Fried Fishcake (Satsumage1)
There was a small town made by merchants that counted on the fortress close to the border between the Kingdom and the Empire, and the soldiers that protected the fortress.
The soldiers had an important job to protect the border from any unexpected attacks of the savage and mighty Empire so there were those that had to stay up until midnight, and there was a bar district at the town that stayed open until late at night.
Rough roads unpaved by cobblestones were illuminated by dim light emitting from torch lights and oil lamps, people went here and there to eat and drink even until the time when people of other towns had fallen asleep. It was such a place.
Because it was such a town, many children in that town had a fortress soldier as their fathers.
Many of them usually lived with their mothers in a separate residence from their fathers who were given a room in the fort while working at their given duties.
Usually they became adults without worrying about who their fathers were.
While terrible, it was not unusual that some men that came in and out of the house might not be the father.
But sometimes such children had to live with their fathers at times.
…When they lost their mothers.
Raina, a boy who lived at the fort, was walking hand-to-hand at the town during daytime with his father, Paul, who was off-duty that day.
[Tou-chan, where are we going?]
Raina asked a bit nervously while firmly grasping the rugged hand.
After his mother had died a month ago, Raina who had lost his home was taken in by Paul who claimed to be his father.
During daytime, children were tasked with chores as the fortress provided them food.
The place where they lived in was only the narrow rooms assigned to soldiers.
That’s why he was glad to be able to go outside to the familiar town.
Still, he honestly didn’t know what to do with his father as they did not have much of a relationship.
[Tou-chan, I’m hungry… can I eat
Cobbler’s fruit over there?]
[Not yet. Wait a little longer.]
Paul shook his head to Raina who pointed to a stand that sold boiled Cobbler’s fruit for poor people.
[What, you promised…]
He was reflexively dissatisfied with Paul’s state of affair.
Just before noon, Paul who was prepared to go out with Raina so Raina was given an unsatisfying amount of bread and thin soup as breakfast. Paul said:
—Ou, I’ll take you to a nice place. They served delicious meals there.
He understood why he didn’t get it.
Raina who was unable to do the chores at the fort with his empty stomach decided to accept Paul’s invitation and went out hand-in-hand.
[Maa, just wait. The place we’re going to, it’s a restaurant. That’s why if you already fill your belly with the Empire’s Cobbler’s fruit, you’ll regret it… look, we’re here.]
While saying so, Paul picked Raina up and placed him on his shoulders.
They went through the back alley and entered an incomplete road…
[Tou-chan, what is that?]
A vacant lot in the city.
There was a black door in the middle of the space with a picture on a cat on it.
[Ou, that door leads to the place I’m bringing you to. I found it by chance during a patrol.]
Paul stood in front of the door while humming a tune.
It was a wonderful door that looked enormously big for children like Raina.
A sign hung from the picture of the cat.
There was something written on it, but Raina did not know what’s written since he couldn’t read.
[Tou-chan, what’s written on it?]
Paul who was taught up to the point he was able to read for his soldier education replied to Raina satisfactorily.
[Aa, this, it’s written as… otherworld restaurant Nekoya.]
While saying so, he grasped the cool golden handle and turned it.
‘Chirinchirin’, the bell rung as the door was opened.
The moment they went through the door, they arrived at a strangely bright room.
There were a number of people inside the prosperous restaurant, like demons and dwarves, and those that were obviously monsters, each of them enjoying never seen before cuisines.
[Wha, what
what is this place…]
Raina whose line of sight had increased since he was being carried looked around the room.
[Welcome.]
[A, welcome.]
Two adult female who were probably the waitresses of this restaurant greeted them both.
One was a female demon with golden hair and black horns while the other one was a female human with black hair and slightly different face features.
[Let me show you to your seat.]
One of them, the female demon said so to Paul and Raina.
[Well, let’s go.]
As he said so, Paul brought Raina down and they two were guided to their seats.
Though the room had no window, it was strangely bright and had comfortable seats.
Well-polished tables and various bottles lined up on the corner of it.
While Raina was being distracted, Paul quickly ordered to the waitress.
[I’ll have beer. And for this guy, juice of Azar fruit would suffice. I also want to order the same fried fishcake as before.]
[Yes, please wait a moment.]
Although it was not on the menu, it was something that could be ordered.
Fish fried in oil and grilled fish were delicious, but this time he brought his son to eat with him.
[Tou-chan, what is fried fishcake?]
[Ou, it’s a little unusual, but it’s a fish dish. It’s delicious you know.]
Raina who had been looking around asked Paul about the dish he had never heard of and Paul answered proudly.
[Fish? …Geeh.]
As soon as he heard Paul’s answer, Raina’s face showed his disgust.
Unlike Paul who grew up at a town beside the sea, Raina who was born and raised in the middle of the continent had never seen fish before and did not want to try it.
Raina once ate a dried fish that Paul had once bought from a peddler.
However, Paul ate it deliciously as it tasted nostalgic, but for Raina it tasted strangely stiff and salty and it smelled funny, so he didn’t think that it was delicious at all.
[I don’t want it. Please give me something different Tou-chan.]
Paul responded with a smile to his son who said so with his child-like
his child-like honesty.
[Maa, just wait. You should try it first.]
So they waited for a while.
[Thank you for waiting. I brought your beer, Azar fruit juice and fried fishcake.]
A different waitress brought their orders.
A thin white bowl contained something white, a pale yellow sauce with red colour blended in, and minced yellow-green vegetables.
She placed the plate on the middle of the table, two small empty plates and picked up one of the bottles lined up on the table.
[Please use the soy sauce as much as you like. A, and the shichimi mayo {TN: spicy mayo} is kind of spicy, so please be careful with your child… well then, please enjoy.]
After she said so, the dwarves who were seating at another tables and eyeing the fried fishcake called her to order.
[Well, let’s eat while it’s still hot.]
It was necessary for him to eat first seeing as Raina still didn’t know about fried fishcake.
While thinking so, he picked up a silver fork and reached for the food.
(This is something that will come out if one orders “give me a fish dish that doesn’t look like fish”.)
After Raina tried the dried fish from his hometown before, it was regrettable that he said it was not delicious, so the owner thought up about this dish.
It was something that had been made by the former owner from time to time.
(For the first one… without adding anything, I guess.)
He opened his mouth widely and chomped on it.
The fishcake fried in oil was soft against his teeth and the juice came out as he chewed.
The fish flavor was there, but there’s hardly any peculiar odour of fish, the brown exterior was slightly hard and had fried flavor, but the white interior was slightly salty and sweet.
(Aa, delicious.)
That taste caused him to smile and he drank his beer.
The bitter taste of beer washed down the taste of fried fishcake.
After enjoying plenty of the beer going down his throat, Paul breathed out satisfactorily.
He did not mind Raina who was now drooling and enjoyed the second one.
Next one, second one.
Next one, he enjoyed it with the white mayonnaise with something red blended in.
The sticky mayonnaise dyed half of the fishcake and he bit onto it.
(Kuu~, this is really delicious!)
The hot fried fishcake matched well with the soft and sour taste of mayonnaise and the spiciness of the red spice.
That was also delicious.
After swallowing, for the other half, he took the leafy vegetable {TN: spring onions maybe} on the plate and the black seasoning called shoyu.
The shoyu with its strong saltiness would break the taste if it’s too much, but just a small amount would tighten the taste.
Then he put it into his mouth. The piping hot fried fishcake fit well with the crunchy vegetable.
This combination was the best with beer.
[Hot!? …But, delicious.]
Raina who was unable to endure after seeing Paul eating deliciously also picked up a fork and ate the fishcake.
He hesitated only for the first bite.
After that he competed with Paul in eating the food.
[How is it!? Delicious isn’t it!? …Oi, try adding this to the fishcake.]
While laughing, Paul ordered additional serving.
It’s afternoon now.
The two who came back to the empty lot sighed satisfactorily.
[Delicious isn’t it?]
After the door disappeared, Paul asked Raina and he nodded.
[Can we go there again…]
[Of course, leave it to me…]
While saying so, Paul thought of the future.
His long career as the border defense soldier would end soon.
No matter what, one couldn’t raise a child as a soldier of that town.
(Maa, I can always go back to my hometown and help out my old man… that’s fine right, Raina?)
Then every day, unlike the ones dried to prevent decay, they could enjoy fresh fishes like the ones served at the restaurant.
While thinking so, Paul lightly thought about life with his son on his shoulders.
Satsumage(薩摩揚げ) is a fried fishcake from Kagoshima, Japan. Surimi (a paste made of fish or other meat) and flour is mixed to make a compact paste that is solidified through frying. It is a specialty of the Satsuma. It is called tsuke-age in Kagoshima and known as chiki-agi in Okinawa.