Volume 4 - CH 24

Chapter 24 – Quiet Story: Hideaway and Barbecue

A few days after the storm, we decided to have a barbecue on the Hideaway to refresh ourselves after the long voyage.

It all started last night with a conversation Alessia-san had with me.

“Wataru-san, the Hideaway isn’t what it really is now, is it? What kind of changes have been made?”

“Well, the inside hasn’t changed… but the parts that can be seen from the outside have been changed to look like a medium-sized ship, so it’s hard to say in words what part of the ship has been changed. Shall I summon it tomorrow at noon and remove the ship disguise?”

“Is that okay? It’s such a big ship; it would take a lot of work, wouldn’t it?”

“No, it won’t take much time since it’s just an image. And while we’re at it, why don’t we take tomorrow off and have that barbecue we talked about the first time we took a bath on this ship?”

That was well said, wasn’t it? I had always wanted to have a barbecue with everyone and enjoy the Jacuzzi or relax on the sundeck, but my motives were impure, so it was hard to say.

“Taking a day off? This voyage itself is so comfortable, I feel like every day is a vacation, but a barbecue would be nice.”

The other women who had been listening around us seemed interested and gathered around.

“Wataru-san, can we eat something tasty?”

“I don’t know if it’s to your liking, Carla-san, but we just grill meat on skewers and fresh seafood over a charcoal fire, and I think it’s delicious.”

“Mmm, like when you’re camping?”

“Camping? I don’t know, I’ve never done a proper campsite before, but I’m sure it’s different because we do a lot of preparation.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“What Carla is talking about is just sprinkling salt on the meat of the animals you hunted during your hunting and roasting it on a bonfire, isn’t it? Wataru-san, if you need help with the preparation, please let me help you.”

“Oh, you’re roasting it over a bonfire; that sounds delicious. Claretta-san, even if you say you want to help me, it is only to skewer the meat and vegetables and season them. Is that alright with you?”

“Yes, please.”

“But, Wataru-san, are we going to take the day off? I don’t mind if we take the day off, but if it’s a barbecue, we can finish it at noon, can’t we?”

“Oh, you’re right, Dorothea-san, there’s no need to take the day off if it’s just for the barbecue, but I thought it would be nice to spend the day relaxing on the sundeck, taking a bath, playing games, drinking, and so on.”

“That sounds like fun. But we didn’t buy any alcohol, so it’s Wataru-san’s, isn’t it? I feel bad about that.”

“It’s no problem, Alessia-san. There are barrels of ale and a lot of liquor that I bought up from the southern continent. I can’t drink it all.”

“Aren’t those your commodities?”

‘No, I could sell them if I wanted to, but I have enough pepper to sell. Since the civil war was about to break out, I just bought up all the specialty alcohol. So please let me treat you.”

“Umm, well, it’s not nice to just be treated to a meal, so will you let us at least pay for the alcohol?”

“Is that so? I don’t mind it being free… but it’s also a problem if you can’t enjoy it because you’re too reserved.”

“Yes, thank you, Wataru-san.”

“No, no, I don’t think it’s right to be thanked for being paid.”

“Fufu, you’re probably right, but thank you.”

Alright! When alcohol is involved, happenings are more likely to occur. I hope something fun happens—especially a lucky slip or something.

“Haha, so, do you want to have a day off like that tomorrow?”

“Well, it sounds like fun, so let’s have a day off tomorrow.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Yeah, well, I’m going to go do some prep work.”

Taking Ines, Felicia, Claretta-san, and Carla-san with me, I headed for the kitchen.

“The preparation is very simple. First, cut the meat into two bite-sized pieces and stick them alternately with the onions on these iron skewers. Then, put the chicken and green onions on the skewers in the same way, alternately. Is that clear?”

“”””Yes.””””

Hmm, how do you season it… It’s simply salt and pepper. Next, I’d like to have it spicy with chili peppers, either tangy or very spicy, and then I’d also like to have it with plenty of garlic.

“Claretta-san, is everyone okay with things like lots of garlic or hot and spicy with a lot of chilies?”

“Well, everyone eats garlic, so it’s fine. As for spicy food… I wonder about it. I’ll ask them.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“No, I’ll be back in a minute.”

According to what Claretta-san told me, they have never had very spicy food. If so, I think that the very spicy one would be too much, so I’ll try spicy and medium spicy.

I only need to grill the shellfish and prepare the fish and shrimp, and if there are any leftovers, I can just repatriate them, so I should do as much as possible. Oh, I also need to chop vegetables.

I have four people to help me finish the preparation. The rest is… liquor and ale should be chilled in the fridge as much as possible, and distilled spirits are dangerous if left as is, so we’ll mix them with ice and juice. I’ll have to make some ice… yeah, that should work.

“Whew, thank you all so much.”

“You made a lot, Wataru-san.”

“Yes, it’s enough for one day; it would be sad if we ran out, and if there is a surplus, it won’t go to waste as I will repatriate it.”

“Right, I envy you so much just for your ability to keep food from spoiling.”

“Well, it’s very convenient. It helps me a lot, too.”

“And we get to eat good food, too, so that’s a big help.”

“Hahaha. I guess you’re right.”

“Yes.”

“Then, let’s get some rest. Looking forward to tomorrow.”

“”””Yes.””””

I’ll take a good night’s rest today. Good night.

………………….

Morning, huh? I woke up with a routine kiss to get me fired up. Let’s work hard on the barbecue. I head to the dining room, full of energy.

“Good morning, everyone.”

“Good morning, Wataru-san. I see you’re in high spirits.”

“Yes, I’m a little fired up. I’m looking forward to the barbecue.”

“Fufu, that’s right. I’m looking forward to it too.”

“Right?”

Everyone is smiling, the weather is nice, and I hope it will be a fun day. After breakfast, we get ready for the barbecue.

With everyone’s help, I got the tables and chairs out on the sundeck and brought the beach chairs from the lower deck.

Rimu likes the beach chairs and repeatedly rolls off the slanted back part of the chairs. Fuu-chan joined in and started rolling with him. It is a very wonderful sight.

The grill provided was not enough, so I also brought out two simple charcoal rings that I used on the island, with ash in the pot and charcoal in the bottom.

Hmm, what else is there to do? We can have a drink before we start, and there’s nothing else to do until we get started. There’s plenty of time left, everyone’s getting too excited, and we need to calm down.

“Whew, we are almost done with the preparations, everyone. Let’s start the barbecue a little before noon.”

“We have quite a bit of time, Wataru-san; how about starting a little earlier?”

“Oh, yes, that’s right. Alessia-san, how about starting around 10:00?”

“Yeah, that’s about right. I’m looking forward to it, Wataru-san.”

“Yes.”

“Since we’re going to be drinking today, we’re going to do some light training until the barbecue starts.”

“Ah, yes.”

You train even on holidays, huh…? Can it still be called a day off if you train? They always had to train every day on this voyage, so let’s assume that’s how it is with an A-ranked party.

“Shall we train too?”

“Yes, I think it’s good to get some physical exercise while we can.”

“Then we will each train until it’s time to start.”

“”Yes.””

I’ll review the basics that I learned at the guild. I’ve been training quite a bit, but since it’s only the basics and I haven’t experienced any real combat, I don’t feel like I can fight even at a high level. Well, if I have the chance, I would like to try fighting at least an orc.

“Master, it’s about time.”

“Hmm, okay, thank you.”

Well, let’s get the drinks out and start grilling anyway. I’ll ask Ines to start the coals. It only takes a moment with the flame magic, and then we put the meat and seafood on the skewers and place them on the grill. The sound of the meat grilling is great, isn’t it?

The Girasole have gathered, and the meat will be ready soon. We should start soon.

“Then, let’s get started. All you have to do is grill the meat and seafood here as you like and drink the liquor of your choice. If we run out of something, please let me know, and I’ll add more. Most of what we’re grilling right now is ready to eat.”

“It smells so good. Wataru-san, itadakimasu.”

After saying, “Itadakimasu,” they start to eat their favorite dishes. I grilled the one with garlic on the skewer at the furthest heat, and the grated garlic was slightly burnt, but that was not a problem. I bite into the hot meat skewer and pour in some ale… It’s delicious.

“Oh, it’s delicious.”

“This is spicy.”

“The garlic is amazing.”

They eat it while sharing their thoughts and impressions. The medium-spicy flavor is not so popular, but Marina-san seems to like it.

“Yes, everyone, there is a distilled spirit from the southern continent in this barrel. It is a harsh liquor, so please drink it with juice.”

“Wataru-san, how much is a good amount to drink?”

“It depends on each person, but at first, you should try adding a little bit of the liquor to the juice to find the consistency you like best.”

“Okay, I’ll try it right away.”

Alessia-san added a little bit of the distilled spirit to the orange juice. She tasted it a few times and found the thickness she liked.

“Master, I’ll take turns grilling.”

“Yes, but just as you see fit. You can grill what you want.”

“”Yes.””

I give up the front of the grill to Ines and Felicia and eat what I want. Oysters… are delicious, but I want soy sauce.

“Which one do you like, Rimu?”

“Mmm, Rimu, the meat.”

“Which of the meats?”

“This one.”

“I see; Rimu likes spicy food.”

“I love it.”

We enjoy eating meat and seafood and drinking light alcohol while having a lot of fun. It’s time to take a bath. Ines, Felicia, and I returned to the room and changed into bathing clothes, then took a warm bath and soaked in the bathtub with ale in one hand.

Well, since it’s a Jacuzzi, I thought champagne would be better than ale, but I guess it can’t be helped. I’ve never actually had champagne. I hit the switch, let out a stream of water and air bubbles, and relaxed while sipping my drink.

Thinking about it, I’m acting like a rich man who suddenly got a lot of money… Well, it’s okay; we are all the same, floating around with a lot of money we never thought we’d have. Enjoy the moment.

“Ara, Wataru, you’re already taking a bath.”

“Yes, how about you, Ilma-san? It feels a little luxurious.”

“Hmm, well, I’m going in too. I’ll go and change.”

“Good for you, Master. The plan worked.”

…Ines has completely discovered my desire.

“Ines, is it that obvious?”

“It’s very easy to understand. But it’s good that she’s coming with you, isn’t it?”

…That’s right, she’s coming along with me, so that’s good, isn’t it?

From then on, we enjoyed the whole day off, eating and drinking as much as we wanted, soaking in warm water, playing games at the table, and so on.

The BEST 3 things that made me happy at Wataru’s barbecue.

No. 1

In the latter half of the barbecue, the women who were drunk from the alcohol combined with the baths rushed into the baths at once, making me very happy.

No. 2

The fact that I was able to imprint in my mind’s eye the women who spent their time in wet bathrobes because they had to take many baths.

No. 3　

When I was feeding Rimu, he climbed up on my shoulder and rubbed against me.