AIWON Mall Isekai Store, Grand Opening Today! - Chapter 114
Episode 10-16
On the 26th day since I became the store manager of the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store.
Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I stood in the back of the supermarket section, in front of the prep table.
“Wow, the fish from the sea are so big! There are so many strange-shaped fish!”
The prep table was crowded with seafood bought from an iguana who claimed to be the boss of the fishing port. Colette, wagging her tail energetically next to me, watched with sparkling eyes, full of curiosity. She had seen river fish before but had never encountered sea creatures.
Incidentally, the iguana who sold the seafood was waiting outside, saying, “I won’t go behind the store, I’m not trying to snoop around.” Seems like a reasonable iguana. He talks, though.
“Alright, what should I make? It’s pointless to think about how to transport it if our customers won’t accept fish dishes.”
The seafood isn’t much different from what we had in my original world. Though they’re a bit more colorful, have sharper teeth and fins, and some are large enough to swallow a child whole. …Actually, they’re pretty different. Why are they so aggressive?
For now, the seafood I bought isn’t poisonous. I declined the ones that could be eaten after removing the poisonous parts. In a world where the fish are already overly aggressive, I can’t take the risk of cooking potentially poisonous fish.
In my original world, pufferfish were called “teppo,” and you needed a license to prepare them. If I mess up and something happens to a customer, it wouldn’t be a joke. Anna-san offered to taste test, but… Well, she’s undead, so she’s already dead anyway.
“It’s my first time cooking fish, but I’ll do my best! What should I do, Manager-san?”
“…Alright, let’s start with some simple grilled fish. Watch me as I prepare it, and then you can help.”
“Okay!”
The small backpack the iguana carried was apparently a rare <Item Pouch>. It’s not a legendary magic tool like the <Item Box> where time stops, so the contents do age. The fish on the prep table are from two or three days ago.
“Ah, wait. We should put the fish we’re not using immediately into the fridge and freezer. Let’s handle that first.”
“The tools that cool and freeze! I heard only big stores or nobles have them, but Aion Mall has such large ones! Amazing!”
“Well, it’s not exactly a magic tool… though it’s powered by a magic circle and some mysterious fuel, so maybe it is?”
I tilted my head. The skeletons in aprons behind me also tilted their heads. Even the dark mist—or rather, the ghost—seemed to tilt its head, though it wasn’t in a mascot costume today. Or maybe it was a different one. Hard to tell.
“Alright, let’s stop overthinking that. Should I freeze everything once to deal with parasites? Ah, but maybe ‘Purification’ would work?”
The skeletons and ghost twitched and backed away at my muttering. Come to think of it, when I was testing out a meat dish before, Chloe got a bit too enthusiastic and ‘Purified’ the entire kitchen, damaging the skeletons.
“Uh…?”
“Sorry, it’s nothing. Colette, just watch as I prepare the fish. Skeletons, take the sorted fish—these to the freezer, and these to the fridge.”
“Yes, sir!”
The skeletons in aprons got to work. One of the fish had a fin embedded in its bone when it was moved to the tray, but it didn’t seem bothered. As expected of the undead.
“Be careful of the fins and teeth. First, we open it up. Imagine turning it into something like dried fish after removing the guts.”
As I explained, I focused on a fish about 30 cm long. Among the fish on the prep table, it was on the smaller side. It looked like a bluefish. I hope the freshness is okay. Unlike with meat, I’m worried about everything when it comes to fish.
I carefully picked it up, avoiding the fins.
“If there are any, remove the scales and take off the scales.”
I began to move the knife.
I lost my parents early and lived with my grandparents, so I’ve been responsible for cooking at home since I was in the upper grades of elementary school. I can manage to prepare fish too.
Thanks to that, when I worked at the Aion Mall Kasugano store, I sometimes helped out in the kitchen during the pre-sale rush, filleting fish from morning till night until my hair smelled like the sea… Maybe that’s why I didn’t get any dates. But then, most of the kitchen staff were married anyway. So I guess it didn’t matter.
“Cut off all the fins… Then, should I open it from the back or the belly? And what about the head? Hmm, let’s fillet it and grill it to taste.”
Colette watched intently, her nose flaring as she focused on my work. She was taking notes with the small notebook and pen I had given her.
The skeleton that had just returned from the walk-in freezer was also taking notes, writing on its forearm bone with a marker. At least they’re diligent. Come to think of it, maybe we could communicate through writing? Though learning the characters of this world is a bit intimidating.
“I’ll make some grilled fish with salt, and also fillet some pieces to pan-fry with butter.”
“Just hearing it makes my mouth water!”
“Maybe I’ll make a bouillabaisse too. There was a similar dish in the port town, so it might be well-received.”
“Bouillabaisse?”
“It’s a seafood soup with vegetables that I learned from the ladies. I think it’ll be good.”
“The stew you made with meat was delicious, so I’m looking forward to it!”
It’ll probably need some seasoning adjustments, but I think grilled fish and bouillabaisse will be well-received. They sold them at the port too, and the nearest town’s eateries often serve meat and vegetable soups and grilled dishes.
“We’re already frying food with the meat dishes, so maybe I’ll try making some fried fish too.”
The tonkatsu we sell as a side dish has been selling well. Maybe fried fish like horse mackerel would sell too. The ingredients are mostly the same as for the meat dishes, and if they sell, that’d be great.
“We’ll stick to the classics, but I’ll also try experimenting with various dishes. We’ve got taste testers, after all.”
“Yes, leave it to me! But, um, my mother is weak, so…”
“Don’t worry, Colette. Chloe can use healing magic, and both Barbera and Anna-san won’t be harmed by most things. We can let them handle the more experimental dishes.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about that…”
Colette’s tail curled up tightly. The skeletons in aprons took a step back from me.
It’ll be fine, it’ll be fine.
If something goes wrong, the Holy Knight and the Apothecary can fix it. I can’t even imagine Chloe, Barbera, or Anna-san getting hurt. Anna-san is said to revive even if she dies.
On the 26th day since I became the store manager of the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store, with the help of Colette and the skeletons, the experiments with fish dishes continue.
I’ll trust the stomachs of the tasting team and try out a variety of dishes. As long as they’re not poisonous, I’m sure it’ll be fine. As the manager, I have faith in the employees of Aion Mall Otherworld Store!