Chapter 34 - Street Food
"Phew, finally done."
Stepping out of the Merchant Guild, I sighed and muttered to myself.
I was busy with all the registration procedures at the merchant guild when, out of nowhere, I was hauled off by the guild master for a personal interview. Then there was the material buyout... it was a series of exhausting events that really wore me out.
"Tohru, I’m hungry."
As I walked, trying to loosen up my body, Haku, who was walking beside me, spoke up.
Orlando had mentioned that, now officially registered as a familiar under the designation of a White Fenrir, Haku could speak freely within the town.
Though monsters capable of speech were high-ranking beings and might draw attention, it wasn’t unheard of for people to have such companions. It seemed it wouldn’t cause much of a stir.
"Yeah, me too. Since we’re here, why don’t we check out some street food today?"
"I’m in."
Cooking something myself would mean finding a spot to summon the camper van, which would take time. After dealing with all the guild paperwork, I also didn’t feel like going through the hassle.
Since I had earned quite a bit of money, I decided to make lunch a simple meal out and about.
The street just off the main road was lined with stalls on both sides.
It was what you’d call a street food district, I suppose.
As I entered, the air was filled with a variety of mouthwatering aromas.
There were all sorts of dishes being served: grilled meat skewers, fresh salads, freshly baked bread, stews of meat and vegetables, meat pies, and more.
"What do you feel like eating?"
"Meat."
Of course. That’s exactly what I expected you to say.
He had eaten meat at the tavern earlier, but clearly, that hadn’t been enough to even fill his stomach a little.
"I want to eat that one."
Haku’s gaze was fixed on a piece of bone-in meat, tied with string, sizzling over a grill.
"That’s a blue boar crown roast. Wanna get one?"
I see. They rubbed seasoning spices into the bone-in roast of the blue boar, then tied it in a circle with string to make it resemble a crown.
It was a bold dish, no doubt. They must have rubbed the spices in and let it marinate, then slowly cooked it over charcoal, taking their time. I was sure they’re also basting it with various sauces while grilling. I could make it too, but when it was so labor-intensive, I wasn’t particularly eager to do it myself. Dishes like this were best enjoyed as takeout.
"Then, we’ll get three of those—"
"Five,"
"The familiar talked?!"
"Five, please. My companion has quite the appetite..."
"U-understood."
Normally, they’d probably just tear off a few ribs from the crown to serve portions.
The vendor was clearly surprised, but when he saw Haku at my feet, his expression shifted to one of understanding.
"Here you go—five whole blue boar crown roasts."
Before long, the vendor handed over a wooden platter piled high with the sizzling hot roasts.
I paid ten silver coins and took the platter to an empty bench nearby.
"Mind if I have a little?"
"...Yeah."
Haku replied after a brief pause. I figured he was just telling himself that if it wasn’t enough, we could always grab more from the nearby stall.
Gripping one of the bones, I gave it a tug, and a single rib slid free with ease.
"This thing is huge."
Just one rib was about half the size of my face.
A single crown had around fifteen ribs in total—half of it would be more than enough to satisfy even a seasoned laborer.
"Thank you for the meal."
After my customary pre-meal words, I sank my teeth into the blue boar rib.
The surface of the meat was perfectly crispy, and as I bit into it, the rich juices and spices burst in my mouth all at once.
The blue boar’s meat likely had a strong gamey flavor on its own, but the seasoning—a mix of garlic powder, paprika, and cumin—had mellowed the wildness perfectly.
The lean meat was hearty and satisfying, while the fat carried a natural sweetness.
The meat near the bone was especially tender, its flavors intensified by the slow cooking process.
"This is delicious!"
"It has a bit of a wild taste, but the size makes it worth it."
While I was nibbling away at my portion, Haku was tearing through his with gusto, crunching straight through the bones. In no time, one crown was completely devoured, and the second one was about to be finished too.
I could still eat more, but the crown roast was so filling that I wanted something else. Ideally, something a bit lighter.
As I scanned the stalls, and one caught my attention.
It was selling something that looked like spring rolls, with vegetables and meat wrapped in a thin, rice-paper-like sheet.
Some rolls had garlic chives, leafy greens, paprika, and a bit of beef. Others were filled with leafy greens, boiled shrimp, and what looked like chili sauce. They looked fantastic.
"I’ll take one of each of these salad rolls—"
Before I could finish my sentence, I felt a strong gaze from behind me.
I turned to see Haku on the bench, his eyes locked onto me as he polished off the last of the crown roast.
That look clearly said, Order some for me too.
"Actually, make that fifteen of each."
"F-Fifteen?! U-understood!"
The stall owner was visibly startled by the sheer quantity, but after I paid upfront, they got to work quickly.
With a pile of salad rolls stacked high, I returned to Haku.
I took one salad roll at a time from the plate where the crown roast had been, and passed the rest of the bunch over to Haku.
"The thin wrapper is chewy and delicious."
The thin wrapper was chewy, with just a hint of sweetness.
Very much like rice paper.
"The combination of the fresh greens, tangy sauce, and grilled meat is perfect."
This was exactly what I’d been craving—something light and refreshing.
When I ate with Haku, the menu inevitably leaned heavily toward meat dishes.
I figured I should at least make sure to eat some vegetables whenever I remember to.
By the time I finished my second salad roll, Haku had polished off the rest of them.
"Tohru, I want to eat that and that next."
I was just starting to feel full, but it seemed Haku’s appetite was far from satisfied.
Meat pies, blue boar crown roasts, heaping plates of stir-fried meat and vegetables, meat and vegetable soups... I kept buying dish after dish from the stalls Haku pointed out.
Haku had taken a particular liking to the crown roast. He kept asking for more until the vendor, completely out of stock, had to close their stall early despite it being midday.
"Hmmm, my hunger’s satisfied for now."
We repeated this cycle about four more times before Haku’s appetite was finally appeased.
"You ate that much and can still keep going?!"
"Of course."
Somehow, Haku replied with a strangely proud expression.
I ended up spending three gold coins just on lunch.
For a single meal, it was quite an expense.
Still, I owed the earnings from selling monster materials at the guild to Haku’s efforts.
Even if the gold coins were flying out the window, if he wanted to eat, I'd make sure he could.
"So, what did you think of the street food?"
"It wasn’t bad, but your cooking is better."
"Haha, now that’s a compliment I’ll take."
Haku wasn’t the kind to hand out empty praise.
Knowing that made his words even more satisfying.
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