Chapter 14

They weren’t far from the market when a huge three-story building came into view. Lilia gaped. “This is the nicest inn in our village!” “Really?” Kaito noticed the carpet on the floor, and it certainly did look to be of high quality. “Come on in; our room is on the third floor.” Sasha’s father showed them to a sprawling suite. “This is incredible!!” There was a reception area with a generous couch, and other rooms could be seen farther in. Between this and the expensive-looking clothes Sasha and her father were wearing, it was obvious they were rich. Lilia was taking in the room, stunned. Sasha’s father laid his daughter on a bed before returning to the reception area. “A pleasure to meet you. I’m Aaron, a merchant from the nation by the sea.” “Oh, uh, the pleasure’s all mine…” Aaron had unusual ash-blond hair and the same golden eyes as Sasha. His skin had a light-brown color, perhaps from a tan, and he looked strong. “Thank you for helping my daughter. She’s a fragile thing… We came here hoping we might find some food that could give her a bit of vitality, but…” “Oh, no, it was nothi—” “I very much want to thank you.” Aaron stared intently at Kaito. “Are you the hero everyone’s talking about?” “Huh? Oh, uh, yes, sir!” Kaito nodded, surprised. “I knew the moment I saw you.” “You did?” True, Kaito was the only one around here without pointy ears. Still, it surprised him to learn that word of the hero had spread to other countries. “It’s an honor to meet you. Rumor has it you make an unusual foodstuff. Pizza, I believe it’s called?” “That’s right, sir. I would love for you to come and try some.” “Can it not be sent to other countries?” “Right now, I’ve got my hands full just setting up shop. I do hope to make it more accessible one day, though.” I could open a branch location in another country. That’s not a bad idea… Not that I even really have my own place right now. “……” Aaron studied Kaito with a sharp gaze. Kaito’s heart pounded with the feeling that he was being appraised, like merchandise. “Um…” “Pardon me. I got lost in thought. First and foremost, I must thank you. Is there anything you want?” “Oh, I couldn’t. You don’t need to repay me.” Kaito didn’t want to beg for money. “I insist. Ask me for anything.” Kaito swallowed heavily. Well, there is… There is something I really, really want… “Uh…I’m interested in trying out kraken as an ingredient…” “Are you, now?” Aaron raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Even just a tentacle would be enough. Is there any way you could help me get some? If you can, I’d like to use it to make a pizza to give to you and Sasha as a treat.” “!!” Aaron’s golden eyes went wide at this. “…You are a wiser man than I imagined.” “Um… Oh…” “To take a gift, then make it even better and return it—truly superb.” “Th-thanks…” I think that’s a compliment… Right? All he’d done was connect his desire to make a kraken pizza with Sasha’s need for something that would give her a little energy. “Very well! I shall do this for you. I have no small curiosity about this pizza of yours.” With those words, Aaron called someone in and said something to them. “Your kraken, as promised.” “Thank you very much!” Aaron must have been a man with quite a bit of pull, because in no time at all, he had procured the kraken’s tentacle. Of course, being from a kraken, it was almost a full meter long. More than enough for a pizza. “Please take this as well.” “Wow! What’s this?” “Kraken ink.” “So krakens make ink, too…” Aaron gave Kaito a bag full of black squid ink. His surprise soon turned to delight, and he was sure it would make for a delicious pizza. “This is a big help! I’ll go make the pizza—you just wait at your inn.” “I’ll be looking forward to it.” After having the tentacle packed up, Kaito returned to his shop in high spirits. “Okay! Time to show ’em what I can do!” Once he had shaped the dough, Kaito mixed together some tomato sauce with the ink he’d been given. Almost immediately, the red of the tomato sauce vanished, turning black instead. A pinch of salt, and it was ready to go. “Let’s see here.” An experimental taste revealed a rich umami that spread through his mouth. “Excellent!” The tomato helped neutralize any fishiness. This was going to be a good sauce. Drool. Kaito jerked upright at the unpleasant sound. Lilia was watching him, saliva beginning to creep out the edge of her mouth. “Oh, sure. You can have a taste test.” He put some of the sauce on a spoon and held it out to her. Munch! “Eek!” Lilia bit down on the spoon with such enthusiasm that Kaito was afraid she might take his hand with it. “Ahhh… It’s delicious. There’s a rough edge to the flavor that’s unlike anything I’ve ever tasted…” Lilia was practically trembling with emotion. “Yeah, you guys don’t have any oceans around here, do you? Just hang tight for a while. Leave it!” Lilia straightened up. Okay. Now I can concentrate. Kaito began chopping the glistening tentacle into thin pieces. He put the sauce on the pizza, then arranged the tentacle slices on top of it. The black sauce and white bits of tentacle looked rather plain, so he added dabs of tomato sauce here and there. He didn’t put on any cheese, however, because he wanted to leave the focus on the main ingredients. Finally, he doused the whole thing in olive oil and baked it in the oven. “All done!” He put the pizza on a tray and covered it with a silver lid. “I’ll get the carriage!” Soon the two of them were hurrying back to the inn. They knocked on the door of the third-floor suite, and Aaron soon appeared. “We’ve brought the pizza!” “We’ve been hoping you would. Sasha is able to sit up now, as well.” When he ushered Kaito and Lilia into the reception room, they saw Sasha sitting in a chair. Her face was still pale, but she gave them a bow of her head. “This is my seafood pizza—the Kraken Special!” When Kaito set down the dish, Aaron and Sasha gave impressed sounds. “Ho! So this is pizza!” “Amazing… I’ve never seen a food like it before.” “So you’ve used the squid ink as part of the sauce?” “Yes, sir. Please enjoy it while it’s hot.” Aaron and Sasha both took slices, then Lilia and Kaito did, too. Kaito had prepared two pizzas to ensure there would be enough for four people. “!!” When Sasha took her first bite, her golden eyes went wide. “This is incredibly delicious!! The umami of the kraken fills your mouth…yet it’s so smooth and easy to eat!” “That slight chewiness is perfect! The outside has a little snap, but the inside is soft. And the rich sauce goes perfectly with the simple, salty crust!!” Aaron, too, seemed genuinely impressed, his eyes shining. “Ahhh… And it’s not just the sauce—the thinly sliced kraken helps bring out the flavor…” A blissful expression appeared on Lilia’s face. The two pizzas vanished in no time at all. “Now, that was a worthwhile purchase! What a surprise to see kraken prepared this way. You really put the flavors of your ingredients to best use!” Her father regarded Sasha excitedly. “And I’ve never seen my daughter eat so much at once!” A healthy red glow had appeared on Sasha’s pale cheeks. She no longer looked languid. She’d straightened up a bit, and there was a lively shine in her eyes. “Man! I guess seafood pizza really does have special powers—I feel pretty energetic myself!” Kaito said. The whole idea of a seafood pizza was new for him, as he’d been using only vegetables and cheese. “Thank you so much, Lord Kaito!” Sasha grasped Kaito’s hand, leaving him flustered. “Oh! Uh…” Now that he’d gotten a good look at her, he could see Sasha really was a beautiful young woman. Her gold eyes had a bright gleam, and her striking ash-blond hair swayed gently. “Oh, Lord Kaito, your collar…” The collar of his shirt had folded over; she gently straightened it. Her hand brushed his neck, sending a shock through him. What the heck? This girl is surprisingly sexy… She was a little bit older than Lilia, he figured, but she exuded a calmness that made her seem very mature. “I want to thank you. If there’s anything I can do for you, please just tell me.” She came closer to him. She was slim, and her clothing left the cleavage of her generous breasts plainly visible. “Er, ah…” This…this is bad! I feel like she’s cast a spell on me! Like I could just fall into her arms! Kaito looked over at Lilia for help and found her wearing an angry expression like he had never seen from her before. She was squinting at them, and her green eyes were as fierce as a tiger’s. Lilia’s super-pissed. Those words floated up into Kaito’s mind. “Hrk…” He trembled before quickly regaining his sanity. Ohhhhh crap, is this scary! It’s the quiet ones that are really scary when they’re mad!! “Well then, uh, when you’re feeling better, please come have some pizza at my shop. I want all kinds of people to be able to try it.” “We’re here once a month for the market. I promise to come next month.” “We’ll be looking forward to it.” Kaito, feeling a rush of relief, was about to back away when Sasha suddenly pulled him close. She wrapped her arm around his neck in a hug. “Lord Kaito, thank you so much!” “Th-think nothing of it!” Yaaaaaaah, that chest! I can feel it! It’s soooooo soft!! What the heeeeck?! Kaito successfully kept his thoughts from showing on his face, however, instead calmly extricating himself from Sasha’s embrace. Geez! These foreign girls are passionate! That was so, so, so, so close! He thought he heard a strange sound next to him. It turned out to be Lilia, grinding her teeth. She was looking at Sasha like a wild animal ready to do battle. “Is your shop delivery only? Or is it a proper restaurant?” “For now, it’s delivery only, so I think it would be best if you waited until I had an actual pizza parlor set up.” Kaito explained how he currently relied on the headman’s good graces and how his shop didn’t have anywhere for guests to sit down. “So my first goal is to build a house of my own and a real pizza parlor. I expect I’ll need about a thousand gold, so it’s a ways off yet…” Aaron was staring intently at Kaito. Suddenly, he slapped his knee. “Well, allow me to fund you, then.” “What…?!” Kaito looked at Aaron, unable to believe what he was hearing. “Consider it an investment in the future. Perhaps when I come for pizza, you could make sure to prioritize my order. And when you expand into other countries, start with mine. How does that sound?” “Ah…” Even the simplest calculation put the value of this investment at nearly ten thousand pizzas. That was more than a lifetime supply. But Kaito was grateful for the offer. “I can make a real pizza parlor with that money. It’ll have space to eat in and everything. I hope you’ll both come and visit!” “I wouldn’t miss it. I’ll have the money sent to you later.” “Thank you very much.” “I look forward to seeing you again, Lord Kaito.” Sasha slid up next to him and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. “Whoawhoawhoawhoa!!” This sort of farewell was not customary where Kaito came from, and it left him reeling. “Goodness, Lord Kaito!” Sasha giggled softly. “Uh, well then, s-see you next month!” Kaito hurriedly left the room, trying to hide his beet-red face. “Phew…” I never imagined I’d not only get to make kraken pizza but even get an investor. This was one lucky day. Kaito started on the way home in extremely high spirits. “Ahhh. Nice work today, Lilia,” he said as they got back to the shop, but Lilia was sullen and silent. “Lilia?” Lilia fixed Kaito with a piercing glare. “She was very pretty, wasn’t she?” “Huh?”