“Wow, it seems that tent-style outdoor dining is common in Edna. We didn’t see anything like this at the inn we stayed at or at the market we visited.”
I arrived at a public dining area in Edna with desert fishermen and young stone miners. Multiple tents were lined up, creating a large tent-like space filled with various shops. It had the feel of food stalls, but slightly different.
There were several chefs, each serving different dishes, but they felt like they were working together. There was a chef skilled in meat dishes, and another adept at salads and rice dishes, each focusing on their strengths, producing high-quality meals at an incredible speed.
They balanced each other’s strengths and weaknesses, creating an effective set-selling system. Since it was an outdoor venue, the smell of food wafted directly to those passing by, stirring appetite and curiosity. I could feel my stomach growling.
The public dining area was quite crowded, but perhaps due to the fast turnover, there weren’t many people waiting. I wondered if it was because there were so many cooks.
“This place is where laborers eat. It doesn’t really overlap with the areas used by adventurers or outsiders. I’ve been coming here for a long time, and I never get bored. When I see new chefs, I want to try their food. The new chefs are also curious if their dishes please the customers, so they often ask for feedback. I like giving advice as an old man like me. If that new chef becomes popular, I get to brag that I helped them grow while drinking.”
The old fisherman’s eyes sparkled. He probably hadn’t had any alcohol yet, but he seemed almost tipsy already.
“I see, you nurture chefs. It’s true that the closeness between chefs and customers makes the reactions clear. But don’t fights ever break out?”
“Oh, Jandalu, there are no fools in Edna who would pick a fight with a chef. In Edna, both the chefs and the customers have a sense of camaraderie. If someone challenged a chef, everyone would beat them up. Even if a dish is poorly made, it’s still what you ordered. If you don’t like it, just don’t order from that chef next time. If you can’t even understand that, all the chefs will stop cooking for you.”
“Interesting culture. There’s a system in place to nurture and protect chefs. That sense of camaraderie, coupled with the lively atmosphere, might give it a festival-like vibe. Even if one isn’t that hungry, there might be people coming just to enjoy the fun ambiance. Alright! Then, old fisherman, and Sepia! Tell me who your recommended chef is! I’m already so hungry I can’t stand it!!”
── Grrrrr.
“Hahaha, Jan, your stomach’s growling loud!”
“I am hungry, but that noise isn’t mine—huh?”
Looking towards the source of the noise, I saw a girl. She looked to be around 10 to 12 years old…
“What’s wrong, little girl? Are you lost? Are you hungry?”
Diar bent down to the girl’s eye level and spoke to her.
“I’m not lost! I’m hungry! I’m looking for fish and rice!”
“Fish and rice? Do you want to eat fish?”
“Musha doesn’t want to eat fish. But I’m looking for it because I want it. Big sister is pretty, like a goddess.”
It seems “Musha” is the name of this girl.
“Ahaha, a goddess, huh? Thank you, Musha-chan. If you’re hungry, do you want to eat with big sister?”
“Yeah! I want to eat!”
Is it okay? Would this be considered a crime or something? But Diar really is kind.
“Hey… Musha, is she that Musha…? Hey, Jan, Diar, it might be better not to get too involved with that girl…”
The old fisherman and the young men started to murmur. This happened once the girl introduced herself as Musha. I wondered if this girl named Musha had some kind of backstory.
“Huh? Why not? She doesn’t look like a bad kid.”
Sepia whispered to me so Musha couldn’t hear.
“Musha is a criminal. The royal family says she’s a fake, and it’s a crime of disrespect. They say her mind is a little off.”
“I see, that explains it. Is this what you sensed directly from talking to her?”
“No, not exactly…”
“Then I’ll talk to her directly and judge for myself what kind of person she is. There are many things you can’t know until you actually talk to someone, right?”
I said this while looking towards the old fisherman. Sepia sighed, looking in the same direction as me, as if agreeing.
“Alright, then I’ll tell you my favorite chef! Here, Donana’s place serves my favorite flavors! Hey, Donana! Let’s order my favorite, the usual, for me, this foreigner, and this kid!”
The chef the old man called Donana was a tall woman with tanned skin, scars on her face and arms, and she seemed to be missing an eye. She looked muscular, maybe she was a former soldier who turned to cooking after being injured.
“Oh, Goston, you’re back again? You never get tired of this… Alright, I’ll make your usual, so wait a moment.”
So the old fisherman’s name was Goston. Donana worked with such skill, quickly producing dishes in large quantities.
“Here it is. This is Donana’s signature dish, shark lizard oil herb roast. Eat it while it’s hot!”
The shark lizard, the kind I saw earlier when I was fishing, has meat that resembles chicken in texture. It’s being grilled in oil infused with the aroma of herbs. After grilling, it’s finished with a sprinkle of spices and served with cactus.
“Let’s eat!”
The moment the dish arrives, I immediartely take my first bite. It’s… delicious?! What is this? It’s completely different from what I imagined. I expected a strong herbal scent and a quite spicy, slightly peculiar taste, but there’s no odd flavor at all. Yet it’s sweet, isn’t it? There shouldn’t be anything like sugar in it… Is the shark lizard itself sweet?
“It’s too good!! Why is it sweet? Is the lizard sweet?”
“Oh, the sweetness comes from the shark lizard’s oil mixing with the herb called ‘labua.’ I don’t really know why, though. I’m glad it suits your taste.”
Donana picked up a square-shaped herb and explained, “This is labua.” So this square one is labua.
“Yum! So good! Haha, this is delicious, big sister!”
“Right? It’s delicious, Musha!”
It seemed like Diar and Musha were also enjoying it. The fishermen, Goston and the others, were also melting in delight at the taste of the dish.
“This shark lizard oil herb grill is amazing… What’s incredible is how it boosts my appetite. I want to eat as much as possible. Is it really possible to crave something fried this much? I don’t feel like I’ll get a stomachache…”
“No, you will get a stomachache, so take it easy. The herbs do help alleviate stomach issues, but too much of anything is bad. This dish is originally meant for people who don’t have an appetite. But since I cooked it so well, normal people tend to overeat. It’s a bit of a dilemma for me; sales go up, but those sales are dependent on the health of my customers.”
“That’s true! I’m glad Uncle Goston brought me here. Oh, by the way… what should I do about this? Uncle Goston already took care of processing it for me.”
Some of the catch that Diar and I got from fishing was packed in a bag by Goston, which he gave us. I pull out one fish from the bag.
“Oh, what’s that? Is that a mirror fish? Are you asking how to cook it, or are you wondering who can cook it well?”
“Well, both, I guess. It seems like a rare find.”
“Fish, fish, fish—!! Is that a fish, big brother?! Musha was looking for that! I want the fish, I need fish! Please give it to Musha!”
Musha got excited when I took out the mirror fish from the bag. She said she was looking for fish. I expected some kind of reaction, but she seemed rather desperate. She had mentioned not wanting to eat fish… She shouldn’t like it, yet she’s this eager about it… It’s a bit strange.
Sepia had said this child was odd, but at this point, I can only think there’s some significant reason behind it. Of course, it might be a personal issue, but it must be a pressing concern for her.
“Okay then. So, Musha, why do you need the fish? If I’m convinced, I’ll give this fish to you.”
“Really?!”
“Yeah, of course.”
