Here’s another Iza for you. TLed by Shaun, edited and proofed by a lotta people.
The next day at Izakaya Nobu, the sales of Toriaezu Nama were going through the roof.
「One Toriaezu Nama here! And two portions of 'Hans' here!」
「Toriaezu Nama here too! And…three portions of 'Hans'!」
「Got it~! Please wait a bit~!」
シノブとタイショーが「餃子よね」「餃子だな」と呟いていたが、あちらの世界にも似たような料理があるのだろうか。
トリアエズナマに合うという課題は達成できたようで、物珍しさも相俟って人気は上々だった。
Hans'-style pelmeni sizzled in the frying pan, stimulating one’s appetite. Hans' suggested addition to the menu was adopted within a day, with only a slight adjustment.
「Isn’t this gyoza?」
「It’s gyoza, huh.」
Overhearing Shinobu and Taisho’s murmuring, he wondered if there was a similar dish in their world too. The pelmeni, seasoned with garlic, was called "Hans' dish", or "Hans", because the official name, "Hans'-style pelmeni", was too long to remember. His assignment, creating a dish that "went well with Toriaezu Nama", had been accomplished, and the novelty of the dish contributed significantly to its popularity.
「You did well, Hans.」
「No, Taisho. I owe it to my brother. If I didn't receive his hint last night, I think I'd still be suffering in the kitchen tonight.」
「Even if you got the insight from your brother, it was still you who completed it, Hans. Have a bit more confidence in yourself.」
「…Yes sir!」
For the steamed pelmeni, the potato starch that had dissolved in the water spread out like feathers. Apparently, it was fun to break the crispy part of the fried ones by spreading it apart with chopsticks. Customers who usually did not use chopsticks began using them by watching and learning from other people today.
Pelmeni「Evchan, one bowl of sasarica here!」
「I’d like a bowl of sasarica too. And another serving of ‘Hans’!」
Among the customers who didn't drink, there were many who asked for pelmeni and sasarica rice. The pelmeni, which was eaten with soy sauce or vinegar, went well with sasarica rice. Since it could be reheated at home, some customers ordered them as takeout. Shinobu decided to give these customers a small packet of sauce to bring back as well. She had been busy in the kitchen this whole time, stretching the wrappings.
As he watched Taisho kneading the dough for the wrappings, Hans couldn't hold himself in. His face loosened at the thought that everyone was enjoying the dish that he himself had introduced to the shop.
This was it. This was what Hans wanted to do.
Although he was merely at the stage of helping Taisho, he would definitely make his own dish and make his customers happy one day. The goal was far, but it seemed attainable now.
「It turned out well, didn’t it, Hans? It’s very popular.」
「Thank you, Leontaine.」
There was sweat on Leontaine's forehead, despite her being accustomed to handling the floor alone. Today was the busiest since the Grand Bazaar.
「Shouldn’t you let your brother try it too?」
「That’s right, I wanted to invite Father and two more people.」
Ever since Hans had decided to become a guard, the relationship between Hugo and Lorentz had been awkward, and he didn't understand why. From his perspective, he didn't think he had the talent for glass-smithing like his brother Hugo, but his father might not have thought the same. He wanted to clear up this misunderstanding as soon as possible.
「At any rate, it’s going to be a celebration tonight.」
「Nah, let’s hold off on that celebration a little longer. There are things I have to do first.」
「What do you have to do?」
「Oh, I’m going to improve on my pelmeni tonight.」
Hans was satisfied with what he had put out in the shop today and he had accomplished the task of making a dish that paired well with Toriaezu Nama. However, he wondered if he could still devise more ways to improve this dish so even more people would eat it.
「Improvements, huh…」
「Leontaine, aren't you going to eat some pelmeni?」
「Well, I’m serving customers right now.」
Taisho had added plenty of garlic in the pelmeni to pair it well with Toriaezu Nama, but it wasn't suitable for female customers. If Leontaine, Shinobu, and Eva couldn't eat it, then it wasn't right for Izakaya Nobu.
「Should I call you hardworking or stubborn, I wonder? You would definitely be successful even if you aren't in this line of work.」
「I have my hands full with cooking for now.」
その前でペリメニの研究をするのが、今から楽しみだった。
A customer’s voice called out, and Leontaine responded to it. When she turned around, her long hair swayed and tickled the tip of Hans’ nose.
He wondered if Leontaine would drink tonight too.
Before this, he only wanted to research on the pelmeni, but now, he was looking forward to it.
A customer's voice called out, and Leontaine responded to it.