Steamed Giant Fish

Azu and the others finished their hunt and returned to the inn.

They'd chosen a nearby spot, so they made it back before evening.

When they stepped inside, Master was talking with one of the inn's staff.

The staff member left, and Master turned to greet the three of them.

On the table sat a fish longer than Azu's outstretched arms.

"That's incredible～!?"

Azu's eyes sparkled at the sheer size of it.

"Could this be dinner? I've never seen a fish this big!"

"Come on, Azu, don't make a scene. There's nobody else here right now, but this is still an inn."

Alexia had been completely caught off guard herself, but Azu's loud voice snapped her back to her senses.

"Sorry. I just got a little surprised."

Elza nodded along, wrapping Azu in a hug from behind.

"Mm-hm, mm-hm. I totally get it. This is surprising. Where did you get this, Master?"

When Elza asked, Master took in their astonished faces with a satisfied look before answering.

"Apparently it's a type of Swamp Fish. I spotted it while walking through the market. You said you wanted fish, so I went ahead and bought it."

"Wasn't it expensive? A fish this big?"

Even as she said it, Azu couldn't take her eyes off the enormous fish.

Whether that was hunger or curiosity, Master couldn't quite tell.

"About the same as buying fish for four people separately, actually. The vendor said it tastes milder than it looks."

"Huh. Sounds like it'd go well with salt."

Alexia, the biggest eater of the four, chimed in.

Her gaze screamed: looks like there's plenty to go around.

"Anyway, the inn's staff will cook it for us. Go get cleaned up, changed, and wash your hands."

"Okay～!"

Azu hurried back to their room.

Childlike in that regard, as always.

Alexia followed with a "Good grief," though her steps were notably light for someone feigning exasperation.

"Well then, see you in a bit～"

Elza brought up the rear.

They'd rented a room that could fit four. It had originally been a communal sleeping room for six or seven, but with no other guests, they'd reserved it for just the four of them.

Needless to say, it was somewhat cheaper than renting two double rooms.

The inn got a fully occupied communal room out of the deal, so it worked for both sides.

No beds, but the floor mats were plush enough that it didn't matter.

A staff member brought over a large leaf.

Apparently they'd wrap the fish and vegetables together in the leaf and steam-roast the whole thing.

The prepped fish was laid on the leaf.

Master had bought the thing on impulse, but now he was having second thoughts about whether this would actually work.

The staff member reassured him, though. This fish was actually a staple dish around here.

After wrapping it in the leaf, they'd stick the whole package straight into the kiln.

A bold cooking method.

The vegetables going inside were aromatic herbs, and a generous amount at that.

Then came a liberal shower of rock salt on top.

The moisture from the vegetables would mix with the rock salt, creating the perfect level of seasoning, or so the explanation went.

Sweet potatoes were also being roasted alongside the fish.

Whether those sweet potatoes would pair well was debatable, but with some salt in the mix, maybe they'd work.

As Master watched the fish cook in the kiln, he noticed Azu had appeared beside him at some point, watching with the same fascination.

She'd even finished her bath, changed into fresh clothes, smelling of soap.

Her hair was still damp, so Master fetched a towel and dried it for her.

"Thank you."

Azu held still and let him do it.

"Sure. It's fun to watch, isn't it."

He finished wiping the moisture from her hair.

After that, the two of them just stood there watching the kiln together.

Warm air wafted from its mouth, and the time passed quietly.

"… Are you two eccentric, or just bored?"

Alexia noticed the pair staring into the kiln and remarked with exasperation.

Her long red hair was neatly brushed out.

She'd probably come to dry Azu's hair herself.

"I'm just watching because I'd like to build one at home."

"I kind of like this sort of peaceful time."

Each of them offered their rebuttal to Alexia.

As far as Alexia was concerned, neither response qualified as one.

The exasperated Alexia returned to the room, and Elza emerged in her place.

She was still in her habit, though according to Elza, this was her casual-wear habit.

"Oh my, Alexia-chan's in a bad mood. Maybe she's hungry～"

"Probably. Should be done soon, though."

"Steam's coming through the gaps in the leaf. It's starting to smell really good."

Elza could only manage a wry smile at the two of them fixated on the kiln.

Eventually the cooking was done, and the inn staff kindly carried it to their room.

The steamed Swamp Fish sat in all its glory on the table they'd brought in.

Steam rose with the aroma of fish, tickling their nostrils.

Master portioned it out for everyone, and they dug in together.

He'd expected a fishy smell, but between the careful prep work and the aromatic herbs, there was none to speak of.

Just as advertised, the flavor was mild, but the juices from the herbs and fish had drawn in plenty of rock salt, and together they spread a wonderful saltiness and umami across the palate.

When the salt felt a bit strong, a bite of potato reset everything.

They'd all expected an unsophisticated flavor given how dramatic it looked, but the taste exceeded every expectation. Forks didn't stop moving.

The enormous fish vanished in no time. Even the edible meat around the head was picked clean (mostly by Alexia), leaving nothing but an immaculate skeleton.

"That was delicious. Thank you, Master."

Azu said, satisfied.

"A lousy meal after a hard day kills morale."

That was Master's reply.

Everyone pitched in to clean up.

The three slaves privately thought their master had no need to lift a finger with three of them around.

But Master genuinely seemed to prefer working over being idle, assigning tasks while bustling about himself.

Azu worked hard to keep up.

Alexia and Elza did their fair share.

And so, alternating between hunting days and rest days, they finally arrived at the day of the Ocelot Colosseum.