No, no, no, don't do that!　It's never going to taste good, is it?　It's not something for humans to eat!

Being curious is a child's prerogative, but you're being too reckless!

　Irvine and Malt stop me with a shout.

'It's okay, because if you cook it right, it'll taste great!　I'm sure Irvine and Malt will love it, too, right?

That's never gonna happen!

　I talk to them, pointing, but Irvine and Malt immediately deny it.

　What can I say? The sight of this undulating, brown body with countless suckers on the soles of its feet doesn't give me an appetite for... well... it doesn't.

　It doesn't look edible by any means. People in the past are really great.

　Yeah, if you prep it and boil it, it will be red like a shrimp, so it's fine. If it goes that far, it will look delicious.

　Seeing my frightened face, Irvine warns me again.

'If you want to stop, it's now or never, okay?

Don't worry. I'll get it right. I'll make it taste good.

　Perhaps because I had a friend who loved to fish in a previous life, I've also prepped octopuses.

　As long as it doesn't have a structure unique to the other world, I don't think it will fail. Besides, prep work on an octopus is much easier than on a fish.

''.........I'll never poison you, right?''

　If you thought Irvine was going to stop you in a bad way, you were afraid of that. But still, it's rude to call me a poisoner.

Don't worry. I won't let you poison me.

　I reply with a carefree smile and Irvine gives me a blatantly relieved look.

　I might give him a taste, though.

'Al sounds more brave than the brave men in the fairy tales, you know.

...do you really want to eat it?

　Malt and Mr. Douglas sound sincerely surprised.

'Well, Al can make it taste good, can't he?　You'd better feed me if you can!

Aren't you scared of the Roomba?

　Mr. Douglas asks Roomba, who smiles broadly and declares he's going to eat octopus, in horror.

'Al's usually developing new dishes, you know. 'You know, Irvine and Malt ate at the diner in the village of Coriat too, right?　Spaghetti and eggs and stuff.

I ate it, but.... Is that the one Alfried-sama made?

Yes,

　Irvine asks Rumba fearfully, but I answered the question by beaming with pride at him. Well, spaghetti is a product of Bartolo's perfection, lightly shed from his knowledge of his previous life.

'It's a lie!　There's no way someone trying to eat this ghetto could make such a delicious and sophisticated dish!　That's one of the most fashionable and popular dishes in the kingdom of Misfirito!

　Just saying I eat octopus is a terrible thing to say.

　By the way, I didn't know that spaghetti was in such a position.

　Well, it is a dish that can be a substitute for bread, so it is not surprising that it becomes popular. It's not that hungry, though.

''If Alfried-sama made that dish, maybe he could make this delicious as well... no, no, it's impossible to make an octopus, as expected?

　Malt snarls as he looks at the octopus.

　If you don't want to eat it, I'm not going to push you that hard, but I'm sure you'll want to eat it when the food is done, right?



　◆ ◆ ◆



　That's why I asked Mr. Douglas and the head chef of the kitchen to rent a corner of the kitchen.

　However, I was worried about what might happen if I was left alone with a small child, so it was decided that I would have an assistant cook.

　My assistant this time is Elam, who has been a cook for five years.

　He is a young man with blond hair, blue eyes and gentle drooping eyes.

　As a cook, his physique is very slender, unlike the muscular sailors on deck, and he wears a clean white cook's uniform.

''Um ... um ... are you really going to do this?''

I'm in. I'll cook the octopus.

　I answered once and for all to Elam, who asked fearfully, and Elam started to look somewhat distantly at me.

　The cooks who were listening to our conversation and Irvine and the others who were observing the event looked at Elam as if they were pitying him.

　It's going to be okay, it's going to be okay. I'm not going to die.

　Speaking of cooking an octopus, the process is a simple one. First, remove the head. Two. Remove the eyes. Rinse the head in water. 4. Rub salt into the fish. Boil the fish. Cool down. Follow these steps and you should be good to go.

So, Elam. Now, Elam, please tighten your belt. And then I'll prep the head by removing its contents.

　Elam huffs as he points to the octopus on the chopping board and instructs the stunned Elam to come to himself.

'You have guts in your head?'

Does it seem like there's a gut anywhere else but there?

It doesn't look like it's anything but a head.

　The octopus has a structure where the eight legs are the arms, the eyes are the head, and the bulging head-like thing on top is the torso, so that means the part called the internal organs are packed into the bulging torso.

''........So, Alfried-sama. How do you tighten it up?

　Elam froze with the knife and gave him a dubious look.

'There's a nerve between your eyes, so you'll need to prick it with the knife. It's around five millimeters below the eye.

This is it?

Yes, if you can get it tightened properly, it should turn white.

No, I'll try!

　He replies in a way that doesn't make Elam uncomfortable, with no hesitation in his mouth.

　Then Elam slowly brings the knife closer to the octopus.

'Oh, I forgot to mention that the octopus' suction cups must be absorbed by the cutting board. If you don't, the octopus will get out of control--

　My tentacles!　Your arm!　Help!

　He suddenly remembered the warning, but it was too late, and there was an octopus wrapped around Elam's right arm.

　Wrapped around the slimy tentacle-like creature, Elam buzzed and waved his arm, trying to shake it off while screaming.

　But there was no way the octopus' suckers would leave at that level.

　The octopus wraps its legs around Elam's arm more to never get away from him.

　It's a very good idea to have a good grip on the octopus with your left hand, but you can't grab it because it's so slimy.

　Wow, my right arm is being swallowed by an octopus.

'Hey, somebody get it!　This guy won't leave, and I can't get it off because it's so slimy and slimy when I try to grab it!

"Hey, wait, Elam!　Get away from me!　Come over here and I'll fire you!

Chef?

　Elam asked his kitchen mates for help, but the fearful head chef cut him down in a flash.

　The stunned Elam's expression is very amusing as it resembles a haniwa (clay figurine), but if you leave him any longer, he might run away crying, so I'll save him.

I'm going to help you. I'll tighten it up and put my arms out here.

Yes!

　When I said that, Elam instantly held out his wrapped right arm.

　Then I carefully listened to the octopus and grabbed its torso with my left hand with a gulp.

　Then I quickly jabbed the knife held in my right hand into the nerve between my eyes.

　The knife seemed to be able to cut the nerve cleanly, and the octopus' color changed from a reddish brown to a grayish white.

　Thanks to being able to tighten it, the octopus's body relaxed and Elam managed to pull the octopus off his arm.

''My........arm.......''

　Elam checked his arm while breathing roughly.

　Elam's arm was covered in countless sucker marks, probably from being sucked hard by an octopus sucker.

　I don't want to say too much, but it's a little disgusting.

　I restrain my expression from getting too strong and say cheerfully to regain my composure.

'Well then, let's get the guts out of his head.

Yes, sir.

　It seems that Elam's spirit was greatly diminished, but he didn't seem to be dented.

　I'm sure he's cooked more than just fish before, so Elam will get used to it.

You put your finger in this head and turn it over," he said. "Put your fingers in this head and turn it over," he says, "and you'll find the liver and guts here. Just be careful not to break the black ink pouch.

　As I explained, Elam stuck his hand in the head space and turned the contents over with a twirl.

　It's a shocking picture for someone who doesn't cook much, but perhaps because he's used to gutting fish, Elam frowns and removes the guts quickly and efficiently.

　Then he has Elam remove the octopus' eyeballs and the octopus preparation is done.

The prep work is done, so the next step is to remove the slime.

　With the octopus on the cutting board, we move to the sink.

　At the same time, the other cooks who were in the sink move to the edge at once.

　When you press the switch above the faucet, a small amount of magical power is sucked out of my body and water flows.

''Come on, assistant Elam-kun. Please wash the octopus with water.

'Eeeeeeee!　W-what, me?

It's difficult to wash it while it's on top of a wooden box like this. It also takes a lot of strength.

　It's not because it's too much trouble to get the slime off the octopus, or that you don't want to touch it much. This is more efficient if Elam, who has large and strong hands, does this.

''I don't want to touch it anymore...''

"I exercise the prerogative of nobility.

　I command the whining Elam in a stern tone.

'You can tell me more like this, that you want to eat fresh meat, or drink alcohol, or eat the sea dragon, which is called a sea delicacy!

　........what's that? The average nobleman would say something so absurd? This is ridiculous.

"...Elam, wash the octopus with your hands.

'I heard you were a friendly nobleman with no selfishness...?

　Elam seemed reluctant to say, with tears in his eyes, as he washed the octopus with his hands.

'Wash the octopus on its side, sliding it from its head to its feet.

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight?

　I know the feeling. I felt the same way the first time I washed my hands.

　I can't tell you how slimy it feels when I wash it as I slide my hands over the octopus....

　Then Elam screamed and rinsed the octopus thoroughly, washing it with a good rinse and rubbing the salt into it.

　By the time the salt was rubbed in, Elam stopped screaming, but I noticed that he gradually lost his expression.

　Surely, Elam must have gotten used to the octopus.



　◆ ◆ ◆



　It may have been evening while I was cooking, but the sky and the sea had begun to take on an Akane color.

　A gradation of sky blue to reddish hues. The waves glistening in the reflection of the sunset were beautiful.

　While I was holed up in the galley, they caught a lot of fish, so we were going to have a party on deck tonight.

　The top of the deck had been cleaned and polished by the crew, and now there were long tables lined up in a row.

　Sailors and members of the Silver Wind were already seated by the tables, chatting happily in front of the brightly colored fish dishes.

　I noticed that my octopus dish was placed in the middle of each table as a test of courage.

'Hey, Al. We're over here.

　The table with lots of octopus dishes and dos tuna sashimi was waved by Irvine, as if it were my special seat.

'Come on, food!　We caught a ton of fish today, and the side dishes are gorgeous!　Everyone, feast your eyes!　But you have another voyage tomorrow, so drink in moderation.

　Everyone looks disappointed at Mr. Douglas' last words.

　'If you get drunk or something, you won't be able to work tomorrow.

'd*mn!　I can't believe I'm going to have to leave my liquor in front of this much food...

A little weak fruit wine would be nice, wouldn't it?　And Mr. Douglas says that moderation is fine, too.

Patience. You've had enough booze to fill an esport, haven't you?

No, not if you two drink in moderation.

　Aleusha and Illya tastefully watched Irvine and Malt, who were shaking and moaning with their bodies.

　Come to think of it, it was a big feast to nourish their wisdom to get through the sea journey. I had completely forgotten about it.

　I'm still not able to drink, though, so I'm still in a fresh mood.

　This time, though, we had sashimi.

Let's drink to that!

Cheers!

　Everyone strikes a cup of fruit water or wine to the tune of Mr. Douglas.

　Irvine, malt, and me, of course, fruit water.

　In front of my table are octopus rice made in an earthenware pot, octopus carpaccio, raw octopus sashimi, cucumber and octopus mixed with akara seed, and salted octopus feet.

　By the way, the octopus, we tasted it with Elam and it was fine. Rather, I was surprised that it was the most delicious one I had ever tasted.

　After all, I was keenly aware that eating it immediately after catching it makes a difference.

　It was interesting that Elam also let out the words ".......delicious" and looked complicated.

　The rest is a sashimi platter of dos tuna, dos tuna steak, whitefish grilled with salt and a sumptuous fish dish.

'Hm?　What is this?　I know it's Carpaccio, but I've never seen this red one before...

It's true. What is this red thing?　You don't sound like a fish.

　Aleusha and Ilya quickly spotted the octopus carpaccio in front of them.

　They had been making such a fuss on the deck, but the two seemed to be so absorbed in practicing their magic that they didn't notice it.

　Irvine and Malt noticed this and smiled and nodded at each other.

'That's good. You should try it.

Sweet and chewy and interesting, huh?

　That's exactly what I said to Elam when I gave him a taste of it.

　Naturally, these two haven't tried the octopus yet. It looks like they plan to give it a try after giving it to Aleusha and Ilya.

　Perhaps the other members also want to see how it goes, but no one will tell them it's an octopus. All of them just look at each other as if they are casually talking and peeping at each other.

'Is that so?　Then I'll take it.

I'm looking forward to it.

　Hiding a black smile, they are oblivious to Irvine's and Malt's intentions, and they smile and put the octopus carpaccio in their mouths.

　You can hear a nearby sailor gulp and swallow spit.

'It's so crispy and delicious!　Is it a shellfish?

　No, it's an octopus.

It doesn't even have a foul smell to it.　It's crunchy and I like it. Some people might find it a little crunchy.

　I'm sure there are a lot of people who don't like this squishy feeling.

　At any rate, the two seemed to like the octopus and put the octopus carpaccio into their mouths one after another.

'....Seriously? Was that good?

　The words "and so on" leaked out of nowhere.

　Although Irvine and Malt looked at them suspiciously, they fearfully reached for the salted octopus legs.

''........This is surprisingly delicious. The more you bite into it, the sweeter and saltier the flavor of the salt spreads and the more crunchy it is.''

Yeah. It's gross to look at, but it's good.

　Irvine and Malt sound sincerely surprised.

　It looks especially good on Irvine as he eats with an octopus leg peeking out of the corner of his mouth. Maybe it's because he's old-fashioned.

'I just want a drink!'

　They gulped down the fruit water and slammed their cups on the table, making wistful vocal sounds.

　At the same time, the other brave sailors also reached for the octopus, "Surprisingly good! You'll be surprised to hear that.

　See, isn't it delicious?

　I watch with satisfaction.

　Then I reach for the sashimi, the best part of the day, the dosage of tuna.

　I dip it lightly in the Kagura soy sauce Tory gave me, and then put it in my mouth.

　The fatty flesh melts in my mouth. It's rich fish meat that never smells foul.

　The soy sauce does a wonderful job of accentuating that fatty meat while keeping it from getting boring.

Oh, I knew it was different when I caught it fresh.

　I let out a huff of breath at the deliciousness of the Dosu Tuna.

　I regret that there is no ocean near the village of Coriat.

　However, thanks to this trip, I can always use transference magic to get to the ocean.

　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what to expect.

　You should think positively and enjoy life instead of looking backwards.

　After enjoying the Dosu Tuna Sashimi, I reach for the raw octopus next.

　The raw octopus made it difficult to remove with a fork, but I managed to stab it into the plate.

　I dipped the raw octopus sashimi in a little soy sauce and ate it too.

　Every time you bite into the octopus, the rich taste of the octopus spreads. The squishy texture and the creaking sensation when you bite into the sucker is very interesting.

　It's a rich taste that you can't get from a supermarket. Irvine does a great job of catching octopus.

"........oh, you're eating octopus raw.......

　Irvine grunts as he sees me eating the raw octopus sashimi.

'....Wait a minute. What did you just say?

　Aleusha asked Irvine with a straight face, as if she had heard Irvine's grunted words.

　Ilya, who was next to her, also put the Carpaccio in her mouth and froze in place.

　I don't know if my brain has already imagined it, but Ilya's face has become very pale.

''It's ... nothing.''

Say it.

No.

You won't be offended if I tell you.

　It's finally out. A promise that has never been kept since ancient times.

　Irvine, don't take my word for it!

"...a lie!　If I say it, I swear Aleutha will be mad!

　As expected of Irvine. He seems to have that level of knowledge because he has lived for many years.

　In contrast, Aleusha smiles at that.

''I won't get angry. ........But I'll get angry if you tell me a lie or find out later?

..........

　Don't be fooled, Irvine. Don't listen to such sweet whispers.

　It's 'If you don't say it now, I'll beat you up later. If I say it now, I'm going to have to go a little easy on you, okay?'

　It is a lighter, less trustworthy verbal promise than the paper that says It is by no means a promise that Irvine's safety is guaranteed.

...........................

"Ta?

...and...

　Stop!　Irvine!

'Oh no, Irvine's catching a good octopus!

I told you.　Al said it would taste better if he cooked it.

　Just as Irvine was about to say his piece of mind, Mr. Douglas and Rumba came to our table.

　I look at the two of them in the wrong place and sigh in my heart, oh and I sigh.

'Ta, octopus oooh!

　Aleusha screamed and Ilya wobbled over.

　The promise was never kept because of the two unexpectedly, and Irvine was beaten mercilessly by Aleusha with his staff.