Chapter 28 - Pan-Foil Baked Lenore Trout
Translator's Note: We've decided to change the following terms:
White Wolf → White Fenrir
Pale Wolf → White Wolf
"Thanks for the towel and soap. They really helped."
"Thanks to them, my body’s much cleaner now."
By the time I stepped outside, Franz and Dormund had already finished their baths and looked refreshed. Earlier, there’d been a slight hint of sweat about them, but now, thanks to the soap, they smelled great.
As for their clothing, it seemed they’d found a change of clothes in their luggage. Both of them were now wearing light, casual shirts.
The armor they’d worn earlier had been polished and placed in a well-ventilated spot, while their undershirts were hung to dry on a tree by the stream.
"Hey, Eslina! You can go take a bath too if you want!"
"She’s actually taking a shower inside the camper van right now—oh, looks like she just came out."
Just as I was about to explain to Franz, Eslina descended the steps and stepped outside.
“Ahh... that shower was absolutely amazing. I never thought I’d be able to enjoy hot water while traveling without relying on spells or magic.”
With her cheeks slightly flushed, perhaps from the hot water, Eslina spoke cheerfully, clearly in a great mood.
"What?! You were able to take a bath in hot water inside the camper van?!"
"That’s not all. The shampoo and conditioner Tohru let me use are incredible. My hair, which was so damaged, feels silky smooth now."
Eslina, looking delighted, dried her damp golden hair with a towel as she spoke.
"Really? Is it that different from usual?"
"Sorry, I wouldn’t really know."
"Honestly! Men can be so clueless sometimes..."
Eslina’s irritation was clear as she glared at Dormund and Franz, who had made rather insensitive remarks.
I, on the other hand, wisely chose to stay out of it since I had no idea what her hair normally looked like. As an outsider, the best approach in such situations was to keep quiet.
"So, hot water comes out of the shower? Where do you draw the water from, and how do you heat it?"
"It’s simple. The built-in water tank supplies water, and the hot water heater warms it up."
The shower’s faucet allows you to mix hot and cold water to adjust the temperature.
Used water flows into a drainage tank, which can then be emptied appropriately.
"Oh! So the camper van has something like that inside! But the hot water heater isn’t a magical tool, is it? I don’t sense any magic or magical inscriptions.”
"It doesn’t use magic. It generates heat using electricity."
"Electricity, you say? So water can be heated that way...."
Dormund stared at the camper van’s water tank in wonder.
Apparently, electricity wasn’t very common in this world.
This was a world where magic, a mysterious force, was used to cast spells and light up the surroundings.
It might not be surprising that electricity wasn't commonly used here.
"Sorry about Dormund asking all these questions. He’s a dwarf with a knack for crafting, so he can’t help being curious."
"No need to apologize. I enjoy talking about the camper van."
After all, my familiar, Haku, didn’t show much interest in those aspects about the camper van.
"Tohru, I’m starving. Is lunch ready yet?"
Just as I was thinking that, Haku appeared, voicing his complaints.
I’d been so caught up talking with the three adventurers that I’d put off preparing lunch.
By now, the sun had passed its zenith, and I realized I was quite hungry too.
“Sorry, I’ll get it ready right away. The prep work’s already done; I just need to cook it.”
"Fine, but hurry up."
Haku coiled himself into a smaller form and sprawled out on the grass.
"So, we’re about to have lunch. Would you three like to join us?"
"Huh?! Can we?!"
Eslina and the others lit up with joy at my offer.
"Are you sure it’s okay for us to eat too?"
"I made plenty for storage, so it’s no problem."
"Thank you so much! That’s a big help."
It seemed that having prepared a large amount in advance so it was ready to eat at any time had paid off.
I returned to the camper van and resumed cooking.
On the two-burner stove, I placed pans with about a centimeter of water in each and started heating them.
Once the water boiled, I added the pre-wrapped foil packets directly into the pans.
After bringing them back to a boil, I turned the heat to low and steamed them for ten minutes.
When the time was up, I unwrapped the foil, letting the aroma waft out. A dash of black pepper, chopped green onions, and a splash of ponzu completed the dish.
"Done! pan-foil baked Lenore trout, ready to serve!"
"Wow! I can’t believe we get to eat lenore trout here of all places. This is amazing!"
I spread a sheet across the grass, and Franz, Eslina, and Dormund took their seats on it.
Sometimes, camping in a casual, leisurely style like this wasn’t so bad.
I handed over one pan's worth of foil-baked lenore trout to the three of them and placed another serving in front of Haku.
The serving I made was a large portion that used a whole pan for Haku. Even with three people sharing, it wouldn’t disappear in an instant.
"Can we dig in already?"
"Go ahead."
"What the heck is this? It’s insanely delicious!"
"The vegetables inside are so fresh too!"
"I’ve had Lenore trout before, but this is the first time it's been this delicious!"
As soon as Franz, Dormund, and Eslina took a bite, they couldn’t hold back their voices of amazement.
Thank goodness. It looked like it suited their tastes.
"Hmm! Unlike the skewers we had yesterday, this is so tender and juicy!"
"That’s because it’s steamed and baked while wrapped in foil. The moisture stays trapped inside, keeping it tender and juicy."
Cooking it in foil really locks in the flavor. It’s a completely different experience compared to skewers.
Watching Haku bury his face into the foil and gobble it up, I headed back to the camper.
I already knew he’d be asking for seconds.
"You’re not eating, Tohru?"
"I’ve got to prep more for Haku. Don’t worry about me; just enjoy yourselves."
Franz and the others offered to help, but I waved them off and returned to the kitchen on my own.
The only one with any visible major injuries was Rick, but the exhaustion on all three of them was obvious. The least I could do was let them relax during their meal.
Back in the kitchen, the second batch of foil-baked Lenore trout, which I’d prepared right after finishing the first, was almost done on the stove.
I checked to make sure the moisture had evaporated and opened the foil to confirm the fish was cooked all the way through.
Once it looked perfect, I sprinkled some black pepper, green onions, and ponzu on top, finishing it off with a light touch of salted butter.
At the same time, I prepped a third batch for cooking, then stepped down and headed outside.
"Seconds."
"I knew you’d say that, so I prepared."
I swapped out the empty pan for a fresh one and handed it over.
Once again, Haku dove face-first into the foil, devouring the Lenore trout with no hesitation.
"How about you guys? Want seconds too?"
"We can have more?! Of course, I’ll take some!"
"Me too!"
"So will I!"
I had made the foil-baked dish in a huge size for Haku, but it seemed like no challenge for the famished adventurers.
"Poor Rick. Missing out on something this delicious."
"Yeah, luck really hasn’t been on his side this time around."
"But having food this tasty and no alcohol to go with it... Couldn’t I have just one drink?"
"We may only be heading back, but we’re still on a quest. Don’t even think about it."
"...Such a tragedy."
As their lively chatter filled the air like background music, I kept cooking more foil bakes.
That said, my own stomach was starting to grumble.
The three seemed to be slowing down now, leaving a little more room for me to grab a bite.
The next batch that came out of the pan was going to be mine.
I opened the foil-wrapped dish after it had finished cooking.
The moment I opened it, a fragrant aroma rose into the air.
The vibrant mix of vegetables and the reddish hue of the Lenore trout flesh peeked out invitingly.
I sprinkled on black pepper, green onions, and a dash of ponzu, then finally took a bite.
"Whoaaa! This is incredible...!"
The delicate texture practically melted in my mouth.
By steaming and baking in foil, the natural flavors of the Lenore trout were perfectly preserved and concentrated. The sweet fat of the fish seeped into the onions and king trumpet mushrooms, creating a beautifully cohesive dish.
"Foil baking may seem simple, but the depth of flavor it brings makes it feel like a work of art."
Dormund was right—this meal would pair perfectly with alcohol.
It would be perfect if I could wash it down with an ice-cold beer.
Too bad I had to drive later, so alcohol was out of the question.
"Tohru, more."
"Yeah, yeah, I hear you."
Hearing the third call of the day, I grabbed another finished pan and headed back out to serve.
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