#487 Shinken Shobu

“In the first phase of the showdown, Samijrah took the lead like a proud Izakaya Guildmaster. His drink of choice was shochu with hot water. The fact that he chose hot water earns him a high score, as it keeps the motif of oden alive—warming the body to the core.”  

Belena is doing great as a live commentator.

The competition at Bacchus’ oden shop has entered a realm beyond my comprehension.

“On the other hand, Shax ordered food before alcohol at an izakaya, and although he hurriedly followed up his order, his impression was undeniably lackluster. Not to mention, he also opted for shochu with hot water. While it was the most ideal move, he was behind his opponent because he ordered the same drink. What do you think, Lord Saint? What can you say about their first moves?” 

“H-Highball, I guess...?”

I don’t wanna be part of this commentating gig.

“We are about to witness their next moves. Shax orders...eggs, konnyaku, and ganmodoki! A very basic choice.”

“Looks like Mr. Shax is going for a basic and solid approach.”

What about Mr. Samijrah...?

“Hanpen, please.”

“?!”

“That, and chikuwabu.”

Chatter, chatter, chatter...

The audience is in an uproar.

“Way to go, Samijrah! He has made yet another bold move! Hanpen and chikuwabu are both oden dishes that aren’t to everyone’s liking! By daring to ask for them, he’s aiming for a more oden connoisseur flair! By the way, I love chikuwabu!”

Belena even inserted her personal opinion.

But I have to say, being able to say you love something unpopular is quite connoisseur-like. Niche, even.

Is this supposed to be a big plus here?

“Ugh...!”

His opponent, Mr. Shax, is overwhelmed.

He’s so impressed with Mr. Samijrah’s order that he freezes up. As if to take advantage of this, Mr. Samijrah further takes the offense!

“Cabbage rolls and sausages, please!”

“That’s...!”

A... A heretical newborn in the world of oden!

At first glance, it may seem barbaric and disrespectful of tradition, but oden’s profundity is that it accepts everything and everything.

Believing in oden’s capacity for tolerance, the order Mr. Samijrah put forth is one of courage.

Once again, Mr. Samijrah has raised his manly honor as a carouser! 

“Nghhhhh...!”

“What’s the matter, Mister CEO? You stopped moving your chopsticks.”

This is starting to look more and more like a one-sided game steering in Mr. Samjirah’s direction.

“You’ve really changed, Shax. You used to be more adventurous. You were never the kind to hold back and be satisfied with something basic,” he says while slowly sipping his drink. “Are you playing it safe because you’ve secured a stable position? A businessman who doesn’t take risks won’t get anywhere, you know? If you continue like this, the future of your company is bleak... Boss, more shochu.”

“Here ya go.”

Asking for a refill at the perfect time paired with unnecessary nagging, just like a drunkard! 

Is this also considered a plus?

Mr. Samijrah’s understanding of drinking is so deep that he lives up to the name of Izakaya Guildmaster.

“...But is it just me, or his attitude toward Mr. Shax is different from before?”

He used to be more like... you know.

Though I guess this is the kind of thing only people who are old friends and know each other would do when drunk.

“...Shax, the current president, originally started out as an apprentice at a bar. This was when he was still a teenager.”

Huh?

Now it’s Bacchus talking.

“Shax was bright from an early age and quickly rose to prominence, being entrusted with important jobs. His talent caught the attention of the higher-ups from Pandemonium, and he was headhunted and transferred immediately. He rose through the ranks and eventually became their president.”

“You know of my background, Lord Bacchus...?!”

“I get all kinds of gossip as the shopkeeper, so frankly, yes.”

I thought Mr. Shax was born rich and powerful, to begin with. I didn’t know he had gone through such hardships...!

“Hm? But if he was an apprentice in a bar...”

“Yep, he was working at the same bar as me,” replies Mr. Samijrah while chomping on a cabbage roll. “I was something like a senior to him, but he was so quick to catch on that the gap between us narrowed. I couldn’t stand to be used by a junior, so I worked hard to learn my trade. In hopes that he and I would compete for the managerial position in the future...”

He took a sip of his drink and...

“I never expected him to be transferred to Pandemonium. I felt betrayed. I kept working at the bar and eventually rose through the ranks to manager. I also owned several stores and became a guildmaster. But even so, I’m just the king of the hill compared to you, who even became Pandemonium’s pres.”

“I’m aware I’ve attained a certain level of prestige. After all, I worked hard to get where I am now...!”

Thunk goes the sound of the empty glass hitting against the table. 

Is Mr. Shax starting to lose his cool...?!

“I wanted to rise to the top! Because I believed that going up was the way to happiness!!!”

“Is that why you went to Pandemonium? To aim higher?

“That’s right! But doesn’t the same apply to you?! You were not satisfied with just being a shopkeeper, so you became the Izakaya Guildmaster! Everyone wants to make a name for themselves! No one wants to stay poor and lowly! Do you want to return to your apprentice days when you were half a man and could only eat sambara taro?!”

Sambara taro?

What’s that?

“It is one of the most popular crops in the Demon Kingdom. It is cultivated in large quantities because it is resistant to climate change, can grow even in poor soil, is cheap, and is an indispensable food for the less privileged.”

So... like potatoes?

“Having soggy sambara taros at night after a hard and rough day at work! Their taste got me this far! I can’t go on living like that for the rest of my life!”

“Sambara taro, huh... they were indeed unpalatable. Our boss was also a really nasty guy. He only allowed us to eat those... I remember crying as we ate them. Thanks to that, the sambara tasted salty...”

“The saltiness was our one and only savior. It would’ve been harder to swallow something devoid of flavor otherwise...!”

Now, they’re having a heart-to-heart conversation...?!

“I never want to taste sambara taro again! That’s why I will continue to make money in Pandemonium! And for that reason, I can’t lose in a place like this! ...Boss!”

“What can I get for ya?”

“Konnyaku! Ganmodoki! Naruto!”

Isn’t that the Chi*ita Oden’s legendary combination?!

The beauty of these three side dishes’△◯□ shape lined up on a skewer is the divine golden ratio! As a

character from a different world, there is no way Mr. Shax has that knowledge, so how...?!

Did he somehow recreate this combination with his oden sense?!

The people around us are also shaken with astonishment at Mr. Shax’s move.

He had been pushed around by Mr. Samijrah for some time now, but he has regained the upper hand. It’s becoming harder and harder to tell where this showdown’s headed!

“That’s the spirit, Shax. I can see that old fierce look on your face again. Reminiscing on the past must’ve worked its wonders, huh?”

“You’ll get the carpet pulled from under you if you keep holding on to that ‘senior’ character of yours.”

Sparks are flying off between the rivals!

Is this showdown reaching its climax...?!

“Lastly, I will be personally presenting the dish!”

“Interesting, so we’re competing against each other to see who relishes this food item better?”

“Then I shall savor it to the fullest with my name as Pandemonium’s president on the line.”

The dish Bacchus serves in front of the enthusiastic duo is...

Soggy taro?!

“WHAT?!” 

Taro can indeed be used as an oden ingredient.

However, it’s tricky to use as it tends to come apart. I don’t think it was originally part of the menu at first.

Did Bacchus do some research on his own?

“This is nonsensical!”

Mr. Shax stands up and protests, “Aren’t these sambara taros?!”

“Wait, really?”

The same sambaras they were reminiscing about earlier?

“Giving us sambaras of all food items...! Weren’t you listening to our story earlier, Boss?!”

“Yes, that’s why I’d like you to eat them.”

“That’s just insensitive!”

For Mr. Shax and Mr. Samijrah, the sambara taros symbolize their painful memories.  

What is Bacchus’ intention in harassing them by deliberately reminding them of that?

“Wait, Shax, you should try this! It tastes totally different!”

“Huh?”

At the urging of his old friend, Mr. Shax reluctantly bites into the sambara.

At that moment, his eyes widened, and...

“What a broth-rich taste!”

“Lord Bacchus has put a lot of effort into preparing this broth. If the sambara absorbs it, the bad memories feel like a thing of the past...!”

“No, not only that... the broth seems to mildly envelop our bad memories of the sambara... Did they always taste this good...?!”

“Yeah, those days weren’t all bad memories either. I had a friend who would urge me on even during tough times. If you hadn’t come in a year later, I would’ve definitely broken down and run away.”

“And you were always there to protect me from our harsh superior... All because you felt like you had the responsibility as my senior! Yes, indeed, the sambara reminds me of such times. Though it was hard...”

“There were good memories too!”

Those boys, now older and all grown up, shake each other’s hands firmly, tears streaming from their eyes.

“To repay you for what you did back then, would you like to do this together? A joint effort by the Izakaya Guild and Pandemonium to spread Lord Bacchus’ oden, regardless of rank or status.”

“You’re right. I’d like everyone to experience the same excitement you and I felt today! If you and I work together, we can do anything!”

“Just like old times...!”

There was a round of applause.

The men, who had started from the same place and straitened their respective paths, celebrated their reconciliation.

Thus, the conflict between the Izakaya Guild and Pandemonium was happily resolved.

Did Bacchus perhaps offer this contest with the intention of this happening from the beginning?

He said he often stocked up on gossip as the shopkeeper, but was he preparing sambaras to reconcile the two after learning their backgrounds?

It sounds like the kind of thing a god who lived thousands of years would do...

He made yet another gourmet manga-like ending to the story...?!

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chibita oden is a reference to osomatsu-san/kun

weirdly enough, i was able to edit this tl on word. maybe the previous chapter's file was corrupted or something...