Chapter 303: Asora takes flight

Fermented food.

These that exist in many food cultures and have a lot of history are truly varied and peculiar.

There’s cheese, yogurt, many alcoholic drinks, and…well, a lot of other things.

In Japan, it goes without saying that there’s natto and miso, and many of the seasonings are fermented products or have origins from fermented products.

Trial and error has been repeatedly done in Asora by relying on my memories, and a good number of successes have come from it.

For example; the natto succeeded at a pretty early stage.

Now that I think about it, the production method itself isn’t that complicated.

But…it took quite a lot of time before it was reported to me, or more accurately speaking, until Tomoe could arrive at that point.

They went by my feeling of ‘yeah, this is natto’, so the replication team would scrap any result that they thought was a failure, and it took a while until they made something good enough to show to me.

Stinky, with a strong flavor and stickiness.

The characteristics of natto were written and the information shared, but the degree of it couldn’t be shared which is the sad part.

This may be obvious, but the people that like and dislike natto in Asora are heavily divided and it has become the representative in that area.

Even when the smell, stickiness, and grain sizes have had many modifications until now, the divisiveness hasn’t changed.

Or more like, leaving aside the grain size, there’s fervent dedicated ones that are trying to strengthen the smell, stickiness, and flavor. For the people that can’t eat it, that looks like the act of fiends, and it goes pretty deep.

Regarding cheese and yogurt, I honestly don’t know how to make it, but within the information that could be obtained from Tsige, there was the production method of butter and other whey products that already existed in the Goddess’s world, so we somehow managed, and it stabilized in Asora at a pretty fast stage.

Just that, the taste is different from the cheese I am used to eating like the processed cheese and the pizza cheese.

How do you make those?

On the other hand, we struggled heavily with the soy sauce, miso, vinegar, sake, and shochu.

The latter three have reached a point where they are similar, but not the same, and cannot reach the point of being a finished product (as in, reaching the taste I know), and we end up creating products resembling it one after the other without being able to actually reach it.

Regarding the sake, I can’t say for sure that it can be considered a finished product to begin with.

If it is sake, there’s sweet taste, dry taste, mellow. For the shochu, the ingredients in itself have a different taste.

There’s no way I can have a clear base to judge. There was one time when a sake that was easy to drink and had carbonic acid in it came out, and I could clearly say that this wasn’t the regular sake I know of.

But there’s variations like the doburoku, so I couldn’t really say it definitely doesn’t enter the category of sake.

In either one of them, the important point is the ‘base’.

For the sake or the seasonings, there have been a number of them that I could acknowledge as those.

Especially with the sake, Tomoe looked at me with glittering eyes as she waited for my OK.

When it came to the seasonings necessary for japanese dishes, Mio was reserved and silent keeping a distance of three steps back, releasing a strong pressure.

Cause I don’t know much about their raw taste, the current state is that I can’t really give a clear judgement that this is it, which I feel bad about.

It won’t be completed unless I give it my pass, and the modifications that come after it won’t be able to begin. The responsibility is heavy, way too heavy.

“…Hm.” (Makoto)

Even so, it ended.

The soy sauce, miso, and vinegar.

We found things ‘similar’ to them.

Also, we found something somewhat similar to sake.

About the shochu, the transparent thing I drank just now apparently originates from potatoes, but my memories of drinking it straight as it is are hazy, even so, the tingling of my tongue, and the peculiar taste and sweetness match.

If we combine these and the passed products and trial products, and show everyone the crux of it properly, the completion of the first japanese fermented products’ replication project will be close.

Asora has evolved!

“I think this is without doubt potato shochu.” (Makoto)

“My! Then, with this, we have japanese alcohol, nigori sake, and shochu. This is splendid progress.”

“About this sake, are there ones made from rice and barley?” (Makoto)

Today, Mio and I are exploring Kannaoi to taste the products.

After finishing our shopping here, all our businesses with Lorel will be done.

The seasonings part had a lot of progress, but the sake area progressed greatly too.

As expected of Lorel, the place where the Wise went all out.

The fashion has a lot of questionable parts, but in terms of the food, they didn’t go avant garde and instead faithfully tried to replicate the japanese flavor in this world.

Honestly speaking, I didn’t have that much emotional attachment to the food, but when I got a taste of the black soybeans boiled in sugar, it was the best. I am exaggerating a little bit though.

Those were black soybeans that fit my memories to perfection…

For some reason, tears came out.

Even though it wasn’t the kind of food that would move me to tears, nor did I have any important memories related to it.

“There’s both of them. To think you would know about the rice and the barley shochu. You really know a lot despite being so young.”

“There’s customers that are wishing to drink shochu, you see. It is just surface level knowledge, but I somehow got some of the info in my head.” (Makoto)

It is a bit of a lie.

The one who is wishing to drink it is mostly Tomoe and the Eldwas.

Today I am mostly having Mio guide me around the stores.

We would enter the stores that catch our attention if we find one on our way, but I left the route to Mio.

Mio might have already presented herself as the Kuzunoha Company before.

That must be why the clerk of this extravagant liquor store was flattering a young boy like me who brought a woman with him.

If he were to know about the things we have done here, and connect the Kuzunoha Company, Raidou, and me, it wouldn’t be strange if it were to turn into a Mito Koumon situation, but judging from his calm and gentle reception like that of receiving a normal customer, he probably doesn’t.

Or maybe he simply noticed that I am from the same trade and wants me to buy up his stock, and this is his way of greeting merchants.

No good. I always end up worrying about the every word of a merchant.

In Kannaoi, sake is more widely common than shochu, so maybe he acted amicably because a customer asked for the types of shochu.

“These here are the rice-made ones I recommend: Ukai and Kishihakatarazu. And for the barley one, the transparent one is Yaso, the amber one has been left to mature for three years, the Sankaido.”

At a place a bit distanced from the reception of normal customers, he sat down and began explaining about the alcohol in detail.

Kishihakatarazu?

Sankaido?

There’s a lot of liquor names that sound like jokes, so there’s no point in minding that, huh.

My honest opinion is that they all taste rough.

There’s differences in taste, but is it normal for shochu to be drunk just like this?

“All of them have a strong aroma. This is great liquor. I have become a fan as well.” (Makoto)

By the way, I am sampling them with the premise that I will be buying them.

I had him pour a glass for me and sipped it little by little. I of course can’t drink all 4 of them though.

Mio gulped down the glass in one go as if it were a shot.

It was clear from his and my eyes that she was making an expression of delight at the taste, so we couldn’t say anything against it.

…

Then I look at the remaining alcohol I have left in my glass.

I don’t feel like I will be able to bargain.

I shift my gaze to where Mio is.

Four glasses were now empty.

“Thank you very much!” (Mio)

A high evaluation, and she is honestly happy.

Well, it is settled that we will be buying a decent quantity and amount of types.

There’s no doubt the seasoned clerk must have smelled that.

If that’s the case, we are guests of honor.

“This matured amber one’s color is also beautiful. Could it be that you were letting it mature using a barrel that had been used for a different liquor?” (Makoto)

“?! I did think that you were a merchant in the same trade but, are you involved in the liquor brewing as well?”

When I was in the Limia Kingdom, at the time when I went to see the warehouse for distilled alcohol, they were doing something similar, and the color was the same, so I bluffed a bit here and it seems I hit the mark.

Even if I were to miss the mark, I can be the merchant that’s easy to deal with and pays well which would be better than him being cautious of me. But it seems it has gone well -for a change.

“I was taught that there’s this kind of liquor brewing when I stocked up at Limia in their warehouse. We are merchants, but we are ones that just stock on them. There’s no way I would be able to have more knowledge than you people who make it.” (Makoto)

Now, let’s see how he plays it.

Is he gonna be bringing out a treasured product, or an incredible novel product now?

This place is a liquor store with quite the splendid stance, the variety of barrels in the store are incredible, and the clerk is receiving well a brat-like boy like me.

There’s no doubt it is a store with a decent reputation.

There’s certainly a lot of sake here, but there’s quite the variety of shochu as well.

As someone who only knew the potato, rice, and barley variations, it makes me look forward to the great enterprises of the Wise.

“Then, since you are requesting shochu, the first one that was made from potato, Haou; the rice, Ukai; the barley, Sankaido; are the ones I am most confident about. But if you have the time, I can introduce you a number of eccentric ones.”

“Please do. Also, shochu is a pretty strong drink for me. I apologize if this sounds rude but, if possible, can I have some water?” (Makoto)

“In no way is it rude. Shochu is used in a variety of cocktails, and it is commonly drunk diluted with water. Especially the customers that enjoy the aroma, they prefer drinking both separately. Of course, I will prepare them for you.”

Lorel, banzai!

What a relief. Looks like it is a normal way of drinking.

His explanation did a good job in convincing me, but it is true that by diluting it with water, I do feel like the scent does get clearer.

Maybe I am simply feeling that way because a pro explained this to me?

Oh well, let’s think about it after drinking it.

By the way, the Haou must have come from the name Maou. <The name of an actual shochu.>

I will one day know which one is more tasty when I drink the Maou too.

“Oh, which ones do you have?” (Makoto)

“Things like: sesame, mushroom, oyster, grape, tomato, and chicory. Ah, bring the three shochu, the grape, and tomato for the customer here.”

“Yes, right away!”

Mushroom and tomato?!

Won’t it be wine if you use grapes?!

He says oyster, but he actually means persimmon, right? <The two are kaki and sound the same.>

This is bad. Shochu might be more of a swamp than I thought.

I can’t imagine their color or taste aside from the sesame one.

Or more like, which one are they using for their mushroom shochu?

‘Since we are making it into liquor, the poison is eliminated, so we are using poisonous mushrooms’, sounds plausible.

Like when preparing the puffer fish’s ovary.

For chicory, I don’t even know what it is.

Don’t even know if it is a vegetable or a fruit.

Even so, six types, huh.

I feel like I am gonna be drinking a lot.

I can use magic to not get drunk, but the taste of alcohol includes getting drunk.

I can drink as much as I want that way, but it would be incredibly tasteless.

It is like poker and horse racing that you don’t bet anything at all.

It is a sensation I don’t know what to compare it to.

Anyways, at this moment when I am tasting the alcohol to buy them, it is not the time to use that magic.

“Sorry for the wait!”

“Good work. Apologies for the wait, customer. This here is the mushroom blend that we finally managed to shape up last year and—”

““Welcome back!””

“?”

The clerk was explaining the mushroom shochu while pouring it to me, but greetings that resonated at the same time cut his words.

He didn’t spill the drink though.

He raised the spout up with practiced moves, and directed his gaze at the entrance.

I also follow his gaze and look there.

The one who came into the store with ragged breath was a man.

?!

A kimono made of expensive-looking silk, and wearing a pseudo hanten?!

Black as base with silver and gold embroidery, the design is…a myriad flowers, huh. A design where a white sake bottle is hanging at the back of his neck, and from there, an astounding amount of flowers flow out from it, covering his whole back.

It is probably tailor-made.

He was heaving while receiving water from a clerk and gulping it all down in one go.

The clerk that was in the middle of our business discussion didn’t greet him with the rest, but he was dumbfounded by the pseudo hanten man.

“D-Danna-sama <Master>, coming in here from the front door, just what’s the matter…?”

He speaks out his surprise.

Danna-sama, huh.

Meaning that this personage is the owner of this store.

…Eh? Could it be that the pseudo hanten is some kind of formal attire for merchants? That’s a rough joke, man.

“Haaah haaah… Gather the clerks to my room immediately. It is urgent!”

The owner looks around the store and gives out an order in a voice that travelled well.

The store got busy in an instant.

Did something happen?

The store owner took off his footwear and was going to hurriedly head to his room, and then, he directed his gaze at the clerk and us that were in the middle of our negotiation.

The clerk nods, and I bow lightly.

Mio copied what I did.

We are first time customers, but the owner probably understood that we are customers in the middle of negotiations, he showed a smile and lowered his head…or at least, was about to.

The middle-aged man was about to lower his head with a smile, but his movements stopped as if he had frozen.

You have a pretty amusing posture from where I am looking, mister.

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaa?!”

And then, a weird shout.

Oi oi, here I was having fun being sure that ‘Asora has evolved!’ as I wandered around the city, and now something that will drop it down all of a sudden is going to happen?

The events in Kannaoi should have ended already, right?!

“Danna-sama?!”

The owner had unfrozen, and with one of his white tabi still on in one of his feet, he ran full-throttle our way.

And then, transitions from his charge into a dogeza.

An artistic level dogeza.

“I-I apologize for the rudeness, but are you the Kuzunoha Company’s Raidou-sama?!”

A Koumon-like situation appeared.

As expected of the owner of a large store, it seems he also has a proper information network.

I thought information about me wouldn’t circulate from one day to another, but it looks like I underestimated it.

Also, this is a situation that Tomoe would envy.

“Ooh…information goes around fast.” (Makoto)

“When Waka-sama ordered Iroha something akin to looking forward to working with you from now on, I did expect it would quicken the process, but this definitely is quick-desu wa ne. The ears of this place are about the same level as the Rembrandt’s-desu wa ne, Waka-sama.” (Mio)

Looks like Mio had predicted this to a certain extent.

I would like you to choose your words a bit more when in public though.

I don’t remember ordering Iroha-chan anything, but…was it that?

The thing about receiving information about specialty products and all that stuff?

That if she had some business, we will do what we can to deal with it, so call us?

That was basically just formality though.

As if a merchant like me can give orders to a future peak political influence of a major power.

“In this most auspicious moment, I offer you my most sincere compliments in your promotion to the merchant’s God of Wealth ranks!”

“Oh my, Waka-sama, congratulations.” (Mio)

““?!?!””

The strange title, and Mio who gave out nonchalant words of celebration as if she knew something.

The clerk…no, all the people in the store opened their eyes wide.

P-Promotion to the God of Wealth ranks?

The owner didn’t notice my confusion, and looked up, seeing the glass of alcohol I had in my hand.

“Thank you very much for trying the liquor of our store! Please give us the honor to entertain you! Now, over here, over here!”

The owner stands up and invites me deeper into the store.

Or more like, every time he said ‘over here’, more and more clerks surrounded us.

From where did you all come from?!

“Mio, why are you putting distance? They are going to be showing their hospitality, you know?” (Makoto)

“The owner here seems to want to give Waka-sama a long warm reception. I do want to accompany you, but…” (Mio)

“But…?” (Makoto)

“The store a few streets back that sold black soyb—I mean, to ask around for information. I remembered that I have a trifling matter left unsolved.” (Mio)

“So you also liked the black soybeans a lot, huh.” (Makoto)

That’s unexpected.

Tomoe and Shiki are the ones who like the sweet stuff.

If it is the taste of black soybeans, I think Tomoe would be the one who would like it, but Mio too?

“I-It was tasty. But more than that, the face Waka-sama made when you ate it…it seemed like you were happy, so…” (Mio)

“…”

“Please buy as much delicious liquor as you want, okay? Everyone will be happy, and you can use as much money as you want. Tomoe-san said there’s no budget limit.” (Mio)

“Got it. I will do my best.” (Makoto)

I see, so it was my reaction.

I really am loved.

It was so normal that I got used to it.

But that’s no good.

I have to reciprocate Mio.

Reciprocate everyone in Asora.

“Now then, Raidou-sama, there’s a lot I would like to speak with you about. I am sorry for the late introductions, I am Sugidama Yamidou.”

Sugidama Yamidou-san.

Sugidama is that thing that shows up in wine cellars when autumn comes, right?

Sugidama

When it is light brown, it means that a new brew of sake has been made, or maybe it means that they are ready for drinking?

He literally is named that?

Yamidou sounds like his family name, or is it his given name?

In the end, I didn’t return to the hotel or Asora until late into the night, and was shown a truly exemplar reception as he stated.