Day 371-380/Day 372

Day 372
Since we have stored a large number of ingredients in the item box, our food situation is very lavish. With the abundant amount of different kinds of fresh vegetables and a wide variety of meats, there is a possibility of trading them for new kinds of seasonings and liquor.
During the Age Exploration and Discovery, which was a long time ago in my previous life, the majority of seafarers with the exception of the captain who would always be provided a sumptuous meal, were likely to get scurvy due to a lack of vitamin C which was a big problem at the time. Sometimes more than half of the seafarers would get it and there were also some severe cases that ended in death.
Although the problem would be solved as long as there were fresh fruits and vegetables that the doctors could give to the sick, it was impossible to store them too long as they would spoil. Storage techniques like [Refrigeration] had not yet been invented. it would take dozens of years before the problem that was scurvy would be solved.
However, since this world has [Magic Items] that have a [Storage System] that allows its owner to stockpile anything and everything in its original state before being stored in unlimited amounts, freshness is always guaranteed and can be kept indefinitely until its ready to be used.
Storage System [Magic Item]s isn't something you can acquire easily due to its rarity and high market price. Based on the information I gathered, large war fleets with considerable strength are prepared for long voyages because they don't have a System Storage [Magic Item] to store their goods.
Putting the story aside, the dining table is covered in lavish amounts of colorful dishes during the cruise, while crossing the ocean. Enjoying the dishes made from fresh catch caught in the surrounding waters may be the most pleasurable part of an ocean cruise.
After several days have passed, One might get tired of eating the same dishes over and over again. Since I have yet to eat my fill of the dishes, I put aside such meaningless thoughts. First, although there is a need to get to the foodstuffs first, the distance to the surface of the sea is a bit too far from the upper part of the boat where we are.
Although the distance of the ship's deck to the surface of the water is quite far, new ingredients are reason enough to go fishing.
I would like to refrain from using force to catch prey this time. Therefore, a room is created in the stern of the ship exclusively for reeling in fresh caught seafood.
It only took a few seconds to create the room by going into the ships settings. From here I set-up 2 [Magic Items] I obtained after capturing [Ship Ambrasm Pontus], the [Silver Fishing Rod] and the [Red-Purple Fishing Rod]. With the addition of my gold thread that will act as fishing lines I cast both to the ocean.
I tried using black dragon meat as bait, my aim was to catch some big game. The bait was a good pick and not long after we had a lot of caught fish, all of them more than 5 meters in length.
Reeling in fish of such enormous size and weight using the Silver and Red Purple fishing rods causes them to be greatly bent, and yet there is absolutely no sign of them breaking at all.
The performance of the 2 fishing rods are to be expected after all they were meant to be used to catch prey such as Sea Dragons and the like.
Anyway, I enjoyed fishing for a few hours, a few of the fish we caught was a 5 meter "Blue Blade Shark"- [Blue Sword Las]. Next is an 8-meter fish that is covered with huge sharp needles all over its body- [Die Bong Sen Bow] and the fish's giant version/ giant cousin- [Insumaguigas] over 15 meters in length. There was also a sea dragon of lower rank about 50 meters long "Sea Dragon"- [Iglescy Dragon].
"Rice Isamu/ Rice Hero" (Meal Hero?) was tasked with preparing the ingredients we caught this time around.
There seems to be quite the amount of ingredients that need to be processed but with [Meal Hero], his subordinates and the "Timiano Siblings"- [Cook Sisters] there should not be any problems with that.
Even if they will be handling the ingredients for the first time, there is no hesitation at all with their actions as they do their work.
Custom made kitchen knives glisten, instantly dismantling the ingredients as if like magic.
As delicious dishes are being completed in front of my eyes, it leaves me feeling excited.
In the area where "Rice Hero"- [Meal Hero] is working, the "Timiano Siblings"- [Cook Sisters] watch him as he uses his various techniques with a serious look on their faces. (ED. Pretty sure the guy here is [Meal Hero] although I do like the name Rice Hero, has a cool ring to it.)
Although I keep silent except occasionally to take notes, I'm hoping that I can understand some of [Meal Hero]'s techniques if even a little. I'm sure that this will help the [Cook Sisters] improve their cooking in the future. I have high expectations for the completed dishes so I have decided to taste them meticulously.
Although most of the dishes were so delicious that you can stay immersed in their flavor, I personally prefer the dish made from the Low Rank Sea Dragon [Iglescy Dragon]. It was made into a "sushi-like" dish, it was prepared in a way that made it seem like it was still alive, giving one such a strong visual impact, not to mention its great flavor.
The head of the [Iglescy Dragon] which has a smooth and slim figure adapted for movement undersea in complicated ocean currents jiggles as if it was still alive.
No. it's actually still alive. There are proud existences in this world with the vitality that boasts the ability to survive for quite a while even when the only part left of them is their heads.
Now that I have seen such an existence, I have no doubt that there are others like it.
The vitality of the [Iglescy Dragon] which is a kind of [True Dragon] even if it is a [Lesser True Dragon] is much stronger compared to your [Sub-Dragon - Drakes] and should not be underestimated even if all that was left of it is its head. there is still a possibility of being injured from it.
If the [Iglescy Dragon] was still in the wild where the competition to survive is intense, It would use some sort of [Magic] so it can move its enormous mouth and bite the opponents neck even in such a state.
Having said that, the [Iglescy Dragon] had already been turned into a dish so it can only move slightly. I had no choice but to admire the cooking technique used to seal its movements and to prepare it while still alive. Depending on the personal perspective of the one who is viewing it. Preparing the dish in such a way may seem like cruelty, brutality, you would also feel sorry for it and thus make you lose your appetite.
However, if you look at the body, with such a shining pink color, you would not think such a thing, once you eat it, from the next time on it would become fun.
It is as if the [Iglescy Dragon] has plenty of marbling, making the meat seem as if it is covered in fat, in fact the taste of the fat spreads throughout your mouth, overflowing.
The distinctive sweetness and taste of the fat increases in depth as you bite in, chewing the firm body, leaving you with an almost unbearable sense of well-being, as if the smell coming from the meat is appetizing even after being swallowed.
Different from the dragon species that grew up on land, the depth of deliciousness has been nurtured because of the majestic nature of the ocean, it is likely to drag your soul if it catches you off guard.
Well, so I know the taste of the [Sacred Treasures] so I have not gotten disturbed so far, so I will drink along with the grace that has been nurtured in the vast world of another ocean. It is delicious. When enjoying a delicious meal, words would not be sufficient for this.
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PLACE TRANSLATIONS ABOVE THE BAR. THESE ARE THE RAWS, LEAVE THEM HERE UNTIL SOMEONE DOES A REAL TRANSLATION (NOT JUST A GT OR RUSSIAN TRANS). CLICK EXPAND TO VIEW THEM.
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　“三百七十二日目”
アイテムボックスに大量に貯め込まれた食材によって、俺達の食糧事情は非常に豊かだ。
新鮮なまま保存されている野菜や肉類は種類も量も豊富で、調味料や酒類まで商売が出来る程ある。
前世の大昔にあったとされる大航海時代では、豪華な食事が用意できる船長など一部を除いた船員達は、ビタミンＣ不足による壊血病が問題になっていたらしい。
時には船員の半数以上が発症し、死に至った事もあったそうだ。
生野菜や果実などがあれば解決する問題だったのだが、当時は冷凍技術が未熟で長期保存できなかった、医者の権力抗争で否定的だった、などの理由で解決するまで数十年ほど時間が必要だったそうだ。
しかしこの世界では新鮮なまま野菜や果物を大量に運べる収納系マジックアイテムがあるので、食糧事情はそれほど悪いモノではない。
収納系マジックアイテムは高額で希少な品である事を忘れてはならないだろうが、そもそも長期間の航海をするのは極一部の有力な船団だけなので数が揃えられている為、情報収集した限りでは発症するモノはほとんど居ないそうだ。
などという話はさて置き、そんな訳で船旅でも食卓には豪勢な料理で彩られる訳だが、折角大海に居るのだ。
周囲に広がる大海から釣り上げた魚を使った料理を楽しむ事こそ、船旅の醍醐味ではないだろうか。
流石にずっと魚介類だけだと飽きるかもしれないが、まだ数日しか経過していない。
飽きるほど喰っていないので、そんな意味の無い考えは一旦脇に置いてく事にしよう。
と言う事で最初に食材を釣り上げる必要がある訳だが、俺達が居る上層部からだと海面まで距離があり過ぎる。
釣り上げるまでに、余分な力を使いたくは無い。
そこで、釣りをする為に船尾の海面付近に専用の部屋を新しく増築した。
設定をちょっとだけ弄るだけだったのでそれは数秒で完了し、そこから【アンブラッセム・パラベラム号】を攻略した時に得たマジックアイテムの【白銀釣竿シルバンガフル】や【赤紫釣竿パルレナイド】などを使って糸を垂らす。
大物狙いで餌は精製した黒竜の肉を使ってみたのだが、それが思った以上に喰いつきがよく、釣り上がるのは最低でも五メートルを超える大型ばかりとなった。
釣り上がる釣果達の大きさ通りの重量から白銀釣竿や赤紫釣竿は大きくしなるが、しかし折れる様な気配は全く無い。
ただ釣る事のみに特化している白銀釣竿や赤紫釣竿は、海竜すら釣り上げる性能があるのだから、ある意味当然の結果である。
ともあれ、数時間程釣りを楽しんだ訳だが、その釣果は五メートル級の青刃鮫“ブルーソードラス”を始め、太く鋭い針を全身に備えた爆発する八メートルほどの巨大爆裂針魚“ダイボンセンボウ”や魚人の巨人版とでも言うべき十五メートル級の“インスマギガス”、それから五十メートル程の下位海龍の一種“イグレスシードラゴン”といった大物まで様々だ。
その釣果を、今回は飯勇達が捌いてくれた。
数種類ほど初めて扱う食材があったらしいが、彼等の手にかかれば何も問題ないらしい。
初めてだ、などと言いながらもその手捌きに迷いが無い。
特注の包丁が煌めき、まるで手品のように気がつけば解体されている。
美味そうな料理が目の前で出来上がるのは、やはり気分が盛り上がるものだった。
飯勇達が働く傍ら、姉妹さん達がジッと調理の様子を真剣な眼差しで見つめていた。
時折メモする以外は黙したままだが、飯勇達の技術を少しでも得ようとしているのがよく分かる。
今後はきっと姉妹さん達が料理してくれるだろう。
などと期待しつつ、出来上がった料理はジックリと味わう事にした。
そのどれもが没頭するほど美味かったが、個人的にはイグレスシードラゴンの活き作りは味だけでなく、インパクトも抜群だった。
複雑な海流が交わる海域を泳ぐ為に滑らかで細長い体型をしているイグレスシードラゴンの頭は、まだ生きているかのようにピクピク動いている。
いや、実際に生きているのだろう。
ある程度以上の強さを誇る存在は頭だけになっても生きている事は多く、かく言う俺達も頭だけになってもしばらくは生きていられる。
実際に経験した事なので、それは間違いない。
下位とはいえ亜龍よりも強い本当の龍の一種であるイグレスシードラゴンの生命力は頭部だけになっても侮って良いモノではなく、そして生きているなら、暴れる事も可能な筈だ。
何かしらの【魔法】を使ったり、首だけで動いて大きな口で噛みついたりと、生存競争の激しい自然界で生きてきた野性のイグレスシードラゴンならこれくらいは当然出来るだろう。
だと言うのに、イグレスシードラゴンが僅かにしか動けないのは、そう言う風に調理されたからだ。
生きたままその身動きを封じるその調理技術の卓越さには、思わず感服させられる。
さて、活け造りというのは見る人によっては『残酷』、『可哀想』、『気持ち悪い』などと感じ、食欲を失わせるかもしれない。
だが、そのピンク色に輝くような身を見ればそんな事は思わないに違いないし、一度食べれば次回からはそれが楽しみになってしまうだろう。
イグレスシードラゴンのタップリと脂の乗ったそれはまるで霜降り肉のようであり、実際に口にすれば脂の旨みは口に広がり、溢れ出る。
独特の脂の甘さと旨みはしっかりとした身を噛めば噛むほど深みを増していき、呑み込んだ後も食欲をそそる香りが立ち昇って来るかのような幸福感は堪らない。
陸地で育った竜種とはまた違う、雄大なる大海だからこそ育まれた美味の深みは、油断すると魂まで引きずり込まれそうだ。
まあ、【神器】の味を知っているのでそこまで取り乱す事は無く、他の大海という広大な世界で育まれた恵みと一緒に鬼酒を飲む。
グビリグビリ、かぁー、美味い。
美味い食事がある時は、言葉はこれだけあれば十分過ぎるのでは無かろうか。
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Category:Novel
Category:Re:Monster ~ The Dark Continent ~ Vol. 1