Volume 4

Chapter 52: The Shop and Ginger Pork Made with Orc Meat 

A full week had passed since we returned from the royal capital.

“…That was finished much sooner than I expected.”

“Well, of course it was. I helped, didn’t I? Naturally it’d be done ahead of schedule.”

“Haha… Seriously, though. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

The man standing before me folded his arms across his chest and let out a smug snort.

His name was Dyke.

And yes—he was a carpenter.

It sounded like some sort of joke, but that really was his name.

He was the finest carpenter in the village—or rather, the only carpenter the village had. Though he was the second-oldest resident after the village chief, age hadn’t dulled him in the slightest. He still worked with the energy and endurance of a man decades younger, hammering, sawing, and hauling lumber from dawn until dusk without so much as complaining.

“The plumbing and electrical work turned out to be a lot tougher than I thought,” I admitted.

“No kidding.”

Neither Dyke nor I knew much about modern construction techniques.

To make up for that, I’d bought several books covering residential plumbing, electrical wiring, and building fundamentals. The two of us had spent three straight days poring over them together, comparing diagrams, arguing over terminology, and occasionally scratching our heads until midnight before finally figuring everything out.

A professional contractor from Earth would probably take one look at our work and tear into us for how amateurish it was.

Still…

We’d tested every pipe for leaks.

We’d checked every outlet for shorts.

Nothing leaked.

Nothing sparked.

As far as I was concerned, that meant we’d passed.

“Well then,” Dyke said, stretching his back with a loud crack. “I’ve got another job waiting.”

“You’re really busy these days.”

“Damn right. Adventurers are starting to gather in the village. We’ve gotta build houses for the lot of ’em. The old village chief practically begged me to hurry.”

“…Begged?”

“He got down completely naked and prostrated himself.”

“…That old man seriously deserves to be scolded at least once.”

Dyke sighed heavily.

“The worst part is that he’s even stronger now than he was in his younger days. Doesn’t matter how old he gets—he just keeps getting more terrifying. The only people he’ll actually listen to are his daughter and granddaughter.”

Still grumbling under his breath, Dyke slung his tools over one shoulder and headed toward his next construction site.

Almost as soon as he disappeared around the corner, another pair approached.

Raphiel.

And Grana beside her.

“Eight, I heard your restaurant has finally been completed.”

“A-Ah… R-Raphiel.”

“…What’s the matter, Eight-sama?” Grana asked, tilting her head. “You froze the instant you saw Raphiel-sama.”

She wasn’t wrong.

The moment my eyes met Raphiel’s…

Every muscle in my body stiffened.

C-Calm down.

Relax.

I tried desperately to steady myself.

But every attempt only brought back the memory from immediately after we’d returned from the royal capital.

Raphiel had scolded me.

Not angrily…

But with tears glistening in her eyes.

The image remained burned into my mind.

“That… isn’t what I meant.”

What exactly had she meant?

I’d been thinking about those words so much that I could barely sleep at night.

…No.

That’s a lie.

I slept perfectly fine.

Only at night.

During the day I was a complete mess.

“No—nothing’s wrong!!” I blurted out, waving my hands frantically. “More importantly, it’s finally finished!”

“May I see inside?”

“Of course! Please, come in.”

I hurried over and opened the front door, proudly leading Raphiel and Grana into the newly completed restaurant.

Raphiel slowly looked around the interior.

“…It resembles those Japanese restaurants shown on travel and gourmet television programs.”

“That’s because I modeled it after a certain famous Japanese restaurant chain.”

The dining area featured both table seating and a long counter.

At full capacity, it could comfortably accommodate fifty customers.

For a village this size, it might have seemed unnecessarily spacious…

But Papel Village wasn’t going to stay this small forever.

More and more adventurers would eventually settle here.

When that happened, I’d be grateful for every extra seat.

The kitchen itself was completely open, allowing customers to watch the cooking from their tables—a feature I’d always loved back in Japan.

“And look!”

I proudly pointed toward one corner.

“We even have a water dispenser! Anyone can drink clean, ice-cold water whenever they like!”

“There’s no… ‘drink bar,’ as they call it?”

“…I ran out of budget.”

Grana blinked.

“I heard you donated the gold received from Tardolf-sama, along with the compensation His Majesty provided as an apology, earning yourself an enormous number of points. What became of those?”

“…I’m the kind of person who likes to start with appearances.”

In reality…

The construction materials…

The plumbing…

Electrical supplies…

Furniture…

Kitchen equipment…

By the time everything was purchased, my point balance had been utterly obliterated.

To put it bluntly…

I was broke.

Raphiel nodded thoughtfully.

“I see.”

“So the current Eight-sama is… completely penniless.”

“…Yes.”

“But.”

I couldn’t help smiling.

“I’ve already come up with a solution.”

“Oh?”

Raphiel’s curiosity was immediately piqued.

“And what solution would that be?”

“Come with me.”

Rather than explaining, I led Raphiel and Grana toward the newly established Adventurers’ Guild branch.

“Excuse me! Is Kirara here?”

“A-Ah… Eight-kun. Good afternoon…”

Kirara was slumped over the reception counter the moment we entered.

She looked utterly exhausted.

Her cheeks had sunk in.

Dark circles hung beneath her eyes.

She somehow looked like she’d aged several years in only a week.

As more adventurers arrived in Papel Village, the guild had officially begun operations.

Apparently, managing everything was proving far more difficult than she’d anticipated.

“So,” I asked, “what happened with that contract proposal?”

“Oh, that.”

Kirara lazily reached for a document.

“Headquarters finally replied.”

“And?”

“They said there’s no precedent for it…”

She grinned.

“…but it sounded interesting, so they approved it.”

“Yes!”

I pumped a fist into the air.

Raphiel folded her arms.

“Eight.”

“Yes?”

“Would you stop being mysterious and explain what you’re planning?”

I couldn’t suppress the grin spreading across my face.

“The meals served at my restaurant…”

I paused dramatically.

“…will use monsters hunted by adventurers as ingredients.”

Kirara picked up where I left off.

“Eight-kun will cook meals for adventurers free of charge.”

“In exchange, the guild gives him the monster meat we’ve already purchased from adventurers.”

Raphiel quietly considered the arrangement.

“…I see. For the adventurers, free meals improve morale. For you, serving meals earns divine points. Everyone benefits.”

She paused again.

“However… the guild pays money to purchase those materials. If you receive them free of charge, what does the Adventurers’ Guild gain?”

Kirara answered immediately.

“Actually, quite a lot.”

She shrugged.

“Papel Village’s infrastructure is terrible.”

“We don’t have proper refrigeration yet.”

“So monster meat spoils quickly.”

“If it’ll rot anyway, it’s better to use it to motivate adventurers.”

Raphiel nodded in understanding.

“I see. Valuable materials such as bones and leather can still be sold to nobles and merchants for profit. While the meat is converted into meals that improve adventurer satisfaction. A remarkably efficient system.”

Exactly.

Everyone won.

The guild.

The adventurers.

Me.

Incidentally…

I couldn’t claim credit for the idea.

Hijiri had devised the entire business model.

Perhaps it was because he worked as a government bureaucrat.

Or perhaps because he secretly managed an assassin’s guild.

Whatever the reason…

He was frighteningly talented when it came to organizational planning and economic systems.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Kirara clapped her hands.

“Oh, right! This morning a high-ranking adventurer brought back several orcs. They’ve probably just finished butchering them. Go grab the meat.”

“Already? Perfect!”

We headed around to the processing yard behind the guild.

Several freshly butchered orc carcasses lay neatly arranged on the ground.

“Hm?”

A booming voice greeted us.

“Oh! If it isn’t Eight!”

“Hello, Kai.”

The man flashing a broad grin possessed a completely shaved head and an intimidating physique that could scare children into behaving with a single glare.

His name was Kai.

He worked for the Adventurers’ Guild as their butcher, dismantling monsters after adventurers sold them.

“You came for the orc meat, right?”

He hefted several wrapped bundles toward me.

“Here.”

“Thanks a lot!”

I accepted them with both hands before smiling.

“Oh, and while you’re here… Please come eat at my restaurant.”

“Oh?”

Kai blinked.

“Really?”

“It’s almost lunchtime anyway.”

“I’d appreciate it. Absolutely!”

“You’ll be helping me out from now on. It’s the least I can do.”

And just like that…

Kai.

Raphiel.

Grana.

The three of them became the very first customers of my restaurant.

I stepped behind the counter and entered the kitchen.

“…Now then. What should I make?”

Orc meat tasted almost identical to pork.

Its texture.

Its fat.

Even the flavor.

Treat it like pork, and it was difficult to go wrong.

“…I’ve got it. I know exactly what to make.”

First…

I thinly sliced the fresh orc meat together with onions harvested from the village fields that very morning.

Next…

I mixed freshly grated ginger…

Soy sauce…

Mirin…

Cooking sake…

And sugar into a fragrant seasoning sauce.

The orc slices received a light seasoning of salt and pepper before being dusted evenly with flour.

After gently shaking off the excess flour, I heated oil in a frying pan over medium heat.

The meat hit the hot surface with a satisfying hiss.

The aroma instantly filled the kitchen.

Once one side browned beautifully, I flipped each slice over before adding the onions into the empty space beside them.

The onions slowly softened, turning translucent as they absorbed the rendered fat from the meat.

Finally…

I poured in the prepared sauce.

Turning the heat to high, I allowed the liquid to bubble vigorously until most of it evaporated.

The remaining glaze thickened into a glossy coating that clung perfectly to every slice of meat and onion.

The sweet fragrance of soy sauce and ginger rose into the air.

When everything shimmered with a rich lacquered sheen…

“It’s done! Orc Ginger Pork.”

I served generous portions over steaming bowls of freshly cooked white rice before placing the meals in front of Raphiel and the others.

Now then…

How would it taste?

“Mmm…”

Raphiel’s eyes widened slightly.

“Delicious. The distinctive sharpness of the ginger complements the richness of the orc meat perfectly.”

Kai shoveled another mouthful into his mouth before swallowing.

“…This is dangerously addictive.”

Grana enthusiastically nodded while continuing to eat.

“This is incredible!! I guarantee the adventurers are going to love this!”

Good.

That was a relief.

Only after watching everyone else eat did I finally prepare my own serving.

I took a bite.

Hmm.

It was sweeter than I’d intended.

Maybe I’d gone overboard with the sugar.

I’d need to keep experimenting with the seasoning ratios.

“…Maybe I should just use bottled ginger pork sauce from Japan.”

No.

That felt like cheating.

Although…

If customer numbers ever became completely unmanageable…

I’d quietly thank Japan’s food manufacturers and borrow a little of their culinary expertise.

Still…

There was no point worrying.

It wasn’t like the restaurant would become wildly successful overnight.

Several days later…

“Eight.”

Raphiel looked around the restaurant with a gentle smile.

“It seems your establishment is thriving.”

“…You’re kidding.”

The restaurant was packed.

Every single one of the fifty seats was occupied.

Adventurers filled every table, every counter stool, every available corner.

Laughter, conversation, and the clatter of dishes echoed throughout the building.

Even outside…

A line of customers had already begun to form, stretching beyond the entrance.

“…Wait… Seriously? Isn’t this way too many people?!”