Vol 2 Chapter 7 (2/2)

The autumn chill came, it is the season for it after all. The steam from the warm soup filled the air.

The girls who set the tables gathered the young children. With hands touching this is first contact, I want them to keep on giving a good impression, of course with children they aren’t as anxious around them.

「Here you go.」

「It’s hot so be careful, kay.」

「It’s really tasty!」

With the lovely younger Firefoxes setting the tables, the male elves don’t have any sense of things being bad. With the young girls I see a lot more pleased smiles, but I occasionally see those kinds of broad dirty smiles on their faces…. Although it is a bit vexing, it is a necessary evil.

The girls must be conducting themselves and be social. For that Kuu did instruct them to do so, but whether they have a good command of it is something I worried about. But it seems I was worried for nothing.

To some extent the need to create opportunities for good relations and for the people to develop good will toward each other, can’t be helped.

With the soup distribution being finished the girls pour sake into the Elves cups, when that was done they poured their own cups.

About what groups would pour sake for the Elves and themselves, rather than what I thought it was properly communicated and made me feel relieved.

「For today’s cuisine we are not just able to provide just that. I think we want to contribute as members of Elucie. Well the greeting was a bit long and the soup is going to get cold from here…. Well then, for Elves and Firefoxes meeting each other, I feel we should toast to that and the development of Elus.h.i.+e. Cyril-sama.」

「Aha」

Kuu and I, were pa.s.sed cups from the side of the stage. Kuu with a glance was saying to give a toast as a greeting.

Today’s start of the get-together was not just Kuu’s doing, but I ought to include the Elves and the Firefoxes too in Elucie as the representative of Elucie.

「Everyone raise your gla.s.ses, and toast for our new comrades!」

The cups banging together echoed over and over.

And then everyone put their cups to their mouths.

「Well then, I want everyone to enjoy it, but today I think I should go over the idea of today’s plan, the soup and the potato chips are both appetizers.」

Saying that, several elves focus their attention to the Firefoxes who are standing in front of all the cooking equipment.

「There is also another main dish, and because it’s freshly made it is going to have the best taste, and you get to see the finis.h.i.+ng touches done right before your eyes. However, there is only so much that can be made at any one time, so one table will be called upon at a time. When the table is called those Elves in turn will stand in order. Until then, I want you to enjoy the potato chips, sake and the dried cranberry. Naturally the Jus on the appetizers is tasty enough, well then, first from the right edge table.」

With my instructions the elves rise and line up in front of the pot.

The girls toss the potatoes in the oil and start placing steaks from the cranberry juice on the iron plate. The sweet and sour smell of the cranberry and the aroma of the grilled wild boar permeated the surroundings.

Just that is enough to stimulate the appet.i.te.

In a blink of an eye the potatoes are done as well as the grilled meat.

That one arranged plate of food, the meat was drowned in the meat cranberry Jus sauce, served with a pinch of salt.

The potatoes also go well with the cranberry sauce, the thought of eating it with just salt was also taken into consideration. The steak as well, if the steak wasn’t seasoned enough the salt in the sauce would rectify that.

Since the iron pot and plate is large, it can prepare a considerable amount of portions in one go. It shouldn’t take more than an hour for everyone to get served right.

「This is like amazin, it’s so tasty.」

「This aroma, I can’t get enough of it…」

The meat that is grilled in front of their eyes just adds the best value to the food. Actually, the Elves who are in front of the iron plate, both the adults and children had eyes bright with antic.i.p.ation.

The Firefox girls are putting out a lot of heat, thermal regulation is their forte after all. That is why at the moment the best steaks are being made.

With firewood and a stone stove, even with that such a thing isn’t possible right.

I return my gaze to the table and see the Elves enjoying the soup and the potato chips.

「There are called potato chips ya? This salt taste and crunchy texture is something I just can’t get enough of! It also goes well with sake… very well…」

「This soup has a very good taste, the deer base it’s made out of is just delicious.」

「This is a vegetable isn’t it? It has a very crisp like peculiarity about it.」

「Not only that, this sausage whatever it’s called is amazing, it kind of explodes in your mouth kind of texture, and the Jus just jumps out and has a lot of substance to it. It’s amazin, you know. This… This is Firefox traditional food! Those guys have been eating this kind of food all this time you know!」

「Earlier, I asked that Firefox child who gave the soup, this sausage is a preserved food, and it will be distributed to everyone later.」

「Really?! It’s today’s soup but, the baked bread between that was also like great too wasn’t it. To be given such good stuff, somehow I am thankful for the Firefoxes.」

As predicted… very popular.

The potato chip lipid, salt, and carbohydrate combo has the best affinity along with sake, it was even substantiated with science. And in order to get the best taste of the fat just jumping out, the lard was kneaded into the sausage along with the deer liver to give the sweetness and substance to it.

If you keep eating it though, your stomach would have trouble digesting it. But if the bone and leg meat is cooked well and the sc.u.m is removed to have a clear soup. Even if it has a heavy taste of meat, it will wash away the oil that collects on your mouth.

Taking off the whiskers one by one from the bean sprouts contributes greatly to the soup. The full taste of the soup can be slurped up and the greatest food texture that comes out allows your mouth to feel refreshed.

「Finally, seems we can get to the main.」

「it is isn’t it, I haven’t even tried it yet and that aroma is just making me dizzy.」

And then the first batch returned with their food in hand.

The sweet aroma of the steak gathered looks from all around.

「But, there is nothing to cut it with. Since wild boar meat is hard, at this rate it will be difficult you know.」

A young Elf girl looked around restlessly. Wild boar meat being hard is a common belief among Elves.

「It’s okay. I’ve bitten into it and simply cut it with my teeth.」

The Firefox girl Kemin gave some timely a.s.sistance.

Of course it being said from a young girl, still had Elves all around having faces of doubt.

「It really is soft magical steak, here try it.」

Bring pressured and being in that unwilling state, the young Elf girl held the steak to her mouth and then with one bite, cut into the meat easily.

「This… this can’t be, even though it’s wild boar meat, it’s really soft and juicy. This is the first time… Was wild boar meat always this tasty?! And also this sauce, even though it has the taste of meat, the sweet and sour taste of it, just makes me completely want to eat it no matter what.」

With the muscle and sinew thoroughly tenderized along with the cranberry enzymes that broke down the amino acids, the steak was made unbelievably soft. The sweet and sour sauce mitigated the fattiness.

The little remaining greasiness is neutralized when the soup is slurped up, and soon after you end up wanting to eat the next thing.

「Really? if that’s the case so will I, ah, you’re right. it’s like it’s melting in my mouth.」

「I thought wild boar had to be boiled well, but there was also this way to eat it too…」

「Also this pommes frites are also amazin!. not soggy, even with the same ingredients these potato chips I don’t think they are the same thing.」

「Hey! Try this sauce with the pommes frites! The taste of meat is just very penetrating, ah… it already pa.s.sed… aren’t there any seconds?」

The reaction from the first group caused the eye color from all around to change. Now the other Elves were fidgeting, wondering when their turn would be.

It’s a good reaction, with that kind of expectation, it has the effect of increasing the taste of the cuisine a number of times.

「It’s a great success. Anyway Kuu, they have an interest in the Firefox cuisine. When it’s calmed down a.s.semble the Firefoxes and have them change seats, we’ll let them talk with each other and share stories. The food is probably going to be the main topic, so they won’t put on the spot about other subjects right.」

And then, doing it like that this time was the ulterior motive to the cooking.

Suddenly, it becomes more like a social gathering, kinda like a family get-together. Yah, everyone is being friendly to one another, a good topic to start with doesn’t allow troublesome conversations to bounce around.

While the food gives a good atmosphere, the cooking is going to end up being the topic.

The elves want to know the details about the food and will be questioning them extensively, the ones on the service line and even the Firefoxes themselves, they will be talking about the results right.

「Just where are you thinking ahead this time Cyril-kun…..?」

「Thinking about what parts were a hit and miss, you know.」

「Cyril-kun, about it being a hit or miss, I don’t know what exactly happened? But, thank you so much, the gathering here feels like it’s going well. It’s all thanks to Cyril-kun, preparing the place, convincing the Elves, stocking up the ingredients, even the cuisine. Really, there isn’t enough times I can say thank you.」

「Well, that’s wrong you know Kuu, today was the result of all the Firefoxes, everyone doing their best.」

I have to correct her on that, if I don’t it would be pitiful if she didn’t realize that it was everyone doing their best.

「Certainly this time I prepared the place, and did show you the way to make all the tasty cuisines. But they were only that tasty because of all the labor that went into it. If even just a little bit of effort was taken out, it would have ended horribly. I want everyone to enjoy themselves. I want them to be Elucie’s comrades, thinking that, all the girls gave it their all, and because of that it turned out well」

「Well, certainly that is the case. It’s all because of the girls giving it their best wasn’t it. But, Cyril-kun was really doing a lot of the hard work, I am not going to give up thinking that.」

「Kuu saying so is a part of you that I like, you know. And anyway, Kuu was especially trying your best along with everyone. Kuu… Good work and also, thank you.」

Kuu was honestly complementing people, that is unexpectedly difficult.

Because it’s that Kuu, I also want to praise her.

We both said words of thanks to each other.

And, Kuu’s face got a little red and she averted her eyes. This is bad, that wasn’t my intention to make a move like that, it became a suggestive kind of thing.

「Well then, let’s get to work. We can’t let everyone’s hard work go to waste.」

「Yes, of course.」

Saying that both of us got off the stage.

Well, with all the joyful greetings going around; when that finishes next is today’s main event.

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