Tensei Shite Inaka de Slowlife wo Okuritai

Kojirou I Quit My Job

POV Shogun

「This is Kojirou, I brought the eel dish」

After waiting for some time, Kojirou came back. It looks like he brought the eel dish. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com

「Enter」

「Please excuse me」

After giving the permission for him to enter, Kojirou and three maids entered.

The maids are holding trays in their hands, on which a bowl of food is placed on each of them.

A slightly fragrant smell wafts out.

What is this, this smell that stimulates my appetite irresistibly. Is it seasoned with a type of soy sauce? I feel like there is a sweetness in the fragrant aroma.

The source of the fragrant smell is undoubtedly those bowls.

Despite the lid still not being opened and having such a fragrant smell.......I’m frightened of what would happen if they opened the lid.

Honestly, I did not expect anything when he said that he would make a dish using eel, but this may unexpectedly be palatable.

「Hm, you’re heavily seasoning the dish to mask the fishy smell of eel, did you not?」

「You will understand it once you try」

Kojirou let Kinugasa’s cutting remark slide with a relaxed expression on his face.

Seeing Kojirou’s unchanging attitude, Kinugasa snorted, seemingly finding it dull.

The person himself was telling us about the deliciousness of eel, but is it that delicious for him to be that confident?

The smell and Kojirou’s attitude raised my expectations.

And as the maids placed the wooden tray in front of us, they put the dish there.

Then Kojirou opens his mouth after the maids look at him. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com

「This is the eel dish I learned from my friend――unadon」

Along with Kojirou’s confident voice, they opened the lid of the bowl.

Warm steam rises up and an explosive fragrant scent spreads out inside the room.

「Hm!? What is this fragrant smell.......!」

It’s a smell that can not be compared to the smell from earlier.

Just smelling it alone sends a jolt and stimulation to my brain, and my stomach makes a sound as though growling for food.

In the bowl is the staple food of Kagura, the familiar rice. On top of that rice is a flat slice of fish and a soy sauce-based tare sauce is poured over it.

「This flat fish is an eel?」

Ouka nervously asked the question in my mind.

The fish is brown from being grilled……is this really an eel?

「Yes, it was processed eel」

「That slimy fish, you were able to cut it into this kind of flat shape, huh」

Just as Ouka says, an eel is a slimy and long fish and very difficult to cut with a knife.

Even I - someone who does not cook - understand how difficult the technique to cut it showing how skilled you have to be to cut and process the fish so easily.

「You can remove eel’s mucus and smell by removing it using hot water and taking them out just before boiling. Of course, I practiced the method.......」

Kojirou talks about the method to remove the mucus calmly.

「Is that also what your friend taught you?」

「Yes, but I can not reach his level yet」

Hmm, I’m curious about that ‘friend’ who taught Kojirou the method to cook eel. Knowing a logical method of cooking, is he a famous chef?

「Then, please have it before it gets cold」

「U, um」

Urged by Kojirou, I stopped my train of thought and concentrated on the dish before me.

Picking up the chopsticks and the bowl, I first lift up the eel.

Even if it was grilled or cooked in any way it is still smelly and has a lot of bones, that’s what an eel is. The sauce actually looks really good, but I wonder what is the taste of this important ingredient now.......

Eeei, Kojirou finally acts like a man and cooks it. It would be rude to him if I were to hesitate at this point.

So I resolutely take the eel and put it into my mouth.www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com

「It, it’s soft」

It is crunchy when I chew on the eel but the inside is soft.

「And there is no fishy smell whatsoever」

Ouka - who also took a bite of the eel- was surprised and her eyes widened.

Yes, this eel dish is a great difference from the hard, fishy eel dish we ate in the past. It’s not fishy and hard, and there are almost no small bones in the meat.

The more I chew on the meat, the eel’s juice comes out and I can taste the original umami flavor from the eel.

And more than anything, this tare sauce compatibility with the eel is splendid. I have eaten various types of grilled fish, but this is the first time I have had a strong and delicious flavor.

「Indeed, this eel dish is very good. But, just this much――」

As Kinugasa said that while putting down his bowl, Kojirou slowly put his hand forward.

「No, the flavor of unadon can not be experienced like that. It will be perfect when you eat the eel and rice at the same time」

「At the same time?」

「Yes, please mix it with rice」

After Kojirou suggested that, Kinugasa unwillingly eat the eel meat and rice at the same time.

「De, delicious――」

Kinugasa hurriedly tried to close his mouth, but it was already too late.

Looking at Kinugasa’s look of astonishment, smiled with a self-satisfied expression on his face.

For Kinugasa - who has no favorable impression toward Kojirou - and having the reputation of harsh criticism to anyone to have such a reaction, just how good does it taste?

As Kojirou told us, I eat the eel with rice. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com

At that moment, it was like an electric shock running through my body.

――the rice is not enough.

I put more rice as if I were shoveling it into my mouth.

Also, the sweet and savory sauce has soaked into the rice, and it is amazing.

The fragrant juice of eel with the sweet and savory tare sauce. They went perfectly well with the rice.

No doubt about it. This dish, eaten together with rice is sublime.

This is the essence of unadon.

As I was absorbed in eating unadon, I suddenly realized that the unadon in my bowl had become empty.

While feeling a little regret, I put down the bowl onto the wooden tray.

Casually looking at the other two, I saw they had completely emptied their bowls faster than me.

「So is this how delicious an eel can be when you cook it with the correct method?」

It is such a shame that I did not notice and eat it earlier.

「Rather than using the taste of the sauce to cook it, it was more about properly processing the eel to bring out the flavor」

「No, compared with the eel grilled and prepared by my friend, mine is nothing. Also, this sauce was given to me by my friend so I can study it......」

Even when Ouka praises him like that, Kojirou is still humble as he takes out a small bottle from his breast pocket.

Even though this is already good enough, you are saying that there is still a long way to go until it is complete?

「But, I will accumulate more experience and study and surpass my friend! And then, I will open a restaurant and spread the deliciousness of unadon! That is my current dream!」

So Kojirou declares with a strong gaze.

For Kojirou who usually being swept by his surroundings to talk about his dream so passionately......

I have watched Kojirou for a long time so I feel my eyes welling with emotion. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com

「Be that as it may, you can only realize that dream after resignation. So if you can not resign now then you will not be able to realize that dream」

With Kinugasa’s remark, everyone’s gaze simultaneously turns toward me.

「Kojirou has shown us the possibility of delicious eel enough. Eels, which everyone has thought to be unpalatable, have been sublimated into such a delicacy. And when it comes to eels, there are a lot of them in the river. Our cuisine will progress and even the poor citizens will be able to eat such an ingredient that will give them nutrition and strength. This is a contribution that can be expected in the future. So why don’t we approve of him」

「I also agree with Gouki-sama’s opinion」

「Naa!? Are the two of you sane?」

Perhaps Kinugasa found my decision - and Ouka - to be very surprising, since Kinugasa got flustered and made a commotion over it.

「I will not approve of that! I do not think that this unadon is that delicious anyway! And so, Kojirou will not resign as a swordsma――」

「That’s unseemly of you, Kinugasa」

I got angry at Kinugasa, who was unwilling to recognize it because of his personal feelings even though he was served such a dish with possibilities like this. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com

「You’re not recognizing a man with such a resolution and someone who had made the dish, what do you mean by that? If I do not recognize such an achievement, then from now on I will have to ignore each new idea that will come up. That would be making Kagura experience a huge stagnation in progress, yes?」

I glare at him while using a voice filled with more dignity than usual to keep him in check. I intimidated him using the policies and plan that Kinugasa indirectly introduced.

I don’t really like to act like this, but there are things I have to do as a Shogun.

If Ouka can help out as a mother, then I - as the Shogun he served for many years - will also help him.

「Guh, but, if he resigns right now……」

「Hm? Kojirou is a swordsman, right? It is necessary to reorganize the unit, but it will not be a big problem if he were to leave right? It is not like he is managing the unit or taking care of the paperwork like doing the account books......」

Having said all that, Kinugasa’s expression turned pale.

Realizing something, I started questioning Kinugasa.

Then, it turned out that Kinugasa and the people around him had pushed their work to Kojirou. The unit management, records, account books, provisions......they were not works someone - who is the head of swordsmen - should do.

And Kojirou, who hears the truth says.....

「Hohou? In other words, Kinugasa-dono have been pushing your work onto me for all these years?」

He was so furious like never before.

In direct opposite of him, Ouka was silent but, there was a thick bloodlust around her.

Even I - who was not the person receiving her direct bloodlust - was unconsciously trying to reach for my sword since I was spooked.

「N, now now, calm down Kojirou」

「…………」

When I advised him not to escalate it, Kojirou turned his lifeless eyes toward me.

Although I can not say I understand how he feels and you may want to cut him right now, please hold your anger back.

After waiting for some time, Kojirou finally repressed the dangerous aura he had released.

「So, Kojirou can not resign because there is the matter of handing over the duties and the like?」

「……yes」

Training as a swordsman, training his subordinates, being Shuichi’s guard and training, paperworks......no wonder Kojirou said that he wanted to quit his job. There is no way anyone would not want to quit after being entrusted with such outrageous work.

Maybe it’s because Kojirou has been saying his usual phrase every day that I had become negligent in understanding his work environment.

But, is there any meaning in regretting something like that at this point in time? www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com

「Kojirou, I will approve your resignation as a swordsman who serves me. However, could you do a little bit more work regarding the work handover? If you resign like this then it may result in a great deal of confusion in future work」

「Uwa, the lines Al said really came out.......」

When I asked him that, Kojirou did not express any dislike or unwillingness, but he looked somewhat surprised.

「Hm, Al?」

「N, no. But, is it really all right for Gouki-sama to ask me about that」

It is the duty of the lord to make up for his subject’s mistake, but I feel like I am not the person who should ask that in this case.

「Inaba-dono, p, please, let bygones be bygone so please help in cleaning up the mess this superior of yours in the end.....!」

「……hmm, I wonder」

Even when Kinugasa bows down and earnestly asks for his help, Kojirou only mutters that while acting dumb.

Kojirou is someone who has a good personality. Nonetheless, if you think about the poor treatment he received until now, Kinugasa’s sudden change in behavior is also terrible.

「I will be troubled if you resign at this point in time!」

The moment Kinugasa says that line, Kojirou has an expression that looks as though he has been waiting for it.

「And you’ve been treating such an important capable person as a dirty, worn-out rag!」

Kinuasa was not the only person surprised by Kojirou’s words. Ouka and I could not even say a single word.

「Does Kinugasa-dono have the disposition to harshly treat and break things important to you?」

「Eh, ah, no.......」

「Then why did you treat me like that despite me being a person that will make you get into difficulties? I can not understand it at all. Let alone asking someone with whom you mistreated until now?」

I wonder what is this. Kojirou’s eyes are very dark.

It’s like he’s carrying deep-seated grudges from numerous people instead of him alone.......it is like the dark, deep color of the abyss.

Just what has happened to Kojirou?

Honestly, it is extremely scary to call out to Kojirou, but the situation is going to be even more serious than now if I don’t. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com

「……o, oi, Kojirou」

「I understand. I will leave it at this」

When I cautiously called out to him, Kojirou took a deep breath and his eyes returned to normal.

Then he slowly walked toward me and says,

「Gouki-sama, I will relinquish this sword」

He presented the sword on his waist to me.

Having watched over for a long time, the subordinate I have cherished like my own son is now returning the sword. This made me really sad.

However, Kojirou will not be able to move forward if I don’t accept this. He is giving up his sword to me, the Shogun. So this should not be a half-hearted resolution from him.

And so I took the offered sword firmly with my hand.

「Yes, Inaba Kojirou. You have done well serving me for a long time」

Kojirou deeply bows, and then he stands up.

「Mother, thank you very much for your encouragement. Also, please take care of Kaede」

「……yes, of course」

Ouka’s reply seemed curt. But, when I looked closely at her expression, she looked very happy.

「Kinugasa-dono, the documents for the handover are inside my room in the castle. Although we did not get along, I’m grateful for everything you have done so far」

Just like this, Kojirou left the castle.

Aah, I wonder what should I do now? The hole Kojirou left is large, there will be confusion in the castle. Thinking that makes me have a headache

But, strangely, I don’t feel bad at all.