AIWON Mall Isekai Store, Grand Opening Today! - Chapter 124
Episode 10-26
“How is it? Is it ‘perfectly grilled’?”
“Hmm, no doubt it’s delicious! Hm, did my way of speaking sound strange just now, Human?”
“Please don’t worry about it, Crimson Ancient Dragon-san. It didn’t mean anything in particular.”
“R-Really? Then that’s fine…”
It’s the 27th day since I became the manager of the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store.
I somehow found myself cooking on the beach of Twin Dragon Island, where Barbera’s parents and the Iguana Dragon-kin live.
According to the Iguanas, it’s supposed to be to secure “transportation from the port town to Aion Mall Otherworldly Store,” but I still don’t really get it.
If Barbera, Papa, and Mama fly there as dragons, it would apparently cause a big commotion if they were spotted.
I look out across the bay at the island’s outer edge, encircled by steep cliffs.
I see a flock of wyverns flying around, squawking loudly.
Yeah, I have a bad feeling about this.
There are a lot of wyverns, the kind that fought in a dogfight and brought down a fire-breathing bird on my first morning in this world with their poisonous tails.
“…Should we break it?”
As I was lost in thought, Barbera raised a wooden mallet and asked. Her tail swayed gently, and the flame at its tip flickered rhythmically.
I had prepared a “Salt-crusted Unicorn Fish,” which Barbera Papa had grilled with his breath.
It seemed Barbera wanted to break open the salt crust that encased the fish.
“Alright, let’s have Barbera do it. Be gentle, so you don’t crush the contents.”
“…Understood. Heave-ho!”
With a half-hearted shout, Barbera swung the wooden mallet down.
With a satisfying crack, the salt crust shattered.
The Unicorn Fish inside was steaming hot.
“Yeah, it looks like it’s grilled perfectly. As expected of dragon breath.”
“…Papa, amazing!”
“Fuahahahaha! Right? Right? But you did great breaking it in one hit too, Barbera! That’s my daughter!”
“You’re too doting, dear. Oh, what a wonderful aroma.”
“Please wait a moment. I’ll cut it up now.”
I took a knife from my item pouch and began slicing the Unicorn Fish.
It was cooked thoroughly inside. Apparently, you just have to imagine “grilling it deliciously” to perfectly adjust the heat. Dragons are so mysterious. Fantastical creatures are something else.
“Hey, Manager-san, is it alright if we start handing these out?”
“Fried things that taste like horse mackerel, huh? Hey, Barbera, can you also warm this up with your breath? Make it crispy on the outside without burning it.”
“…I can do it.”
“No way, dragons are amazing. No need for an oven.”
“Well, then, let me warm this up for you. Fuu—”
“Wait, wasn’t that supposed to be my chance to impress Barbera?!”
“Fufu, it’s just a small dish. And you’re not very good at controlling your strength, are you?”
“…Mama, you’re amazing too!”
“Ah, yeah, right. Both of you are amazing. But Barbera, who flew here in one go, is incredible too. Alright, is this good enough?”
I praised Barbera, who was looking at me with sparkling eyes.
Her neck twisted around, and the flame at the tip of her tail flared up with more intensity. She seemed pleased.
I placed the slices of the salt-crusted Unicorn Fish on the leaves the Iguanas had gathered and cleaned.
Portions for me, Barbera, Barbera’s Papa and Mama.
And for the Iguanas peeking from the woods and beach, though there might not be enough for everyone, so just a taste for now.
Barbera brought over some tree stumps and fallen logs to use as tables, and several leaves were lined up.
“Alright! Then, shall we start the second tasting session? …Dragons and Iguanas, quite different from the usual customers at the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store!”
I announced.
The Iguanas began to gather.
Barbera immediately started eating.
I grabbed a wooden fork and took a bite as well.
“…Delicious!”
“Oh, it’s delicious. Even better seasoning than when we made it at the Aion Mall. Maybe it’s because we grilled it quickly with dragon breath.”
“Fuhahaha! Is that so, is Papa’s grilled fish delicious? Kufufu!”
“Now, now, dear, it’ll get cold. Oh, it really is tasty. Humans can do well too, huh?”
“Hm, this is delicious! I thought fish were best eaten raw or simply grilled, but this way is tasty too!”
“Aniki, Ane-san, please try this ‘fry’ too. It’s delicious whether you put the black stuff or the white stuff on it.”
“This is delicious! As expected of the human Aniki brought!”
“So tasty, so tasty, Aniki…”
“When I die, I want my belly slit open, wrapped in salt, and grilled.”
“Then, I want to be breaded and deep-fried! I’m counting on you, Human!”
“What…? The Iguanas—no, the Dragonkin’s view of life and death is way too incomprehensible…”
I was experiencing culture shock from the Iguanas who insisted on being cooked deliciously after they died.
I had never heard of such a culture, even in the cross-cultural communication training I took in my original world. Well, except for the cooking part, it does sound vaguely familiar…
“Not that I plan on doing it, though. How’s the taste, Barbera Papa-san, Mama-san?”
“It’s delicious! But both dishes could use more chewiness! They’re too soft like this!”
“Huh. So, maybe it’d be better to serve them with the bones. Normal people could just remove the bones themselves.”
“Oh, dear, don’t worry about the dragons who love to show off their fangs, Human. It’s really delicious.”
“Thank you very much! I’m glad it suits your tastes. But there aren’t any dragons among our customers, though.”
“…More, please!”
“Yeah, yeah, Barbera, you sure go at your own pace. Here, you can have my portion.”
If we serve it with the bones, we might as well present the whole fish without flaking it.
Grilling it with dragon breath turned out tastier than using the oven, so maybe I’ll ask for Barbera’s help in the future.
Thinking over various possibilities, but unless we can reliably source seafood, it’s just empty dreams.
“Hey, what did ‘lend us your legs’ mean after all? I went along and cooked, but…”
“Oh, whoops, I got too caught up with the ‘fry’! Sorry, Manager-san. So, Aniki, Ane-san, how about it? If you lend us your legs, you’ll be able to eat this regularly.”
“Hmph, there’s no need! If I want to eat this, I’ll just fly over myself! Or better yet, maybe I should move here and live with my beloved daughter.”
“No, dear, you can’t. Barbera-chan decided to ‘work hard on her own.’”
“Mmm…”
“…Papa.”
Barbera gives her father a sideways glare, and he slumps his shoulders.
It seems that being too doting gets you the cold shoulder, even in another world.
“Uh, family bonding is important and all, but what about the legs? You still haven’t explained what they are…”
“Hmph, fine! But you must regularly provide me with human-made dishes!”
“Fufu, you sure talk big, dear, even though you like Naoya’s cooking so much.”
“Ah, I’m glad to hear that, but… I still have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“GROOOOAAAR!”
“Oh my, getting all fired up. Then, I shall… QUUOOONNN!”
“Wow, you can roar even in human form. Dragons are amazing. Fantastical creatures are just too unreasonable.”
“H-Haha… To stay calm in front of the roars of the ‘Crimson Ancient Dragon King and Water Dragon Queen,’ Manager-san, are you even human? My legs are trembling…”
Barbera’s Papa-san and Mama-san roared loudly.
Barbera seemed eager to join in the chorus.
The Iguanas hid in the shadows, trembling, and some fell from the trees.
“So, what is this all about… Whoa!?”
“…They’re coming.”
I wondered if the reason for the two of them roaring had something to do with the legs and looked around, only to notice a change.
The mountain, which seemed to be the volcano that created Twin Dragon Island.
From the mountain slopes, countless wyverns were taking off.
Squawking and heading straight toward us.
Flocks of wyverns were also flying over from the sea cliffs.
Flying monsters were coming from both the mountains and the sea, in countless numbers.
Kicking up sand on the beach, and sending up water spray as they landed at the water’s edge.
The wyverns had landed.
“Well, Human, feel free to borrow any of them!”
It’s the 27th day since I became the manager of the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store.
Apparently, the “legs” connecting the port town and the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store are wyverns.
Uh, is this really okay? Dragons cause a commotion, but wyverns are fine? Aren’t they basically the same as flying monsters?