I got a warm hug.

"........hmm?"

It's kind of stiff and plain for a woman...?

"She's so cute..."

She whispered in a voice that was too low and snatched for a woman.

But I didn't have time to think about that, I was rally embarrassed because I'd never been told I was cute or anything like that before.

After some minutes, I thought it was already time for her to let me go, and I tried to escape, but she was holding me tightly and I couldn't move.
What is this all about?

"Zara, let her go."

The captain stopped her.
Zara said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." and then she let me go.

"This guy hugs strangers easily. Be careful."

"Crowy, it's awful to talk about my embrace like it's something weird."

"What else could it be but a weird!　If you know a man who would enjoy a man's embrace, please don't introduce him to me."

"The customers here appreciate my embrace..."

Did I hear something ... different of what I think I did? Like "man" or something...?
I glanced at him, he glanced back at me... What do I do now?!! Just smile, smile....

"This guy is a man."

"Zara??! You're a man??!"

"That's right. He was a former knight and was known as the 'Furious Axe of War."

"Hee~~"

... Ok, For what thing should I feel surprised first?
She... He looked like a beautiful woman, but was definitely the tallest one I've met and his voice was too deep.

He retired from the knightly corps, right? And now is a waitress... an infiltrate, a spy (?) in this restaurant here.
While I was wondering, they were talking between them.

"If there're girls so cute like Mel in the force now... I might as well go back."

Vice Captain Berly responded immediately.

"Really? It would be really helpful if Zara were there again. There're still so many vacancies in our forces, so we're in trouble."

"Oh, but I might not like to go in expeditions again... I can't bathe, the food is bad, and--"

By the way, Zara said he was in the Royal Guard Unit. Even without expeditions every day, he had a lot on his mind and decided to quit.

"Well, about the baths that's not something new. But the food quality improved a lot, all thanks to Doctor Squirrelly. The last time it was a soup boiled in a helmet, but it was truly delicious."

"Hmm."

Glancing at me, Zara thinks over it.... What she was talking about??!
Suddenly, he said something unexpected.

"I'd like to join your unit then! If you can make me a satisfying dish with preserved food, I'll !"

What a challenge! Only Vice-Captain Berly was jumping up and down, pleased.

"If Zara gets in, we will be a hundred percent stronger! Doctor Squirrelly, I'll be cheering on you!"

"Yeah, ha, ha..."

I don't know where this is going to... I'm going to cook for Zara's restaurant? Or will I cook for him alone?

The dried meat isn't ready yet, and it will be awhile before we can taste them.

"Oh!... I'm sorry for interrupting the party. We reserved the seats in the back."

She led us to a room on the back of the restaurant, compared with the noisy place we were before, this is a relatively quiet room.
The food recommended is said to be delicious.

"First, let's have a toast."

I don't drink alcohol, so I asked for a fruit juice.
The toast is led by Urgas.

"So, congratulations to our new companion, Doctor Squirrelly, on her enlistment!"

We raised our wooden cups with him.
The grapefruit juice was sweet with touches of sourness.

After that, more food was brought in.
Zara brought us a large pie, served on a round plate.
The surface was fluffy, and the dough had a delicious-looking roasted color.

"Mel-chan, this is a specialty of our shop."

Steaks wrapped in pie. It's a dish for five people, bigger than my face.

When Zara put the knife into it, the juices of the meat slowly started pouring out.

The individual pieces were placed on a plate and handed to each one of us with a knife and fork.

Later, I get a garnish of crushed potatoes. This, too, with a delicious mixture of condiments.

I want to eat it right away, but first I have to say a prayer of thanks to God.

--God, thank you for this wonderful meal!　May this dish go from being food for my body to being food for my soul!

Immediately after finishing praying, I decided to taste a bite of the beef wrapped in pie.

When I put the knife over it surface, the dough cracked open quickly.
The minced meat inside seems to be cooked until it becomes tender.
I cut it into bite-sized pieces and put it into my mouth.

"Hot...!"

Since it was freshly baked, it was very hot, I let it cool in my mouth and chewed carefully.
The first thing that surprised me was the richness of the butter flavor.
It was not only on the pie crust, but also on the meat.
~~The meat, seasoned with spices, was amazing.
There was no odor at all, I can only say that it was simply delicious.

As I ate my pie, Vice Captain Berly asked me softly

"Doctor Squirrelly, is it that good??"

"Mmm~~"

"Is it tasty, Doctor Squirrelly?"

"I love you~~ delicious pie"

My tongue is busy tasting these melted flavors that I can't speak well.

The soup that came afterwards, the fried nuts to accompany the meat, and the steamed fish... All of them were superb!

Royal Capital, I'm glad I came! Now I can say it from the bottom of my heart.

I want to come back here after I get paid.

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