HPDBC Chapter 5
Chapter 5
5 Divine Cat: Mii-chan Goes to the Hunter Guild
As I wandered the streets dejectedly with Mii-chan in my arms, I noticed a building bustling with people. Curious, I peeked inside and realized this must be the Hunter Guild.
Though hunting wasn’t an option for me, I hoped there might be some other job I could do here. I needed to earn money somehow.
Inside, the place was teeming with people. The reception area was packed, but there was one spot with no line, so I headed there.
“What do you want, kid? This ain’t a place for brats,” a burly bald man greeted me with unwelcome words. I had to protest this injustice! My pride was at stake.
“I’m not a kid. I’m eighteen...”
“Mii~”
Don’t call me a wimp! There’s a scary guy right in front of me. I have to value my life...
“Eighteen, huh? You look like a kid to me. Hey, Pamir, get over here!”
“Ugh, Gaiz, I’m busy. Thanks to someone’s scary face, no one wants to come to your counter!”
“Shut up. Look, there’s someone right here!”
“Oh, really? Poor thing, or maybe just a curious one?”
“Whatever, just hurry up and appraise this kid!”
A woman, presumably Pamir, walked over and sized me up with a mix of curiosity and amusement. She sighed and pulled out a crystal ball.
“Alright, let’s see what we’ve got here.”
She held the crystal ball up to me, and it started glowing softly. After a moment, she glanced at it, then back at me, eyebrows raised.
“Interesting... You’re not just a weakling, after all. There’s some potential here,” she said with a smirk.
“Potential? What do you mean?” I asked, both nervous and hopeful.
“You’re not strong enough to be a hunter, but with some training, you might become decent. We could use someone like you for gathering tasks, errands, and maybe some basic defense roles.”
“Really? That sounds great!”
“Don’t get too excited,” Gaiz grumbled. “You still gotta prove yourself. If you mess up, you’re out.”
“I understand. I’ll do my best.”@@@@
“Alright then, welcome to the Hunter Guild,” Pamir said, handing me a small badge. “Your first task is to get a basic training session. Report to the training grounds tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you so much!”
“Mii~”
“Two small silver coins, please...”
“I’ll take it.”
“Mii~”
I handed over the two small silver coins and received the dagger. It seemed like a good buy. But is it really valuable? What do you think, Mii-chan? Mii-chan, who had quieted down, started snoozing in my arms. Hey, what’s the deal?
Still unsure, I returned to the inn and asked the landlady if I could borrow the kitchen. She said her husband managed the kitchen, so she had to check with him. When she came back, she said I could use it as long as I didn’t interfere with the lunch preparations, so I got permission to use the kitchen.
In the kitchen, I laid out the ingredients I had bought at the bazaar. First, I needed to make some basic seasonings. Garlic and onion could be used to make a flavorful base, while the tomatoes could be used for sauces. The wine vinegar and rapeseed oil would come in handy for dressings.
I began by peeling and crushing the garlic, then finely chopping the onions. The kitchen had a pleasant, earthy smell as I worked. I heated some oil in a pan and sautéed the garlic and onions until they were fragrant and golden. Then I added the chopped tomatoes, letting them cook down into a rich sauce.
Next, I prepared a simple vinaigrette with the wine vinegar, rapeseed oil, a pinch of salt, and a bit of freshly ground pepper. It was tangy and light, perfect for a salad or to add a bit of zest to other dishes.
With the basics prepared, I started thinking about what to do next. There were still so many possibilities, and I wanted to make sure I made the most of the ingredients I had. Mii-chan was still snoozing in the corner of the kitchen, looking content and relaxed.
“Alright, Mii-chan. Let’s make some magic happen in this kitchen,” I said to myself, feeling a renewed sense of determination.
As expected, Me-chan was told by the landlady, “It’s no good for you to enter the kitchen,” and was taken away. The landlady is holding Me-chan and grinning. Did you just want to hold her? Oh well, never mind, please.
Entering the kitchen, there was a sturdy old man and a young man peeling a large amount of vegetable skins.
“You can freely use whatever is around here.”
“Thank you very much. I’ll take you up on your offer and use them.”
They put water in a pot and bring it to a boil. While it’s boiling, they finely chop half of the garlic they bought. They put plenty of vegetable oil in a frying pan and heat it up. Once the oil is hot, they add about half of the finely chopped garlic and sauté it carefully so it doesn’t burn. When a nice aroma fills the air, they add the rest of the oil and garlic, a little salt, and finish making garlic oil. After it cools, they transfer it to a ceramic jar they bought.
The water boils, so they add tomatoes. After boiling them slightly, they drain them in a sieve, rinse with water, and easily peel off the skins—how magically simple! They grate the remaining garlic, onion, and ginger. They put the peeled tomatoes in an empty pot, heat them up, and mash them up. Ideally, they would strain them here, but to save time, they skip that step. Once it has reduced, they add the grated ingredients from earlier, salt, and a splash of wine vinegar, and let it simmer. Voila, a pseudo tomato ketchup is complete.
Suddenly, the old man and the young man are looking over at them.
“What’s that?”
“A seasoning?”
They don’t understand, so they receive some eggs and meat. They make an omelet with the eggs and fry the meat in garlic oil. They pour the pseudo tomato ketchup over the omelet and serve it. They cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and place them on plates.
The old man and the young man take it to the dining area and, along with the landlady, taste it.
“It’s delicious...”
“It’s a taste I’ve never had before.”
“Dad, this can be useful.”
It seems it suits their tastes.
Still, Me-chan hasn’t come closer. Is it because of the strong smell of garlic, onion, and ginger? Did Me-chan end up not liking it? It’s lonely!