Isekai Izakaya Nobu Chapter 6Shinobu-chan’s Napolitan Special (Part 2)

Red.

It was very red.

The noodles were very red.

「Fräulein, what…is…this?」

He paused at each word while asking. It gave off an intimidating feeling.

Certainly, as per Gernot’s order, he expected pasta.

「Customer-san. This is spaghetti. Napolitan style.」

The waitress answered confidently, while putting on her best smile. Such courage.

So that he would not be overwhelmed by her smile, Gernot dropped his gaze to his plate.

It was still red, though.

This red…it certainly had been a long time since he ate something as red as a tomato.

Though, it was still red.

Gernot had not seen this kind of long, thin, dyed in red noodle before, even in the southern part of the empire, where he grew up. The color scheme of the dish was warmer and calmer than the Bolognese or Puttanesca style.

The ingredients were simple.

Green pepper, onion, and bacon. The sight of green peppers in the empire, where vegetables were scarce, was much appreciated. Unexpectedly, the bacon wasn’t in the usual, thin, poor-looking slices, but were instead sliced thickly like beautiful, rare gems.

「Oh, you noticed? Those thick bacon slices, the boss eats them as snacks with his evening drink.」

Gernot nodded in understanding. If it was something the boss relished while having his evening drink, this kind of thick slice was understandable.

That being said, to serve this kind of luxurious item, would he be able to afford it?

Living in extravagance should be a cause for admonishment. In other words, it could be used as an excuse for an investigation during tax collection.

Sweet?

No, it wasn’t just sweet.

The sweetness and acidity of the tomato was skillfully entwined into the noodles.

They were boiled perfectly.

To boil them only to the extent that the core faintly remained in the center.

This waitress was surely not an ordinary person.

However, it didn’t stop there.

How could he explain? The entire dish had a childish feeling to it.

It wasn’t something for a city councilman in charge of the population census like Gernot to eat.

However, he did not stop eating.

The delicious lingering aftertaste that spread in his mouth, how was it possible?

「Oh, customer-san. Do you use cheese and tabasco?」

「Cheese? Tabasco?」

「Yes, I will set them aside here.」

As the waitress said that, she put down two containers. A green cylindrical container and a red glass bottle. It seemed that there was grated cheese in the cylindrical container. He sprinkled some grated cheese on one mouthful of the food and tried eating it.

Delicious!

Indeed, the person who thought of this combination was a genius.

At any rate, if this chef existed, it would be good to recommend a position on the city council for them.

Now, the other one.

Certainly, the waitress said it was called “tabasco”.

Gernot timidly sprinkled the contents of the bottle over his Spaghetti Napolitan.

Life.

The universe.

Everything was answered.

At that moment, Gernot received a revelation.

Sweet, sour, and spicy tastes harmoniously spread inside his mouth.

Mixed in with them were the bitterness of the green pepper, mellowness of the onions, and the profound flavour of the thick bacon slices.

This was a miracle.

It was Earth’s gift, agape!

The holy texts took the form of spaghetti.

Without caring about staining his mouth with tomato sauce, Gernot hungrily ate the Spaghetti Napolitan.

This encounter, this happiness.

(TL: Agape = divine love)

Before he noticed, his plate was already empty.

He was ashamed to have thought it had a childish taste at the beginning.

That’s right, tasting this dish made him recall his childhood memories, which he had forgotten. For this very reason, this pasta existed.

This wonderful taste.

This multitude of flavours that combined magnificently like life’s splendor taught him the value of the universe.

Even the white of the plate resembled the sky and taught of the ruthless changes in life.

「Customer-san, you were eating with such vigor. Does your stomach hurt?」

「Yes, well, that isn’t the case. It was a really delicious spaghetti. Fräulein, thank you.」

While saying so, Gernot took his wallet out from his breast pocket and paid with a single large, gold coin.

「Ah, is that a gold coin? I don’t have so much small change.」

「I don’t need the change.」

「Eh? No, but…」

「Well then, excuse me.」

「Is it okay to not wait for the boss?」

「It’s okay. This store, it’s good, isn’t it.」

Gernot turned around and left quietly.

To be resented by people…he decided to quit such a job. He would donate the income that he had gained up until now…home, returning home might be a good idea.

「He left…」

Shinobu said, returning the paper napkin that she had brought out.

If there was a ketchup stain around his mouth, wouldn’t the surrounding people augh at him? That was what she thought, but she decided to keep it locked away in the jewel box of her heart.