Sherbet
The middle of Obon holiday.
The owner was worried with the treatment in front of him.
[Watermelon…]
Green and black stripes.
Because it was in season now, he purchased it from the daughter of the greengrocer where he usually bought his fruits and vegetables; it was definitely a round watermelon.
A giant watermelon. When his grandfather was still alive, it was a suitable size for them when he still lived with his grandparents as they were big eaters, however the owner was past the prime of eating all of it now.
TN: This is the giant watermelon that the owner bought.
[I'm beat. I guess eating watermelon after each three meals are too much…]
As a family that operated a restaurant, he was taught by his grandfather not to waste food as much as possible.
When the owner was still a child, his grandfather would cook with fresh ingredients that were leftovers from the restaurant (although his grandmother was good at cleaning and laundry, she said that "the food I made back in olden days were not good") and his cooking would line up on the table.
When he looked back, the time he lived with his grandparents were longer then when he lived with his parents. The owner did not want to waste ingredients as much as possible.
In addition to buying sweet watermelon for personal consumption, he also didn't have to set some aside for the weekday staffs as it's a holiday.
[…Yoshi.]
After a while, the owner developed his future plan.
Let's finish a quarter as it is.
[I'll ask him later. He's a simple guy.]
What he should do now was to visit his professional patissier friend.
Thinking such, the owner decided to visit his childhood friend at the upper floor that's preparing for the continuation of business at next Monday.
It was Saturday now.
[Well then, thank you for your hard work.]
After a late dinner, Aletta finished drying her freshly washed blonde hair with a magical tool that gave off hot air, changed into her regular clothes and lowered her head.
[Ou, I appreciate your efforts. I'll be depending on you again next time.]
The owner was familiar with it and handed her a handbag with a handle.
The bag was a rustic design made from knitting straws, it was brought by Aletta for takeaway as the plastic bags for the restaurant's takeaway and the paper bags of Flying Puppy were too conspicuous.
Inside the bag were Aletta's requested takeaway items.
[Three servings of minced cutlet sandwich and a gift box of cookies. It's all inside.]
Usually it was only for Sarah and Aletta, but today her employer's sister came for a sleepover so she asked for another portion just in case.
[Yes, all right.]
She nodded with a smile to the owner's confirmation, took out 3 silver coins from that day's payment and handed it over.
[Un. Certainly… oh, that's right. Please wait a moment.]
After handing over the bag and receiving the money, the owner remembered something and hurriedly went to take out something he made from the freezer.
[Un, I made it as per the recipe properly. This thing…]
He took out that red food packed in a silver thermos from the freezer. He firmly closed the lid so that it wouldn't melt as much as possible and brought it to Aletta.
[Um, that is?]
[Just a small present.]
While saying that, he gave the thermos bottle
[Well, I made it for dinner some time ago. Watermelon sherbet. I still have plenty, so please have it. Since it's in a thermos bottle, it should remain frozen for a while, but please eat it as soon as possible.]
[E!? Is that fine!? Not just the sherbet, but the magical bottle too!?]
[Aa, it melts if it's in an ordinary container. Maa, there's no helping it, so please wash it and bring it back next time.]
The owner nodded while considering the fact that there's no thermos bottle at the other side.
Although the bottle was something he had used since his college days, it could still insulate the temperature properly.
[I, I understand. I'll take care of it properly!]
Aletta nervously accepted it.
(Ma, to think I can borrow a magic item.)
Aletta gulped her saliva.
At Aletta's world, such a thing could cost dozens of silver coins and the price was so high that one could build a house with the amount of money, so that item felt heavy in her hands.
Late at night, the full moon was shining brightly.
Sarah usually woke up and worked while relying on her magic lamp that she usually used for adventuring, at this time when it was reasonable for people to sleep.
(Er, this place is…)
While looking at the thick notebook, she examined the content and continued to make a clean copy on a fine parchment.
A notebook about the secrets of a new continent, entrusted to her by a cousin that was presumed dead.
Although the origin was ambiguous, the handwriting was the same as her cousin's and the writing was brand new, so it was definitely genuine.
Initially, Sarah received the request from her aunt and uncle because they wanted to know what her cousin was doing, but the circumstances changed.
The content was about the "Southern Continent" that's unknown to humans, so it was a surprise to every one of the Gold family except for Sarah.
It would be bad if it leaked outside. There's a possibility that they would receive a memorandum from the royal family if it didn't go well.
That's why instead of asking another treasure hunter, Sarah was officially asked as a family member and a treasure hunter to complete the deciphered copy.
Thus Sarah had been stationed at the Kingdom to translate it for the past few months.
[Anyway, is the Southern Continent amazing, nee-san?]
While wearing her sleepwear, Shia, who came after her parents requested her to watch over her sister, asked Sarah who was eager to work hard.
She was a merchant's daughter by nature; she was not bound by the "curse of William" and did not know much about adventuring.
Sure there's fame and glory in that profession, but if it was possible to live a life without inconvenience, she wouldn't bother to do such a troublesome job like that.
[It's amazing. It's not just about the detailed descriptions of the Southern Continent, there's also ways to go there that's written here.]
[…E? Really? Don't people need to go through the Dragon God Ocean in order to reach the Southern Continent.?]
She was surprised hearing Sarah's words.
She knew about the Dragon God Ocean. It was a demonic sea that was not navigable as it was populated with evil monsters like krakens and sea serpents, not to mention a flock of sea dragons, and any attempts to traverse the ocean in the past always failed.
[Well, one could be transferred there if the elven magical equipment was still functioning, but he also wrote the way to navigate the sea using a ship.
Anything is attacked by monsters in the ocean, so it seems that adventurers and knights were sent to deal with them.]
That was the conclusion written by her cousin after he observed the culture of the other side.
It was said that the Dragon God Ocean itself was like a huge country.
At the bottom of the sea, there's the Blue Goddess… the "Blue Empress" that was one of the Supreme Lords of 7 Prismatic Colours, said to rule over the monsters of the sea.
The Blue Empire placed great importance on order and did not forgive anything that entered its domain without following its law though they did show hospitality to those that followed.
…In the past, when the naval fleets of the Northern Continent came without following its laws were seen as outlaws, so they were sent assassins to deal with them.
[So people should be able to pass through the Dragon God Ocean as long as they properly obtained a permit. In addition to that traffic permission, it would be good to borrow the cooperation of mermaids that are relatively friendly to humans compared to other demons of the sea and are able to communicate clearly with humans.]
When people of the sea wanted to negotiate with the people of the land, they often asked mermaids to intermediate. That was also written down.
Of course, there's no guarantee that one could pass with that alone. There were specific times and places where storms frequently occurred, not to mention the monsters that were considered to be dangerous in the ocean… so to speak, those with low intelligence would attack things that entered their territory. However, it should be easier to cross over now.
[I see. To think such things are written…]
Seeing Sarah's face, she recognized that the notebook written by a cousin whose face she could not remember was amazing.
It should be prevented from being leaked to outside.
[…Eh? Will Aletta be alright?]
Thinking that, she remembered about the maid that lived at the house.
The female demon that seemed to be a little older than Shia managed the house whenever Sarah was away.
Her sister said that she was away due to the fact that she worked with another employer once in 7 days, but she usually greeted Shia with a smile and took care of all the household chores in place of her sister than tended to slob.
Shia was aware that Aletta was a good and honest person and they got along better ever since she received her cookies, but she was still not a member of the Gold family.
Shia was troubled with the judgment of whether to entrust her with the secret of her family or not.
[It's fine. She seems to be unable to read letters, not to mention… she's a good child.]
However, Sarah laughingly accepted Shia's worry.
At first, she hired Aletta because she knew about "that restaurant", but now she trusted her personality including her character and seriousness.
(I would be troubled otherwise.)
She had another important task for Aletta.
That abandoned mine was quite a distance from the Kingdom.
As one would expect, it would be difficult to visit that place once in 7 days.
For that reason.
'Chirinchirin', the sound of bell indicated that someone just entered Sarah's house.
[It's fine. That's Aletta.]
While shrugging her shoulders, she said so to Shia with a wry smile.
From what she heard from Aletta, "that restaurant" was open until midnight when everyone was already asleep.
Once in 7 days… the bell echoing in the middle of "Satur's Day" night indicated that Aletta came home with a "souvenir".
Soon afterwards, Aletta entered the study.
[I'm back, Sarah-sama. Also, welcome, Shia-sama.]
Aletta greeted Sarah and Shia while holding her usual straw basket.
[Ee. Welcome back, Aletta, and…]
[Yes, I brought it properly. Shia-sama's portion as well. Would you like to eat now?]
To Sarah's expecting gaze, Aletta lifted the basket and showed it.
[Ee, please.]
[Well then, me too.]
To those words, the sisters nodded together.
That evening, they only ate hardened bread with cheese and water.
After she woke up from her nap in the middle of working, she was now hungry.
[Well then, I'll prepare it soon. I also got sweets from the master, so I'll bring it together.]
Aletta smiled while saying so and went to the kitchen to prepare the food under the dim torch light.
They waited for a while.
[Thank you for waiting. Here are your plates.]
With simple wooden plates, their late mealtime began when Aletta came back.
The first thing Sarah and Shia saw was a round thing wrapped in thin paper.
[Un, it should be minced cutlet sandwich on Satur's day after all.]
[Er, what is this?]
Their reactions were opposites, while Shia tilted her head seeing the unfamiliar thing, Sarah who was accustomed to it joyfully took off the wrapping paper.
At the moment the paper was peeled off, she enjoyed the scent of the unique sauce.
Her eyes looked at the food stained by the black sour and spicy sauce.
The coating had no crispiness or the heat that burned one's mouth unlike the freshly fried minced cutlet.
Instead of that however, the black sauce had soaked into the clothing and mixed with the seasoned grounded meat.
Leafy vegetables that seemed to be a cabbage gave the sandwich fresh texture and flavor.
These all blended together, melting in her mouth with the flavor of fine white bread.
[Uwa… this is delicious.]
When Shia began to imitate Sarah, her eyes widened to the taste.
It was an unknown dish to Shia, but the combination of fine bread, meat and spices was certainly delicious.
(…Perhaps this is bought together with the cookies?)
To that taste, she suddenly remembered the question.
Bread with meat and cookies had nothing in common, but if there's one same point, they both had "very sophisticated taste".
Aletta's other employment. It was the reason she got cookies, which was Shia's favourite.
[A, and this, it's a sweet ice called sherbet made from a fruit called watermelon.]
While thinking so, she saw that they had finished her sandwich so Aletta prepared the sherbet.
The silver bottle magic tool borrowed from the owner. It was hard to see it in this dim room, but they could see a pink ice with strong redness inside.
The crunchy texture had not melted yet in spite of the midsummer heat no matter how cool midnight was.
She served it in wooden bowls she brought from the kitchen along with spoons.
[Here it is. I have eaten it, it's delicious.]
She smiled and recommended it.
[Sherbet? I have eaten it before a long time ago…]
[Sweet ice? Are you serving something quite extravagant?]
While receiving the bowls, they were not that surprised.
It was not unusual to make ice with magic during summer. They would crush the ice and eat it with sugar, honey or fruit juice.
Only wealthy people like aristocrats could afford it, but the sisters were among them.
[…Un, it's totally different.]
[True. This is delicious.]
However after a mouthful, their impressions were flipped. It was delicious, more than what they had before.
It was an ice confection made from freezing an unknown fruit called watermelon. That's fine.
However, compared to this sherbet, the ice confection that they only knew was "just frozen fruit juice".
Then thin, finely grounded sherbet was like a feather that gently melted in their mouth.
Only its intense cold sweetness remained.
The sweet juice went through their throats while cooling their heated body.
[Ano, how is it…?]
After seeing their original reactions, Aletta was worried.
The answer did not come.
Just the sound of the two people continuing eating their sherbet echoed in the room.
[A, not too fast!]
Although Aletta tried to stop them making the same mistake as hers, it was too late.
[[Ouch~!]]
A stinging pain suddenly penetrated their head.
They held their heads due to that pain.
[Are you okay? That seems to happen if you eat it too fast.]
They looked at the nervous Aletta.
[[That, is there another serving…?]]
The sisters asked for another serving at the same time.